HUDSON VALLEY ACTIVIST CALENDAR
October 6, 2012, Issue #661
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Sunday, Oct. 7, NEW YORK CITY and NATIONWIDE: Demonstrations to commemorate the 11TH anniversary of the U.S. war against Afghanistan have been taking place in scores of cities and towns this weekend. A demonstration in New York City Sunday will take place 5-7 p.m. at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building in Harlem, Manhattan. The building is at 125th St. and Adam Clayton Powel Jr. Blvd., not far from the MetroNorth train station. The actions demand: Bring the Troops Home Now! No Sanctions! Hands Off Syria and Iran! Stand with Palestine! Stop the Cutbacks! End Stop and Frisk! No to Racism, Raids and Repression. UNAC has pulled many of the nationwide actions together, but other groups such as ANSWER have organized a number of the protests in various cities.
Sunday, Oct. 7, NEW YORK: A second protest against the continuing Bush-Obama war in Afghanistan — 11 years old today —will involve antiwar military veterans and their allies who will gather at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza in New York City at 6 p.m. They "Demand an end to the 11 year war in Afghanistan. Demand an end to all U.S. wars of aggression. Remember all those who have fallen and been wounded by war. Stand up for our right, and duty, to assemble and organize." The Memorial Plaza is at 55 Water St. by South St. and the East River. The park is supposed to close at 10 p.m. but the vets say they are willing to risk arrest to continue their protest. There's more information at http://www.stopthesewars.org/.
Wednesday, Oct. 10, NEW PALTZ (SUNY campus): The Sociology Department invites the public to a free film screening of "Yes, in My Backyard" and a Q&A with director Tracy Huling. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Coykendall Science Building Auditorium. Here is description of the film by Assistant Professor Alexandra Cox: "Since the 1980's, prisons have been a growth industry in rural places where local economies, once dependent on farming, mining, logging, and manufacturing, have collapsed. Yet over the last few years, states have begun to close prisons with some states, like New York, shuttering multiple facilities for adults and juveniles despite resistance from unions and local officials. Through the eyes of one farming-community-turned-prison-town in upstate New York, 'Yes, In My Backyard' delves into the reasons why prisons are sought after and probes the consequences of this trend for the keepers and the kept." Information (845) 257-3756.
Wednesday, Oct. 10, NEW PALTZ: The Sierra Club Mid-Hudson group is the sponsor of a free public meeting on “The Interaction of Environmental Issues and Politics.” The panel of speakers includes Assembly member Kevin Cahill. The 7 p.m. event will take place at the Jewish Community Center, 30 North Chestnut (on Rt. 32, a couple of blocks north of Main St.). Information, http://www.newyork.sierraclub.org/midhudson.
Thursday, Oct. 11, WOODSTOCK: New participants are welcome to attend meetings of Middle East Crisis Response 7-8:30 p.m. every second and fourth Thursday at the Woodstock Public Library, 5 Library Lane just off Tinker St. MECR is a group of Hudson Valley residents joined together to promote peace and human rights in Palestine and the Middle East. Information, (845) 876-7906 or http://www.mideastcrisis.org.
Saturday, Oct. 13, NEW PALTZ: A vigil, rally and march against drones will take place downtown 12:30-2 p.m. The demand is: "No Drone Zone: Drone Warfare Abroad, Drone Surveillance Coming Here." The event begins in front of Elting Library, Main St. and North Front St. The action is co-sponsored by Women in Black New Paltz, Hudson Valley Activist Newsletter, Occupy Orange, Occupy Southern Ulster, Middle East Crisis Response, and the Maury Colow chapter of Veterans for Peace in Woodstock. Information, (845) 699-3051, querckwooda@yahoo.com, AnahataSun@aol.com, http://clearstreammedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/drone-action-oct-13-in-new-paltz.html.
Tuesday Oct. 16 to Monday, Oct. 22, NATIONWIDE: The new feminist organization WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend) is calling for a national week of demonstrations to Defend Women’s Rights. The "week" coincides with the second presidential debate Oct. 16 in Hempstead, N.Y. and the third debate Oct. 22 in Boca Raton, Fla. Aside from protests in the debate cities, there will be actions in San Francisco (16th ), Los Angeles (19th), Chicago (20th), New Haven, Conn. (20th). WORD is calling the actions because, they say: "All over the country, politicians are running for office and asking women to vote for them. They want women to support them at the voting booth, but the first question is whether they will support women and women’s rights, including the right to abortion, and women’s access to health care services. The Republican Party is openly running on a program to strip women of our rights. But will the Democratic Party guarantee that they won’t surrender women’s basic rights as they have consistently done, acting as if we were simply a bargaining chip in the game of politics? This keeps happening and women’s rights are being destroyed step by step at the federal, state and local level." The website about these events and other matters pertaining to women's rights is http://www.defendwomensrights.org/.
Friday, Oct. 19, MILLBROOK: "What's Bugging Our Forests?" is the title of a 7 p.m. free public talk on the impact of invasive species on woodlands sponsored by the Cary Institute. The Institute's Gary Lovett will discuss how several invasive species are ravaging regional forests. The talk will be held at the Cary Institute auditorium, 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Route 44). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Information, (845) 677-5343.
Friday, Oct. 19, NEW PALTZ: Author Victoria Law will share stories from the new edition of her book "Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women," 7-8:30 p.m. at Inquiring Minds Bookstore. 6 Church St. She will "Examine the specific issues inside women's prisons, and discuss the obstacles they face when trying to organize inside," among other issues. Information, (845) 255-8300, inquiringmindsevents@gmail.com.
Saturday, Oct. 20, SAUGERTIES: Editor Victoria Law (see above) and book contributors Traci Picard and Jennifer Silverman will read from and discuss the book "Don't Leave Your Friends Behind: Concrete Ways to Support Families in Social Justice Movements and Communities." The event starts at 2 p.m. at The Inquiring Minds Bookstore, 65 Partition St./200 Main St. Information, (845) 246-5775, inquiringmindsevents@gmail.com.
Sunday, Oct. 21, WOODSTOCK: A discussion about peace with three young women from Palestine and Israel will take place 2-4 p.m. at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, 1682 Glasco Turnpike. According to the organizers, "Three young women panelists will discuss the transformations that they have undergone in the years they have been involved with Creativity for Peace, a New Mexico nonprofit with operations in Israel and Palestine... of which they are senior leaders. They also will talk about their ongoing struggles and passion for peace-building, and their dreams for a future of peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians." This free public meeting is sponsored by Creativity for Peace and the Woodstock Jewish Congregation.
Information, cqamar.lcswr@gmail.com, http://creativityforpeace.com.
