More than forty activists held signs, chanted, and shared information outside the US Forest Service office in ABQ today, voicing opposition to the proposed Canadian & Japanese Uranium mine near Mt. Taylor, east of Grants NM. Members from MASE, Native American Voter Alliance, Grants NM Idle No More, Laguna Pueblo, Free Leonard Peltier Campaign, Students for Justice in Palestine, UNM students, and many others joined (un)Occupy ABQ to pressure the Forest Service to reject the uranium mine.

Joe, an activist from the Laguna Pueblo said:

One of these mining companies is from Japan. Japanese people are thought to be deeply spiritual. I would like to ask them how they would feel if the US put a mine on their sacred Mt. Fuji?

Cooper, an activist with Grants NM Idle No More, shared with the crowd his experience of Mt. Taylor as a spiritual site for his people, especially the children, and how the mountain represents strength. Danya, a Palestinian American activist, expressed her solidarity with indigenous peoples fighting colonization and exploitation of resources, relating it to her family and communities’ common experience in Palestine.

The Forest Service has announced a 30 day extension to the public comment period on the mine, placing the deadline at Thursday June 13th. Details about the mine and how to file your comment are right here: indigenousaction.org/protect-holy-mt-taylor

The group decided to protest the local headquarters of the joint CA/JP mining company in Santa Fe on Tuesday June 25th, followed by a commemoration by the Free Leonard Peltier movement and a round dance with Idle No More Grants, NM at the Santa Fe plaza. Details to follow. Four press journalists covered the event, including the Navajo Times & New Mexico In Depth.

Pam Gilchrist, one of the LANL 6, talks with people outside the courthouse following the trial on Jan. 9th.

The trial began a bit after 9am, with about 75 people in attendance. Aside from the attendant press (which is immune from having opinions) all the audience was supportive. Since the courtroom audience is capped at 53 people, people rotated in and out so all who wanted to watch were able. After the prosecution’s witness & arrest video were shown there was a recess, which was followed by the very powerful & moving testimonies of the LANL 6, as well as Jeff Haas’s strong closing statement.

The trespassing charge was dropped, since the police never told any anyone they were trespassing, or that LANL had withdrawn permission to be on (what they never exactly established as) lab property. The traffic obstruction & refusing to obey a lawful order charges stood however, though as one of the 6 noted: the militia [Los Alamos PD & private security contractors] was doing a much better job of blocking the road than the protesters.

All 6 were found guilty of those two charges, and sentenced to 1 year unsupervised probation and fined $200/per radical. Occupy NM is reporting that those fines are in addition to $140/each in fees. (Clarification)
For those keeping track at home, that is $2,040.

Needless to say, the judge’s sentences against the LANL 6 are excessive & unjust. The six have a while before the payment/sentence is in effect though, and in the meanwhile they & counsel are reviewing their options to fight it.

More at @unoccupyabq & @0ccupyNewMexico

Article previously stated a total cost of 3k+ to the court due to an inaccurate reading of reports. Corrected, thanks.

January 9th 2013 – 9:00 AM
Los Alamos Municipal Courthouse
2500 Trinity Dr. Los Alamos, NM

Six activists will stand trial on January 9th at 9 AM in the Los Alamos Municipal Court. They face three changes each as part of their rush-hour blockade of LANL’s entrance on the morning of August 6th, 2012, the 67th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima: a crime which killed over 150,000 people, with a weapon born in Los Alamos.

In response to their civil disobedience, Dr. Catherine Euler, Pamela Gilchrist, Cathie Sullivan, Barbara Grothus, Janet Greenwald, and Summer Abbott were all arrested and charged with Trespass, Disobeying a Police Officer, and Obstructing Movement, which carry penalties of up to 179 days in prison and $1,500 in fines. The six have stated they will not pay fines which support the military-industrial complex. If imprisoned, a number of them also plan to hunger strike while behind bars.

This comes even as LANL continues making plutonium pits for more nuclear bombs, in violation of international law and fundamental morality. The lab’s actions further nuclear warfare, and continue to leach radioactive toxins into the land & water of indigenous peoples and all New Mexicans.

