> WW News Service Digest #153 > > 1) Los Angeles police riot > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) Los Angeles Mumia protest reaches millions > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) Clinton's real legacy on display > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4) Western wildfires: Blame the profit motive > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 5) NATO troops seize Kosovo mining complex > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 6) Target: Lumumba > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Aug. 24, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >As Clinton/Gore speak of 'democracy' > >LOS ANGELES POLICE RIOT > >Convention protests continue despite tear gas, rubber bullets > >By Workers World Los Angeles bureau > >Hundreds of heavily armed police rioted outside the >Democratic Convention Aug. 14, attacking peaceful >demonstrators and concert-goers as President Bill Clinton >delivered his nationally televised speech to the delegates. > >The police assault was a further escalation of the >government's war against the new anti-capitalist, anti- >racist youth movement following the arrests of more than 450 >protesters during the Republican National Convention in >Philadelphia. > >While Clinton praised himself and Vice President Al Gore >inside the plush Staples Center, police fired tear gas, >rubber bullets and concussion grenades at 10,000 youths and >others who gathered outside to hear a free concert by Rage >Against the Machine and Ozomatli. > >Between 10 and 15 people were reported arrested. Paramedics >treated three dozen for serious injuries. Many more suffered >head wounds from rubber bullets, the effects of tear gas and >other injuries. > >"Scores of people [were] hit by rubber bullets or other >projectiles," reported the Aug. 15 Los Angeles Times. "Many >of those who were hit were bleeding or displayed deep, >silver-dollar sized bruises." > >The police "fired indiscriminately for more than an hour," >according to the Times. > >There was no condemnation of the LAPD brutality by Clinton, >Gore or other Democratic leaders. > >"All along the media have been praising the so-called >'restrained, peaceful' role of the Los Angeles Police >Department," said Workers World Party presidential candidate >Monica Moorehead, "especially during the Aug. 13 >demonstration demanding a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal. > >"Tonight the police showed their true colors," she charged. >"The LAPD is a repressive force against workers, the >oppressed and young people. > >"This kind of blatant police repression won't stop us from >protesting," she added. "It will only serve to make this new >movement more determined and militant." > >LEGAL ASSEMBLY > >The Aug. 14 concert was the culmination of a day of protests >against capitalist globalization, the National Missile >Defense program and economic injustice. The actions >converged for the concert, a legal assembly, in the fenced- >off "protest pit" outside the convention center. > >Earlier, police attacked a 2,000-strong street protest >targeting Gore's ties to Occidental Petroleum. That Big Oil >monopoly threatens the sovereignty and environmental safety >of the Indigenous U'wa people in Colombia. Ten people were >arrested. > >The crowd at the concert was multinational, including many >Latino youths. There were young Nigerians working with the >Service Employees union and a Korean drum corps. The Chicano >students' group MEChA, the Filipino group Bayan and the U.S. >Out of Colombia Committee hoisted banners. > >There were also hundreds of youths and community people who >came just to hear the music, not expecting a confrontation >with police. > >Rage Against the Machine performed songs of protest and >solidarity with political prisoners and international >people's struggles. The band led the audience in chants of >"Free Mumia!" > >Then the East LA band Ozomatli took the stage. > >Imani Henry, a national coordinator of Rainbow Flags for >Mumia, described what happened next. > >"The police got on the loudspeaker and said, 'This is now an >illegal demonstration. You have 15 minutes to disperse.' But >they didn't let people disperse. > >"The band was defiant. People in the crowd started putting >up banners. Many people left marching and chanting," Henry >said. > >'OVERWHELMING FORCE' > >Richard Becker, West Coast co-director of the International >Action Center, described what followed as "overwhelming >force" by "teams of 120-150 cops in military formation." > >The cops appeared to have timed their riot to coincide with >Clinton's speech, when the fewest TV cameras would be >trained on the protesters outside, he said. > >"The main orientation of the police was not arrests, but >punishment," Becker told WW. "This attack was intended to >create the idea that if you go anywhere near the Staples >Center, punishment will be inflicted on you." > >As people tried to leave the concert site, riot police on >horseback charged the crowd, splitting it in two. > >The largest group marched up Olympic Avenue and was >eventually able to disperse. > >However, hundreds of people trapped inside the protest pit >found themselves under siege. > >"Everyone was being funneled out between concrete posts when >we were told to disperse," recalled Linda Young, a youth >activist with the San Francisco IAC chapter. "A friend and I >were following instructions and trying to disperse. But when >we were about to exit, the mounted police charged through >and almost crushed