STOP Snowbowl! Protest 12/19

Greetings,

The struggle to protect the Holy San Francisco Peaks and community health from ski resort expansion and wastewater snowmaking continues.

Although a current lawsuit filed by the Save the Peaks Coalition and community members has halted the ski business' efforts to make sewage snow, community support is still needed.

In the face of political pressure from the State of Arizona's Congressional Delegation, (more) the US Forest Service approved a component of the ski area's proposed development that is not associated with snowmaking.

Regardless of the approval Snowbowl cannot currently expand due to the lawsuit.

While it is unclear as to how long the court case will stop Snowbowl from expanding and making sewer water snow, in the context of the legal battle the Obama administration is doing everything in their power to put wastewater snow on the holy San Francisco Peaks.

When the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort opened on Thursday, a small group of protesters held signs and banners to ensure that skiers were aware of public health threats and the desecration of the sacred mountain.

Arizona Snowbowl employees called the Forest Service and County Sheriffs in an attempt to have the protesters and others with them arrested for "trespassing" on public lands. No charges were made.

You can join us in our stand for the protection of sacred places and community health.

PROTEST SNOWBOWL!
When: Saturday, December 19th starting at 10AM
Where: Flagstaff City Hall on the Rt. 66 side

If you can't join us please visit http://www.savethepeaks.org for more information on what you can do to help stop Snowbowl and protect sacred places!


Note: This event is not endorsed by the Save the Peaks Coalition.

Hopeless Escalation.

Hopeless Escalation.
Community Protest Against Obama's Troop Escalation
Saturday, December 5, 2009

On Saturday (12/5), dozens of Flagstaff residents gathered on the City Hall lawn to protest Barack Obama's decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan. On the preceding Tuesday (12/1) Barack Obama announced that the United $tates would be sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, set to start in the upcoming months.

After co-opting anti-war sentiment during the 2008 presidential election, Obama has since escalated the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. In February 2009, Obama ordered 17,000 more combat troops to Afghanistan, furthering the U.$. occupation. Obama is also responsible for illegal and immoral attacks against Palestinians, immigrants, women, children, and other marginalized peoples, all of which have been committed by the U.$. government.

With Tuesdays announcement, the U.$. will be sending an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. This recent deployment will raise the level of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to more than 100,000. Ironically, this announcement came less than 2 months after Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

On Saturday, Flagstaff community members responded to the troop surge and we encourage more people to get involved locally. Anti-war actions have also taken place in Philadelphia, Portland, New York and internationally.


CHANGE DOES NOT EQUAL WAR

posted on arizona.indymedia.org



..//./.libertad././/..

Beer and Revolution is Back: Activism vs. Intervention with Crudo

by Jon Riley

Phoenix Class War Council's Beer and Revolution returns from a brief hiatus this Sunday. We are pleased to announce this month's installment of B&R will be hosted by our friend and comrade, Crudo, from the Modesto Anarcho Crew (MAC).

Our last B&R in September was a roundtable discussion on Borders & Movement, 30 people attended, including perspectives from CAROB (Central Arizona Radicals Opposing Borders) and the O'odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective. While we've been very busy, we are glad to know that anarchists and anti-authoritarians in the Valley enjoy participating in a political night, and we will try to continue scheduling a monthly night for speakers and discussion.

We find a lot of value in this event, especially as we look for fractures or fissures in our daily lives, and by making a traditionally non-political space (a bar) a temporary political space where liberatory ideas can be discussed openly. We hope projects like B&R inspire others to look for unconventional approaches to challenging the banality and misery of life in modern class society.

We also find inspiration in the projects of our insurrectional pals from California's central valley. The folks from MAC are busy as hell, giving it a go at building unconventional alliances amongst the discontented and marginalized, from hip hop shows against the recent gang injunctions, to supporting the efforts of the local needle exchange (a harm reduction effort for Modesto's poorer needle users that has seen it's members under attack by the police, please read more here), intervening in local struggles against education fee hikes and the nurses strike, publishing the quarterly Modesto Anarcho paper and Crudo's Vengeance journal and blog, and operating an impressive anarchist social center"Firehouse 51." With a higher poverty level than the rest of the state (which is itself a sinking ship these days), Modesto, and other Central Valley anarchists, have their work cut out for them.

