Colorado Indymedia

The Left, Labor and Occupy

spamsucks — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:39:01 +0000

May 2012

Trotskyism vs. Social Democracy and Anarcho-Liberalism

The Left, Labor and Occupy

Occupy protesters in Portland picket Terminal 6 on December 12. (Photo: Rick Bowmer/AP)

Six months after Occupy Wall Street began – when a few hundred people sparked worldwide protest with a march and sit-in in lower Manhattan against political corruption and corporate greed – OWS was back. And four months after Occupy encampments were brutally evicted around the country, the police were there to greet them. Demonstrators chanted “this is what democracy looks like” as cops dragged scores out of Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan. More accurate would have been “this is what a police state looks like.” At the same time, the sharpening internal contradictions within the Occupy movement were also on display.

Why It's Time to Repeal Colorado's "Three Strikes" Law

spamsucks — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:50:21 +0000

Like many, prehaps most, prisoners Caveman is not too bright. He has other virtues, among them a great sense of humour and that is important when you find yourself serving life in prison. Caveman didn't rape or kill anybody. He is instead one of a large number of non-violent offenders to be serving a life sentence as a habitual offender in Colorado's state prison system. He says it happened like this. Like many, probably most, prisoners Caveman has a drug problem. In his case with meth. Because meth is expensive, Caveman has sold a lot of it over the course of his life. He never became a big drug dealer but he managed somehow to pay for his dope habit. He also managed to get himself arrested, repeatedly, and go to prison, repeatedly. The last time Caveman was out of prison he decided he was going to make the stuff himself. Other prisoners had told him how easy it was to make meth on your stovetop and he resolved to do just that. Did I mention that Caveman isn't too bright? He must have forgot one of the steps in the receipe, or something, because Caveman, much as he wanted to, did not make meth on his stovetop. He made fire. Of course he tried to put it out. But he didn't have a fire extinguisher, and when he threw water on the blaze he created on the stovetop it just got bigger. Maybe if he'd made it to highschool he would have known not to throw water on a chemical fire, but he hadn't and so he did. So instead of making meth on his stovetop Caveman burned down his landlords house.

Denver PD Ignores Freedom of the Press at Occupy Denver Mayday March, Arrests Journalist

Brettstarr — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:15:12 +0000

My livestream had been down for a total of 15 minutes as the radicals of Occupy Denver rounded off their direct action march targeting businesses who support the Urban Camping Ban and who are deeply invested into the ideals of the 1%, when the Denver Police decided to kidnap me. With press credentials around my neck, my comrade Tim and I had just crossed the street with a banner that read "We Didn't Start The Class War", which I was supporting him in carrying until I could get to my battery replacement back at the Civic Center Amphitheater where the march began from. With a red light holding the traffic in the perpendicular direction we crossed the street. When we got no more than 20 yards away from the rest of the march, a high ranking officer said "take them" and told us "you're going to jail". We were stuffed into an unmarked car quickly before the rest of the march could get more involved. All of a sudden I remember how at one of the stops the march had at Wells Fargo just an hour before an officer had told me, that "press doesn't matter" (See footage here: http://ustre.am/_1vt0y:16eT) to try and prevent me from covering any arrests. Well, I was one of the arrests. The official charge is "Obstructing Traffic" which, at the time of arrest, the only ones obstructing any traffic were DPD officers. Of course that would come second to the fact that there was no traffic to speak of. It was a red light some 100 yards away. The National Lawyers Guild is getting involved in the case and like most other charges to Occupy protesters, and in this case a journalist, I'm expecting the case to be dismissed. Follow me on twitter for more: @Starrstream

It's No Crime to Be Poor; Let's Keep It That Way

tina braxton — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:46:58 +0000

There are plenty of reasons why a homeless person might actually prefer not to go to a shelter--contagious diseases, tainted food, sex offenders, abusive practices by shelter staff, and better alternatives, like sleeping in one's own car. Despite all these, shelters remain continuously full, and people are turned away every night of the year. That's because there are so many homeless--more than 12,000 in Denver alone.

