Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Wed., Oct. 18, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Norway Pushes for More Peace Talks between Tamil Tigers and
Sri Lankan Government
Women in Argentina Demand Legalization of Abortion
Right of Entry Disputes Continue in Palestine
Underground Capitol Hill Tunnel Workers Speak Out on Working
Conditions
New Report Targets Progressive Education
Mumia Abu Jamal Commentary: The Vampire's Freedom of Radicals
and Extremists
FSRN Headlines
STUDENT PROTESTS IN CHILE
High School students in Chile have once again mobilized for
major reforms to an underfunded public education system. Demonstrations
began last weekend as students express their discontent to
the slow pace of promised reforms. From Santiago FSRN's Jorge
Garretón reports.
Riot police dispersed high schools students today as they
tried to reach the offices of the Ministry of Education in
downtown Santiago. Students are upset at what they say is
the lack of action and commitment by the government to meet
their immediate demands. Over the weekend, the students took
over a number of Santiago high schools but were later removed
by riot police. And a Santiago district Mayor expelled 30
students from their schools and has barred them from attending
any other school in the district. These measures have angered
students who call the government-mandated education reform
commission a waste of time with little or no will to make
fundamental recommendations to change the crumbling public
education system. Students who sit on the education reform
commission may walk out in protest. As for their immediate
demands students say the privatized public transit system
does not accept their students passes on weekends as promised
by the government and promised improvements in infrastructure
and meal programs have not taken place. Students are demanding
structural reforms to the public system that is forced to
unfairly compete with the government subsidized for-profit
educational system. For FSRN this is Jorge Garretón
in Santiago.
GALLAUDET PROTESTS CONTINUE
Ten students are on a hunger strike at the World's only Liberal
Arts University for the deaf over the selection of the school's
new president. Nan McCurdy has more from Washington DC.
Students say they will not end their hunger strike until
Jane K. Fernandez resigns as incoming president of Gallaudet
University. They began the hunger strike Saturday after police
arrested 133 students Friday night for blocking the university
gates for over three days. Some of the students haven't eaten
in over a hundred hours. Protests began last spring after
Jane K. Fernandez' selection what students say was a flawed
process. Travis Cleavenger, director of community relations
for the student body government, speaking through an interpreter
(sound) "The best way for Gallaudet to move forward is
for her to resign and to undertake a new search. The second
demand is no reprisals for anyone who has been involved in
this." Monday afternoon faculty voted 138 to 24 for a
proposal calling for Fernandez to resign or be removed from
her position as incoming president. Gallaudet officials yesterday
postponed this weekend's homecoming festivities. At a news
conference faculty, staff , alumni, parents and students urged
Gallaudet Alumni to come to campus on Saturday to show support
for the protest. From Washington DC, for Free Speech Radio
News, I'm Nan McCurdy.
SENATE CANDIDATE ARRESTED
Washington State Green Party candidate for Senate Aaron Dixon
was arrested yesterday when he refused to leave the King TV
studios during a scheduled taping of a debate among Senate
candidates. Mark Taylor-Canfield has more from Seattle.
Included in the debate were Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat;
Republican Mike McGavick; and Libertarian Party candidate
Bruce Guthrie. KING TV President and General Manager Ray Heacox
said Aaron Dixon, a former co-founder and Captain of the Seattle
chapter of the Black Panthers, was prohibited from participating
in the debate because he did not meet the TV station's qualifications
for public support and fundraising. Dixon was told he was
not allowed to enter the building but did so anyway as an
act of civil disobedience. A crowd of supporters outside the
studios protested the actions of debate organizers and the
arrest of Dixon for trespassing by the Seattle Police Department.
This is Mark Taylor-Canfield for Free Speech Radio News in
Seattle.
FORMER JUDGE ON UK SOVEREIGNTY
'In Britain, a former law lord - who served at the highest
levels of the British judiciary - has launched a strong public
attack on Tony Blair's government which he accused of becoming
the 'lapdog' of the Bush administration. From London, Naomi
Fowler reports:'
Lord Steyn has a long history of speaking out against the
government when he considers it's in the wrong. This is one
of his strongest attacks yet since his retirement as a law
lord last year. At the heart of what he sees as bad policy
decisions made in the post-9/11 era, he said was Britain's
unequal relationship with the US: He described the Iraq invasion
as illegal and a greater foreign policy disaster than Suez.
He also said 'our country will pay a terrible price for the
abdication by a great sovereign nation of an independent role
in foreign affairs.' In his speech he poured scorn on Britain's
Attorney General claim that Britain had cause to be proud
of its record in international law. He said the British government
must have known about the US's policy of kidnap (or rendition)
and torture in secret prisons around the world. From London
this is Naomi Fowler for Free Speech Radio News.
ICELAND TO BEGIN COMMERCIAL WHALE HUNTING
Iceland has announced that it will resume the practice of
commercial whale hunting. The lifting of the 20 year-old moratorium
will permit the hunting of the fin whale, even though it is
an endangered species. Norway is the only other country that
officially allows commercial whaling. Japan has long defied
the worldwide commercial whaling ban under the banner of scientific
research.
[top]
Norway Pushes for More Peace Talks between Tamil
Tigers and Sri Lankan Government (3:15)
Norway, which has been brokering a peace deal between Sri
Lanka and the Tamil Tiger Revels, has launched a bid to salvage
planned talks after the rebels' worst-ever suicide bombing
killed more than 100 people and prompted government retaliatory
strikes. Norwegian Special envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer arrived
in the island one day after the attack to hold talks between
the government and the rebels to boost the peace initiative.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government said that a second suicide
attack on a naval base and its adjoining Galle harbor in the
south has been averted today. A sailor was killed and 30 others
were injured. Ponniah Manikavasagam reports from Sri Lanka.
[top]
Women in Argentina Demand Legalization of Abortion
(4:00)
Women from Argentina gathered in Jujuy, a northwestern province
bordering Bolivia for the 21st National Womens Congress in
the midst of protests from the Catholic Church this weekend.
The congress concluded with a massive march in Jujuy's capital,
with thousands of women protesting for the legalization of
abortion and end to violence against women. FSRN's Marie Trigona
has more from Jujuy.
[top]
Right of Entry Disputes Continue in Palestine
(3:15)
For the past several months, Palestinian-Americans have
been begging their government to do something about the recently-implemented
Israeli policy barring them access to the Israeli-occupied
Palestinian territories. Today, Secretary of State Condoleeza
Rice made the first public statement on the subject, saying
she will ask for an explanation from the Israeli government.
To those affected, Rices response seems entirely inadequate.
Jenka Soderberg reports from Palestine.
[top]
Underground Capitol Hill Tunnel Workers Speak Out
on Working Conditions (2:00)
Men who work in the system of tunnels underneath Capitol
Hill gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue today to bring attention
to long standing complaints about their working conditions.
In addition to hazards like asbestos, the workers say they
have faced retaliation for speaking out. Darby Hickey reports
from Washington DC.
[top]
New Report Targets Progressive Education
(4:10)
A new report released today says happiness and self confidence
does not equate to the achievement standards of U.S. students.
The report compares the achievement level with those of other
countries around the world. Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.
[top]
Mumia Abu Jamal Commentary: The Vampire's Freedom
of Radicals and Extremists
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