Furthermore, presiding Judge Alan Kirk was formerly Chief of the Los Alamos Police Department, and has personal relationships with some of the testifying officers. Despite this obvious conflict of interest, the LANL 6′s requests to have Judge Kirk replaced, or even for a jury trial, have been refused.

The August 6th LANL actions were organized by (un)Occupy Albuquerque and Nuke Free Now, an offshoot of Occupy Santa Fe committed to sustainable, nuclear-free communities.

From Nuke Free Now in Santa Fe:

On August 6th 2012, the 67th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, six courageous and dedicated activists were arrested as part of the protests outside Los Alamos National Laboratory. As a result of their entirely peaceful protest, Dr. Catherine Euler, Pamela Gilchrist, Cathie Sullivan, Barbara Grothus, Janet Greenwald, and Summer Abbott are charged with Trespass, Disobeying a Police Officer, and Obstructing Movement, and if found guilty face up to 6 months in jail and fines of up to $500 each.

Their trial takes place at Los Alamos Municipal Court on January 9th at 9am. The protestors and their legal team are asking as many people as possible for their presence in Los Alamos on January 9th in order to show the mass of public support for their actions of civil disobedience, committed in the face of the much greater crimes perpetrated by LANL – namely the productions of weapons of mass destruction and thereby endangering global security.

This is an opportunity for all of us to engage in transforming the nuclear narrative and to help bring about a more peaceful and sustainable society. We all have a part to play. Simply by giving your time and physical presence on January 9th, you will bring support to the six activists and greater momentum to the nuke-free movement. Only when enough of us are willing to give our time and energy to this work, will we succeed in bringing about the necessary transformation.

On January 6th there will be a fundraiser for the activists’ legal fees. Including speakers, music and food, the event is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Peace and Justice Committee and Nuke Free Now. The event will take place from 2.30pm to 4.30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 107 West Barcelona Street, Santa Fe. Donations may be sent to Nuke Free Now at PO Box 9449, Santa Fe, NM 87504, or online by clicking the ‘Donate’ button here: nukefreenow.org. Checks should be made payable to VFP Santa Fe – Nuke Free Now and note LANL 6 Defense Fund in the memo line. If you donate online, please specify Nuke Free Now – LANL 6 Defense Fund in the Designation box.

Finally, Nuke Free Now are planning for 2013. Following the success of our work in 2012, we believe that Nuke Free Now has a vital and unique role to play in the New Mexican community. Until now all of our work has been done on a completely volunteer basis. Clearly, this is not sustainable, and so, as lead organizers, we (Michelle Victoria and Thomas Jaggers) have created a vision, a plan, and a budget for a funded and sustainable Nuke Free Now. We are now reaching out to our supporters in the hope of securing a small amount of seed funding that will allow us to continue with the immediate work in the community and to pursue further funding over the next 6 months. We are already working in support of a global hunger strike, led by Hungry for Peace, and plan to create another weekend of events in August 2013.

If you would like to help further our work, you can donate online at nukefreenow.org. And, if you would like more information, we would be very happy to present our ideas and plans to you. We hope that you will see both the importance of our work and the opportunity we must take, and be moved to support us in these vital, early days.

With many thanks,
Michelle Victoria and Thomas Jaggers

nukefreenow.org

Poster: Melanie Cervantes

On Black Friday there were over 1,000 protests across the US, and hundreds of employees walking-out, all in support of Walmart workers striking for fair wages and good working conditions. OccupyWallSt.org has a good overview of the struggle, with follow-up. OUR Walmart‘s site is also a good resource.

There’s a photo essay of the Carlisle protest at La Jicarita, text & video at El Grito, and our compatriots over at OccupyNewMexico.org just posted a roundup of the actions around the state, including the early-morning employee walkout in Clovis, and our demonstration with UFCW Local #1564 and many others. In addition to the coverage from Univison, KOB & KRQE TV and an earlier brief on KUNM FM, a longer KUNM piece on the strike should be broadcast soon.

