09/24/12 09/24/12 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] >> from pacifica, this is "democracy now!" we are in new york. >> people stood up for wars and massive atrocities happening in various areas of the world. with journalists, social networks, we can help people. >> as three members of the russian band pussy riot remain

locked up, supporters of the group traveled to new york to receive this year's lennonono peace prize awarded by yoko ono. we will speak with the husband of jailed member nadezhda tolokonnikova. >> we are calling 1 billion women and all the men and people who love them to walk out of their jobs, walked out of their homes, walk out of the schools -- to walked out and strike and dance and dance until the violence stops. because we are over it. >> 1 billion rising. the playwright and activist eve ensler launches a global strike in violence against women. then it is arizona's anti- immigrant show me your papers law goes into effect, jeff biggers joins us, author of, "state out of the union: arizona and the final showdown over the american dream." all of that and more coming up.

this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. anti-u.s. government protests continue in muslim countries angered over u.s.-made amateur film mocking the prophet mohammed. in pakistan, at least 21 people were killed and more than 200 were wounded on friday when thousands took part in nationwide rallies that turned violent. secretary of state hillary clinton appealed for calm inside pakistan. >> i want to thank the government of pakistan for their efforts to protect our embassy in islamabad and consulates elsewhere. and i want to be clear, as i have said numerous occasions, the violence we have seen cannot be tolerated. there is no justification for violence. of course, there is provocation

and we have certainly made clear that we do not in any way support provocation. >> where protests were held over the weekend in countries including iran, greece, and bangladesh. "the new york times" reports the deadly attack on u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya during protests there is the film has seriously hampered ca operations on the ground. following the deaths of u.s. ambassador christopher stevens and three staffers, more than a dozen say operatives and contractors were evacuated. they have been gathering intelligence on armed groups operating in and around benghazi. the libyan government has said it only became aware of the u.s. intelligence operations after seeing the number of operatives being evacuated. bomb administration -- the obama administration has release the names of 55 guantanamo prisoners

who have been cleared for release. the names are part of a group of 86 prisoners who received approval to be transferred from guantanamo three years ago, but have remained in captivity. guantanamo defense attorneys say the disclosure will make it easier to advocate for those identified, but have urged the u.s. to reveal the remaining names and begin transfers without further delay. mitt romney has released a limited set a personal tax records following months of public criticism. romney's 2011 tax return shows he paid an effective tax rate of 14% last year on gross income of $13.7 million. but the return also shows romney gave $1.75 million in charitable deductions so as to not to contradict his claims he's never paid below 13%. keeping the deductions would have meant a tax rate of 10%. but for going them also contradicts his previous statement that he would not be qualified to be president had he ever paid more taxes than he owed. all the romney continued his

refusal to release full tax returns from previous years, a letter from his accountants say he paid a tax rate from 1990 through 2009 of at least 13.66%. speaking on fox news, the former white house press secretary robert gibbs criticized romney's secrecy on his tax returns. >> he gave his account to 20 years and give the american people 2. what is he hiding? why does he have corporations and bermuda, investments in the cayman islands? why is a man who says they're going to get tough on china and investigate banks in china -- i think the american people deserve to know a lot more about mitt romney's finances because he has not been straight with the american people about those finances and has not been struck with the american people about what will happen with their -- he has not been forthcoming to the american people about what will happen with their taxes. >> you cannot change washington

just from the inside. you change a from the outside. you change it because people are mobilized. you change it with the help of ordinary americans who are willing to make their voices heard because the decency and goodness and the common sense of americans. we don't want an inside job in washington. we want change in washington. and from the day we began this campaign, we have always said that change takes more than one term or even more than one president and a surly takes more than one party. it cannot happen if you write off half the nation before you even take office. >> an, a human-rights lawyer known for defending peasants in honduras has been assassinated. he was attending a wedding when he was shot to death just outside the church. trejo represented several

peasant rights groups in the struggle against wealthy honduran landowners. hours before his death, into a new trio and spoken out publicly as part of his vocal opposition to plans for privately run cities in honduras with their own police and tax system. the government of ecuador has offered a new proposal to the british government in their standoff over julian assange, the founder of wikileaks. he is currently taking refuge in the ecuadorean embassy in london in a bid to avoid extradition to sweden to answer questions over alleged sex crimes. ecuador says it has asked britain whether julian assange could be sent to sweden under its protection, which would thereby protected from the threat of further extradition to the united states. a former guatemalan army commander accused and in 1982 massacre has been extradited from canada to the united states to face charges he lied about his past to obtain u.s. citizenship.

