Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
October 4th
1887 -- US: Louisiana sugar workers strike, 37 peaceful strikers murdered. Louisiana Militia, aided by bands of "prominent citizens," shot unarmed black sugar workers striking to gain a dollar-per-day wage, & lynched two strike leaders.
1946 -- US: Strikes throughout 20 states end when President Truman orders the Navy to seize oil refineries (half the US refining capacity). Rather than give the workers better wages and benefits, he orders the military to run the refineries instead.
1961 -- US: Mass arrest of three SNCC members & 110 African American high school students who had been praying on McComb City Hall steps in protest of Lee's slaying & suspension of two Freedom Riders.
1974 -- Ex-CIA agent Philip Agee publishes the names of 37 CIA spies, in an effort to undermine what he called the CIA's policies of murder, kidnapping, torture, assassination & other "terrorist crimes against humanity."
1982 -- US: Ben Sasway becomes first public draft non-registrant imprisoned for failure to register. Madison, Wisconsin.
1992 - UN-Sponsored Treaty ends 16 years of civil war in Mozambique
1997 -- US: Demonstrations in Washington, D.C., & across the country (including Seattle) protest the scheduled launch of the space probe Cassini with a plutonium payload.
2000 -- Bolivia: Students protest outside the university in La Paz. Tensions mounted after the government reiterated threats to deploy troops if coca growers, peasants & teachers did not take down roadblocks erected 17 days ago in a nationwide strike. Police respond with tear gas.
1946 -- US: Strikes throughout 20 states end when President Truman orders the Navy to seize oil refineries (half the US refining capacity). Rather than give the workers better wages and benefits, he orders the military to run the refineries instead.
1961 -- US: Mass arrest of three SNCC members & 110 African American high school students who had been praying on McComb City Hall steps in protest of Lee's slaying & suspension of two Freedom Riders.
1974 -- Ex-CIA agent Philip Agee publishes the names of 37 CIA spies, in an effort to undermine what he called the CIA's policies of murder, kidnapping, torture, assassination & other "terrorist crimes against humanity."
1982 -- US: Ben Sasway becomes first public draft non-registrant imprisoned for failure to register. Madison, Wisconsin.
1992 - UN-Sponsored Treaty ends 16 years of civil war in Mozambique
1997 -- US: Demonstrations in Washington, D.C., & across the country (including Seattle) protest the scheduled launch of the space probe Cassini with a plutonium payload.
2000 -- Bolivia: Students protest outside the university in La Paz. Tensions mounted after the government reiterated threats to deploy troops if coca growers, peasants & teachers did not take down roadblocks erected 17 days ago in a nationwide strike. Police respond with tear gas.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
October 3rd
1895 – US: Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage is published in book form. This popular novel about the Civil War questions the idea of “heroism” in wartime and critiques the popular definitions of “manhood” and “bravery.”
1920 – US: Physician and women’s rights activist Dr Marie Equi, arrested for speaking out against America’s involvement in World War I, is imprisoned at San Quentin, California to serve a three year term (which was later commuted to a year & a half).
1932 -- US: All 164 students of the Kincaid High School in Illinois walk out on strike after they discover that the school is being heated with coal from a company employing non-union labor.
1941 – India: In an interview Gandhi incites all subject peoples of the British Empire to rise up in nonviolent resistance and refuse to do work for their colonial overseers.
1945 -- US: Greyhound bus workers in seven states go on strike for better wages and working conditions.
1961 – Russia: After demonstrating in San Francisco, traveling to Europe, and walking all the way to Moscow, a group of anti-nuclear activists demonstrates in Red Square against nuclear weapons.
1965 -- US: President LBJ signs Public Law 89-236, amendments to the Immigration & Nationality Act. For the first time the US now considers Asians equal to Europeans in immigration matters. Great numbers of Asians eventually enter the US under this provision.
1970 -- US: Baseball umpires go on strike for the first time in history. (All jokes about “strikes” in baseball are appropriate here)
1981 -- Ireland: A seven month hunger strike by Irish nationalists at the Maze Prison in Belfast, Northern Ireland, ends today. Ten people die in the course of the strike in the name of Irish independence.
