Prof. John Tirman, director of the MIT Center for International Studies, will be speaking about immigrant rights in the US. Prof. Tirman has recently published a book about resistance to immigration in the US. Previously, he has also written about US-Iran relations, the power of social movements to effect substantive change, and many other topics in international affairs.

What: “Immigrant Rights in Trump’s America”, a talk by John Tirman
When: December 1, 5:00 pm
Where: MIT Building 56- Room 154
Contact: mitai-exec(AT)mit.edu
Event page: amnesty.mit.edu

There will also be a chance to learn about opportunities to get involved with MIT Amnesty International.

Hello –

Hope this message finds you in warm spirits. Thank you to all of those who made it to the Plan: Dudley Square meeting on 11/21. We made it loud and clear that Roxbury Residents want development without displacement, or no development. Reclaim Roxbury will not be hosting a community meeting on an anti-displacement strategy December 1st at Roxbury Community College as planned. Instead, we ask all of you to come out and make your voice heard at the Boston Redevelopment Authorities public meeting on Parcel 3-Tremont Crossing http://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/tremont-crossing-(p-3), this Thursday Dec. 1st 6:15pm – 7:45pm at Central Boston Elders Services 2315 Washington Street. The BRA will be speaking about the impacts of the project on the neighborhood.

Reclaim Roxbury has been watching development projects proposed by the Boston Redevelopment Agency/BPDA in Roxbury closely to make sure Roxbury Residents will not be displaced as a result of the City’s plans. At the last Plan: Dudley Square meeting the BRA/BPDA said publicly that they are committed to development without displacement – we are committed to holding them to that.

“Tremont Crossing” is a proposed project at the corner of Tremont and Whittier St near Ruggles Station that is currently under review for development. It will bring almost 700 units of housing to the Lower Roxbury area. Only 13% of the units are planned to be affordable, and they will only be affordable for families with one or more children if they have incomes of $60,000 to $70,000 a year. Yet the majority of families in Roxbury have incomes in the range of $25,000 a year. More than 600 units will be market rate units for about $2000 or more a month. As it stands, this project will further gentrify Roxbury and speed up the displacement of current Roxbury Residents. What’s worse, the developers of Tremont Crossing/P3, Feldco Development, plan to use 90,000 square feet of space in the new project to build a BJ’s Wholesale Club and other retails with similar low wages. This means not only will residents be displaced, but they will be given mostly low paying jobs that will make it harder to afford their own communities. We support the Elma Lewis Partners’ plans for a National Center for Afro-American Artists. But we do not support Feldco’s plan that will displace Afro-American people and other minorities that have historically lived in Roxbury

Come out on Thursday Dec. 1st at 6:15pm and make it clear that we want development WITHOUT displacement and good paying jobs. Bring a neighbor or friend. Stay tuned for the next Reclaim Roxbury meeting.

I look forward to seeing you there,
Armani – Reclaim Roxbury Organizing Committee

For more information on Parcel 3:
http://www.bostonplans.org/news-calendar/calendar/2016/12/01/parcel-p-3-project-review-committee-meeting

Please join us for a conversation about solitary confinement and immigration detainees. Everyday about 800 immigrants are locked up in county jails and detention centers across Massachusetts.

These women and men are civil detainees who may be waiting for a decision on their asylum application, may have overstayed a visa, or may be contesting deportation. They may be placed in solitary confinement for breaking rules or because they are at risk of being harmed by other detainees (for example, because they identify as transgender).

In May 2015, the UN passed rules that prohibit solitary confinement lasting more than 15 days and in 2011 the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture concluded that solitary confinement for more than 15 days constitutes torture and can cause irreversible harmful psychological effects. How should this issue be addressed?

WHEN: Noon on Thursday, December 1st
WHERE: Moot Courtroom, UMass Law, 333 Faunce Corner Road, Dartmouth, Mass.

Speakers:
Attorney Elizabeth Matos, Massachusetts Prisoner Legal Services Attorney Lisa Newman-Polk, former Mass. Dept. of Corrections clinician who is familiar with solitary confinement and its impact on mental health. Attorney Ellen Gallagher, Senior Policy Advisor, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

This is one of several events marking the 15th anniversary year of the Immigration Litigation Clinic at UMass Law. It is co-sponsored by the UMass Law Review, the International Law Students Association, and the Latin American Law Students Association.

West Roxbury Pipeline Activist Faces Amputation After Police Injure Over 300 Peaceful Water Protectors At Standing Rock

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2016
Contacts:
Marla Marcum 781-475-0996, marla.marcum(AT)gmail.com;
Tim DeChristopher 801-362-6941, tim.dechristopher(AT)gmail.com

Boston, MA — Among the Spectra pipeline resisters scheduled to appear in West Roxbury District Court today is 22 year old Sophia Wilansky. Sophia is one of the Mass Grave 6 defendants, along with Karenna Gore, daughter of former vice-president Al Gore, climate activist Tim DeChristopher, Norah Collins, Dave Publow, and Callista Womick. Instead of appearing in the West Roxbury District Court, Sophia is in Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she was airlifted after being critically injured by a concussion grenade at Standing Rock, ND. She faces a second surgery today as doctors attempt to save her left arm.

