Calendar
“You may well ask: ‘Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?’ You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.”
Join us for dinner ,outdoor entertainment and a sleep-in.
Everyone deserves a #Right2Rest.
#MLKshutitdown Unspecified Action @ West Oakland BART
“Equality demands dignity. And dignity demands a job and a paycheck that lasts through the week.”
“When you have mass unemployment in the Negro community it’s called a social problem. When you have mass unemployment in the white community it’s called a depression”
“We refuse to believe the bank of justice is bankrupt”
— Martin Luther King, Jr—–
Join the Anti Police-Terrorism Project (APTP) for a MLK day march that reclaims the spirit of King and celebrates his legacy of resistance!
There will be performances, speakers, resource booths, face painting, crafts and more!
This is a family-friendly event and a celebration of King’s legacy, Black Lives and the struggle for social justice.
We will gather at the plaza outside of Oscar Grant Station (Fruitvale) at 11 AM. There will be performances, speakers, resource booths, face painting, crafts and more! From there we will march to Coliseum City connecting the dots between police terrorism and economic terrorism – meaning the unjust ways that cops kill unarmed Black people as with Oscar Grant and the unjust way Oakland’s development is either pushing Black and Brown people out of the city and/or not hiring Black and Brown Oakland residents to facilitate or benefit from the new development as with the Coliseum City project.
Stay Tuned for More Details!!!
The APTP is a group of concerned institutions, organizations and individuals committed to ending the state sanctioned murder of Black, Brown & Poor people by police departments across the country.
#BlackLivesMatter. Join us as we discuss the national epidemic of police brutality, misconduct and associasted laws and legal procedures, as well as your rights when facing law enforcement and the state of our modern civil rights movement.
Panelists: John Burris, Adante Pointer, Paul Henderson, Cephus Johnson
Performance: Prentice Powell, spoken word artist.
CANCELLED
For this week. Back next Monday.
Please come at 9am and 2pm to support folks arrested at a march during MLK weekend. Let’s come out and support each other!
Always check the event page and Antirepression for last minute changes.
Demands to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors
1. Set aside 50% of the County Realignment budget for reentry programs and services.
2. Support the #BlackFriday14 and tell BART and the District Attorney to drop charges and restitution.
3. Follow Supervisor Keith Carson’s call for 2015 as the year to attack issues of racial inequality. Protect and invest in Black and Brown lives because they are among the most criminalized, incarcerated, and subjected to violence by law enforcement.
85-8242.
Surveillance technologies such as automated license plate readers, body cameras and drones, to name a few, have the potential to give law enforcement an edge in fighting crime and bringing wrongdoers to justice. Yet the same technologies also raise serious concerns about privacy and civil liberties. Throughout California, elected representatives and law enforcement leaders are faced with the task of finding a balance that serves their community.
At this Forum, speakers from California and elsewhere will discuss how law enforcement is procuring and using these technologies, how local communities are addressing the related policy issues and how to develop best practices for balancing the need to keep our communities safe while at the same time respecting privacy rights and civil liberties.
Refreshments provided courtesy of The Lares Institute, a think
tank on technology, privacy and information governance.
Register by email to AGforum@doj.ca.gov
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris presents
Featured Speakers
M. Ahsan Baig
Division Manager, Public Safety Services & Business Applications, City of Oakland
Renee Domingo
Director of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, City of Oakland
Michael Downing
Deputy Chief, Commanding Officer, Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau, Los Angeles Police Department
Brian Hofer
Chair, Domain Awareness Center Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Privacy and Data Retention, City of Oakland
Jennifer Lynch
Senior Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Deirdre Mulligan
Professor, School of Information, University of California, Berkeley
Nicole Ozer
Technology and Civil Liberties Policy Director, ACLU of Northern California
Cynthia Renaud
Police Chief, City of Folsom
And a representative of the Police Executive Research Forum
Protecting Our Communities, Respecting Our Liberties
Join us on the 5th anniversary of the infamous Citizens United decision for the “Mourning in America” March and Rally. The 3.1 mile march will be kicked off by well known hip-hop artist for change, Khafre Joy. Marchers will be led by effigies of five of the Supreme Court Justices, and followed by a spirited band and a coffin with Uncle Sam inside. The rally will begin at 4:30 at at the Federal Building, the end-site of the march. Speakers will include Gayle McLaughlin, former mayor of Richmond who stood up to Chevron and won, and Bill McKibben of 350.org. There will be musicians, street theater and the lighting of a building with our message.
Can you join us in San Francisco on Wednesday?
Click below for more details and to RSVP:
Yes, I’ll be there!
Sorry, I can’t make it, but I’m interested in getting more updates.
