[headline] Chiapas fears military attack

Adapted from IMC Chiapas

(San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México) The municipality of San Andrés Sakamch'en denounced the increase in military movement at the San Cayetano base. "This has become a source of tension in our communities, because we fear that Mr. Vicente Fox is preparing a military attack against the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) and its support bases," states an open letter for the general public and the media.

The authorities of the municipality report: "On August 11, 19 army vehicles, trucks and vans, arrived at the San Cayetano settlement. It is not the first time. During the past days, there have been soldiers coming in. They came in 2 or 3 cars at a time, so as not to raise suspicions. However, today hundreds of federal soldiers arrived."

This "denouncement and protest" coincides with the one expressed by the neighboring municipality of San Juan de la Libertad, which reports an increase in the number of troops and their patrolling activity in San Cayetano, Puerto Café and El Bosque. It is noteworthy that San Cayetano, as well as other communities in the neighborhood of San Andrés and San Juan de la Libertad (like San Antonio El Brillante and Jolnachoj) were the scene of Indigenous protests against the presence of troops in the past.

The municipality of San Andrés Sakamch'en now declares: "We as authorities, and the people we represent, too, strongly reject the increase in active troops in each and every settlement within our Indigenous zones, because the military presence and the siege laid to our Indigenous peoples is a signal showing that Mr. Fox has no will to attain a state of peace, and, on the contrary, he wishes to continue waging a war against us."

The new accusations by the rebel municipalities seem to indicate some inexplicable "warming up" of military activity in their territories, which is reflected in the anxiety of many communities of the Tzotzil region of Los Altos. Such is the view of the municipality of San Andrés Sakamch'en, as it summarizes: "We ask all our brothers and sisters, Indigenous as well as non-Indigenous, of México and the rest of the World, to be watchful upon this situation."

Another similar instance is reported by the municipality of Tierra y Libertad, at the border region. They report that during the last weekend there was intense movement of troops in Nuevo Huixtán and Poza Rica.

Dozens of armed vehicles, as well as vehicles for the transportation of soldiers, were seen on the roads. The Poza Rica community, located along the border road, is one of the routes for access to the southern Lacandon forest. On the same days, the military bases at Maravillas Tenejapa and Amparo Agua Tinta went through an unusual degree of activity.

According to reports from the municipalities of Francisco Gómez, the army has increased its number of active troops at the Patihuitz base, just a few kilometers away from ezln forces. The army has also established a checkpoint in that area. A similar denouncement was expressed by the parish priest of Ocosingo and Altamirano, Raymundo Tamayo, who, after being harassed at Patihuitz, wrote an open letter to president Vicente Fox. In that letter, he asks the president, among other questions: "Is our work at the San Cristóbal Diocese under watch again?"

[picture credit] Photo: http://www.chiapasnews.ukgateway.net

[map credit] Map: http://www.chiapaslink.ukgateway.net

[Map Names] Pichucalco, Tila, Palenque, Yajalón, Simojoval, Larrainzar, Tuxtla, Gutiérrez, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Ocosingo, Altimirano, Arriaga, Tonalá, Comitan, Las Margaritas, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Guatemala, Huixtla, Tapachula, Océano Pacífico



[headline] Italian ship picketed in three US cities

Adapted from IMCs Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles

The brutal treatment of protesters by police in Genoa, Italy, during the Group of Eight (G8) demonstrations in July sent shockwaves around the world. Solidarity demonstrations sprang up in dozens of cities, many of them focusing on the shooting by police of 23 year old protester Carlo Giuliani.

Early on the morning of 14 August, activists in Portland, Oregon (USA), where three G8 solidarity actions had already taken place, formed a picket line at the entrance of the Port of Portland's Terminal Six, where the Italian ship Cielo di San Francisco had moored to be unloaded. The vessel is leased and operated by Italia Lines, the former national shipping company of Italy, now privately owned as a subsidiary of the Italian company d'Amico Compagnia di Navigazione. D'Amico's chairman and principal investor, Antonio d'Amico, is a supporter of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the Fuerza Italia ruling coalition that was responsible for the climate of repression against protesters in Genoa. Activists in the picket line held signs referring to Giuliani's death, the "murderous tactics" of the Italian police, and the negative effects of global capitalism.

Workers at the Port of Portland are organized under the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), and they refused to enter the terminal when they arrived and found the protesters, even though they were risking a loss of pay for staying out. "The one thing sacred to the ILWU is the picket line," said one ILWU member in describing the day's events.