A press conference is scheduled for noon local time today, Nov 22, at Hennepin County Medical Center with a prayer vigil to follow at 4pm.

#nodapl, #keepitintheground, #waterprotectorsSophia is among the thousands of supporters who have been standing with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to protect their water from the Dakota Access pipeline. On Sunday night, police and national guard attacked the peaceful water protectors with rubber bullets, pepper spray, water cannons and concussion grenades. Sofia was hit with a concussion grenade fired by the Morton County Sheriff’s Department.

This was the latest assault in an escalated campaign of violence and intimidation by the police against those who have been asserting indigenous and human rights. Approximately 300 injuries were identified, triaged, assessed and treated by tribal physicians, nurses, paramedics and integrative healers working in collaboration with local emergency response. These 300 injuries were the direct result of excessive force by police over the course of 10 hours. In addition to Sophia’s injury, at least 26 seriously injured people had to be evacuated by ambulance to 3 area hospitals.

Today West Roxbury pipeline resisters, including Sophia’s co-defendants — Karenna Gore, Tim DeChristopher and others — clergy, and other supporters will gather in prayer, song, and solidarity on the courthouse steps at 8:45am before Sophia’s scheduled healing and again after the hearing (end time dependent on proceedings).

In a historic moment of nonviolent resistance, thousands of people calling themselves protectors, not protestors, have gathered in North Dakota, to demand President Obama reject this dirty and dangerous proposal. If constructed, the Dakota Access pipeline would carry fracked oil from North Dakota to Illinois, cutting under the Missouri River less than a mile upstream from the Standing Rock Sioux’s drinking water supply as well as through the Tribe’s sacred and historical land. This pipeline is a threat to Native heritage, their homes, and will be a climate disaster.

Take action in solidarity with Standing Rock.

Last night the police and National Guard violently attacked peaceful water protectors at Standing Rock. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, sound grenades, and sprayed them with water cannons in subfreezing conditions, hundreds of people were injured. Our solidarity efforts are needed now more than ever.

The financial footing of the Dakota Access Pipeline is in jeopardy if they do not complete the project by January 1st. If this deadline is missed, a majority of the stakeholders with contracts to ship oil through the pipeline will be able to renegotiate or cancel their contracts. This could be devastating to Energy Transfer Partners and the other pipeline companies behind DAPL.

Solidarity actions are having a measurable impact and Dakota Access is facing a major deadline. With its vulnerabilities exposed, our solidarity efforts are needed now more than ever.

We are calling for a week of action beginning on November 25th culminating with a Global Day of Action on December 1st. We are asking people to target the banks funding Dakota Access Pipeline and the Sheriff Departments that have been brutalizing peaceful water protectors. Click here to locate a target near you.

Please help us spread the word about this Global Day of Action by sharing this meme on Facebook and retweeting this image.

Taking Action Against the Banks

We are calling for direct actions, demonstrations and other disruptions targeting the banks behind the pipeline. We also ask that people use this date to close their accounts with these banks. Here is a guide on how to close and switch your bank account.

In August, a group of banks agreed to lend $2.5 billion to Dakota Access. But $1.4 billion of this loan is still on hold until the Army Corps grants the final permits for the pipeline. This means that there is still time for the banks involved in this loan to cut their line of credit.

TD Bank and Citi Bank are two of the main banks on this loan, but we need to target all of the lenders involved:

If you are organizing a public action, please register it Find targets in your area using our targets map.

Pressure Sheriff Departments to Withdraw from Standing Rock

Sheriff Departments and Police Departments from across the Midwest have sent officers to violently attack and suppress Water Protectors.

We are calling on these Departments to permanently withdraw their officers from Standing Rock. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office withdrew after facing protests in Minneapolis.

Here is a list of Sheriff and Police Departments that have deployed at Standing Rock:

Morton County Sheriff Department
Mandan ND
701-667-3330

Michigan City Police Department
Michigan City, IN
(219) 874-3221

North Dakota Highway Patrol
Offices across North Dakota
(701) 328-2455

Hammond Police Department
Hammond, IN
219-852-2900

Munster Police Department
Munster, IN
(219) 836-6600

Griffith Police Department
Griffith, IN
(219) 924-7503

Anoka County Sheriff’s Office
Andover, MN
(763) 323-5000

Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Stillwater, MN
651-430-6000

Marathon County Sheriff’s Department
Wausau, WI
(715) 261-1200

La Porte County Sheriff’s Office
La Porte, IN
(219) 326-7700

Newton County Sheriff’s Office
Kentland, IN
219-474-3331

South Dakota Highway Patrol
Pierre, SD
605-773-3105

Jasper County Sheriff
Rensselaer, Indiana
219-866-7344

Lake County Sheriff Sheriff’s Department
Crown Point, IN
219-755-3333

Laramie County Sheriff’s Department
Cheyenne, WY
307-633-4700

Wyoming Highway Patrol
Cheyenne, WY
307-777-4301

Ohio State Highway Patrol
Columbus, Ohio
614-466-2660

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency
Lincoln, NE
(402) 471-7421

Thank you for all that you do. We looking forward to continuing to build
with you and making December 1st a memorable day.

-#NoDAPL Solidarity Team

Copyright (C) 2016 Sacred Stone Camp, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Sacred Stone Camp
POB 1011
Fort Yates, Nd 58538