1990 – Germany: East & West Germany become a united & sovereign state for the first time since Germany's defeat in WWII, burying 45 years of Cold War division. Nearly a million people gather at the Reichstag in Berlin, & at midnight a replica of the Liberty Bell, a gift from the US, is rung, officially proclaiming reunification.
1990 -- Burma: Buddhist sects opposing the military government are outlawed.
1991 -- Haiti: General Strike is called against the military government in Puerto Principe.
1920 – US: Physician and women’s rights activist Dr Marie Equi, arrested for speaking out against America’s involvement in World War I, is imprisoned at San Quentin, California to serve a three year term (which was later commuted to a year & a half).
1932 -- US: All 164 students of the Kincaid High School in Illinois walk out on strike after they discover that the school is being heated with coal from a company employing non-union labor.
1941 – India: In an interview Gandhi incites all subject peoples of the British Empire to rise up in nonviolent resistance and refuse to do work for their colonial overseers.
1945 -- US: Greyhound bus workers in seven states go on strike for better wages and working conditions.
1961 – Russia: After demonstrating in San Francisco, traveling to Europe, and walking all the way to Moscow, a group of anti-nuclear activists demonstrates in Red Square against nuclear weapons.
1965 -- US: President LBJ signs Public Law 89-236, amendments to the Immigration & Nationality Act. For the first time the US now considers Asians equal to Europeans in immigration matters. Great numbers of Asians eventually enter the US under this provision.
1970 -- US: Baseball umpires go on strike for the first time in history. (All jokes about “strikes” in baseball are appropriate here)
1981 -- Ireland: A seven month hunger strike by Irish nationalists at the Maze Prison in Belfast, Northern Ireland, ends today. Ten people die in the course of the strike in the name of Irish independence.
1990 – Germany: East & West Germany become a united & sovereign state for the first time since Germany's defeat in WWII, burying 45 years of Cold War division. Nearly a million people gather at the Reichstag in Berlin, & at midnight a replica of the Liberty Bell, a gift from the US, is rung, officially proclaiming reunification.
1990 -- Burma: Buddhist sects opposing the military government are outlawed.
1991 -- Haiti: General Strike is called against the military government in Puerto Principe.
Friday, October 1, 2010
October 1st
1851 -- US: Syracuse crowd busts up a police station to free a recaptured escaped slave. William "Jerry" Henry, a runaway slave and craftsman in Syracuse, NY is arrested by a US Marshall & scheduled to be returned to slavery. Ten thousand citizens of the city storm the sheriff's office, free Henry & aid his escape to Canada via the underground railroad.
1894 -- Egypt: Greek workers employed by the Suez Canal Company go on strike. Sakilarides Yanakakis establishes a shoemakers union.
1898 -- France: Spanish & US commissioners meet in Paris to draft a Peace Treaty, ending the Spanish American War.
1911 – France: Pacifist Aguigui Mouna (aka Andre Dupont) is born. Anti-nuclear arms protestor and anarchist.
1924: USA: Jimmy Carter born, future President of the United States. Peacemaker, famous for (among other things) helping Israel negotiate successful peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. He once said that going to war was the mark of an “insecure” nation.
1925 -- Germany: Anti-Kriegs Museum — the first museum for peace — founded, Berlin.
1942 – Germany: Günther Wallraff is born. German writer/journalist, who disguised himself once as a Turkish immigrant to reveal hard labor conditions of migrant workers.
1946 – Occupied Germany: Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal rejects defense of "following orders" where crimes against humanity are concerned.
1946 – US: Author Tim O'Brien is born, world-famous for his depictions of his service in the Vietnam War in books such as The Things They Carried and If I die in a combat zone. An outspoken opponent of war.
1949 -- US: Pacifica Foundation (founded 1946) starts first radio station, KPFA in Berkeley, founded by Lewis Hill, poet, pacifist and journalist.
1949 -- US: 500,000 steel workers strike.