We will fight for free education for all.
Will you?

It was hung five stories up a bit after 3pm, asking a simple question as people began exiting the coronation at Popejoy Hall.
It was up for over an hour before we took it home to await more excitement.
(Also, we didn’t want to make more hassle for the UNM facilities staff, who despite UNM’s annual tuition hikes haven’t received a raise in 5 years.)

King Frank, chosen by the regents who are chosen by the governor (note the absence of students from that process) has clearly stated his plans for an even more corporate & exclusionary university. He’s said he’ll “run the university like a CEO” and despite being Kent State’s provost, still can’t even commit to non-violently responding to non-violent protest.

Instead, he’s backed the Regents’ plans for a $52 million rec. center, whose construction would raise student fees by hundreds of dollars a year for the next 30 years. His talk of greater “prestige” by attracting international & out-of-state students is really just code for pricing local students out of their own school.

We can imagine something better, and we’re going to create it.

Fort McMurray, Alberta / Kris Krüg / CC-NC-SA

PDF Flyer version here.

The Keystone XL pipeline is TransCanada Corp.’s
expansion to the Keystone 1, to bring Alberta Tar
Sands crude to the Texas coast for export.

Tar sands oil is filthy, using 2 tons of tar sand and 2-5
barrels of water for a single barrel of oil. That water is put into massive waste lakes, where the toxic water leaches into the environment at over 3 million gallons a day. Simply
producing the tar sands oil makes over 3x the greenhouse gases of
typical crude.

We’re already seeing climate chaos in droughts, super-storms, and more.
The Keystone XL’s flood of tar sands oil would make it worse. A lot worse.

TransCanada, Syncrude, & co. violate tribal sovereignty, illegally
poisoning the land & water of First Nations in Canada & the
US, and aim to bulldoze right through sacred sites.

TransCanada claimed Keystone 1 would have 1 spill
every 7 years. Instead, it had 12 in its first year. All
pipelines spill, and Keystone XL will run over the
Oglala Aquifer, which gives water to farmers in the
Midwest and in New Mexico too. Contaminating it
would be a disaster, and the Keystone is built to spill.

The pipeline wouldn’t even lower unemployment or gas
prices. The oil would go overseas, raising prices here,
and killing more jobs than the 3k low-wage temp jobs
it would make.

✱✱✱

A far better path is more efficiency and a real switch to
clean, renewable energy. This is safer, creates fair
jobs, addresses climate chaos, and respects people &
the earth. But it won’t happen without fighting the 1%
who get rich by ruining the earth for the rest of us.

Come to a General Assembly, and build your world.

Info: tarsandsblockade.org // dirtyoilsands.org

Saturday September 29th

Action: Say No to War & Corporate Greed!

Noon – Central at Tulane

#### **Anniversary Assemblage: A Year of Resistance!**
4:30pm – 9pm? – [Yale Park (Central at Yale)](http://goo.gl/maps/Hl5Zx)
[Facebook event page](https://facebook.com/events/150399835103893)

**How to help:**

* Contact us at , or check the [planning doc](https://pad.riseup.net/p/uOABQ-bday).
* Spread the word. [These flyers might be handy](http://unoccupyabq.org/flyers).
* If you have photos of actions from this past year, please send them to for inclusion in the slideshow.

—-

Occupy Wall Street’s birthday was on the 17th, and they had a lively celebration, with a whole host of actions in the Financial District and around the city. OWS’s birthplace, Zuccotti Park, was packed with people (and heavily “protected” by NYPD) requiring the press to dredge up their “OWS is dead. Move along, nothing to see here.” articles since, y’know, everything’s been fixed now.

But since the fixes haven’t trickled down yet, we’ve been keeping busy, and I’m sure you have too. So in celebration of our birthday (Oct. 1st) we’ll be having an anniversary assemblage at Yale Park, this Saturday the 29th, from around 4:30pm onward, and an action around midday.

