Calendar
65 million people worldwide are fleeing war, ethnic cleansing, environmental catastrophe. Filmed in 23 countries over two years, the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei brings to life the immense human scale of the worldwide refugee crisis.
The film’s aerial photography shows the destruction of Mosul by the U.S. in Iraq, sub-Saharan Africa where 26 percent of the world’s refugees are located, the vast network of permanent camps in the Middle East, and the open-air prison of Gaza and the U.S.-Mexican border.
Ai Weiwei gives voice to the people living through this and to their hopes and their dignified determination to be treated as human beings.
A team of journalists from Liberation News traveled to Mexico in early Nov. to document the refugee caravan. Thousands of mainly Honduran families walking thousands of miles to the U.S. border are fleeing incredible violence and poverty in their home country as a direct result of decades of U.S. exploitation and intervention in the region. These increased hardships stem directly from the 2009 U.S.-backed coup in Honduras that ousted the democratically-elected progressive leader Manuel Zelaya installing a rightwing puppet government and unleashing widespread violence throughout the country.
Join us for an eyewitness report and video from PSL organizer Gloria La Riva documenting the stories of those on the caravan and the mass support they have received from the people of Mexico as they traveled to the border.
Refreshments provided. Wheelchair accessible.
Do you think internet should be a public commons rather than a corporate monopoly?
Following Aspiration Tech’s annual Nonprofit Software Development Summit, come on over to Omni Commons to learn about the history of the internet, how it works, and how to build your own. Meet and mingle with civic hackers and organizers behind PeoplesOpen.Net: an open, community-based, wireless network in the East Bay.
Join us for food, family-friendly activities, and conversation about the state of the internet today, the physical work that goes into stewarding an internet commons, and the possibilities you see in owning and operating a piece of a community wireless network.
* No experience building internets necessary! Experience living and speaking with neighbors in your communities desired! Curiosity recommended 🙂 *
– Print a t-shirt and make buttons!
– Crimp an internet cable!
– Learn about the sweet nothings computers whisper to each other when you aren’t looking!
– Map your neighborhood resources!
– Eat tasty foods!
Agenda:
2:00pm – Why/what/how of the internet
2:30pm – Snack, mingle, share and experiment
3:00pm – Hands-on workshop with a variety of learning stations
5:00pm – end.
Donations accepted to offset the cost of tasty food!
In August, at the urging of Idle No More SF Bay, several Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) staff and board members journeyed to British Columbia to meet with government officials and First Nations people resisting the Canadian Trans Mountain Pipeline, and then to Alberta to tour tar sands extraction sites. This special Board of Directors meeting features the report back from that trip.
Speakers will include the BAAQMD delegation and some of the people the delegation met with in Canada: Charlene Aleck, elected Councilor from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in British Columbia, Tzephorah Berman from Stand.earth, Dave Collier, and Pennie Opal Plant from Idle No More SF Bay.
In 2017, Phillips 66 applied for an Air District permit to nearly triple the amount of oil it brings in by tanker to its Rodeo wharf. This current proposal follows an unsuccessful attempt made by the refiner three years ago to bring in tar sands crude via oil trains to its Central Coast refinery in Santa Maria. That refinery is joined by pipeline to the refinery in Rodeo; together they comprise what Phillips 66 calls the San Francisco Refinery. The Santa Maria project was stopped by the tireless efforts of Northern California activists all along the rail lines, who ultimately persuaded the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors to deny approval. Now Phillips 66 is resuming its attempts to convert to tar sands refining. The current status of its Rodeo “wharf expansion” proposal is unknown, however. The Draft Environmental Project has not yet been released, and it’s unclear what action the Air District will ultimately take.
The November 19th meeting should expose the very real connections between Canadian tar sands mining, Indigenous rights, and the potentially serious impacts on Bay Area frontline communities and on the global climate. Will the BAAQMD, a major local enforcer of California climate policy, take its role of climate protector seriously enough to erect a protective barrier around the Bay and ensure that extra-toxic tar sands are kept out of local refinery crude slates? Bay Area climate justice activists are watching closely.
See you on the 19th!
Please pack the court for oral arguments in East Bay Sanctuary Covenant v. Trump, a federal lawsuit challenging the new Trump proclamation, which bars people seeking asylum at the U.S. southern border if they attempt to enter outside a port of entry.
Monday lawyers with Center for Constituional Rights and our legal co-counsel, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center, will argue that the ban is unlawful and ask the court to issue a Temporary Restraining Order to prevent the asylum ban from going into effect. The argument will take place before Judge Jon S. Tigar.