1964 -- US: Police attempt to arrest University of California-Berkeley math grad student Jack Weinberg for passing out literature for the Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE) in Sproul Plaza — inadvertently starting the Free Speech Movement (FSM). Police car is surrounded by demonstrating students for 32 hours. Weinberg coins the famous line: "Don't trust anyone over thirty."
1969 -- Canada: Protesters shut down the U.S.-Canada border crossing at Blaine, Washington, in opposition to U.S. nuclear testing in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
1976 -- New Zealand: Peace squadron resists arrival of US nuclear warship in Auckland.
1997 -- Kosovo: 100,000 demonstrate in Pristina, the capital (occupied by Serbia), for civil rights for the majority ethnic Albanian population.
1997 -- England: A half-day anti-war blockade temporarily shuts down a COPEX "Covert Operations" fair at a base in Farnborough.
1894 -- Egypt: Greek workers employed by the Suez Canal Company go on strike. Sakilarides Yanakakis establishes a shoemakers union.
1898 -- France: Spanish & US commissioners meet in Paris to draft a Peace Treaty, ending the Spanish American War.
1911 – France: Pacifist Aguigui Mouna (aka Andre Dupont) is born. Anti-nuclear arms protestor and anarchist.
1924: USA: Jimmy Carter born, future President of the United States. Peacemaker, famous for (among other things) helping Israel negotiate successful peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. He once said that going to war was the mark of an “insecure” nation.
1925 -- Germany: Anti-Kriegs Museum — the first museum for peace — founded, Berlin.
1942 – Germany: Günther Wallraff is born. German writer/journalist, who disguised himself once as a Turkish immigrant to reveal hard labor conditions of migrant workers.
1946 – Occupied Germany: Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal rejects defense of "following orders" where crimes against humanity are concerned.
1946 – US: Author Tim O'Brien is born, world-famous for his depictions of his service in the Vietnam War in books such as The Things They Carried and If I die in a combat zone. An outspoken opponent of war.
1949 -- US: Pacifica Foundation (founded 1946) starts first radio station, KPFA in Berkeley, founded by Lewis Hill, poet, pacifist and journalist.
1949 -- US: 500,000 steel workers strike.
1964 -- US: Police attempt to arrest University of California-Berkeley math grad student Jack Weinberg for passing out literature for the Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE) in Sproul Plaza — inadvertently starting the Free Speech Movement (FSM). Police car is surrounded by demonstrating students for 32 hours. Weinberg coins the famous line: "Don't trust anyone over thirty."
1969 -- Canada: Protesters shut down the U.S.-Canada border crossing at Blaine, Washington, in opposition to U.S. nuclear testing in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
1976 -- New Zealand: Peace squadron resists arrival of US nuclear warship in Auckland.
1997 -- Kosovo: 100,000 demonstrate in Pristina, the capital (occupied by Serbia), for civil rights for the majority ethnic Albanian population.
1997 -- England: A half-day anti-war blockade temporarily shuts down a COPEX "Covert Operations" fair at a base in Farnborough.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
September 29th
1795 –Germany: Perpetual Peace published by Immanuel Kant. The philosopher outlines his plan for a world where nations can relate without resorting to war, a philosophy adopted in part by countries around the world.
1943 -- US: Six objectors to US involvement in World War II who have been imprisoned at Lewisburg, PA, start a hunger strike against censorship of their mail & reading material by prison authorities.
1969 -- US: 2,000 welfare protesters take over the state capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin.
1978 – United Nations security council votes into effect the successful Namibia Peace Treaty, which leads ten years later to that country’s independent succession from South Africa.
1979 -- US: 200,000 protesters participate in anti-nuclear weapons demonstrations in lower Manhattan, California & 11 other locations around the country.
1983 –Belgium: Nonviolent activists in Brussels force an international arms trade convention to prematurely close.
1988 -- Germany: 80,000 demonstrators in West Berlin protest the International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies as benefiting only the wealthy of the world. Police arrest 400 protestors.
1943 -- US: Six objectors to US involvement in World War II who have been imprisoned at Lewisburg, PA, start a hunger strike against censorship of their mail & reading material by prison authorities.
1969 -- US: 2,000 welfare protesters take over the state capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin.