--ge sosa, 54, arrive if convicted, he could be returned to guatemala to face charges thereafter serving his sentence. writing has broken out at the petraeus foxconn factory in china known for the poor treatment of workers who helped make apple products such as the iphone. foxconn says a personal dispute among the workers led to clashes involving some 2000 of them, leaving 40 people injured. the federal government opened a criminal probe of chevron's oil refinery in richmond, california after discovering the company funneled pollutants away from monitoring equipment and instead bring them off into the sky. the discovery came to the same plan for a massive fire sparked blazing fires and a health scare for surrounding residents last

month. the alleged rerouting of the pollutants meant federal monitors had no way of knowing how much pollution was emitted into the air and towards residents living downwind from the plant. those are some of the headlines. this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. our 100-city tour, back in new york city. on wednesday, i will be at the university of connecticut. we begin today's show looking at arizona. lastly, a federal judge lifted an injunction against key components of arizona's controversial anti-immigrant law sb1070. the show me your papers measure requires police to check the immigration status of people they stop before releasing them. on saturday, hundreds of protesters marched in phoenix to protest the law. they say it enables racial profiling. the protests stopped at a maricopa county jail run by sheriff joe al qaeda who is up for reelection in a member. he has been a vocal supporter of

sb1070. >> i think this is a good section that has been upheld. i would like to see where we would have the authority to arrest illegal aliens, just by being here illegally, and book them into our jails, but that is not going to happen. but i think this sends a message that we will be involved in enforcing the illegal alien laws and our police officers will release be able to try to determine if they're here illegally. >> for more on the latest from arizona, return to author and journalist jeff biggers. his new book is called, "state out of the union: arizona and the final showdown over the american dream." welcome to "democracy now!" let's start with sb1070. it talked about what the show me your papers actually means -- talk about what the show me your papers actually means now that it has gone into effect mako a new chapter in one of the darkest chapters of civil rights

violations we will be phasing in the future. this goes beyond just looking at immigration policies. this affects all americans who are reasonably suspicious. i think many investigations have looked at this that this will not just open up a state of confusion -- all levels of local law-enforcement have to make this call. he was a person that is reasonably suspicious to be an undocumented alien? >> talk about what this aspect of the law means that has gone into effect. >> an respects, it is about the arizonafication of america. it is beyond the state policy, but a state of mind in arizona that says not only are we denying the country should have immigrants or dishonest reckoning of the facts -- this year was the lowest apprehension of undocumented immigrants in

decades. this is a classic example of the shock doctrine or they have manufactured this immigration crisis. i think most importantly, it is greeted the state of mind that we have sanctioned law enforcement officials to go through with racial profiling and apprehend and detain people just because they be reasonably suspicious. >> the title of your book is, "state out of the union: arizona and the final showdown over the american dream." wyhy out? >> once again, we are looking at a fringe movement that somehow managed to gain control after janet napolitano went off to become head of national security in 2009. governor jan brewer to power. she is not getting the politics and was not part of the anti- immigrant fervor. there was this fringe movement led by russell pearce, part of

this 10th amendment movement who believes they're not citizens of the united states but of the sovereign states of the united states. elites to the core of states' rights on olive back to folks in the 1950's -- it is the core states' rights that goes all the way back to folks in the 1950's. the extreme agenda that went to all levels of government. health care, guns, education. >> i want to turn to jan brewer. in june, the supreme court issued its long-awaited ruling s.b. 1070, striking down three of the loss codger provisions that subject undocumented immigrants to criminal penalties for seeking work or failing to carry immigration papers at all times. in each case, the majority said those powers rest with the federal government, not with arizona. however, in a unanimous decision, the justices upheld the law's controversial section 2 b, which requires police to check the immigration status of people they stop before