Come out this Sunday for some delicious beers, or perhaps a soda or water for non-drinkers, and some great political discussion, critique, thought, and debate. We wouldn't have it any other way!

The November gathering of Beer & Revolution will once again be held this Sunday, November 8th at Boulders on Broadway in Tempe. The night begins at 8PM, and Crudo will begin his talk at 8:30, come out and have some tasty drinks, meet and mingle with other like minded people, and enjoy another great political social night. See you there!

Ward Churchill to Speak at Benefit for Traditional O’odham Resistance

Activist and scholar Ward Churchill will speak at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, 4831 W. 22nd Ave., on November 13, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. to benefit O’odham VOICE Against the Wall, which since 2003 has organized and advocated for the traditional O’odham leaders and elders of the O’odham communities in the southern territory of the United States and northern territory of Mexico.

Professor Churchill’s talk is part of the “Apartheid in America: Surviving Occupation in O’odham Lands” gathering, which features a concert by Resistant Culture, a punk rock/metal band from Southern California and Luke Romano, a radical folk musician based in Tucson. The event is dedicated to raising awareness of the connections between repressive border policies at home and abroad.

Ward Churchill is a prolific American Indian writer, a member of the Rainbow Coalition Council of Elders, and on the leadership council of the American Indian Movement of Colorado. In addition to his numerous works on indigenous history, he has written extensively on U.S. foreign policy and the repression of political dissent. Five of his more than 20 books have received human rights writing awards.

Former Chair of the Ethnic Studies Department, until July 2007 Ward Churchill was a tenured full Professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Colorado/Boulder, where he received numerous awards for his teaching and service. In April 2009 a jury unanimously found that he had been fired by CU in retaliation for his observations on 9/11 and in violation of the First Amendment. Professor Churchill is currently litigating to have that verdict upheld.

Resistant Culture’s music is best described as tribal grind core -- weaving the indigenous flute, rattle, tribal drum, and chant into a backdrop of extreme punk and metal. Luke Romano's music has been described as acoustic, upbeat folky punk. The show will take place at Dry River, 740 N. Main (University and Main), November 13, at 10:00 p.m.

Both Professor Churchill’s talk and Resistant Culture’s concert will be broadcast live on Censored News Radio, and covered by its publisher, Brenda Norrell, who for almost 30 years has focused on Indian Country and the West.

Other sponsors of the event include the Dry River Radical Resource Center, the Earth First! Journal and Voices Against the Wall.

The event is open to the public. Donations of $10 to $20 are requested, but no one will be turned away. A delicious vegetarian meal will be served at 6:30 p.m.

Media Inquiries:
Ofelia Rivas, 520-349-5484, aliJegos@gmail.com
Dan Todd, 520-982-1835, langgore@hotmail.com
Additional Information: Solidarity Project; www.dryriver.org

Music:
Resistant Culture
Luke Romano

PCWC announces the Inglourious Basterds Bloc against the National Socialist Movement anti-immigrant rally November 7th.

The Phoenix Class War Council is pleased to announce the formation of the Inglourious Basterds Bloc, a temporary anti-racist, anti-authoritarian convergence for the purpose of confronting the National Socialist Movement at the November 7th anti-immigration rally at the state capitol.

Visit the Phoenix Class War Council's webpage for more information.

Taala Hooghan Infoshop: 2 Years & New Space! Support Needed!

Two years ago community members and an Indigenous youth empowerment media collective called "Outta Your Backpack Media" (OYBM) came together with a vision to establish a space that cultivates active resistance to capitalism, environmental & social injustices in and around our community of Flagstaff. Since then Taala Hooghan infoshop has hosted all ages shows, film screenings of hard to find political movies, the Free Free Market, silkscreening, D.I.Y. art skill shares, and provided meeting and event space for other organizations. OYBM has worked with more than 300 youth and produced dozens of short films at free youth workshops, some of which have been screened nationally and internationally at film festivals.

