Hands Off Africa Alliance and LAD intervene on Auraria Campus in Denver

From Global Equality:

Denver activists shut down Kony 2012 war mongers

Kony 2012, Inc. is a campaign to generate public support for US intervention in Uganda and other African countries. Kony 2012, Inc.  produced a sick movie using activist and counter-cultural language and imagery to generate support for intervention in Africa. The movie went viral. Kony 2012, Inc. is a non-transparent “charity” that has been criticized by the Better Business Bureau for their finances. In addition, the founder, Jason Russell was caught running naked down a street, masturbating in public. Even with these scandals, the Kony 2012, Inc. campaign continues. Kony 2012, Inc. has connections to Invisible Children, a shadowy US-based NGO that has connections to various Western and African governments and armed groups in the region.  All over Denver, Colorado, activists from the Hands Off Africa Alliance, Global Equality, and Libertad, Accion, Democracia,  have been countering the Kony 2012, Inc. propaganda. The Kony 2012, Inc. campaign’s high point thus far has been 420, the marijuana holiday. They used 420 to try to piggyback their war effort on top of the popular counter-cultural event. Where they chalked lies on the ground, activists responded by chalking truth. Where they wrote “Kony 2012,” activists responded with “Phony 2012.” Where they flyered their war propaganda, anti-war flyers were also put up by activists. Their campaign culminated with a showing of Kony 2012 movie at Auraria campus on April 25th, 2012. Activists from the Hands Off Africa Alliance were accused of disrupting the event by the sorority that had sponsored it. Since when does  educated, informed criticism  count as “disruption.” The Kony 2012, Inc. organizers could not face an educated audience. They called the police, who could have cared less. When the police refused to lift a finger, the Kony 2012 organizers packed up their buttons, t-shirts, and other trinkets and left St. Cajetan’s Cathedral with their tails between their legs. At that point, activists from the Hands Off Africa Alliance took over the meeting and educated the audience members about the the role of imperialism in Africa. One activist stated, “Africa’s problems are a result of the a long history of imperialist crimes. Tribalism, underdevelopment, poverty are all results of colonialism. The last thing Africa needs is more Western interference in their affairs. This campaign is just a pretext for Western intervention to steal Africa’s resources and extend Western power. Kony isn’t even that active anymore. More importantly, he is an African problem. Let Africans deal with him. Leave Africa to Africans. The West has done enough damage there. Even the archbishop of the region opposes further militarization.”  As the Kony 2012, Inc. organizers parted, the Hands Off Africa Alliance said “come back anytime. The welcoming committee will be waiting.”