Burlington Ramble 2010


The day that Burlington captured a little bit of Bohemia

Silenced Voices, Trailer
In January I went to Mexico with Brendan O'Neill and Gustavo of the Vt. Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project . We accompanied the body of Jose Obeth Santiz Cruz, a young migrant farmworker who was killed in a farming accident while working on a Vt. dairy farm. We went to accompany his remains and to interview family and community members about the causes, effects and experiences of migration.


Come see the the film
In Burlington, Vt. July 1, at the Black Box Theater, Main St. Landing on the Waterfront
Tuesday July 6th at 7pm, Montpelier Unitarian Universalist Church
Wednesday July 14th at 7pm, Hardwick Town Hall
Sunday July 25th at the Fairfield Community Center
Panel discussion will follow each film screening

VIDEO -
Vermonters Say NO to SB1070



On a national day of action Burlingtonians came together to protest SB 1070, a racist law in Arizona that allows and encourages racial profiling. ; This act requires law enforcement officials to check the documentation of any and all persons who look suspicious and or look like immigrants.

Video
Vermont Responds to Israel's Flotilla Massacre



The humanitarian aid ship, Mavi Marmara, set off toward Gaza from Cyprus on Sunday, May 30, to deliver much-needed aid supplies. The following day, the Israeli military violently seized the ship in international waters. The Israeli government said the ship was embarking on "an act of provocation" against the Israeli military, stating the flotilla would be breaking international law by landing in Gaza.

The aid ship, carrying more than 600 international passengers and thousands of pounds of humanitarian aid cargo, never had a chance to deliver crucial supplies to the people of Gaza.

After helicopter commandos descended on the ship, shooting at close range, killing nine people and injuring dozens more, they detained all passengers and put them under arrest, confiscating all cameras and footage taken of the assault by passengers, as well as money, personal property and passports. No photos or video footage from the passengers has been released. So far the only video and photos to be seen are those provided by the Israeli military. For a fair investigation of the assault, the military must release the photos and video taken by passengers.

In response to this assault, dozens of people gathered in Burlington, Vermont on May 31 to mourn the dead and to express their sadness and outrage over Israel’s blatant lack of respect for international law.

Two days later more than fifty citizens visited Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy’s office to insist that the US government not remain silent about the mishandling of innocent people in Gaza and the West Bank, humanitarian aid workers and human rights activists by the Israeli government anymore. Citizens stated that "The US is alone in our support for Israel" and demanded that the Senator not be complicit in Israels crimes against humanity any longer.
Citizens also demanded an end to military aid to Israel.

Senator Leahy is a leading member of the Appropriations Committee which authorizes funding for Israel amounting to more than $300 billon a year. Over $2 billion of that goes directly to aid the Israeli military.

The Leahy Amendment, introduced by the Senator as an amendment to the 1997 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, prohibits US security assistance to foreign military or security units “against whom exist credible allegations of gross violations of human rights.” Leahy should insist that his own amendment be applied to the Israeli military.

Remaining silent on this issue is no longer acceptable. If left unchallenged by the public and the US government – Israel's sole sponsor in the world – the military and political leaders of Israel will be emboldened to continue their aggression against aid workers and other civilians.

For more information please visit:
Vermonters For a Just Peace in Palestine and Israel: http://www.vtjp.org/
Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement: http://bdsmovement.net/

Israel ballet interrupted in Burlington, Vt. - No tutu is big enough to cover Israel's War Crimes



On Friday, February 19, 2010, American and Israeli human rights activists interrupted a performance by the Israel Ballet at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont, unfurling banners which read "Sponsored by Apartheid Israel" and "No tutu is big enough to cover War Crimes".

The Israel Ballet is currently touring the U.S. as part of an official state campaign, dubbed "Brand Israel" to use the Arts to revive its sagging image abroad in the wake of unanimous condemnation from the major human rights organizations and, most recently, the U.N. "Goldstone Report".

No More War! No More Troops to Afghanistan!

Click to Play

In Burlington, Vermont over 100 people gathered on Saturday December, 12 to say "No more war in Af
ghanistan" and to denounce Barack Obama's 30,000 person troop surge to Afghanistan.

