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News :: DNC : Organizing |
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A Preview of the DNC |
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by Cady
(No verified email address) |
26 Aug 2008
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Much has been made by many a liberal Democrat about the supposed "different-ness" of their political party, one that they claim has miraculously found a way to take billions of dollars of money every year from racist, sexist, land-raping capitalists and simultaneously support the liberation of women from patriarchy, people of color from white supremacy, workers from bosses, and the earth from destructive abuse. Anarchists reject these easily apparent lies every day, and they plan to do so again at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver Colorado. |
 DNC 2008 by Marcus from LA Indymedia |
The Democratic National Convention in 2008 is going to be a 100 million dollar party for out-of-towners in a city where some people are starving. Official rules state that companies who give the Democratic Party a quarter of a million dollars are allowed to host talks with politicians on issues affecting their industries, that individuals or companies who give 52 thousand are allowed multiple advertising opportunities at the convention, and that individuals or companies who donate a million are guaranteed a meeting with the local mayor, senator and state representative.
What these policies mean is that the convention is being funded by mining companies who destroy our planet, by weapon-makers, by Coke, by banks that send people out of their homes in winter so that the houses may sit empty, by tobacco companies, by insurance companies, and by many others who have reason to be afraid of real democracy. These companies have been attracted to the convention by promises that they will be able to sway those in power, and they are being granted access and influence that most voters cannot fathom. What these policies mean is that Target has a voice while our voices are silenced.
In fact, a security budget of 50 million dollars has been put in place to make sure that nobody like me can interrupt Target while its shills are trying to speak. The Secret Service is officially in charge of security, with local cops doing most of the brutal enforcement. Police forces from other cities are also coming into Denver for the duration of the convention, despite the well-documented fact that this tactic increases civil rights abuses on the part of the imported police officers.
However, activists at Unconventional Denver have already offered the violence-prone and violence-seeking law enforcement a way out. They've declared in a statement to the city of Denver, the Democratic party, and the nation that they will not protest the convention at all if the ludicrous sum of 50 million dollars is re-routed to programs which help the people of Denver and the local communities.
The offer made by Unconventional Denver is worth quoting. "It is true," they say, "that there is a group mobilizing forces from across the country and amassing exotic weapons that they refuse to disclose to the public. They have a record of inflicting violence on unarmed civilians and illegally spying on citizens working toward positive change. They even dress in black- they are the Denver police and the various local, state and federal forces that will be transforming Denver into a miniature version of the occupation of Iraq when the DNC comes to town."
The protesters pointed out in their statement that the 50 million dollars would help to re-open the six schools Denver shut down last year or begin to insure the 160 thousand children in the Denver area with no health insurance coverage. They suggested using the money to help provide renewable energy to the city.
It is obvious from the statement prepared by Unconventional Denver that DNC 2008 protesters are not the terrorists for which the Democratic National Committee claims they are preparing. In fact, they really do come off as far more anti-violence than the thugs in uniform who would descend on the city in order to wreak havoc. Instead of new surveillance cameras, Unconventional Denver wants new hospitals and new schools. Instead of violent confrontation, anarchists want to help Denver's residents access the services that all people need to survive. If the city, Democratic Party, and federal government say no, then it is because the city, the Democratic Party, and the federal government value violence over the feeding and schooling of their own citizens.
[REPOSTED from BAAM!'s newsletter. Follow link to read more...] |
See also:
http://boston.indymedia.org/newswire/display/205492/index.php
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This work is in the public domain. |
