------- Index of Articles

NUCLEAR
Many Britons See Lying, Cronyism in Govt - - Poll
Brajesh disagrees with Kargil review panel recommendation
Clinton warns India on proliferation
Citizens take on nuclear issue

MILITARY
The war our fathers fought
Author's mission to chronicle the horrors of war
Car Bomb, Mortars, Rock Colombian City

OTHER
Hooray for hybrids
U.S. To Work on Global Warming

ACTIVISTS
Reports from the Pro-Democracy Protests



-------- NUCLEAR

-------- britain

Many Britons See Lying, Cronyism in Govt - - Poll

New York Times
November 11, 2000 Filed at 7:50 p.m. ET
By REUTERS
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-britain.html

LONDON (Reuters) - Most Britons think Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labor government is riddled with cronyism and lies to them about key safety issues for the sake of business, according to a new poll published on Sunday.

The Sunday Times' ICM poll found 92 percent of British public thought ministerial lying was a problem, while 88 percent thought Labor was tainted by financial sleaze.

Labour's lead over the main opposition Conservatives has shrunk to just three percentage points. The poll found that 39 percent of those questioned support Labor compared with 36 percent backing the Tories.

That compares with 40 percent for Labor and 34 percent for the Conservatives according to an ICM poll published earlier this week.

``Public confidence in Blair and his ministers is scarcely higher than in (former Conservative Prime Minister) John Major's profoundly unpopular, distrusted and sleaze-ridden administration,'' the paper cited poll designer Professor Patrick Dunleavy of the London School of Economics as saying.

Some 75 percent of the 2,400 people surveyed said they did not trust ministers to tell them the truth about the safety of food, nuclear installations or genetically modified crop trials.

Some 49 percent thought Britain was becoming less democratic under the Labor government.

-------- india / pakistan

Brajesh disagrees with Kargil review panel recommendation

The Hindu
Saturday, November 11, 2000
The Hindu & Tribeca Internet Initiatives Inc
http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/2000/11/11/stories/02110009.htm

NEW DELHI, NOV. 10. The Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, Mr. Brajesh Mishra has disagreed with the recommendation of the Kargil Review Committee for an independent national security adviser, saying it would be better for the present if he continued to hold the two key positions.

Mr. Mishra, however, said he was not suggesting this for personal reasons but in other countries also ``both national security and the job of Principal Secretary require people who are totally trusted by the PM''.

Replying to a question by Mr. Vir Sanghvi on ``Star Talk'' programme to be Telecast on November 12, he said ``secondly you do not want a conflict in this situation, so it is better for one person to deal with (the two positions).''

He said ``it is better for the two jobs to remain with one person but this should not be the ultimate solution.''

He said a Group of Ministers was examining the ways of implementing the report.

On the Pokhran tests, Mr. Mishra said they were conducted following threats of war from Pakistan soon after the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, assumed office in 1998.

``Well, actually a discussion (on the nuclear policy) took place two weeks or so after the Prime Minister took oath (on March 19, 1998) and we left it at that.''

``Then came the missile and all the claims from the other side, of a war. And at that point, the Prime Minister said, o.k., let us go ahead (with the tests),'' Mr. Mishra said.

He said the 1995 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference decided to extend the NPT indefinitely which meant perpetuating the regime of the five nuclear weapon states and the rest in a state of nuclear apartheid.

Mr. Mishra said at that point, he had decided that if he had ever anything to do with the Government, going nuclear would be the first priority, according to a transcript of the interview made available.

--------

Clinton warns India on proliferation

The Hindu
Saturday, November 11, 2000
The Hindu & Tribeca Internet Initiatives Inc
http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/2000/11/11/stories/03110006.htm

WASHINGTON, NOV. 10. The U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, has warned India that Indo-U.S. relations cannot reach their full potential ``without progress on our non-proliferation and regional concerns'' and feels there are no encouraging signs of resumption of talks between India and Pakistan soon.

Mr. Clinton expressed his views in a letter to the House Speaker covering U.S. policy in various regions and dealing with nuclear and missile issues relating to India mainly in the Pakistani context. In the context of the warmth in Indo-U.S. relations assumed after Mr. Clinton's rousing welcome in India and the equally warm welcome to the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, in the U.S., the Clinton message came as a cold shower to analysts of the Indian scene.

Mr. Clinton said he discussed non-proliferation and Indo-Pakistan issues with the two countries during his trip in March and with Mr. Vajpayee here in September. ``With India, we have stressed that our relationship will not be able to reach its full potential without progress on our non-proliferation and regional concerns. With Pakistan, we also emphasised the importance of progress on regional security and non-proliferation, among other pressing issues.

The U.S. President said the Kargil conflict and the military coup in Pakistan resulted in the suspension of the bilateral dialogue initiated in Lahore.

-------- u.s. nuc facilities

-------- tennessee

Citizens take on nuclear issue
Public meeting set to discuss possible MOX fuel fabrication at Savannah River Site.

Savannah Morning News
Friday, November 10, 2000
By Gail Krueger Savannah Morning News
http://www.savannahmorningnews.com/smn/stories/111000/LOCcejmtg.shtml

Savannah residents get a chance to weigh in on the nuclear fuels discussion Saturday at a public meeting at Second Arnold Baptist Church.

State Sen. Regina Thomas is holding the meeting and comments from the public will be passed along to the National Environmental Policy Commission -- a special policy group organized by the Congressional Black Caucus, Thomas said.

The focus is the potential of Mixed Oxide fuel -- known as MOX -- fabrication at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, S.C. The MOX program would turn spent weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for commercial reactors.

Savannah-based Citizens for Environmental Justice, a grass-roots organization that specializes in providing environmental information to the area's African-American communities, has come out against MOX fuel being processed at the Savannah River Site.

"It adds insult to injury to use the site for MOX because we do not know the effect on the health of the downstream communities," said Mildred McClain, executive director of CEJ.

CEJ is concerned about the movement of plutonium through rural communities in Georgia and South Carolina on the way to the site. Routes have yet to be established, however.

The Savannah River Site has been chosen as a possible site for the MOX program, said Roger Hannah, a spokesman for the Atlanta office of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. However, Savannah River Site has not applied for a license to process the fuel. When and if it does, a series of public hearings will be held, Hannah said.

Environmental issues reporter Gail Krueger can be reached at 652-0331 or at gkrueger@savannahnow.com.


-------- MILITARY

-------- canada

The war our fathers fought
A trip through Normandy recalls the dogged courage of Canada's soldiers

Montreal Gazette
Saturday 11 November 2000
MURRAY TEITEL Freelance
http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/pages/001111/4849059.html

One June morning, my father lost everything he owned when the vehicle he was riding on was hit by a German mortar in this seaside town, and burst into flames. This caused its cargo of mines, grenades and ammunition to blow up and set fire to two self-propelled artillery pieces and a carrier.

''Because a vehicle got stuck in the only gap in the sea-wall, we could not get off the beach,'' he would write to his fiancee, later my mother. Caught between machine guns and mortars, my father and his comrades fired back from what cover they could find on the beach. Drivers courted death to get them to safety.

''By then Charlie was wounded and I pulled him under (another) vehicle which in turn was set on fire and I had to get him into a cellar of a half-bombed building. Later we found out there was a sniper in the attic of that house but for some reason he left us alone.''

Later, when the sniper did open fire, a tank blew the top storeys off the house, according to the regimental history, which noted that ''so good was the shooting that those in the basement were not further injured.''

The survivors pushed forward, and by 16:00 hours, Troop A of the 55th Battery of the 19th Canadian Army Field Regiment of the 2nd Army Group of the 1st Canadian Army had in place its first gun position in continental Europe. Soon, the one artillery piece that had not been destroyed on the beach was firing.

Fifty-six years later to the day, 300 people stood at the sea wall where these Canadians landed on D-Day. The Canadian flag cracked in the strong wind blowing in from the English Channel like the sound of distant gunfire echoing across time. A brass band, the Reveil St. Aubanois, played O Canada hesitantly, unfamiliar with the tune. Some of their notes cracked, as did the voices of those who sang.

12 students

Ours was a diverse group. It included 28 Canadian and British veterans of the fighting here, and active members of the regiments who landed here. Historian Serge Durflinger of the Canadian War Museum was leading 12 university students on a tour sponsored by the Canadian Battle of Normandy Foundation. Most participants were locals. My wife and I stood next to a 50-millimetre German gun encased in metres-thick concrete, the only one left of many once strung along the beach, connected by tunnels. A monument of brown marble, shaped like an open book, bore the names and regiments of our dead.

When the ceremony ended, some French teenagers talked to the veterans, and thanked them for what they did. For a while people milled about. Eventually Place du Canada emptied.

The town looks peaceful now. Gone are the four machine-gun nests, the seven mortars, the electronically operated flame-throwers, the mines and other beach obstacles into which our soldiers rushed. The substantial summer homes along the boardwalk, badly damaged during the invasion, have been rebuilt. Only the sentence at the bottom of the monument will bear witness to those who fell. Chiseled in block letters it reads: ''Ils sont morts sur cette plage le 6 juin pour notre liberte.''

We left the town by way of narrow streets flanked by high stone walls with ivy spilling over their tops. We headed south and then west to the Canadian military cemetery at Reviers, where 2,014 gravestones, identical but for their inscriptions, are laid out in perfect rows like fence pickets. The 335 Canadians killed on D-Day are among those buried here. Large, healthy maples grow along the perimeter.

We left Reviers to go to Bayeux. taking the slightly wider than single lane back roads. We drove through small villages, the most beautiful of which was Amblie on the Seules River. The fine old, limestone buildings had somehow escaped the attention of both the Blue Guide and warring armies.

Liberated June 7

Bayeux, liberated on June 7 without heavy fighting, has preserved interesting architecture from as far back as the late Gothic period. The one thing not to miss in Normandy is the Bayeux Tapestry. Woven sometime between 1067 and 1082, the 70-metre-long piece of cloth tells the story of William's conquest of England.

This side trip over, we drove to Caen, the principal city of lower Normandy, which would serve as our base for the next three days as we followed the route my father's regiment had taken through Normandy. The Allies had hoped to take Caen within 24 hours of the landing, but the city didn't fall until July 9, at least partly because of the weather. Rough seas wreaked havoc with the co-ordination of the landings, giving the Germans time to rush crack Panzer divisions to intercept the Canadians.

Just northwest of Caen is the Abbaye d'Ardenne, founded in 1121. Its chapel dates from the 13th century and its tower is 93 metres above sea level. Here Colonel Kurt Meyer, commander of the 25th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, established his headquarters. Shortly after noon on June 7, he climbed the tower and saw Canadians moving toward the airport at Carpiquet to his left. They were beyond the protection of their own artillery and completely exposed on their left flank because British troops who were supposed to be there had not been able to reach their objective.

A counterattack at Authie and Buron stopped the Canadian advance, and 37 disarmed Canadian POWs were shot at Authie.The bodies of some were put on the road to be pulverized by tanks moving to the front. Authie's main street is today called Rue des 37 Canadiens. Eighteen other prisoners were taken to the abbey and shot.

In 1945, Meyer was sentenced to death for these murders. This was commuted to life in prison, and in 1955 he was returned to Germany and was, in effect, free. Until his death in 1961 he remained active in SS veteran organizations.

Early on June 7, Jacques Vico and his colleague, Kathryn Gulizzi, met us for a day of touring. Vico, who joined the Resistance when he was 17, has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Canadian army's role in the Normandy campaign. We started at the former German fortress southwest of Douvres-la-Deliverande, the only radar station not destroyed by the air bombardment that preceded D-Day. In his letter of June 18 my father recorded:

''Yesterday we spent several hours watching a concrete stronghold about a half-a-mile behind our position being shelled into submission. Up until then they had defied all efforts to dislodge them until a naval cruiser and a bunch of tanks got together and after three hours of steady hammering they decided that they had had enough and came out under a white flag. During the bombardment one of our shells ricocheted and fell in our lines, killing one sergeant and taking a hand off another.''

A maple-leaf-shaped plaque in front of the town church's 12th-century tower recognizes the Canadians who liberated the town on June 7. In a field outside town is a long wall typical of the kind built all over Normandy to shelter animals from the wind. Look closely and you will see holes the Regiment de la Chaudiere made so they could fire at the German defences.

