55 Minutes, in Ogg and MP3 Formats (below)
# A report from the Forum on Dissent since 9/11 in Miami
# a wrap-up of TASER related deaths, injuries and news.
# and our weekly featured grassroots organization, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.
Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media. The show airs every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. And we're also available on the internet, both on W-R-C-T's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and archived at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
On today's show...
A report from the Forum on Dissent since 9/11 in Miami
a wrap-up of TASER related deaths, injuries and news.
and our weekly featured grassroots organization, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.
but first, these headlines.
Headlines
Local News
[:30] Pitt Student Group Urges Chancellor to Join the WRC
Students at the University of Pittsburgh stepped up their campaign to convince the school to join a labor-monitoring group last week, announcing a call-in campaign and several events to put more pressure on the administration.
Students in Solidarity, a progressive labor advocacy group at the University of Pittsburgh, has called on Chancellor Nordenberg to sign the school up to be a member of the Workers' Rights Consortium and adopt a code of conduct that would prevent university-branded apparel from being made in sweatshops.
The Workers Rights Consortium, or W-R-C is an independent labor monitoring group composed of labor experts, students, colleges and universities that helps ensure that the clothing sold in University clothing stores is not made in sweatshops. More than 100 schools are members of the W-R-C. In Pittsburgh, both Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University are members.
On Thursday March 31, Students in Solidarity will host an Anti-Sweatshop Dance-a-thon on the patio between the Panther Central lobby and the Walk Bridge at 11:45 AM. Call 412-648-4104 for more information.
[:30] Haiti Solidarity Group Drops Sky Bank
The Haiti Solidarity Group announced last Friday that it would become the third large local organization to drop its account at Sky Bank. Sky Bank became the center of a boycott campaign after its involvement with the firing of nine janitors at Centre City Towers. The janitors were fired after a successful negotiation to win health insurance as part of their new contract. Some of the janitors had been working for more than 20 years in the same building.
Almost 300 Pittsburgh residents have also closed their accounts at Sky Bank, and hundreds more have signed a petition condemning the bank's actions. A campaign organized by the Thomas Merton Center has held dozens of pickets of local Sky Bank branches over the last 22 weeks.
[1:55] Cleveland
On Friday, March 18, about 20 picketers from the Cleveland Area American Postal Workers' Union protested cuts in cafeteria and medical services outside the Cleveland Postal Services Administration Offices.
Patrick of Cleveland Indymedia spoke to Roland Carter, executive vice-president of the Postal Workers' Union there.
For more on all of our local news stories, visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G.
[ optional music break ]
Global News
Intro
You are listening to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to headlines from Independent Media Centers around the world.
[1:15] Georgetown Students End Hunger Strike
Georgetown University students ended their 9-day hunger strike after university officials agreed to an immediate wage and benefit increase for school employees. Ingrid Drake reports from the D.C. Radio Coop.
[ FSRN/DC Co-op Clip georgetown_strike.ogg 1:06 ]
[2:20] Haiti
One month ago the Haitian National Police opened fire on several thousand unarmed demonstrators in Bel Air, killing five and wounding dozens. Brazilian troops, part of the United Nations MINUSTAH mission in Haiti, witnessed the incident and did not intervene at the time.
That was not the first time that the UN witnessed extrajudicial executions by the Haitian National Police without intervening. In fact they have been directly involved in training the police so they are not merely casual observers. They also shoulder a heavy burden of responsibility for the widespread police violence since the overthrow of the democratically elected Aristide government.
But some within the UN are becoming uncomfortable with their role of backing up and supporting human rights abuses. The day after the police opened fire on unarmed demonstrators UN special envoy Juan Gabriel Valdes denounced the police actions and said that if that happens again the UN will intervene "with force if necessary", a statement that angered Justice Minister Bernard Gousse who hastened to remind the UN that their mandate requires them to support the police.
Another high ranking UN official said [quote] We're treading a very fine line and getting pushed by both sides. There is a limit to the leverage we have on this government. Some very powerful countries want the police to stay just as it is. Other countries do not agree. ... We cannot come out and publicly denounce this government. We don't want to jeopardize this mission, because if we left, then this country would really go to hell."
Although the UN has not publicly denounced the Latortue government they have made some tactical changes in the past few weeks. The UN barred the police from attending several demonstrations on March 4 and March 8 and on both days over 10,000 people demonstrated without incident. On Friday March 17, thousands of people gathered for funeral services at Parc Lape (peace) with MINUSTAH in sight. Then for the first time in months, the people were able to march by the Justice Department, the National Palace, to the cemetery back and forth without being harassed or killed.
The peaceful nature of these demonstrations clearly supports the position of many human rights groups that the escalating violence of the past few months was a symptom of police brutality and impunity and UN inaction, and not gang violence on the part of Aristide supporters as portrayed by most media outlets.
[2:00] Thai Refugee
The Thai government is sticking by a March 31 deadline to relocate all urban-based refugees from Burma who have Person of Concern (POC) status from UNHCR. This is despite an obvious lack of resources to house the estimated 2000 refugees, and an inability to ensure their security. While the majority are being relocated to refugee camps on the Thai Burma border, refugees who will be resettled to third countries in April are being forced to go to Bangkok’s Special Detention Centre. Children will also be detained there.
Refugees who do not comply can face arrests, deportation and lose their chances of resettlement and all protection provided by UNHCR. This policy has drawn widespread anger from refugees and activist and human rights groups.
The Thai government is also trying to silence refugees by banning communication and restricting freedom of movement. According to the UNHCR announcement, refugees “will not be allowed to go freely in and out of the camp”. The government also announced that anyone bringing mobile phones into camp would have them confiscated. Previously, two refugees in Tham Hin were reportedly fined and had their phones taken for trying to communicate with people outside.
