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Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Sea Shepherd Ship and Arrests Crew

12-04-2008 22:17

At 0700 Hours (PST) and 1100 Hours Atlantic time the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Farley Mowat was attacked by officers from two Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers the Des Groseilliers and the Sir Wifred Grenfell. Captain Alex Cornelissen informed the boarders that the Farley Mowat is a Dutch registered ship in international waters and that Canada had no legal right to restrict the free passage of the vessel through international waters. The ship was in the Gulf of St. Lawrence well beyond the Canadian twelve mile territorial limit. It has been reported that both the 1st officer and the captain of the ship have been arrested and will be brought before a court in Sydney, Canada. According to Federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, the "safety and security" of the sealers is the government's main focus and the seizing of the Sea Shepherd vessel will ensure a "safe and orderly" seal hunt. Last week, the same Mr. Hearn announced that Canada would lay charges against the captain and first officer of the anti-sealing vessel for coming too close to the seal hunt.

Captain Paul Watson was speaking by phone with Farley Mowat communications officer Shannon Mann when he heard the voices of men screaming for the crew to fall to the floor. The men carried guns according to Mann and could be heard by Captain Watson threatening the Farley Mowat’s crew. As Captain Watson was speaking with Shannon Mann, the Satellite phone went dead and nothing more has been heard from the Sea Shepherd crew. The Farley Mowat was documenting violations of the humane regulations and gathering proof that the seals were being killed in an inhumane manner. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is assuming that the video tapes will be seized by the Canadian authorities. There are 17 crewmembers onboard the Dutch registered Farley Mowat from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, South Africa, Canada and the United States.

Also on the newswire: Canada To Charge Sea Shepherd Crew For Documenting Seal Hunt | Sea Shepherd Crew Attacked By Mob Of Seal Hunters | Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal Hunt | Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice) | Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter

Related Categories | Animal Liberation | Ocean Defence | Repression | World

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Teaching King Lear in occupied Palestine

12-04-2008 15:54

When a Brighton deelgation visited a remote school in the Jordan Valley, occupied palestine, one of them found themself teaching King Lear to a class of students, but who learnt the most?

Related Categories | Education | Palestine | South Coast | World

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Palestinian village denied water and threatened with demolition

12-04-2008 15:50

The Israeli army have cut the water pipes of the villagers of Al Farsiya in the West Bank. They have issued demolition orders against their buildings, and clearly aim to eradicate this community of 200 people that was 1000 strong 40 yours ago. But the local people have documentation demonstrating their right to the land they live on, and plan to fight back.

Related Categories | Palestine | South Coast | World

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Education and resistance in occupied Palestine

12-04-2008 15:45

In many areas of the West Bank Palestinians are prevented from constructing, improving or repairing any buildings - this can be homes, schools, clinics or animal shelters. In Al Jiftlik and Fasayil the local people have resisted draconian laws and demolition orders, and built their own schools.

Related Categories | Education | Palestine | South Coast | World

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Images from San Isidro Aloapam + appeal for solidarity.

12-04-2008 15:34

The village of San Isidro Aloapam is situated high in the mountains about 3-4 hours drive from Oaxaca city. The journey used to be shorter, but a quicker access road through the mountains has been blocked by villagers, fearful that it could be used for hit and run missions by armed paramilitaries. Like many indigenous communities the village is largely ignored by the political mainstream outside of election campaigns. Mexico’s indigenous population is discriminated against in every aspect of life including jobs, education and healthcare. The village is represented politically by indigenous umbrella organisation CIPO-RFM. The main language spoken by the people is an ancient language called Zapatec; many of the older people in the community do not speak Spanish. The village has a few shops but no bar. Alcohol is frowned upon in communities represented by CIPO-RFM as it has caused huge problems in the indigenous population including murder and domestic violence. The village has its own radio station, which is a vital tool of communication for people living in the more remote areas. Many of the programmes are in Zapatec with traditional music also a regular feature. The radio station also enables communication with the outside world, which offers some protection against paramilitary attacks from the PRIistas.

Related Categories | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression | World

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The ENCUENTRO held at San Isidro Aloapam.

