So it turns out the "9/11/07 general strike" thing was organized by the "911 truth" conspiracy theorists - I guess other people actually living in the US and more familiar with these things realized that right away, and knew about all the other anti-war events planned for September and October with better organization and sponsorship, and thats way so few people participated (the only reports I've read about related events yesterday all had to do with the "911 truth" people).

The following is a message I just posted to my second-year English students' QQ group (the reason certain relevant sites and reports are missing is that they are blocked in China - I wonder why; the list of blocked sites includes at least two different Code Pink sites and the United for Peace and Justice site):

So far there hasn’t been much news coverage of the September 11 strike and protest activities, but it seems that not many people participated. One reason may be that several other anti-war events have been planned for other days in September and October. In New York, for example, a “week of actions” against military recruitment began on September 9 (see the report I uploaded into the共享 section labeled “saw3 ny counter-recruitment”). In Washington, DC, a demonstration and press conference was held on September 5-6 in preparation for a month of protests and interventions in congressional meetings (this month, the US Congress will be discussing Iraq policy in light of a report by the general in charge of the occupation; see the report in共享 labeled “saw1 dc press conference and arrests” and the videos linked below), an intervention in the congressional hearing of the general’s report took place on September 10 (see the report in 共享 labeled “saw2 congress protest and arrests” and the videos below), and, in addition to the September 11 strike, marches are planned for both September 15 and September 28-29, as well as continuing interventions in congressional meetings. Finally, various activities are planned throughout the country on October 20-27, and on the third Friday of every month after that until the occupation ends.  

 

I think one reason many people chose not to participate in the September 11 events is that some famous people are sponsoring the other events, but not this one. Another reason is be that they may associate it with “911 truth” advocates, that is, people who claim that the US government was directly responsible for the 9/11 attacks and is covering up information about that (of course, the US government’s policies in the Middle East were indirectly responsible in many ways, but the “911 truth” theories look pretty farfetched to most people, and some suspect that they are promoted by the US government itself as a way to create confusion and dissention among anti-war activists). For example, see comments here: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/28/18444368.php?show_comments=1#comments, such as “The 911 truth movement is an astroturf organization!” And, in fact, all the reports I’ve seen of events that actually happened yesterday have to do with these people (for example, see the report in 共享 labeled “saw4 tucson protest”).

 

So, to prepare for next week’s discussion, instead of researching the September 11 events that didn’t really happen, instead I suggest you choose any of the September anti-war activities, either those that have already happened or those that are planned for later this month. The documents I’ve uploaded into the 共享 section and the videos linked below would be the best place to start. For more information, you can take a look at some of the sites linked below:

 

a) some videos of events that have already taken place:

September 5-6:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJtnRXHx5qQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFUC5DD7LbQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EAfPgX7gs0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHU6yrS5140

Sept 10:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/10/175844/360

 

b) some news sites with information about anti-war activities:

http://indymedia.us/en/topic/anti-war/archive.shtml

http://www.zmag.org/antiwarres.cfm

http://www.democracynow.org

http://www.commondreams.org/

http://www.alternet.org/

http://www.gnn.tv/

 

c) anti-war sites, some about particular events:

http://answer.pephost.org/

http://declarationofpeace.org/

http://www.troopsoutnow.org/

http://youthantiwarweek.wordpress.com/

http://www.campusantiwar.net/

http://www.backbonecampaign.org/

http://www.justicewithpeace.org/

http://pax.protest.net/

http://warresisters.org/

http://www.antiwar.com/

http://www.ivaw.org/

Methodist Minister Rev. Rich Laing calls for widespread direct action on 9/11/07

“This year, for the first time since 2001, 9/11 falls on a Tuesday. Tonight I want to call us to participate in a creative direct action goaled towards naming the demon and therefore awakening our people from their trance. Tonight I want to invite us into a city wide series of direct actions that will put thousands of people into the streets to perform, what might be called a Day of Democracy, but what I would call, a public exorcism of the tyranny of fear. Like Jesus, I want to invite us to “unchain” the possessed and let them go free. Unchain the possessed and help them find their voice.”

http://www.strike911.org/

II Encounter of the Zapatista Peoples with the Peoples of the World

Translation El Kilombo Intergaláctico

Communiqué of the Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine
Committee—General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

June of 2007

To the People of Mexico:
To the Peoples of the World:
To the Adherents of the Zexta Internazional:
To the Adherents of the Sixth Declaration:

Compañeros and Compañeras:
Brothers and Sisters:

As was announced at the First Encounter of Zapatista Peoples with the
Peoples of the World (held in January of this year), the Second
Encounter will be held in the coming month of July. The objective of
this encounter is that persons, groups, collectives, and organizations
that struggle against neoliberalism, in Mexico and all over the world,
hear directly the word of the EZLN's bases of support on the process
of the construction of autonomy in the Zapatista indigenous
communities of Chiapas. For this reason, the EZLN, through its
Intergalactic and Sixth Commissions, convokes:

The Second Encounter of Zapatista Peoples with the Peoples of the World.

