Calendar
RALLY AND MARCH TO THE BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, DEC. 16, 5:00PM
GATHER AT BANCROFT + TELEGRAPH
Berkeley City Council Meeting 7:00PM @ Longfellow Middle School (1500 Derby St. in Berkeley)
We condemn the police riot last Saturday, December 6 on protesters and students fighting for justice for Michael Brown. We hold the Mayor, the Berkeley Police Department, and the City Council responsible for the brutal policy of attacking civil rights protesters. We demand dropping all of the charges against protesters and reject the Ferguson Grand Jury’s racist decision of “no indictment” against Officer Darren Wilson for the murder of Michael Brown. Jail and indict Darren Wilson and all killer cops now!
View the “Public Tribunal for Truth & Action: Justice for Michael Brown” that BAMN held Dec. 10 in St. Louis, MO with Michael Brown’s friends, family, and local Ferguson activists and organizers:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLXtsxFx6QY
DEMANDS:
• Jail Darren Wilson NOW!
• Drop All Charges Against Civil Rights Protesters
• Stop the Racist Attacks Against Black and Latina/o and Other Minority Youth
• Jail the Killer Cops: A Badge is Not a License to Kill
• End the Policy of Cover-up and Blaming the Victim
• Abolish the Grand Jury System
• Create More Jobs and Educational Opportunities. Establish New School Desegregation Programs
• Down with the New Jim Crow! Down with the New Police State!
• Build the Independent, Integrated, and Youth-led New Civil Rights Movement
• No Justice in Ferguson. No Peace Anywhere!
“After hearing from people injured by police batons and projectiles, and those who suffered from tear gas during several days of protests in Berkeley, the Police Review Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to ask the City Council to temporarily ban tear gas, the use of projectiles and over-the-shoulder baton swings as crowd-control measures, until an investigation has been completed.”
All out to the City Council meeting Tuesday the 16th at 7pm!
Two articles on the Police Review Commission action Wednesday night:
http://www.dailycal.org/2014/12/11/police-review-commission-supports-restricting-use-tear-gas-crowd-control-techniques/
http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_27118581/berkeley-panel-seeking-temporary-police-ban-tear-gas
NOTE: the meeting is not at Old City Hall. It has been moved to Longfellow Middle School to accommodate expected large turnout.
I just received this message: #OUSD #WalkOut is scheduled for this Wednesday. #Oakland. pic.twitter.com/4rDq0FcEZz
— Pendarvis H. (@OGpenn) December 15, 2014
There are lots of important reasons to protest at the CPUC, not only ‘Smart’ meters, but also Diablo Canyon’s nuclear power plant, massive toxic dumping by PG&E (remember Hinkley, Hunters Point, and many more), AT&T’s push to get rid of landlines (an accessibility issue), gasline explosions due to neglect, etc etc etc.
These issues are about environmental health, community defense, disability justice, and labor. The people who are most immediately impacted by the decisions of the CPUC are the workers forced to implement them.
For example, this former PG&E meter reader was fired for refusing to be silent about the fact that ‘Smart’ meters are a fire hazard, and lays out the financial reality that these meters are actually more expensive than meter readers, who were the only people working for the utility who regularly checked for gas leaks like the one that preceded the San Bruno explosion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnxIoItNUek
One of the victims who died in a fire caused by ‘Smart’ meters was Larry Nikkel, of Vacaville, a member of Stationary Engineers Local 39: http://stopsmartmeters.org/2013/06/21/when-smart-meters-kill-the-story-of-larry-nikkel-details-emerge-of-vacaville-ca-smart-meter-fire-death/
Please mobilize your friends and comrades to come out on Thursday – Peevey’s last day – and bring your friends and your own grievances against this supposed watchdog agency that acts more like a lapdog of the corporate utilities. Tell Peevey: Good Riddance!
Details below.
PRESS CONFERENCE/ DEMONSTRATION AT CPUC IN SAN FRANCISCO OPPOSING “SMART” METER POLICIES AND GENERAL CORRUPTION
California Public Utilities Commission
Thursday, December 18 8:30 AM
Van Ness at McAllister, San Francisco
Give CPUC President Michael Peevey the send-off into retirement that he deserves after a dozen years of corruption and complicity with corporate utilities.