us. > >"We got through another exit," Young told WW, "and people >were being pushed down Figueroa Street. > >"Suddenly the police opened fire with rubber bullets. I was >shot twice and my friend was shot four times. > >"Everyone started running. Then some people started saying >we should slow down, running will make it worse. So we >started walking and tried again to disperse. There was no >way to disperse because the side streets were all blocked >off. If you tried to go back, you ran right into these >charging police. > >"The police continued to charge us. They followed us for >awhile and then started shooting again. > >"This continued for over an hour," Young said. > >Eventually the group on Figueroa Street was able to escape >through the Pershing Square Metro train station. > >"Even in the face of tear gas and rubber bullets, people >were organizing to try and get everyone to safety," reported >Forrest Schmidt, a Workers World Party activist who was >caught in the police riot. > >"I saw many people who had been hit in the back of the head >by rubber pellets," Schmidt said. "The police were firing >high as the crowd was running away. They were aiming at >people's heads, not their legs. > >"One woman I saw was hit directly in the eye," he said. "The >entire side of her face was swollen and she couldn't see out >of that eye. I saw another person severely trampled by a >horse." > >Besides rubber bullets and pepper spray, Young said, the >cops fired "big cork bullets, half-dollar-size and very >thick. > >"Some guy had the back of his head split open by one," she >said. > >The Los Angeles Times reported that homeless-rights activist >Ted Hayes was struck in the chest with a "beanbag" >projectile. Hayes was knocked to the ground gasping for >breath. He had to be taken to the hospital. > >Schmidt said the cops seemed to target legal observers from >the National Lawyers Guild and the American Civil Liberties >Union. The progressive lawyers had helped protest organizers >hand the LAPD a defeat by winning a court injunction >permitting marches to the convention site. > >Not even Democratic Party delegates were safe. Police >outside the convention center reportedly manhandled Los >Angeles County AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Miguel Contreras. >New York Public Advocate Mark Green and some other New York >delegates were also treated roughly. > >Throughout the night LAPD spokespeople offered several >excuses for their riot. > >First local television stations reported that police had >been angered by "one or two bonfires" lit inside the concert >area. > >Then the cops claimed that 10 to 20 people at the edge of >the concert were throwing chunks of dirt, rocks and bottles >at them--over a 13-foot-high chain link fence. > >Another story had it that two youths who scaled the fence >holding a black flag were "endangering" the riot-gear-clad >LAPD. > >The Southern California ACLU quickly condemned the LAPD. >Spokesperson Dan Tokaji said, "Had the police cooperated >with rally organizers, the night could have ended calmly and >smoothly. > >"Instead, the police response tonight created huge risks. >When people see batons raised, riot gear and mounted police >clearing the area, a tense situation becomes a volatile >one." > >"I was there in the middle of all this, enjoying the sound >of Ozomatli, when all of a sudden the plug was pulled with >the excuse that people would not get off the 'security' >fence," wrote Cisco, a concert-goer who posted a personal >account on the Los Angeles Independent Media Center Web >site. "People got angry, and rightly so." > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <00f401c007eb$8fb00380$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Los Angeles Mumia protest reaches millions >Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 21:36:27 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Aug. 24, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >Los Angeles > >MUMIA PROTEST REACHES MILLIONS > >By Brenda Sandburg >and Bill Hackwell >Los Angeles > >The eyes of the world were on the opening of the Democratic >National Convention in Los Angeles as 5,000 people marched >Aug. 13 to save the life of political prisoner Mumia Abu- >Jamal and end the racist death penalty. > >Over 200 media outlets from around the world reported on the >protest, drawing unprecedented attention to Abu-Jamal's >case. The former Black Panther is a prisoner on >Pennsylvania's death row. > >Chants of "Free Mumia!" echoed off the buildings in downtown >Los Angeles as the march moved down Figueroa Street from >Pershing Square to the Staples Center, where Democratic >Party delegates were beginning to arrive. > >People came from all over the country to send a clear >message to the Democratic Party wing of the ruling class. > >Buses came from San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego and >Mendocino County, Calif. People organized vans and car pools >from all over the West Coast. Others came from as far away >as New York and Washington. > >The event was youthful and multinational. A wide range of >ages and struggles was represented. > >The spirited daylong event set the tone for a week packed >with protests against corporate plunder, police brutality, >racism, the U.S. war against Iraq and the Navy occupation of >Vieques. > >PROTESTERS DEFY POLICE, GOV'T THREATS > >"If the Democrats and Republicans really cared about working >people, they'd be out here on the streets with us protesting >against police brutality," said rally