Mid Town Tunnel Blockade ~ NYC

May 7, 2008.. NYC citizens disrupt all major Bridges and Tunnels to show outrage at Sean Bell "50 shots" verdict*... Video by TeamSpider
*all officers: NOT Guilty

Related Links ::: Sean Bell Murder Protests

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Anita Roddick Advocacy Center

10.5 min. ~ Download iPod ~ Bandwidth Challenged
embedding options here or U2B
The 1st Common Ground Relief owned facility in New Orleans has been dedicated to Anita Roddick, recently deceased owner of the Body Shop and Champion of Humanitarian and Civil Rights issues world wide.

The dedication ceremony took place Saturday, next to where the barge landed in the lower 9th ward and features Malik Rahim, CoFounder of Common Ground Collective; Kone Shakur, media relations director of Common Ground Collective; The Rebirth Brass Band, The Revolution 2nd Line and Fiyaya.

Related Links ::: Common Ground Relief, Anita Roddick, Angola 3

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Welcome to New Orleans

58 min. ~ Download“Welcome to New Orleans” is a 58 minute documentary about the city of New Orleans during the first year after Katrina. This film depicts ... all » the violence and racism in the impoverished American South. This is a story about the bottom-side of United States--a society that has been left to fend for itself. But more importantly, this film is about hope, in the face of overwhelming adversity. “Welcome to New Orleans” depicts the ravaged city through the eyes of Malik Rahim, a 58-year-old former member of the Black Panthers, who stayed during and after Hurricane Katrina, in order to help residents. He has become a local hero, as he has built up his grassroots organization, Common Ground Collective, over the past two years. Common Ground has served over 170,000 residents with the help of over 12,000 volunteers, who have traveled from all 50 states and 40 different countries. But there is still plenty of work to be done.

To find out more information, or to make a donation, please visit our site, CommonGroundRelief.org. Thank you.
See Also: Fluxview, USA 1st year Hurricane Aftermath Videos

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Cop Killer Confesses

Arnold Beverly's Confession

Arnold Beverly, NOT MUMIA, killed the cop. He explains the facts and details of what REALLY happened. - Video from the Partisan Defence Committee.

From Death Row, Mumia Abu Jamal (part 2 of Mondays video)

From Death Row, Mumia Abu Jamal (part 3 of Mondays video)

ALL OUT IN PHILLY MAY 17th

Related Links ::: Partisan Defense Commitee, FREE MUMIA NOW!, Mo' Mumia

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Black Panther Flag Ceremony

4 min 35 secs ~ IPOD ~ Download the Full Screen Version
Bandwidth Challenged, or on U2B other embedding options exist here
At the end of the 40,000 person strong "Shopping For Justice" March lead by Al Sharpton a group of Panthers raised their Fists in front of Macy's and burned a flag for justice.

Related Links ::: Fire Ray Kelly, Failing to Protect,
History of the Black Panther Party, New Orleans Panthers

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Police Involved in Illegal Seizure of Property

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Illegal Seizure of Files, Confidential Information at Common Ground-managed
Woodlands Apartment Complex, Algiers

New Orleans restaurant owner, Darryl Reginelli, illegally seized information
and equipment from the Woodlands Apartment Complex on the West Bank on
Wednesday morning. Complicit in this act were two NOPD officers believed to
be long-term associates of Reginelli. Complaints were made at the Public
Integrity Bureau and the District station.

Without providing a court order or any legal authority, Darryl Reginelli,
co-owner of Reginelli's pizza parlors, entered the Administrative office of
the Woodlands Apartments with the assistance of two uniformed New Orleans
Police Department officers, witnesses said. Reginelli stole multiple files,
including apartment leases, and a computer containing confidential tenant
and workforce information. The violation comes during a deeply contested
sale that pits low-income tenants against wealthy developers seeking
evictions.

"They illegally took our computers and our files and they didn't stop 'til I
came in there. I took what was in one of their hands, threw it on the floor
and the rest of them left. If it had been legal, they would have arrested
me. Again, it shows you, they knew what they were doing was illegal," said
Malik Rahim at a Woodlands Tenants meeting held Wednesday afternoon. Rahim
is a co-founder of Common Ground, the relief organization that acquired
management rights to the Woodlands in May 2006.

Reginelli and his wife, Angela, a prominent employee of Channel 6 WDSU,
previously owned the Woodlands, purchasing it in 2000 and some estimate
making millions off the property while allowing conditions to deteriorate
severely. Since taking over management in May under a gentleman's agreement,
Common Ground has provided approximately one million dollars in labor and
material improvements to the complex. While rents across the city have
skyrocketed, Common Ground management froze the rents at the Woodlands to
pre-Katrina levels, fostered a strong tenants union and ran a workers'
cooperative with paid skills training.

Throughout the past five months Reginelli made recurring promises sign a
purchase agreement with Common Ground but continually rescheduled and
cancelled appointments while seeking another buyer. "We're gonna let the
rest of the nation know what's going on," Rahim said Wednesday, referring to
the breached agreements, backdoor real estate dealings and planned mass
evictions.

Common Ground will mount an appeal to the City Council at Thursdays meeting,
and reach out to local and national organizations for support in favor of
residents' rights while pursuing appropriate legal action. "The tenants have
rights, they know their rights, and they are organized," said Soleil
Rodrigue, Legal Coordinator for Common Ground. "They will not go quietly
into the ranks of the Post-Katrina homeless."

Contact: Soleil Rodrigue, Legal Coordinator, 504-717-7324

Related Links ::: Common Ground Collective, N.O.TV Collective,
New Orleans Housing Rights Videos

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New Orleans, Public Housing and Black Panthers ....... oh my

Click Image to Download the VIDEO 33 mgs 9 minutes
Here's a Big Phat Version 72 mgs

Take a step back in time at the B. W. Cooper Housing Projects with Malik Rahim cofounder of the Common Ground Collective hurricane relief organization and former Black Panther. Malik speaks of the history of the Black Panther Party and the cultural significance of the Projects.

B.W. Cooper Projects are slated for destruction while much of the city's returned citizens are sleeping in cars or tents .. or in outlying areas. Thousands of people could be living there right now yet the city will not allow them to reopen.

Related Links ::: Common Ground Collective, History of the Black Panther Party

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Common Ground Collective: Solidarity Not Charity

Click Image to Download the VIDEO 21 minutes 51mgs
Here's a Big Phat Version 161 mgs

During the week of Thanksgiving hundreds of people from all walks of life came to New Orleans and volunteered with the Common Ground Collective to help those in need in what ever way they could.

I worked on this video overview of the work of the Common Ground Collective along with several other volunteers.

WHO IS COMMON GROUND:
Common Ground Collective is a local, community-run organization
offering assistance, mutual aid and support to New Orleans
communities that have been historically neglected and underserved.

Common Ground's teams of volunteers include: medical and health
providers, aid workers, community organizers, legal representatives
and people from all over with broad skills from all walks of life.

VISION:
Our work aims to give hope and stability to communities by: working
with them, providing materials, money, information and people working
together in rebuilding their lives in just and sustainable ways.

Our work within the collective and in community aims to be
non-oppressive and respectful to people historically marginalized in
society.

Related Info ::: Common Ground Collective, Volunteer: 504-218-6613, Contribute: 504-913-5635

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