O.R.C.

In these captivating videos, we are presented with Prof. James Duane’s explanation of why even the innocent should never speak to the police. Even those already versed in the matter will find this interesting and learn new things.

He was followed by Officer George Bruch who went on to explain all of the dirty tricks he uses (unapologetically) to encourage people to talk when they, by rights, need not. Although watching both of these videos will take about 45 minutes of your life, I guarantee that, as a horror film, it is well paced and engaging.

More information has emerged on the Rhinelander indictment we posted about saturday. First of all, a pdf of the indictment is available online, courtesy of the excellently acronymed EWOK! (Earth Warriors are OK!). Of particular interest is the indictment’s inability to distinguish between the ELF and Earth First!, essentially suggesting that both groups are the same. They also have apparently little regard for grammatical rigor, as they consistently leave off the exclamation mark that is in fact part of the name of Earth First!. Katherine Christianson and Aaron Ellringer, whose arrest status we cannot seem to confirm, are due to be indicted tomorrow in Madison, Wisconsin.

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From The Olympian (second article here), it looks like one Bryan Rivera has been arrested as a suspect for the July 2000 attack on genetically engineered trees (info on GE trees here and here) in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Over 500 GE trees were destroyed at the site. Read the action’s press release here, or corporate propaganda about the incident here. Another two have been indicted and will appear in court, but it’s not clear if they are currently in custody.

Confirmation of Rivera’s arrest comes from FBI Special Agent Robbie Burroughs (photo). Burroughs was in the news last year defending paranoid anti-terror tactics such as harassing arab-americans who “behaved oddly” on a washington ferry.

On Earth Day, the “Greenwash Guerrillas” pied neo-liberal, capitalist Thomas Friedman. [video footage]. Friedman was speaking at Brown University for Earth Day, where he went on about “market solutions” to global warming, when two pie-throwings ascended the stage and threw green whipped-cream pies at him. They then tossed leaflets explaining themselves to the crowd before escaping out the side door.

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In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement was passed, doing much to destroy the economy of Mexico. When US companies were given the green light to extract resources from Mexico, people began to follow, and illegal immigration into the USA began to spike.

Now, the US Government is building a fence to keep people out. But fearing the impediment of due process of law, Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security permission to waive the standard paperwork procedures that allow the public to participate in environmental decisions made by the government. On April 2nd, 2008, the DHS announced another two uses of their waiver, for almost 500 miles of fence.

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Defenders of the redwoods have invited the experienced and inexperienced alike to come out and learn direct action forest defense skills in the forests of northern California this May. More details will be announced later on their website.

On the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, lies both the small town of Langford and a hotbed of eco-rebellion against mindless development.

The issue is Bear Mountain, a diverse and wild eco-system that holds particular spiritual importance for the First Nations peoples who still live in the area. The forces of development would like to see it cut, stripped and paved for the sake of condos and golf-courses.

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