PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Singing "We Shall Overcome," 200 marched through Pittsburgh's Hill District Tuesday night, from the Kaufman Center of the Hill House to Freedom Corner.

Earlier in the day, 104 riders were welcomed with a dinner and Latin American music at the Kaufman Center. A forum on immigrant rights followed the rally at Freedom Corner.

Invoking the memory of the freedom rides of the 1960s, the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride demands recognition of the plight of immigrant workers; calling for basic protection of civil rights, a clearer road to citizenship, the ability to reunite families, and better protection of rights on the job.

Caravans started in ten different cities and will converge in Washington DC, and then for a rally in New York City's Flushing Park on 4 October. The caravan that stopped in Pittsburgh started in San Francisco.

[ Read More ] [ Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride ] [ Video ]
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Three dozen participated in a hastily-organized protest of John Ashcroft on September 22 despite a heavy rain. Ashcroft spoke at the Marriot at Chatham Center at 4:30 to defend the USA PATRIOT Act and drum up support for an expanded version of the bill, called the VICTORY Act, to a group of local law enforcement officials. His arrival was delayed briefly because of a suspicious package that turned out to be harmless.

Ashcroft, on a secretive 16-city tour to defend the heavily criticized bill, also visited Milwaukee and Cincinnatti Monday.

[ Photos ] [ Video ] [ Global Indymedia Feature ]

“Luminaries” and “visionaries” from throughout the area gathered in the new $375 million D. L. Lawrence Convention Center for a self-congratulatory gala on Saturday night, September 20. They called their party a “POWER PLAY.” Attendees at this private party were promised opportunities to, “execute their own power plays with the dynamos who energize the Pittsburgh region.” Some of the “dynamos” present at this gala included PA Governor Ed Rendell, PA General Assembly members, and local policy makers including the Mayor. Also present in force were Pittsburgh’s corporate leaders and rich elites. Yep, all the ingredients were there for a genuine “power play.”

[ Full story ] [ Photos ] [ Video ]
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From September 10-15, the WTO is meeting in Cancún, Mexico, and the agenda encompasses everything from foreign investment and patent rights to trade barriers. Thousands of protesters are on hand to greet the delegates and local WTO actions are planned in solidarity with the Cancún protests. In what some already refer to a second Seattle, as protests might reinforce opposition in the inside, numerous actions and gatherings will take place in Cancun and Mexico, as well as around the world, such as in Australia, the US, Mesoamerica, Africa, South-America, Asia and Europe.

In Pittsburgh two events are planned. On Friday, September 12, a public forum on the WTO and corporate globalization will be held at David Lawrence Hall at 7:00pm. On Saturday, September 13, a concert and rally will be held at Carlow College's St. Agnes Church (5th Ave between Craft and Robinson) at 1:00pm. The rally will then be followed by a creative "tour of greed" through Oakland.

Update: 9/11, From Cancun IMC: A Korean farmer took his own life in protest against the policies of the WTO and at least eight other protestors were seriously injured by police during the first massive march against the Fifth Ministerial of the WTO.
[ Read more from the Cancún temporary IMC space | Photos from the fences of Cancún: 1 2]

[ Pgh Call to Action | Public Forum annoucement | Flyers | Earlier WTO article | Full List WTO Solidarity Actions from UFPJ | Mexico Solidarity Network Cancún Page | Indymedia in Cancún | WTO Radio Stream]