Tom Morello Justice Tour Labor Day Madison Wisconsin, 2011


On Labor day in Madison, WI we floated in a pontoon boat past Scott Walker's mansion. Filmed many interviews at LaborFest held at the Madison Labor Temple and finished the night off by interviewing Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. He was in town on the Justice Tour performing at the Barrymore Theater with Wayne Kramer of Detroit's legendary MC5 and Tim McIlrath of Rise Against.
No complaints. A pretty Stellar day.

Journalists Targeted and Arrested at Wisconsin State Capital
On June 6th two journalists were arrested at the state capital in Madison, WI.
I was one of them.



I was grabbed by an aggressive and very escalated police officer after walking in to the state capital on Jne 6th. Officer Corcoran told me to leave, to "get out". It was bewildering because I was already in the building and was simply walking by him filming my way in to the rotunda.
He grabbed me aggressively. I told him, in the friendliest voice I could find, that I was with the press. He let me walk by.

I recognized him from the many times I have been in the building over the past four months covering the gentle uprising as it develops and unfolds around Governor Scott Walker's controversial budget repair bill.

Alex Noguera-Garces was assisting me this day, she was also stopped. I told Corcoran that she was with me and was a member of the press. Initially he let her through. When she stayed behind to film his treatment of citizens as they entered the building he grabbed and arrested her. She was hauled away in handcuffs. It came to my attention that she was being taken away. I went to her aid and when I explained that "I was a member of the press" Corcoran let me know that "I could go to". Referring to jail and being arrested like Alex.
Alex was in taken to an elevator. While inside, before the doors closed, she handed me her camera that was dangling in her hand, likely to fall given the situation. I accepted the camera. At that time Corcoran dropped Alex to the ground, lunged at me from the elevator and tackled me. The excessive force he used left bruises on my arms and hips.
Corcoran never gave me a straight answer as to why he grabbed me or why I was being arrested. He changed his story three times between the time I was in the elevator with him and while he processed my and Alex's charges in the basement.

While in the basement I was pushed around by another office. Literally. I was standing talking on my cell phone, calling for support and an officer came in to the hallway, pushed me from behind, shoving me against a table and told me to "calm down".
Is this the new way that reporters and citizens can expect to be treated in the Wisconsin State Capital? The environment was hostile. The exertion of arbitrary authority was overwhelming. Cops pushing citizens and journalists around because they think they can get away with it.
We must let them know that journalists and citizens alike will not be pushed around, we will not tolerate the use of excessive force simply because someone is wearing a badge.
We do not have to leave a public building simply because a man or a woman with a gun and badge tells us to do so. We are critical thinking individuals; we have the right, the ability and the obligation to challenge authority.

Eventually we were both charged with disorderly conduct, given a $263.50 fine and a court date slated for June 17th.
The officer that escorted us out marked us with a blue sharpy. Giving us a blue X on our right hand. He told us we could not re enter the capital that day.

More people were arrested on Monday than in the days when thousands of people occupied the state capital in February and March.

The following day I filed a complaint with Corcoran's superior. Requesting that he be removed from the first line of defense in "protecting" the people and the capital. I suggested that maybe he be given a few days off as he was clearly over extended in his ability to maintain a clear head and make smart choices whilst under pressure. I learned that he was not working that day and that he would also have the following day off. Perhaps his superior was already savvy to his need for a break.

Monday, June 6th was a significant day as it was the first day the Wisconsin Supreme Court began hearing arguments in the legal challenge to the controversial state law that strips collective bargaining rights for public workers.
More than a thousand people paraded around the capital calling attention to Walker's budget stating that it is "a death sentence to the people of Wisconsin".

My work in Wisconsin will continue. In addition to weekly video news stories, I am making a documentary film about the gentle revolution that exists here. I hope it continues to be gentle and that the brave people of Wisconsin will continue to stand up strong and set an example for the rest of the country.

Everybody In, Nobody Out: Rallying For Universal Healthcare in Vermont


On May 1, 2011 thousands rallied for health care as a human right in Montpelier, Vermont.

For three years a grassroots movement for universal healthcare has been building in Vermont thanks to the Vermont Workers Center. On March 24, the house passed H202, a bill that puts Vermont on the road to having universal healthcare.

Yet before the activists could celebrate the consideration of universal healthcare in Vermont, they had to contend with a last minute amendment that would have made the bill less than universal; the Brock-Sears amendment would explicitly exclude undocumented workers.

The day after this May 1 rally the Brock-Sears Amendment was struck down in conference committee. The committee was responding specifically to grassroots pressure from healthcare activists who called, wrote, marched, rallied and spent days at the statehouse talking to lawmakers. This is democracy in action, and proves that grassroots organizing works.

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.

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.

Displaced Dalits in Tamil Nadu, India


In the Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, India there are 350,000 Dalit people who are under threat of being displaced by a government approved iron ore company. The people of the area have spoken out against the presence of this facility but at present the government is not backing down. The iron ore facility will not only displace people but also their livestock, temples, homes, educational and health facilities as well as break apart communities that have been existing here for years.

Walking down the street in Fort Cochin, Kerala.

McCain Campaign headquarters - Video Footage includes:
Angry McCain staff person threatens to arrest me
Interviews with paid volunteers
Central Florida McCain Chairman talks about the McCain campaign's ability to trump the Democrats because they do not have to rely on paid volunteers.

Obama campaign volunteer and community member talks about voter mobilization and the Acorn issue. Video, Sam Mayfield

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Obama communications director talks about voter turn out tactics and addresses what the Obama campaign is doing with all that money they are pumping into Florida. Video, Sam Mayfield

Early voting began October 20th in Florida.
I went to a few polling stations in Central Florida to see the turnout. Video, Sam Mayfield

Occupying General Dynamics, May 1, 2008. Burlington, Vt.

Grace took me to fetch water at the two wells in the village. The kids linger around the pump well, play, and help each other load water on their heads.

These little guys had fun posing for the camera. They laughed hard and seemed to really enjoy making faces.

This is a quick view of Meamago.

Pounding and selling Maize for breakfast in Mesomago. I met this woman on my walk through the village with Grace. There are about 600 people living in Mesomago.

This is Grace, caretaker of the guesthouse in Mesomago. Here is she is singing a wake up song, it is the first thing that I heard in the morning when I woke up.
Her son is in the video too, he was pretty excited about the camera.

Making a Boat and Beena Sings! Click the play button to watch

This is my friend Beena Magis. Here she is singing a song with little shells we just found on the beach. She is singing about women and their strengths.
Beena is a producer, presenter, programmer, and scheduler for Coastal Television. She Rocks!!

We passed these guys making a boat. They sell about 60 boats a year, for approximately $150.00

We are going to Africa in November to support the first and only community access television station in Ghana. We support community access television in this country and around the globe!!!!!!
CLICK TO PLAY THE VIDEO

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