On July 3, the push on Caen began. ''The roar of the guns has hardly ceased for a moment in the last 24 hours.'' my father wrote. ''The amount of potential death and destruction flying through the air is absolutely staggering.''

The next day the regiment moved to Bretteville-l'Orgeilleuse to support infantry attacking the airport at the village of Carpiquet, taken at the cost of 371 casualties, of whom over 100 were dead.

On the night of July 7, 467 bombers dropped 2,561 tons of explosive on Caen. The Germans had already left, however, to take up positions in the industrial suburbs south of the Orne.

On July 10, the regiment took

up a position at Saint-Germaine-la- Blanche-Herbe, at 75 metres above sea level, the highest ground north of the Orne. It no doubt gets its name from the frost that lingers on the grass.

The Germans were less than a kilometre away and the 19th was shelled continuously. ''The command post is located in a house which, although windowless and scarred by shrapnel, looks remarkably intact in this area of rubble and devastation. It stands in a small but lovingly cared for garden, now also in ruins and it is pitiful to see how the work of years was undone by tanks and shells in a few minutes. I tried sleeping in the big, old-fashioned bed, but had to give it up after a while, as I found out that I am too nervous to sleep in a house with the sounds of shells exploding all around me.''

Today Saint-Germaine has suburban houses and Caen, heavily damaged in the war, lacks charm. There are, however, sights worth seeing. The ruins of a castle started in 1060 by William the Conqueror stand on the hill in the centre of the city. Two abbeys he founded to lift a ban of excommunication imposed in 1051 for marrying his cousin have survived. The twin-spired church of the Abbaye-aux-Hommes is considered one of the greatest buildings of northern Europe.

After Caen, the next main Canadian objective was Falaise, 30 kilometres to the south. The region's shallow valleys and small ridges gave the Germans cover. Their tanks were far superior to those of the Canadians. Their 88-millimetre gun was the most effective weapon in the war. The Canadians could do nothing but launch frontal attacks.The casualties were heavy.

Ninety-five per cent of Montreal's Black Watch Regiment were killed or wounded as they assaulted the fortified village of Fontenay-le-Marmion. Today at the top of the ridge stands a tiny chapel reconstructed from the rubble of the original. Four chestnut trees stand outside like sentinels.

At 3 p.m. we returned to the abbey for the annual ceremony marking the murder of the prisoners in the garden. ''Their wasted lives, their ruined lives,'' Vico said in a moving speech, ''were the price they so generously paid to regain liberty and dignity for all men.'' The students on the tour placed maple leaves at the base of the monument. Reveille was sounded and we stood in silence, many holding back tears.

After the ceremony, we set out on our own to follow the regiment's route towards Falaise. It was a wonderful way to explore the backroads and farming villages of southern Calvados, with their medieval churches, small manor houses and old stone barns and granaries.

The official sources weren't always clear on exactly where the regiment had been, and we tried to clarify matters with a visit to the local cafes, which were were usually called either the Bar des Sports or Bar des Sportifs. The ''sportifs,'' invariably over 60, would be talking and sipping drinks.

We'd ask for people who'd lived in the area during the war, and the responses led to several adventures. In Crasmenil, we were directed down a dirt lane with barking dogs. In Rouvres, a schoolyard on recess came to our aid. In Bout-du-Haut, we were directed through an orchard at the end of a path and came across the Laizon brook.

But when we found our villager, the response was always. ''Ah, les allemands nous ont evacues. Je ne peux pas vous aider.'' And indeed the German defensive strategy was to evacuate the villages, fortify them with anti-tank ditches and mines and wait for the Canadians to show up.

We ended the day by touring Falaise, once one of the finest townscapes in Normandy, but mostly flattened by the time it fell to the Allies on Aug. 17. The ruins of a castle occupy a hill in the centre of town.

Falaise gap

We spent our third day on the battle to close the Falaise gap. On Aug. 16, it became apparent that the Allies might encircle elements of 21 retreating German divisions heading for the crossings over the 8-kilometre stretch of the Dives River between Trun and Chambois. Half of the battle-exhausted Canadian army moving on Falaise was sent to block their way.

''We are part of an armoured spearhead cutting in behind enemy lines. ...,'' my father wrote. ''We are passing through very picturesque country with lots of woods and beautiful orderly fields. We have advanced so rapidly that the Germans did not have time to destroy anything or evacuate the people. You will never know what a relief it is to go through towns and villages that are not all in shambles and where the smell of death does not pervade the air.''

By Aug. 18 they were on a hill on the east bank of the Dives just outside Trun, whose narrow streets converge on a large square now called Place du Canada. Some of the medieval buildings have survived or been rebuilt so that the town today is surprisingly attractive.

To the east rise the hills of Suisse Normande. Estimates of the number of Germans caught in the pocket range from 70,000 to 200,000. At most 7,000 Canadians and Poles were sent to stop them. Roads were choked with German vehicles being strafed by Spitfires and rocketed by Typhoons. Waves of Germans poured across the river fighting pitched battles wherever our men had taken a stand.

Major David Currie and a handful of men held out in Saint-Lambert-sur-Dives for 72 hours, inflicting 800 casualties and taking 2,100 prisoners. A plaque commemorates their heroism.

Polish heroes

The greatest heroes of this battle were the 1,600 Poles who occupied a high ridge they named Maczuga (Polish for mace) because of its shape. It dominated the road that served as the main eastbound escape route for the Germans who had managed to get past our troops along the river. When the Poles opened fire, the Germans launched fierce attacks in an effort to dislodge them. On Aug. 21, their wounded commander told his officers to prepare for the worst. ''We have no food and very little ammunition,'' he said. ''There is no question of surrender. Tonight we shall die.''

But the Germans didn't attack until the next day, and the Poles somehow beat them back. That afternoon Canadian tanks came to their rescue. Today the hill is an elaborate monument, complete with a museum built into the hillside.

My father's regiment went on to fight crucial battles in Belgium and Holland and was in Germany when it finally surrendered. This was as far as my wife and I would follow it. On the Maczuga we ate a picnic lunch looking out over the green Norman fields undulating into the distance below, looking peaceful and serene.

Canadians liberated 122 communities in Normandy, including its three major cities. In all of World War II, at a time when the population of Canada was only 11.5 million, 42,042 Canadians were killed, over 53,000 were wounded and 8,995 were taken prisoner.

Never forget that.

If You Go

Getting there: Air France and Air Canada each have a daily evening flight from Montreal to Paris. Air France, trying to develop the Montreal-Paris route, starting in March 2001 will be adding a second daily flight. Each puts on an additional flight in summer. Once you land, rent a car at the airport and follow the signs to Rouen, avoiding Paris. The trip from the airport to Paris at rush hour can take longer than the one you will have just completed across the Atlantic.

Maps: For detailed topographical road maps, buy Serie Bleue 1:25000 from Institut Geographique National 107 la Boetie St. 75008 Paris. The Michelin reprint of its 1947 historical Battle of Normandy map is also useful.

Tours: For English tours of Normandy and the Canadian battlefields, Kathryn Gulizzi, 243 du Regiment de la Chaudiere St., 14990 Bernieres-sur-Mer. Phone 011-33-2-31976387; E-mail: kathryn.gulizzi1@libertysurf.fr

Books: Bloody Victory, J.L. Granatstein et al., Lester Publishing; A Canadian's Guide to the Battlefields of Normandy, Terry Copp, Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies; Mourir a Caen, Albert Pipet, Presses de la Cite; Murder at the Abbey, Ian J. Campbell, Golden Dog Press; Six Armies in Normandy, John Keegan, Jonathan Cape Ltd.; The Victory Campaign: the Operations in North-West Europe, 1944-1945, C.P. Stacey, Queen's Printer.

Where to stay: La Grange Ferroniere 14750 Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer; B&B with shared baths; phone 011-33-2-31972732. The town has two hotels.

Where to eat: L'As de Trefle, 420, Leopold Hettier St. 14990 Bernieres-sur-Mer; phone 011-33-2-31972260.

To become a member of the Canadian Battle of Normandy Foundation, contact Serge Durflinger, Canadian War Museum, 330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0M8; phone (819) 776-8673; fax: (819) 776-8657; Web site: www.stratnet.ucalgary.ca\cbnf

---

Author's mission to chronicle the horrors of war

Montreal Gazette
Saturday 11 November 2000
JANE DAVENPORT The Gazette
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/pages/001111/4852625.html

Oct. 13, 1944: For three days, Canadian troops mired amid flooded fields and narrow dikes have assaulted German defences at the Dutch town Woensdrecht.

The Black Watch Regiment is chosen to undertake an operation to seize the end of a strategically important dike.

During the assault, one platoon succeeds in holding the dike for 40 minutes before it is repelled by a furious German counter-attack.

The weakened forces are ordered to attempt to get back onto the dike. The attack ends disastrously with 55 officers and men dead, and 100 wounded.

The regiment is virtually wiped out for the second time in the war. Not a yard is gained.

The 1944 decimation of the Black Watch Regiment is a single incident in a six-week battle in a five-year war.

But to historian Terry Copp, it encapsulates the essence of Canadian soldiers' World War II experience - the call not only to fight, but to fight against insurmountable odds during operation after operation.

And unless that experience can be reintroduced to Canada's collective memory of 20th-century war, remembrance risks becoming a meaningless activity, he says.

"What we are simply doing is understanding that the experience of Canadians in World War II required sacrifices of them," Copp said during a lecture at Concordia University. "It is important when we remember that we know what it was we asked them to do."

Copp, a former Montrealer and prolific author of books on Canada's World War II military history, dislikes using secondary sources.

Now a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., he has interviewed countless men who survived the horrors of World War II combat.

It is their simple nobility of purpose that he fears has dropped out of Canada's memory of the world wars, replaced by a complacent nationalism.

"We forget that we were part of a British army, with British forces fighting on either side of us," he said of World War II. "We act as if the war was a plague which Canada strode through, achieving things."

What should be remembered, Copp argues, is the heroism of individuals who went to war simply out of a sense of duty and fought under the most onerous conditions, frequently without a shred of information about the operation.

"The reality is that there is a very poor understanding in Canada about the nature of the experience of the people we sent off to war," he said.

Canada's "content-free" remembrance of World War II stems from the years after the conflict, when Canadian leaders conscious of the highly divisive conscription issue were eager to bury the immediate past, he suggested.

By the time Canadians were ready to return to the war as part of history, the focus of the collective memory had shifted to a sense of national rather than individual valour, he said.

"They turned the veterans' experience into something Canadians can use to build a national identity."

Copp acknowledged the problem he described has few obvious solutions. Few Canadians know veterans personally, and still fewer might be willing to undertake an in-depth look at war conditions in their spare time.

During the 1990s, Copp said, he noticed a marked revival of interest in Remembrance Day, but not a corresponding awareness of the individual stories of Canadian war vets.

"I think the generation growing up in the '90s is out of the shadow of the Vietnam War," Copp said. "But that brings us back to the dilemma of what people are supposed to remember. I don't know what the formula is."

-------- colombia

Car Bomb, Mortars, Rock Colombian City

Reuters
November 10, 2000 Filed at 8:37 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-colombi.html

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Suspected Marxist rebels detonated homemade mortars and a car bomb in an aborted attack on a military base in Colombia's second-largest city on Friday, injuring at least 11 civilians and causing extensive damage to nearby buildings, authorities said.

Army officials blamed the four separate blasts, which rocked the southwest city of Cali at dusk, on Cuban-inspired National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels.

Army spokesmen and Cali Mayor Ricardo Cobo called the attack a botched attempt to mow down columns of soldiers lined up for a ``lights out'' drill on the parade ground of the sprawling Canton de Napoles military base, home of the 3rd Army Division.

But it was civilians, and not the roughly 3,000 troops housed at the base in a bustling commercial and residential district, who paid the consequences.

Three homemade mortars, made from propane gas cylinders packed with explosives and shrapnel, were launched from the back of a pickup truck. But none of the crudely-made missiles landed any closer than about a block away from the base.

