Maenz, Kris, Saxon, Josh Laughlin, Lacey Phillabaum, and Tkintz, Eds., Earth First! Journal 19, No
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Full citation: Maenz, Kris, Saxon, Josh Laughlin, Lacey Phillabaum, and tkintz, eds., Earth First! Journal 19, no. 3 (1 February 1999). Digitized in cooperation with the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. http://www.environmentandsociety.org/node/7043 Copyright: All rights reserved. The user may download, preserve and print this material only for private, research or nonprofit educational purposes. The user may not alter, transform, or build upon this material. • trs • Brigid Vol. 19, No. 3 February-March, 1999 $3.50 Massiue Jlltat:ll on Minnehaha IHE POliTI,CS like gel was applied directly to their eyes. Activists locked BY AsPEN, SPINEY AND TUMBLEWEED down and in handcuffs were beaten and maced. One activist's OF PROTE.ST Just after 4 a.m. on December 20, over 600 police officers nose was broken by an officer performing a pain compliance BY Roo CoioNJ\bo<'< .,,., • descended on our happy home. Code named "Operation hold. The ceremonies of the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Aft,er b,eeriP:g the l}ews of Davi<i Coldsnap," the raid on the Minnehaha Free State was the were brutally cut short and sacred items destroyed. Once in 1 largest show of police force in Minnesota history. Seven jail, the detainees were denied medical attention and held • 'Gypsy" Chaifi 'sdeathJpJieadwa- buildings in the path of the proposed reroute of Highway 55 incommunicado iri solitary confinement for nearly 48 hours. ters forest this September, l was in southeastern Minneapolis had been occupied by activists After a week of rumors, the raid came with a few hours : hungry toiinformation about this since August. The raid resulted in 37 arrests and was followed warning. Our roving security team spotted a two-mile • tragedy. All J, found was tWo sen- long column of cars, , tences in lJSA Tqday, a; paragraph trucks and buses en on the last. pf,lge of the New Yqrk tering a hangar at the Times a{ldJlOthing .on, any of the Minneapolis-St. Paul major television networks. International Airport, This was J'n sharp contrast to the -. one mile south of the reports that accompany violept at-. ; site. Our whistles blew tacks on th,~US government, its citi ~ as Ryder trucks pulled zens or econowic illter~sts hete or ~ upinfrontofeachhouse, · aoroad by S!fppdsed''t~qrls,ts/' ~y [ disgorging masked, then ..is ~t tbat the terr · · e at- . · ti0lls/offofporatt6ns,_ 'aiftl ~ black-clad police wield f 1'a9ific~bet' Rl,;'),.~ · the·' ~ ing rifles and battering a rams. It was immedi ~ ately apparent the au- thorities knew right where each and every by the fastest demolition job the city has ever seen. All of the barricaded site and lock-down was, despite some having houses were completely bulldozed and the foundations been built only two weeks prior. Police filled entire were filled in by daybreak. By mid-afternoon, after a light houses with tear gas, choking and nauseating the pro snow had fallen over the encampment, it looked like the testers whose arms were locked into barrels. Many un occupation had never existed. locked voluntarily, only to be pepper-sprayed while In addition to excessive numbers, police also used exces trying to make their way out. Police also tipped over a sive fo~ce, confronting nonviolent protesters with laser tripod while_.a· sitter was still on top and maced a man sighted automatic weapons and torturing them with pepper who was sitting on a roof. spray and tear gas. In some cases, an unknown pepper-spray- continued on page 28 Operation ''Cremate Monsanto'' BY PROFESSOR NANJUNDASWAMY, I<ARNATAKA STATE FARMERS AssociATION "Dear friends, Monsanto's field trials in Kamataka will be reduced to ashes, starting on Saturday." try. It is now going through a hard On November 26, two days after the time of layoffs and restructuring in a Indian Minister of Agriculture disclosed desperate effort to survive. the location of three fields where ge It is also a good time to target netically modified cotton was being Monsanto because recent scandals grown, the Karnataka State Farmers have contributed to its profile as a Association (KRRS) announced its corporate killer, as if creating Agent plans to burn the fields. Orange and bovine growth hormone On November 28, thousands of weren't enough. farmers occupied and burned down We are calling only for nonviolent the three fields in front of TV cameras direct actions. Nonviolence in this in an open act of civil disobedience. context means that we should respect These actions were the start of a all (non-genetically modified) living direct action campaign by farmers