releasing them. arizona's republican governor jan brewer hailed the decision to uphold what she called the heart of the law. >> today is a day when the key components of our efforts to protect the citizens of arizona, to take up the fight against illegal immigration and a balanced and constitutional way has unanimously been vindicated by the highest court in the land. >> that was covered brewer. continue. what happened? why did she shift? >> she shipped because in the early spring 2010, she was running for reelection as governor. she was behind in the polls, losing to republican challenger. a poll showed most worried about the war bring in mexico. this is part of a longstanding tradition. to understand the arizonafication of america, yet to understand arizona. politicians have used the brown scare, use the fear mongering of

the border of immigrants, of mexico for political gain. that is what she did. when we had a tragic murder of a single rancher on the border in the spring 2010, they were able to ram through sb1070, which russell pearce have been trying to pass for years. the good news is, arizona did not just sit tight, but fought back. >> explain what that fight back was and what happened to russell pearce. >> i am here as a cultural historian and as much as a journalist. i found myself trying to find the voice is being left out of the story. for the past 100 years, arizona has been in the forefront of these progressive movements to challenge these extremist spasms every 20 years. arizona did not just sit tight. the first thing they did within weeks of that bill passing, a young organizer in phoenix began

this bipartisan movement in the tradition of another incredible chavez.t cesar job a within weeks, it's snowballed. russell pearce seem to be invincible, changing and leading the parade on our immigration policy nationwide -- he was brought down in a historic recall election. it was probably one of the most important news stories to me. it showed arizona democrats finally were no longer demoralized because of organizers, but new generations of young latinos willing to work with these new baby boomers or they can come together and take on extremism and win. >> jeff biggers, sheriff arpaio is up for reelection. could he lose? >> i think he could. i think they realize these

characters do not represent arizona. i think this is where it really affects the rest of us in the country. it is easy in the media to dismiss arizona as this parade of neo-nazis and tea party on whose and it can only happen in arizona, what is the matter with arizona? but there is this other arizona that is even more important, this progressive arizona, that i think it's having an incredible impact on our country. wonderful, there's a human rights group. i'll never forget carlos garcia telling me since sb1070 went into effect, we're going to turn this into a human rights campaign and have a new generation that will take this on and bring back arizona like it should be, and arizona that really reflects the civil-rights and history and cultural legacy of our nation. >> talk about what came before,

who cesar chavez was and his significance in arizona. >> we can even go back further. last trick was celebrated occupy wall street. in 1916, the progress of labor organizer 1 the country the 99% testified against the 1% that the battle is between corporate and money to influence. this was governor hunt in 1916, are launching a 99% campaign. the community was on the backbone of mexican immigrant labor in copper fields. hunt betrayed them and we had massive deportation eventually. we had five sacks, particularly in the labour field. here we are in 1972 and arizona is getting the national headlines against margaret workers. cesar chavez came back and never once said, we cannot do anything because it is impossible. he said, we can do this.

they began this incredible movement. more important, the registered 150,000 new voters. raul castro was elected governor. when you have 80% of the elderly who are anglos or non- latinos and 60% of the youth who are latino, what we're looking at -- and this is what the right wing fears and the republican party complete epitomized at their convention -- historic demographic shift the cesar chavez prophesied, that one day the political power would be the hands of the people. >> and cesar chavez being the founder of the whole migrant worker farm workers movement. mitt romney but i want to talk about this notorious video of mitt romney telling a crowd of wealthy donors in florida that he does not worry about the 47%

of americans who are "dependent on government and see themselves as victims." comments have received less attention, romney has also heard on the original tape joking to his audience that he would have a better chance this election had been born a latino. >> my dad was the governor of michigan, but born in mexico. had he been born of mexican parents, i would have a better shot of winning this. [laughter] [indiscernible] >> the significance of this secret tape that was made and mitt romney speaking to these wealthy donors in florida, jeff biggers? >> once again, here's the truth romney coming out, a man who is -- openly was the first presidential candidate to

embrace 1070. his informal advisor was a secretary of state from kansas who shaped the bill with russell pearce and arizona. romney has been in lockstep with arizona at every step of the way from the beginning. at the same time they realize in 15 states of the swing states, the have the vote hinging on about 3% in the same states were you have an increase of 6% to 8% of latino voters. they know the latino voter will be the most important in this election and want to cobble it sometimes, but have completely rejected and dismissed the latinos needs and rights as well. >> an of romney pushing a self deportation. >> right. and the irony is romney likes to invoke his family history -- let's look at his family history. in a nutshell, romney's family did not simply go to mexico as mormons, they fled the country in a perjury charge. out laws. complete all los

