protest

On February 17^th, 2011, an ambulance was sent to the residence of Amber Coen and her boyfriend, Don Weekley II. Inside the home, paramedics found three-year-old Khylii Keffer’s limp, nearly-lifeless body. She was unresponsive, and her skin was an alarming purple hue, indicating that she was receiving little oxygen.  The on-scene paramedics’ report described her as “flaccid, demonstrating no motor control.” Her body was beginning to shut down, they said, and blood was rushing from her arms and legs in order to save her vital organs. The little girl was transported to Weirton Medical Center, and was then life-flighted to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. She was taken to surgery and then placed on life support in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. The emergency procedure left the little girl’s stomach exposed for nearly eight days (1).

Doctors believed Khylii sustained traumatic internal injuries around February 17^th, which caused a large hole in her stomach. Infection from her untreated injuries caused the three-year-old to go into septic shock, resulting in the purplish color paramedics described upon their arrival. They were able to establish this approximate timeline based on her stomach contents (1).

Activist throw a pizza party Christmas Carol Sing Along in Congressman Bill Young's office after he refuses to meet with constituents.

Spurred by a growing sense of frustration and disenfranchisement, nearly one hundred women and men gathered Saturday at the south gates of the Texas Capitol to protest what has been described by some activists as a "war on women." The idea for the protest came from Kaci Beeler, a local actor, designer, and artist who told Austinist that the recent appellate court decision allowing Texas to defund Planned Parenthood was the trigger for her. She explained to us that she had "...been following the GOP hailstorm about abortion rights and all of that stuff, and what’s been happening in Arizona. And then Wednesday, when I read about the Court of Appeals overturning funding for Planned Parenthood, that was upsetting. Reading about it and realizing that...it felt extremely unfair." It was a silent protest, the better to express the sense of disenfranchisement many of the participants said they felt. There was no chanting, there were no picket signs. Instead, women wore paper targets on their bodies to symbolize the targeting of their rights by policymakers and legislators. They, their children, and the men - brothers, husbands, boyfriends, and friends - spoke quietly among themselves as traffic rolled by on 11th Street. Video produced by Jeff Zavala. Videography by Grace Alfar A ZGraphix production. http://zgraphix.org

David Rovics is an American indie singer/songwriter and activist for peace and social justice. He lives in Portland, Oregon, and tours regularly on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls, and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable who's who of the Left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera, and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch and elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times.    

We believe in using music to help fuel social change, have fun and build community. Forward! marching band is an ever changing group of musicians of all skill levels. We play tunes from the folk, rock, Klezmer, Balkan and Americana genres. Our band consists of a diverse range of ages, musicianship and abilities. Instruments featured in Forward! run the gamut from traditional band instruments such as snare drums and trumpets to home brewed xylophones and plastic buckets. We love costumes, silly hats and spectacle! We share the duties of researching and arranging musical selections, directing and shaping rehearsals, costuming, and scheduling the band. Forward! marching band brings lively tunes to political protests, marches and rallies, parades, and community events.

As requested this version shows previously unreleased footage and an unedited shot of the police punching the shopper and breaking her ribs! CodePink Austin, along with allies from Veteran's for Peace and Women in Black staged a Don't Buy War "freeze" at Barton Creek Mall on Saturday, December 3rd. The strategically chosen mall location was between the Santa photo station and the Gamestop store, which prominently advertises the 'Modern Warfare 3' video game. The goals were to raise awareness about the continuing wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, to educate shoppers about the costs (both human and economic) of the wars, and to dissuade parents from purchasing war toys. The creative action was well received by shoppers, and several veterans approached the group to thank us. All was peaceful until mall security and APD arrived, and an APD officer brutally attacked a young woman who had joined the group spontaneously. She was seriously beaten and ended up with three cracked ribs and bruises all over her body! Produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala. A ZGraphix Production. ‪http://zgraphix.org‬ ‪http://twitter.com/zgraphix‬ ‪http://facebook.com/zgraphix.org‬ ‪http://austin.indymedia.org‬

