John Liu sues New York City for blocking public matching campaign funds

"John Liu's campaign did nothing wrong," says lawyer Richard Emery.

John Liu, the former Comptroller for New York City, filed a federal lawsuit today against the City of New York, alleging that he was "denied the opportunity to compete on an even playing field with the other mayoral candidates, and his reputation was irreparably damaged," The New York Post is reporting, adding, that the Campaign Finance Board's decision to deny Mr. Liu $3.8 million in matching public dollars amounted to a “death sentence” to his mayoral campaign.

• RELATED : John Liu sues city for blocking $3.8M in public funds during mayoral bid (The New York Post)
• RELATED : Scott Levenson, NY-CLASS, Citizens United Super PAC Investigation (Updated) (NYC : News & Analysis)
• RELATED : Proposed NYS public matching dollars at risk of being gamed, just like with "model" NYC campaign finance system (NYC : News & Analysis)

Mr. Liu's complaint alleges that the Campaign Finance Board unlawfully “crippled” his bid to become the city’s first Asian-American mayor by citing the court convictions of others, even though Mr. Liu himself was never charged with any wrong-doing.

The investigation into Mr. Liu's campaign finances originated in a report published in 2011 by The New York Times at a time when Mr. Liu was attracting serious attention and support for his expected mayoral campaign in 2013. Many activists have alleged that the editors of The New York Times preferred the mayoral candidacy of former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. After the Campaign Finance Board denied Mr. Liu's public matching funding dollars, former Speaker Quinn received the glowing endorsement of The New York Times' editorial board.

In a further example of the politicization of the Campaign Finance Board, city campaign finance regulators appeared to obsess over Mr. Liu's troubled donations, identified as only 35 out of over 6,300 donations, but city campaign finance regulators did nothing to scrutinize the corruptive influence of super PAC's in the 2013 municipal election.

In a video made last year by The Queens Courier, Mr. Liu described how investigators deceived his campaign workers into accepting tainted donations. Essentially, he was the victim of entrapment.

2014-03-12 John Liu v NYC Campaign Finance Board - USDC-SDNY COMPLAINT (Stamped Copy) by Connaissable

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QUESTIONING THE NEW YORK CITY CAMPAIGN FINANCE BOARD With John Liu's lawsuit against New York City over conflicted city campaign finance regulators, this makes three federal referrals of elections violations, forcing Mayor de Blasio to lawyer-up, recruit special inside election counsel. After a wave of federal complaints that have been lodged over electioneering violations in last year's municipal elections, Mayor Bill de Blasio has hired a special legal advisor specializing in election law. RELATED : Henry Berger, a longtime election lawyer, previously served as election counsel to Bill de Blasio during his 2009 public advocate campaign, has been appointed to be "special counsel" to the mayor. (Election Lawyer Hired As Special Council To Mayor Bill de Blasio * City & State) Since Mayor de Blasio and City Council Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and/or their political operatives, are entangled in some of these federal complaints, it should come as no surprise that Mayor de Blasio is now maneuvering to use his public office to defend himself against allegations of wrong-doing that took place during the electioneering of last year's municipal elections.

The three federal complaints lodged following last year's municipal elections : GOP consultant E. O'Brien Murray argued to the State Department that Patrick Gaspard, a former top White House aide with a deep history in Gotham politics, violated the federal Hatch Act by getting involved in Mayor de Blasio's campaign -- and City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito's subsequent election as speaker -- while representing the U.S. in South Africa. (GOP Operative Files Hatch Act Complaint Against U.S. Ambassador Patrick Gaspard * The New York Daily News) Louis Flores, a local political gadfly who ran a blog and wrote a book criticizing Christine Quinn, has filed a complaint with U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s criminal division against Scott Levenson and The Advance Group consulting firm, which came under deep scrutiny during the mayoral campaign. (Federal Complaint Filed Against The Advance Group for Election Work * Politicker) Former New York City Comptroller and failed mayoral candidate John Liu has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and its Campaign Finance Board. He says the board unfairly crippled his campaign by denying him matching funds in last year's race for mayor. (Ex-NYC mayor hopeful sues Campaign Finance Board * AP/The San Francisco Chronicle)