1978 – United Nations security council votes into effect the successful Namibia Peace Treaty, which leads ten years later to that country’s independent succession from South Africa.
1979 -- US: 200,000 protesters participate in anti-nuclear weapons demonstrations in lower Manhattan, California & 11 other locations around the country.
1983 –Belgium: Nonviolent activists in Brussels force an international arms trade convention to prematurely close.
1988 -- Germany: 80,000 demonstrators in West Berlin protest the International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies as benefiting only the wealthy of the world. Police arrest 400 protestors.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
September 28th
1840 -- Australia: A mass meeting of workers is held in Sydney to protest legislation that would outlaw unions or any attempts to improve working conditions.
1850 -- US: Navy abolishes flogging (beatings as official punishment) on Navy & merchant marine vessels.
917 -- US: 166 Wobblies (international union activists) are put on trial for protesting World War I through demonstrations and interference with the draft.
1920 -- Italy: A month-long widespread takeover of Italian factories by their workers is taking place, which originated in the auto factories, steel mills & machine tool plants of the metal sector but spread out into many other industries — cotton mills & hosiery firms, lignite mines, tire factories, breweries & distilleries, & steamships & warehouses in the port towns.
1943 -- Denmark: Underground anti-Nazi activists begin systematic smuggling of Jews to Sweden, saving thousands. The Nazis are unable to put a stop to this nonviolent resistance.
1962 – US/Cuba/Russia: Diplomacy prevails at the last moment, and the Cuban missile crisis is averted. Had the crisis escalated to full scale nuclear war, millions around the world would have perished.
1966 -- US: Dozens of anti-war demonstrators disrupt address Vice President Humphrey at Olympic Hotel in Seattle.
1994 -- Bolivia: A conference of indigenous people (like Native Americans, Australian aborigines, etc) from around the globe meet to discuss ways to nonviolently combat “bio-piracy”, the theft of local botanical resources (such as medicines) by international corporations.
2001 -- US: Frisco Critical Mass bike ride, where thousands of cyclists gather and ride to support fewer cars, more public transport and less pollution, as well as public health and exercise.
2002 -- England: 250,000 protest the Iraq War on Iraq, London. They are part of a week-long series of protests worldwide, including the United States, where tens of thousands gather in New York and DC.
1850 -- US: Navy abolishes flogging (beatings as official punishment) on Navy & merchant marine vessels.
917 -- US: 166 Wobblies (international union activists) are put on trial for protesting World War I through demonstrations and interference with the draft.
1920 -- Italy: A month-long widespread takeover of Italian factories by their workers is taking place, which originated in the auto factories, steel mills & machine tool plants of the metal sector but spread out into many other industries — cotton mills & hosiery firms, lignite mines, tire factories, breweries & distilleries, & steamships & warehouses in the port towns.
1943 -- Denmark: Underground anti-Nazi activists begin systematic smuggling of Jews to Sweden, saving thousands. The Nazis are unable to put a stop to this nonviolent resistance.
1962 – US/Cuba/Russia: Diplomacy prevails at the last moment, and the Cuban missile crisis is averted. Had the crisis escalated to full scale nuclear war, millions around the world would have perished.
1966 -- US: Dozens of anti-war demonstrators disrupt address Vice President Humphrey at Olympic Hotel in Seattle.
1994 -- Bolivia: A conference of indigenous people (like Native Americans, Australian aborigines, etc) from around the globe meet to discuss ways to nonviolently combat “bio-piracy”, the theft of local botanical resources (such as medicines) by international corporations.
2001 -- US: Frisco Critical Mass bike ride, where thousands of cyclists gather and ride to support fewer cars, more public transport and less pollution, as well as public health and exercise.
2002 -- England: 250,000 protest the Iraq War on Iraq, London. They are part of a week-long series of protests worldwide, including the United States, where tens of thousands gather in New York and DC.
Friday, September 24, 2010
September 24th
1909 -- US: Anti-war, pro-labor activist Emma Goldman refuses to comply with the Philadelphia police chief’s order that she had to run her speeches by him first before conducting them.