12-04-2008 15:20

To raise awareness of the plight of the people of San Isidro Aloapam CIPO-RFM organised an international Encuetro or gathering attended by representatives of many different organisations including:

UK Indymedia, Earth First (USA), Earth First Roadblock (Canada), Ya Basta, Jóvenes en Resistencia Alternativa, UNIOS-COPAI, Movimiento por la Paz con justicia y dignidad, Colectivo Anarquista Acción Libertaria, Comité Popular Ciudadano-la otra campaña, la otra tabasco, Guaytalpa Nacajuca, pueblo Chontal, tabasco, Colectivo solidaridad con la Rebelión Zapatista, Barcelona, La olla móvil de Barcelona, kolectivo tod@s somos pres@s, Independientes; Mael Vizcarra Magallanes, Maria Elena Martínez, Gavioes Dafiel, TAIFA, REDMYCZ, Coordinadora Toscano de apoyo a la lucha zapatista, Florencia, Italia, C.C .AREA.(Italia), Periódico Apatía, ENHA D.F colectivo de la otra campaña, Individu@s (Oaxaca), Rafael Moreno González Madrid España, Colectivo de Resistencia Expresión Artística CREA (Oaxaca), Tlacoyos si hamburguesas no, Olga Durante Gómez de Barcelona, Brujula Roja, Red Zapatista, Colectivo de Resistencia Artística CREA, No Mas Muertes, Andres Contreras (compositor de música de protesta) and Askapena, País Vasco.

Related Categories | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression | World

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Interview with Pedro Bautista Rojas of CIPO-RFM.

12-04-2008 15:11

Cipo-RFM activist Pedro Bautista-Rojas explains the history of the indigenous struggle in Oaxaca and also the implications of the forest dispute for both the people of San Isidro Aloapam and their children.

Related Categories | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression | World

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Demetrio explains how the loggers manipulate the law.

12-04-2008 15:04

Demetrio takes us to a spot in the forest where the repression began. The ‘plague’ he refers to is a uncommon disease that afflicts trees in the forest and can destroy large areas if left unchecked. For this reason it is quite legal to cut down diseased trees in the protected areas to stop the spread of the disease. However the wood from such trees has little values compared to that of a healthy one. The loggers from San Miguel have clearly been using a small outbreak of the disease as an excuse to cut down healthy trees for profit. The first thing that struck us was how many clearly diseased trees were still standing while the stumps left behind by the lumberjacks showed no sign of any infection.

Related Categories | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression | World

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Alcohol fuelled repression and torture committed by the paramilitaries in 2007

12-04-2008 14:52

One thing that struck us about the accounts given to us by the villagers of the repression in 2007 was that there were no inconsistencies. Every interview and statement given by the villagers backed up what we had previously heard. It is very clear that the authorities who have imprisoned five of the villagers have not bothered to hear their side of the story. In a region where money can buy anything including the law this is hardly surprising. The accounts of torture that took place in the Police station in the town of San Miguel are truly horrifying.

Another thing we noticed in this part of the forest was that all the ‘diseased’(this is an excuse to get round the law) trees that had been cut down by the loggers of San Miguel had three things in common. Firstly they were all very large. Secondly they were all placed right by the track thus minimising the time and cost of transporting them out of the forest. Thirdly the stumps displayed no signs of disease at all.

Related Categories | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression | World

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The legality of illegal logging.

12-04-2008 14:43

The companero pictured below talks not only of the legal battle to secure the future of the forest but also about the corruption they are fighting at the highest level. It seems more than probable that someone in the local municipal environmental offices is being paid a backhander by the loggers to break the laws that he or she is paid to uphold. Another fear the villagers have which seems well founded is that the tree disease (which the loggers use as an excuse for their activity) was deliberately introduced into the forest. It certainly seems convenient for the loggers that a previously healthy area of woodland has suddenly suffered an unexpected blight, which has given a green light to their activities.

Related Categories | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression | World

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Interview with Miguel Cruz Moreno

12-04-2008 14:35

Miguel is an organiser for CIPO-RFM. In this interview he explains the history of the forest dispute and the possible implications for the village of San Isidro Aloapam if the logging is allowed to continue.

