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Shithead vying for Legislative Assembly

D.O.A. front man Joey
“Shithead” Keithley to
run for BC NDP

By Dylan Hackett,
News Editor

ast week, the BC
| NDP formally
approved the

 

nomination papers

for Vancouver’s most
famous punk musician
and activist, Joe Keithley.
Keithley, known to most
as Joey Shithead, is vying
for official candidacy to
run in the riding of David
Lam campus, Coquitlam-
Burke Mountain, against
incumbent Douglas

Horne, who has held the
seat since 2009.

“Tam seeking the
NDP nomination in the
riding of Coquitlam-
Burke Mountain in
the next BC provincial
election. I have decided,
at this time, this will
be the best was for
me to make a positive
difference in this world.
My friends, nothing has
changed for me, justice
for all. Talk - Action =
0. Thanks my friends,”
announced Keithley.

The 56-year-old
Keithley, who previously
ran as a Green Party
candidate in the 1996
and 2001 elections in
the defunct riding of
Burnaby-Willingdon,
hopes for the race in the
growing riding (the home
of the largest residential
developments in
Coquitlam) to be exciting.

“T always enjoy a
challenge — I think it’s
going to be great,” said

Keithley. “And I think
it is going to be a lot of
fun and exciting. And

if it is not exciting, then
V'll find a way to make it
exciting. It can’t just be
a snooze. You got to get
out there and let people
know what your ideas
are and the way you are
running.”

Keithley is running
on a variety of issues
that the BC NDP has
been vocal about in
the pre-election season
such as the blocking of
the Northern Gateway
pipeline project,
affordable housing, and
the protection of senior
citizens.

“The tide is turning,”
spoke Keithley. “The BC
Liberals have completely
blown whatever
credibility they had. It’s
time for a change.”

Keithley’s
announcement to run
falls on the heels of
the departure of many

prominent members of
the BC Liberals including
long-time Minister and
2nd place finisher in the
party’s last leadership
referendum, Kevin
Falcon. George Abbott,
John Les, and Mary
McNeil also announced
their departure from the
decreasingly popular
Clark government last
week.

Keithley’s opinion of
Clark, who has admitted
her appreciation of
D.O.A.’s music, stands
as “she’s got good taste
in music, but not so great
taste in politics.”

Meet the candidate

Joey “Shithead” Keithley
has invited residents of
Coquitlam to meet at him
at his campaign event:

Where: Bon Vivant Cafe,
Coquitlam

When: September 8, from
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Two Pussy Riot members escape from Russia

Riot grrel activists

flee from possible
sentencing to continue
protests

By Dylan Hackett,
News Editor

ast month, after
three members
of Russian

punk group, Pussy
Riot, received two-

year sentences on

the conviction of
“hooliganism, pre-
planned and committed
by a group of people

on grounds of religious
hatred,” two more
members have reportedly
fled from Russia to
recruit more protesters
against Vladimir Putin

4

and his government.

The three members,
Yekaterina Samutsevich,
30, Maria Alyokhina,

24, and Nadezhda
Tolokonnikova, 22

were sentenced after

a crackdown on

dissent after protests

of the March Russian
presidential election,
where Putin was elected
with 63.6 per cent of the
popular vote.

“Of course we didn’t
expect a not-guilty
verdict,” Samutsevich
wrote via her lawyer.
“To expect justice from
a court that ignores all
your objections is of
course impossible. So
we werent shocked
and, to the dismay of
our enemies, didn’t faint
when we got the verdict.”

The group has
received support from
musicians, writers, and
free-speech advocates
worldwide.

Paul McCartney
spoke out against the
charges saying, “I would
like you to know that
I very much hope the
Russian authorities
would support the
principle of free speech
for all their citizens and
not feel that they have
to punish you for your
protest. I hope you can
stay strong and believe
that and many others
like me who believe
in free speech will do
everything in our power
to support you and the
idea of artistic freedom.”

The band also
released a single last

month in protest of their
sentencing and Putin
called “Putin Lights Up
the Fires.”

“More than anything,

our trial showed the

dependence of the justice

system, and its direct
authority on Putin’s
power, which clearly

 

should not be the case
in a government that
calls itself democratic,”
Samutsevich said.
“Our verdict shows
just how scared Putin’s
regime is of anyone
who can undermine its
legitimacy.”