On this week's show...
* A look at Grow Pittsburgh, a group of local urban farmers who are growing more than just food in the city.
* We'll hear more voices from flood survivors in New Orleans
* and Australia has deported an American peace activist calling him a threat to national security
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 at 5pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. And we're happy to annouce that we are now on the air in Meadville, Pennsylvania, every Thursday at 11AM on WARC Meadville, 90.3FM ! 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. And starting this season we're also available online as a podcast.
On today's show...
A look at Grow Pittsburgh, a group of local urban farmers who are growing more
than just food in the city.
We'll hear more voices from flood survivors in New Orleans
and Australia has deported an American peace activist calling him a threat to national security
but first, these stories from Pittsburgh Indymedia
Headlines
Local News
[3:00] City council holds post-agenda meeting on police taser use
Last Wednesday the Pittsburgh city council held a last-minute post-agenda meeting about Tasers and the Pittsburgh Police' use of violence against peaceful demonstrators last month. Rustbelt spoke with De'Anna Caligiuri about the meeting on Sunday during a break in the Steeler's game. De'Anna was pepper sprayed in the eyes and shocked with a taser at the August 20 counter-recruitment action.
At the meeting, Chief McNeilly justified his officers' use of a Taser on De'Anna and other protestors on the grounds that they were assaulting the officers. In his testimony, McNeilly also characterized the August 20th protestors as part of a [quote] "criminal element."
Pittsburgh police first acquired tasers in June of 2004. Between June and December they were used six times. This year Tasers were used at least 125 times, and they have been issued to nearly 200 officers; twenty times as many as when they were introduced.
In a related note, the woman who was arrested on August 20th after being bitten by a police dog from behind finally received her citation last week, three weeks after her arrest. She is being charged with failure to disperse.
[2:00] Boycott at SCI-Albion
On Friday August 26th, prisoners at the State Correctional Institution at Albion boycotted the breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. The boycott coincided with a visit from head of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Secretary James Beard, and two state senators. The prisoners aimed to attract the attention of the visiting officials to voice their concerns over present conditions relating to telephone costs, medical treatment, extended visiting and visiting in general, wages, the inmate pay scale relative to the commissary prices and recent changes to the meals there.
The boycott of the meals went well on friday, but then there was word that there would be no response to just a one day boycott and that the D-O-C wouldn't be concerned unless it lasted over 3 days. So the boycott was exteneded over the weekend, to officially end with the Labor Day meal, on September 5th.
According to our source, meetings took place with the two senators and a few inmates, and members of the administration at Albion met with other inmates on September 9th. The only thing to come out of it so far is that the administration agreed to help the prisoners set up a system to make donations to Hurricane Relief.
About three-fourths of the population participated in the boycott of the meal lines, whether this will have any effect is yet to be seen.
There is talk of work stoppages or sit down strikes in the yard if serious changes aren't made.
SCI - Albion is one of Pennsylvania's 26 prisons and is located about 2 hours north of Pittburgh near Erie.
[1:00] March on Washington
Pittsburgh Activists are preparing to take part in a major march on Washington this weekend. The 3 days of action have been organized by United for Peace and Justice and ANSWER, the two national anti-war coalitions. The local Thomas Merton Center Anti-war committee has organized buses from Pittsburgh to DC leaving this weekend, and thanks to a generous benefactor who came forward recently, seats on the buses can now be provided at no charge to anyone who wants to go. And there are many who want to go; the Merton Center is working to find enough actual buses to fit all the demonstrators, as demand has outstripped the supply of busses so far. Pitt is also sending a bus of Students Against the War.
The March on Washington also includes the Operation: Ceasefire concert, hosted by Jello Biafra and featuring anti-war artists Le Tigre, The Coup, Steve Earle, Ted Leo, and more.
Wrapup
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.
[ Music ]
Global News
Intro
You are listening to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to headlines from Independent Media Centers around the world.
[3:00] KAMP radio forced to shut down
As thousands of evacuees from New Orleans took shelter in stadiums in Houston, Texas, many have suffered from a lack of information about help available to them. Federal aid, children's enrollment in local schools, housing and even replacement identification cards all require paperwork and knowledge of where to go and who to ask. As many hurricane survivors became frustrated with this situation, independent media activists in Houston had a solution -- low-power FM radio. They immediately founded K-A-M-P radio, evacuation radio services, to broadcast from inside the Astrodome to the 10,000 people living there.
They quickly obtained licenses from the Federal Communications Commission, which is normally very stingy on low-power FM licenses, but was willing to act quickly in the emergency situation. The station also found support from Houston's Mayor Bill White, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and the federal emergency management agency.
But just as they were poised to go on the air, trouble began. Rita Obey, a local official from Harris County Public Health Services, gave them a laundry list of prerequisites. The most notable of these was the command to procure 10,000 personal, battery-powered radios -- and batteries.
Liz Surley, a KAMP volunteer, said "She said she was afraid of 'people fighting over the radios. She made us promise not to play any rap music, because she thought it might incite some of the evacuees to violence."