TV images showed that one tore through a gas station while another wrecked a Renault car dealership. The third exploded in midair over a psychiatric hospital, officials said.

Army spokesmen said the small pickup truck, also packed with explosives, blew up moments after the gas cylinders.

Of the 11 men and women injured Cobo said two were fighting for their lives in area hospitals, including a gas station attendant who was badly maimed.

The attack in Cali, a city of more than 2 million, occurred in the same area where suspected ELN urban commandos detonated a car bomb that seriously injured five people on Oct. 7.

The ELN, Colombia's second largest guerrilla group, is active in and around Cali, which is ringed by rugged Andes mountains, and has staged two massive kidnappings there since May last year. The rebel army, founded in the mid-1960s, has a long tradition of using hefty ransoms to help finance its war against the state.

The larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia are better known for using homemade mortars, which are notoriously inaccurate and for attacks on police and military posts across the country.

Civilians are ever in the cross-fire of Colombia's internal conflict, which pits rebels against ultra-right paramilitary groups and state security forces and has taken 35,000 lives since 1990.

-------- OTHER

-------- alternative energy

Hooray for hybrids
Toyota and Honda are first out of the gate with gas-electric cars that are winning raves

Montreal Gazette
Saturday 11 November 2000
FRANCOIS SHALOM The Gazette
http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/pages/001111/4853155.html

Gas-price surges could not have come at a better time for Toyota and Honda. Both Japanese carmakers have just started selling hybrid gas-electric cars in Canada that can get up to twice the mileage as comparable conventional cars.

You don't need your own hydro-electric plant to plug them in overnight, you can drive farther than 60 kilometres at a time, and no, turning on the car radio will not eat up all the car's power supply.

So far, Quebecers have made their small contribution to the environment, snapping up 22 of the 167 hybrid Toyota Prius compact models in the first two months they went on sale in Canada, beginning Sept. 1.

Honda's hybrid offering, the Insight, is also a hit with those who have bought the sports-car-like model, but it has sold fewer cars, which is not surprising: the car seats only two and can accommodate one small suitcase, not two.

Despite their similarities, the two vehicles are very different from each other.

The Insight is an all-aluminum-body, standard transmission, 3-cylinder, two-seater, while the Prius aims for a larger market with its somewhat traditional-looking steel-body, 4-cylinder compact model with what are known as planetary gears - essentially a one-speed forward gear. At $30,000, it's also $3,000 more expensive than the Insight.

Honda has sold 27 in Quebec and 133 in Canada - albeit in 10 months, rather than two months for the Prius.

Not large numbers, but Thad Malesh said that's about to change.

The director of alternative-system vehicles at car-industry-analysis firm J.D. Power and Associates in Agoura Hills, Calif., predicts sales of hybrid models will be in "the hundreds of thousands" in North America by the end of this decade.

Toyota set a target of 4,800 Prius models for the U.S. in its first year and has since bumped that up to 6,500, said Malesh, who has done corporate work for the Japanese car manufacturer.

"That doesn't sound like a lot, but it's a small victory," he added in a telephone interview from California. "They've been a hit wherever they've been on sale so far."

Call the modest sales a leap forward - not a giant leap, perhaps, but an important leap nonetheless - along the way to the tortuous and long-envisaged conversion of the car industry from the traditional internal-combustion engine to the ultimate goal of much cleaner car-power sources like electricity or fuel cells.

Those alternatives haven't proved to be feasible in the real world so far, but hybrids are considered a substantial step in that direction.

Richard and Kayoko Emond are pioneers of that incipient conversion.

The 42-year-old Saint-Bruno car-lover and his wife bought a Prius two months ago, as soon as the hybrid became available.

He was not exactly talked into it by a pushy salesman.

"I've been following the Prius in the papers and magazines for three years now," Emond said.

"We signed an unconditional contract before we even knew the price. (Brossard Toyota salesman Jean-Guy Rancourt) didn't have to sell me this car. I practically demanded they sell me one."

Said Rancourt: "Richard knew way more about the Prius than I did."

It helps that Emond is an electrical technician for whom the dual gas-electric technology holds boundless fascination and that he's traveled to Japan a couple of times to visit in-laws - by coincidence, his wife's brother works in the Osaka factory that produces the Prius.

Different Version

Toyota has sold 40,000 of a slightly different version of the Prius in Japan, and Emond came away "convinced beyond any doubt that this is the technology of the next 20 years or so. Mass-produced fuel-cells are not about to happen any time soon.''

It's too early to tell if the Prius will stand the test of time in Canada, although Prius mechanic Johnny D'Arcy at Brossard Toyota said the car manufacturer tested the Prius hybrid system, including the battery, over two winters in sub-arctic Timmins, Ont.

In essence, the hybrid system involves a traditional gas-burning engine but is supplemented by an electric motor that automatically assists as required, particularly when accelerating. The interplay between the engine and motor allows for much-lower gas consumption, with the braking action serving to regenerate the battery, which Toyota and Honda both guarantee for 96 months - eight years.

Emond, like the other Insight and Prius owners who spoke to The Gazette, was unstinting in his praise.

The only fence-sitter was Marnie Duff of Westmount, who said she didn't want to say too much until an information session she'll attend provides answers to a few questions she has about her Prius.

Oddly enough, all found the same flaw with what could be considered the car's basic attraction, gas consumption. While satisfactory, and certainly far better than their conventional cars, mileage was not the stupendous improvements they had expected.

That might be the result of exaggerated expectations, according to Vimont Lexus Toyota salesman Fernand Masson, who drives a Prius loaner from his employer, as well as lack of expertise in driving a car fundamentally different from anything they've ever driven before.

This aside, Emond echoed others' appreciation of the experience.

"It's a joy to drive, just very pleasant and quiet," he said in the course of a short drive. "I'm not a big gadget guy, but try not loving this," he smiled, pointing to the 6-inch screen on the dashboard just to the right of the steering wheel.

The colour-display touch-screen shows which system - electric or gas - is currently in use, how much gas is being consumed in two- to five-minute slices, controls the temperature, air- conditioning and CD player, and is GPS-ready for when radio stations and other satellite users start giving out precise and extensive real-time traffic information.

Of course, Emond's on the rebound. His last car, a 1997 GM Grand Prix SE, amassed an impressive list of visits to the repair shop for problems, large and small: "34 major visits in under three years, to be exact, for a car with 80,000 kilometres," Emond said. His only Prius hitch so far has been the windshield, which had barely visible scratch lines that Emond believes are the result of careless removal of a protective covering.

Mechanic D'Arcy's assurances of a hassle-free experience was apparently borne out.

"I told them about it, and their immediate response was, "No problem, we'll replace it,' " said Emond, going on to effusively praise Toyota's service.

D'Arcy noted that Toyota has a lot riding on the Prius experiment, and is prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure success.

There are important peace-of-mind provisions, like the 300-volt battery's eight-year warranty, an important consideration for a $5,000 part. It's the same warranty as for all of the hybrid-system parts.

In fact, D'Arcy said, he's been firmly instructed at repair-training sessions at the carmaker's regional head office that he is not, under any circumstances, even to attempt to repair some problems with the car.

"Toyota told us 'Don't even look for the problem, just replace the part. We want a very good name with this car, and no one's going to be scared off from buying one in future.' "

Malesh agrees that the hybrid venture, driven largely by California regulations requiring car companies to reduce their toxic emissions, is an imperative one for Toyota and Honda.

"It's important for them, regardless of the expense," Malesh said. "If they fail with the hybrids - and I don't think they will - it would be extremely bad and costly for them. And back to Square One." And at quite an expense for the two car producers.

Neither Toyota Canada spokesman Stephen Beatty nor Honda Canada spokesman Jim Miller would say how much their firm loses on producing each vehicle.

But one source, who did not want his name used, said it was about 100 per cent. The Prius, for example, sells for about $30,000 - $30,870 before taxes, in Emond's case - and the company loses roughly $30,000 on each unit.

In other words, the cars sell for half of their production costs.

Malesh said he's heard those figures, too, but "the premium is down now, I believe. And when this (hybrid) industry really gets cooking, there's going to be virtually no premium.''

The companies claim they can make money on very low volumes."

Anton Schatt is as enthused about his Insight as Emond is about his Prius.

The 45-year-old self-employed Baie d'Urfe engineer bought the $27,000 car two months ago to complement the Honda Odyssey he and his wife drive.

The couple have no children, a good thing because there would be no place for them in the two-seater.

"We had a rusty '88 Subaru with 180,000 kilometres and we were looking to replace it," said Schatt, who shares Emond's curiosity about advanced technology.

"I studied the whole small-car market. We're a bit green, and we try to look out for the environment a little bit. But you can't look only at how much gas you save when you buy a car."

He was sold after a test drive.

"To be honest, it's the most exciting car I've ever driven. The steering is unbelievable, and the 3-cylinder is no different at all from a 4-cylinder car. It's comfortable and exciting. The only negative driving thing I find is that the tires are rough a little bit."

As for the claims by Honda that the Insight will do 100 kilometres per 3.2 litres of gas, that might be true, said Schatt.

"But only if you drive between 85 and 90 kilometres per hour on a level highway, no hills. Usually, it's about 3.8 or 3.9 litres per 100 kilometres. In the city, I do about 4 litres per 100 kilometres."

Schatt cranked it up to 165 kilometres once - purely for research purposes - and found the car to perform "just as smoothly" at high speed as at low ones.

Claude Mally, a 33-year-old software programmer, likened driving his Honda Insight to playing a video game - the object of the game being to find the driving habits that result in the optimal gas consumption.

He admitted he has a way to go before finding the optimal driving habits, though.

For one thing, he doesn't recall smashing into the concrete wall of a Metro-Richelieu supermarket on St. Joseph Blvd. last month in his brand- new Insight. Not surprising, because he was sound asleep at the time.

Driving back alone several hours after dinner at a restaurant at which four people consumed two bottles of wine, he fell asleep at the wheel and rammed the wall, basically totaling the car.

Yet he saw a silver lining - aside from having his alcohol level tested and found to be under the limit by the police.

"I walked away without a scratch," said Mally, a heavy, soft-spoken man. "Well, maybe with one scratch, from the airbag. So the car is safe, too."

Mally said he was "a maniac for this car as soon as I heard about it and saw it. I went nuts for it. I had to get one. The look interested me, and the aluminum body sold me."

He found the Prius "a little more expensive and a little less beautiful. Anyway, we don't have kids, so space is not a problem."

Wants Electric Car

"And the technology just fascinates me," said Mally, who added that "what I really want is an electric car."

"I loved driving at night, with the display panel all lit up and giving you readings every few minutes That's a true innovation, just a jewel."

But he also found the Honda brochures and ads about gas mileage to be deceptive.

"In Laval, I do about 4.6 litres per 100 kms. That 3.2 litres is just not realistic. It may be true going downhill on the highway at 60 kilometres per hour."

But Schatt agreed with salesman Masson, saying that he's learning new driving habits, "especially learning not to push down on the gas pedal all the time."

He also liked the aluminum body "because it corrodes less than steel in our winters here."

But the skirt on the back wheels is a worry to him: "It covers the wheel and I don't want the wheel well to fill up with slush in winter."

Malesh said that despite the healthy prognosis for these cars, they're ultimately destined for "a limited market."

The mass-volume hybrids are coming.

Americans, in particular, like big bruisers, vehicles with an aura of brute strength, which explains the SUV phenomenon of the last decade.

So Ford is coming out with the Escape hybrid in 2003, General Motors with the Sierra/Silverado hybrid in 2004 and DaimlerChrysler with the Dodge Durango gas-electric in 2003.

In addition to slashing the gas-guzzlers' consumption in half, roughly, the hybrids are also designed to improve the CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) performance mandated by the U.S. government.

Malesh said the preliminary profiles of these cars' buyers "stunned him."

"It's totally unlike what we'd expected. These are mostly gray-haired folks buying these vehicles," not the younger hipsters some expected.

"This has been very expensive for Toyota and Honda," Malesh said.

"But it will reap enormous dividends in the future. They'll be two or three years in front of the others."

