Rally for Pacifica in DC Jan 19th

[kevin at limits.org]

This information comes from the Justice Action Movement's website.

If anyone's coming to DC for the inauguration, or if there are any locals
on the p-list, thought you might be interested.

Kevin Troy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001 12:04:31 -0500

 12:00 pm January 19th, 2001
   Title: Rally to Save WBAI/Pacifica
   Event Type: Action
   Location: Law offices of Epstein, Becker & Green, 1227 25th St. NW
   Sponsor: Concerned Friends of WBAI 99.5 FM
   Phone Contact: 800-825-0055
   
   This rally is intended to draw attention to the Pacifica National
   Board of Directors, one of whom works at Epstein, Becker & Green, a
   law firm that prides itself on its ability to help clients "counter
   union organizing campaigns" and "maintain a union-free workplace."

   Recent events in NYC indicate that efforts to destroy the Pacifica
   Radio Network are intensifying. At Pacifica station WBAI 99.5 FM, the
   General Manager was told by the Pacifica National Board that she was
   terminated as of Jan. 1. On Dec 22nd, near midnight, Pacifica
   Executive Director Bessie Wash personally oversaw the locks being
   changed at the station, then summarily fired 20-year station veteran
   Bernard White, the programming director, and his producer. Four other
   volunteer staffers were banned from the station.

   These actions follow a pattern by the Pacifica board. Amy Goodman,
   award-winning host of Democracy Now! (http://democracynow.org) earlier
   filed grievances against Pacifica for censorship, harassment and
   gender harrassment. Pacifica bosses have reprimanded her and
   threatened termination, and have told her, for example, of her
   coverage of the Abner Louima case, that "people don't want to hear
   graphic details of police brutality before their morning coffee."
   Firings at Berkely's KPFA touched off a storm of public protest that
   drew over 10,000 people to the streets. The "mainstreaming" of
   Pacifica News has led to a strike by Pacifica reporters, who now
   produce Free Speech Radio News.

   From its inception in 1949 until lately, the Pacifica board was been
   true to its grassroots listener community. Bylaws changes, contested
   now in three lawsuits, allowed the board to be stacked with corporate
   interests. These raiders accuse Pacifica programming as being stuck in
   the 60s and irrelevant. On the contrary, it is because Pacifica radio
   serves as the entry point into US public discourse for such issues
   that the establishment finds uncomfortable as Indonesian oppression
   and murder in East Timor, police brutality, the words of Mumia
   Abu-Jamal and the politics of third party candidates that this
   concerted effort to destroy the network is underway.

   Come let this member of the Pacifica Board know that we will not let
   this vital asset of the Movement suffer at the hands of a few
   malicious suits. Help save NYC's WBAI and help reclaim Pacifica!
   ________________________________________________________________ This
   event from I20 Events Calendar. Check out others like at
   http://www.metaevents.com/i20/index.cgi
   ________________________________________________________________