Fw: (en)(Al Gore) U'WA actions - Mpls, Denver, Nashville, SF, Chicago, UK!

Michael Pugliese debsian at pacbell.net
Thu Mar 23 05:51:00 PST 2000


Now these kind of actions hold Gore's feet to the fire!

Michael Pugliese

----- Original Message ----- From: Patrick Reinsborough <rags at ran.org> To: <a-infos at tao.ca> Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2000 1:40 AM Subject: (en) U'WA actions - Mpls, Denver, Nashville, SF, Chicago, UK!


> ________________________________________________
> A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
> http://www.ainfos.ca/
> ________________________________________________
>
> U'WA SUPPORTERS OCCUPY FIDELITY OFFICES AND CONFRONT AL GORE!
> MORE ACTIONS NEEDED!
> U'WA REPRESENTATIVES TO COME TO BOSTON, NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON D.C.
>
> The global solidarity movement with the U'wa people of Colombia continues
> to grow with actions spreading like wildfire! Activists have been
> targeting Occidental Petroleum's two most important partners in crime,
> Fidelity
> Investments and Vice President Al Gore. Demonstrations have happened at
> almost 50 Fidelity Investor Centers and over 35 Gore campaign events have
> been disrupted by human rights and environmental activists demanding that
> Gore address the U'wa issue.
> In the face of Fidelity's silence, U'wa supporters have begun escalating
> their tactics to show Fidelity that we will not tolerate them investing in
> the destruction of the U'wa culture and lands. On March 10th in Portland
> OR dozens of activists occupied their local Fidelity investor center. 14
> people were arrested many of them for locking themselves to the front
doors
> and creating tons of favorable media coverage. On March 14th fifteen
> people
> from the Boulder Rainforest Action Group conducted a die-in at the Denver,
> CO Fidelity office. Lots of fake blood and theatrics distracted the
> numerous police officers long enough for four activists to block the
> entrance to the investor center. The action received coverage on at least
> two local television stations.
> A few days later on March 17th Fidelity UK felt the pressure when
> activists from Manchester Earth First! paid their
> northern regional offices a visit. Staff at the office were caught
> completely by surprise as well dressed activists randomly infiltrated the
> office, locking on to delicate computer equipment and reorganizing a few
> filing systems. Other activists held up a banner outside the building
> denouncing Fidelity, and handed out leaflets, along with some home made
> Fidelity shares in grief, pain, suicide, war, U'wa land, rainforest and
> genocide. The protestors were finally ejected from the building after
about
> an hour and a half, with one arrest (for hiding in a stationary cupboard)
> and leaving behind a dismantled computer monitor and stand. Rainforest
> Action Network has also received an anonymous email claiming credit for
> covering Fidelity's San Francisco office with 15 gallons of oil and
> stickers highlighting Fidelity's complicity in the invasion of the U'wa
> lands.
> Al Gore has been feeling the heat as well. At a recent campaign
appearance
> in Minneapolis activists unfurled a banner, distributed leaflets, waved
his
> book around and repeatedly disrupted his speech with questions and
chants.
> Gore agreed to meet with a group of 15 activists for 25 minutes after the
> event. The activists cut through Gore's excuses and lies and directly
> confronted him on his personal connection with Occidental. They urged him
> to speak out against the military aid package and to use his influence to
> stop the drilling on U'wa land. After finding himself intellectually out
> gunned by the well informed Minneapolis activist community Gore retreated.
> The next day as Gore participated in the Chicago St. Patrick Day parade
> he was repeatedly confronted by the Chicago Colombia Committee [ChiCol]
who
> staged "Operation Oxymoron". Hundreds of leaflets where distributed and
> numerous
> ChiCol activists were able to repeatedly shake Gore's hand and ask him
about
> the
> U'wa and his ties to Occidental. Gore was clearly startled by the number
of
> St Patrick's celebrants asking him about the U'wa and his only reply was
> "I'm working on it." Afterwards ChiCol was able to infiltrate another Al
> Gore
> function and hand out even more leaflets before the Secret Service finally
> kicked
> them out.
> A protest at Gore's campaign HQ in Tennessee by the Green Party and other
> local groups finally forced Al to break his public silence on his
connection
> with Occidental. Although he denied any conflict of interest, saying
> "there certainly is not" anything improper with the arrangement, just the
> fact that we've forced him to address the issue is a sign of how effective
> all of our organizing has been. Let's all keep up the great work!
>
>
> Meanwhile in Colombia a diverse coalition of thousands of U'wa,
campesinos,
> students and other supporters continue to blockade the drillsite. The
U'wa
> werjayas (shamen) have been praying for rain to make the road impassable
to
> Oxy's heavy equipment and so far their prayers have been answered. Heavy
> rains and mist have blocked both Occidental trucks and helicopters from
> reaching the site. The situation is still very tense with escalating
> violence in the region and an ongoing military presence at the drillsite.
> We must keep up our support! Organize something at your locally Fidelity
> or in your community. As you mobilize for April 16th, Earth Day, May Day
or
> other issues connect your local work to the U'wa resistance. Whether its
an
> educational event, letter writing tables or an office occupation it all
> helps the U'wa in their fight for survival. Also if you are in the North
> East - Washington D.C, NY, or Boston and would like to help
> publicize the U'wa's emergency speaking tour then contact us ASAP!
> Either Patrick or Lauren at Rainforest Action Network 1-800-989-RAIN
> organize at ran.org
>
> TENTATIVE U'WA DATES :
>
> NY - April 1 SEAC/environmental Justice Conference
> Boston - April 2 teach-in
> - April 3 join the U'wa in directly confronting Fidelity at their
> corporate headquarters
> CONTACT Kim Foster 781-321-2627 fosterk at gis.net for more details
> Washington DC - April 5 - 10 Confront Al Gore!
>
>
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