In 2006, members of Baltimore IMC joined with members of the campbaltimore artist collective to found the Indypendent Reader. The IndyReader was published as a print quarterly with a similar mission as IMC. Much energy shifted from Baltimore IMC to the IndyReader in the following years.

Recently, both Baltimore IMC and the IndyReader have experienced low-points in activity. While Baltimore IMC has died as a collective, IndyReader kept publishing and now is 're-founding' with new collective energy.

Baltimore IMC will now be shut down to publishing. However, we are pleased to announced that the website of the Indypendent Reader is being re-developed. Readers who have hoped to see IMC back to publishing should be happy to learn that they can turn to the IndyReader online.

http://indyreader.org/

At 3pm on Thursday, February 19th, 50 members and supporters of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, (ACORN) gathered outside a boarded-up rowhome in Highlandtown. ACORN representatives handed out t-shirts printed in black, red, and white proclaiming a foreclosure-free-zone as the crowd of supporters grew. Followed closely by reporters and news cameras, the group used a pair of boltcutters to remove a padlock, broke down the door, and entered the house. Louis Beverly, an organizer with ACORN, declared, “This is our house now!” after cutting off the lock.

Medea Benjamin presented the 2010 Ric Pfeffer Memorial Lecture on “From Afghanistan to Gaza: Working toward a More Peaceful World ”January 31st at 2640 Space in Baltimore. Audio file of the discussion linked below.

On Friday Jan 23rd at about 7:45 pm 3 Baltimore Animal Rights activists were arrested while legally and peacefully protesting Foie Gras at The Intercontinental Hotel's restaurant located in the Inner Harbor area. After about 30 minutes of protest that was legal and on public side walk area- Police came from all angles in an "ambush" method- waving their billy clubs and using verbal threats to make the activists leave. 2 activists who were peacefully asking why they had to leave were cuffed. Another protester who was just arriving on the scene was first threatened by police when they saw him taking pictures with his camera phone. He walked away as asked by police and when he asked for a badge number- he was arrested. This unbelievable display of injustice just adds to the already known corruption of the Baltimore City Police.

Please call central booking of Baltimore to request that these activists be released and that they get vegan food.

Please call and support:
~Erin Marcus
~Aaron Ross
~Adam Ortberg

Central booking Number: (410) 545-8120

Community organizers, faith leaders, union members and staff, and others met to plan B-MORE FAIR, a community-wide fair to celebrate our lives, our city and our way. The fair will be held on Saturday April 18 and will feature Baltimore's community organizations and people who are working to secure justice and human rights for all.

Baltimore's worker owned Bicycle Shop, the Baltimore Bicycle Works.

If you are a cyclist in Baltimore, then you must know about Baltimore's newest and only democratically owned bicycle shop. Only a few weeks old, the Baltimore Bicycle Works (BBW) is the newest edition to a city in dire need of pedaled transportation as well as worker ownership. Located at the trail-head of the Jones Falls trail on Falls rd. and Maryland Ave., it is the only bicycle shop that is in Mid-Town, making it it easily accessible. On top of that it is located in one of Baltimore's major transportation hubs. The Penn station, Charles and Saint Paul street, and the Jones Falls Expressway are all within spitting distance.

Watch the video: www.youtube.com/watch

On Wed., Dec. 10, 2008, a demonstration at the Bank of America (BOA) was held in downtown Baltimore, MD. It was led by activists from the All Peoples Congress, among other groups, [including the Baltimore IWW, the International Socialist Organization, and members of the newly formed Baltimore Economic Crisis Response Network -ed] . The purpose of the protest was to show solidarity with the 200 Sit-In Republic Windows and Door Workers of Chicago, Il, whose plant has been shut down. The BOA canceled the companys financing. Its action left the workers without any severance and vacation pay. Critics are insisting that the BOA should use some of the billions of dollars it received in a recent federal-taxpayers-funded bailout to help the workers. The BOA, in turn, blames the company for this situation. For background, see:

www.ueunion.org/uenewsupdates.html;
and
www.counterpunch.org/sustar12092008.html.

For continuing updates on the situation at Republic, see chicago.indymedia.org