At Noon, on Central at Tulane, our allies & us will be demonstrating against warmongering and corporate greed, two systems made to enrich the 1% with the blood of the 99%. We hope to see you there.

Later, in the park, we’ll have great music & food (including birthday cake!), *lovely* awards for our favorite 1%-ers and their tools, (brief!) speakers from the community, deep discussions, photos, sign & tiny tent making, and even a piñata; all centered around what the past year of resistance has looked like for you and us, and how we’ll carry that forward into the next year.

(Ok, maybe the cake & piñata aren’t *totally* on theme, but we like cake & candy, don’t you?)

If your group wishes to be on the speakers schedule, to speak briefly about what you year of resistance has been, and what your next year will be, RSVP to and we’ll do our best to fit you in
(There will be plenty of free time for discussion, scheming and more, so everyone can make their voice heard, even of they’re not on the schedule.)

Announcements:

Sat Sept 8th, 2pm Demetria Martinez will read from her book at the National Hispanic Cultural Center: Wells Fargo theater.

Wed Sept 12th, 5-8pm the coalition that
brought the Mexican Caravan for Peace will have a follow-up with a vigil at UNM, Yale Park.

Tue Sept 18th, 11am Wind Euler, arrested at the LANL action this
summer, will have a hearing at the Los Alamos courthouse. Please attend and show support.

Thurs Oct 11th will be an event to honor
social justice educators at VSA North 4th. Asking for nominations.

Santosh is working with the UNM GPSA to gather support for the Chicago Teachers Union.

Teach-in on Corporate Takeover of Education,

CTU struggle, etc.

We decided to move the teach-in from this Sunday’s GA to the
following Sunday, Sept 16th at 1:30pm in Yale Park, so that Carletta, a local
expert on the topic, can speak. Bill Bradley will also speak. Elaine Romero has
sent info about what is happening in Chicago from a Chicago Teachers Union activist; the looming
strike in Chicago by the CTU has brought this issue to the national forefront. Sayrah
suggested we invite a rep from ABQ Teacher Federation, as they were tabling for
the CTU on Labor Day and are on the front-lines of the struggle to stop the
corporatization of education. Maria would also like Families for a Fair
Education to speak about their battle with APS. Sayrah cautioned that we frame
the event so that teachers do not once again feel attacked or blamed for
problems in APS, noting that this has happened in past discussions with teachers’
unions when parents don’t like things in the school system. We agreed to frame
the discussion around the corporate takeover of education.

The purpose of the teach-in is to educate ourselves so we can be strong advocates. We want to be sure to include in the teach-in next steps for actions that show solidarity.

We agreed we want to promote the teach-in so that there is a good size crowd especially if we invite AFT and/or teachers to speak. Aztatl asked that we write up something that can be
forwarded to list-serves and Sayrah offered to write up a basic description
based on today’s GA notes. Maybe Tina can be asked to make a flyer?

Report-backs on recent actions

National Security Studies Program Symposium at UNM

Summer, Sienna and Sean have protested the convention and have asked questions in sessions. Summer noted that their protest could have impacted the presentations. For example, he held a sign
saying “NATO Kills” and the speaker referenced it. Protestors welcome to come
for the 2nd day (Friday) at SUB Ballroom A. (un)Occupy participants
will try to be there at 10am and again at 3:30pm.

Vets for Peace Action for Bradley Manning

Sienna, Sayrah and Joel protested the Obama Headquarters along with 12 others from Veterans for Peace. The Obama folks were stunned. We filled the lobby and delivered petitions demanding
Bradley’s release. Sayrah filmed it despite being told to stop filming. Sharon
said Quote/Unquote might be interested in showing it. Photos are posted on facebook
and also on the national Bradley Manning Day of Action. The action could have
been improved if we had determined what we wanted to say when we went into the
office since we had such a captive audience.