Taala Hooghan & OYBM volunteers are continuing their efforts for a more just and sustainable world and have found a new larger location in downtown Flagstaff. To help with the move we are looking for continued community support. There's lots of work that needs to be done: space renovation, painting, volunteer staffing, event planning, monetary donations for rent, equipment, and much more.

We are inviting folks/organizations to attend a meeting to learn more about us
and how you can get involved!

What: Taala Hooghan volunteer meetings

When:
Friday, Oct 16th at 6:30PM
Tuesday, Oct 20th at 6:30PM
Saturday, Oct 24th at 5:30PM (at 4th st. Infoshop)

Where: 11 S. Mikes Pike Downtown Flagstaff (across from the bus transfer station in the large white warehouse)

Contact: Phone: (928) 527-1431 Email: infofosho@gmail.com

Donations needed:
Folding chairs
Folding tables
Large garbage & recycling cans
Cleaning supplies (rags, buckets, etc.)
Electric stove and exhaust fan
Bookshelves
Larger PA system and more…

Support needed:
Murals
Kitchen set-up
Cleaning (east side infoshop and downtown location)
Moving
+ more…

Taala Hooghan Infoshop was established and continues to operate with the action statement, "We are an Indigenous-established volunteer-run collective dedicated to creatively confronting and overcoming social and environmental injustices in Flagstaff and surrounding areas. We are restoring and redefining knowledge and information in ways that will be meaningful to our communities. We offer access to independent media, the arts, and alternative education, with the goal of self-development as well as empowerment for youth and the greater community into action in favor of a more just and sustainable world."

http://www.myspace.com/taalahooghan

http://www.oybm.org

Banner Drop in Tucson Against Mining

October 14, Tucson, Arizona, there was a banner drop against mining. The action was in Solidarity with the October 12 (the 517th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Western Hemisphere) Mobilization in Defense of Mother Earth and the Peoples, called by the IV Continental Summit of Indigenous Peoples Abya Yala. Actions and Teach-ins have been happening across the world. For more news on Global actions see Root Force’s web page. For further information on Apache resistance to current copper mining proposals visit Survival Solidarity's web page. There are multiple links that follow the article.

Taala Hooghan Infoshop October 2009 Calendar

Free Radio Chukshon Celebrating One Year Anniversary

Free Radio Chukshon, Tucson's only DIY radio station, is soon to reach it's one year anniversary. A handful of fresh radio programs have been initiated just in time for this celebration. Whether it's another pleasant hour of eclectic mixes offered, excerpts from anarchist zines shared, direct action communiques being read or revolutionary hip-hop energy being blasted, Free Radio Chukshon is truly growing into a radical alternative to the spineless corporate controlled airwaves regularly broadcasted over Tucson. We encourage all radicals of Arizona to tune into our programs over the internet via our 24/7 online stream. If you're local to Tucson, come check our one year anniversary celebration!

2009 Caravan in Support of Big Mountain Resistance Communities - Black Mesa, AZ.

Greetings from Black Mesa Indigenous Support,

We are excited to inform you that a caravan of work crews will once again be converging from across the country in support of residents of the Big Mountain regions of Black Mesa. On behalf of their peoples, their sacred ancestral lands and future generations, these communities continue to carry out a staunch resistance to the efforts of the US Government, which is acting in the interests of the Peabody Coal Company, to devastate whole communities and ecosystems and greatly de-stabilize our planet’s climate for the profit of an elite few.

By assisting with direct, on-land projects you are helping families stay on their ancestral homelands in resistance to an illegal occupation and working for climate justice. These communities serve as the very blockade to coal mining! More than 14,000 Dine’ people have been forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands due to spin created by the U.S government & Peabody Coal, under the guise of the so-called “Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute.” Families are now in their THIRD DECADE resisting this travesty and, as you can imagine, many residents are very elderly and winters can be rough. With their guidance, the aim of this caravan is to honor the elders and to generate support in the form of direct, on-land support: chopping and hauling firewood, doing minor repair work, offering holistic health care, and sheep-herding before the approaching cold winter months arrive.