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Global Supermarket in Jackson Heights reopens, but union workers were not rehired

HAPPENING NOW : Protest at Global Supermarket in Jackson Heights ; owner fired all workers before Christmas. pic.twitter.com/lvLNyU96wK

— Bold Progress NYC (@boldprogressnyc) January 30, 2014

About 2 dozen union members, neighborhood residents, and members of Occupy Queens stood outside the new Global Supermarket at 75-07 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, to protest this morning the new supermarket owner, who refused to rehire former supermarket employees. The supermarket changed hands after the former owner, then operating under the name of Trade Fair, fired all of its employees and shut down right before Christmas in an ultimate act of union-busting against its employees.

Union employees at Trade Fair had been demanding better working conditions, and the supermarket had become the site of many demonstrations last year. Some of last year's demonstrations had even attracted mayoral candidates, including former Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who spoke at one protest last April :

Because the labor problems have dragged on from the previous owner to the successive owner at the Jackson Heights location, it was important to former Trade Fair employees that Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens) showed up this morning in a sign of solidarity with the former employees.

Some activists, including Congressman Crowley, distributed flyers, informing the community about the corrupt actions of the new supermarket owner. Other activists collected signatures on a petition, demanding that Global Supermarket rehire the former Trade Fair workers. Some of the former Trade Fair employees had been members of a local service union, Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW.

During this morning's protest, few neighbors walked in Global Supermarket. If local residents continue to express their disapproval with the new owner, perhaps the new owner will make the commercially-responsible decision : to rehire the former Trade Fair employees ? Otherwise, the store may fail anew -- and end up closed, for good.

Did Bill de Blasio misuse FDNY Fire Drill To Thwart Stop-And-Frisk Protest ?

• Updated : De Blasio Faces Protest for NYPD Pick * Democracy Now!
  (Revised : Tuesday 10 Dec 2013 16/04)

Protest against Bratton's Use of Stop-And-Frisk And His Appointment as NYPD Commish

Protest against Bill Bratton's record on stop-and-frisk and against Bill de Blasio for picking Bratton as NYPD commish ; at The Nation magazine gala at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, NYC.

Bill Bratton is the architect of stop-and-frisk, a police policy that has been shown to be a state-sponsored program of racism that targets minorities.

Watch as activists jeer former NYC Public Advocate Mark Green, former TV talkshow host Phil Donahue, former GMHC CEO Ana Oliveira, Manhattan Borough President-elect Gail Brewer, and The Daily Show contributor Lewis Black for standing by Bill de Blasio's pick of Bratton as NYPD commish. Bill de Blasio, and possibly Bill Bratton, snuck in through the freight entrance at the back of the building, avoiding protesters. They used an FDNY practice exercise as a decoy to close West 19th Street from some activists.

This was a private event, but yet there was Bill de Blasio abusing his authority over NYPD and FDNY to use public resources for a private event -- a similar complaint that reform activists used to have about Christine Quinn. This is not change ; rather, this is more of the same.

de Blasio misused FDNY resources by deploying a fake emergency fire drill at the back of the building, where activists were protesting last night.

Was the FDNY decoy exercise deliberately planned to interfere with last night's protest ?

Protest against Bratton's Use of Stop-And-Frisk And His Appointment as NYPD Commish

• Updated : De Blasio Faces Protest for NYPD Pick * Democracy Now!
  (Revised : Tuesday 10 Dec 2013 16/04)

Activists Protest Outside The Nation Magazine Gala, Honoring Bill de Blasio, Who The Nation Had Endorsed. Now, de Blasio Was Rewarding Them By Appearing At Their Gala In Exchange.

