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or even Guantanamo Bay... last week in Miami there were hundreds of people locked up for protesting at the anti-FTAA demonstrations, many still there struggling for bail money.

When people came to protest at the jail, the police simply proceeded to arrest the protestors again to get them out of the way.

If you want an example of a "police state" just look at the USA right now, you don't need to look as far as China.

more arrests and jail info at
http://www.ftaaimc.org/ and http://www.stopftaa.org

The American backlash against the filesharing suits seems to be gaining steam (Stop RIAA Lawsuits Coalition), I wonder if the same will start happening down under as they crack down.

At some point, there needs to be a global citizen response to a global entertainment industry. The corporations are using all the tactics they have available in each country and consumers should do the same. The laws they're trying to cram into the FTAA are on a new level.

"The draft intellectual property rights chapter in the FTAA Agreement vastly expands criminal procedures and penalties against intellectual property infringements throughout the Americas... One clause would require countries to send non-commercial infringers such as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharers to prison. It is estimated that 60 million Americans use file-sharing software in the US alone." -From a new report by ipjustice.org.

Where are the voices advocating political freedom?

from page 3 of the ruling:

The relevant portion of California Education Code 52720 reads:
In every public elementary school each day ... there shall be conducted appropriate patriotic exercises. The giving of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America shall satisfy the requirements of this section.

Just about every post in this thread is concerned with details of religious freedom. Doesn't the word patriotic worry anyone in the U.S.? It surprised me that such political brainwashing is actually prescribed by the State; but it shocked me that practically no-one sees this as a Bad Thing.

Don't you guys even suspect that something may be amiss?

:nullstr

Dress up as Native Americans and destroy private property on board several ships in Boston Harbor?

Stage a demonstration in Berlin, Germany that ultimately leads to the total destruction of a multi-billion dollar piece of public property?

Oh what the hell... If our democtratic governments want to be up front about what they're doing in those closed rooms, instead of keeping all negotiation details secret (from their own citizens!!)... Then I'm sure you won't have people (peacefully) protesting, and the idiots and anarchists that generally plague large peaceful protests won't have any place to go.

But what the hell... If it's legal and it's being carried out by our governments, it must be in our interest, I suppose.

http://www.stopftaa.org

http://www.citizen.org/pctrade/gattwto/gatthome.ht ml

http://www.indymedia.org

http://www.zmag.org/ZNETTOPnoanimation.html

Glad that I could help out.

a bad day to try and organize a protest

Anyone who still believes that the US believes in the spirit of civil disobediance, or that American (or Canadian for that matter... see Quebec City, A20) citizens actually have the right to peacefully assemble, or a right to expression should check out "This is What Democracy Looks Like" produced by the Indy Media Centre.

It is a 72 minute documentary compiled from the footage of over 100 activists who attended the demonstrations. Lots of Universities have been doing screenings of the film leading up to the FTAA protest in Quebec City in April, so if you see a poster for it, whether you believe in globalization or not, you should check it out.

Not watching this film is remaining ignorant. You don't have to agree with everything in it, but be warned, if you have any respect for freedom, this film will make you ANGRY.