Please come to the Main Berkeley Post Office at 2000 Allston Way in Berkeley at 10:00 AM (4/2/16) and help us defend free expression and the rights of homeless people.
Federal property has been occupied by protesters for 17 months at the Main Berkeley Post Office. The US Postal Police have made what appears to be a serious threat to raid that protest site this morning at 10:00AM and tear it down. We are asking for mutual aid to face down this raid.
Since November 2014, we have maintained a presence on the grounds of the post office at 2000 Allston Way in Berkeley to protest the privatization of the postal service and of publicly held entities, in general. We have done this because we strongly believe that when commonly held goods are sold to corporations, those who need those goods and services most – those who are unable to buy shares in the corporations and, by doing so, have a say in their management – experience new hardships from increased fees and restricted access.
In addition to raising awareness of the dangers of privatization, we have used our site at the Main Berkeley Post Office to provide resources to Berkeley’s homeless population. We have distributed food and clothing; and we’ve offered referrals to community organizations that provide shelter, showers and laundry, help with accessing entitlements, and legal assistance. Our protest site has become a hub where people can connect with others working against corporate domination.
In our time here, we’ve done our best to maintain a shared agreement rejecting the use of alcohol and harmful drugs on the site.
During this past winter, the officers of the Berkeley Police Dept. have directed many people living on the streets to the post office, saying that since it’s Federal property, they have no jurisdiction there. In other words, they’ve told people they can camp at the post office and avoid harassment by local police. The US Postal Police, being few in numbers – and for other reasons that can only be inferred – have allowed this accumulation of urban campers. While this may seem to be a display of compassion by police officers who are ordered to contain homelessness, it has resulted in the disruptive presence of people who are addicted to and distributing methamphetamines. And, for those unfamiliar with the location of the Main Berkeley Post Office, our protest site is situated fifty feet away from Berkeley High School. We feel this harmful drug distribution center, sanctioned by the Berkeley Police and the City Manager, to be an ill-conceived concentration of homelessness.
We intend to defend our protest site against eviction by law enforcement authorities. We reject any all-or-none-at-all arguments for its removal. The mission of our protest serves free speech, making information and resources available to the public not easily found elsewhere. And we believe our mission complements that of the public postal service.
Please come to the Main Berkeley Post Office at 2000 Allston Way in Berkeley at 10:00 AM (4/2/16) and help us defend free expression and the rights of homeless people.
Comments are closed.