-------- environment

U.S. To Work on Global Warming

November 11, 2000
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 8:05 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Global-Warming.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- On the eve of critical negotiations on global warming, President Clinton on Saturday said the United States is committed to work with other nations in crafting rules that will provide a cost-effective way to curtail heat-trapping pollution of the atmosphere.

Clinton released a scientific analysis that he said ``paints a sobering picture of the future'' if climate change is not addressed and ``makes clear that this projected warming threatens serious harm to our environment and to our economy.''

``The scientific consensus is clear. The earth is warming and there is strong evidence that human activity is part of the reason why,'' said Clinton in remarks broadcast over the Internet.

More than 160 countries that crafted the Kyoto climate treaty in 1997 begin two weeks of intense negotiations next week in the Netherlands on how to implement the accord, which calls for industrial nations to cut heat-trapping greenhouse gases by 5.5 percent over the next decade.

``If we don't have significant progress ... we will have set back substantially the ability of the nations of the world to meet their (Kyoto emission) targets,'' Undersecretary of State Frank Loy, who will head the U.S. delegation, said in an interview.

Clinton also urged Congress to enact new laws that would regulate the amount of carbon dioxide -- the leading greenhouse gas -- and three other pollutants coming from power plants. Legislation calling for controls of carbon emissions from power plants was introduced earlier this year, but never was seriously considered by lawmakers.

None of the industrial nations has ratified the Kyoto agreement. They are awaiting details on rules and policies for implementing the accord, including provisions that could significantly impact the cost of compliance.

The U.S. delegation is expected to take to the negotiations a detailed plan aimed at mitigating the cost for cutting greenhouse gases -- mostly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.

The package of proposals includes:

--Unfettered trading of emissions credits, so that a country may avoid reductions from its factories, power plants or motor vehicles by buying pollution permits from a country already meeting its Kyoto target.

--Broad use of the natural capacity of forests and agricultural lands to absorb carbon through tree planting and land management. U.S. officials estimate half of the U.S. Kyoto target might be met this way.

--A flexible policy on the kinds of energy technology, including nuclear power, that would qualify as credits for industrial countries if used in developing countries to cut greenhouse emissions.

``Achieving meaningful reductions (of greenhouse gases) is a very big assignment, and we ought to make it as easy or as cost-effective as possible,'' said Loy.

U.S. officials disputed criticism by many environmentalists that the American proposal may thwart real reductions in greenhouse gases. They maintain that the flexibility provisions sought by the United States in implementing the treaty will produce the most economic reduction of heat-trapping emissions.

``We are going over there seeking a treaty that has environmental integrity,'' said Assistant Secretary of State David Sandalow, a key U.S negotiator.

But many environmentalists argue the U.S. proposal amounts to massive ``loopholes'' that will make Kyoto treaty compliance cheap but produce little actual reductions of greenhouse gases -- mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels -- from U.S. industry, power plants and motor vehicles.

-------- activists

Reports from the Pro-Democracy Protests Held Saturday, November 11, 2000

More reports are still coming in (All this was acomplished with 2 days of "email organizing" which started in a very small way on Wednesday night. Just think what 11/18 will be like!)

http://harelbarzilai.org/ed/countercoup/reports.html

Albany, NY Athens, GA Atlanta, GA Austin, TX Bloomington, IN(new) Boston, MA Chicago, IL Cincinatti, OH Clevelands, OH Columbus, OH Corvallis, OR Dallas, TX Eau Claire, WI Eugene, OR(new) Fayetteville, AR Fort Worth, TX Ft. Lauderdale, FL Gainesville, FL Hartford, CT(new) Houston, TX Kansas City, MO Las Vegas, NV Little Rock, AR Los Angeles, CA Madison,WI Milwaukee, WI Nashville, TN New York, NY Olympia, WA(new) Orlando, FL (new) Philadelphia, PA Phoenix, AZ Portland, ME Portland, OR(new) Richmond, VA (new) San Francisco, CA Santa Barbara, CA San Diego, CA(new) St. Paul, MN Stanford/Palo Alto, CA(new) Tallahassee, FL (new) Washington, DC Wilkes-Barre, PA

Albany, NY

Small turnout, but we are a small city and it was raining ...non the less all tv stations and newspapers were on hand and we will be on the NEWS TONIGHT! As someone else said....we must focus on the issue that we are NON-Partisan, WE ARE THE PEOPLE! AND we are here to demand that the people of Florida and their votes are heard. We made it also clear..."We have only just begun, if necessary we will continue for the next four years!!!! We are a grassroots effort ready to plant a lawn!!! :-) We read the letter from Michael Moore and sang 'we shall overcome'. Other folks in the crowd spoke and we all cheered. Had one enemy calling his henchman on the phone. Something to be aware of next week when the opposition will be trying to quiet us. We will be back next week with more!

Athens, GA

1 Citizen - 1 Vote End the Electoral College Rally Saturday, November 18, 2000 1 PM - College Square Downtown Athens, Georgia Two hundred people attended the 1 Citizen - 1 Vote/End the Electoral College Rally on Saturday, November 11 in downtown Athens, Georgia. At the beginning of the rally, the names and protest sites of 100 participating cities throughout the nation were read to the crowd. In the Southeast, there were rallies scheduled in Asheville, Chapel Hill, Ft. Lauderdale, Gainesville (FL), Knoxville, Memphis, Miami, Raleigh, Richmond, Tallahassee, and West Palm Beach. Numerous local citizens called for the abolishment of the electoral college and the adoption of 1 Citizen - 1 Vote, direct presidential vote. Email addresses were collected and everyone was urged to mobilize people for the next Athens rally on Saturday, November 18 at 1 pm in downtown Athens. For more information about the November 18th Athens, Georgia rally, contact Michael Collins at (706) 613-7443 or email srimichael@a....

CNN covers the Athens protest at http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/11/atlanta.protest/

Atlanta, GA

I only heard about the rally last night, so i scrambled to get it together for today, and had to go alone. I brought signs reading: FAIR IS FAIR - FLORIDA RUNOFF and ORGANIZE THE FLORIDA RUNOFF ELECTION and my favorite, AN ACCURATE ELECTORATION ARE OUR RIGHTS!, which is, of course, translated into Bushspeak. Look for 'em on CNN! Our gathering owes everything to an organized group of Gays and Lesbians who were holding a conference in the area, and took time out of their schedule of events to show their support. Will we do it again next week? I hope so!!

Austin, TX

Just got in from the Austin rally which, as far as I know, is still going on. We were met with lots of pro Bush protesters but we stood our ground and i think we made our point clear. The turn out was better than I could have hoped for!!! Hope someone took pictures! There was a woman from AP who asked us a few questions and stuff so i hope we get good coverage on the national front. I'll scan tomorrow's paper if there is anything in there see you next week!!

I arrived at the Governor's Mansion at about 12:30pm today. There were about 100 Bush supporters outside the Mansion rallying and chanting "Bush won twice, Bush won twice..." I was amazed at how organized they were. Pumped and ready to go I looked for the Pro- Democracy rally, meeting on the east side of the Mansion. There were only about 6 of us. I started to get scared and disappointed. The Bush rally came marching around the mansion. I thought to myself "we'd better have a decent showing or it's going to look pathetic." My fears were banished to the dungeon soon enough; by 1:30pm there were at least 150 people in the Pro-D rally. (What's true is that even if we'd only had 10 people we would have made a statement.) The 150 people that were there were pumped and ready to go. There were ready made signs like "349 > 19,000: That's fuzzy math." There was press galore. I was interviewed by a reporter from the AP. All the major television stations were out there (probably left over from the election). I saw a lot of people being interviewed. There were Nader supporters, socialists, Gore supporters, even Republicans who supported the process. The crowd had a great diversity of ages - families with children, grandparents, lots of adults in their 40s and 50s. There was also a contingent of Student Democrats from UT-Austin (at their first rally, they were so excited). It was a great mix of people. I sensed that people were out because they really cared and were really committed to having their voices heard. The Bush rally came over to where we were standing and got in the middle of the rally. It led to a few tense exchanges between people, but nothing significant resulted. (What can I say, people are passionate). The state troopers were very respectful and effective. It was a great show of authority without being authoritarian. At about 2pm we marched (between 300-500) of us to the Capitol. Voices were booming "what do we want? Democracy. When do we want it? Now!" Cars honked (in support or disgust), families clapped or booed. It was quite the scene. The Annual Texas Book Festival was happening on the Capitol grounds today, so there were hundreds of onlookers. It was great. We rallied at the Capitol, walked around it, waved our signs and were cheered on by people on the grounds. When we came back around we shouted to whomever was looking (a couple hundred people and cameras etc.) The Bush folks eventually showed up and there was a tete-a-tete in front of the Capitol bldg. The Bush folks on one side and the Pro-D folks on the other side. I've heard from two different people that there was good news coverage. That's my version of the rally in austin. I was proud to be an American today. Way to go Austin, way to wake up America!

Bloomington, IN

The Bloomington rally began at one p.m. at the corner of College and Seventh street, at the Criminal Justice Building, near the courthouse square. Bloomington is in very conservative, very Republican Indiana, and yesterday was a home football game, but we did get a good and enthusiastic crowd. Reporters and photographers from local newspapers were there. Signs included: "Gore Got More," "'Oops!' Founding Fathers," "Palm Beach Re-Vote Now!" "Gore Won," "Bush only cares about the Rules when his ox gets Gored," and "We Told You So, The Green Party." The crowd was multi-cultural, with attendees from three continents, and multi-party, with self described Greens, Democrats, and Republicans. There were youths in their teens, and gray haired elders, and an equal mix of males and females. Several people spoke, some spontaneously, one man with a carefully researched text on the folly of the electoral college. A counter demonstrator with a bull horn spoke, and he was received with politeness. I spoke about the illegal ballot in Palm Beach County, the Bush campaign's drive to disenfranchise c. 30,000 voters, and the need for a re-vote. I also denounced the Republican's stooping to fascist tactics, that is, their insistence that America is plunging into chaos, and that their strong hand of discipline was necessary, in spite of the will of the people. I pointed out that America has a president -- Bill Clinton -- and that America was not plunging into chaos, and that our demo was orderly and responsible. A group of young white males in an SUV driving past shouted unprintable obscenities, followed by the phrase, "Bush Cheney!" That was the only negative feedback from passersby. Other drivers honked their horns and gave the "Thumbs up!" sign. Our demonstration lasted one hour. It was agreed upon that we would meet again in a week's time. Danusha Goska

Boston, MA

Oh my God! There were about 400 (maybe more) people out front of the State House. My friend took pictures and is developing them now, I'll send them in once we scan them. All three major local news stations were there. This really made a statement. People had printed out and blown up the fliers that have been posted on the list, and had home made signs. We coincided nicely with a veterans day parade. They had a sound system set up playing patriotic music in the background as we chanted pro-democracy slogans. Amazing that everyone could pull this together in 2 days!!!! GO WEST COAST!!! GO MIDWEST!!! Can't wait to hear more reports! --Thrilled in Boston

I'll write a full Boston report later, including our hour-long march through the streets, with a police car protecting us and cars honking in support. Some parallels to this wonderful story from NY happened in Boston: We didn't realize that there was a veteran's parade scheduled in the same place at the same time. At first, the head veteran was furious, saying that we were disrespecting what he fought for, but we emphasized that we were fighting for what he fought for - making sure every vote counts. Once we convinced him, the police were with us. What we did was to respectfully pay attention to the veterans' rally, and then someone had a brilliant idea: We started chanting "THANK YOU VETS". and we wrote "Thank You Vets" on the back of our signs. So we'd chant that, then "hey, hey, ho, ho, this fuzzy math has got to go" or "What do we want? Democracy! When do we want it? Now!" or "Our voting rights are under attack! What will we do? Act now; fight back!" (all those cheers thanks to Shauna Shames) The veterans were smiling at us and ended up really liking us. Some anti-establishment protestors came and tried to saw a wooden american flag in half, but we grabbed the saw, and a police officer came and dragged their wooden flag away. It was clear that the veterans appreciated that too. We drowned out the anti-military protests with "Count All the Votes" protests, so they were very grateful. And we tripled turnout at the Veterans' Parade by our being there. (After the parade, we had speakers and then marched on sidewalks for an hour, but I'll report on that later.)