Co-chair John Parker, >a leading organizer of the Los Angeles Coalition to Stop the >Execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal and co-coordinator of the Los >Angeles chapter of the International Action Center, which >initiated the demonstration. > >"Instead, they're more concerned about not offending their >corporate sponsors who hire these thugs [the cops], the same >people who are trying to kill Mumia." > >Organizers said the demonstration would have been even >bigger if not for the blatant threats made by the Los >Angeles Police Department and federal officials. > >"Despite every effort by the mayor and the LAPD to >marginalize the struggle to save Mumia and to intimidate and >frighten people from coming out to the demonstration, a >massive grassroots mobilizing effort has succeeded in >reaching millions of people around the world with the truth >about Mumia's case," said Preston Wood, co-coordinator of >the Los Angeles IAC. > >Originally, police tried to isolate protesters in a fenced- >in area far from the convention site. The American Civil >Liberties Union and National Lawyers Guild filed a lawsuit >on behalf of protest organizers. > >A court ruled that the city's planned restrictions violated >the First Amendment and that people had the right to >demonstrate in the vicinity of the convention center. > >The fact that the demonstration was linked to the Democratic >Convention was vital in boosting media attention to Abu- >Jamal's case. "This is the first demonstration for Mumia to >get widespread national coverage," said James Lafferty, a co- >chair of the rally and member of the National Lawyers Guild. >"The amazing coverage is a major breakthrough in putting the >issue on the map." > >In addition to demanding a new trial for Abu-Jamal, >protesters called for an end to the racist death penalty, >police brutality and the prison-industrial complex. > >Dorsey Nunn of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children >noted that 6 million people are currently on parole or >probation. "Mumia's case is a continuation of an all-out >attack of racism," Nunn said. > >Speakers said there is no fundamental difference between the >leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties. > >Abu-Jamal's son, Mazi Jamal, declared: "The Los Angeles >convention is an echo of the Philadelphia convention, bought >and paid for by corporate people who are nothing but public- >relations spokespeople for the bosses. Whether you vote >Republican or Democrat, you vote for your own oppression." > >Gloria La Riva of the International Action Center noted that >Texas Gov. George W. Bush is set to execute 10 more people >before December. > >"Gore and the Democrats are just as responsible for every >execution in Texas," La Riva said. "President Clinton signed >the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, which is >what has prevented Mumia and others on death row from >gaining a new trial." > >Pam Africa of International Concerned Family & Friends of >Mumia Abu-Jamal urged people to sign an appeal to U.S. >District Court Judge William H. Yohn. Yohn will decide later >this year whether to allow new evidence to be presented in >court on Abu-Jamal's behalf. > >Africa said the evidence "shows there was a conspiracy >between Judge Sabo, the district attorney and Mumia's public >defender" at the time of his conviction. > >WAR AT HOME AND ABROAD > >Other speakers linked the prison system's brutality and >injustice to U.S. policy abroad. > >The U.S. government "kills women and children in Iraq and >kills people in the United States, even if they are mentally >disabled or under 18, even if malfeasance and mistrials are >horrendous," actor Edward Asner said. > >"Until Mumia is granted a new trial, we will continue to >watch the Al Gores laugh up their sleeves while the George >W. Bushes inexorably march the young, the disabled and quite >possibly the innocent to their deaths." > >Abu-Jamal's lead attorney, Leonard Weinglass, said the U.S. >government is killing its young people just as it kills >oppressed people in Iraq, Colombia and other parts of the >world. > >"Of 3,600 people on death row, 70 are juveniles," Weinglass >said. "The U.S. is the only country of the world to execute >its youth." > >It is only poor people who end up on death row, added Steve >Rohde, president of the Southern California chapter of the >American Civil Liberties Union. > >"They call it capital punishment, because if you don't have >the capital, you get the punishment," Rohde said. "Over one- >third of those on death row never had a lawyer." > >Many speakers paid tribute to Shaka Sankofa, also known as >Gary Graham, who was murdered by the state of Texas June 22. > >Gloria Verdieu of the San Diego Coalition to Stop the >Execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal said the intense media coverage >about Sankofa's unjust conviction did not halt "the biggest >legal lynching in the history of the United States." > >Only a mass movement of the people will free Abu-Jamal, she >added. > >JACKSON: 'WE MUST NOT LOSE MUMIA' > >The Rev. Jesse Jackson came to lend his support to the >protest. He declared, "We lost Sankofa, we must not lose >Mumia." > >Jackson said the laws must be changed to make state >executions illegal, adding, "We cannot rest until all >political prisoners are free." > >Larry Holmes, a national leader of Millions for Mumia/IAC, >echoed Sankofa's last words. "He said you can kill a >revolutionary, but you can't kill a revolution," Holmes >declared. "We will