CodePink Austin, along with allies from Veteran's for Peace and Women in Black staged a Don't Buy War "freeze" at Barton Creek Mall on Saturday, December 3rd. The strategically chosen mall location was between the Santa photo station and the Gamestop store, which prominently advertises the 'Modern Warfare 3' video game. The goals were to raise awareness about the continuing wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, to educate shoppers about the costs (both human and economic) of the wars, and to dissuade parents from purchasing war toys. The creative action was well received by shoppers, and several veterans approached the group to thank us. All was peaceful until mall security and APD arrived, and an APD officer brutally attacked a young woman who had joined the group spontaneously. She was seriously beaten and ended up with three cracked ribs and bruises all over her body! Produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala. A ZGraphix Production. http://zgraphix.org http://twitter.com/zgraphix http://facebook.com/zgraphix.org http://austin.indymedia.org

CodePink Austin, along with allies from Veteran's for Peace and Women in Black staged a Don't Buy War "freeze" at Barton Creek Mall on Saturday, December 3rd. The strategically chosen mall location was between the Santa photo station and the Gamestop store, which prominently advertises the 'Modern Warfare 3' video game. The goals were to raise awareness about the continuing wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, to educate shoppers about the costs (both human and economic) of the wars, and to dissuade parents from purchasing war toys. The creative action was well received by shoppers, and several veterans approached the group to thank us. All was peaceful until mall security and APD arrived, and an APD officer brutally attacked a young woman who had joined the group spontaneously. Produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala. A ZGraphix Production. http://zgraphix.org http://twitter.com/zgraphix http://facebook.com/zgraphix.org http://austin.indymedia.org

The Occupy Austin movement took to the streets Saturday 10/15/2011. Starting at 12:00 p.m., demonstrators marched from City Hall, through Downtown, to the State Capitol. On the way, the occupiers made a stop at Chase Bank at Sixth Street and Lavaca Street to withdraw their money and close their accounts. "I closed my bank account because I'm sick of the CEO's of large corporations like J.P. Morgan Chase reaping the benefits and passing the buck onto us," protester Jonathan Marmon said. Last Friday, the second day of the now 10-day demonstration, activists marched from City Hall to Bank of America for the same purpose. Ihor Gowda has participated in the Occupy Austin movement since it started on Oct. 6. "For the last few years I have felt corporate money influencing the political process is something that needs to change in the country," he said. Saturday’s march coincided with an international movement against corporate greed and the role of corporations in government. In Frankfurt, Germany, some 5,000 people took to the streets to protest in front of the European Central Bank. Thousands marched through the Bosnian city of Sarajevo carrying pictures of Che Guevara and old communist flags that read "Death to capitalism, freedom to the people.” Thousands of people also joined peaceful protests in Sydney, Tokyo, Manila, Hong Kong and Seoul. Video produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala, Mari Hernandez and Matt Gossage A ZGraphix Production. http://zgraphix.org

 
The Occupy Austin movement took to the streets Saturday 10/15/2011. Starting at 12:00 p.m., demonstrators marched from City Hall, through Downtown, to the State Capitol. On the way, the occupiers made a stop at Chase Bank at Sixth Street and Lavaca Street to withdraw their money and close their accounts. "I closed my bank account because I'm sick of the CEO's of large corporations like J.P. Morgan Chase reaping the benefits and passing the buck onto us," protester Jonathan Marmon said. Last Friday, the second day of the now 10-day demonstration, activists marched from City Hall to Bank of America for the same purpose. Ihor Gowda has participated in the Occupy Austin movement since it started on Oct. 6. "For the last few years I have felt corporate money influencing the political process is something that needs to change in the country," he said. Saturday’s march coincided with an international movement against corporate greed and the role of corporations in government. In Frankfurt, Germany, some 5,000 people took to the streets to protest in front of the European Central Bank. Hundreds marched through the Bosnian city of Sarajevo carrying pictures of Che Guevara and old communist flags that read "Death to capitalism, freedom to the people.” Hundreds of people also joined peaceful protests in Sydney, Tokyo, Manila, Hong Kong and Seoul. Video produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala, Mari Hernandez and Matt Gossage A ZGraphix Production. http://zgraphix.org

 

 

 

Nabi Saleh's weekly protest. This week it was specifically in support of the Palestinian prisoners who are on a hunger strike.