Note: Please plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early to go through security. ID may be required.
More Information:
This case was filed the day the Trump order went into effect by grassroots organizations fighting for the rights of immigrants and refugees, including the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Al Otro Lado, Innovation Law Lab and the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles. Our clients filed this legal challenge because the Trump administration’s actions are contrary to basic asylum, reflect the administration’s contempt for Central and Latin Americans, and will have dangerous consequences to highly vulnerable populations fleeing unspeakable violence.
Find out more information about our legal challenge here.
Mark your calendars! We're hosting TWO Public Banking 101 sessions in November–one at Alley Cat Books, and one @DSA_SF. We hope to see you there 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/8Sg3u7g293
— SF Public Bank (@sfpublicbank) October 25, 2018
REPORT FROM THE FRONTLINES:
A report-back on Palestine by the US Palestine Community Network
Join us for a report back on the recent delegation to Palestine organized by the U.S. Palestine Community Network (USPCN). USPCN members will share about conditions on the ground as they relate to political prisoners, refugees, health, land theft, and the right of return.
This event is free and welcome to all ages. Donations to support the speakers as they travel the country is greatly appreciated.
Hosted by the Arab Resource and Organizing Center.
For more questions contact info@araborganizing.org
Tell Barbara Lee to support immediate action for a Green New Deal! Join the Sunrise Movement to visit Barbara Lee in a national day of action calling on progressive legislators to support rapid national mobilization for an equitable clean-energy economy.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is sponsoring a resolution to create a Green New Deal , a 10-year economic mobilization to carbon-neutrality and drawdown. Her resolution includes the requirement that the plan promote “high income work, entrepreneurship and cooperative and public ownership” as well as “social, economic, racial, regional and gender-based justice and equality.”
It is essential that members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including Barbara Lee, get behind this resolution to make it happen.
Last week Ocasio-Cortez joined the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats in a sit-in in Nancy Pelosi’s office. They said now that Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives it’s time to take bold action on the climate.
The Sunrise Movement and Climate Mobilization are calling on everyone to call five leaders of the Progressive Caucus on Monday and join in the national day of visits to legislators Tuesday.
Saturday the State Department said it had not reached a final decision on responsibility for the murder, despite the CIA’s conclusion the Crown Prince personally ordered it. The US-Saudi relationship has come under increased scrutiny, particularly in regards to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the war in Yemen. A group of bipartisan senators Thursday introduced the Comprehensive Saudi Arabia Accountability and Yemen Act which would halt weapons sales and other military support for Yemen. The House likely will vote on their own Yemen bill in January.
PHOTO OP: Members of the Yemeni-American community and friends speaking and protesting with signs outside of Reps Pelosi and Schiff offices
WHAT: Activists will rally at Reps Pelosi and Schiff offices in SF and LA to demand they cosponsor HConRes138. This bill would end US military involvement in the Saudi war on Yemen. The US has been complicit in creating the conditions for famine in Yemen for years.
WHO: Cindy Sheehan, the mother of the U.S. Army specialist killed in Iraq, and Jehan Hakim, chair of Yemeni Alliance Committee, will speak at the rally at Pelosi’s office. Sarah Burns of Just Foreign Policy, and Frances Motiwalla of Peace Action, will speak at the rally at Schiff’s office. The rallies are organized by Just Foreign Policy, Action Corps, and Yemeni Alliance Committee. They are co-sponsored by CODEPINK: Women for Peace, MoveOn, Bay Area for Bernie, Women’s March on the Pentagon, Jewish Voice for Peace Bay Area, and Partnerships for Trauma Recovery (List in Formation).
WHY: The US Administration recently announced it would stop refueling Saudi warplanes over Yemen. But Wednesday the US House narrowly voted to block debate of a bill to withdraw the US completely from the Saudi Coalition in Yemen. The US continues to provide critical military support and diplomatic cover for Saudi Arabia in Yemen. The Saudi Coalition has stopped the flow of food, medicine, and fuel into Yemen, leaving 14 million people on the brink of the world’s worst famine in a 100 years. Since the Trump Administration called for a ceasefire, Saudi Arabia has further intensified its assault on Yemen’s main port of Hodeida causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee for their lives, worsening the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. Congress has never authorized U.S. military involvement in Yemen, and it’s long overdue for Congress to vote on it.
In September 2018, Reps Ro Khanna (D-CA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Walter Jones (R-KY), Thomas Massie (R-NC) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 138 (HConRes138). If passed, it would direct the President to completely withdraw from the war by cutting off mid-air refueling and targeting assistance for Saudi warplanes. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — who faces a vote to become the next House Speaker — and Adam Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, have yet to publicly support the bill, despite it being supported by almost every other ranking Democrat in the House. It’s time for them to get on board.
