Tucson Raging Grannies make headlines around the world

When a handful of elderly women entered an Army recruiting office in Tucson two weeks ago, the last thing they expected was to be arrested for it. The very last thing any of them expected was to have the BBC calling for an interview. But the shenanigans of Tucson’s Raging Grannies have landed them in the international limelight.

The Raging Grannies had attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army at the military recruitment center 2303 E. Speedway the morning of July 13, 2005. Charged with Criminal Trespass, five members of the Tucson Raging Grannies deny they were trespassing and insist that they were serious about enlisting in the U.S. Army. Four media representatives were also cited.

“We were expecting them to dismiss our charges, and they didn’t,” Granny Pat Birnie said. “And we are delighted. It’s so totally absurd, I don’t know why they’re bothering. It’s really to our advantage that they didn’t dismiss.”

Birnie said she’s received calls from all over the world, including the BBC and papers in Sweeden and Canada. “Every nation has been calling for interviews, it’s been exciting,” Birnie said.

The Raging Grannies will be out in full force this Wednesday at 8:00 am in front of the recruiters’ offices. The Today Show, along with CBS, is expected to be filming the action.

• 7:00pm - Protest is coming to a close, people who are left are engaging delegates in discussions about the free-trade discussions. Reports confirm again that Andean delegates are upset concerning the intellectual private property discussions, and those discussions are still stalled.
• 6:43pm - Around 30 people have arrived in TCC area. Protestors have gathered outside the glass doors of the intellectual private property discussion room.
• 6:00pm - Small group of protestors pass convergence space on sidewalks of Congress St., march closes in on TCC.
• 5:51pm - Marchers turn on 4th Ave. Small police presence noticed.
• 5:39pm - March to TCC takes the streets on University Blvd. towards 4th Ave. No sign of police.
• 5:28pm - Rally at Marriott comes to an end with some protestors continuing on with a march from the Marriott to the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) where delegates have been meeting for the trade discussions. No arrests have been reported.
• 4:44pm - Police deny marchers from entering Euclid Ave, marches take seperate route to Marriott. The march is currently arriving at the Marriott, with the Danza Azteca Cuauhtemoc (Descending Eagle) traditional warrior dancers performing ancient Aztec dances in the front of the march.
• 4:00pm - March leaves for Marriot Hotel on 2nd St. where many trade delegates are staying.
• 3:45pm - Around 100 people are gathered at the Old Main Fountain on the University of Arizona campus. Speakers are addressing the crowd and the march is preparing to begin.
• 3:30pm - Arizona Indymedia insider sources report that trade talks discussing intellectual private property have stalled today. US delegates are resorting to blackmail tatics on delegates from the Andes.

Don't Hate the Media - Become the Media - If you have any AFTA related news, call the IMC studio at 1-800-939-7973. Can you dig it?

Week against AFTA commences

More than 200 people lined the street leading up to the Tucson Convention Center on Tuesday to encourage the 1,500 delegates from South America to not sign into the Andean Free Trade Agreement. See the flyer with info on Friday's March on the Marriott here. (pdf)

A luncheon and opening talks sparked the 5 day, sixth round of talks to the trade agreements between Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and the United States. Bolivia is officially observing the trade talks.

One of the protestors, Enrique Daza, director of the Colombian Network Against Free Trade, addressed a crowd of protestors in front of the Tucson Convention Center. Hear it here.

Unlike other trade agreements of such caliber, security and police presence was minimal allowing those in opposition to AFTA to talk directly to the delegates outside the convention center. Individuals representing various human rights, labor rights, peace and environmental groups yelled messages in English and Spanish as the delegates entered and left the talks.

Word on the street is that many of the South American delegates are unsatisfied with the American hospitality. There is no press room in the Tucson Convention Center, the access to internet and email is limited, and many of the delegates left the talks today having to use their own money to buy a cab ride back to their hotels. Geographically, the delegates are spread among 15 hotels, often grouped by country.

Later that day, a panel discussion was held at the University of Arizona College of Law, to hold a discussion on how the Andean Free Trade Agreement will impact the people in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Indymedia will be coordinating our coverage of all these events among all the regional sites, as well as a new site set up specifically for AFTA. Starting Thursday, Dec. 2, Arizona Indymedia along with Portland Indymedia will also be providing live radio feeds. To keep up on all that is going on, visit these sites:

• NoAFTA.org - Calendar of anti-AFTA events, teach-ins, press releases and general AFTA info
• arizona.indymedia.org - Coverage of anti-AFTA actions in Tucson
• colombia.indymedia.org - Coverage of anti-AFTA actions in Colobmia
• ecuador.indymedia.org - Coverage of anti-AFTA actions in Ecuador
• peru.indymedia.org - Coverage of anti-AFTA actions in Peru
• FTAA IMC - General info on anti-free trade stuff, based on the Free Trade Area of the Americas talks
• Small World Radio Collective 106.9 FM Tucson, AZ - Providing Tucson with local pirate radio on AFTA affairs.

Don't Hate the Media - Become the Media - If you have any AFTA related news, call the IMC studio at 1-800-939-7973. Can you dig it?

Actions held in conjunction with DNC, Cheney's visit

Beginning on Monday, July 26, protestors met at the intersection of Speedway and Swan to show their disgust with John Kerry and US politics in general. The action, held in solidarity with actions at the DNC in Boston (1|2, Boston IMC), kicked off a week of protests throughout Tucson.

On Thursday evening, about a dozen gathered to protest outside of the Carpenter’s Union Hall where Pima County Democrats were watching the final speeches of the DNC, including John Kerry’s. A few democrats were very upset, although many took time to talk and listen to the activists. The protestor’s message was simple: voting for Kerry (or Bush) is still voting for the war, and all the other atrocious things that presidents do. “Better than Bush” is a weak argument. “Changing the system from within” will never work, and indeed it hardly ever has. (1|2)

The grand finale was Saturday’s three actions coinciding with a visit from Vice President Dick Cheney. Saturday morning had two actions, one at the republican headquarters and the other at the freeway exit for the fairgrounds where Cheney was speaking. Although the fairgrounds action was small, it took over a dozen Pima County Sheriff cars to “lock down the protestors” for one-and-a-half hours while Cheney’s motorcade and hundreds of Bush supporters drove by and heckled. (1|2) Later that afternoon, over a hundred gathered for another action in front of the republican headquarters on Oracle Rd. to support John Kerry.