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> Wed., Mar. 15, 2006
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
Immigration Legislation Stalls in Senate Committee
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Addresses Joint Session of Congress
Oldest African-American Church in the Nation Closes in New
Orleans
Gulf Coast Tribes Struggle to Survive and Rebuild
Native Americans Oppose Construction of Giant New Biker Bar
Peace March Highlights Latino Voices in Opposition to the
War
FSRN Headlines
New UN Human Rights Body
The UN General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to create
a new human rights organization for the world body, despite
opposition from the US. Haider Rizvi reports from the UN.
The United Nations has created a new human rights body that
will replace the Geneva-based Human Rights Commission. Despite
strong objections from the United States, an overwhelming
majority of the member nations of the United Nations voted
in favor of the resolution that has established the 47-member
Human Rights council. As many as 170 countries endorsed the
resolution while the United States, Israel, Pulao and the
tiny nation of Marshal Island voted against it. The United
States opposed the resolution because any country with a simple
majority vote in the General assembly can become a member
of the new Council. The US had proposed that the new members
must obtain two third of the votes. Observers say this could
have made it difficult for some member nations from the developing
world to obtain membership. The US proposal was aimed at excluding
countries like Cuba, Sudan, Belarus and others which it consider
as abusers of human rights. In a hard-hitting speech after
the vote, a Cuban delegate accused the US and the European
Union of following double standards in the observance of human
rights.
Abbas Denounces Israel, US
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel's arrest
of the former leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine as it seiged a Palestinian jail in Jericho. Abbas
said that the raid was AN unforgiveable crime and a humiliation
to the Palestinian people. Manar Jibreen has more.
Hundreds of angry Palestinians rallied in the streets and
declared a general strike today in the Palestinian territories,
in protest of the Israeli siege of Palestinian jail in Jericho,
where Ahmad Saadat, secretary general of the Popular Front
for the liberation of Palestine, and six of his comrades were
arrested after a ten hour siege. Meanwhile, nine internationals
who were abducted in the West Bank and Gaza. Strip in the
wake of this attack were all released unharmed. Members of
the Palestinian resistance fired six home mad shells on Israeli
targets. The Israeli army shelled the northern part of the
Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported. Israeli army extended
the closure imposed on the West Bank and Gaza Strip because
of the Jewish holiday this Saturday. The closure was supposed
to be lifted on Wednesday signaling that the military operation
is not over yet.
Saddam Trial Continues
Deposed dictator Saddam Hussein has begun his first formal
defence at his trial for the 1982 massacre in Dujail. Hussein
decribed the court as a comedy. The judge closed the hearing
to the public after Saddam Hussein called on the Iraqi people
to "resist invaders".
French Protests
Protests against the French government's new youth employment
law continued today. Tony Cross reports.
Four students and a homeless man were charged today, after
yesterday's clashes outside the Sorbonne. At least nine riot
police officers were injured as some of the crowd threw rocks,
bottles and metal barriers at them ... they responded with
teargas. Today about 200 students rallied near the university
to call for the protests to end ... but they continued in
several towns and cities, with southbound trains briefly blocked
from leaving Paris's Montparnasse station. Yesterday, President
Jacques Chirac, who was on a visit to Berlin, expressed support
for embattled prime minister Dominique de Villepin. for the
first time. The opposition Socialists appealed to the Constitutional
Council to block the law on procedural grounds and on the
grounds that it contravenes the constitutional principle of
equality. Some members of the governing party are reported
to be hoping that this could provide a pretext for dropping
the plan and ending the crisis. Students are expected to join
mass marches tomorrow. And seven left-wing parties today issued
a joint declaration that they will take part in a massive
mobilization planned for Saturday.
Iraqi War Demonstrations
In a series of demonstrations leading up to the third year
anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Mediachannel.org and
United for Peace and Justice kick off Tell the Truth about
the war campaign today. This Saturday there will be massive
demonstrations against the war in Iraq in New York and Los
Angeles.
Non-National's to Vote
The New York City Council is considering a proposal that would
allow documented immigrants to vote in local elections. Rebecca
Myles reports.