Protest the CPUC’s proposed decisions in the ‘smart’ meter opt out proceedings. Show strength in unity against their proposals that:
• Ignore serious public safety hazards including toxic injuries, fires, homelessness, violations of privacy, higher bills, loss of meter readers, and no promised energy savings.
• Continue to impose coercive extortion opt out fees
• Violate laws, and deny customer and disability rights
• Prohibit opt-outs for communities, apartment buildings, and businesses
• Reward utility companies with millions $$$ more for smart grid failings
Join us in demanding that the CPUC:
• Reject the proposed decisions
• Rescind and refund ‘opt out’ extortion fees
• Halt the ‘smart’ meter program
Bring any other past or present grievances against the CPUC (toxic dumping, nuclear plants, gas line explosions, accessibility, public power, etc.)
We will be raising our demands both outside before the meeting, as well as inside. Please come prepared to make some noise and be seen. Wear black if you can. Rain or shine.
For more information about the proposed decisions, go to these links:
The proposed decisions would (as summarized by the EMF Safety Network):
- Give 37 million dollars to the Investor Owned Utilities (PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, and So Cal Gas) for providing the opt-out program.
- Adopt permanent fees for residential customers who “do not wish to have a wireless smart meter.”
- Continue the same interim fees of $75 initial fee plus $10/month, and $10 initial fee plus $5/month for low income.
- Local governments and multi-unit dwellings may not collectively opt out of smart meter installations.
- Charging an opt-out fee does not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- They will not address health and safety impacts in this decision.
- Assess fees on a per location basis, for example if you have two or more meters on your property, that will be one fee, per utility company.
- If you have two utilities, they can both charge you fees.
- President Peevey proposes putting a cap on the opt-out fees at 3 years.
- Neither proposal considers a no-fee option.
Ecological Options Network
EMF Analysis
EMF Safety Coalition
EMF Safety Network
No Nukes Action
Smart Meter Health Alert
Stop OC Smart Meters
Smart Meter Harm
Stop Smart Grid
Stop Smart Meters!
Stop Smart Meters Irvine
United Public Workers for Action
Wireless Radiation Alert Network
Too many times movements dies and voices aren’t heard because the weather isn’t as pretty. Well, it’s an ugly world we live in and we have to be willing to sometimes do things that are hard and face ugly things.
When the rain comes, people go in their houses, let us not forget about those who cannot go home because their lives have been stolen in this violent police state.
Come rain. sleet, hail or snow; #BlackLivesMatter and we must not let that be forgotten just because of some much needed rain. Bring your umbrellas out, network with one another, build up the community we want to save and march side by side in solidarity with one another & in solidarity with those around the world fighting for a better world.
Wear all Black because #BlackLivesMatter.
A new formation has started in the bay area….a multi racial, multi generational group of organizations, individuals and families coming together to dismantle police terror. No longer on just the defense reacting to every atrocity by the pigs. We also going on the offensive. Come to the General meetings every third Thursday at Eastside Arts Alliance to find out what we talking about and how to get down.
With the imminent threat of a sale, First They Came for the Homeless has moved from Staples to the downtown Post Office, with support from Berkeley Post Office Defenders. The new Occupation began in early November and continues on into December. Come hang out with them and show solidarity as we all take a stand against the privatization of our commons.
Check out the Christmas event this Saturday.
Check out the stories on the raids by the Postal Police.
Do you have three weeks of your life to commit to working to get Marissa Alexander, so unjustly, cruelly, egregiously imprisoned, out of jail???
We are ramping up our energy & commitment to FREE MARISSA NOW! as she has a Jan 27th hearing date, that could end up with her spending another 5 years in jail, or house arrest – for daring to stand up to a batterer, firing a warning shot into the ceiling, injuring no one.
We need to make her name known in every household across the u.s.ofa., and her freedom a STAND UP, FIGHT BACK cause too.
Which is why in January we are going to caravan from Oakland to Jacksonville, spreading the word from city to city, town to town, as we banner, hand out flyers, engage in direct actions, teach-ins, whatever we can do as we travel across the country spreading the word of her freedom!
PLEASE come to this meeting Saturday, whether you intend to go on the caravan or not. We need plenty of on-the-ground support if you opt not to go.
But please seriously consider spending three weeks of your life working to get Marissa out from behind bars! TOGETHER we WILL free Marissa and obtain a pardon for her!
See you Saturday!
