PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Earlier this month, ACORN (The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) protested the practices of the tax preparation company Liberty Tax. ACORN members charged the tax preparer with taking hundreds of millions of dollars from low-income communities through their "Refund Anticipation Loans".

The Allegheny County chapter of ACORN reports that their protest at the Liberty Tax office in the Bellevue suburb of Pittsburgh was a success. Protesters briefly occupied the store, chanting "Liberty Tax Charges a Fee- ACORN Will Do it for Free". The action ended with no arrests and one citation.

ACORN has been campaigning against the practices of tax preparation companies for over a year. In January, the group reached an agreement with the largest tax-preparer, H&R Block to eliminate some administrative fees, improve disclosures, and offer customers the lowest cost option first. ACORN is currently in negotiations with Jackson Hewitt, the second largest tax-preparer.

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On Wednesday, January 26, Bill Parks, an agent with the Pittsburgh Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) visited the home of an intern and a staff member of the Thomas Merton Center.

An anoymous contributor notes that the FBI has also been interviewing local Muslim activists recently and asking questions related to potential divisions in the activist community, particularly on race lines.

If you are contacted by the FBI: you are advised to refuse to speak with them and ask them to contact your lawyer. In general there is no requirement that you answer their questions, but saying anything false, even if it is unrelated to an investigation, could be a federal crime.

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Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's review of news from the grassroots, is pleased to announce a weekly schedule for Spring 2005. Previously a bi-weekly program, Rustbelt is expanding to a weekly broadcast on a new day. Every Monday from 6-7pm the show will air live on WRCT 88.3FM in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Rustbelt Radio is also excited to announce that starting this year the show will be aired by a second radio station, WVJW-Benwood 94.1FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia metropolitan area. It will air every Saturday from 5-6pm.

Today's show will feature coverage of the Steelers Fan Against the War protests, the January 20th Inauguration protests, Martin Luther King, Jr Day-related events in Pittsburgh as well as a special feature about converting diesel automobiles to run on vegetable oil.

More information and show archives: radio.indypgh.org

On Saturday, January 15, 2005, Black Voices for Peace (BVFP), an African American anti-war organization, and Black Radical Congress (BRC), a progressive Black activist organization held a special anti-war protest to expose the negative effects of the War against Iraq on the African American community. The protest, which commemorated Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featured a range of speakers including local African American leaders and members of the Pittsburgh peace community.

[ photos | audio ]

On Monday, January 17, People Against Police Violence held an awards ceremony on the Martin Luther King, Jr's holiday.  Also, an annual anti-war event was held at Carnegie Mellon University and following that was an anti-war concert at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern.

[ PAPV MLK Tribute photos and audio |  CMU Anti-War Speakout audio |  Concert for Peace audio ]

Steelers Fans Against War brought a light-hearted anti-war message to Saturday's Steelers game, with "war is terrible towels," a marching band, and creative chants. Etta Cetera gave us the play-by-play: while the US rains bombs down on Iraq, Saddam Hussein is already out of the game. Meanwhile, the Al Qaeda is on a different team. The weapons of mass destruction were never found. Where were they? Back over in the United States.

[ Photos ] [ Video ] [ Press Release ] [ Pittsburgh Steelers ]