Protest against Bill Bratton's record on Stop-And-Frisk and against Bill de Blasio for picking him as NYPD commish ; at The Nation Magazine Gala at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, NYC.

Bill Bratton is the architect of Stop-And-Frisk, a police policy that has been shown to be a state-sponsored program of racism that targets minorities.

Watch as activists jeer former NYC Public Advocate Mark Green, former TV talkshow host Phil Donahue, former GMHC CEO Ana Oliveira, Manhattan Borough President-elect Gail Brewer, and The Daily Show contributor Lewis Black for standing by Bill de Blasio's pick of Bratton as NYPD commish. Bill de Blasio, and possibly Bill Bratton, snuck in through the freight entrance at the back of the building, avoiding protesters. They used an FDNY practice exercise as a decoy to close West 19th Street from some activists.

This was a private event, but yet there was Bill de Blasio abusing his authority over NYPD and FDNY to use public resources for a private event -- a similar complaint that reform activists used to have about Christine Quinn. This is not change ; rather, this is more of the same.

de Blasio misused FDNY resources by deploying a fake emergency practise exercise at the back of the building, where activists were protesting last night.

Was the FDNY decoy exercise deliberately planned to interfere with last night's protest ?

Queer Nation NY protests against Russian LGBT discrimination enablers continue, this time at Carnegie Hall

Activists from the LGBT group Queer Nation NY organized a demonstration at Carnegie Hall on Thursday night, October 10. Activists demonstrated outside of the famed concert hall while some activists jeered Putin supporter Valery Gergiev, who was conducting an orchestra that evening. LGBT advocacy groups like Queer Nation have been organizing boycotts and protests of Russian businesses and other interests ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a crack-down on LGBT's in Russia.

• RELATED : If Mylène Farmer was a real gay icon, she would denounce the Russian government's violent crackdown against LGBT community

See Also : WQXR Blog : Gay Rights Protesters Follow Gergiev to Carnegie Hall

The protest at Carnegie Hall last night was preceded by another protest a few weeks ago at the opening night gala at the Metropolitan Opera in Lincoln Center.

Eight GetEQUAL Activists Arrested In ENDA Protest

.@getequal ENDA protester getting arrested outside of Boehner's office twitter.com/aterkel/status…

— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) June 13, 2013

Eight activists from GetEQUAL staged a demonstration and were arrested outside of House Speaker John Boehner's office today in an effort to put pressure on the House Speaker to call for a vote and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which is known as ENDA.

Some of the activists spoke with staff members inside of Speaker Boehner's office.

Then, in an emotional moment, the activists protested inside Speaker Boehner's office, and some of the activists made statements, some of the famous quotes, about what drove the activists to show up at Speaker Boehner's office : the need to call for a vote and pass ENDA.

In this video, one of the activists was shown as he was put in handcuffs and dragged away.

According to a Facebook posting by GetEQUAL member Michael Diviesti, the activists endured a 30 hour van drive from the south to Washington, DC, in order to demand job protections. He identified the activists, who were arrested, as : Koby GetEqual Ozias: Corpus Christi TX, Cindy Candia: Harlingen TX, Kaya Candia-Almanza: Harlingen TX, Carey Neal Dunn: Austin TX, Erin Susan Jennings: San Antonio TX, Tiffani FullEquality Bishop: Austin TX, Sean Watkins: OH, and Corey Phillips: OH.

Another GetEQUAL member noted on Facebook that today's action at Speaker Boehner's office took place on the same day when hundreds of people were scheduled to attend the LGBT Pride Reception at the White House.

Read more : 8 LGBT Protesters Arrested Outside John Boehner's Office

This is the second recent action by GetEQUAL, as part of their larger strategy, of using direct action to fight for full LGBT equality in all matters governed by civil law.

