A wounded protester is rushed to a field hospital near Tahrir Square during clashes with Egyptian riot police in Cairo, on November 20, 2011. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
The people want a civilian government. The military? Not so much. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss? From the campuses of the University of California to the streets of Cairo, 2011 has been a year of teargas and blood. And the beat goes on. More photos from Tahrir Square here.
photo: DON EMMERT / Getty Images
Posted in Activism, New York, Photography, Youth
Tagged Culture, Day of Action, Gas Mask, Headlines, New York, Occupy, OWS, Photography, Sexy
Police guard the famed bull statue as protesters affiliated with Occupy Wall Street march nearby on Nov. 17, 2011, in New York City. ( Mario Tama / Getty Images )
Makana. Photo via The Yes Lab.
When Hawaiian guitarist and singer Makana took the stage at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation gala dinner in Honolulu on November 12th, the audience expected instrumental background music. They got more than they expected.
Attendees at the hyper-secure dinner, which capped a summit of world leaders “included Presidents Barack Obama of the United States of America, Hu Jintao of China, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, and over a dozen other heads of state.”
Makana proceeded to unbutton his suit jacket to reveal a home-made “Occupy With Aloha” t-shirt, pick up his guitar, and spend the next 45 minutes singing a very extended version of his freshly-pressed protest song “We are the Many.” According to The Yes Lab, who together with Occupy the Board Room, provided strategic assistance to the performer: “In recent weeks, Occupy protesters have been showing up at corporate events, headquarters and even on the doorsteps of those in power. Makana really raised the bar by delivering the Occupy message inside what is probably the most secure place on the planet right now.”
Makana never expected to be allowed to continue, but the objections he anticipated never came. He recounts his trepidation: “I found it odd that I was afraid to sing a song I’d written, especially since I’d written it with these people in mind. I just kept doing different versions. I must’ve repeated ‘the bidding of the many, not the few’ at least 50 times, like a mantra. It was surreal and sobering.” The ballad includes the refrain: “We’ll occupy the streets. We’ll occupy the courts. We’ll occupy the offices of you. Till you do. The bidding of the many, not the few” For complete lyrics, plus video and more, click here.
Posted in Activism, Hawaii, Music, Photography
Tagged APEC, Culture, Makana, Mediagenic Activism, Music, Occupy, Occupy the Board Room, Occupy With Aloha, OWS, Photography, Revolution, Yes Lab
An Occupy Wall Street protestor is arrested during a march on Broadway, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, in New York, after police ordered demonstrators to leave their encampment in Zuccotti Park. At about 1 a.m. Tuesday, police handed out notices from the park’s owner, Brookfield Office Properties, and the city saying that the park had to be cleared because it had become unsanitary and hazardous. Protesters were told they could return, but without sleeping bags, tarps or tents. via Sacramento Bee. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Posted in Activism, Military, New York, Photography
Tagged New York, NYPD, Occupy, OWS, Photography, police, Revolution, Zuccotti Park
Joey, 19, is from Brooklyn and is an art student at Pratt. He spoke to the We Are the Youth project about his new hobby: “I’ve been going down to Zuccotti Park at least once a week. My friends and I go there and yell so loud and so much that I’ve been losing my voice a lot. I’m trying to get other people active and not feel apathetic toward it. I’ve been beating myself up a little bit for not going more, but midterms happen…” Don’t beat yourself up, Joey! That’s the job of the riot police. More from Joey here.
Posted in Activism, New York, Photography, Youth
Tagged Activism, Culture, Gay, Gay Youth, New York, Occupy, OWS, Photography, Revolution, Zuccotti Park
Ali Ahmad Asseri, the gay former first secretary of the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles, has been denied asylum by the US government. According to the Jerusalem Post: “Saudi officials…refused to renew his diplomatic passport and effectively terminated his job after discovering he was gay and was close friends with a Jewish woman.” Asseri then applied for asylum, arguing that he faced possible execution if forced to return to Saudi Arabia. The feds don’t seem to want to ruffle the feathers of their Saudi pals, so they are sending him back. Case closed. Next. For a list of countries where being a gay men is a capital offense punishable by death, click here.
Posted in History, Human Rights, Saudi Arabia, Strange News
Tagged Ali Ahmad Asseri, Asylum, Capital Punishment, Consul, Death Penalty, Diplomat, Gay, Saudi Arabia
In this photo taken Oct. 25, 2011, 24-year-old Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen lays on the ground bleeding from a head wound after being struck by a by a projectile during an Occupy Wall Street protest in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Jay Finneburgh)
A picture is worth…
Posted in Activism, History, Military, Northern California, Photography, Youth
Tagged Culture, Occupy Oakland, Photography, Revolution, Scott Olsen, Sexy, USMC
Friend of this site Bevan Dufty is running for Mayor of San Francisco. Bevan is not the only good candidate for Mayor, but he is the only gay one, and his election would be historical. He is a life-long public servant who would be an effective and hands-on Mayor. Other popular candidates in our circles include interim Mayor Ed Lee, City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Senator Leland Yee. Best of luck to all the candidates in the race, and here’s hoping not TOO much blood will be shed tomorrow.
Sign seen at Magnet SF.
Posted in iPhone, San Francisco, SCANDAL: Politics, Crime, Revolution and More., Signage
Tagged 2011, Bevan Dufty, Candidate, Gay, GOTV, iPhone Photo, Magnet SF, Mayor, San Francisco, Signage
gayhighwaymen
Maštíŋčala Sáŋ
The Gay Highwaymen 