New York, September 24th--At around 10 am a notice was issued by suits from the alleged owners of Zuccotti Park aka Liberty Plaza, prohibiting use of camping gear and sleeping bags--possily an ominous prelude to the police crackdown on Occupy Wall Streeters during a march near Union Square, including the ue of orange netting and pepper spray. Tension built up during the evening with police reinforcements around the perimeter of the park, but at the time of this post (4:30pm Sunday) no evacuation of the park had taken place. This segment includes an analysis by an attorney of the possible legal status of the park, which though privately owned is dedicated to public usage, and whether constraints may or may not be placed on that use. Park occupiers issued a petition to collect signatures from the public in support of the encampment, which is part of a global protest against corporate greed, the Wall Street bail-out and its aftermath. Filmed by Liza Bear, Squaring Off. See also www.livestream.com/global for live coverage.

New York, September 21--Daily life on Zuccotti Park (a private park) aka Liberty Plaza. The occupation, a protest against corporate greed the inequity of financial policis is occurring simultaneously in a number of cities world wide. General assemblies and twice-daily marches on Wall Street to coincide with the tolling of the New York Stock Exchange bell take place daily. Today, September 24, a march originating at Liberty Square takes place at noon. See also www.livestream.com/global.

The E-Verify Law/Legal Workforce Act would require all employers to verify the documentation status of potential employees electronically as a pre-requisite for work. This would be devastating to immigrant communities around the US and would wind up pushing those who already make low wages further into poverty and into the underground economy, working for employers who care even less about labor and human rights than they already do. Congressman Lamar Smith, who has an office in Austin, is one of the supporters of E-Verify. It is important for us to show Lamar Smith that the residents of Austin are opposed to this unjust and discriminatory law. Join us outside of Lamar Smith's office here in Austin to demand justice for immigrants! Protest organized by Workers Defense Project. http://workersdefense.org If you would like to learn more about E-Verify please visit: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405311190448090457649620001169992... Photography by Jason Cato. Video produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala. A ZGraphix production. http://zgraphix.org

New York, September 17--Protesters against corporate greed occupy Zuccotti Square because their original plans to occupy Wall Street were blocked by police. Throughout the day they conduct peaceful general assemblies in order to work towards a democratic movement. See www.livestream.com/globalrevolution for live coverage. This episode filmed by Liza Béar.

On Thursday, August 4th at Holiday Inn Midtown (6000 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin TX) a dozen construction workers will lead a protest to reclaim over $10,000 in wages from a recent remodel at the hotel. "It's just not right that we worked hard and didn't get paid" said Quirino Juarez, a construction worker who performed framing and drywall work at the Holiday Inn Midtown. Juarez along with 11 other workers worked under Mely's Construction, a San Antonio-based sub-contractor, in January and February of 2011. Over thirty workers are owed wages for work on the hotel, although only 12 have come forward so far. WDP has attempted to negotiate a fair settlement with the general contractor and Holiday Inn management. However, all parties have avoided responsibility, promising to pay numerous times but never following through. "The job is done, the rooms look really great. They raised their rates and are benefitting from the remodel but we've received nothing", said Heladio Liborio who is owed two weeks of wages for drywall work at the Holiday Inn project. "It's been hard to pay my rent, bills and take care of my family." According to Bloomberg News, InterContinental Hotel Group, owner of the Holiday Inn franchise, saw a 38% increase in profits in 2010 due mostly to remodels like that done by these workers1. The worldwide makeover has given the company a fresh new image and a higher level of revenue. Meanwhile the workers who helped remodel Holiday Inn Midtown in Austin have yet to receive payment for their work. "Holiday Inn has an opportunity to be a leader in corporate responsibility by ensuring that those that work so hard to make it one of the nations most profitable hotel chains are compensated for their work" stated Patricia Zavala, Workplace Justice Coordinator at WDP. A ZGraphix Video Production. http://zgraphix.org Video produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala http://austin.indymedia.org Photography by Jason Cato Learn more about Workers Defense Project/Proyecto Defensa Laboral: http://workersdefense.org