- organizing for public banking in Oakland and elsewhere.
- advocating for Postal banking.
- saving the Berkeley Post Office and stopping the Staples non-union takeover of good Post Office jobs
- working with the City of Richmond and other municipalities for eminent domain seizure of underwater mortgages from the banksters
- ongoing study group
- distribution of Debt Resisters’ Operations Manual
- student debt resistance
- helping out America’s only non-profit check-cashing organization and fighting against usurious for-profit pay-day lenders and their ilk
- our famous Strike Debt radio program
- and much more!
Come learn about continuing developments and help us plan our next steps in opposition to this theft of our public commons.
THE POSTAL SERVICE WANTED TO SELL THE POST OFFICE TO HUDSON-MCDONALD DEVELOPMENT GROUP. HUDSON-MCDONALD BACKED OUT OF THE DEAL LAST WEEK.
THE CITY OF BERKELEY SUED THE POST OFFICE TO STOP THE SALE. A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER WAS IN PLACE UNTIL DECEMBER 17th, BUT WAS LIFTED BY THE JUDGE WHEN HUDSON WITHDREW.
There was a hearing in Federal Court on December 11th.
THE POSTAL POLICE TRIED TO DISMANTLE THE OCCUPATION/VIGIL AT THE POST OFFICE LAST WEEK. BUT THEY WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL! Read about the latest in eviction attempts here.
Get an overview of the sale announcement here.
Here’s a good more general overview piece.
Davic Rovics gave a concert on the Post Office steps recently. Check out pictures and video of him playing.
Also CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE. and the Save the Berkeley Post Office website, and First they Came for the Homeless Facebook for updates.
BPOD is an offshoot of Strike Debt Bay Area, which itself is an offshoot of Occupy Oakland and a chapter of the national Strike Debt movement, which is an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street.
We are ramping up the energy to FREE MARISSA NOW! We need to make her name known in every household across the u.s.ofa., and her freedom a STAND UP, FIGHT BACK cause across the country too.
Which is why we are going to caravan from Oakland to Jacksonville, spreading the word from city to city, town to town, as we banner, hand out flyers, engage in direct actions, teach-ins, whatever we can do as we travel across the country spreading the word of her freedom!
We have two vehicles that can carry up to 10 womyn – we still have space for 6 more! And if you have your own vehicle and want to join us, PLEASE do! The more vehicles, the larger the caravan, the more attention we bring to Marissa’s fight for freedom!
PLEASE come to the meeting, whether you intend to go on the caravan or not. We need plenty of on-the-ground support if you opt not to go.
But please seriously consider spending less than three weeks of your life working to get Marissa out from behind bars!
Remember: we are asking for less than three weeks of our lives when Marissa has already spent three YEARS of her life – and the lives of her children – in prison.
Surely we can willingly choose to put aside some time to ensure her freedom January 27th from a 3 year incarceration she certainly didn’t choose!
TOGETHER we WILL free Marissa and obtain a pardon for her!
See you Tuesday!
Also SAVE THE DATES: Sunday December 28th, 2-4pm, Sunday January 4th 2-4pm and Wednesday January 7th 7-9pm! We will hold potlucks, shows, fundraiser at these times!
At our next meeting we will continue our discussions about the past week’s events, hear report backs from autonomous groupings and hold a more focused conversation about long-term strategy and goals. If you or your group would like to help with agenda, facilitation or any other tasks, please contact us at edgecity510@gmail.com.
Thanks to the group of over 80 people who came and participated in the December 14 meeting at Oscar Grant Plaza. Though we were forced to deal with the presence of several uniformed OPD officers as well as a freelance photo journalist and San Francisco Chronicle staffer who refused to leave, the group was able to reflect on this most recent wave of actions and what kind of infrastructures are necessary in the future to support our efforts. Thanks also to the Anti-Repression Committee who gave information about what kinds of support is still needed for people facing charges.
The assembly had initially decided to meet again at the Omni Oakland Commons on Sunday, December 21 @ 2PM. There are multiple events happening this weekend, however, and while we apologize for the change of plans, we think it is best to push back the meeting another week. We hope that folks will attend the following events and continue to help us outreach as much as possible.
Sunday, December 21 @ 1-3pm: Bay Area Legal Observer and Know Your Rights Training workshop in support of #BlackLivesMatter at the East Side Arts Alliance.
