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Thanks to the unceasing efforts of the Friends of the Public Bank of Oakland (FBPO), after almost a year of dithering by the Oakland City Council money was finally allocated to do a feasibility study for a public bank to serve Oakland and other cities in the region! The history of the idea for a Public Bank of Oakland goes back at least to early 2013, brought to the newly formed Strike Debt Bay Area (SDBA) advocacy group and soon taken up as one of their causes. (Strike Debt Bay … Continued

  Read all about it… State legislation to regulate the surveillance state, SB 21, that Oakland Privacy is behind. The ICE raid in Oakland on August 16th. An Open Letter to Those Who Have Nothing to Hide. Internet of Things: Like Walls, Blockades and Checkpoints. It Took a Village to Stop a DAC. The Police State Will be Funded – UASI Grants to Local Police.. A Small Victory Vs. Urban Shield.   Want more info? New members: write to us at questions@oaklandprivacy.org Press inquiries: write to us at contact@oaklandprivacy.org Subscribe … Continued

  More Events: Tuesday,  10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Richmond Paint Banners Against Hate, Fascism & White Supremacy https://occupyoakland.org/event/paint-banners-hate-fascism-white-supremacy/?instance_id=306064 Wedneday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM – bus to Sacramento from Oakland Support Bail Reform and Ending Collaboration With ICE: Sacramento https://occupyoakland.org/event/support-bail-reform-ending-collaboration-ice-sacramento/?instance_id=306066 Thursday, Noon – 6:00 PM – UC Berkeley Signmaking and art party for Rally Against Hate https://occupyoakland.org/event/signmaking-art-party-rally-hate/?instance_id=306065 Friday, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – San Francisco, 16th St. BART Friday Night Faith Vigil: Stand Against White Supremacy https://occupyoakland.org/event/friday-night-faith-vigil-stand-white-suprremacy/?instance_id=305961 Saturday (San Francisco) 10:00 AM – Anti-Racist Rally starting at ILWU … Continued

Hundreds gathered in Latham Square to rally and then march in solidarity with Charlottesville’s anti-fascist protesters and Heather Heyer, the woman killed by a madman yesterday who plunged his car into the crowd. One of the many chants of the up to 500 people who took to the streets was “No Trump! No KKK! No. Fascist. USA!” Here are some tweets, tweetpics and tweetvideos of the event: Bay Area stands with #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/HemccXnOmn — Haiti Action (@HaitiAction1) August 13, 2017 Remember this name #HeatherHeyer. Remember this face. She died today … Continued

Tuesday, July 11th, the Oakland City Council’s Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to sever Oakland’s remaining relationships with ICE (Federal Immigration Enforcement). This effort was catalyzed by Oakland Privacy and the Oakland Privacy Advisory Commission (which voted previously to recommend this action unanimously), and supported by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Council on American Islamic Relations Bay Area, and various other civil liberties organizations. It is an important step in ultimately sending an important message out to Oakland’s residents and the world: everyone is welcome here (except Donald Trump). The … Continued

Demanding that the City Council enact a real people’s budget in the midst of a homelessness and housing crisis, instead of continuing to fund OPD’s malfeasance, outrageous overtime and wastefulness, at about 8:00 PM on Monday, June 26th, 2017 activists shut down the City Council budget meeting, some chaining themselves to the railing in front of the dais, others chanting. Eventually the Council members walked out. By state law, municipalities must enact a budget by June 30th. The City Council has apparently scheduled another meeting for Thursday, June 29th. Here’s … Continued

Oakland Privacy just published its newletter. Chock full of information on what OP is doing and why they’re doing it. Articles include: Local Movements Demand Disclosure of Police Technologies – A Review. Sacramento Update – Bills in the California Legislature OP wants passed (to help protect privacy) or wants killed (because they further the surveillance state). Why I Joined OP or How I Spent My Summer For the Past 16 years. Hella Privacy – The Local Surveillance Equipment Regulation Ordinance Oakland Privacy Wants to Have Passed in Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, … Continued

The Friends of the Public Bank of Oakland created this video in support of their efforts to get the Oakland City Council to invest in Oakland’s future. New long version: Shorter version: Oakland Needs a Public Bank! – Sign the Petition at FriendsofPublicBankofOakland.org – Call your Oakland City Council Member and tell them to fund the feasibility study in this years’ budget. Video by Maren Poitras Music by Broke for Free We need everyone in Oakland to heavily lobby the City Council, starting now. Be sure to talk about how … Continued

On Saturday, May 13th, Councilperson Dan Kalb held a Town Hall on the upcoming Oakland budget. Against a backdrop of unaffordable housing, spreading homelessness and social needs, citizens confronted yet another budget where the Oakland Police consume the largest part of the General Fund, allocated a massive budget and then augmented by overtime. The Anti Police Terror Project and other groups came out in large numbers to oppose this basic contradiction, and demand an audit of the police budget and practices. Whether they made an impact remains to be seen, … Continued

A major milestone was reached in Oakland at 9:21 PM on May 9th. The Oakland City Council’s Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to have the full City Council consider a first of its kind Surveillance Equipment Regulation Ordinance. (Read more about what the ordinance will do.) If and hopefully when it is passed by the full Council Oakland will be the first City in California, and, with the possible exception of Seattle, the nation, to pass such a set of restrictions on the use of surveillance equipment. Sweating the details … Continued