QUOTES FROM SPEAKERS
“Just as the House killed HConRes81 last year, GOPs fought to block HConRes138 [November 15]; which is a strong resolution that will finally end US support for the Saudi-led coalition waging war in Yemen. We are disappointed that our lawmakers chose to stand on the wrong side of history… again. We’ve seen it in Iraq, Lisbya and still see it in Syria. There are over 14 million Yemenis on the brink of starvation, and we have not only been supporting and backing the almost three-year-long war on the poorest Arab nation, but our Congressional Representatives are abdicating their duty to save lives and pull us out of this illegitimate war. If the 50,000 Yemenis that have been killed, or the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Khashoggi at the hands of the ‘Kingdom,’ does not make us rethink our relationship Saudi Arabia, then what will? We demand from our Representatives to have the courage to support peace in Yemen, accountability in our involvement and to support HConRes138.”
– Jehan Hakim, Yemeni Alliance Committee Chair
“Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff market themselves as ‘progressive leaders,’ but when the House vote finally came on ending the Saudi regime’s Yemen war, Pelosi and Schiff weren’t leaders; they were people who just barely showed up at the last minute. Pelosi and Schiff must lead now on ending the war, starting with co-sponsoring the Yemen war powers resolution, or other Democrats should take their places in the House Democratic leadership in the election on November 28.”
– Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy Policy Director
“Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) has said the Saudi airstrikes on Yemen ‘look like war crimes.’ Then why have not Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Ranking Member Adam Schiff co-sponsored the bill to stop backing these airstrikes? We appreciate Ms. Pelosi’s recent statement on the war, but it is not enough. We need her and Mr. Schiff to publicly pledge they will make Yemen a top priority if Ms. Pelosi is elected speaker on November 28. The lives of millions of people depend on it.”
– Isaac Evans-Frantz, Action Corps Organizer
Come meet our Biohackers and other Mad Scientists in our new space at the Omni Commons to discuss science, brainstorm projects, learn more about Counter Culture Lab, and plot world domination.
And hey – free pizza! See you there 🙂
To RSVP to this event, or check other events organized by Counter Culture Labs, see our Meetup page: http://www.meetup.com/Counter-Culture-Labs/
Please dress in black and strive to maintain a dignified silence throughout. Signs and fliers will be provided but you may wish to bring your own sign. No racist, sexist or nationalist slogans, please.
Bay Area Women in Black are Jews and allies in the United States who stand against militaristic and fundamentalist leadership in all countries, including our own. We are committed to nonviolent resistance against injustice, believing that all people have the right to security, home, education, justice and freedom. We are part of the international movement of Women in Black, a transnational network of feminist activists which includes women of many ethnic and national backgrounds who cooperate across these and other differences. Our international solidarity is an expression of the political decision to attempt to create a moral and ethical way to live our interconnected lives.
Our central focus is working non-violently to end the Israeli Occupation which we believe is a violation of human rights and international law. Only a just resolution of this conflict can bring peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the whole Middle East community. We challenge the key role of the United States government’s support of the Occupation through financial and military aid which threatens global security and widens militarism in the Middle-East.
Join us at this 19th year gathering at our ancient ceremonial and the largest funerary site of the Ohlone people of the East Bay. This is a family friendly event, we will be handing out information and educating the public about this sacred site. Bring Cookies or snacks to share and a good attitude. We will have prayers and songs offered and updates on current work and issues in our communities
On Nov. 20, 1969, after centuries of being killed, displaced and driven from their land, a group of Native Americans landed on Alcatraz Island and claimed it as their own.
For 19 months the media reported every move, the government tried to stop them, and thousands of supporters visited and sent supplies.
In this 2015 documentary, the story of the historic, audacious takeover of Alcatraz is told with passion, humor and heart by Adam Fortunate Eagle, the main organizer.
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Pittsburg Police or the People of Pittsburg?
Terry Amons, Jr., a 43 year old Black man, was shot and killed by Pittsburgh police late Friday night on January 12, 2018, while eating dinner inside his car outside of Nations Burgers in Pittsburgh. The police claim that Terry was reaching for a gun, but body cam video does not support this claim. We hold the Pittsburgh PD responsible for murdering an innocent Black man.