The ILWU and the Port of Portland entered arbitration over the situation. Although the arbitrator eventually ordered the Union to send its members to their jobs, a full eight-hour shift had passed in the meantime, resulting in thousands of dollars extra cost for Italia Lines. Trains and trucks scheduled to load or unload at Terminal Six that day were also delayed, representing further lost profit for the owners of those companies. Portland activists declared a victory.

The Cielo di San Francisco was scheduled to stop in the Port of Oakland, California, two days later, on 16 August, at 7:00 am Local activists arrived early in the morning to find that the vessel would not be there until 4:00 pm, but they formed a picket line anyway, and successfully stopped the current unloading of another Italia Lines ship, the Cielo di Espana. As in Portland, the port's workers are organized under the ILWU, so once the picket line was formed, all work stopped until arbitration between the Union and the Port could occur. Also as in Portland, the Union eventually sent its members to their jobs, but only after a costly delay for Italia Lines. Activists declared victory here, too.

The next stop for the Cielo di San Francisco was the Port of Long Beach, California, on the 20th. Apparently weary of the delays caused by the picket lines in Oakland and Portland, the ship docked and unloaded several hours before its scheduled arrival time, and local activists arrived too late to stop it. Nonetheless, activists considered this, too, a victory, that the threat of their presence caused Italia Lines to change its schedule was considered an accomplishment.

The Indymedia network seems to have played a part in this string of picket lines down the West Coast of the us Articles published to the websites of the IMCs in Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles - in whose areas the three ports are located - alerted local activists to the previous picket lines. Comments posted to these sites blossomed into an on-line dialogue about tactics that helped people prepare for their own local actions. Each website in turn provided local activists with a place to post their stories, photos, and video of the results.

This series of actions, halfway around the world from Genoa, shows that, if corporate-based colonialism as supported by the G8 leaders becomes global, so too will resistance and solidarity.

[end first page] Continued on page 2

[ head second page] Italian ship from page 1



[headline] A20-Global Day of Action

Adapted from IMCs UK, Germany, Italy

August 20th was earmarked the Global Day of Action to highlight Italian police repression, to protest the brutal treatment of those arrested and detained during the anti-G8 protests in July, and to show the Italian government the disgust and disapproval of the global community at their brutal and unwarranted attacks on protestors and media in Genoa. During the G8 protest, Carlo Giuliani was shot dead, and the Global Social Forum, Independent Media Center, and Radio Gap were horrifically raided while many were beaten and critically injured.

An estimated 250 actions took place in cities around the world including London, Dublin, Washington, New York, Rome, Genova, Zurich, Vienna and Berlin. Another day of solidarity and protest is planned for October 20, the three-month anniversary of Giuliani's death.

In Germany, actions, demonstrations, and rallies, ranging from street theatre and public film screenings to mass demonstrations, took place in more than 30 towns and cities. 

White corpse outlines were drawn on streets and splashed with red paint, replicating the imagery of Giuliani's death in Genoa. Italian consulates and German party offices were occupied, including those of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Berlin, the party of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Interior Minister Otto Schily, both of whom have openly supported the actions of Italian police. "Black Blocs" (large cubes painted black) were pushed through shopping areas and other parts of the inner cities. In some places they were handed in to authorities "to end the violence of these disgraceful blocs," or were subjected to a public trial, symbolizing the stupidity of state and media portrayals of the Black Bloc as a "terrorist organisation." 

IMC Italy points out that the first and foremost priority of the Government is the criminalization of the movement, notwithstanding the opinion in the rest of the world that Italian institutions are the ones to be accused. Consequently, instead of reasoning on their economic and social policies, the institutions prefer to argue on where to move the next meeting to avoid confrontations with people loudly shouting their dissent towards global capitalism. Many people are still in Italy jails, and judges have opened 8 enquiries, three of which are investigating police violence during the demos, in Bolzaneto detention centre, and during the raid on the GSF, IMC, and Radio Gap.

IMC Italy continues to collect materials (videos, pictures, testimonies), in conjunction with Amnesty International, Service International pour les Droits de l'Homme, and other international human rights organizations for submission to the un O‹ce of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for the purpose of compelling UN condemnation of Italian government violence and repression in Genoa.

[picture caption] Police observe "Black Bloc" activity in Germany.

[picture credit] Photo: http://de.indymedia.org