Related Categories | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression

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A compañera gives her eyewitness account of what happened.

12-04-2008 14:29

Another woman who was beaten by the paramilitaries explains why their struggle to save the forest is so important.

Related Categories | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression | World

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Thereasa an eyewitness to the repression.

12-04-2008 14:21

Theresa Peres Mendez explains why she and other women from San Isidro Aloapam chose to defend the forest from armed paramilitaries at considerable personal risk.

Related Categories | Globalisation | Repression | Social Struggles | World

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Christina an eyewitness to the repression.

12-04-2008 14:14

An eye witness account of what happened during one of the fatal confrontations between the people of San Isidro Aloapam and the paramilitaries. Christina Peres Alavas explains what happened that day and also testifies that the two dead paramilitaries from San Miguel were killed by their own people not the people of San Isidro Aloapam who are committed to peaceful action. The murder of people from San Miguel by their own paramilitaries is entirely possible as the town (which is under the control of the PRI) has many deep running internal disputes. The confrontation with the people of San Isidro Aloapam could have been used to settle a couple of scores while getting someone else blamed.

Related Categories | Oaxaca Uprising | Ecology | Globalisation | Repression | World

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Press Conference by CIPO-RFM at the their Oaxaca headquarters.

12-04-2008 14:07

Before we travelled up into the mountains to the threatened forest, CIPO-RFM gave a press conference to explain the nature of the dispute and also to highlight the serious repression that they have been experiencing for a number of years. It took place at their headquarters in Oaxaca city. Many representatives from the Mexican corporate media were present but nothing that the CIPO people had to say was reported in the mainstream press. The local Indymedia did give the event a good write up and also attended the Encuentro (gathering) in the mountain village of San Isidro Aloapam.

Related Categories | Oaxaca Uprising | Ecology | Repression | Social Struggles | World

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Entering the threatened Forest in Oaxaca.

12-04-2008 14:01

Upon entering the forest one of the villagers gave us some of the history of the region as well as the recent events which had ended so violently for the local people. Visitors were encouraged to ask questions and verify any facts about the situation which were unclear. The forest itself is breathtaking and stretches up the mountain as far as the eye can see. The companero gave a pretty detailed account of what happened during the repression and also named the man believed to be responsible for the confrontation to begin with and the deaths that resulted from it.

We were also shown a tree that had been placed across the road by the villagers from San Isidro Aloapam. Its purpose was to stop armed paramilitaries from the nearby town of San Miguel from attacking the village by road in pickup trucks. The closure of the road has added over an hour to the journey made by villagers wishing to reach Oaxaca city.

Related Categories | Oaxaca Uprising | Globalisation | Repression | Social Struggles | World

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Home Office Protest Over Forced Deportation of Iraqi Kurds

11-04-2008 18:22

Around 80 people, many Iraqi Kurds, demonstrated at the Home Office in London today, Friday 11 April, demanding an end to forced deportations to Iraq.
Photographs are copyright, (C) 2008, Peter Marshall. All rights reserved.

Related Categories | Iraq | Repression | London | World

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This Week In Palestine – Week 15 2008

11-04-2008 18:16

This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.IMEMC.org, for April 5th through to April 11th, 2008.

Related Categories | Palestine | World

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SOCPA - barbara tucker jailed for two weeks

11-04-2008 17:05

yesterday morning barbara tucker was arrested in parliament square for alleged breach of police bail
after being held for about 29 hours, she eventually was brought before district judge snow at horseferry road who sentenced her to two weeks in prison

Related Categories | SOCPA | Iraq | Repression | London

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Nottingham New Squat Occupied: opp. Galleries of Justice

11-04-2008 13:28

The new squat, which has been occupied as part of the weekend of action for free culture and squatted autonomous spaces has been successfully taken. The place is listed grade II building, but is uncared for, decrepit and in much need of renovations. Squatters having moved in, were today doing much tidying, fixing, washing, sweeping and preparing.

Related Categories | 2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces | Free Spaces | Social Struggles