anarchists write, "Over the last week, we took out six surveillance cameras from the exteriors of four different buildings on the University of California in Santa Cruz campus. This was an act of rebellion to the social control in our daily lives. These cameras are the eyes of the police. This task was easy to accomplish, and would be easy for anyone to reproduce."

Andrew Flood spent the last several months traveling around the USA on a 45 city speaking tour about anarchism in Ireland. Andrew recorded interviews with anarchists, edited audio on bus rides, and posted articles to indymedia ireland once he accessed a wi-fi signal. Together, all those interviewed give an impression of 'the other America.'

Thousands of immigrants and their supporters around the country and in San Francisco marched in favor of a more just immigration policy for the US on May 1st. The next day, 63 immigrant workers from El Balazo Taquerias were raided and detained by ICE. Immigrant rights groups, labor, faith-based groups, and many others will gather for a press conference and rally to denounce the Bay Area raids, and to support the taqueria workers on the day of their first court hearing. They will gather on Tuesday, May 27th at 10 am outside of the Homeland Security Building at 630 Sansome St., in downtown San Francisco.

In a letter to Chevron executives and shareholders (and to ExxonMobil, who meet the same day), Iraqi oil workers unions called on Chevron to end the occupation and stop pushing for the "Iraq Oil Theft Law." This message will be delivered by an alliance of environmental justice, human rights and international solidarity groups converging on Chevron's annual shareholder meeting, Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00AM at Chevron corporate headquarters in San Ramon.

Utah Phillips, a seminal figure in American folk music who performed extensively and tirelessly for audiences on two continents for 38 years, died Friday of congestive heart failure in Nevada City, California a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains where he lived for the last 21 years with his wife, Joanna Robinson, a freelance editor.

University of California patient care and service staff announced the results of a statewide strike vote that took place between May 17th and May 22nd. Results were tabulated at midnight on May 22nd, and an overwhelming majority of voters voted to authorize the strike. The workers gave UC Executives notice that a strike could begin as soon as June 4th for the 20,000 workers at the University's five hospital/ten campus system.

Berkeley Copwatch has organized a Know Your Rights and Copwatching Training Week for Saturday, May 24th through Friday, May 30th in Berkeley. Copwatch observes police interactions with civilians and teaches community members about their basic rights with the police as well as how to effectively observe police actions. The week of free events will include three Know Your Rights Trainings and a screening of "These Streets are Watching" After each training, participants will have the option of joining Berkeley Copwatch on a Copwatching shift.

Free Skool Santa Cruz writes, "Saturday May 24th join us for our Free Skool Community Picnic at noon at Ocean View Park. This is our quarterly potluck where students, teachers, organizers, and community members get together to enjoy food, music, and companionship with new and old friends. The next day, Sunday May 25th, we are hosting our Running a Free Skool workshop from 11am to 2pm at the Big Yellow House."

The campaign against science experiments on animals at the University of California continues to grow stronger, but not without opposition. Over the last several months, activists have been conducting frequent demonstrations outside the homes of UC animal researchers -- a handful of people with signs, a bullhorn and some literature to hand out to neighbors.

June 2008 marks the 8th anniversary of the imprisonment of Jeffrey Free Luers. Each June for the past 8 years, a Day of Solidarity has been held to garner support for Jeff and other eco-prisoners. June 14, 2008 will mark the kickoff to a campaign to raise money to help Jeff with his education and living expenses upon his release, as well as call attention to the many eco-prisoners still facing time behind bars and repression by the state.

On May 15th, contract talks for more than 6,000 janitors collapsed when the Bay Area’s largest cleaning companies refused modest pay and benefit improvements to janitors who currently make $347 a week ($23,000 a year). On May 17th, janitors voted to strike and on May 21st, over four hundred workers walked out of a dozen locations in the South Bay. On May 21st, striking janitors staged a morning protest at the annual Intel shareholders meeting for in Mountain View.

On May 22nd in Los Angeles, the California Court of Appeals ruled that the state limits on medical marijuana possession and cultivation that were established under state law SB 420 are unconstitutional. In the case People v. Patrick Kelly, the court overturned the defendant's conviction for possessing 12 ounces of dried marijuana, saying that the prosecutor had improperly argued that the defendant was guilty because he possessed more than the 8-ounce limit established in Health & Safety Code Section 11362.77 and did not have a doctor's recommendation that authorized more. The court wrote, ""The prosecutor's argument was improper... because the CUA [Compassionate Use Act] can only be amended with voters' approval."

