Inside the Belly of the Beltway Beast

The monks began the latest protests in Myanmar last week, and today the UN special envoy has met with Nobel Prize winner and opposition leader Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years. The thirst for democracy in this small nation is overwhelming, and the brutal repression they have suffered under an illegitimate military junta has been horrifying. It appears the brutal regime has gained the uppoer hand over the last two days, but there's still some hope. It is my hope that the people of good conscience in this world will never lose sight of their brothers and sisters in Myanmar. None of us are truly free -- until all of us are free. Below is a story from today on the situation in Myanmar.

E-Mail I sent out to a bunch of organizers today... October 6th is being called as an international day of solidarity with the people's resistance in Myanmar. The Washington Peace Center is initiating a march from Mt. Vernon Square at 12 noon on Saturday, the 6th, as the Green Festival is taking place. We will march directly up Massachusetts Avenue, we will pause momentarily to honor the spirit of the nonviolent revolutionary Mahatma Gandhi at his statue at 21st and Mass Ave., NW before continuing onto the Myanmar Embassy at 2300 S Street, NW. At Gandhi's statue, we would like to invite nonviolent resisters and representatives of the Myanmar people to speak briefly. We will vigil at the Embassy for a couple hours, where we will read Buddhist chants in solidarity with the monks being slaughtered by their government and read accounts of the people's uprising from a few different blogs. If your group would like to participate, please contact me at 571-271-1313; or WPC coordina...

I suspect the numbers of dead are higher, but the British media has done a better job covering this than the U.S. The Burmese people have suffered long enough under this repressive regime. It is my sincere hope that the progressive community rally in support for democracy and human rights! A starting point might a be an ongoing vigil at the Embassy here in town; 2300 S Street, NW. Nine dead after troops fire into crowds of democracy protesters · Mayhem as crackdown gathers pace on 10th day of protests · Civilians take to streets after hundreds of monks arrested Ian MacKinnon, South-East Asia correspondent Friday September 28, 2007 Guardian Burmese troops and riot police battled to put an end to the 10th consecutive day of protests against the country's military dictatorship that has maintained an iron grip on power for 45 years, firing automatic weapons into crowds of pro-democracy demonstrators in Rangoon after they flouted warnings to clear the streets or face "extreme actio...

Here's a pic from the outside die-in.. And here's one from the inside die-in...

For the last couple months I knew it was coming, but now the wonderful anti-war nonviolent direct action INSIDE the Capitol Building has come and gone, I will be suspending my organizing activities with the peace and justice movement for two years while I am in grad school. I am studying Library and Info. Sciences at CUA, and following my completion I will need a few months starting my new career before I return to organizing. Sadly, I think the U.S. military occupation of the nation of Iraq will still be continuing, and we may also be engaged in a war with Iran at that point. So there will be a lot to organize around. Furthermore, D.C. will still not have a vote in Congress and our government will be spending more on military expenditures than health care and housing. So, there will be a lot of work for an anarchist archivist/librarian to help organize and support. The action yesterday inside the Capitol Building resulted in 36 people arrested. This was a joint nonviolent direct actio...

Probably the best speech of the day. Clearly, the most energetic. Last Monday, the Rev. was attacked and arrested by police for trying to enter a public hearing on Capitol Hill.

Today ANSWER, working with Iraq Veterans Against the War, had a two and a half hour anti-war rally at Lafayette Park, followed by a march and civil disobedience at the foot of the Capitol building. The energy of the crowd was great, and it was a diverse crowd, both generationally and ethnically. It was also rather big, about 200,000 -- about half the size of UFPJ's rally and march at the end of January, but ANSWER pulled this off with only two month's lead time. So organizationally it was perfectly promoted. However, the rally was far too long; about two and a half hours before even starting the march. A few of the speakers were really good (some weren't), but the sound system was lousy. If you have a couple HUNDRED THOUSAND people show up, you probably shouldn't be using a sound system only good for about a crowd of 5,000. And while I enjoyed the march, the civil disobedience at the foot of the Capitol Building was poorly organized and executed. There should have been ...

This is American democracy in action. My friend, Rev. Yearwood, was jumped by these six power-tripping Capitol Hill Police officers. He was wearing a button which read "I love the people of Iraq." I have seen the video a couple of times, and while it is disturbing it will be useful in court. If it was me, I'd probably pursue a civil case for damages. Rev. in hospital after anti-war arrest Published: Sept. 12, 2007 at 11:28 AM WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- An anti-war minister and U.S. Air Force veteran was treated in hospital after his arrest by Capitol Hill police outside this week’s Iraq congressional hearings. The Rev. Lennox Yearwood, president of the Washington-based Hip-Hop Caucus, was charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting a police officer after being denied entry to a House hearing room in which Gen. David Petraeus was giving evidence Monday, Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider told United Press International. But a video of his arrest, post...

U.S. Senator Craig from Idaho has resigned. There is something revealing about the way the Republicans pounced on Larry Craig. It's OK if you are caught with a prostitute, or probably even groping a female staff member -- but if you are not of the straight variety watch out! It is sad, in a way, that Larry Craig lived with such shame and self-denial, but yet he was still hypocritical and hateful. The sad part, was a significant portion of that was self-hate. Here's one of the latest articles BREAKING NEWS: Idaho's Sen. Craig resigns over scandal By Andrew Malcom, L.A. Times Idaho's Republican Sen. Larry Craig bowed to the inevitable pressure of his political party today and officially announced his retirement from the U.S. Senate effective Sept. 30. In an emotional news conference in Boise, standing next to his wife, Suzanne, and two of their three children, the 62-year-old Craig, who was arrested on suspicion of lewd behavior in a Minneapolis airport men's room in ...