But even after the difficult conditions were met, the county officials in charge of the astrodome still refused to allow the radio station inside. Frustrated after days of negotiations, KAMP went to the FCC and got a new license allowing them to broadcast from the parking lot outside.
And so last week K.A.M.P. radio finally went on the air from the Astrodome parking lot.
loop10 (0:20)
stationid (0:31)
Houston Indymedia volunteer Lorie Kramer described why this project was important to the displaced New Orleanians living in the Houston Astrodome.
lorie_excerpt (0:25)
Here is some of the information KAMP brought to the Astrodome residents.
banter ID (0:58)
Saturday morning 95.3 was taken off the air as power was removed and reliant officials requested that the station be packed up and moved or it would be impounded. Organizers say that although the station was short lived, the project was a success and gave a direct line of communication to the survivors living inside the arena.
Thanks again to Renee Feltz of KPFT Houston for sharing her interviews from the Astrodome.
[3:00] Scott Parkin deported from Australia
Scott Parkin, a peace activist from Houston, was deported from
Australia last week. He was detained by police and held in solitary
confinement without being charged with any crime.
Scott explains:
scott1 - 24s
The Federal Government refused to explain why his six-month tourist
visa was cancelled, saying only that it was related to [quote]
"politically motivated violence". Scott says he is strongly opposed to
political violence, and that he organizes in the tradition of Gandhi
and King. His friends and colleagues believe that his only
crime is being a political activist.
Scott was a key organizer of protests against Halliburton Corporation
and war profiteering in Houston, Texas during the company's shareholder
meetings in 2004 and 2005. He also co-organized numerous teach-ins,
rallies, and nonviolent actions about war profiteering and worked with
Greenpeace on an action protesting Exxon Mobil during their shareholder
meeting in 2003.
He had been in Australia since June, traveling, camping and hiking, and
recently began working with Australia Greenpeace. He also recently
participated in anti-corporate protests in Australia, and gave
presentations about strategic organizing, street theater, and nonviolent
direct action.
Scott wasn't sure what to make of the whole incident.
scott2 (1:05)
Across Australia activists and lawyers with Greenpeace orgainzed to get
Scott released. In New York a crowd picketed the United Nations
where Austrailian Prime Minister John Howard was speaking. They wore
gags made of the Austrailian flag, and held signs that said "You're
deporting democracy" and "You've deported the wrong Texan."
He was released from detention and allowed to return to Houston on
Friday, but faces a bill of up to $11,700 for his detention and airline
tickets. He is filing legal appeals to fight the Austrailian
government's actions.
[1:00] Pentagon plans for nuclear first strike
The Washington Post revealed that the Pentagon has plans to revise the nuclear operations policy to allow the president of the United States to launch preemptive nuclear strikes. In a significant shift from the policy of nuclear deterrence based on the threat of massive retaliation, the revised policy, which is based on the 2002 Bush doctrine of preemptive military strikes, would allow the United States to make first use of nuclear weapons.
The policy is titled “Doctrine from Joint Nuclear Weapons Operations” and envisions commanders requesting presidential approval to use nuclear weapons to prevent an attack by a nation or a terrorist group using weapons of mass destruction. The draft also includes the possibility of using nuclear arms to destroy known enemy stockpiles of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.
In separate measures, both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved $4 million to study the feasibility of the so-called Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, also known as the “bunker-buster” bomb, a program that was interrupted last year under intense international and domestic criticism.
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.
[This Bike - Forgotten not gone]
Features
Intro
That was This Bike is a Pipe Bomb with Forgotten not Gone.
Welcome back to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
[14:30] Grow Pittsburgh
This week's grassroots feature is a look at Grow Pittsburgh, a venture by a handful of local city farmers that promotes urban agriculture.
You're listening to Rust Belt Radio.
[ music break ]
That was Public Enemy with "Hell No, We Ain't All Right"
[14:00] New Orleans Interviews
neworleans-14m
Ending
[1:30] Calendar of events
And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:
On Wednesday, September 21st at 4:30 pm there will be an International Peace Day Open House at the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh at 4100 Bigelow Boulevard.
Also on Wednesday, September 21st, at 7:30 pm there will be a free screening of the ACLU's "Beyond the PATRIOT Act" video at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland
On Thursday, September 22nd at 5:00 pm there will be a workshop called Techniques to Amend the Urban Soil, at the Healcrest Urban Community Farm, 5208 Brown Way in Garfield
Also on Thursday, September 22nd at 7P00 pm there will be a Talk on Human Trafficking in the USA and what can be done about it at the Kearns Spirituality Center, 9000 Babcock Boulevard next to La Roche College
At 7:00 pm on Thursday the 22nd, there will be readins from the book: Poets Against the War: An Anthology at the Pittsburgh Friends Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Avenue
And next Monday, September 26th at 4:30 pm there will be a Panel Discussion on the History of Islamic Civilizations at the University of Pittsburgh William Pitt Union in the Lower Lounge
Outro
[ Cue Outro music ]
Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WARC Meadville and WVJW Benwood.
Our hosts this week are Laura and Abie with contributions from Andalusia, Etta, Matt, and Jessie. This week's show was produced by Matt Toups. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
Your story 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 news from the grassroots.
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