Chicago, IL

I'm going to guess that the number eventually grew to about 200 in Chicago. Can anyone else who was there give a better estimate? (My count probably might have been too quick, and could be wrong.) I do know that the gathering grew quite a bit as it went along. It started with roughly 30-40 people chanting and giving invididual (and improvised) speeeches. Nice range of age groups among all of us there. Eventually we left Daley Plaza and marched east to Michigan Avenue, chanting the whole way and picking up a number of thumbs-up and cheers and honks from passerby. We marched south on Michigan, then eventually headed westward back to Daley Plaza. The police were on the periphery of the crowd at first in the plaza. As we marched, they helped direct traffic. Police presence was helpful and at the same time not overbearing. The police did a fine job. It was nice to know, for instance, that an officer was helping us cross the street at one point while we chanted "This is what democracy looks like!" Yes, it was what democracy looks like. Same time next week: Sat. Nov. 18, at Daley Plaza.

I'd say a hundred or so people were there. (Anyone else with an estimate?) There were identifiable Nader and Gore folks there; didn't see any Bushies. Police were friendly--heck, we were echoing the message of the Mayor's brother, so they should be. Lots of signs and chants. Some partisan good Gore, bad Bush signs, but nothing big. Major television stations showed up--Fox, 2, 7, 9, etc. I did two on-camera interviews (channels 2 and 9) emphasizing that all I cared about was a full, free and accurate count to determine the legitimate winner. "Whoever wins, I accept him as my President." (Don't worry, I didn't introduce distractions like the Electoral College, Bush, Gore, etc.) I'm not used to the press, I was very nervous. I hope I don't get any hate calls from Bushies. My friend and I peeled off before the gathering started to march, because we were freezing and hungry.

Cincinatti, OH

From trustthepeople rally at Cincinnati City Hall Saturday, November 11, 2000 1 PM About 50 people attended the rally in the course of about 90 minutes. Because everybody learned about the rally over the Internet and by E-mail, few of the people who showed up knew each other -- except for the people that they came with. It made the event lots of fun, with people introducing themselves and chatting about their view of the election. Gradually, we began to chant "One Person, One Vote," "Revote Now," "Count the Votes, Count ALL the Votes," "Every Vote Counts" and other chants that we created along the way. One person, Elizabeth, brought a black magic market and perhaps 10 pices of white poster boar. We created our own banners. The site of the demonstration -- Cincinnati City Hall -- was perhaps not the best site for the demo, because it is located 5-6 blocks from the center of action downtown on Saturdays. That center is Fountain Square. However, by gathering at City Hall, we didn't have to worry about getting a permit to demonstrate, and the echo that our chants created off the beautiful brownstone walls of City Hall made us sound even more boisterous than we were. Across the street, the downtown Jewish temple drew a crowd for a regular service, and a few people came across the street to extend their support. Many drivers honked their horns in approval. Considering that Cincinnati is one of the big national centers of GOP votes and fund-raising, the number of folks who drove by expressing support of the Bush coup was surpringly few. To gather media coverage, we called two TV stations and the daily newspaper that publishes on Sunday -- the Cincinnati Enquirer. One of the demonstrators called them on his celphone. So, as he spoke to them, we gathered near him to chant, making the size of the demonstration sound massive coming over the phone. After that sales job, it was amazing how fast they showed up -- in minutes! I was interviewed by one station, and it will be broadcast tonight. _________ For next week, we agreed to gather at the same time and place. Fortunately, there is really big demo planned next week at Fountain Square -- 6-8 blocks away -- by the "Transatlantic Business Dialog (TBD)." This group, a big-business organization meeting in Cincinnati to push globalization, will be protested by probably several hundred people locally and from around the region. We plan to produce a leaflet to distribute to those protesters, informing them about our 1 PM rally. Hopefully we can pull a few hunred of them over to our rally one hour later.

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland: Small but Rowdy! Well we made it: We had drums and signs and a bullhorn and lots of screaming, dancing, and chanting. There was a strong core of students and about 15-20 other Cleveland folks there to help out. We only had about 40 total, but I think we got a strong, non-partisan message across: That we the people will not stand for a fraudulent election and that there should be nationwide respect for the popular vote. "Ain't know power like the power of the people, cause the power of the people don't stop (rise up!) !!" If we're gonna make next weekend work we're gonna have to have much more Cleveland networking ,so people get excited! Get involved! Lets make this thing work. Local media was there, taping and interviewing, as well 4 men in business suits holding cell phones and Bush/Cheney signs that said "If you can read this you're a republican." oh yah, good point. good work around the country everyone: Lets keep our focus grounded and effective. Don't get discouraged! True change takes energy like we wouldn't believe..

Columbus, OH

With NO traditional organizing of any sort, turnout was 85 - 100 people. Very spirited, good reaction from passersby. Only the daily newspaper and one of three TV stations showed; ABC local showed up after the demo had ended at 2 pm -- they had responded not to the national story carried on ABC.com but to a local phone call, and whoever called them said the demo would go on for "several hours". We took email addresses and will start a local listserv.

There were about 100 people in Columbus, Ohio (112 was the highest count of the afternoon; the press insisted to me they counted only 75). We had media out there (print and tv) and a diverse, articulate and energetic crowd, all of whom had heard about the rally only yesterday. I am so proud of my city and my country right now. Send on reports from every city as soon as you can: we need to feel the energy on a national level. We here in Columbus are ready for whatever comes next, and I am certain we can bring out 300-400 next week. Trust the People, Count the Votes!

We probably only had about 75 to 100 people, but we were on the sidewalk in front of the State Capital building. Most of us had signs and we were chanting loudly. Many cars that passed honked in support. We had the local CBS affiliate taking pictures and interviewing a few of the protesters. I think that if we do this again next Saturday, I can help to generate more publicity and to get more people prepared to show up. Some of the signs people made up were great--a lot about fuzzy math and "Bush is not presidentialable". All in all, there were good feelings in spite of the disappointment about the low turnout, hundreds and hundreds of cars and busses drove by--this is one of the busiest streets in Columbus, so we were certainly seen!

Corvallis, OR

I'm not sure I set it up right, but I couldn't find one for my fair city, so here it is... I set it up via the format listed by the trustthepeople moderator trustthepeople-corvallis... so any people in the Corvallis area... including Albany, Lebanon -- even people in Salem and that area who don't want to go to Portland... Let's get this ball rolling!

Dallas, TX

about75 people versus close to 30 for bush.a great rally.we sang we chanted we froze our tails off.towards the end we might have strayed a little from our mission...became partisan.but all in all a great event,local media (abc,nbc,wb) varius print media.be interesting to see our belo spins this.

THANKS TO ALL THAT SHOWED UP IN DALLAS. REMEMBER...NEXT WEEK SAME TIME SAME PLACE. THROUGHOUT THE DAY OVER 200 PEOPLE SHOWED UP...WE WERE IN DIRECT COMPETITION WITH THE BUSH WACKERS. BEST SIGN: "HAIL TO THE THIEF". THANKS TO ALL PARTIES THAT SHOWED...IT WASN'T JUST THE GORE SUPPORTERS THAT ASSISTED US.....REMEMBER....WE ARE THE PEOPLE...AND THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

Read more on the Dallas site http://www.geocities.com/countercoupdallas

Eau Claire, WI

We did ok, but not much people knew about it in Eau Claire. We did get the 2 local televison stations there though. We also had a lot of positive thumbs up by passerby's!! 5 people wasn't enough we need help Eau Claire. Where are you democrat's? We are ready to protest again next Sat. See you all then...

Eugene, OR

I did not see an update for Eugene, Oregon. I am hoping someone will help me get it posted right. Here it is: About 30 people met in front of the Eugene City Hall. Many people honked and showed a "thumbs up" to our group. We had signs and someone made some flyers to hand out to passerbys. We then walked to the Eugene Saturday Market and stood in front of the "Free Speech" Plaza and sang "This Land is your Land" by Woody Guthrie. We plan to meet next Saturday in front of the Eugene City Hall and walk to the market again. Please join us if you can. Bring big signs so people in cars can see them. We will meet next Saturday, November 18th at 1 PM

Fayetteville, AR

success! for such short notice, the fayetteville demonstration was a great success. best of all, though, we received wonderful media coverage. but the best is yet to come!! with a week to plan and promote, next saturday will rock NW arkansas!

We had almost 40 people show up in a small town of 40,000. It was a good turn out for one days notice and cold weather. Most of the local media was there and covered the event. Non-partisanship was expressed from the begining and the rally was started with a moment of silence for the veterans. I made a speach promoting voter reform on all levels of government and strongly encouraged people not to let go of this issue. We have to strike while the iron is hot. We are GO GO GO for next week and hope for a much larger turnout. Contact docthanatos@y... for more info and location site has been updated. Apathy is dead, long live the people.

Fort Worth, TX

Given only 24 hours notice, we had a great showing. The rain waited until after 2! We were filmed and interviewed by two network stations and the Dallas Morning News. We had lots of supportive comments from passers-by. It was great fun and we got our message out to many!

Read more details at http://www.kenkuhl.com/trustthepeople/

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

I was one of only about a dozen people who turned out today Saturday the 11th. This, I believe was only due to the sight not being specific. There are several "Court Houses". We ended up at the Federal Court House on Broward Blvd. and will be there tomorrow at 1:00 again. Although our turn out was low, we did have good coverage, i.e., NPR, Channel 7 local news, The Miami Herald sent a reporter as well as a political reporter from Chicago. Please post this sight for tomorrow.

Gainesville, FL

The rally was small--there were only about 30 of us. We had all seen the rally on trustthepeople.com and just decided to come out. One woman came up from Ocala, a 40 minute drive, just to be a part of it. We lined University Ave., holding signs and waving to the passersby who were all enroute to the UFL football game. Barbara Howe called the local media and they came and filmed the rally. We got in some good sound bytes. There were those who wanted it to be non-partisan and those who were for Gore. There were no Bush supporters present. But we all agreed on one thing--and that was that the process in Florida is flawed and there must be a remedy if the will of the people is to prevail. We agreed to get better organized and meet again at NW 13th and University Ave. on Tuesday, Nov. 14th at 5:00 pm.

Hartford, CT

I'm writing to let everyone know how the Re-Vote Protest held 11/11 at the State Capitol Building in Hartford, CT went.

Saturday was a cold, raw, rainy day in CT. There were not many of us; perhaps 25 to 30 (not counting dogs, LOL), but we were all ages and all colors! A Veterans Day Rally was held just before ours, and so there were a few people left over from that, as well. We stood around, holding up our signs, talking quietly about the situation.

A Capitol Police Officer showed up and wanted to know if we were at the Capitol for the re-vote protest he had read about on the Internet; he also asked who was in charge. We told him that no one knew who was in charge; that all of us read about it on a web site and had simply showed up, just like he did! He started laughing, but hastened to assure us that he wasn't laughing AT us. He actually praised us, saying that it was a decent sized gathering, considering there were no area organizers and we had had only two days to find out about it. He asked about the protest for next Saturday, the 18th, and suggested that someone call the Capitol Police to let them know about it ahead of time. He was really very nice, and as it turned out, it was fortunate he stayed. Eventually, the media arrived and spoke to almost everyone in our small crowd. There was one TV camera (the local NBC affiliate) and three print reporters (The Hartford Courant and 2 other local newspapers).

Suddenly, a huge angry male, carrying a 8 foot flag pole which was flying the Marine Corps flag, charged into our midst, yelling very loudly about the "death of democracy" because of people like us and because of Al Gore, who, he said, "is trying to steal this election." He was very menacing. Even so, some people tried to discuss the issue with him, telling him that it was not a partisan issue -- that the voting rights of Republican, Independent and Third Party voters could also have been violated, as well as the rights of Democrats; the man was not impressed by this logical argument and continued to shout at the top of his lungs about the subversion of true democracy by Socialists and Communists. I noticed that the Police Officer was slowly inching closer and closer. One of the women who was attempting to talk to the man reached out and touched him on the arm. This pushed him over the edge, apparently, and he went berserk! "DON'T YOU TOUCH ME! I'LL HAVE YOU ARRESTED!" He pushed her away, and she almost fell over backwards. Fortunately, the cop was right there. He jumped in between them, pushing the man back with his baton, until he was at a respectful distance. All the while, the cop talked quietly to the man, in an apparently successful attempt to calm him down.

