ON THE SHOW IN MARCH 2011:

* CHICAGOANS PROTEST EIGHT YEARS OF WAR

We'll join peace protests in downtown Chicago on the 8th anniversary of the War in Iraq.

* DAVID SIROTA ON POPULAR CULTURE AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM

Commentator David Sirota spoke recently in Chicago on the role popular culture from the 1980s affected policy and protest today. We'll hear an excerpt of an interview with David Sirota.

* CHICAGO NUCLEAR MELTDOWN REVISITED

What would happen if a nuclear meltdown were to occur in the Chicago area? We'll find out from Dr. Andrew Cantor of Physicians for Social Responsibility.

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HEADLINES FROM THE INDYMEDIA NETWORK

Argentine activists launch urgent campaign to build community radio transmitters
Argentina Indymedia chronicled the furious efforts of grassroots activists to build dozens of community radio transmitters in a week's time. The Second Integral Factory of Radio Communications was a weeklong initiative in the Argentine city of Cordova during the week of February 6th through the 13th, 2011, which saw 200 people assemble 59 radio transmitters for 76 community organizations across Latin America. The whole initiative followed up a similar effort in 2010 in Buenos Aires, called the First Factory, which saw some 60 radio transmitters built and distributed, to help expand community voices and local media across Latin America.
argentina.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php

Right-wing vigilantes take over Roma neighborhood in Hungarian village
Indymedia Global at indymedia.org featured the story of right-wing vigilantes taking control of a Romani neighborhood in a village in Hungary. On March 1, 2011, uniformed members of the vigilante group Civil Guard, an offshoot of the neo-fascist paramilitary group Magyar Garda, took control of a Romani neighborhood in the village of Gyöngyösspata, setting up checkpoints at the entrance to the neighborhood and forming a human chain around Romani houses. The Civil Guard is supported by the right-wing Jobbik political party, and is condemned by international human rights groups who have urged Hungarian authorities to intervene. The European Roma Rights Center reports that there were at least 48 attacks against Romani in Hungary between 2008 and 2010, resulting in nine deaths.
www.indymedia.org/en/2011/03/946952.shtml

Thousands disrupt DC fundraiser for Wisconsin Republican party
DC Indymedia featured a dramatic protest blockade where thousands of labor union members and activists besieged a Washington DC fundraiser for the Wisconsin Republican party. The headquarters of the lobbying firm BGR played host to the fundraiser on March 16, 2011, whose protest was so large it clogged the streets outside the building. Some activists who wore suits in a so-called "suit bloc" managed to elude security and enter the event to display protest signs inside the event. Activists outdoors proceeded to march to the White House then went to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, despite the objections of DC police, before returning to BGR to resume the blockade.
dc.indymedia.org/feature/display/132355/index.php

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Police Harrasses Food Not Bombs
Miami Indymedia featured developments of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, chapter of the international anti-hunger group Food Not Bombs, which has been harrassed by Fort Lauderdale Police. Quoting from the feature: "The group claims the police recently raided a house illegally and that officers are making a concerted effort to stop them from feeding homeless people…" The group also claims that police shut down the electricity of the house of a number of Food Not Bombs activists, even though the electric bill was paid. During the aforementioned police raid, a female activist was inappropriately frisked and officers inquired about the political leanings of house residents. Members of Food Not Bombs held a solidarity march to decry the police intimidation and violations of civil liberties.
miami.indymedia.org/news/2011/02/21132.php

Portland nonprofit workers win right to control hiring/firing decisions
Portland Indymedia featured a victory where workers at two Portland, Oregon, nonprofits won the right to keep veto power over workers being fired. Streetlight/Porchlight Shelters and Harry's Mother, two Portland-based nonprofits dedicated to assisting at-risk youth, wanted to force employees to submit to binding arbitration rather than keep a peer review panel which held power to overrule any firing decisions the nonprofits may make. Workers at the nonprofit, under contract with the Portland Chapter of the Industrial Workers of the World labor union, held protests for four weeks objecting to the proposal, and on March 20, 2011, negotiators with the nonprofits' parent company agreed to the workers' terms.
portland.indymedia.org/en/2011/03/407252.shtml

Investigation into slain Indymedia journalist Brad Will reopened
New York City Indymedia featured the announcement of a reopened Mexican murder investigation whose victims include a slain Chicago-born Indymedia activist. In 2006, Brad Will, a 36-year-old member of New York City Indymedia who was originally from the Chicago area, was shot and killed covering a community uprising against the government of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. On March 10, 2011, Mexican prosecutors reopened investigations into the deaths of 21 individuals killed in the uprising, including Brad Will. A representative of the group Friends of Brad Will released a statement which read in part: "True justice in this case will identify and bring to people known to have committed these acts of violence and an end to the US taxpayer funded Merida Initiative and the so-called drug war."
nyc.indymedia.org/or/2011/03/114355.html

Chicago Indymedia features in March
Chicago Indymedia posted a number of features in the month of March, including a summary of Chicago-related actions in solidarity with worker protest actions in Wisconsin against the draconian proposals of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Chicago Indymedia also broke news of the release of Eric Caine, a prisoner held in jail since 1986 who was tortured by Chicago police under the infamous Jon Burge regime to confess to a double-murder he didnt' commit. Chicago also featured coverage of the March 19, 2011 protests commemorating the 8th anniversary of the War in Iraq, including news of a dramatic court victory affirming the rights of Chicago protesters at the original March 19, 2003 Iraq antiwar protest in downtown Chicago.
chicago.indymedia.org/feature/display/70439/index.php
chicago.indymedia.org/feature/display/70440/index.php
chicago.indymedia.org/feature/display/70441/index.php
chicago.indymedia.org/feature/display/70442/index.php

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