>> explained. >> his great-grandfather -- there were a number of women leaders who had to go to prison for polygamy charges. at the same time, there was encroachment and land deals. the romney family was being persecuted for perjury over a land deal. he gave up his on and win on the lam. they actually ran off to arizona as outlaws. a few years later, they come creeping back to america as refugees. >> when they went to mexico. >> right. they come creeping back as refugees looking for censure wary. there is all sorts of historical contradiction. >> and president obama's relationship with arizona and the whole issue of immigration? >> this is something where we have done our reckoning of the

democratic party, who are taking for granted the latinos and young latinos will be coming with them. they have made overtures. but the truth is, president obama has deported more people than president obama. 1.1 million americans have been deported these past four years. i think it is part of the same punitive strain that obama is pushing that once again does not reflect what the majority of americans want. >> i want to turn to the democratic convention, a busload of more than 40 undocumented immigrants and their supporters known as the undocubus arrived in charlotte, north carolina during the dnc. they traveled more than 2,000 miles through 11 states to deliver a message to president obama. this is one of the bus riders. >> stop the criminalization of our people. he came in as a president that was not only quantify for immigration reform, and it turns out he's deported way more people published he deported way

more people. he has the power to make changes and we're here to demand that he do that. we're not here shame that we're not going to vote for him or that we will vote for mitt romney. republicans have chosen a side. we want the democrats to pick a side. what side of history are they going to be on? >> the day of the dnc, the undocubus, a number of people marched out shouting "no papers, no fears crime they unfurled a banner in the pouring rain as the police were pouring in with a butterfly and as one of the women who is about to be arrested by a butterfly and she said because butterfly's known no borders. butterflies are free. 10 people that they got arrested good coming from phoenix. as this young woman talks about history, i want to talk to how

you fit in the whole attack on ethnic studies at ground zero arizona with this whole fight back movement. >> i think she hit it. what side are you going to be on? it is the battle in tucson, not just the students, but community at large. the district of 65% latino. public education was founded by a mexican. you have a canadian immigrant who got his citizenship reportedly in 1954, the senior that operation wetback and deported hundreds of thousands of mexicans that had served in world war ii. it is about to write your history and legacy in the cultural context that is being left out of the question. for people like these extremists, they see the history of arizona will tamale as a controversy, something that is

obstructing the reality of what arizona has been. therefore, the only thing they can do is outlaw history. they can try to keep kids away from their roots and legacy, making them strangers in their own country. i think we have to do that with not only residents and phoenix, who went and said, we are part of the phoenix committee and raising their kids and have been for years, we just the papers. it is the same thing with the mexican-american studies program. kids have been in that town for centuries and, this is our arizona, a true reflection, and the rest of the nation has to decide which side of history there wanted beyond. >> jeff biggers, i want to thank you for being with us. his book is, "state out of the union: arizona and the final showdown over the american dream." nice to have you in the studio as you head back to arizona. this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. when we come back, pussy riot

wins a major peace prize. the lennon ono prize awarded by yoko ono here in new york. stay with us. ♪ [music break]

>> this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. three members of the band pussy riot has been the last six months in prison for staging a protest against russian leader vladimir putin inside an orthodox cathedral. on friday, the group was awarded

the lennonono peace prizaward be artist and activist yoko ono. >> freedom of expression and making all women of the world proud to be women. each injustice like this is very important. there many activists in this world, fighting for each one of them. i am fighting for many, many injustices. >> on thursday, pussy riot received a boost from the burmese pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi who is currently on our first visit to the united states and more than three decades. >> i don't see why people should not sing whatever it is the one to sing. there's nothing wrong with singing. i think on the reason why people should not sing is if what they are singing is deliberately insulting or if they sing