After that it was fairly anticlimactic. We discussed the situation for a while longer and finally vowed to meet next Saturday if the situation is not reconciled by then. Have a great week! Long live our wonderful Country!

Houston, TX

For short notice, we had a GREAT turnout in Houston! Approximately 60 people rallied in a Downtown Houston Park in support of the of Florida's Election re-count and re-vote. Channel 2 (NBC) and Channel 13 (ABC), as well as the local newspaper, the Houston Chronicle, interviewed several protesters. Several attendees spoke to the crowd. The rally and march lasted for about one hour, before regrouping to formulate plans for next week's protest.

With such a short lead time we were thrilled with the turnout of 60. And this was even with a last minute site change! Several speakers took their turn at the bullhorn, one a medical student who hailed from Tampa and saw us while driving from the medical center. Dr. De La Rosa let us know that Florida Latinos do not support Bush enmasse and that rallies like this are what democracy is all about. We Texans have been disheartened with our leadership for some time, but the energy in this group was exciting! It was not the same group of activists that we see at every meeting. This issue has people up in arms.

Kansas City, MO

The protest in Kansas City, MO was modest-sized, about 40, I'd estimate. (Weather was cold and cloudy.) Only real problem was that almost no one was around to see us! (Though just about everyone who drove by waved and seemed to approve.) Two television stations had cameras out there for a while, but the newspaper didn't show. The talk afterwards was that we would go for a different location next week (the Plaza). One of the people there said he plans to talk to some of the unions, as part of an effort to get more people out next weekend.

Las Vegas, NV

We rallied today in Las Vegas in front of the Federal Bldg... only about 12 of us showed up, but we got on the evening news... three TV stations came out...no newspapers, but we got our point across... a lot of cars showed support (with some notable exceptions, most notably the van that veered off the road toward us shouting, "Scum!")... anyone interested in organizing in Las Vegas contact me at colette@l... Bush is NOT the president! He has LOST the election!!! Period!

Little Rock, AR

Things started off slow with about four people. However, in all, about 12 people showed up. We were out there for about two hours. Many people passing by expressed their support. We had reporters from a newspaper (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) and television station (Channel 11) there, we're supposed to be shown twice this evening on the news. Not bad. Thanks again to everyone who showed up!

Loisville, KY

http://www.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=9178 There was a gathering today in Louisville of citizens concerned with fair democracy in America. About 20 Kentucky citizen's met at 1 pm on the steps of the city courthouse and discussed the situation facing our country and the problems with a fair and representational vote in the presidential election. One person drove down from Lexington. Annoucements for the meeting were faxed to the various local TV stations and newspapers, but none responded. We marched up 6th street to the front doors of the Courier-Journal newspaper, but the doors were locked. So we stood at the corner of 6th and broadway - several passing cars honked their horns in support. One driver flipped us the bird. I talked to a man waiting for the bus - we discussed global economics - he expressed his full support for our gathering, and predicted an economic civil war if Bush becomes president. Another gathering has been set up for the same location next Saturday on November 18th.

Los Angeles, CA

LA rocks! There were at least 1,500 people at the Federal Bldg. at 11000 Wilshire when I left at 3 p.m. All four corners of this busy intersection in Westwood were packed and the crosswalks full every time the lights changed. Lots of sign-making materials on hand - tons of signs and enthusiasm! Huge response in favor from passing cars! Honking, thumbs-up, shouts - lots of excitement! An impromptu percussion band played on the NW corner. Many, many camcorders and cameras on hand recording it all. I saw the local ABC affiliate and lots of press photographers. Fantastic!

Just came back from Westwood and WOOOEEEE! People's estimations here so far have been right on -- I'd say close to 2000 people circulated the four corners of the block over the course of the afternoon -- the LA Times, ABC, and a couple of other news outlets showed up (look for LA Times photographer/journalist named Paul Morris, who interviewed and photographed me and my friends). People are energetic, cars honked, we were not obnoxious, people cheered and listened, and most I've spoken to are gung ho about next Saturday, and EVERY subsequent Saturday till Democracy is served. Those in LA, we should coordinate to hook up next time, I'd love to meet you. Can't wait to see the news tonight, and the paper tomorrow!

http://www.2wist.com/rally/ Over 50 Pics from todays rally in Los Angeles. Stop by and take a look.

Madison, WI

We did it! Andy and I (that's right, just two of us to rally the whole city) managed to do enough so that over 200 people came out, most with less than 24 hour notice! There were home-made signs, chants of "one person, one vote," and we had six speakers (including the former Mayor Paul Soglin) and the crowd was terrific. Tons of children, tons of flags, appropriate respect for veterans day... There was a counter protest by some Bush-Cheney folks - they held their own protest at 12pm on the opposite side of the capitol building, then marched around to where our protest was being held. We outnumbered them at least 10 to 1, I'd guess. ;) We made a "let's agree to disagree, respectfully" pact, which they broke by being loud, rowdy, and causing a few (physical) fights. (I didn't actually see these, but I saw the cameras running to capture it on film). The media was there in full effect - it was terrific. We've got names and numbers and plan to hold another rally next Saturday! Cheers, everyone! The voice of the people WAS heard!

Wow. Incredible. We only really announced this rally less than 24 hours before it began and we had over 500 people. I was very heartened by the response. We had the American flag there, Lis Harvey led the national anthem, and invoked Veteran's Day. It helped that we recruited Ed Garvey, a Wisconsin progressive firebrand; a local labor leader (calling unions is a great idea); an environmental leader (local representative of the Sierra Club); a former Mayor (Paul Soglin), two County Supervisors (I'm one, the other is Green Party); a citizen Independent and his little daughter who called for due processes, and hundreds of citizens. (In case anyone's wondering, I'm a Democrat, a Progressive Democrat and party activist). The GOP responded with their own (small) rally. We did not interfere with their rally, which started an hour earlier than ours. They marched over and interfered with ours. I reminded them that we had not disrupted them, and asked them to respect our rally. Asked that we disagree respectfully. They agreed to that and didn't really follow it, because every time someone argued with them, they started yelling. Toward the end, one of our folks jostled someone, who said he was bonked over the head with a sign, and he punched the other guy, got hauled off in cuffs, blah, blah.... Bummer. THESE RALLIES MUST REMAIN PEACEFUL. Let's disagree respectfully. We had several televisions stations, reporters, etc... It was a blast and felt great. The response from folks was positive and spirited. It's good to read from the list of cities. It becomes like a rising chant and is good for cheers. Special thanks to Lis Harvey. We met through CounterCoup, and I'm glad we did. And 36 hours before, we didn't know this was happening!

We had several hundred people, the media, and Bush protestors who shouted at us during the rally. Former Mayor of Madison, Mr. Soglin spoke as did Ed Garvey, attorney, (led the Jerry Brown delegation in 1992, defeated for Governor in 1998) spoke to the crowd as did an impressive law student who present the legal issues in the Palm Beach County ballot issue. Can you believe it?! Bush doesn't even wait for the absentee ballots to be counted before calling his wife, the first lady, and himself the President-Elect. Surreal. It goes to show you, his handlers will not be able to control him. AND HIS FINGER IS ON THE NUCLEAR BUTTON!v

Milwaukee, WI

Hi, We had a decent sized turnout for such short notice and some political apathy issues in Miwlaukee. I'd say about 50 people came out, and thanks to Arlene's help, we had a representative speak to us. The amp and mic I brought didn't work because the power at the park wasn't on, but everyone was heard easily. We had a Free Republic guy show up who was pretty extremist in views. There were a few Bush Cheney people there, one of whom left after demanding a 1996 vote recount, to which a crowd member replied, "How are we going to do that? With a Time Machine?" The heckler left shortly thereafter. The other Bush Cheney people stayed, as we tried hard to maintain a non-partisan platform of letting democracy run its course, and let the people decide who the next president would be. The state rep was more partisan, but hey, she was gracious enough to speak on short notice, and she is a Democrat. Aside from some squabbling between a Nader supporter, a Gore supporter and the Free Rep guy, it went well. The press was in full force, and I spoke with the Journal Sentinel, CBS 58, and WTMJ4. All in all, with no organization, and short notice, it went well. We hope to have more speakers next week and I plan on making up some fliers, etc. Great thanks to everyone's support, and especially Arlene for polishing up my very grassroots, spontaneous efforts to help make the rally happen. And to that mysterious person who intially posted Milwaukee as a rally site-- Where are you? Power to the people.

Nashville, TN

Our protest at the Legislative Plaza lasted for about an hour and a half with a total turnout of perhaps 35-45 people over the whole time. Perhaps a dozen or more people spoke over the small PA system we had set up. We had at least 3 local TV stations and a Vanderbilt University newspaper reporter there. In addition, we had some Republican counter-protesters there, who refused to talk to the crowd but made sure to talk to the cameras. We hope to have a much larger turnout next Saturday.

New York, NY

NEW YORK CITY REPORT: HUGE TURNOUT!

Hey -- I just got back from the demonstration -- it was AMAZING! I was interviewed by a local cable station that's news only -- called "NY ONE" I hope it airs! We drew a couple of thousand people to Times Square. At first there was NO police presence, and then they all started showing up. It was so cool, because all they did was direct traffic. They were very respectful to the demonstrators -- friendly, etc. We took up the big "wedge" of concrete right in the middle of times square under the windows of MTV and ABC news! There were cameras there from every network and newspapers as well! There was no "leader" to this demonstration -- no political party was running it -- there were socialists there, Nader supporters, Gore supporters and believe it or not a few people that voted for BUSH! One guy kind of became the leader and led the chants -- and he announced to the crowd that he voted for Nader, and that he wasn't there for GORE or BUSH, he was there for the American people. It was very moving! People had signs that said "People of Florida -- we will fight for you! We want your voice to be heard!" The point of this demonstration was re-vote -- not a Bush bashing. Of course, some people did stupid chants for Gore, but the rest of us quickly hushed them. There was a bullhorn, and one girl got up and start spouting out some rhetoric trying to publicize the socialist party, and everyone booed her off -- it wasn't ABOUT that -- it was about THE PEOPLE. BY the people FOR the people! It was very moving and I feel like I did something that mattered today! The COPS were so cool and amazing! I really wanted to get this one cop's badge number that was in charge so send him a commendation. He was so cool. he went to the leader guy and told him he could not use a bullhorn as it was illegal. The leader was very cool and they had a very civil and quiet conversation. He asked them if they would arrest him if he continued to use it? And they said that they would have to or they could get in trouble. The leader said something like "I totally understand -- I support you in your job," and they gently carried him to the van. It really started a frenzy of newspaper reporters and camera people -- it was the best thing to happen to our cause. Many passersby joined in and chanted "let him go!" and "Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of speach!" and stuff like that! About a half hour later the cops let another demonstrator use HIS bullhorn, to thank people for coming and to tell them that they had really made a difference today. The demonstrator also publicized the future demonstrations (Monday at the Federal building in Manhattan at Noon and again next Saturday in Times Square at 1:00 PM). The demonstrator also asked the people to peacefully disband, and told them which way to exit Times Square. Which we all did. As we were leaving the COP got on the bullhorn and THANKED everyone for coming -- and then the COP began to publicize the sites of the future demonstrations! It was so amazing -- I got a little choked up on that one! There was no violence, everyone was smiling and happy -- passersby on the open double-decker busses were cheering -- city taxi drivers and bus drivers honked their support. The cops were cool and it was a very non-partisan event. For the people, by the people! I feel good!