stand between the execution chamber and >Mumia." > >Imani Henry, a coordinator of the lesbian/gay/bi/trans group >Rainbow Flags for Mumia, told the crowd, "I was arrested in >Philly at the Republican National Convention protest and >rushed here to tell the Democrats, like we told the >Republicans, that they have the blood of Shaka Sankofa on >their hands." > >Henry urged people to protest at the first national debate >between Bush and Gore in Boston Oct. 3. > >Workers World Party presidential candidate Monica Moorehead >denounced the forces lined up against the demonstrators. > >"The cops can detain and torture activists as they did in >Philadelphia and the media can label us as criminals. But >you know what? It doesn't matter. Repression breeds >resistance." > >Moorehead said the government hopes to silence the dynamic >youth and student movement. But, she added, "Shaka Sankofa >gave us our marching orders with his dying words to fight >on. > >"We will fight on until Mumia is free and struggling with >us." > >Other speakers included Farm Workers union leader Dolores >Huerta, Eric Mann of the Bus Riders Union, Bob McClosky of >Service Employees Local 535, Bob Mandel of the Oakland >Education Association, AFSCME representative Roy Stone, >spoken-word artist Jime Salcedo, and several bands including >East LA Sabor Factory and Atzlan Underground. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <00fc01c007eb$ae85fee0$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Clinton's real legacy on display >Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 21:37:19 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Aug. 24, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >Brutality by design > >CLINTON'S REAL LEGACY ON DISPLAY > >By Fred Goldstein > >At the same moment President Bill Clinton delivered his >speech to the Democratic National Convention extolling the >so-called accomplishments of his administration, the Los >Angeles Police Department opened fire with rubber bullets, >pepper spray and bean bags on a crowd of 10,000 concert- >goers 200 yards from the convention center. > >The cops were testing their new crowd-control assault >tactics on an unarmed crowd milling about after the police >shut down a protest concert featuring Rage Against the >Machine. The band had finished its set and the cops pulled >the plug on the Latino group Ozomatli. > >Their goal was to clear the streets before the delegates >emerged from the hall after Clinton's speech. So the LAPD >used the excuse of a few bottles and rocks being thrown over >a fence as the pretext for a full-scale military attack, >complete with cops on horses, motorcycles, bicycles and >foot, all dressed in riot gear. > >To underscore the satisfaction of Democratic Party officials >with the police action, a Los Angeles Independent Media >Center dispatch of Aug. 15 quoted Julie Green, a convention >spokesperson, complimenting the police on a "smooth >operation." > >The simultaneous events summarize the entire Clinton >administration. Clinton is at the podium posing as a friend >of the people while his henchmen send the police to attack >the people with full force. > >It is this type of maneuver that has earned him the >accolades of the bourgeoisie--despite their distaste for >him. > >A MONUMENTAL RENEGADE > >After his speech all the commentators praised Clinton as the >greatest politician of his generation, if not of the past >century. > >What was his greatness? He got the Democrats back into the >White House after a long period of Republican rule. > >Wherein lies his political brilliance? He stole the >Republicans' thunder by moving the Democratic Party all the >way to the right, adopting most of the Republican program >while still holding onto the party's base. > >To be sure, it does take a certain amount of political >initiative and skill to be a renegade on such a monumental >scale. > >Clinton took over the leadership of a party that has the >backing of the unions, the Black bourgeois leaders, the >women's movement and the gay movement. > >He then proceeded to destroy the welfare system, strengthen >capital punishment, pass NAFTA, refuse to fight for anti- >scab legislation, put forward the "don't ask, don't tell" >anti-gay military policy, hand over the country's medical >care to the insurance companies, make balancing the budget >the be-all and end-all of economic policy, and commit >blatant military aggression against Yugoslavia and Iraq. > >Of course it is not hard to chart a reactionary course when >all of Wall Street is demanding it. It is easier than it >appears to carry out that program when you know you can >count on the continued support of the party base's >leadership, which hopelessly follows the time-worn and >ultimately bankrupt "lesser evil" theory and will not break >with the pro-imperialist Democratic Party leaders. > >But when history is written, Clinton and his Democratic >Leadership Council, the architects of this turn to the right- >-of which both Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman are leading >members--may get mixed reviews from the bourgeoisie. The >reason for this is precisely what is happening on the >streets of Los Angeles as well as what happened in >Philadelphia, Washington and Seattle. > >CLINTON-GORE EXPOSED >BIG BUSINESS CONTROL > >The Clinton-Gore leadership became so brazen that they >exposed big business's control over the Democratic Party--a > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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