Sunday December 21 @ 4pm: Winter Solstice Posada for Alex Nieto at 24th and Mission in San Francisco.
To repeat: the second assembly will take place at the Omni Oakland Commons on Sunday, December 28 @ 2pm.
Come learn about continuing developments, support our Occupiers and help us plan our next steps in opposition to this theft of our public commons.
THE POSTAL SERVICE WANTED TO SELL THE POST OFFICE TO HUDSON-MCDONALD DEVELOPMENT GROUP. HUDSON-MCDONALD BACKED OUT OF THE DEAL IN EARLY DECEMBER.
THE CITY OF BERKELEY SUED THE POST OFFICE TO STOP THE SALE. A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER WAS IN PLACE UNTIL DECEMBER 17th, BUT WAS LIFTED BY THE JUDGE WHEN HUDSON WITHDREW.
There was a hearing in Federal Court on December 11th.
THE FEDERAL JUDGE WILL DECIDE WHETHER THE LAWSUIT WILL CONTINUE OR BE DISMISSED – HE’LL DECI”DE SOMETIME AFTER JANUARY 8TH.
THE POSTAL POLICE HAVE BEEN RAIDING THE OCCUPATION INTERMITTENTLY IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. BUT THE OCCUPIERS ARE NOT LEAVING! Read about one of the eviction attempts here.
Get an overview of the sale announcement here.
Here’s a good more general overview piece.
Davic Rovics gave a concert on the Post Office steps recently. Check out pictures and video of him playing.
Also CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE. and the Save the Berkeley Post Office website, and First they Came for the Homeless Facebook for updates.
BPOD is an offshoot of Strike Debt Bay Area, which itself is an offshoot of Occupy Oakland and a chapter of the national Strike Debt movement, which is an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street.
We all know there will never be justice on stolen land… until we take a stand for justice. We encourage everyone to join Vanja Mawusi Abena’s yearly Boycott of BART. This individual 2 day solidarity action honors the victims of BART police. This is an individual action. This is not affiliated with any other protest or march plan by Oscar Grant’s family or other organizations. We encourage you to participate in the Grant Family’s annual vigil and other events held for Oscar Grant in his memory on January 1, 2015.
Please use other means of transportation beside Bart. to get to your NYE & NYD destinations. BIKE, RIDE SHARE, WALK.
For more info on trip planning for NYE & NYD visit : http://www.511.org/
“Here on Earth, tell me what’s a black life worth? A bottle of juice is no excuse, the truth hurts. And even when you take the shit, move counties get a lawyer you can shake the shit. Ask Rodney, LaTasha, and many more! It’s been goin’ on for years, there’s plenty more! When they ask me, when will the violence cease? When your troops stop shooting niggas down in the street” – Tupac Shakur
Rock In the New Year with Resistance to Police Murder!
No New Year Under this Old System!
We Can’t Breathe!
On New Year’s Eve, as the clock winds down on 2014, the powers that be will hope to be ringing in a new year that carries forward business as usual. That must not be allowed to go down because business as usual in Amerikkka includes wanton police murder of Black people. The refusal of grand juries in Ferguson and Staten Island to indict the cops who murdered Michael Brown and Eric Garner made this clear. So the powerful, beautiful and necessary outpourings that have disrupted this society’s normal routine must continue and escalate on New Year’s Eve and into the New Year.
We should live in a society where those who are entrusted with public safety would sooner risk their own lives than kill or injure an innocent person. But in this society, cops who brutalize and murder are given the benefit of the doubt and are almost never punished in any way for their crimes. This is illegitimate and unacceptable. It must be STOPPED, and it’s up to us to stop it! On New Year’s Eve, we must act in many different ways to do just that.
If you think that police murder must STOP, be out in the streets with that message on New Year’s Eve. Say in a loud, clear voice—NO NEW YEAR UNDER THIS OLD SYSTEM! And—WE CAN’T BREATHE! Bring your whistles and blow them loudly. Bring your signs and banners.
And if you think that torture, that violence against women and attacks on women’s rights, that attacks on immigrants and the pillaging of the environment of the planet, that U.S. wars for empire and attacks on people for who they love and how they love and more must be stopped; JOIN US in the streets on New Year’s Eve. Bring your signs and banners too. Figure out imaginative ways to say NO MORE to all these horrors.