Last week, Ellen Sturtz, another member of GetEqual, was escorted out of a fundraising event after Ms. Sturtz heckled FLOTUS Michelle Obama over President Obama's inaction on signing an Executive Order making an equivalent of ENDA take effect using the president's executive powers. The Executive Order, which President Obama has promised to sign, but thus far has not, would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity of employees by federal contractors.

Read more : Lesbian activist kicked out of fundraiser for disrupting First Lady’s speech

Christine Quinn No Show At Jackson Heights Mayoral Forum

Several activists stood outside the Jewish Center in Jackson Heights tonight, to protest Christine Quinn's dismal record on LGBT equality, NYPD discrimination, and restrictions on the use of birth control.

Tonight's protest, which had been announced well in advance, was a success, activists said, because Christine Quinn cancelled her appearance at this forum.

Tonight's mayoral forum was sponsored by the New Visions Democratic Club, by the Lesbian Gay Democratic Club of Queens, and by City Councilmember Daniel Dromm.

Activists distributed over 300 flyers outside of tonight's mayoral forum. In their interaction with passers-by and with the attendees at tonight's mayoral form, activists often mentioned how Christine Quinn was primarily responsible for extending term limits to allow Mayor Michael Bloomberg to steal a third term, how Christine Quinn's use of slush funds creates a culture of corruption in City Hall, and how Christine Quinn has failed to hold the NYPD accountable for discriminating against innocent New Yorkers.

LGBT activists question why Christine Quinn, who is the highest elected openly LGBT politician in New York City politics, does not stand up to the NYPD. The NYPD have demonstrated a pattern of discriminating and falsely arresting innocent LGBT New Yorkers if they carry condoms. Police claim that if LGBT New Yorkers carry condoms, then the condoms are evidence that LGBT New Yorkers are engaged in prostitution.

Protest against @chriscquinn's inaction against NYPD condom criminalization today at 6:30 pm facebook.com/events/1650544… twitter.com/stopchrisquinn…

— Stop Christine Quinn (@stopchrisquinn) April 11, 2013

Activists displayed a banner, which portrayed a condom locked in a handcuff to represent how NYPD are trying to crack down on safe sex practices -- forcing us to return to backward Victorian times.

How can Christine Quinn support this kind of crackdown on the use of prophylactics, if the fact that prophylactics and birth control because legal in 1965 only after decades of attempts by Planned Parenthood to make it legal for people to use contraception.

But that's not all. The NYPD policy on stop-and-frisk also deliberately targets transgenders ; meanwhile, Christine Quinn does not hold the NYPD for discriminating against the LGBT community. The stop-and-frisk program discriminates, and, as a consequence, the City of New York ends up paying hundreds of millions in damages for violating the civil rights of innocent New Yorkers.

#NY’s Stop-and-Frisk #Election: In 2011 alone, #NYC paid out over $180 million in lawsuits against the #NYPDbit.ly/Zc7YX3

— BQ Brew (@BQBrew) April 11, 2013

Here is one of the flyers, which activists distributed tonight :

2013-04-11 Christine Quinn Stop and Frisk Condom Flyer

What a disgrace for the NYPD to menace the LGBT community like this. In an article in The New York Times last week-end, it was notable that no LGBT leader in this city was quoted here to denounce the institutional discrimination by the NYPD of LGBT New Yorkers. Most notable was the absence or silence by Christine Quinn, the highest elected LGBT official in New York City politics. She is somebody, who has a sensibility of what it means to be treated different because of her identity as a woman and as a lesbian. And yet she has said nothing about how the NYPD treats others in the LGBT community solely based on their identity. And in all the articles about how stop-and-frisk is used by the NYPD against communities of color and other minority groups, there has remained a radio silence about how a municipality can discriminate against people in public spaces based on sex, race, and other factors that are expressly prohibited by the Civil Rights Act. When were municipalities given the option of not enforcing the Civil Rights Act ? And how can the NYPD deliberately violate Griswold v. Connecticut, the landmark case that legalised the use of contraceptives in the United States ? When did carrying contraception or prophylactics become a criminal behaviour ? How can this be ?