Terry’s mother, Sandra, said: “They executed my son. The Pittsburgh Police Department (PPD) illegally, without a warrant, searched Terry’s home after they killed him.”. The PPD did not provide Terry’s family with the names of the officers involved. The Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights is the legal justification for withholding this information. Only months later did the Oscar Grant Committee learn the names of the Police Officers involved: Dillon Tindall, who fired the shots, and Jesus Arellano. According to the East Bay Times, the body cam video shows Terry being shot by Tindall after shouting “Do not reach for that fucking gun.” As Terry falls out of the car., he continues to say, “I wasn’t reaching for nothing, I swear to God.” Then the officers handcuffed him. Terry died at John Muir Medical Center in Martinez.
According to attorney John Burris, “I must admit, I do not see (Amons) reaching for that gun. I see him playing around with gloves, but certainly not reaching. He was trying to comply,” “I have reservations about the justification of this shooting, frankly.”
The family is considering filing a lawsuit.
Terry’s family deserves justice.
YOU BE THE JUDGE: Watch the Body Cam Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVhBiDilpzs
Terry Amons Jr.
March 1, 1974-January 12, 2018
Please join us to rally together and unite against police terror.
Potluck BBQ at end of March
The Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality and State Repression was born from the struggle for justice for Oscar Grant, murdered by BART police on Jan 1, 2009. We organize working class resistance in support of families whose loved ones were murdered by police.
JOIN US, our meetings are normally on the First Monday of every month at 7:00 PM at the Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Avenue in North Oakland.
An Injury to One is an Injury to All. • Without Struggle, There is No Justice.
Come out to Fruitvale Village and stand in solidarity with the International Call to Action for the Refugee Caravan and Central American Exodus. This day is being led by countless immigrant rights organizations that have been tirelessly organizing on both sides of the border.
The migrant caravan is a result of years of US imperialism and military intervention in Central America, which have resulted in thousands of people being forced to flee unlivable conditions in their home countries. We demand respect for the human right to seek asylum, and an end to the criminalization of all refugees.
We reject the imperialism, racism, mass incarceration, and xenophobia that have been validated and amplified by Trump and his administration. Refugees are welcome here!
Read the full call to action including demands and endorsing organizations here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PsPwJ2kORIefjU54OGdehxdzMAc7WMXNa3eGSKygess/edit
This will be a Spanish event, English translation will be available.
Thanks to community support, a federal judge granted us an extension today on the restraining order against eviction!
We have two weeks until our next court date: Show up MONDAY Nov 26, 3 pm, at Dellums Building at 1301 Clay St, 4th floor courtroom 2! #ByeLibby #UpgradeDontEvict pic.twitter.com/mhAHSwC0rA
— The Village, Oakland (@VillageOakland) November 14, 2018
Special Meeting Agenda
Commission Members:
District 1 Representative: Reem Suleiman,
District 2 Representative: Chloe Brown,
District 3 Representative: Brian M. Hofer,
District 4 Representative: Lou Katz,
District 5 Representative: Raymundo Jacquez III,
District 6 Representative: Vacant,
District 7 Representative: Robert Oliver,
Council At-Large Representative: Saied R. Karamooz,
Mayoral Representative: Heather Patterson
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. 5:15pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – Unapproved Use of UAV by OPD during exigent circumstances – presentation of revised staff report and take possible action
5. 5:25pm: Review and take possible action on a Federal Task Force MOU with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)
6. 5:35pm: Review and take possible action on a Federal Task Force MOU with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
7. 5:45pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – Cell Site Simulator draft Use Policy – review and take possible action on revised staff policy.
8. 7:00pm: Adjournment
Unions play a contradictory role in advancing a progressive agenda, and nowhere is this more true than in electoral politics.
Despite decades worth of betrayals by the Democratic Party, unions are the party’s most loyal foot soldiers and some of its biggest donors — even for candidates that are tepid at best when it comes to working-class issues. When the politician who fought harder for the working class than anyone we’ve seen in our lifetimes, Bernie Sanders, sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, almost the entire labor movement lined up behind his corporate-funded opponent Hillary Clinton. The same has been true for other candidates backed by the Left since Sanders, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cynthia Nixon. While some progressive unions supported Jovanka Beckles — a democratic socialist and champion of unions and the working class — in her 2018 campaign against billionaire-funded, centrist Democrat Buffy Wicks, many other unions backed Wicks.
Why does labor seem to make these wrongheaded decisions over and over? And how should socialists respond to them? Join East Bay DSA and Jacobin editor Micah Uetricht for a discussion on how socialists should approach unions and electoral politics.
Micah Uetricht is based in Chicago and is the managing editor of Jacobin. He is the author of Strike for America: Chicago Teachers Against Austerity and is currently working on a book about socialism and Bernie Sanders. He writes frequently about the US labor movement.