1918 -- Canada: Government declares the labor union the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) to be illegal.
A federal order in council declared that while Canada was engaged in war, 14 organizations were to be considered unlawful, including the IWW. Penalty for membership was set at five years in prison. Nevertheless, workers continued to organize. On April 2, 1919, the ban was lifted.
1924 -- India: Mohandas Gandhi begins 21-day fast for Hindu-Moslem unity.
1934 -- John Brunner, British sci-fi author, is born. He was an advocate of nuclear disarmament.
1953 – Korea/India: 23 Korean-American US soldiers who were taken as prisoners of war are offered the chance to return to the USA during a United Nations prisoner exchange, but refuse. They are instead turned over to India by the North Korean command. The soldiers issue this statement: "We love our country and our people. . . . Unfortunately, under present conditions in America, the voices of those who speak out for peace and freedom are rapidly being silenced. We do not intend to give the American government a chance of silencing our voices too."
1961 -- US: Herbert Lee, 52, local African American civil rights leader and freedom school attendee is shot by State Representative Hurst.
1968 -- US: Anti-war protesters destroy 10,000 draft files in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1969 -- US: Chicago 8 Conspiracy Trial begins. Eight antiwar activists are put on trial for their activities at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. They are all found not guilty.
1969 -- US: At 4:45 p.m., 15 minutes after the second shift had begun, Local 598 Fisher Body workers took on GM in the longest strike by the UAW in GM history.
1985 -- Poland: Wojciech Jankowski resists conscription into the Communist army in Gdansk, and is later jailed for three years.
1994 -- US: Protesters crash the Washington, D.C. 50th birthday party of the World Bank & International Monetary Fund.
1995 – The Netherlands: As part of International Buy Nothing Day, activists dressed as rats urge shoppers at a Dutch shopping mall to "leave the rat race."
2000 -- US: Jubilee 2000 March to forgive the debts of developing nations draws near 1000 supporters in Seattle, Washington.
2005 -- US: Whistleblowers go public with descriptions of what they call routine, severe abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan in a Human Rights Watch report.
1918 -- Canada: Government declares the labor union the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) to be illegal.
A federal order in council declared that while Canada was engaged in war, 14 organizations were to be considered unlawful, including the IWW. Penalty for membership was set at five years in prison. Nevertheless, workers continued to organize. On April 2, 1919, the ban was lifted.
1924 -- India: Mohandas Gandhi begins 21-day fast for Hindu-Moslem unity.
1934 -- John Brunner, British sci-fi author, is born. He was an advocate of nuclear disarmament.
1953 – Korea/India: 23 Korean-American US soldiers who were taken as prisoners of war are offered the chance to return to the USA during a United Nations prisoner exchange, but refuse. They are instead turned over to India by the North Korean command. The soldiers issue this statement: "We love our country and our people. . . . Unfortunately, under present conditions in America, the voices of those who speak out for peace and freedom are rapidly being silenced. We do not intend to give the American government a chance of silencing our voices too."
1961 -- US: Herbert Lee, 52, local African American civil rights leader and freedom school attendee is shot by State Representative Hurst.
1968 -- US: Anti-war protesters destroy 10,000 draft files in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1969 -- US: Chicago 8 Conspiracy Trial begins. Eight antiwar activists are put on trial for their activities at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. They are all found not guilty.
1969 -- US: At 4:45 p.m., 15 minutes after the second shift had begun, Local 598 Fisher Body workers took on GM in the longest strike by the UAW in GM history.
1985 -- Poland: Wojciech Jankowski resists conscription into the Communist army in Gdansk, and is later jailed for three years.
1994 -- US: Protesters crash the Washington, D.C. 50th birthday party of the World Bank & International Monetary Fund.
1995 – The Netherlands: As part of International Buy Nothing Day, activists dressed as rats urge shoppers at a Dutch shopping mall to "leave the rat race."
2000 -- US: Jubilee 2000 March to forgive the debts of developing nations draws near 1000 supporters in Seattle, Washington.
2005 -- US: Whistleblowers go public with descriptions of what they call routine, severe abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan in a Human Rights Watch report.
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