Colorado Indymedia

Fridays: Boycott The Palm

queerwithoutborders — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:50:34 +0000

When: Fridays at 5 p.m.
Where: The Palm, 1672 Lawrence St, Denver, CO 80202 (map)

This action seeks to highlight the role of The Palm and the Colorado Restaurant Association in pushing an ordinance through the city council that criminalized the survival act of sleeping by our homeless friends. Wendy Klein, the sales manager at The Palm, testified for the Downtown Denver Partnership in support of the “Urban Camping” Ban. Detailed information on the impact of the “Urban Camping” Ban on the homeless can be found at Denver Homeless Out Loud.

Wendy Klein, sales manager at The Palm, spoke in strong favor of the ordinance criminalizing homelessness at the April 30, 2012 city council public hearing about the “Urban Camping” Ban. She also brought the unanimous vote of the Colorado Restaurant Association in support of the ban to the City Council.

According to Kline who could only refer to the homeless as they or it, “they are lining up outside our doors even as we speak this evening placing their property on our property to save their nights real estate so that they will have a safe, warm place to sleep impeding our guests and even those who are walking back and forth from the restaurant…Now with the warmer weather descending, we are seeing it come back in full force. Our people are asking us what we can do.”

The wealthiest “movers and shakers” in Denver meet to eat, socialize and make deals at Palm Restaurant.

Camping Ban Proves to be Counterproductive and Cruel

queerwithoutborders — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 22:14:53 +0000

Survey finds law criminalizes activities necessary for homeless survival without providing alternatives.

The Report:
The Denver Camping Ban: A Report from the Street

Press Release:
Camping Ban Proves to be Counterproductive and Cruel

Videos:
Denver Commission on Homelessness and Report Release Events

Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) is a coalition of individuals and organizations working hand-in-hand with and for the homeless on the impact of the “Urban Camping” Ban. The “Urban Camping” Ban authorizes the police to require the homeless go to a shelter or move along whenever they are caught protecting themselves from the elements or face criminal sanctions. The ordinance went into effect on May 28, 2012. DHOL works to insure that Denver’s homeless community has access to public space, adequate services, and a political voice in the City of Denver.

Farewell, Richard

tina braxton — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 21:42:16 +0000

Richard Myers, union activist, writer, labor historian, graphic artist, photojournalist, poet, and proud worker, passed from this world on Thursday evening. His loss leaves the Denver social justice community stunned and heartbroken.

Richard was born and raised in Nebraska and came to Denver in his youth. He worked in a factory for 33 years, where he also began a career as a union activist. Richard served as a steward in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Later he joined the Industrial Workers of the World, where he played a vital role in making the Wobblies an important player in the Colorado social justice community. For two years, Richard also served the IWW as Branch Secretary of the Denver General Membership Branch. He joined the fight for grocery and retail workers, with the United Food and Commercial Workers.

Richard worked passionately for many other causes and could always be found where people were fighting the good fight. He was one of the founders of Colorado Indymedia and a major participant in our predecessor, Rocky Mountain Indymedia. His poster art has been an important feature of almost every radical and progressive campaign in the area, for decades.

Need Denver action in support of Mainers attacked by Denver-based Big Gas

mainecoast — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 19:26:59 +0000

Coloradans, can you help Mainers fend off a Denver-based Big Gas attack on Penobscot Bay? Creative actions needed to confront BIg Gas in its home habitat.

LPG gas distributor DCP Midstream LLC, a BIG natural gas port, pipeline & megatank operator, is close to getting its OKs to transform and industrialize our bay's estuary, heart of the Maine lobster ecosystem, by establishing the east coast's biggest Liquified Petroleum Gas terminal in the our bay's brackish waters..

CAN COLORADANS HELP US SHAME DCP AT ITS CORPORATE HQ?

Anti-fracking demonstrators disrupt, delay Boulder County oil and gas hearing

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:37:10 +0000

http://www.timescall.com/news/lo...

Anti-fracking demonstrators disrupt, delay Boulder County oil and gas hearing
Group demands ban or commissioners' resignation
By John Fryar Longmont Times-Call timescall.com
Posted: 12/04/2012 04:50:45 PM MST, Updated: 12/05/2012 02:42:05 PM MST

Neshama Abraham, of Boulder, right, applauds while other anti-fracking supporters silently show their support during public discussion, Dec. 4, 2012, at Boulder County Court House (Matthew Jonas/Times-Call) (Matthew Jonas)

BOULDER -- Anti-fracking activists delayed the start of the Boulder County commissioners' Tuesday afternoon meeting on oil and gas regulations for nearly half an hour, chanting their opposition to that drilling technique and demanding the commissioners resign if they won't ban hydraulic fracturing in unincorporated Boulder County.

