China/CURRENTS
Savannah pigeons
The first day the Group of Eight (G8) world leaders gathered for their June summit in Sea Island, Georgia, three protesters walked down the streets of nearby Savannah carrying a sign that read: ‘Say no to pigeons!’
‘Pigeons have more rights in Savannah than we do,’ claimed Antonio Burks, one of the protesters. ‘I can’t even go in the street where I work because of the police – but the pigeons can!’
Policing these three protesters cost American taxpayers hundreds of dollars a minute. Citing the possibility of violence or terrorism, police mobilized 25,000 security officials and spent $25 million. The town of Savannah was virtually closed down. But the biggest protest included no more than 250 activists.
The police crackdown was the same model as was used at the November 2003 Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) protest in Florida. Miami police waited months before issuing permits and then ‘pre-emptively’ arrested hundreds of activists. Protesters may have decided to travel to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions rather than Savannah.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
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