terribly. [laughter] i think that would be the best reason for not singing at all. i would like the whole group to be released as soon as possible. >> aung san suu kyi herself was jailed for years. in august, the three jailed members of pussy riot for sentenced to two years in prison for hooliganism aent their act was a form of political protest. speaking from inside a glass cage in the courtroom, jailed pussy riot #berea condemned putin's demonstration. >> p only > putin, we think not vladimir, but putin the system that he himself creative. [indiscernible] what worries me most is the

opinion of the and regeneration is not taken into consideration. we believe the ineffectiveness of this is administration is evident in practically everything. >> for more on the fate of pussy riot, we're joined by pyotr verzilov, the husband of jailed pussy riot member nadezhda tolokonnikova and also a performance artist and member of the arts group voina. grosso joined by alisa obraztsova a lawyer's assistant with pussy riot's legal team. we spoke to her and a cafe in moscow just after the verdict came down. we welcome you both to "democracy now!" talk about coming to new york and receiving the lennon ono prize named for john lennon. >> it has been very emotional.

yoko ono of is the is an important symbol. it is like a strong image with the things she is done with her late husband john lennon. when anyone thinks of political activism, you'll definitely see images of yoko ono and john protesting in the 1960's and 1970's. it is a great honor to receive the award. >> and you're here with your 4- year-old daughter? >> yes. been meeting all of these people she also received an award from yoko ono. >> she is four years old. when wish to last with nadia? >> basically, she was arrested in march, exactly six months ago. they spoke and hugged and shook

hands before nadia was arrested. the last time she got to see her mom was this past monday when she got to see not get through the glass in prison. -- nadia through the glass in prison. >> what happened to nadia and the other members of pussy riot? explain what they did and how they were arrested and what the sentence means. >> basically, the girls did this 49-second performance inside the cathedral of christ the savior called "the punk prayer." what they did inside the cathedral was the set for a musical clip that went viral and

that huge followings. millions of russians [indiscernible] a week later, i went to see nadia. they jumped out of nowhere and apprehended us. we were sent to the ground. the same thing happened with the other two girls. >> in her closing statement the trial last month, pussy riot member katya samutsevich talked about the connection between church and state and described the significance of christ the savior cathedral where the pussy riot protest took place. >> during the closing statement, the defendant is expected to repent or express regret for her deeds. in my case, as in the case of my

colleagues, this is unnecessary. i want to express my views about the causes of what has happened with us. the fact christ the savior cathedral had become a significant civil was already clear to many thinking people when vladimir putin former kgb colleague took over as head of the russian orthodox church. after this happened, christ the savior cathedral began to be used openly as a flashy setting for the politics of this carrier services, the main source of power in russia. >> that was jailed member katya samutsevich. the scene in the courtroom with the glass cage that your wife and the other two women were in? >> first of all, the cage was bilked for basically the first major enemy of putin and built after he won a case against russia this said he cannot have

people in metal cages, but must be in glass cages. basically, they put them in his glass cage during the trial. >> and what putin has to say about these young women? >> usually, he would not touch such sensitive issues of people getting sent to prison for political reasons. basically, he did not directly say much, but he went on to elaborate how these girls have been doing strange political art for years. he went on to describe events by voina. >> that is your group. >> yes. saying that these people were doing horrible and strange things that are not well

understood by common russian people. so it was basically ok for them to be sent to jail. >> what is your group of voina? >> basically, similar to pussy riot and that it is also we do action art, which touches on political topics and we choose [indiscernible] which we see as crucial to russia. >> i want to bring in alisa obraztsova to the conversation. your in the courtroom, a translator for the lawyers. talk about the significance of this case in russia. >> i think this case showed that we do not have any legal system in russia, the trial does not work. unfortunately, we still live

under telephone justice and decisions were all made by the kremlin, by putin and people close to him. >> although vladimir putin says he does not want him to have such a harsh sentence. >> you know, i think we all should not think a lot about what he says because these statements are not for people in russia, but for the worldwide society. putin just wants to make society to make it more calm, you know, to stop people from talking about pussy riot. the only thing he is wanting is to forget about pussy riot and the girls. the case showed how weak is system is. it does not mention the girls

