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Press Release: Flagstaff Police Harass Activists as ‘Preventative Maintenance’ Before Dew Downtown Event
dew downtown flagstaff
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Free Speech Protest Zone Created at ‘Unsustainable’ Urban Snowboard Event
FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Armed plain-clothed City of Flagstaff cops showed up at a community member’s home and at a community center yesterday. The officers, Kevin Rued and Eric Greenwald, stated that they were doing “preventative maintenance” and that they’re going to “have the entire front grassy area of the courthouse roped off specifically for protestors” as a free speech zone at the City of Flagstaff and Snowbowl sponsored Dew Downtown event.
Critics of the event have stated that, “more than 300,000 gallons of drinking water for fake snow at a recreational event sends the wrong message when we live in the high desert and we’re facing a water shortage. Dew Downtown is contrary to the values of sustainability that the City of Flagstaff proclaims.”
James Kennedy, a community member who has been involved with efforts to protect the San Francisco Peaks was alarmed by the visit, “It’s chilling & terrifying. Armed men showed up at my house, I didn’t know if I was going to jail yesterday morning.”
Flagstaff police officer Kevin Rued made it clear that the visit was, “because of snowbowl and the making of snow…”
“…our supervisors were saying that they got information from off of Facebook or Twitter…that people were going to chain themselves and cause this huge disruption.” stated officer Rued.
Mr. Kennedy questioned why he was being targeted and not Snowbowl supporters who have been known to be violent. He mentioned an incident at Dew Downtown last year when a drunk Snowbowl supporter attacked two Indigenous children. Mr. Kennedy stated, “It looks bad when police come to check in on us when at the last Dew Downtown the only thing that happened was the pro-Snowbowl lady came and attacked my friends.”
Police initially refused to charge the assailant.
Boycott organizers state reasons to boycott the event include:
- More than 300,000 gallons of drinking water for fake snow is unsustainable,
- It is unseasonably warm & Flagstaff is anticipating a drought,
- Arizona Snowbowl, a major sponsor, threatens public & environmental health, and violates human rights of Indigenous Peoples by desecrating the San Francisco Peaks with treated sewage snowmaking,
- At Dew Downtown in 2013, two native children were attacked by a drunk racist Snowbowl supporter. The City of Flagstaff has ignored this hate crime.
The boycott organizers state, “Flagstaff has so much more to offer than unsustainable & disrespectful recreation.”
Using water of any kind to make snow has been a contentious issue over the years. More than 50 arrests have been made since Arizona Snowbowl started expanding development to make snow from contaminated treated sewage on the San Francisco Peaks. The protests were all peaceful actions to stop the environmental destruction & desecration of the mountain which is held holy by 13 Indigenous Nations.
On August 7th, 2011, Flagstaff police aggressively attacked a peaceful march through downtown Flagstaff. Six people were arrested with some tackled by law enforcement agents without provocation. Five of those arrested then had their charges dropped, only one person had made a plea deal.
For more information: www.protectthepeaks.org.
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Support Indigenous radical autonomous, anti-capitalist, anti-colonial organizing & agitation!
COLONIZERS GOTTA PAY! SMASH THE NON-PROFIT CAPITALIST
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!
Donate to Indigenous Action:
LINK: www.paypal.com/paypalme/indigenousaction
This is our yearly call for material support for Indigenous Action activities & donation drive for Táala Hooghan infoshop unsheltered support & operational expenses.
Indigenous Action (IA/originally Indigenous Action Media) was founded on August 25th, 2001 to provide strategic communications and direct action support for Indigenous sacred lands defense. We are a volunteer-run radical autonomous crew of anti-colonial & anti-capitalist Indigenous trouble makers & propagandists.
We generally are comprised of designers, artists, writers & frontline agitators that work together on a project by project basis (some long-term some short) for liberation for Mother Earth and all her beings. We’ve organized hundreds of actions, marches, banner drops, workshops, conferences, benefits, & much more. 100% of all proceeds directly support radical Indigenous organizing. Everything we do is based on community support. We don’t rely on grants. We’re all in for total liberation.
Some (not all) active projects & organizing we’re currently directly involved with:
- IA Podcast+ Táala Hooghan Infoshop
- KinłaniMutualAid.org
- HaulNo.com
- ProtectthePeaks.org
- Ongoing local/regional frontline support:
- Resource/supply distro, bail, jail support
organizing, etc. - Graphic & web support for a dozen
current Indigenous-led campaigns.
Some larger yearly expenses we need immediate support for:
- Táala Hooghan taxes & utilities (the space has been free to use by KMA for 3 years):
Approx. $6,000+/year. - Regional supply distro for Indigenous unsheltered relatives: $1,000-$3,000, we also maintain funds for emergency hotels.
- Anti-state repression + DA support: $3,000+ varies, but we maintain an ongoing bail fund & frontline resource support.
www.indigenousaction.org
Indigenous Action presents:
16th Annual No Thanks, No Giving!
Food share, anti-colonial resistance & solidarity discussion circle, & online fundraiser!
DONATE: 
1:30p – 4pm
We will prepare and serve mutton stew and other foods for all who join us. Please bring any dish to contribute if you wish, we also plan on actively distributing (possibly mobile) any extra foods.
Local volunteers needed! Contact: indigenousaction@gmail.com
At 2:30p we will have a talking & action circle focused on anti-colonial resistance & solidarity. Representatives of Kinłani Mutual Aid, Haul No!, volunteers with Protect the Peaks, and autonomous organizers supporting unsheltered relatives will present & discuss upcoming actions & organizing. We will also discuss building Indigenous solidarity with local efforts to Free Palestine. Come ready to share, support and get involved! Everyone welcome!
This event is free, please bring donations for unsheltered relative support (tents, sleeping bags, tarps, jackets, etc).
This is also our yearly fundraiser for Táala Hooghan infoshop and Indigenous Action activities!
Please donate online via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/indigenousaction
Support Indigenous autonomous organizing and agitation!
*We will not host a livestream this year.
When: Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023
1:30pm – 4:00pm MST.
Where: Táala Hooghan Infoshop1704 N 2nd St, Kinłani (Occupied Flagstaff), AZ
MASKS REQUIRED This event will be held both indoors and outdoors (dress warm!) with limited indoor space. We will maintain social distancing & mask protocols for immunocompromised relatives.
For 16 years we have hosted No Thanks, No Giving! as an anti-colonial event to bring together radical Indigenous voices, share traditional foods, and benefit unsheltered relatives at Táala Hooghan Infoshop in Kinlani (Flagstaff, AZ). More info: www.indigenousaction.org
#nothanksnogiving #MutualAid #indigenousmutualaid #solidaritynotcharity
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