ANSWER protest against Pat Rogers’ anti-Native statements

Friday 26 people protested in front of his law firm, and changed the tone
to “you did the right thing” to the law firm upon hearing he was forced to
resign. Ch. 4 & Ch 13 covered the protest. The Alibi also covered the
protest ahead of time, encouraging people to protest. ANSWER flyered downtown,
Barelas, Highland High School, and Isleta Pueblo. One protestor said to the
news: “Gov. Martinez is not the person to accept his apology. It is the tribes
that he slandered who should decide if they accept his apology.”

Pine Ridge Action – Lakota

Amalia talked about her experience in Pine Ridge recently. She witnessed a 10 year old being maced in the face by police. Shesaid it was revolutionary to see white folks but their bodies on the line and
Lakota women lead the actions and make the decisions. A cattle trailer was used
to round up protestors. The struggle is very powerful.

Plans for (Un)Occupy ABQ’s 1st Anniversary

Saturday Sept 29th from 4:30pm-8pm we will gather in Yale Park for food, music, speakers, and film.

Speakers: A great list of organizations we have partnered with in the past year has been created and we’d like to get speakers from those groups to share what their year of resistance has looked like.
Maria will type up the list and put it on facebook and ask everyone to contact at least one group to get a speaker. Speeches would be between 5-6pm and be
only a few minutes.

Emcee: we want to have 2 emcees share the role with gender balance. Maria is willing. We can ask Enrique, Demetria, and/or Jessica as well.

Sound system: Kenneth has one; Bob A. has one; Quote/Unquote might.

Food: Sharon offered to contact Trinity Catholic Worker. We expect about 50 people. Potluck.

Film: Loren suggested we show “Skins” but we thought that might be fun for another night. Sayrah is working on putting together photos of the 100+ actions over the last year but needs people to send her photos. She will put together a powerpoint. Sharon offered to check if Quote/Unquote can loan a projector to show the photos on the wall near Yale Park.

Tabling: Santhosh can print materials from our website. Should we offer tabling to groups invited to speak?

Permit: We agreed after a few GAs that we wanted a permit and hope SOAP can get it from 4pm-10pm.

Protest: Do we want to protest or do an action earlier in the day? Friends of Sabeel is having a conference nearby and that is why our event starts at 4:30pm at the end of their conference day. Protests still occur from 12-1pm in Nob Hill against Israeli occupation. Sayrah suggested a protest against war profiteering with the groups protesting that day.

Next General Assembly: Sunday Sept 9th, 1:30pm, Yale Park.
Continue plans for anniversary fiesta and planning Teach-in on Corporate Takeover of Education.

Aug. 10 – Members of (un)Occupy Albuquerque will be joining Pamela Lipper
at her house this Saturday, Aug. 11, for a barbecue and campout to resist
an impending property seizure.

Ms. Lipper’s house is located at 600 Veranda NW, which is one block North
of Candelaria and two blocks West of 4th Street. She will also be holding
a press conference at 11 am.

The barbecue will begin at 8.30 am and neighbors as well as community
members will be invited to join the event. Some members plan on camping
out there overnight.

Ms. Lipper received her first three-day eviction notice from Leverick and
Musselman by mail on Saturday, Aug. 4, and her second notice yesterday
(Aug. 9) . She said Countrywide had bought her contract from First Magnus
Financial Corp. in 2007. “Shortly after that, my job ended… I tried to
renegotiate with Countrywide. They negotiated an agreement to bring the
account current and I met the deadline and payment amount, but Countrywide
refused to keep their part of the agreement,” Lipper said and added that as
a result, her account went into foreclosure.

There is a matter of questionable validity of the contract, the issue of
Countrywide’s standing to bring foreclosure, and many other matters
unresolved and proven. Ms. Lipper said she had conveyed to Leverick and
Musselman that it was in violation of the bankruptcy court order and
judicial court ruling. “(Leverick & Musselman) has not shown that they are
party to the case, have the power of attorney to evict me and there is also
no affidavit of fact to support that. They have also ignored my notice and
response to their three-day eviction notice,” she said.

Ms. Lipper is filing a Notice of Appeal today in response to her motion to
dismiss the case. “If that does not stop them, then we will protest and
rally beginning Saturday,” she added.