Today India denied Vedanta Resources permission for a six-fold expansion of its aluminium refinery in Orissa state over environmental concerns, dealing a fresh blow to the British company. Just two months ago, Vedanta was rejected in trying to mine bauxite on sacred indigenous lands thanks to prolonged campaigns by environmental groups, indigenous rights organization, Survival International, and an inchoate guerilla uprising in the area. Vedanta is so environmentally immoral that it is currently fighting to buy up the Indian subsidiary of Cairn, the Scottish-based company that is also exploring for oil in the Arctic, and the most recent decision against them may indicate some movement in the direction of biodiversity by the Indian government.
Minutemen Slammed at Screening
On the 15th, about ten protesters met Robert Crooks outside the theater with chants of “No Nazis No KKK No Fascist USA” while holding a banner that said “World Without Borders” while dozens of festival attendees, curious bystanders and security observed. Robert Crooks wasn’t hard to spot in full body camouflage fatigues as he arrogantly taunted the crowd. Later after Crooks had several drinks at the bar, he was slammed with eggs as he was trying to leave the festival.
The film screened again the next day at the same time as protesters marched just a few blocks away on Michigan Avenue for the Midwest Regional Anti-war action. As the Q & A session started after the film, several people were able to disrupt Robert Crooks with shouts of “Racist Pig!” to Crooks and the film crew, bringing the screening to an abrupt end as security shut down the Q & A session while struggling to escort protesters outside.
The antifascist work activists are doing against paramilitaries on the border fit in nicely with the deep ecological understanding of the superficial nature of political borders. The environmental destruction of the border wall and border security, from helicopters to offroad vehicles, leads us all to the same confluence of struggle, while the economic causes of migration illustrate the necessity to resist infrastructure, development and free trade.
Roselle, Climate Ground Zero Activists Granted Continuance
EF! cofounder, Mike Roselle, and two other activists with Climate Ground Zero received a continuance from the court that is hearing the case against them for locking down to the coal company, Massey’s Headquarters, in protest against mountaintop removal. In what appears to be a case of dirty tricks, Massey took too long to submit important trial documents, leading the judge to postpone trial.