Latest Civil disobedience Stories

I enjoyed Mark Patinkin's observations in his July 26 column ("Wall Street's binge is a national addiction"). Here I'd like to suggest some possible remedies for our cluttered, insecure and confused culture: 1. Read Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. An American classic and the best book ever written on simplicity, self-reliance and individuality. So relevant to our time, it's hard to believe it was written over 150 years ago. 2. Shop no more than once a week. This requires planning but...

Protest group Plane Stupid played aircraft noise through the letterbox of Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly's London Docklands apartment yesterday morning on a day of protest against the expansion of Heathrow. The group said that after 15 minutes they were interrupted by the Transport Secretary's husband and left him a letter which said: "We do hope that you will keep this early morning wake-up call in mind when you decide the future of Heathrow after the summer recess. All the best, your...

Denver's selection of a spot for protesters to congregate during the Democratic National Convention has angered another group - the national media. Some of the media tents to be erected on the Pepsi Center parking lot will be within a stone's throw of the area the city has designated for protesters. Members of the media are concerned that loud demonstrations could disrupt broadcasts or that reporters and photographers could be doused with tear gas or pepper spray if there are confrontations...

Five Greenpeace campaigners, including one from West Yorkshire, yesterday admitted to climbing on top of an aircraft at Heathrow Airport as part of a climate change protest. The five volunteers for the environmental group pleaded guilty before Uxbridge magistrates to being in a restricted zone, boarding an aircraft and demonstrating in an airport. Sarah Shoraka, Paul Della-Rocca, Frank Hewetson and Jens Loewe were given an 18-month conditional discharge, and they and a fifth protester,...

Video game maker Nintendo Co Ltd has been ranked the world's least environmentally friendly electronics company by the quarterly Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics. The publication graded 18 electronics firms according to how "green" their products and operations are.    Most companies saw their rankings plunge in the latest review, due to new evaluation guidelines that the charity has made more stringent.Earlier this year, Greenpeace accused Nintendo of having a...

By John Boudreau, San Jose Mercury News, Calif. Jun. 25--In its latest survey of practices among makers of electronic gadgets, Greenpeace has raised the bar of what the environmental group believes is required for "green" corporate citizenship. The analysis of the products and procedures of 18 major electronics manufacturers, released today, ranked two Silicon Valley giants -- Hewlett-Packard and Apple -- in the middle of the pack. Handset maker Sony Ericsson topped the list, while video...

Henry David Thoreau made his third and final trip to Maine's North Woods 150 years ago, traveling waterways and forests that shaped so many of his ideas about nature. A non-profit group on July 23 unveiled what it calls the Thoreau- Wabanaki Trail to pay tribute to Thoreau whom some consider the first ecotourist and the Penobscot Indian guides who accompanied him on two of his treks. Maine Woods Forever has produced a detailed map of Thoreau's trips and will erect informational kiosks along...

BEIJING (Reuters) - Hundreds of Chinese attacked police and smashed up squad cars after a migrant was apparently beaten up for refusing to pay for a resident's permit, a newspaper reported on Thursday. The riot in Guiyang, capital of the southwestern province of Guizhou, was the latest eruption of unrest the Communist Party fears could spin out of control and threaten its monopoly on power. At least one police officer and a taxi driver were wounded and more than 10 police cars were...

By Amanda BeckWASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 150 protesters sat in front of the White House on Monday to savor their last meal before starting a hunger strike that some said will continue until American troops return from Iraq.The demonstration marking the Independence Day holiday was organized by CodePink, a women's anti-war group that called on volunteers to abstain from eating for 24 hours from midnight on Monday.Some protesters said their fast would continue beyond July 4th.Anti-war...

By Kate Holton STUTTGART (Reuters) - Riot police detained around 200 England soccer supporters on Saturday after they clashed with German fans, throwing bottles and chairs and trading punches in a square in the center of Stuttgart. Tens of thousands of English and German fans had gathered in the central area, many drinking throughout the day, to watch Germany's 2-0 second-round World Cup win over Sweden on big screen TVs. England fans were in the city for Sunday's second-round match...