Among those reading loudly from prepared scripts was a pair of school children, one of whom said, "We are standing up for our future ... Protect us from the dangers of fracking."

"We deserve a fighting chance," said Zapporah Abraham Paiss, a 13-year-old Centennial Middle School student. "With vibrant water, soil and plants," said Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, a 12-year-old Centennial School student. They said afterward that they're members of Earth Guardians.

Commissoners Will Toor, Cindy Domenico and Deb Gardner left their seats and the packed hearing room when the demonstration began and returned only after it had ended.

Boulder County Commissioners Fracking hearing MIC CHECK

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:00:00 +0000

http://vimeo.com/54985754

Boulder County Commissioners Fracking hearing MIC CHECK

Boulder County Commissioners Fracking hearing MIC CHECK from 23rd Studios on Vimeo.

from 23rd Studios

Report on Domestic Workers Released

tina braxton — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:43:00 +0000

Domestic workers and family members, in front of the mural wall at El Centro Humanitario. (photo credit: El Centro Humanitario)

The long awaited report on domestic labor in Colorado, entitled ON THE JOB WITH DOMESTIC WORKERS: Workplace Abuse and Worker Exploitation in Colorado’s Invisible Workforce, by Prof. Tony Robinson, and graduate students Jessie Dryden and Heather Gomez-Duplantis, was formally released on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, at El Centro Humanitario. A pdf of the report can be found here:

http://www.centrohumanitario.org/domestic_worker_study.pdf

It is difficult to read, due to the page layout, but worth the effort, especially for those who have no personal knowledge of this type of work. The report includes and is based on personal interviews with domestic workers who are and have been employed in Colorado. Similar research projects have been recently and concurrently undertaken in other parts of the U.S., with an eye to finding ways to combat abuses faced by domestic laborers. This is the first such study of domestic labor conducted locally, in Colorado.

This report, with its political science focus, illuminates the power relations of domestic labor. Domestic workers are among the most exploited and abused of all workers. The research uncovered two sets of reasons for this-- discrimination against the workers because of their sex, race, citizenship status, documentation issues, and language; and employer attitudes about domestic work itself.

Large Turnout for Lakewood Walmart Strike

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 21:30:08 +0000

Chhttp://www.examiner.com/article/large-turnout-for-lakewood-walmart-strike

Large Turnout for Lakewood Walmart Strike

Black Friday
November 23, 2012
By: Chris Time Steele

The strike at the Lakewood Walmart located at 7455 W Colfax Ave. began at 8 a.m. on Nov. 23, 2012, and had an estimated turnout of 300 plus people. The strike was in regards to Walmart associates being fired and silenced for speaking out against unfair working conditions, lack of healthcare, and low wages.

OURWalmart and Making Change at Walmart, which is composed of Walmart associates, community organizations, and community members urged customers entering the store to sign their petition to support Walmart workers. Making Change at Walmart is supported by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), who were in attendance at the protest. Other organizations who came to support the strike were the Industrial Workers of the World, Colorado Wins, National Education Association, Occupy Denver, ACLU, and UFCW Local 7.

Chants during the strike included: "Walmart listen, we want justice"; "They steal your money and your rights"; and "Walmart escucha, estamos en la lucha." At 9:30 a.m. a delegation delivered a message for the manager to give to corporate about allowing Walmart associates to voice their concerns without fear of being fired. Before the strike occurred most of the 36 check-out lanes were open and by the end of the strike six check-out lanes were open. A delegation was delivered to a Walmart in Castle Rock last night at 8 p.m. and more are scheduled to be made throughout Black Friday around the Denver metropolitan area.

Denver Protest for the People of Gaza 11.15.12

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 02:27:04 +0000

Video by Jason Bosch --thanks Jason!

Denver For Gaza 11.15.2012 from Jason Bosch on Vimeo.

https://vimeo.com/53733939

**********************************************

Also, some excellent pictures by Chris Steele

http://www.examiner.com/article/...

Swat Team and Assault Weapons to Evict Disabled, Elderly Woman

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:30:09 +0000

http://occupydenver.org/peaceful...

Sheriffs, SWAT, and Assault Rifles

(Photos by Ambrose Cruz)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?fea...

(Video By Pat Boyle)