Join a march and rally—in fact, a memorial service— to mark the 5th anniversary of the death of democracy. On this day in 2010, the US Supreme Court issued its “Citizens United” ruling, which allows corporations and their billionaire masters to strangle democracy.
Statement of the event organizers, Money Out! People In!:
On this the anniversary of the Citizen United we:
• Mourn the Supreme Court decisions granting corporations unlimited campaign spending rights.
• Mourn our lost American democracy,
• Mourn the loss of government that no longer works for us.
• Vow to recreate a government by the people.
• And find hope that democracy will be resurrected in America
Our call to action:
1. Demand an amendment to the US Constitution — We the People must clearly affirm that corporations do NOT have the same rights as people and money is NOT protected as free speech (www.movetoamend.org / www.freespeechforpeople.org).
2. Pass anti-corruption legislation in your city. Corruption has been legalized. (represent.us/local-anti-corruption-act). End the revolving door between lobbying and any government work, including political office. Hold politicians accountable.
3. Volunteer with a local group working to get big money out of politics (www.moneyoutpeoplein.com).
4. Broaden the movement. Have your union, congregation, non-profit, or other organization endorse Move to Amend and/or Free Speech for People.
5. Learn about and advocate for the California DISCLOSE Act and the Federal DISCLOSE Act to require transparency in political ads and neutralize super PACs and billionaires.
This event is organized by Money Out! People In! – a Northern California coalition dedicated to getting big money out of politics. Visit their website at www.moneyoutpeoplein.com
Download Statement of Principles for a 21st Century Democracy (PDF), from Money Out! People In!
Organizing meeting of City College of San Francisco students, faculty and classified staff to fight against the downsizing of public education.
Unfortunately we have lots to talk about with the latest outrage of our administration closing Civic Center Campus.
On December 9th, Judge Curtis Karnow heard oral closing arguments in the matter of the People of California vs. the ACCJC. He will issue a tentative ruling any day now. The attorneys will then have 15 days to submit written objections. Sometime after that Judge Karnow will issue his final ruling. (Perhaps February?)
AFT 2121 is calling for a rapid response the first work day after his tentative ruling. The Coalition will be organizing a rapid response after the final ruling. Please check these websites for updates.
http://www.aft2121.org/
www.saveccsf.org
We are reading up on Syriza (the Greek leftist party that could win the Jan 25th election)
and the (current) Greek debt crisis for the next meeting.
Here are some recent articles.. They are all pretty short. People should pick and choose
the ones that seem interesting to them, at least four of them.
If we can find an in-depth analysis of the current Greek fiscal/monetary situation, the reading list may get updated/augmented.
The last is an in-depth analysis of austerity in Europe. However, it is by the Heritage
foundation. It might be interesting to read this to see what the “other side” thinks, so you may wish to peruse it.
Ellen Brown:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/01/07/greece-takes-on-the-vampire-squid/
Some articles she cites:
Greek Left Review
Leftist Leader Urges Eurozone to End Austerity in Greece
Jacobin:
RT:
http://rt.com/op-edge/185052-greece-crisis-eu-default/
Economist:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/01/economist-explains-1
Foreign Policy:
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/08/why-greeces-economy-needs-syriza-to-win-election/
Real News:
Bill Black on US News Coverage of the “Triumph of Austerity” in Greece
Austerity: A Decisive Factor in Greek Elections: Part I, Part II
New Republic:
Paul Krugman:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/opinion/paul-krugman-greece-economy-mad-as-hellas.html?_r=0
Guardian:
Greek politics and economics in numbers.
Salon:
Occupy May Be About to Win Its First National Election
Heritage foundation on austerity in Europe
San Leandro, like other cities in the Bay Area, wants to acquire a tank. Well, not a tank exactly; more like (actually, exactly like) an armored personnel carrier. The kind you see in war movies and Iraq footage.
On January 8th a rally against the tank, followed by a San Leandro City Council meeting in which much opposition to the acquisition of this vehicle was voiced, was held. (The City Council plans to hold a vote sometime in February). Most of the voices opposed were San Leandro Citizens, and a few members of the Oakland Privacy Working Group and the Bay Area Civil Liberties Coalition spoke against the vehicle.
Here is a letter a San Leandro resident, Tim Holmes, sent to the Council, finishing the thoughts he did not have time to express at the City Council hearing that evening. It is a good read and very powerful.
To the members of the San Leandro City Council:
I attended the recent community meeting regarding the plans to obtain a Bearcat, I wasn’t able to complete my comments in the time allotted, so I’m including them in full here.
I am asking you vote no and to NOT accept this vehicle.