“The Big Mountain matriarchal leaders always believed that resisting forced relocation will eventually benefit all ecological systems, including the human race,” says Bahe Keediniihii, Dineh organizer and translator. “Continued residency by families throughout the Big Mountain region has a significant role in the intervention of Peabody’s future plan for Black Mesa coal to be the major source of unsustainable energy, the growing dependency on fossil fuel, and escalating green house gas emissions. We will continue to fight to defend our homelands.”

Peabody Coal’s Disastrous Coal Mining Operations on Black Mesa: At this moment, decision makers in Washington D.C. are planning ways to continue their occupation of tribal lands under the guise of extracting “clean coal,” which does not exist. In 30 years of disastrous operation, Dine’ and Hopi communities in Arizona have been ravaged by Peabody’s coal mining, which has taken land from and forcibly relocated thousands of families, has drained 2.5 million gallons of water daily from the only community water supply, and has left a toxic legacy along an abandoned 273-mile coal slurry pipeline. Peabody’s Black Mesa mine has been the source of an estimated 325 million tons of CO2 that have been discharged into the atmosphere. Coal from the Black Mesa Mine could contribute an additional 290 million tons of CO2 to the global warming crisis!* Ignoring protests from Dineh and Hopi communities and their allies, the U.S. Government (Office of Surface Mining) has permitted Peabody Energy to extend it’s massive strip-mining operations until 2026 or until the coal is gone. Peabody Coal Co. plans to seize another 19,000 acres of sacred land beyond the 67,000 acres already in Peabody’s grasp at Black Mesa. Peabody Energy, previously Peabody Coal Company, is the world’s largest private-sector coal company, operating mines throughout North America, South America, and Australia and is the twelfth largest coal exporter. In addition Peabody is proposing new coal-fired power plants in several states. Peabody’s coal mining will exacerbate already devastating environmental and cultural impacts on local communities and significantly add fuel to the fire of the current global climate chaos!
We are at a critical juncture and must take a stand in support of communities on the front lines of resistance now! Indigenous and land-based peoples have maintained the understanding that our collective survival is deeply dependent on our relationship to Mother Earth. Victory in protecting and reclaiming the Earth will require a broad movement that can help bridge cultures, issues and nations.

BMIS wishes for this caravan to be an important opportunity for people of all backgrounds to listen and work with the families of Black Mesa to generate more awareness that relocation laws & coal mining need to be stopped, that these communities deserve to be free on their ancestral homelands, and to come together to strengthen our solidarity and find ways to work together to protect Black Mesa & our Mother Earth for all life.

Ways you can support:

* Join the Caravan & Be Self-Sufficient! By joining one of the volunteer work crews, you are expected to be adequately prepared and self-sufficient prior to your visit on Black Mesa, which is a very remote area in a high desert terrain. There is no electricity, no central heating, and no running water. You must come prepared, and bring everything you will need. There could be extreme weather, and it will be cold especially at night! Each participant will need to bring food, water, outdoor camping gear (although we will likely be staying inside with families), very warm clothing, and appropriate attire for hands-on manual work. Coming equipped with chainsaws, trucks, shovels, axes & mauls dramatically increases your effectiveness as a work crew!

* Read and sign the Cultural Sensitivity & Preparedness Guide: All direct, on-land supporters of Black Mesa are required to thoroughly read over and sign the Cultural Sensitivity & Preparedness Guide. This document is an in-depth guide that contains important information that you will need prior to and during your visit with a host family on Black Mesa. This guide gives you crucial information about what to expect, what to bring, how to be adequately prepared, background and current his/herstory, safety and legal issues, cultural sensitivity, code of conduct, and a suggested list of what to bring with you. We want to ensure that each person is informed about the agreements & basic requests by these communities, that each person is safe and accounted for, and that we have your contact and emergency contact info should an emergency arise. It is of the utmost importance that each caravan participant understand and respect the ways of the communities that we will be visiting. Please print out & bring this guidebook with you during your visit to Black Mesa.

* Pre-register: To help us estimate how many people to expect as well as to help us make necessary accommodations for all.

* Host or attend regional organizational meetings in your area: We strongly urge participants to attend or organize regional meetings. Caravan coordinators are located in Prescott, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Colorado, Ithaca, NY, and the San Francisco’s Bay Area. The meeting locations and dates will be posted at the BMIS website as coordinators set them up. If you are interested in helping coordinate, contact BMIS. This caravan will be collaborating with the annual Clan Dyken Fall Food & Supply Run on Black Mesa.