On May 17th, Act Against Torture, World Cant Wait, Code Pink, and Vet’s for Peace participated in a demonstration at the UC Berkeley School of Law graduation to demand that Professor John Yoo, author of the legal memo justifying the Bush administration's use of torture, be fired, disbarred and prosecuted for war crimes.

Two years after six local activists were arrested on Cinco de Mayo at Story and King Roads on the Eastside of San Jose, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office dropped all charges against the last of the defendants, Brian Helmle. The charges stem from Mr. Helmle’s arrest, along with five others, for their participation in a speakout against police brutality and copwatch on May 5, 2006.

Marciano Cruz was born in Oaxaca, Mexico. For over 20 years, Marciano, also known as Chango, has been working to improve the lives of people in the greater Santa Cruz community. He is currently a staff member at the Resource Center for Nonviolence (RCNV). Marciano is being honored for his work as founder, chief organizer and president of La Liga de La Comunidad, a countywide soccer league for youth and adults.

On May 15th, the California State Supreme Court ruled that laws that have excluded same-gender couples from the right to marry were unconstitutional. Gatherings will be held around the state to celebrate the ruling. The California court cited the state's equal protection clause in striking down the discrimination. It also ruled that marriages performed outside of the state must be recognized as legal by the State of California.

On May 5th, Foster Gamble and the Economic Action Team of the California Alliance to Stop the Spray (C.A.S.S.), released a forty page report on the economic impact to the state of California in response to the CDFA/USDA plan to spray multiple California counties with a micronized concoction of synthetic “pheromone” and chemicals to "eradicate" the Light Brown Apple Moth – a moth with zero history of causing crop damage anywhere in the world.

Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) and a small bi-partisan coalition of Members of Congress introduced H.R. 5842, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act in April. The legislation will help protect individuals who use or provide medical cannabis in accordance with their state law.

May 14th was the first anniversary of the incarceration of Indian human rights and public health activist Dr. Binayak Sen. People gathered in front of the Consulate General of India in San Francisco to protest his continued imprisonment by the Indian government. Protesters presented a petition demanding, "Free Dr. Binayak Sen," to the Indian Consul General.

Donna Deiss Yovino writes, "At Santa Cruz parking lot A on West Cliff Drive, on Friday May 9, 2008, Sgt. C LeMoss twisted and broke the right humurus arm bone of a 60 year old disabled woman for entering her RV and attempting to close the door."

Bay Area environmental and social justice organizations are demanding a halt to San Francisco's proposed highly polluting Peaker Power Plant Project. Also known as the Combustion Turbine Project, the plant is proposed to be built in Southeast San Francisco, right next to the Bayview Hunters Point community that is already overburdened with pollution.

A U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California has ruled that the City of Fresno's practice of immediately seizing and destroying the personal possessions of homeless residents violates the constitutional right of every person to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

On Tuesday, June 3rd, Gay Shame will conduct a séance to "summon the ghosts of Polk Street's past", defend street culture and protest Lower Polk Neighbors, whose "business improvement district" has been slowly squeezing the spirit out of Polk Street. Mary writes, "Because the gentrification of the Polk Street area in the Tenderloin is an intersection of so many different wars City Hall is waging -- against people of color, sex workers, homeless people, immigrants, drug addicts, youth, and marginalized queer/trans people -- it's the perfect place to channel voices of resistance."

Hector Antonio Ventura, one of 14 people arrested last year during an anti-water privatization protest in the town of Suchitoto, El Salvador, was assassinated in his home on May 3. The assailants apparently stabbed him to death, while another man was attacked but survived. Organizations such as the legal group FESPAD have called for a full investigation into the death of the 19-year old Ventura, while expressing concern that Salvadoran authorities will not address the likely political motivation for the murder.

Monday, May 12, 2008: In Lebanon, armed clashes over the past week have left at least 81 dead. Fighting erupted last week during a general strike called by the General Federation of Labor Unions to protest the high cost of living. On May 8th, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah held a press conference in Beirut and condemned a decision by the Lebanese cabinet to outlaw Hezbollah's telecommunication network and dismiss the head of Airport security for his alleged ties to the party. Nasrallah said their private communication network was critical to their success during the July 2006 war with Israel. Hezbollah-led opposition forces quickly overpowered pro-government militias and took over large parts of the capital city of Beirut before handing over control to the Lebanese army.

The work stoppage at all 29 West Coast ports on May 1, 2008 by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) was an historic turning point for the U.S. labor movement. For the first time in more than seventy years, a major U.S. trade union led marches and a system-wide strike on May Day. And for the first time ever, it was not for economic reasons, but for the political demand to end the disastrous and debilitating U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.