Kindest regards,

Saturday 11/11 at 6:40pm The Times Square protest seemed very successful. My estimation is that there were 300-400 people. Major News media was there from the Associated Press, Village Voice, and local news stations. At one point there was a message on one of the big TV screens about the protest, which people cheered to. Gore supporters, Nader supporters, and bewildered tourists joined in. The police seemed pretty friendly, however the main speaker (the guy in the red sweater) was eventually hauled off by the Police around 2:15. Before getting hauled off (was he arrested? is he out now?), he had the crowd chanting as well as involved in call and response. ALL VERY IMPRESSIVE! The event lasted from a little bit before 1pm through about 3:15. I personally collected a couple of hundred names, and people from a variety of causes turned out (including some people with strange banners that had little to do with Trust The People. There will be another protest on Monday!. The Trust the People website fails to mention that it's on Monday.... Here's the info: Monday November 13 12:00 Noon Federal Building 26 Federal Plaza (Broadway and Worth St). for more info, go to Joe's website later tonite: http://maytriks.com/democracy

Oakland, CA

To the trustthepeople organizers: Thanks for doing this. Here is a summary report from Oakland, CA: NOTE: The address given at geocities.com/countercoup is wrong and confusing! The name is Frank Ogawa Plaza (not Osagawa) but it's not on any map: It's best to say City Hall at Market and 14th. Peak attendance: 140-150 Democrats, Naderites, Socialists, other activists; very few passers-by (the place is normally deserted on a Saturday); old and young alike, some children Dozens of signs, some attacking Bush No police presence Democrat party organizers passing around email address sheets to notify people of further events Many short speeches (through a bullhorn) by whoever wanted to speak; many cogent points I had to leave around 2pm; the meeting was still going on, but petering out

Olympia, WA

At 1 pm about 125 community members in the city of Olympia, Washington gathered at Trivoli Fountain on the Capitol Campus to protest the illegitmacy of the elections. For about an hour, a haphazard street meeting / town hall discussion ensued in which anarchists, democrats, socialists, and the non-politically aligned publicly discussed the elections process and got to know each other. The diverse crowd of middle aged, infants, elderly and young brought up harrasment of black voters in Florida, the occupation of the Florida State Capitol Building by black students, corporate domination of the political process and called into question the validity of the Electoral College system. One good speaker riled the crowd up with a call for Olympia to secede from the United States and to constitute itself the Olympia Free State. At around 2 pm, a group of about 40 protestors marched into the Washington State Capitol Building and occupied the third floor, hanging an upside down American flag over the banister, chanting and drumming. Protestors were warned that State Troopers were coming to arrest them for displaying the flag upside down - a military symbol that means "state of distress". By 2:30, the protest reconvened to march downtown with about 30 people, taking over the streets. Chants heard included: "Anarchists for Bush and Gore" "Rock the Vote, Mock the Vote" and "If I Cant Have a Revolution Why Would I Want to Dance". Protestors marched up 4th Avenue through downtown and up State street to the Gannettt Olympian newspaper where an upside down American flag was attached to the front window. By 3 PM, one lone protestor decided to lay down in the street and refused to move when police approached and arrested him. Shortly afterwards another was picked off and arrrested for walking on top of parked cars and trucks. The crowd decided to proceed to the police station to support the arrested but when they went to go in the station another was arrested for "blocking traffic", something everyone had been doing before.

Orlando, FL

The Orlando Protest at Lake Eola was pretty successful. We had between 50 and 75 protestors. We had age ranges of 18 to ~80. Some were non-partisan, many were Gore-Lieberman supporters, a few Nadar probably, and even some with Vampires Vote signs. One lady translated some of the points in Spanish. We had channel 2, 6, 9, and 13. We saw the most coverage on Channel 13 - a blurb every hour! and channel 9.

There were quite a few personal interviews which made it on TV. Certain stations paid more attention to our group like Channel 13, while some stations paid attention to the 5 or 6 Bush supporters.

In the beginning a few Bush supporters showed, left over from the Veterans parade. They rudely shouted degrading remarks about Democrats intelligence. We offered them the microphone in front of the media but the ended up going home. One adult even sent their child to try to steal and deface some of signs. But by the time some media arrived, the Bush supporters were gone and those reporters said that no Bush supporters showed. ; )

We have all exchanged email. We will be meeting at Lake Eola in Orlando next Saturday 11/18 @ 1:00. We did not have a co-ordinator, and this confused/concerned/upset the media a bit. It looks like they will have to get used to it.

There was also a successful protest in Deland Florida on 11/11 near the Courthouse. It was covered nicely by the media, television and print. I live in DeLand but traveled to Orlando because I was unaware of the DeLand protest. Volusia County is another county where they are having a lot of tampering and recounting problems.

Heather Perry bphp@g... I have been given some of the co-ordination responsibilities but I would be really happy to share them.

Philadelphia, PA

I went to the Philadelphia protest, and was pleasantly surprised by the largish crowd there - we had probably between 60 and 100 people there, with no traditional organizing and no apparent leader. I was unpleasantly surprised, however, by the extremem partisan bias of the protestors. More than half of the signs there were Gore-Lieberman campaign signs. This is damaging to the movement; people have already mentioned that if we hold Gore signs, we look like sore losers. If we hold signs urging a fair recount/revote/abolition of the electoral college, we'll look like concerned citizens. On the positive side, the protest seemed to be going well, and we got good coverage. I'm worried, though, that the media will call us "democrats," or "Gore supporters." It's really important that we portray this as an issue of fairness and democracy, not as a partisan issue.

Phoenix, AZ

Actual count of 42 poeple showed up, Wobblies, Democrats, Greens, Earthfirst!ers and anarchists. The Earthfirsters and anarchists actually cut short a camping trip to show solidarity!! About ten Republicans were there at patriots park for a counter-demo; two of them were wearing guns!! We were not intimidated by them and shouted them down. Local channels 3, 10 and 15 were there. Good speakers, chants and signs. Thanks to all who came out( 'cept the gun-totin' Republicans), and see you all next Saturday at 1 pm.

Pittsburgh, PA

It was great. About 50 people showed up (I know most of the regular activists here, but this was all new folks -- I only knew 3 other people in the crowd!), many of them Nader supporters. They took their Nader signs, turned them over, and make them pro-democracy signs. Lots of spirit, chanting. Folks talked to the media, comparing the US to the Balkans, and that we need to stand up for freedom and democracy. Chants: Hey, hey, ho, ho, election fraud has got to go. Count *all* the votes! Cool signs -- SloboGeorge MilosoBush; Why are the Bush Brothers Afraid of an Honest Count? Honk for democracy. (Many, many did) There was one anti there. His sign -- Clinton's Legacy to Gore: Hand job = hand count. He was a total idiot, although the media interviewed him, of course. Local affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox all covered.

Portland, ME

Hi, I found out about all this on the internet yesterday. I see no one has reported from Portland, Maine, yet, so I will. We had a good little group of somewhere between 20 and 25 people. At first there was a cluster of Democrats and a cluster of Greens. But we determined that everyone was friendly and all there for the same purpose - a fair election - so we joined forces and had a good showing chanting slogans and marching with our signs (the greens had a big banner, as well). We got more beeps of support than jeers, and some of the beeps were very enthusiastic. The only press who showed up was one newspaper crew and unfortuneatly about half our people didn't come until after the reporters left. A TV crew drove by but did not stop (the TV headquarters were right down the street - so they could have been going anywhere).

Portland, OR

Rally lasted about two hours. Confirmed local TV coverage by at least 3 stations. Initial assertion in early minutes by the single police officer present at the start (hereafter referred to as the Lone Ranger) that we would have to break it up due to lack of permit to be in Pioneer Courthouse Square (brief participant discussion ensued over whether to pretend to be a massive hackysack game, since that appears to be permitted all the time in the Square). Didn't amount to any action, even after four other officers arrived later on. Local news estimates of attendance ranged from "a few dozen" to "a couple hundred". Rally was presided over by one man (hereafter referred to as Mysterious Leader) who took the initiative to do so, who apparently had sent out his own email asking people to come to the Square today, before he discovered Portland was holding its own event for the nationwide countercoup.org effort. Whoever this man was, he handled his self-appointed position fairly and sternly, more than once insisting that everyone be allowed to speak if they wished (included in this is his defusing of a potentially disastrous and wholly unwarranted situation when a protester grabbed a Bush/Cheney sign away from a Republican). Volunteer speakers from the crowd took turns for awhile, attended by the contingent of local news cameras. Speeches ranged in topic from demands for full recounts, to demands for a revote, to debate over the Electoral College, with occassional veerings off into various pet peeves not immediately relevant to the issue at hand. Speakers ranged from Democrats to Republicans to independents to Greens, and probably others. Mysterious Leader led us on a brief single-circuit march around the Square (without interference from the now Not-So-Lone Ranger and his four compatriots), after which we moved to the side of the Square and continued with the volunteer speaking, this time with the help of a bullhorn (which was another point of contention on the part of the police present, until someone apparently referred them to an alleged city ordinance which permitted its use). Rally ended around quarter to three with a reminder to showup again next week. - b!X bix@g..

San Diego, CA

We had a peak turnout of 150. Some Gore signs, but most were non-partisan, and the group hushed any partisan chants. It was a mixed crowd in terms of age and gender. LOTS of people who had never done anything like this before. Great media coverage, two folks from the Union-Tribune, and two (maybe three) of the local t.v. stations. They seemed to spend a lot of time talking to the counterprotesters, so it'll be interesting to see what the end coverage looks like. A few speakers via a bullhorn, all impromptu. One member of the Electoral College who spoke about the need to abolish it. We drew a few Bush folks who tried to incite us, but most of us just ignored them and they went away after about 30 minutes. After standing around chanting and listening to the speeches for about 45 minutes, we started marching, but with a smaller group (maybe 60?). We marched through downtown San Diego, through Balboa Park, and back to the college. We marched until 3:30 p.m. Got some great chants going Hey-Hey, Ho-Ho Fuzzy Numbers Have Got to Go Give Me Democracy Every Vote Counts/Count Every Vote Let Every Voice Be Heard, Before the Final Word Democracy Works Fair Not Fast Let's Get It Right It's Not About the Outcome We got A LOT of beeping horns and waves and thumbs up all along the route. A few thumbs down and one elegant lady in a Lexus flipped us off (very nice manners). The cops drove by the campus as we started, but there weren't any issues. (We called them the night before and let them know about it.) Democracy--It Does a Body Good!

another report:

Our rally attracted over 100 people to City College. While most of the crowd held pro=Gore signs, a few protesters supporting Bush participated, but stayed in the background.As for media, there were several photographers (print and broadcast). Organizers asked people to return next Saturday if the vote remains in doubt. To see photos from today's rally in San Diego pls. visit: (WARNING: these are LARGE photos (1 MB+) that will take a long time to download over slow connections)

http://www.NETCONNECTION.COM/pbdemphotos/Vote%20protest/ Lori Saldana, Vice President, Pacific Beach Democratic Club

San Francisco, CA (www.trustthepeople-sf.org)

Greetings, my sisters and brothers! About 400-500 protesters met at the traditional radical gathering point in San Francisco - the intersection of Market & Powell Streets. A bullhorn permitted *the people to speak*, as individual after individual put democracy into practice and spoke out about the injustices being perpetrated upon the people of the United States by the Florida election and the Brothers Bush. Signs read or people declared: Revote! Revote! Revote! -One person, one vote! -If every vote counts, then count every vote! -Abolish the college! -The people united will never be defeated (divided?)! -!El pueblo unido jamas seras vencido! -I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore! -Gore not Bore! -Check one: 1) Voter fraud, 2) Racial profiling, 3) Illegal ballots Speakers vigorously decried the attempt of the Republicans - and the Bush brothers - to steal this election from the people of the United States. The protest proceeded from Market & Powell Streets (where the cable cars turn around!) down Market Street to Jones Street, ending up in front of the SF Federal Building. The media *finally* showed, just as we were breaking up, but we managed to chant "This is what democracy looks like!" and a few of the other chants above. San Francisco Bay Area is organizing through the eGroup trustthepeople-sf@egroups.com which is associated with http://www.geocities.com/countercoup San Franciscans and the people of the SF Bay Area are royally pissed off! Let's have a civil,peaceful uprising!

San Francisco Rally Photos http://www.jasonandheather.com/sf_rally/index.html As Jim Lovette-Black mentioned in his recap, we had an awesome show of support in SF. Here are some photos until I get them uploaded to egroups. "this is what democracy looks like!"