To be held in Zapatista territory July 20 through 28 of the year 2007,
with the following characteristics:

First. Taking into account the difficulties that the rainy season
provokes at this time in the state of Chiapas, the locations of the
Encounter will not be the 5 caracoles (as was previously announced),
but rather 3 caracoles (Oventik, Morelia, and La Realidad), following
the schedule that we here detail:

Friday, July 20: Caracol of Oventik, Zona Altos [Highlands Zone] of
Chiapas. Welcome and Inauguration.

Saturday, July 21: Caracol of Oventik, Zona Altos of Chiapas. Plenary
roundtables with presentations by the Zapatista bases of support of
the Autonomous Municipalities of the Altos of Chiapas, and sessions
for questions, observations, and proposals by attendees.

Sunday July 22: Transfer to the Caracol of Morelia, Zona Tzotz Choj. Welcome.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, July 23, 24, and 25: Caracol of
Morelia, Zona Tzotz Choj. Plenary roundtables with presentations by
the Zapatista bases of support of the Autonomous Municipalities of the
Tzotz Choj Zone (Caracol of Morelia), the Northern Zone of Chiapas
(Caracol of Roberto Barrios), and the Selva [Jungle] Tzeltal Zone
(Caracol of La Garrucha), and sessions for questions, observations,
and proposals by attendees.

Thursday, July 26: Transfer to the Caracol of La Realidad, Zona Selva
Fronteriza [Jungle/Border Zone]. Welcome.

Friday, July 27: Caracol of La Realidad, Zona Selva Fronteriza.
Plenary roundtables with presentations by Zapatista bases of support
of the Autonomous Municipalities of the Zona Selva Fronteriza, and
sessions for questions, observations, and proposals by attendees.

Saturday, July 28: Caracol of La Realidad, Zona Selva Fronteriza.
Final Plenary and Closing.

Sunday, July 29: Return.

Second. The themes of the plenary roundtables are:

Health: Presentation given by the Health Promoters of the Zapatista communities.

Education: Presentation given by the Education Promoters.

Organization of the Communities: Presentation given by the municipal
commissioners and officials.

Collective Work: Presentation given by the local, regional, and
municipal collectives and coordinators of each zone.

The Struggle of Women: Presentation given by the women of the bases of
support on their forms of organization at different levels, as "the
women that we are."

Autonomy: Presentation given by the autonomous authorities on the
struggles and problems faced in the areas of work, health, education,
trade, civil registry, justice, projects, etc.

Good Government: Presentation given by members of the Good Government
Councils on their function in the construction of autonomy.

Evaluation of the Process of the Construction of Autonomy:
Presentation given by members of the political directive of the EZLN
(CCRI) on advances and problems in the 13 years of existence of the
Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities in Rebellion (MAREZ) and the 4
years of the Good Government Councils (JBG).

Third. The method of work in the plenary roundtables will be:
Presentation of the theme, followed by a session of observations,
questions, and answers.

Fourth. In this Second Encounter the EZLN will have as special
invitees the compañeros and compañeras of the Landless Movement in
Brazil, of the Campesino Movement of Korea, of the Campesino Movement
of Madagascar, of the Campesino Movement of the United States, and of
other compas of the "Via Campesina" organization in Europe, Asia,
Africa, and America. Given this, there will be a special space for the
participation of these compañer@s.

Fifth. Inscriptions and accreditations will begin by internet on July
2, 2007, at the following webpages:

www.zeztainternazional.org and enlacezapatista@ezln.org.mx
Email: encuentrojulio@ezln.org.mx

Accreditations will be distributed starting Monday, July 16, 2007, in
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, at:

The office of Enlace Zapatista: Avenida Ignacio Allende 22-A, Barrio
de San Antonio, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas.
Telephone: (01) 967 6781013

Additionally, there will be a place for inscription and accreditation
in each of the caracoles where the plenaries will be held.

Sixth. It is recommended that those attending bring the necessary
items to spend the night. In the caracoles there will be affordable
food stands, but attendees can also bring their own food.

We invite all honest, noble, and committed persons of Mexico and the
World to attend.

>From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee—General Command of the
Zapatista Army of National Liberation.


Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
Sixth Commission.

Teniente Coronel Insurgente Moisés.
Intergalactic Commission.

Mexico, June of 2007.

Via Ku Quan (although WGZ blocks Xanga, I still receive blog updates via email - pretty nifty):