Author Archives: laborsolidaritycommittee

Whether it is nobler to send 50,000 volts slinging through human bodies, or take arms against a sea of autistic, mentally ill, drugged, drunk, deaf, pregnant, and/or homeless people who more often than statistically plausible tend to be minorities will be debated. The issue of whether it is better to (gasp) de-escalate the situation is not on the agenda, but might be brought up by some intrepid public speakers. On October 6th, at 5:30 PM, the Berkeley City Council will hold a special meeting to consider a report on the … Continued

“I Opened the Door… They’re Pointing Rifles at Me.” So related a thirteen year old girl, one of the speakers at this year’s Urban Shield protest in Oakland, describing an encounter with a local SWAT team. Urban Shield, sponsored by the the Alameda County Sheriff, is an annual police convention and tradeshow, glorifying the militarization of police and violence. It’s an excuse for wanna bes to cosplay “Special Forces” for a couple days, taking part in military-style “exercises” throughout Alameda County. To get more of a sense of the spirit … Continued

On September 10th, in response to an attack on September 3rd by an armed security guard on a man at the checkout counter – protesters converged at the Whole Foods at Harrison and Twenty-Seventh St in Oakland where the incident had taken place. This is how it came down. What’s Happening?   Happening now: PICKET WHOLE FOODS! STOP ANTI-BLACK VIOLENCE!! https://t.co/apCDfIWS7j — Miguel (@guelo) September 11, 2015 Why’s It Happening?   Black folks organized, took the #wholefoods and held them accountable #oakland #blacklivesmatter @drmcclain pic.twitter.com/yFSIqJBavo — Hella-Erby (@hella_erby) September 11, … Continued

Groups supporting the California Hunger Strikers and opposing Solitary Confinement today held a press conference at the Eliju Harris State Office Building in downtown Oakland, after the Center for Constitutional Rights announced a settlement in the case of Ashker v Brown, challenging the constitutionality of indefinite solitary confinement. The settlement effectively eliminates indefinite solitary confinement, allowing terms of up to five years (still far too long!) in solitary for offenses while in prison. It eliminates the practice of sending people into solitary “solely” for having some kind of gang affiliation. … Continued

A Letter to Mayor Libby Schaaf and the Oakland City Council From the Oakland Privacy Working Group.   American law enforcement uses a lethal amount of force against a citizen every eight hours, killing on average 3.2 people a day in 2015. In July, at least 121 citizens were reported as killed by police, putting us on pace to reach 1,100 by years end. These facts are relevant because the Oakland Police Department (OPD) will again participate in Urban Shield in September. We ask that OPD refrain from participation in … Continued

If it’s not the Oakland Police, it’s Berkeley’s. They just can’t help themselves. Actually, they don’t care a whit. Make that give a shit. They are not the ones who will have to pay the settlements or face any consequences for their illegal and unconstitutional actions, so why should they? As the local Berkeleyside newspaper reports Attorneys representing 14 people struck and jabbed by police batons, clubbed, beaten, teargassed, slammed to the ground, fired on with “less lethal” projectiles or arrested during December protests in Berkeley related to the “Black Lives … Continued

As the Contra Costa Times notes: FOUR YEARS AFTER HE BECAME THE FACE OF THE LOCAL OCCUPY MOVEMENT, SCOTT OLSEN IS ENTERING PERHAPS AN EVEN MORE LEFT-LEANING ARENA.  The Iraq War veteran announced this week that he is running for an open seat on the KPFA Local Station Board under the banner United for Community Radio. Here is the UCR Platform: KPFA and Pacifica are irreplaceable, strategic and transformative resources for amplifying the voices of millions who are overlooked, marginalized or silenced by corporate media in the face of police … Continued

Check it out! The artwork of three outdoor painters is woven together with a sound track to provide a first hand view of the Occupy Oakland and Occupy San Francisco encampments. The artists are Jessica Joy Jirsa, Anthony Holdsworth and John Paul Marcelo. The time span is October, 2011 through early December, 2011. Music courtesy of Greg Landau Productions.         59270

Oakland held two vigils/memorials for Sandra Bland today, Wednesday, July 22nd. The first, from Noon until 1:00 PM, is being held all week at that same time (Thursday and Friday), and happens at Oscar Grant Plaza at the interesection of 14th & Broadway. The second was held at and around the Rockridge Bart beginning at 5:00 PM. Below are some tweetpics from that event. Late today the Texas District Attorney in charge of the investigation into her death told the Bland family that the autopsy was “defective” and that authorities … Continued

It probably happens all the time. It probably happens all over. An out-of-the-limelight negotiation, some winks and nods, a few shrugs, a quiet vote and a developer ends up with a prime piece of previously publicly owned land on the cheap. This time it happened in Oakland, and this time, one time, it didn’t happen. The not happening began with deliberate action to violate the law on the part of City officials, proceeded to astroturf, a surprise direct action, eight million dollars of “sweetener” and ultimately a leaked document. Here’s … Continued