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Protests Continue with Actions Planned to Expose and Shutdown ALEC Conference

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — (Wed. Dec.1, 2011) A diverse range of people and organizations are converging for a second day of planned protests against the secretive, nationwide organization known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Through ALEC, some of the most powerful corporations and thousands of state legislators meet to create laws to continue their drive for profits, and to control and destroy our communities and the earth.
Yesterday, hundreds marched and converged on the Kierland Westin Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, where ALEC is attempting to hold its annual “States and Nation Summit”.
Dozens of protesters were attacked by police with pepper spray and eight people were arrested in actions to shutdown the ALEC meeting.
A march was held today, Thursday, December 1, at Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. headquarters in downtown Phoenix, AZ at 333 N Central Ave.
Freeport-McMoRan is a large international mining company and ALEC member.
At Cerro Verde, in Peru’s Arequipa region, some 1,200 workers at a Freeport-McMoRan mine walked out Sept 14, 2011 to demand higher wages. The next day, 10,000 workers in West Papau, Indonesia, also walked out demanding higher wages.
In 2003, news surfaced that Freeport Indonesia had paid more than $11 million to the Indonesian army for “security” at it’s mine in West Papua. In efforts to ensure the mine operates fluidly, the Indonesian government began a heavy campaign of murder, political assassination, imprisonment, rape and torture.
The company has also been targeted by demonstrations due to extreme environmental impacts.
At least seven protestors have been killed as of Oct 24, 2011.
In Superior Arizona San Carlos Apaches are facing the profit driven attack on their land from Superior Arizona based company Resolution Copper who connects to Freeport-McMoRan through a web of partnerships. Resolution Copper is currently threatening to create the largest Copper Mine in North America on sacred Apache land.
ALEC also creates laws that further attacks on Indigenous Peoples through forced relocation, eco-cide, and desecration of sacred sites.
At yesterday’s protest an O’odham elder was transported to the hospital for breathing difficulties due to the police’s pepper spray attack, he remains hospitalized today.
Most of us learned about ALEC when they were exposed for their connections to private prisons, their role in SB1070 and its copy cat laws. They are also involved in various efforts to criminalize people through such things as the mandatory minimum sentencing and three strikes laws. They were also involved in the creation of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), they support companies involved with energy extraction across the world including the controversial Tar Sands and Keystone Pipeline, as well major pharmaceutical companies.
Some of the corporate members of ALEC include; Peabody Energy, Freeport McMoRan, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, BP America, Koch Companies, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Pfizer, Salt River Project, State Farm Insurance, UPS, Corrections Corporation of America, Dow Chemical, Shell Oil Company, G4S, Novartis, IBM, Newmont Mining, Monsanto, Nestlé , Cargill, Amazon.com, Barrick Gold,Bank of America, & hundreds more.
Additional actions to shutdown ALEC are planned through December 3.
More information at: www.azresistsalec.wordpress.com
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_Corporations
http://www.alecexposed.org/