C’mon already. 9-11 was almost five years ago. When are people gonna knock it off already? From Newsday, May 13: LI Sikh angered by terror suspicion Indian immigrant Jaspal Arora, a religious Sikh, wears a turban everywhere he goes, including… Read moreLong Island: fear of turbans
From Newsday, April 26: Nine New York City firefighters sued the city and its fire pension fund yesterday saying they were denied disability pensions even after the department told them their breathing disorders sustained at Ground Zero had left them… Read moreNYC: firefighters sue over WTC illness
New Yorkers are supposed to be celebrating this break in the long impasse which has stalled reconstruction at Ground Zero. And indeed Larry Silverstein’s megalomania and greed have been an appalling spectacle. But, as we have repeatedly emphasized, rebuilding a… Read moreNYC: construction begins on “Freedom Tower”
Somebody please wake us when this madness is over. From the New York Times, April 15: Jazz Lover Fiddling With Bass Causes Bomb Scare on East Side The easy listening habits of Grantley Richards met with a large police response… Read moreFear of music, pt. II
Once again this year, joyous rituals traditionally held at the celebration of Phagwah, the Hindu Festival of Colors, in the Queens neighborhood of Richmond Hill were proscribed by official paranoia over anthrax attack. From Newsday, March 2: Anthrax fears have forced organizers… Read moreNYC: anthrax paranoia dims Hindu Festival of Colors
From the Village Voice Power Plays blog, Feb. 25: Critical Mass: NYPD Carries Smaller Stick This Week by Sarah Ferguson The NYPD switched up its game at Friday’s Critical Mass ride. Instead of making mass arrests for protest charges like… Read moreNYC: de-escalation in Critical Mass struggle?
From the Village Voice’s Power Plays blog, Feb. 15: Judge: City Can’t Stop Critical Mass Ride by Sarah Ferguson A judge today threw another monkey wrench in New York City’s effort to stop the Critical Mass bike rides. In a… Read moreNYC: legal victory in Critical Mass struggle
A jazz musician and a bookstore owner? OK, could be. But this smells to us like another sleazy FBI fishing expedition in which the only “al-Qaeda” connection was the undercover federal agent. These guys may have wanted to collaborate with… Read more(Dubious) terror case opens in NYC
From our correspondent Sarah Ferguson: The irony couldn’t be more clear. New York City police and their union, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, are suing the NYPD for spying on them at rallies and demonstrations held during their contract dispute with… Read moreCops sue cops for… spying on cops
From the public health watchdog website Newsinferno, Jan. 16: Many Believe Toxic Ground Zero Site Responsible for Growing Number of Deaths among Cleanup Workers Last week we reported on the death of James Zadroga, a 34-year-old homicide detective who was… Read moreNYC: 5,000 in suit over WTC illness
Glorify ’em as heroes and martyrs for war propaganda—then screw ’em. It’s the American way. From NY1, Jan. 17: Supreme Court Rules 9/11 Families Cannot Sue Over Faulty Radios Families of New York City firefighters won’t be allowed to sue… Read moreSupreme Court shafts 9-11 widows
From Newsday, Jan. 10: The New York Civil Liberties Union sued the city on Tuesday, challenging restrictions on people’s right to photograph public places after an award-winning filmmaker from India was blocked from videotaping near the MetLife building. In its… Read moreNYC: Indian film-maker sues over detainment