* Raise Awareness about Black Mesa and the caravan. You can obtain literature from BMIS.

* Organize fundraisers: At the weeks prior to every caravan, grassroots supporters from all over throw benefits to raise the much-needed funds, for such things as supplies, wood, and direct, on-land people-support. Please contact BMIS for guidelines prior to any fund-raising in the name of Big Mountain and Black Mesa.

* Collect supplies: Chainsaws, axes, mauls, axe & maul handles, chainsaw files, tools of all kinds, organic food, warm blankets, and especially trucks (either to donate to families or to use for the week of the caravan) are greatly needed on the land to make this caravan work! Check out our Projects Needs List! Building materials, tools, & supplies are needed for projects.

* Donate: We are not receiving nor relying on any institutional funding for these support efforts, but are instead counting on each person’s ingenuity, creativity, and hard work to make it all come together. We are hoping to raise enough money through our community connections for gas, specifically for collecting wood and food for host families, and for work projects.

* Stay with a family on Black Mesa: Families living in resistance to coal mining and relocation laws are requesting self-sufficient guests who are willing to give three or more weeks of their time, especially in the winter. Since it is crucial to have good help out there and not create more work for the families, all supporters are required to read and sign the Cultural Sensitivity Preparedness Guide. Contact BMIS in advance so that we can make arrangements prior to your stay, to answer any questions that you may have, and so we can help put you in touch with a family.

We can’t wait to see you in November!

Give Back To Mother Earth! Give To Future Generations!

Black Mesa Indigenous Support


Black Mesa Indigenous Support (BMIS) is a grassroots, all-volunteer organization dedicated to working with and supporting the indigenous peoples of Black Mesa in their Struggle for Life and Land who are targeted by & resisting unjust large-scale coal mining operations and forced relocation policies of the US government.

Black Mesa Indigenous Support
P.O. Box 23501, Flagstaff, Arizona 86002
Message Voice Mail: 928.773.8086
Email: blackmesais@gmail.com
Web: http://www.blackmesais.org

Taala Hooghan Infoshop September 2009 Calendar

INVITE + RSVP: ARC Fall Equinox meet-up. Sept 18-20th.

Hello ARC.:..

[[Please send this out to others who may be interested [keeping it
centered within the AZ Infoshop, radical organizing community]].

Everyone at the Catalyst Infoship [yes, ship] would like to invite
you all to come join us for the:

Arizona Radical Coalition [ARC] Fall Equinox Meet-up.
Sept. 18-20th.
Catalyst Infoship
Prescott.AZ.



The focus of this meet-up will be [but not limited to] TAKE BACK THE
MEDIA: what are we using now for media, AZ Indymedia check-in, what
changes would we like to see, how can we create better media and
communication within the env. + social justice activist communities here
in Arizona?
[[[[AND]]]
NON-MARKET URBAN AGRICULTURE MOVEMENTS IN PRESCOTT [aka Karma Farm]
farm tour bike rides, how does it work, how did it all begin, internal
critique, etc.

Living Agenda:

Friday [optional] 18th
------------------
12pm- come help cook Food Not Bombs @ The Cataylst
3pm- Come help eat FNB [corner of Gurley + Montezuma in the Courthouse
square].
4pm-come help with FNB dishes @ Catalyst.
4-7pm- [open.creekside walk.nap.check out the improved Catalyst space].
7pm- intros/ check-ins. brainstorming and initial layout for agenda for
the weekend by Catalyst folks and whoever else would like to come help
out.


Saturday, 19th
---------------
9:30am-breakfast grub. [dumpstered bread, fruit, whatever you can bring
and share]
10am-intros. hellos.solidify agenda for the weekend with the larger group.
12-2pm- REGIONAL CHECK-INS, new issues, report-backs [Flag, PHX, Tucson, ?]
3-7pm-carry out collectively created agenda.

