(reposted from email)
*The first base camp for resistance to the road has been set up!
Yesterday, with permission of landowners set to be affected by I-69, activists
set up camp near the first 1.77 miles of the proposed route. We anticipate
that this camp will be safe and non-evictable by the
authorities for the foreseeable future. In addition to maintaining a physical
presence on site, a number of exciting projects are planned to be hosted there,
including:
-Community organizing and dialogues, including public dinners and picnics.
-Documentation of the proposed route and any destructive acts committed by
INDOT.
-Distribution of literature.
-Wildlife surveying.
-support for direct action against the construction of the first 1.77 miles
With such a full plate, we definitely need your help! Are you interested in
any of these projects or are available to camp? Do you have resources or
skills that might be relevant? Do you want to get more involved? If any of
these are the case, now is the time to come here!!! (you can get in touch
before hand through the email address or website.)
*Weekend of Resistance Reportback
This past weekend, five publicly organized events and a myriad of
autonomous actions occurred to help widen the opposition to the road and up the
ante in the fight to shut it down.
The weekend started strong with a potluck at Boxcar Books in Bloomington. 30
people shared food and sat down for discussions about I-69 resistance, with a
special focus on the basics of self-organization and starting affinity groups.
The next day, more than 80 people took the streets in a street parade across
downtown Bloomington. Luckily, the police remained entirely peaceful,
respecting the march's family friendly character. Check out
http://www.bloomingtonalternative.com/articles/2008/04/20/9248 for pictures and
another account of the parade.
On Monday, the second Bloomington assembly against I-69 was held in the Monroe
County Public Library. A number of different community organizing projects
were discussed- as these conversations continue to bear fruit, we will send out
updates about the diversity of these exciting efforts. The weekend's
advertised events were rounded out by two amazing fundraisers- a diner/brunch
benefit on Sunday, and an old-time music show at Max's Place on Tuesday. We
had a lot of fun at both of them and want to extend big thanks to everyone who
made delicious food and great music.
Some successful actions that took place on tuesday day of action:
-An autonomous call for a phone jam against Gohmann A&C was issued. (see
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080416034558134) We've heard
reports that many people got busy signals when they called in, likely
reflecting a successful actions.
-Banners were dropped across Evansville and Bloomington. Check out
stopi69.wordpress.com for pictures of a few of them.
-Corporations with ties to I-69 went on red-alert on Tuesday, due to hype by
Bernardin, Lochmueller, and Associates and various law enforcement agencies,
according to the Evansville Courier-Press.
Again, we wanted to express our excitement at working with everyone who helped
make the weekend possible and successful. It feels like a strong foundation
for the next phase of the struggle, which is just starting now.
*As always, please get in touch with any questions or ideas you might have. We
hope to be seeing you all soon!
roadblockef@yahoo.com stopi69.wordpress.com