beings, including police officers and against biotechnology, called the people who work for these Operation Cremation Monsanto, transnational corporations. which will not stop until all corporate The campaign should proceed in a killers like Monsanto, Novartis and Farmers fight back in India, flaming genetically modified cotton decentralized manner, and nobody Pioneer leave India. rate killers out of our country but continues in other countries. The should speak on behalf of other people The campaign will run under the also pose a major challenge to their threat that it poses does not stop at involved in the campaign without following slogans: stop genetic engi survival in the stock markets. Who the borders. their consent. However, people are neering, no patents on life, cremate wants to invest in a mountain of This call for action will hopefully welcome to report about the actions Monsanto and bury the World Trade ashes or in offices that are constantly inspire all the people who are already of others without pretending to Organization. There is also a more being squatted (and if necessary even doing brilliant work against biotech represent them. specific message directed at all those destroyed) by activists? For these rea- no logy and those who have not been If you want to be informed of what is who have invested in Monsanto: You sons, we are making an international active to join hands in a quick, effec going on in India and around the world should take your money out before call for direct action against tive worldwide effort. This is a very on this matter, please send a message to we reduce it to ashes. Monsantoandtherestofthebiotech opportune moment to target [email protected] with the message These kinds of actions have the gang. Stopping biotechnology in In- Monsanto for its megalomaniacal at subscribe pga-ge in the text body or potential not only to kick the corpo- dia will not be of much help if it tempt to monopolize the life indus- contact us at [email protected]. EARTH FIRST! NO COMPROMISE IN DEFENSE OF MOTHER EARTH POB 1415 • EUGENE, OREGON 97440 • (541) 344-8004 Sod the Politically Tame Tossers Earth First! Journal It's a large and beautiful world and one I believe worth tactics. The UK scene is something people should maybe -Btigid fighting for. have a look at. Though not perfect by any means, we So this is America, home of the brave, land of the free. know we all have our part to play and understand there February I. 1999 When I told people back in the UK I was off to do my thing are different opinions. at the Earth First! Journal quite a few warned me it's not like Here at the Journal, they try their best to do what VoL 19. No. 3 home. In the US, they said, Earth First! is not into radical needs to be done, and it's not that easy and it's not that politics. As I'd only been released from prison a few months fun, as you just can't please everyone. Personally, I The Earth First! Journal is published by earlier (after being convicted on trumped up charges stem don't think you can bury your head in the sand. You an editorial staff from within .the Earth First! movement. Entire contents are copy ming from my work with the GreenAnarchistpaper), the crew have to stand up and be counted. Everyone should do righted 1999. Weallowreprintingifcredit at home said our kin in the US would not have a clue where their best to put things right, isn't that's what direct is given, except for those articles specifi I was coming from. · action is all about? If you don't like what goes into the cally copyrighted by the author. Art, pho I did find out that the folks here don't understand me-not Journal, may I suggest that you short~term so you can tographs and poetry are copyrighted by because of my politics but due to my weird UK accent and use see for yourself what has to be dealt with on a daily the individual artists and permission for of English slang. Well, actually there is a lack of understand basis. Then you will understand how much hard work use must be received from them. ing about how things are in the UK. We don't have old goes into it all. For the journalistas there is very little Earth First! Journal is a forum for the no growth where I live. It was probably cut down and used to reward and hardly ever any thanks. Next time before compromise environmental movement. fight the French or something. you phone the Journal or write something bad, maybe Responsibility rests with the individual authors and correspondents. The contents After traveling across Canada for a while, I came to the you should put yourselves in our shoes for a moment do not necessarily represent the view Journal office and walked into something I was not expect and think about it.