Sunday, 20th
------------
KARMA FARM DAY.
-farm tour bike rides, theory, dig in the dirt, get inspired.
-open discussion on other models in other towns.
-how does it work? how small scale de-centralized anti-capitalist urban
farming works.
-say goodbyes and give hi-fives!

[optional]
12pm-help cook FNB!
3pm-HELP Eat FNB!
4pm-help clean up FNB!
5-?pm- go to Granite Creek Park and HAVE FUN!!!



PLEASE RSVP IF AND WHEN YOU PLAN TO COME ASAP. [before Sept 15th].
CAMPING SPOTS ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE IN PRESCOTT.
IF YOU DESIRE INDOOR HOUSING, JUST LET US KNOW WELL IN ADVANCE.
BRING FOOD FOR ALL [IF YOU CAN]. WE'LL TRY TO PROVIDE FOR ALL!

love.+.ruckus.
-the Catalyst Crew.

Beer and Revolution: Joel Olson on fanaticism

Collin Sick

Phoenix Class War Council is happy to invite valley anarchists to the best non-sectarian anarchist political night EVER! The third Beer & Revolution is this coming Sunday, August 16, held once again at Boulders on Broadway in Tempe.

Our last event was fantastic, over 40 people packed the room at Boulders for Joey G's talk on art, resistance, and alternatives to capitalist economics. This month we are very happy to host Joel Olson, a long time anarchist, author, and agitator, speaking on fanaticism and the struggle against white supremacy. Joel was a member of the late continental anarchist federation Love & Rage, a founding member of Phoenix Copwatch, is currently involved in Bring the Ruckus, "a national organization of revolutionaries organizing to fight white supremacy and build dual power," and has written a book, "The Abolition of White Democracy." Most recently Joel has written extensively on the historical role of the fanatical political actor, in particular during the abolitionist anti-slavery movements, and more currently on the impact of the anti-abortion movement in polarizing the national debate. His study of fanaticism as a critical force against political moderation had been of great interest to us at PCWC, as has Joel's writings and political work aimed at attacking white supremacy. We expect this next B&R to be a fantastic discussion for anyone interested in the politics of fanaticism, the struggle against white supremacy, and the possibilities for a truly free and democratic society. Join us for some cold beers, and all the debate, thought, criticism, and inspiration this event may generate.

As usual, Beer & Revolution kicks off at 9 PM, and Joel will give his talk shortly after 9:30, so show up on time, grab some beers, meet some new people, and settle in for what guarantees to be another great political social night. Look forward to seeing you!

Taala Hooghan Infoshop August 2009 Calendar

Police Brutality VIDEO: Prescott, AZ. [Trial in August].

Marcelo was assaulted by Sheriff's in plain clothes in Prescott, Arizona on March 18th, 2009 at the Safeway Supermarket. He is being wrongfully held at Camp Verde Detention center for resisting arrest. His jury trial will be on August 18th. Support Marcelo!