Union Rat at 304 Park Ave. South - SL Green

SL Green properties has hired Topline Drywall to work on a renovation project at 304 Park Avenue South. But SL Green and Topline Drywall are not paying the construction workers the Area Standard Wages, including neither providing or making payments for family healthcare and pension benefits. Representatives from the New York District Council of Carpenters showed up to shame SL Green to do the right thing. Please call Andrew Mathias of SL Green at : (212) 594-2700 to do all they can to make right be Topline Drywall workers -- and to see that all Area Labor Standards are met at all SL Green projects.

Green Party Candidates Get Arrested Outside Hofstra Debate

Jill Stein, Cheri Honkala Arrested Before Hofstra Debate

Jill Stein And Cheri Honkala Were Arrested Before Hofstra Debate

From Huffington Post :

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested outside of Hofstra University on Tuesday after attempted to enter debate grounds.

According to Stein's campaign press statement, Stein and running mate Cheri Honkala joined supporters outside the Hofstra campus at 2pm, where Stein declared, "We are here to bring the courage of those excluded from our politics to this mock debate, this mockery of democracy." When they started to walk onto the debate grounds, they were stopped by police officers, and then the two women sat down on the ground. ...

Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala protest and get arrested at Hofstra Debate

Jill Stein And Cheri Honkala Were Arrested Before Hofstra Debate

From Huffington Post :

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested outside of Hofstra University on Tuesday after attempted to enter debate grounds.

According to Stein's campaign press statement, Stein and running mate Cheri Honkala joined supporters outside the Hofstra campus at 2pm, where Stein declared, "We are here to bring the courage of those excluded from our politics to this mock debate, this mockery of democracy." When they started to walk onto the debate grounds, they were stopped by police officers, and then the two women sat down on the ground. ...

Mitt Romney Hamptons Protests : OWS Electoral Politics

Mitt Romney appeared in campaign fundraisers in the Hamptons last weekend, where he raised close to $4 million dollars. But his campaign fundraisers, in the exclusive VIP enclave, became the impromptu backdrop for Occupy Wall Street-inspired protests. The protests seem to be the first major time that Occupy Wall Street protests take part in 2012 Presidential Election politics, rather than the movement organising truly autonomous, grassroots demonstrations, depending on the editorial portrayal of yesterday's demonstrations.

Horse-Drawn Carriage Protest

Protest to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages in New York City

Animal rights activists keep trying to rescue horses that pull carriages through the heavy and dangerous traffic of Midtown Manhattan, but City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has done nothing to ban horse-drawn carriages.

For more information, please ''like'' the Facebook page calling for an end to Carriage Horse Cruelty.

Bigot Bell - Episode 2

Bigot Bell - Episode 2 - Failure of Adequate Protections

The LGBTQ civil rights group Connecting Rainbows has announced a world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants following a case of alleged employment discrimination against a member of Connecting Rainbows.

In April 2011, Jason Smith, an openly gay employee of Taco Bell in Louisiana, who is a member of Connecting Rainbows, was dismissed from his job, after another employee made a threat against Mr. Smith based on his sexual orientation. A Taco Bell manager witnessed the threat. After Mr. Smith was dismissed, Taco Bell conditioned Mr. Smith’s return to his job only after Mr. Smith deleted each of his Facebook profile and the entire website of Connecting Rainbows, the former which Mr. Smith refused, and the latter over which Mr. Smith has no control. Connecting Rainbows is a democratic collective of LGBTQ activists and allies, with no hierarchy.

To read more about the incident, please read Mr. Smith’s own description of the events on Connecting Rainbows website.

Connecting Rainbows is outraged by this discriminatory treatment and has launched a parody campaign that lampoons Taco Bell for its apparent bigotry.

