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Brian Hicks Personal Account Of His Arrest During The Keystone XL Protests in Washington, DC

In his own words... My story is essentially one of a guy becoming an activist for the first time at age 60.  Maybe  call me a “reluctant activist” or an “unlikely activist”? In any case, I’m not ‘one of those.’ No, it turns out that ordinary people can do this stuff. So how about “Brian Hicks, 60-year-old first time activist” or maybe “reluctant activist”? That’s more like it. By Brian Hicks, Reluctant Activist? Over the course of the two-week sit-in 1,252 people were arrested, including top climate scientists, landowners from Texas and Nebraska, former Obama for America staffers, First Nations leaders from Canada, and notable individuals including Bill McKibben, former White House official Gus Speth, NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen, actor Daryl Hannah, filmmaker Josh Fox, and author Naomi Klein.” …and me. Today I stood on the other side of the barrier, and clapped for each person being arrested. I waited (many of us did) for the last person and cheered hi...
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Monsanto Profits Hit A New High - While Mexican & South American Farmers Protest Against The Invasion of GMOs

By Theodora Filis Biotech giant Monsanto reported strong results for its first fiscal quarter this year with profits of $339 million; this is up from $126 million last year. The company attributes the strong results to the "continued expansion" of its corn business in Latin American countries, its "early momentum" in US seed and trait sales, and the performance of the company's agricultural productivity division. This news led the company's stock to rise. Media reports said earlier this week Monsanto's shares were "surging" during pre-market trading after the company reported its healthy earnings and revenues. Reportedly, the company's increase "exceeded" previous estimates figured by analysts, reported Business Insider. On Wednesday, January 23rd, Leaders of the National Union of Autonomous Regional Peasant Organizations (UNORCA) from more than 20 states began a sit-in and collective hunger strike against the pla...
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Animal Activists and Journalists Who "Violate" the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Will Be Labeled "Terrorists"

By Theodora Filis The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) of 2006, was passed by Congress late at night, with inadequate notice, and with only a fraction of Congresspersons present to vote on it. Pushed through Congress by wealthy biomedical & agri-business industry groups such as the Animal Enterprise Protection Coalition (AEPC), the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF). “ Under AETA it is no longer just the radical underground activists that are targeted for harming the corporate agenda, but also the law–abiding, above–ground activists. AETA is so broad and vague that ordinary citizens may not know that they are acting outside the vast boundaries of this new law. Under AETA, it doesn't take much to be labeled an “animal enterprise terrorist. ” Techniques that have been used for years in various social movements are now acts of terrorism if they cause profit loss, including increased security costs, to an ...
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