On March 18, 2009 at 6pm Marcelo Garcia-Rodriguez, my partner, was arrested at the Safeway parking lot on White Spar rd. in Prescott Arizona. I arrived on the scene at 8:30 pm and found three officers of a special division of the YCSO (Yavapai County Sheriffs Office) PANT (Partnership Against Narcotics Trafficking) in plain clothes and one local police officer in uniform with a squad car. Officer Direen, T. from Unit C52 informed me that Marcelo is a known Cocaine dealer and that Marcelo had sold cocaine to an officer. He also told me that a dog had alterted on the car, which had given them permission to search the vehicle. Both officer Direen, T. and another officer told me that I should rethink my relationship to Marcelo. I asked for the keys to Marcelo’s 1996 Black Chevy, and informed the officers that the title and registration were in my name. The officer said that they had to continue checking the car for drugs and would not be able to give me the keys if drugs were found in the vehicle. The officers after having ripped the car a part gave me the keys to the vehicle. I asked the officers what Marcelo was charged with and they told me he had assaulted an officer, threatened and intimidated an officer, and evaded arrest he did not mention any drug related charges. I called the jail that evening to find that he had no drug charges and can only assume that what officer Direen said to me was misinformation.
On March 19th at 6:45 in the Morning I spoke to Marcelo during visitation hours at the Yavapai County Detention Center based in Prescott. Marcelo’s face was swollen and his eye was swollen nearly shut. Through Marcelo’s hair I could see that the top and back of his head was swollen and that there were chunks of blood. He had bruises on his back his knees and elbows.
He arrived at the Safeway at about 7pm. I had spoken to him as he arrived and he told me that he would be home soon. Marcelo went to the Safeway because a man he had worked with, Steven Largent, owed him $300. Steven had asked him for the money to install a bathroom and Marcelo’s generous nature got the better of him. Steven previously had written Marcelo two bad checks and Marcelo was meeting him because Steven said he could pay him back.
Steven got into Marcelo’s car and Marcelo asked him for the money. Steven grabbed the two bad checks and got out of the car. Marcelo followed him out of the car and pushed Steven and retrieved the two checks. Steven looked like he wanted to fight so Marcelo went into the Safeway to end the dispute. Several officers in plain clothes followed Marcelo. One officer brandished a weapon.
Cameron Boswell, the faculty representative for the Aztlan Center was standing in the parking lot wrote a testimonial to the lawyer saying he did not know that the men were officers and that they did not show their badges. He said that he immediately left the parking lot when he saw a man brandishing a gun because he was afraid.
Upon entering Safeway a man yelled police and so Marcelo turned around. Marcelo said no one standing behind him identified themselves as an officer, or showed him a badge so that he was aware that the men were in fact police. He went to turn around but an officer punched him in the face, calling it a stunning technique.
“I struck him across the face to stun him into compliance.” Narrative for Police Report #09-010172 written by Detective T. Direen.
A videotape that lawyer David Bednar subpoenaed from the Safeway Corporation that we received on Sunday March 26th, 2009 shows two officers in plain-clothes push Marcelo to the ground. It shows minimal to no struggle from Marcelo. It shows an officer kick and knee Marcelo in the head and later when Marcelo is lying face down on the ground it shows an officer raise their elbows and hit Marcelo in the back of the head. The video tape also shows Steven Largent pick up Marcelo’s cell phone and the two bad checks that he had written to Marcelo.
In a supplemental narrative provided by Suttle, B. #1555 in the police report it states,
“During the scuffle with Marcello I felt my knee stretch out. I noticed the following day that my knee had swelled and was hurting. I filed a workman compensation report and advised Detective Direen of the injury.” The officer had previously hit Marcelo in the head with his knee while he was lying facedown on the ground.

Beer and Revolution: Art in resistance, anarchism, and currency experiments

Collin Sick

The second Beer and Revolution is coming up, and we're excited to have Joey G. as the featured speaker for our second B&R. The first B&R was held earlier this month at the bar Boulders on Broadway in Tempe, over 20 anarchists and anti-authoritarians came out, joined by a few Marxists and constitutionalists as well. The discussions, debates, and conversations went long past the self designated Midnight ending we anticipated, despite some significant political disagreements everyone was in good humor, and the bartender kept the beer pouring.

The next two B&Rs will be a step up, we have lined up some fantastic speakers for these events. The July get together will feature local anarchist, librarian, artist, and local currency proponent Joey G, Joey's been in the news lately for a local currency experiment that he and other Phoenix artists are pushing called PHX BUX, the project is picking up steam as over two dozen local businesses now participate. Many already know Joey G for his promotion of the local arts scene and curating the long running anarchist library, an accessible archive he's made available to the public for nearly a decade, and his belief in art as a tool in the struggle for a better and freer world. These are some of the subjects that Joey G will be talking about at the July installment of Beer and Revolution, we look forward to all the debate, thought, criticism, and inspiration this event may further.

Once again, Beer and Revolution begins at 9 PM, and Joey will speak a little later, giving folks time to get there, get settled, and grab a couple of brews.

Come down to Tempe on Sunday, July 12, have some tasty beers and interesting talk, and enjoy the company of other anarchists and anti-authoritarians from the valley. Joel Olson, a longtime agitator, anarchist, and member of Bring the Ruckus, is scheduled as to speak on his study of fanaticism at the August B&R, more information on this to come soon.

We at PCWC look forward to seeing you in July, cheers!

NO wasn't on the Ballot!