Apparently a protest is going down against the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). The TABD offers an effective framework for enhanced cooperation between the transatlantic business community and the governments of the European Union (EU) and United States (US). Or the TABD is a coalition of U.S. and European CEOs, that is mandated by and gets unlimited access to the U.S. and European governments. It helps boost transatlantic trade for large corporations by promoting the WTO and knocking down “barriers to trade”. According to the TABD barriers to trade can be, labor protections, food safety and health laws, and anything that blocks corporations’ paths to unlimited profit.

I am guessing it is the latter. Anyway there is a protest party on thursday(7th of NOvember) against the TABD:

wntr81 (9:55:09 AM): the TABD guys are staying at the Shereton(sp) Hotel

wntr81 (9:59:36 AM): thursday @ 4:30

wntr81 (9:59:49 AM): Boeing hq

wntr81 (10:00:02 AM): canal and washington

wntr81 (10:00:10 AM): and the hotel I guess

Hopefully this will be a peaceful protest, however chicago has a great history of peace behind it. Especially the daley’s. RULE. here are some links to pictures from previous TABD protests:

A police officer holding a gun

Police on the move

and the best and scariest picture - a person at gunpoint



Here is a flyer for the event. This is a really great write up on why police are violent at protests. Of course, the police won’t be violent. There is no reason for them to be so.

Police Supt. Terry Hillard stressed Monday that the city welcomes peaceful protesters but will not tolerate thuggery. Officers have been training for months in riot control and flew to Washington to help police control crowds there in September. About 130 officers who are 6 feet 4 inches tall and taller have been selected to arrest violent demonstrators.

---

Well. So here are the oglibitory links to misc. news around the world. Apparently the U.S. government has been engaging in a Secret war against terrorism. Targeting the “Axis of Evil.” This rules. I mean. what better to start a world conflict then secret wars. I love secret wars. Especially when it is fought by Donald Rumsfeld’s secret police. I trust them to do a good job. In a completely different world, Tom Petty rules, especially concerning the music industry. There is some very interesting news and facts about the sniper Weird.

Last night I went and saw Omar Saunders speak of the Roscetti Four. Apparently he was wrongfully convicted as an 18 year old of murdering and raping a yound medical student in chicago. He was convicted along with four other youth. They were found innocent and a bunch of people will most likely get in trouble for framing them.

WHat really frustrates me about this situation is how people when they here about it, or when activists talk about it - they mention how the tax payers are paying for these people to stay in jail and paying for the settlements. well right, but that is our job as tax payers. if we support bad politicians we will be held somewhat accountable for their horrible actions. THe thing that is frustrating for me is that no one is focusing on the fact that the people who commited would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for these young men standing strong and figthing a really terrible system.