Wetlands Works May 2002
Food Not Fur Exposes the Arrogance and Cruelty of Fur and Wealth Inequality
Nobody needs a fur coat, but everyone needs food. Fur garments are not only cruel, because animals are tortured and killed for them, but they are also a sign of arrogance. Millions of people die because of starvation the rich and the poor is overwhelming and unjust. To combat the oppression of people and animals The Activism Center at Wetlands Preserve and Food not Bombs have joined together to protest the fur industry by holding an event called ãFood not Furä (need dates). The purpose of Food not Fur is to emphasize the arrogance of spending thousands of dollars on fur garments while animals and people are suffering and dying.
This unique event was held on April 6th in the heart of the New York City fur district (29th st and 7th ave.) in front of a large fur store called Furs by Davidé. A table was set up in front of the fur store where free vegan food was given out to pedestrians. Participants were holding signs and distributing literature to the public in order to educate them about poverty, animal exploitation, and the waste of food. Food not Fur also included street theater. People dressed up in bloody fur coats and flaunted their gory outfits to the public. Activists chanted “Life not Death, Health not Wealth, Food not Fur” to a drum beat. To learn more about Food Not Fur, visit the Food Not Fur website.
LOHV Continues Anti-Trapping Petition Drive
LOHV’s anti- trapping petition drive continued with outreach events in Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s district on Sundays on the Lower East Side, Soho, and Canal Street. The petition drive is in support of legislation to give local counties in New York State the power to ban trapping, a power now exclusively held by the state legislature and the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Radical Ballerinas, Umbrella-Wielding Protesters Rally Against World's Most Destructive Bank
Citi shareholder’s were greeted by demonstrators chorusing “Not With My Money!” on Tuesday at the annual general meeting. Students from NYU, activists from Rainforest Relief, Activism Center at Wetlands Preserve NYC, Art and Action, Powershift, the Ruckus Society, Alliance for Democracy and dozens of organizations from the Empowering Democracy conference held a rousing protest outside of Carnegie Hall as shareholder’s lined up to go to the Citigroup 2002 Shareholder’s meeting.
An orangutan, a giant Sandy Weill Puppet, radical ballerinas and a “not with my money” umbrella drill team made an indelible impression on the hundreds attending the meeting to vote on a number of shareholder proposals including the RAN sponsored resolution requiring the Citi to take responsibility for its role in global warming and deforestation. Amid drumming and chanting, speakers addressed a number of issues from predatory lending to violation of indigenous rights.
Meanwhile, inside, there was no chance for the Citi Board led by CEO, Sandy Weill to mistake the loud and clear message. “Get out of fossil fuels and deforestation and do it now! Join the other forward-thinking companies and European banks like ABN AMRO to do the right thing economically and ethically! Representatives form Rainforest Action Network and Amazon Watch challenged Sandy to meet or beat the commitment made by Dutch bank, ABN AMRO committing to get out of extractive resources in pristine ecosystems. Lily de la Torre, a lawyer representing indigenous communities in Peru asked that Citigroup reevaluate its role in the controversial Camisea project and extended a personal invitation to Sandy and the board to come witness first hand the destruction resulting from this and other projects in the Peruvian Amazon. The resolution received an astounding 6% of the vote ensuring its place on the ballot at next year’s meeting and its place in the minds of key decision makers at Citi.
Wetlands Mobilizes to Washington DC Against US Imperialism and Corporate Globalization
From April 18th to 21st, activists from The Global Sweatshop Coalition and the Activism Center at Wetlands Preserve went to Washington, DC for a mass mobilization in protest of US foreign policy. The convergence brought together numerous elements of the struggle for social and environmental justice. Activists from Mobilization for Global Justice and other groups staged a rally and March against , the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s annual meeting. The IMF is notorious for enforcing loans to developing nations with destructive repayment conditions that require the sell-off of public resources to big corporations, cuts to public services, and environmentally destructive mega-projects like dams. A rally in the rain and day-long conference organized by the Colombia Mobilization, a national movement against the US’s Plan Colombia military aid package, addressed the country’s atrocious human rights record, the struggles of workers and indigenous people, the complicity of the US government and multi-national corporations, and strategies for resistance and solidarity. A benefit concert in opposition to the School of the Americas, a subject also addressed at the Colombia rally, brought together voices in protest of the US government’s “School of Assasins” at Fort Benning, Georgia, the notorious program that has trained dictator and torturers to further imperialist US foreign policy in Latin America.
Perhaps the highlight of the weekend was the largest anti-war march in recent memory, protesting the push to war with Iraq and the ongoing slaughter of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank by Israeli forces using weapons provided by US funding. The theme of solidarity with Palestians was repeated at the weekend’s final event, a and hunger related illnesses every day, while others spend loads of money on fur coats. The gap between protest against US military aid to Israel at the national convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful, right wing anti-Palestinian lobbying group. Both of these events enjoyed strong representation by courageous Arab Americans who refused to be cowed by the post 9/11 tide of resistance as they stood in solidarity with the victims of the US’s genocidal and murderous foreign policy.
The weekend has several tense moments as activists anticipated a police riot or mass arrest from the notorious Washington, DC police. Civil disobedience attempts at the Capitol led to a lengthy standoff with police. Tensions also escalated at the IMF and anti-AIPAC rallies, but activists stood their ground and refused to be intimidated by the massive police presence, and police eventually backed.down. Wetlands activists video taped and took still photos at these events to document police misconduct and provide material for independent media journalists. According to Wetlands’ Adam Weissman, “Wetlands is excited to be a part of all of these critical events in the struggle for global justice.”
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