October 12: World wide Protests

Autor(a): INDYMEDIA CHIAPAS Fecha: 8:44am Lunes 14 Octobre 2002
http://chiapas.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=103470

AS BUSH PREPARES TO ATTACK IRAQ TO PROTECT CORPORATE INTETESTS, HEMISPHERE-WIDE DEMONSTRATIONS PROTEST CORPORATE GLOBALIZATION IN THE AMERICAS. THOUSANDS OF ORGANIZATIONS FROM CANADA TO CHILE RISE UP FOR INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND AGAINST FREE TRADE

Saturday, 12 October--Over twenty U.S. cities held protests today on the 510th anniversary of the first invasion of the Americas by Christopher Columbus. These actions, called for by the Latin American Solidarity Coalition (LASC) and the American Indian Movement (AIM), occurred in solidarity with simultaneous demonstrations from Mexico to Panama.

Thousands of indigenous activists, community organizations and supporters from Canada to Chile, demanded basic human rights for all native peoples and an end to free trade agreements like the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and corporate interests that exploit native communities and their lands. They also called for an end to the militarization that accompanies free trade. Some of these actions are still in progress.

Protests from Mexico to Panama called for the total rejection of the Plan Puebla Panama (PPP) and the FTAA. Solidarity statements were read at protests in the U.S., Mexico and Central America.

Demonstrators blocked roads, borders, ports and bridges in some areas while others held marches, cultural celebrations, rallies, and other direct actions.

Brief Highlights:

Other demonstrations happened today in New York City, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Burlington, VT and Columbus, OH among other cities.

LASC and AIM called for the actions in the U.S. today to focus on the institutions of U.S. government and corporate colonization, demanding: *No to the Free Trade Area of the Americas *No to Plan Colombia/Andean Initiative *Close the School of the Americas (WHISC) *Close US military bases in Vieques and throughout Latin America *End the Drug War's assault on people of color and the poor *Free Leonard Peltier and all indigenous political prisoners *Respect indigenous treaty, land, and cultural rights *Bring to justice those responsible for the genocide in Guatemala.

For updates or to reach local organizers in cities from Panama to Canada please contact ACERCA (Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America) at 802-863-0571 or 202-285-5977. For more information and to see a list of U.S. based actions visit www.lasolidarity.org and www.aimovement.org.

ACERCA
Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America
Acción para La Comunidad y La Ecología en Las Regiones de
Centroamericana
POB 57
Burlington, VT 05402
(802) 863-0571
(802) 864-8203 Fax
www.acerca.org

ACERCA is a project of the Action for Social and Ecological Justice
(ASEJ) collective. www.asej.org


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