are sentence for two years. there is no democracy in russia. the people still believe in and out there tyrian country. >> the lawyers they you work for, that you assist for pussy riot, they themselves are being threatened? >> yes. two of the three lawyers were called for interrogation by the investigation committee. this happened [indiscernible] it was the day when a big protest rally in moscow happened. one had already been an interrogation. they tried to know if he knew

many people who made fund- raising for the protest rally. they showed him the video. he was on the stage he was trying to call people for taking part in the strike. >> there's an upcoming hearing october 1? what is the significance? >> we think probably they will reduce the sentence for maybe half a year if not more. after that, the girls will be sent to the penal colony. we think there will be sent to three different penal colonies, which are very far from moscow. it would be quite complicated to visit them. unfortunately, and not to visit close relatives only for three

-- only allowed to visit by close relatives for three short visits. >> the significance of where they're being sent and talk about the penal colony. >> people in the west basically need to understand preserving some to this stalinist style era colonies. it was built after the second world war, bilked for the massive amount of prisoners that stalin was sending to these prisoners. in terms of architecture and behavior prison authorities things have stayed the same for the last 50 or 60 years. basically, for example, nadia is being sent to a prison and a region that is notorious [indiscernible] prisons. it must be fun going to the

gulag, if you can put it that way. >> i want to talk about a guess that we had on the show just after the verdict was handed down, interviewing jd samson here in the united states, a member of two bands. we asked her to read some of the lyrics pussy riot performed during their punk prayer inside the church. >> p virgin > putin away put putin away black robed called apocalypse

>> jd samson reading the words. does nadia and the other members of pussy riot understand what is happening around the world and their case? for example, on friday, aung san suu kyi speaking out for pussy riot. >> the girls in the prison to understand they basically here every protester and action than in their support. the lawyers visit them often. they get newspapers. >> how long do it to see her? >> once every two weeks. we have a very good lecture connection going on. -- letter connection going on. the girls do feel this

international support helps them make it through the harsh prison days. >> and the significance of them wearing the ball clubs over their faces? >> this whole idea was to make the public focus on their values and ideas, not on their identities. which basically become the focus. >> i want to thank you both for being with us and congratulations on the leno on no -- the lennonono pricing for john lennon and yoko ono. that pussy riot received last week. he received a for your wife, nadia. pyotr verzilov is a member of the group voina and husband of

nadezhda tolokonnikova. thank you to alisa obraztsova with the defense team. when we come back, eve ensler will join us. stay with us. ♪ [music break]

>> this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. we turn now to our last segment 1 billion rising campaign, that is the name of the campaign, violence against women as a global pandemic. the woman who is leading this

team is eve ensler. i want to turn now as we talk about this latest election season in the united states, last month republican congressmember todd akin bunning for the senate in missouri sparked national outrage for comments on rape and abortion rid asked by reporter why he opposes abortion even in cases of rape, congressman akin said in cases of what he called legitimate rape, when his body shut down and they do not get pregnant. he is running for the seat of the incumbent missouri senator claire mccaskill. against this backdrop, we turn to the world wide initiative to end violence against women and girls known as v-day, and its global campaign called 1 billion rising. the person leading the campaign is eve ensler. she joins us on this program read thousands of organizations across the world have already joined her 1 billion rising campaign.

this is activist and actress rosario dawson >> 1 in 3 women will be raped repeatedly in this country. i think it is scary and and same to imagine that women's issues and gross issues are a side issue but as long as the continue to stand up and not riot and make it a thing that is at the forefront, we will see every other issue before us continue to fail. >> rosario dawson, the actors, activist, supporter of the 1 billion rising initiative. to talk more, we're joined by eve ensler, creator of "the vagina monologues." talk about what is happening. on february 14, 2013. >> i am blown away in. we started this campaign a few months ago. we began to put it out into the world. we have a lot of amazing activists across the planet of

began to work on this. today we're launching a new website. we have over 5000 groups across the world signed up. we have 161 countries. we have moved and builders, ministers, across the board. i think what is most exciting is to see how quickly this is spreading. i think it has a lot to do with the state of the world right now. the fact we're seeing this incredible pushback against women in many places in the world, and at the same time as women of that is not possible anymore. like, we of come too far for the pushback. there is this incredible energy happening. i think one of the things we have been saying, we just had a fantastic summit in nairobi, the african summit, the first one we've ever had, with 50 activists from 18 countries across the continent. what was wonderfully hopeful was to see how many women in africa,