To spread word of the injustice that Mr. Smith has suffered, members of Connecting Rainbows launched a petition on Change.org, to publicise Mr. Smith’s plight.

Connecting Rainbows demands that :

• Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Jason and the LGBT community;
• Rehire Mr. Smith and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages; and
• Provide diversity and cultural competency training to every employee -- worldwide!

Connecting Rainbows also demands legislative remedies :

• Connecting Rainbows demands that Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include ‘’sexual orientation’’ and ‘’gender identity’’ to the major forms of discrimination that are outlawed ; and
• Connecting Rainbows also demands that federal legislators pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (''ENDA''). ENDA is routinely introduced in Congress, but never passed. It is time for Congress to prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Connecting Rainbows is a group of active people organizing civil rights walks and other actions in America. The group’s mission is to create a mass movement, demanding full civil rights for LGBT Americans. Connecting Rainbows uses the power of a social media platform, where people create online profiles, meet others, plan events, join groups, blog, and participate in online forums.

Visit : http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/ or http://www.bigotbell.com/

Bigot Bell - Episode 1 - We Have a Problem

Connecting Rainbows Members Launch Parody YouTube Campaign Against Taco Bell

The LGBTQ civil rights group Connecting Rainbows has announced a world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants following a case of alleged employment discrimination against a member of Connecting Rainbows.

In April 2011, Jason Smith, an openly gay employee of Taco Bell in Louisiana, who is a member of Connecting Rainbows, was dismissed from his job, after another employee made a threat against Mr. Smith based on his sexual orientation. A Taco Bell manager witnessed the threat. After Mr. Smith was dismissed, Taco Bell conditioned Mr. Smith’s return to his job only after Mr. Smith deleted each of his Facebook profile and the entire website of Connecting Rainbows, the former which Mr. Smith refused, and the latter over which Mr. Smith has no control. Connecting Rainbows is a democratic collective of LGBTQ activists and allies, with no hierarchy.

To read more about the incident, please read Mr. Smith’s own description of the events on Connecting Rainbows website.

Connecting Rainbows is outraged by this discriminatory treatment and has launched a parody campaign that lampoons Taco Bell for its apparent bigotry.

To spread word of the injustice that Mr. Smith has suffered, members of Connecting Rainbows launched a petition on Change.org, to publicise Mr. Smith’s plight.

Connecting Rainbows demands that :

• Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Jason and the LGBT community;
• Rehire Mr. Smith and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages; and
• Provide diversity and cultural competency training to every employee -- worldwide!

Connecting Rainbows also demands legislative remedies :

• Connecting Rainbows demands that Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include ‘’sexual orientation’’ and ‘’gender identity’’ to the major forms of discrimination that are outlawed ; and
• Connecting Rainbows also demands that federal legislators pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (''ENDA''). ENDA is routinely introduced in Congress, but never passed. It is time for Congress to prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Connecting Rainbows is a group of active people organizing civil rights walks and other actions in America. The group’s mission is to create a mass movement, demanding full civil rights for LGBT Americans. Connecting Rainbows uses the power of a social media platform, where people create online profiles, meet others, plan events, join groups, blog, and participate in online forums.

Visit : http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/ or http://www.bigotbell.com/

Queer Rising Marriage Equality Protest

5 Activists Arrested Today For Blocking Traffic In Front Of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Office In Political Demonstration To Support Marriage Equality

NEW YORK - In a bid to raise political pressure on the passage of a marriage equality law in the state of New York, members of the LGBTQ activist organization Queer Rising held a series of coördinated protests in New York City, culminating in the arrest of 5 of the group's members.

A Trio of Actions for Marriage Equality from David Wallace on Vimeo.

In one phase of the protests, balloons were released inside Grand Central Station and floated up to the iconic ceiling. The balloons were attached to a large sign, which called on New Yorkers to put pressure on their government to demand marriage equality, according to a press release issued by Queer Rising.