Arguing there should be no taxation without representation,
the legislation, if passed, would grant non-citizens, who
have lived in New York for 6 months or longer, the right to
vote in municipal elections. The Voting Rights Restoration
Act, supporters say it would give more than 1.3 million New
York City residents a voice in a city where they contribute
$18.2 billion in New York State income taxes. A citizen of
Ecuador, but a New Yorker most of her life, Diana Salas, Researcher,
Women of Color Policy Network said the slogans and sound bites
against giving votes to noncitizens are not new
AUDIO Salas: "…all of these of the early struggles
pose the same stereotype, that we are mis-educated, that we
don't know American politics, we don't have a right to say,
but as an organizer I will tell that education on voting is
something that has to be done across the board, not just immigrant
communities but all communities."
Similar legislation was introduced to City Council last year
but it failed to pass. This year the draft bill has more co-sponsors
and supporters. Brooklyn Councilmember Charles Barron
AUDIO Barron: "…My goal right now is to get the
34 members of the city council on board, so at least we have
the overriding vote if we cannot convince the Mayor."
The city council is currently drafting bill, the City Council
Speaker, Christine Quinn has some reservations but remains
open, and the bill will be presented to City Council in two
weeks.
[top]
Immigration Legislation Stalls in Senate Committee
(4:16)
Immigration legislation being debated in the Senate is in
danger of not meeting the deadline imposed by the Senate Leader,
and the stalling could cause the Judiciary Committee’s
efforts to be futile. But as Leigh Ann Caldwell reports, one
decision made by the committee would allow the sharing of
immigrant status information between local law enforcement
and the Department of Homeland Security.
[top]
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Addresses Joint Session of
Congress (1:18)
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf addressed a joint
session of Congress today. Johnson-Sirleaf is the first woman
elected to lead an African nation, and the first black woman
to ever speak before both houses of Congress. She sighted
the connections between Liberia and the United States, as
Liberia was founded by freed African-American slaves nearly
200 years ago. She spoke about the problems Liberia is facing
in rebuilding after years of civil war where she pledged to
build an honest, safe, and economically sound country, with
the help of the United States.
[top]
Oldest African-American Church in the Nation Closes
in New Orleans (3:43)
The Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans closed the oldest
African-American church in the nation today. The church was
a historic landmark and a community center with a strong tradition
of spiritual music. FSRN’s Christian Roselund has more.
[top]
Gulf Coast Tribes Struggle to Survive and Rebuild
(3:43)
6 months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, native tribes
in the bayous of Louisiana are struggling to survive and rebuild.
The erosion of the wetlands and marshlands they call home
is repeated each Hurricane season, and a lack of federal recognition
of their native status means that the already paltry government
aid is even slower in coming. But 4 tribes: the Bayou Lafourche,
Isle Jean Charles, Grand Caillou/Dulac and the Pointe-au-Chien
have begun working together to leverage whatever aid comes
their way, and try to preserve their way of life before its
too late. FSRNs Andrew Stelzer has more from Pointe-Au-Chein,
Louisiana.
[top]
Native Americans Oppose Construction of Giant New
Biker Bar (3:50)
American Indians and non-Indians are protesting the construction
of a huge biker-bar and concert venue located at the base
of Bear Butte; a South Dakota mountain considered sacred to
dozens of American Indian tribes. The Bear Butte International
Alliance is working to protect the continued encroachment
of the sacred site from the expansion of the renowned Sturgis
Motorcycle Rally, which takes place each August just a few
miles away from Bear Butte and is attended by hundreds of
thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts. FSRN's Jim Kent spoke
to members of the International Alliance who highlight the
importance of preserving the solitude of Bear Butte for those
living in western South Dakota, and across the country.
[top]
Peace March Highlights Latino Voices in Opposition
to the War (1:56)
It’s been nearly 3 years since Jesus Suarez del Solar,
a 20 year old marine from San Diego serving in Iraq, stepped
on a cluster bomb which ended his life. To honor the third
anniversary of his passing, Jesus’ father, Fernando
Suarez del Solar is leading a 241 mile march for peace to
make sure that the Latino voice of opposition to the war is
heard across the nation. Luis Perez has more from Tijuana.
[top]
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