Tools only seem neutral. You pick one up, you use it and put it back. But the tools at your disposal determine how you solve a problem. “Give someone a hammer and everything begins to look like a nail.” This tool is not neutral.
This tool CAN be used as a medical vehicle, but it is, by any real-world definition, a tank. It’s a vehicle custom-built and sold as a military vehicle, with an oxygen canister, two folding stretchers, and a “MedEvac” sticker thrown in to put a veneer of humanitarian aid to get in through the door.
It CAN be used as a shield, but any shield with holes built-in was built as a firing platform first and foremost and a shield second.
There is no question this tool will be put to use, as any tool is. And, were you to be given a attack helicopter, that too would assist in pursuing bad guys, but when going down that path justifies any tool. Brick by brick we build the world we will live in. That’s the larger picture you need to keep in mind as your decisions will impact generations to come and shape the world they live in, without their participation or permission.
We all draw a line somewhere, a line over which we feel we lose our freedoms. There are countries, now and in the past, who have taken that path, but I don’t know anyone who considers those countries better for it.
That line differs for everyone, but the discussion about where that line is for this community is being denied. Instead our police department has already decided without public input, and is creeping that line forward more and more. The ever increasing and undisclosed number of license plate cameras, community surveillance cameras, with surprise microphones no less, the proposal for the Bearcat, and more. All of this is occurring without an open debate on the tradeoffs, while the police have pat answers to every concern, never even acknowledging that there is indeed a cost, a human cost, and a cost to our individual rights.
We must govern and make decisions under the assumption that people you do not trust will in charge, because the decisions you are making will affect our grandchildren and had somebody made these decisions 30 years ago, we would live in the free society we do today, even with the legacy of abusing the rights of minorities.
People feel the comparison to Ferguson is inappropriate, but it was only a few decades ago when being black in San Leandro was more dangerous than being in Ferguson today, and our police department followed the orders of our city’s culture of racism and abuse of powers. What would those elected officials and those police officers do with this vehicle… You must make laws to protect us from their sentiments now just as we needed that then. You are hearing about police abuse of power because it happens. It happens in the Bay Area today, not just in Ferguson and not just in our past. It really happens and citizens are justifiably fearful.
Because as things stand, the only way to ensure we aren’t the ones being persecuted is to lie low, stay quiet, and not raise trouble and in a democracy that’s not an acceptable trade off, for me and many others…. that’s unacceptably over the line. That’s our reality.
As a citizen of your city, a voter, a parent, local business owner, donor, community activist, and volunteer, I ask you to vote against accepting this vehicle.
Don’t allow us to be dragged back to a time when police cars sat on the border of Oakland, where minorities were unwelcome and discriminated against, and where our police were the stooges of those whose agenda isn’t American, isn’t moral, and which does not represent the people of San Leandro, the majority of whom are already discriminated against and fear the police, and yet make up the majority population of the city.
On September 1, 2014 Anwar was falsely arrested during our 2nd Annual Community Appreciation BBQ, On this day we marched in solidarity with Ferguson and the family of Michael Brown, murdered by Ferguson Police , At the end of our march while returning back to our destination Ali Oakbaba was arrested falsely arrested by Vallejo Police , came from behind to capture and silence him for exercising his right to protest. Those of you who are active in the movement against police brutality know how dedicated he is to the movement
Please Join us as we stand in solidarity with Ali and let them know that he is not alone in this fight
PACK the BART Board Meeting for #blackfriday14!
1. Turn out to the BART Board of Directors meeting tomorrow, Thursday, January 22nd, at 4:45pm: The Bay Area Black Lives Matter chapter will be there, at 344 20th St, 3rd Flr, Oakland, CA, along with our Bay Area allies, to demand that the BART Board of Directors show the necessary leadership to put an end to this outrageous criminalization. And here is a poster you can print out to bring with you: http://goo.gl/JDHv4D
2. Call the BART Board of Directors and urge them to �pass a resolution to drop the restitution.” After 25 people called, the board signaled that they were considering changing course. Now we need to turn up the pressure and every voice counts: http://act.colorofchange.org/call/callBART/
On Thursday, January 22nd the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club will host a wide ranging discussion on the status of local police agencies, their records in our East Bay communities and the invigorated social movement that is demanding these agencies respect the communities they were hired to serve.
The panel will include Cat Brooks of ONYX and the Blackout Collective, Attorney Jim Chanin, who along with John Burris brought the suit resulting in the federal oversight of OPD, Jesse Douglas Allen-Taylor, local journalist, author and political commentator, and Rasheed Shabazz, photojournalist and online editor of the ONYX Express.
Potluck dinner begins at 6, panel around 7:15.
Join the International Socialist Organization for a discussion about the origins and function of the police and their relationship to racism, class and capitalism.