In another phase of the protests, several activists blocked traffic near the intersection of East 41st Street and Third Avenue during rush hour ; the location was just outside Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office. Once they blocked traffic, the activists unfurled a huge 75-foot banner that read, ''Marriage Equality NOW ! Call Cuomo : "518-474-8390 !!!'' Five members then handcuffed and chained themselves in the middle of the street. The activists, who were arrested, were identified to be : Natasha Dillon (26, lesbian activist); Kevin Donohue (51, gay Jewish activist); Melissa Kleckner (31, straight ally); Ali Lozano (20, lesbian student activist); and Robert Moore (30, gay Mormon activist).

In still yet another phase of today's protests, approximately 10 drag queens from a separate group calling itself Drag Queen Weddings for Equality organised a ''drag wedding'' at Grand Central to publicise the need for marriage equality in New York State. The drag queens then invited commuters to march in solidarity to Gov. Cuomo's office.

''Unwilling to wait any longer for equal rights and protection from the state of New York, Queer Rising is calling on all the New Yorkers to call the governor’s office and voice their support for marriage equality,'' the press release stated.

The Queer New York blog has published the text of the Queer Rising press release.

Activists From Queer Rising Block Traffic ; Demand Marriage Equality

Members of the LGBT equality advocacy group called Queer Rising blocked traffic near Bryant Park on March 1, 2011, in an act of civil disobedience, demanding marriage equality in New York.

Eight activists from the were arrested after the group had unfurled a 75-foot banner and blocked traffic on 42nd Street and Avenue of the Americas in New York City. The activists were later released by police, according to a statement issued by GetEQUAL.

The marriage equality demonstration was reported about by a network-affiliate news program on WPIX 11.

Following is the full statement from GetEQUAL, followed by additional links to other Internet coverage of the protest and the arrests.

Earlier this morning, eight activists were released from a NYC jail after they took action to stand up to our politicians' unceasing cowardice to do what's right for the LGBTQIA community. After years of waiting for marriage equality in New York and countless broken promises, members of the direct action group Queer Rising, allies of GetEQUAL in New York, demonstrated their growing frustration by sending a clear message to our elected officials.

At 8:30 this morning Kevin Beauchamp, Nora Camp, Natasha Dillon, Frostie Flakes (Adam Siciliano), Jake Goodman, Honey LaBronx (Ben Strothmann), Eugene Lovendusky, and Kitten Withuwip (Caldwell) blocked traffic at the intersection of 42nd Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan, where they unfurled a 75-foot banner that read "NY DEMANDS MARRIAGE EQUALITY NOW!" and chanted "I Am...Somebody! I Deserve...Full Equality! Right Here, Right Now! I Deserve...Full Equality!"

We know the courage these eight activists showed today is the same courage that lives inside many who are reading this email right now -- that the hunger for full equality that drives these activists is the same hunger that drove the suffragists to keep fighting for their right to vote; it's the same hunger that drove our civil rights fighters to keep fighting for their constitutional guarantee of equal protection, equal opportunity, equal access and equal justice; it's the same hunger that drives our fellow LGBTQIA brothers and sisters to keep fighting for the day when our dignity will be recognized, our love will be revered and our humanity will be respected.

Today's action is just the beginning of a sustained campaign that Queer Rising will be organizing in the months to come, in partnership with GetEQUAL and other civil rights activists in New York. If you're hunger for equality is pushing you toward taking up the fight, whether occasional grumblings or unrelenting pangs, today we invite you to take action for what is rightfully ours -- full equality!

If you want to get more involved with equality organizing in New York, email GetEQUAL.NY@gmail.com and we'll get you connected with opportunities in your area!

Every moment is one more opportunity to change your world...

