Bernard Weiner examines society's artists and their avant-garde role in regime-change in the U.S.: "These Bush&Co. leaders are so arrogant, so rude, so greedy and power-hungry, so taken with themselves as God's messengers and as the world's only Superpower, so convinced they are right in the tunnel-vision black-and-white world they inhabit, that it's clear their days are numbered. It may take a bit longer to build to critical mass -- and there is going to be death and destruction and persecution while that momentum is being built up -- but when the time for their fall arrives, it's going to be quick and nasty. And we'll finally all wake up from this nightmare that has crushed our economy, diminished our moral light in the world, disgraced our beloved Constitution and country. And at the vanguard of this movement away from the shadow America and back into the light will be our...'dangerous' artists all, even when they're not political. They simply see too much, too clearly."

Shattered glass, smoldering cafe furniture and cobblestones covered the usually peaceful streets of Gothenburg as hundreds of rioters protesting against the European Union clashed with police. The anti-globalization demonstrations began on Thursday, as US President George W Bush attended the summit EU leaders' summit. But they became more violent on the second day as European leaders focused talks on expanding the EU. Here is the story in photos taken at the scene.

Student protesters in Warsaw waved anti-U.S. banners, with one reading "Bush into space, rockets into the trashcan" and another "Bush -- a death sentence for the planet," referring to his rejection of the Kyoto Treaty to cut global warming by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. But the campaigners were kept away from the president -- and protests were strangely subdued in the land of legendary leaders of reform such as Lech Walesa. What's happening to you, Poland?

In April, a peaceful demonstration was held to protest the Navy's persistent bombing of Vieques Island, home to 10,000 people in Puerto Rico. But scores of people were roughed up and hauled to jail, including U.S. Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill). The Navy at first lied by claiming Gutierrez had resisted arrest. Now a video shown at a hearing this week clearly shows no resistance, but does show Navy MPs acting like thugs. Gutierrez was kicked to the ground face-first, picked up and thrown back down, where he was held with a boot on his neck. He and others were then forced to spend the night in a dog shelter infested by insects and lizards. This must be part of that compassionate conservative thing. So what was Shrub's response to this revelation? A hastily arranged photo op (his usual cure all) with Hispanic leaders the same day.

Across the country, high school and college students are resisting the rightwing push for "conservative reform" (translated = oppression), some showing incredible guts in the process. Take the senior class at Ferndale High School in Washington state, who risked the outrage of parents, school authorities, and potentially dangerous homophobes in their community, by electing a lesbian (Krystal Bennett) as their prom king. "Rev." Fred Phelps, a rabid homophobic who picketed outside Matthew Shepard's funeral in 1998, has vowed to demonstrate during graduation ceremonies. "We can't do anything about it, so we're going to keep our spirits high," said Brenda Main, one of the graduates. Send your letters of support to these plucky kids!