grassroots women on the front line, are doing the most incredible work. >> i want to turn to a clip, the 1 billion rising campaign, gaining many supporters worldwide. >> i am writing because i feel it is fundamental that everybody joins this campaign of v-day to rise against violence against women. it must not be condoned. it affects the very core of the female dignity, integrity [indiscernible] so rising up to it and making it known is another way of stopping violence. we must not condone violence. the culture of silence must end in the fight against violence against women. >> your response? >> shias and unbelievably fears woman he has been fighting for women for years.

they wrote today to say they would be dancing and rising, to make sure it is ended and all the provinces. she just got out of prison for fighting fgn. >> female genital mutilation? >> yes. shias been fighting against early marriage and girls having their bodies cut. we're seeing all different women. i got a wonderful e-mail from women in the philippines. it is an air region of indigenous women who are being displaced because of large-scale mining for multinationals. they will be dancing and rising to take back their land because the military has been using sexual abuse to get them off their land. when every place in the world, people are writing and sending as their stories about -- every place in the world, people are right to in in sending us their stories. go on the website today.

>> and that is? >> onebillionrising.org. you can see what a huge movement we are. we have never been organized or framed as such. i think this action to rise and dance, will be the first really major world action that has ever happened where women and men have joined together to understand that violence against women is one of the central issues of our time. >> here we are back in the u.s. in the election season. you wrote an open letter in response to congressman todd akin, the famous clip that has been shown all over is him being interviewed by local reporter and he says that women who are legitimately rate do not get pregnant. what was the letter you wrote?

>> i was in the condo at that time. we work with great women and women have suffered violence. i could not believe i was reading a person in the united states who legislates law was talking about the fact there's such a thing as a legitimate rape and that it would not make you pregnant. it was so shocking to the people in the congo that something in the u.s. was being said like this. i think it indicated and what my letter was speaking out and saying was that it was sad how little he and so many people of his party don't understand about sexual violence. to make a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate rape would be an indication in and nothing about rape what it feels like to have been raped and the violence on your body.

i think there is some kind of massive either ignorance or refusal to understand the massive amount of violence against women, but also the profound ongoing fight that women have to have in their lives once they have been violated. the sad that todd akin is some representing a political party polish i just had this image that it is bad sperm and explodes before it makes you pregnant again, it is up to the woman's body to know the difference between legitimate and illegitimate sperm. i think that kind of idiocy reflex extreme pushback mentality that has been coming from the republican party over the last years. >> you've done a lot of work in the congo to organize with unicef.

seven women told restore some from of community members and government and u.n. officials. >> when they took my husband

>> these are women you have been working with. fit this into billions rising. >> on the planet, one at a three women will be beaten or raped in a lifetime. that is 1 billion women at least. when i think about the women in the congo whom i work with a light, now transforming the horrible panicone pan have been through -- >> and the city that v-day helped build. >> yes, and now running the bush

of and run by the congolese. pain is in turn to power. >> these are victims of rape. the >> of victims of the war and victims of rape. and survivors of both. amazingly fierce women. what i have seen their and across the planet to the last 15 years is a pandemic of brave and a pandemic where once a woman is raped, you spend your entire life recovering from that. the fact that todd akin or that anyone could begin to parcel out language but the dent in the me rape, what we end the rate rather than dispute language around rape. i think 1 billion rising is basically saying it is time for an hour ridges, disruptive dance action that makes it so clear how many women have been raped that it is not tribal or

religious or based on your country where town, but patriarchy and everywhere. and if we rise together, we will understand. >> eve ensler, thank you for being with us. the website is onebillionrising.org. very happy to have you in the studio looking as healthy as you are as he had battled cancer as well. amazing that you are organizing this massive global event. we are still on the 100-city to ur continues wednesday in connecticut. democracy now! is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. e-mail your comments to outreach@democracynow.org or mail them to democracy now! p.o. box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now!]