Read More :

• Next Magazine : Queer Rising protesters clash with police on 42nd Street
• Pam's House Blend : Queer Rising NY marriage equality protest; live Tweeting by Village Voice's Steven Thrasher
• The Advocate : Activists Arrested in N.Y. Marriage Protest

Anonymous Targets Westboro Baptist Church

Open Letter to Westboro Baptist Church
AN OPEN LETTER FROM ANONYMOUS

February 16, 2011

TO THE CONGREGANTS OF WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH:

We, the collective super-consciousness known as ANONYMOUS - the Voice of Free Speech & the Advocate of the People - have long heard you issue your venomous statements of hatred, and we have witnessed your flagrant and absurd displays of inimitable bigotry and intolerant fanaticism. We have always regarded you and your ilk as an assembly of graceless sociopaths and maniacal chauvinists & religious zealots, however benign, who act out for the sake of attention & in the name of religion.

Being such aggressive proponents for the Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Information as we are, we have hitherto allowed you to continue preaching your benighted gospel of hatred and your theatrical exhibitions of, not only your fascist views, but your utter lack of Christ-like attributes. You have condemned the men and women who serve, fight, and perish in the armed forces of your nation; you have prayed for and celebrated the deaths of young children, who are without fault; you have stood outside the United States National Holocaust Museum, condemning the men, women, and children who, despite their innocence, were annihilated by a tyrannical embodiment of fascism and unsubstantiated repugnance. Rather than allowing the deceased some degree of peace and respect, you instead choose to torment, harass, and assault those who grieve.

Your demonstrations and your unrelenting cascade of disparaging slurs, unfounded judgments, and prejudicial innuendos, which apparently apply to every individual numbered amongst the race of Man - except for yourselves - has frequently crossed the line which separates Freedom of Speech from deliberately utilizing the same tactics and methods of intimidation and mental & emotional abuse that have been previously exploited and employed by tyrants and dictators, fascists and terrorist organizations throughout history.

ANONYMOUS cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your inhumane treatment of fellow Man has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your protest campaign in the year 2011, return to your homes in Kansas, & close your public Web sites.

Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda & detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while the option to do so is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your bigoted operations & doctrines.

The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you.

WE ARE ANONYMOUS.
WE ARE LEGION.
WE DO NOT FORGIVE.
WE DO NOT FORGET.
EXPECT US.

St. Vincent's Activist Get Out of Jail ; Give Press Conference

Why Are They Closing St. Vincent's Hospital ?

Four community activists were released from jail on Wednesday, following their arrest on Tuesday for having staged a sit-in at the former site of St. Vincent's Hospital, reported the Hedz-Up Report. Ms. Katz and the other activists were each charged with criminal trespass, but all they were trying to do was to bring a new hospital to the Lower West Side of Manhattan. Following is video of the a part of the press conference, where Evette Stark-Katz, one of the activists who was arrested, made a public statement.

Why Are They Closing St. Vincent's Hospital? (Pt. 18) - Arrest & Release (Clip 1) from g. sosa on Vimeo.

At Quinn Protest, A Use of City Resources for Campaign Activities ?

Is Speaker Quinn using city resources, and police,
for campaign activities ?

At a political fundraiser on the evening of Feb. 2, 2011, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn deployed a large team of police officers. Three peaceful protesters, myself included, gathered to hold up a banner, asking for a new hospital for the Lower West Side of Manhattan, to replace St. Vincent's. Police told us to move, and one officer pushed me to get me to move, even though we were on a public sidewalk and not blocking traffic. Plus, there were no barricades, to indicate that there was a restricted zone. Is Speaker Quinn using city resources, and police, for campaign activities ? Who is instructing NYPD to intimidate protesters ?

Egypt Takes Actions To Shut Down The Internet

Egypt Uprising : Government Shuts Down The Entire Internet

''Confirming what a few have reported this evening: in an action unprecedented in Internet history, the Egyptian government appears to have ordered service providers to shut down all international connections to the Internet,'' reported the blog, AnonOps Communications. In a separate media report, it was confirmed that internet services and cell phone text messaging have been cut across the African country to prevent the organizers of the protests from further connection, AFP reported on Friday.