The rally took place one day after 350 members of the Vermont National Guard departed for training before deployment to Afghanistan early next year. Vermont is sending more than 1,500 National Guards people to Afghanistan, this is the largest deployment of Vermont's National Guard since World War II. As of July 2009, the Vermont National Guard had a total of 2,660 people enlisted, this leaves Vermont with just over 1,000 guards to protect the state in the event of an emergency.

Dozens of similar demonstrations took place across the country on Saturday. Thousands of people spoke out against the troop surge and the escalating war in Afghanistan.

Local author and activist, Ben Dangl, attended the rally. "This December 12th protest in Burlington, VT coincided with protests around the nation denouncing Obama's troop escalation in Afghanistan, and should signal the re-emergence of a much-needed anti-war movement. From Afghanistan to Honduras and beyond, Obama's foreign policy is a devastating continuation of US imperialism and needs to be stopped.

Despite the freezing cold temperature and frigid winds the crowd stayed warm singing chants, "Same lies, same plan, troops out of Afghanistan".

The event was organized by local activist Jonathan Leavitt. "Our political leaders have failed us, allowing more Vermont National Guard to be shipped into the meatgrinder that is Afghanistan than remain here in Vermont, leaving us dangerously vulnerable to disasters. Until Vermonters organize and rise up in mass civil disobedience, we are allowing ourselves to be implicated in an illegal and immoral occupation, which in turn leaves us vulnerable to the common blizzard"

Speaking to the crowd Leavitt encourages that "Hopefully starting today...a righteous flame of indignation can rise in the anti-war movement to say no more, not another dollar, not another dayfor this illegal and immoral war!"

Territorial Domination in the West Bank

In July 2009 I visited Israel and Palestine, interviewing Palestinians and Israelis in an attempt to better understand the conflict.
I toured Illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank with Dror Etkes. He heads the Land Advocacy Project for Yesh Din, a group opposing the continuing violation of Palestinian human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Dror is an Israeli citizen who has, for the past 7.5 years, made it his mission to be a local expert on settlement expansion and Palestinian land grabbing. He seems to know every road in the West Bank. He is exact about how many homes are in each settlement and knows which are slated for evacuation.
In Tel Aviv I interviewed Human Rights Attorney Michael Sfard. He represents Israeli Human Rights organizations, Peace groups, Palestinian communities and individuals. Many of his legal cases deal with Palestinian land grabbing by settlers.

Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied territories of Palestine is about more than constructing houses for Jewish settlers. Palestinian farmland is being turned into industrial space and illegal outposts on Palestinian land are protected by Israeli military. Roads, if Palestinians are allowed to drive on them, are often
blocked without warning.



Thank you to Anouar Brahem and Meiron Egger for their musical contributions!

Bethlehem is a prison for its citizens
A message from Bethlehem Mayor, Victor Bartarseh.
On a recent visit to Bethlehem, Palestine I interviewed Mayor Victor Bartarseh to get a perspective on what life is like for the citizens of this West Bank city


Bethlehem has the highest rate of unemployment in the West Bank. The city is entirely surrounded by the separation wall. The city receives less than 5% profit from tourism due to Israel's control over tours thus keeping money generated from hotels, restaurants, souvenirs and the like in Israel.

Since the mid 1990's. Burlington, Vermont and Bethlehem, Palestine have shared a sister relationship.

The Mayor speaks candidly about the physical and psychological affects of living with the wall. He is hopeful that we can break down psychological barriers with cultural exchanges between the two cities.

Today we visited Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, Palestine. I'm filming Munjed, he grew up in the refugee camp. He is telling me what the wall is doing to Palestinians, you can see the separation wall behind us.
Edited videos will come later after we get home.
The wall is a monster.

History of the Eelam Tamil struggle

A brief history of Sri Lanka and the Ealam struggle according to Thozhar Thiagu, activist and General Secretary of the Tamil National Liberation Movement in Tamil Nadu, India.

I met with Thiagu at his office and at his home in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in February 2009.

The struggle for Tamils in Sri Lanka continues despite the alleged end of the war in May 2009. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed in the final weeks of war. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are displaced without food, shelter or medical supplies. Seeking refuge from government bombardment of their homeland in the north and eastern provinces, thousands of Tamils have fled from Sri Lanka since the mid 1980's.

Here is a brief history of the struggle.