Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Palestine

Artists from various parts of the world collaborated to make this song in solidarity with Palestine (see YouTube video below). Today, in Barcelona, a group of activists will try to deliver a letter to president-elect Obama at the US consulate. This action will be followed by a larger demonstration in the Plaça Sant Jaume.

That's all the news for now... Oh ps, we are trying to write up a little story about Clear Channel (the radio behemoth) for the Barcelona audience since the city's bike-sharing program, Bicing, is apparently owned by Clear Channel's international division. If anyone has any good contacts, please let me know. Thanks!

Also, don't forget to check out some of my new photos, from Palestine rallies to Barcelona's okupa movement.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Stop State Violence... From Greece and Gaza to Colombia and California


I'm shaking right now. Everything is too much. Twenty-two year old Oscar Grant is going to be buried today. The .40 caliber hole that Oakland's bravest left in his back will be cleaned, dressed, unnoticeable. When my grandma died, the morticians told us that it's difficult to recreate the smile on the deceased; something about their muscles pulling downwards. I wonder what Oscar's face will reveal.

"No, no! Use the Taser, not the gun! Anything but the gun! Please, I'm still young."

(San Francisco Chronicle, listen up: When the police kill a person of color, it's never a mistake.)

I also wonder if those three young children whose tears and blood and confusion were put on display - "live from Gaza" - have died from their wounds, like so many will. Yesterday, España celebrated the Three Kings Day, the Epiphany, or the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus. As cluster bombs tore tiny hands off hundreds of little baby Jesus', Spanish economists worried that the sales of smaller roscones (the traditional ringed sweet bread baked with a little bean inside) was a strong indication of a weak economy.

"We are Palestinians, men, women and infants. We resist. We are Oscar Grant, too."

President Uribe will receive the Medal of Freedom from George Bush, along with Howard of Australia and Blair of England, for his defense of liberty by way of a generous use of American-made bullets. On December 28th, in the F.C. Barcelona soccer stadium, a group of activists unfurled banners during the Catalonian-Colombian soccer match. Between cries of "Hay que darle plátano pa' que coja fuerza, no joda!" and Catalonian independence flags, private security guards fought with the activists to pull down the banner. Freedom of expression was squashed, much like Colombia's plátano-deprived soccer team. (See article, photos).



Que no olvidemos. Que la lucha coja fuerza en el 2009, no joda. We are many, and let's be angry. If you have doubts about rioting, remember this: "Motherf--k a window. Radio Raheem is dead."

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Planes and Cava: Bad Mix for New Year

Barcelona - January 1st, 2009.

The following is a snippet of a note written from one smart, wise cousin to his equally smart(-ass), wise(-cracking) cousins.

"Happy New Year! Hope you all had a good time... were you all together? Must have been fun. So I'll cut right to the chase, since you are all dying to know what your really smart cousin wants to let you know.

"Do you know what happens when you stay up all night on New Year's Eve, get really drunk on cava, and have to catch a flight to Italy at 6 in the morning? You end up in the airport, really drunk and really tired, fall asleep at the gate, and wake up 5 minutes after your plane has taken off.

"So take it from your wise, hungover cousin... don't waste money and feel like a complete idiot. In other words - don't do what I did!

"So here I sit, once again in Barcelona, looking like a complete jackass, instead of seeing the mountainous north of Italy, having to pick up used beer cans and olive seeds.

"Happy New Year! Love, Mico*"

*Names have been changed to protect identities.