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The Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality & State Repression (OGC) is a grassroots democratic organization that was formed as a conscious united front for justice against police brutality. The OGC is involved in the struggle for police accountability and is committed to stopping police brutality.
Our mission is to educate, organize and mobilize people against police and state repression. Sisters and brothers the Oscar Grant Committee invites you to join us in this vital struggle.
There will be three meetings of this class, on Wednesdays at 7 pm – Dec. 3, 10, and 17.
This class will investigate the structure of prison from three perspectives:
- Its ethics,
- Its inherent criminality as a system,
- Its role in the structures of racialization in the US.
Today, we live in a society in political and ethical crisis because it has instituted a revenge ethic and a desire to place people in internal exile in the place of justice and humanism. Having done so, it has created the largest prison system in the world.
Each of these perspectives cries out for the abolition of prisons. The structures of racialization in the US have always depended on a prison system. The topic of the “new Jim Crow” will not only encompass a discusstion of Michelle Alexander’s book by that title, but also the accumulating material evidence that Jim Crow has become our re-institutionalized reality.
Consider this:
The Broken Window theory, by which William Bratton turned New York City into a police state under the heel of “stop and frisk,” can stated as follows: “Even one broken window creates the condition for anti-social behavior.”
The ethics of prison abolition echoes in response to this: “The violence of even one person thrown in a cage by political authority creates the condition for violent behavior.”
The class will address questions such as the following:
1- what is the real structure of imprisonment, and what are the ethics of each of its components?
2- what is the political structure of the prison, and how does it relate to both its structural ethics, to the ideal of human rights, and to the society that we live in.
3- what structures does the political domain us to inhale people into its prison system, to remove them from their communities and habitats, and often to punish them for their attempts to survive physically and psychically?
4- what is the nature of punishment, and why is it even a social or cultural value?
5- what is the connection between social violence, victimless crime laws, and capitalism?
6- what dimensions of the present US prison system could be abolished right now, in the interest of justice, and what does it imply about this society that it refuses to do it?
7- what is the cyclic relation between slavery, prison labor, debt servitude, the prison industry, and Jim Crow?
8- with the prison industry actually materializing a foundation for a New Jim Crow (in Michelle Alexander’s sense), what evidence do we see of the government’s actual success in re-institutionalizing Jim Crow?
9- what is the structure of “racialization” in the US, what role did the former Jim Crow play in it, and what role does the prison today play in it?
If you are interested, contact me for links to some reading, or just show up on Dec. 3.
Steve Martinot
martinot4 [at] gmail.com
Last time we read Positive Money’s proposal for an alternative banking system, parts 1-4. This week we’ll finish discussing it, with parts 5-6.
Aloha.
The Politics of Debt Reading Group is a joint effort of the Bay Area Public School and Strike Debt Bay Area.
Recent events in Ferguson have exposed shared struggles around the world, particularly in Haiti: struggles against militarization and a system of injustice.
Join us as we make connections, and discuss the work we can do right here!
Update, Dec. 7, 2:43 a.m. According to reports from the scene, many of the protesters have dispersed. Some have called for supporters to meet Sunday at 1 p.m. at Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus to continue their efforts. Stay tuned to #BerkeleyProtest for live updates.
Meeting tomorrow at 1 o clock on Sproul. #berkeleyprotest
— Sahil Chinoy (@sahilchinoy_dc) December 7, 2014
So far we’re hearing march is called for Sunday (technically today) 5pm at Bancroft And Telegraph in #Berkeley #EricGarner #Ferguson
— Occupy Oakland (@OccupyOakland) December 7, 2014
I’ll be gearing up & attending protest Sunday 5pm @ Telegraph & Bancroft in #Berkeley. Please attend. See you there. Will be Live Tweeting.
— Domain Awareness (@domainawareness) December 7, 2014
Sunday 1pm 14th&Broadway, 5pm Bancroft &Telegraph. Bring milk as well and trade contacts for glasses if poss #FTP pic.twitter.com/DymVS0ZfUd
— LaCrise (@lacrise_ucd) December 7, 2014
#Berkeley — Call has gone out. Protest: Telegraph & Bancroft Sunday @ 5pm #EricGarner #ShutItDown #Ferguson #Oakland #PoliceState ALL OUT!!!
— Domain Awareness (@domainawareness) December 7, 2014
#Berkeley #Oakland This is definitely a gas mask night ahead of us. Show up prepared – bring water & snacks. Police are out for blood. #FTP
— Domain Awareness (@domainawareness) December 7, 2014
THE POSTAL SERVICE HAS THE BERKELEY POST OFFICE “UNDER CONTRACT.” !!!!!!!!!!!
THE POSTAL SERVICE WANTS TO SELL THE POST OFFICE TO HUDSON-MCDONALD DEVELOPMENT GROUP.
THE CITY OF BERKELEY HAS SUED THE POST OFFICE TO STOP THE SALE. A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER IS IN PLACE UNTIL DECEMBER 17th.
A hearing will take place in Federal Court on December 11th.
Come learn about continuing developments and help us plan our next steps in opposition to this theft of our public commons.
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.
This will be the second session of a class on Prisons, Prison Abolition, and the new Jim Crow.
This second session of this class will address issues concerning how to approach the question and the practice of abolishing the prison system.
— what aspects of the prison system can be eliminated right now, in the interest of taking steps toward instituting justice in this country?
— what are the weak points in the structure of imprisonment and mass incarceration that we face, so that we can attack it there?
— should we look at the police today as an extension of the prison system, or the prison system as an extension of the police, or both, and what does it mean that this question makes sense in this country today?
— what relation does this police-prison nexus have toward the continual unfolding of structures of racialization today.
THE POSTAL SERVICE HAD THE BERKELEY POST OFFICE “UNDER CONTRACT.” !!!!!!!!!!!
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.
Come learn about continuing developments and help us plan our next steps in opposition to this theft of our public commons.
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.
This week we’re peeling back the mysteries of how banks work – or don’t – in the real world.
Chapter 3 of Tom Sgouros’ Checking the Banks.
“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.
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.
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.