Ma Myint Myint, a human rights activist from Burma, says “the right to obtain information is a basic human right. Now refugees outside can’t even ask information about what the living conditions are in the camp so they can prepare for when they go”.
This policy is expected to further silence Burmese activists who work from Thailand. According to Nai Rot, a New Mon State Party member going to Nu Poh, “the Thai government is joining hands with the SPDC to take out the resources of the [democracy] movement”. One activist from a Burmese political group says the Thai government’s unofficial policy is to undermine opposition groups. “This is short-sighted and will harm future relations. These refugees will eventually resettle, get an education abroad and later return to their country. They will have influence in a future democratic Burma and remember how the Thai government treated them”.
For more inforamtion about refugee interview issues on the Thai Burma border you can listen to RustBelt? radio's interview with Suzie Bono which aired on December 14th and is archived at radio.indypgh.org
[3:00] Proposed Bill to Ban Providing Birth Control at University of Wisconsin (3:00)
Last week students as the University of Wisconsin are on Spring Break and if one State Representative has his way, it will be the last Spring Break the students will have access to the "Morning After" Pill, also known as emergency contraception. Wisconsin Representative Daniel Lemahiew has authorized a bill that would prohibit the University of Wisconsin health officials from providing the prescription. Brian Garcia of Free Speech Radio News has the story.
[ FSRN clip - 2:34 ]
[2:00] NYC Critical Mass under attack
Earlier in the Season we interviewed Bill DiPaola? of the NY environmental Grassroots Organization Times Up! about the criminilization of bike riding in New York City. Last week the city of New York filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent TIME'S UP! from promoting or advertising events that the city alleges to be illegal. The lawsuit also states that TIME'S UP! and the general public cannot participate in riding or gathering at the Critical Mass bike ride. It claims that any event whatsoever with 20 or more persons requires a permit. On Friday, hundreds of bicycle riders defied the city and participated in a Critical Mass ride. Police arrested some 37 riders and officers confiscated dozens of bicycles. The police say they made the arrests because they say Critical Mass was "parading without a permit." Thanks to Democracy Now for that report.
Wrapup
You can read more about our global news stories by visting I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G. We'll be back after a brief break.
[ Musical Break ]
[5:00] Bad Cop No Donut
[ Bad Cop No Donut Taser Update bcnd_taser.ogg -- 4:53 ]
That was Ron Anicich (an - IH - sich) of CLKN Toronto with his weekly TASER news update.
Features
Intro
Welcome back to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news overlooked by the corporate media.
[9:00] PAAR
And now we turn to our highlight of a local community organization. This week we will speak with Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) PAAR is one of the largest rape crisis centers in the country and has been around since 1972. We will now turn to an interview with Renee Petricevich of PAAR
[ Interview by BagLady - paar_edit.ogg: - 8:37 ]
For more information about PAAR you can go to their website at www.paar.net. You can also call their 24 hour free hotline at 1 866 End Rape or you can contact the office at (412) 431 5655. Also if you know of any grassroots organizations that would like to be featured on RustBelt? Radio you can give us a call at (412) 621-9728
[ Musical Break ]
[18:00] Miami Forum on Dissent
We turn now to two excerpts from a Forum on Dissent Since 9/11, which took place earlier this month in Miami. David from Rustbelt was in attendence.
We first hear from Camilo Mejia, a concientious objector who refused to return to Iraq after a six-month tour of duty there. He was recently released from an Oaklahoma prison where he spent nine months for "desertion."
camilo_mejia.ogg: Camilo Mejia at the Miami Forum on Dissent. Unedited. (6:51)
Next, we hear from John "Splitting the Sky," a former political prisoner and lifetime pan-Indigenist activist from the Mohawk nation. He helped organize the famous Attica rebellion at the age of nineteen.
john_splitting_10min.ogg: John "Splitting the Sky" at the Miami Forum on Dissent. Long version. (10:26)
That was John Splitting the Sky speaking at the Miami Forum on Dissent since 9/11. You're listening to Rust Belt Radio on WRCT.
Ending
Calendar of events
And now it is time for the Indymedia calendar of events. All events are free and open to the public.
Genoa Red Zone, a documentary on the bloody 2001 anti-G8 demonstrations that took place in Italy, will be shown tomorrow, Tuesday March 29th at 6pm, at The Thomas Merton Center, 5125 Penn Ave. in Garfield.
Nancy Lessin of Military Families Speak Out will speak on Wednesday the 30th, at 12:30 PM. That's at Carlow University, Aquinas Hall, Room 206.
Also on Wednesday the 30th, a screening of the film PEACEABLE KINGDOM, a documentary about a farm sanctuary that restores natural settings to farm animals' lives. That's at 8pm at the the Neville Street Housing Co-op, which is located at 617 North Neville St.
On Thursday, March 31st, Students in Solidarity at Pitt will hold an Anti-Sweatshop Dance-a-thon at noon on the Patio between Panther Central Lobby in the Litchfield Towers and the Walking Bridge over Forbes Avenue.
Also on Thursday, March 31st, Mountain Justice Summer will be holding a protest of mountain top removal mining in Charleston, West Virginia, on the North Side of the State Capitol building at 12 PM. For more information, visit mountain justice summer (all one word) dot org.
Outro
[ Cue Outro music? ]
Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh and WVJW Benwood.
Our hosts this week are Matt Toups and Jessie, with additional contributions from David Meieran. This week's show was produced by Quinten Steenhuis and Andalusia Knoll. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
Your audio submissions are welcome! To get involved with Rust Belt Radio, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. All of our shows are available for download on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news overlooked by the corporate media.
MP3 at 14.2 mebibytes
![[masthead]](/images/masthead_140.png)