Homelessness is one of the few "growth trends" in our present economy. And it is, indeed, a purely economic phenomenon. Nobody chooses to be homeless. Kerouac was talking about low-budget tourism--a very different thing. This is not tourism, not a vacation, not camping. Let's be clear about that.

The three leading causes of homelessness are job loss, the high cost of housing, and break-up of a family. Mental illness and substance abuse do not cause homelessness. There are plenty of people who have these problems and yet have a roof over their heads. They have housing for the same reason you do. Either they have the money to pay for it, or someone who has the money is willing to provide a home for them. Those are the only reasons why anyone has a home.

Four Arrests at Denver May Day March; Occupy Needs to Learn More About Solidarity

tina braxton — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:41:42 +0000

Four persons were arrested and a two-year-old child was hit by a bicycle-riding cop yesterday during Denver's May Day March. According to witnesses, the behavior of one or more of the parade marshalls contributed to the problems, rather than mitigating them, and marchers abandoned their arrested comrades, rather than assisting them or otherwise showing solidarity.

The problems commenced after one marcher began dancing in the street. A marshall came up behind the marcher, seized him, and attempted to push him along, instead of approaching him face-to-face, and using verbal communication. The dancer, taken by surprise and unable to see who was pushing him, began resisting what must have seemed like an attack. Cops then closed in and arrested the dancing marcher, though they did not arrest the marshall. The original charge was jaywalking, which is not an arrestable offense. This charge was later changed to obstructing traffic.

During the incident, a cop, apparently unable to control his zeal at the prospect of participating in an arrest, ran his bicycle into a little two-year-old girl. The child's father then began speaking out very strongly in defense of his daughter, only to be rebuked by the same marshall who had caused the original problem.

Later in the march, another person was arrested, also for jaywalking, changed during booking to obstructing traffic. This person had been slated to perform later that day in the General Strike activities at Civic Center Park.

Police Car Windows Smashed

spamsucks — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:34:41 +0000

May Day was started off right by a team of local anarchists with an attack on a police patrol car at aproxamately 1am at 13th and Speer. Multiple windows were completely smashed. No jusification was given for none was needed, the institution of police being inherently unjustified. We've set the tone, now it's your turn to up the ANTI and make total destroy on May Day 2012.

The Unite Against the War on Women Rally and March by Phillip Reynes

phil — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:00:33 +0000

The Unite Against the War on Women Rally and March by Phillip Reynes

What a great day, I thought to myself as I walked to Civic Center Park, to hold a rally and march. The air was crisp and the sun was out and it seemed as the sun climbed into the sky that peoples spirits climbed with it. I passed the occupy site as I made my way to the park and there where only a few people. Most had already made there way to the amphitheater where the rally was to start.

The band started up as I arrived. The band was quite good, called the Foxfield Four, and made a sound that was richer and more deserving of more then just four musicians. I found myself wishing that they had been able to play longer then their time allowed. I meant to come back to the bands table and get a CD but sadly I was unable to do so.

Greater Denver Area: Call for an Anarchist May Day

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:57:13 +0000

So far the IWW has called for a “General Strike” in Denver, the website denver general strike has actions posted, but not even the Denver IWW, which launched the idea, has any of its own public plans for marches, rallies, parties, etc. on the site yet. I hope that they come up with some, preferably coordinated with the migrant community. I have no illusion that the general strike will succeed in a significant portion of the population joining, or doing much to shut down the city. Currently the one and only event listed is the Occupy march at 12:30, and a possible address from political prisoner Siddique Abdullah Hasan at the same march and rally. However, many anarchists do not feel safe at Occupy events and see it as a place of heavy surveillance, political co-optation, and social repression. Furthermore, after Denver ABC’s official withdrawal of legal support, supporting Occupy feels to many of us autonomous anarchists as a form of betrayal to part of the anarchist community. Finally, the Occupy movement does not represent, although it may have certain affinities with, the vision and values of many anarchists. Supporting the Occupy movement can leave a dirty feeling for many of us.

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tina braxton — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:25:57 +0000

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Is Bigger Better

spamsucks — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:45:35 +0000

The HomewardBound Shelter is filled beyond capacity every night of the year.
Now plans are underway to build a larger facillity for its residents...but
Is Bigger Better?