4:50pm Saturday 11-NOV-2000: I just got home from San Francisco where I and about 500 other people marched on the Federal Building, demanding "Revote Now!" and "Every vote counts, count every vote!". Similar protests, calling for fairness in the national election in general and Florida in particular, were held simultaneously in EIGHTY TWO other cities nationwide! When I first arrived in San Francisco at the Powell Street BART station I was thrilled to emerge from the subterranian transit cooridoor into a throng of demonstrators surrounded by thousands of spectators. One man had a bullhorn and was speaking to the crowd. The horn passed person to person; every one who wanted to speak had their turn. It was awesome! (Mario Savio would be proud!) The posters and signs were great: "Hail to the Thief!", "Every vote counts!", "Votergate!", "Revote now!", "Gore got more!", "Abolish the Electoral College!". The rally was predominantly pro-Gore but there was at least one sign that simply stated "WINNER" under a big "W". And also, "Heck, let's just re-elect Clinton!". Then we took to the streets. Some ad-hoc leaders were careful to restrict the march to a single traffic lane so as to not block traffic completely. "It's growing!" observed the guy in front of me, and indeed: more and more people were joining the rally! Cars honked and people yelled in support; even the bus drivers! Flyers were handed out to passersby. Soon we saw flashing lights and cops ahead of us. I, for one, thought we might have some trouble of some kind, but no, the truth was much different: The police were clearing the way for us! Arrival at the Federal Building was a bit anticlimatic; unlike Powell and Market, the government district was devoid of people, it being a Saturday and Veterans Day weekend no-less. The Federal Building may have been a symbolic rallying point, but I think that next time it would be better to stay in the areas bustling with people. All in all, I think it was an unqualified success. More rallies and demonstrations will be held next Saturday as well. Please see http://countercoup.org/ for more information!

Santa Barbara, CA

Great work. In Santa Barbara we had a small, but wonderful crowd of intelligent people. There were some folks from the "other side" too, but they were also intelligent and willing to hear our point of view. We had some local news coverage for most of the 40 minute or so rally, some of which is most probably make it on the evening news. Thanks to everyone, in particular the great gentleman who was gracious enough to get us all organized!

Seattle, WA

Hi all, just got back from downtown Seattle and the first Votegate protest. It was reassuring to see so many ordinary citizens, from all walks of life, gathered together on such short notice. As one of my friends said about the whole sordid affair:

"There's a Cambodian guy I work with who survived all the turmoil there. Srorn reminded us yesterday that, in a botched election in most of the rest of the world, the bloodshed would have started by Wednesday sunrise. He's saying the US citizenry's patience & confidence in the process looks 'magical' and 'courageous' to him. He's also saying the powers-that-be had better realize what an irreparable disaster they'll have on their hands if they screw this up."

We were the first to show up at Seattle Central Community College, and a few minutes later the organizer, Brian Middleton, drove up with a car full of Gore/Lieberman signs -- he had obtained them from the Democratic Party headquarters next to where he works. One of the Demo workers had told him the party couldn't have anything to do with this protest (nice for them to take a stand), so Brian had taken the signs off their hands anyway.

A Seattle police sergeant immediately walked over to us and asked, "Who's the organizer?" Brian stepped up, and he asked, "What's your agenda?" Brian explained that we expected maybe 200 people for a peaceful march to downtown. After a business-like discussion, the sergeant indicated that he would escort us to Boren, after which the West Precinct might or might not escort us the rest of the way.

The policeman left to get his officers together, and we started to disassemble the Gore/Lieberman signs and turn them inside out. We wrote our own slogans and stapled them back on their stakes. Notable slogans were: "Mess with Texas" (from a Texan), "Revote or Revolt", "Got Democracy?", "Bush Family Preys Together", "Something's rotten in the state of Florida", and "Bush for President is Jeb-o- licious".

After an hour there were perhaps 300 people assembled, many with their own signs ("Corrupt Election = Corrupt President"). An amazing turnout, given the two days of internet organizing effort. Three Bush supporters stood on the opposite side of Broadway ("Bush won by _law_", "How many recounts?"), and soon crossed to our side to engage some of the protesters. They argued in low voices, inaudible to anybody in the crowd. A few people rallied the protesters, speaking through a small bullhorn. Four or five bike cops had assembled around a police van and were keeping out of the way.

At 1:30 we started marching down Pine, toward downtown. This was the same route along which the police and WTO protesters had fought a running battle almost exactly a year ago. We marched down the right lane, and the police would zip by us on the their bikes to the next intersection. Onlookers were overwhelmingly favorable to the march. Many of the drivers honked and gave us a thumbs-up as they drove by. Videographers hurriedly set up their network's video cameras on tripods, shot for a few seconds, then ran down the hill ahead of the march to set up again.

We approached Boren, where the East Precinct police handed us over to the West Precinct, who continued to escort us past the Paramount theater. As we passed a big construction site, the workers overhead stopped to wave down at us. Their supervisor seemed to want to ignore us, but every one of the dozen or so construction workers was smiling, waving and giving us peace signs and thumbs up. The whole march stopped, looked up at them and started cheering; some shouted, "Union!". This reminded me of the best moments of the WTO march last year, and goodwill spilled onto the sidewalks. Most of the downtown passersby stopped to watch the march, as though the circus had come to town. Many waved, smiled, gave us a thumbs-up; a few shook their heads or stubbornly ignored us. We shouted, "Join us! Come on, America!" and a few did join the march. One woman driving a minivan pressed a bumper sticker against the driver's side window: "Read my lips: no new Texans". A few Bush supporters heckled the protesters, one standing silently with his thumbs down, a baby strapped to his chest. There were cameras everywhere, carried by people from both sides of the tracks. They were busy snapping with little point-and-shoots, as if they were tourists. The sign I carried, "Bush Family Preys Together", seemed particularly popular, and drew quite a few laughs.

We arrived at Westlake Center and circled around the dais. An Asian family lined up for a family picture in front of the American election protest; they were so happy to have the photo opportunity. More speakers rallied the crowd. It was all charmingly disorganized --the speakers vamped for time while we waited for the Seattle Police to deliver a cruiser to escort us to Pike Place Market. Members of the crowd helpfully suggested chants ("Two, four, six, eight, we don't want no Votergate!"). We started to suspect a delaying tactic from the police, but in a few minutes a cruiser arrived, and we started marching again.

The protest passed through the Pike Place Market, and the overwhelmingly friendly crowd response surprised us all. We were met with applause, smiles, thumbs-up, and a kind of stunned amusement, as if we were performers from a distant city arriving in a remote village. The sight of direct-action democracy seemed to be a kind of wonder to the downtown shoppers. Perhaps it is. Another wonder was the professional and courteous behavior of the police; perhaps they learned from WTO.

Another protest is planned for 2:00PM Sunday (12 Nov) at Westlake Center. And another protest, along the same route as today's, is planned for Saturday the 18th at 1:00PM (meet at Seattle Central Community College). Sites are springing up around the net: http://www.countercoup.org and http://www.protest.net/ are the most visible organizers, and http://www.trustthevoteofthepeople.org is supposed to be up within 24 hours. The Countercoup site plans to have the contact information for the Electors posted by Monday, so they can be lobbied to vote according to the popular will.

For the authoritative, original expose of the Bush family's dark past, see "The Family that PreysTogether" at http://www.bbox.com/articles/conspiracy/cia/bush/The%20Family%20that% 20Preys%20Together.htm or http://mediafilter.org/caq/BushFamilyPreys.html

It's not a crisis yet, but the Republic needs us now. This election is too close to be decided by statistical noise, "irregularities", and accidental votes for Pat Buchanan ("The Elderly Jews of South Florida...and 62 Years Ago Tonight", http://www.michaelmoore.com/2000_11_10.html; statistical analysis: "A note on the voting irregularities in Palm Beach, Florida", http://madison.hss.cmu.edu/). As one chant today went, "When your vote doesn't count, vote with your feet / Get off the sidewalk and into the street."

Luck to us all, Jim Galasyn, 11 Nov 2000 blackbox@b...

St. Paul, MN

With about 50 - 60 people showing up I would consider it a success. 2 of thelocal network stations came out to interview as well as one of our major newspapers. We are planning on having a better showing next week. Thanks to all who attended!

Stanford/Palo Alto, CA

We got together at White Plaza, Stanford, today, virtually in the shadow of the conservative Hoover Institution tower. (the institution's conservative, not the tower.) It started slow, as if people were a little shy about declaring themselves, until I brought our some newsprint sheets and felt markers. Then people started stepping up. There were eventually some 45 people at one time or other, maybe 35 at one time, with half the group passing by and deciding to join. Few Stanford students, but I think it was a big football weekend. We tried to make it "small but noisy" as the TV stations typically say. Best chant was "Re-Vote!" It all seemed to need a speaker, so I up and talked of Charlie Rose's guest appearance of Laurance Tribe (Harvard) on public TV, who said it doesn't matter whether the government deprives voters of their voice on purpose or accidentally, it is illegal and can be contested and won. See if you can find his remarks from yesterday (Thursday's) show. Good talking point. I liked the poster that said "Cheney may not vote/ but 19,000 did:/ COUNT THEM!" Some Stanford students came up, looked at the period after "did" and decided it should be a colon, and then joined in.

No media appeared, though some savvy people did some calling. one fellow had a camera and will try to get pix in the papers. San Francisco dwarfed us, but I expect we will fight it through.

We will try again thursday at noon at same spot, then move downtown Palo Alto for saturday at 1:00. WATCH THIS SITE FOR CORRECTIONS TO THAT! It's not reliable.

Anybody catch Jay Leno, when he said "We seem to be suffering from ELECTILE DYSFUNCTION" Turn that into a cool sign!

R. Miller

Tallahassee, FL

Saturday at 1 pm in front of Florida's capital, 45-60 protestorsagitated for a recount. Signs proclaimed "Don't you 'Trust the People'?", "No One Wins when 19,000 Are Lost" and "Arrest James Baker! He's Stealing My Vote." Protestors included not only locals, but also supporters from Georgia, Michigan and Texas. The protest was heavily covered since the capital grounds have become a media circus. Protestors appeared on MSNBC, Meet the Press, Korean TV and local TV channels. While few in number, recent polls indicate the protestors represented popular opinion when they demonstrated against Republican attempts to avoid an accurate count in Florida. There were also counter protestors present, arguing for the coronation of W, regardless of the popular vote and the results of an accurate count in Florida.

Washington, DC

About 50-75 people convened at the Capitol steps with posters and a bullhorn. The crowd built up to about 100 before we had to leave the steps. The police were cool about it, doing their job. We snaked up and down the national mall as a group making our way ever closer to the Washington Monument with signs and loud chanting for about an hour-and-a-half, and the crowd peaked at about 250. We got a lot of honks and a lot of interest from tourists and passers- by. Some even joined in. Most demonstrators were Greens, enviros, Gore supporters, NOW activists. And of course, there were others I could not identify. (Gosh, who knows, maybe they were even concerned non-affiliated citizens!???!!) Eventually, we decided to walk back down the mall and north several blocks up to the White House. We chanted VERY loudly and got a lot of attention. We had no police problems. We chanted at the back gates of the White House for about 15 minutes, and then walked to the front. (No one even got arrested!) The crowd dissipated pretty much after that. But you can be sure there will be a lot more people next week. We stirred the pot pretty well. I don't think we got much TV coverage, if any, but a couple of journalists did come and ask questions. All in all, a great success.

Wilkes-Barre, PA

We had 10 people that showed up, with the local Green Party people being a huge help. One of the 2 newspapers came and one television station. The only frustration was the TV station reporter was frustrated with US that we didn't have more people and that we were not members of a "group"! I guess the idea that concerned citizens could just organize without having a "group leader" is a new one for some in the media. Anyway, we were in the central square where a lot of cars were going by, and we held signs like "Stop Voter Fraud" "Democracy Now" and one with a petition website address. We leafleted some passersby with two of the downloadable files (great work---this was really good to have something written). I think it was good to have this presence (though small) since it will still get some media coverage and can be tied in with the nationwide events. For a city with about 40,000 people this was not too bad on short notice.

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