Calendar

The Oakland Livable Wage Assembly builds community and power among those who seek higher wages and better work life conditions for area workers.

We meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at the SEIU Local 1000 union hall in downtown Oakland at 6:30 PM.

Our work together encompasses: (1) the concerns of precarious, contingent, and care workers; (2) current campaigns to improve wages for low-wage workers; and (3) efforts by unionized workers and unions to improve wages and quality of work life. We share stories and information in an egalitarian and participatory way to build relationships and build the movement.

OptikAllusions is a digital filmmaking collective dedicated to social change, based in Oakland, California. We share resources, skills and knowledge to help each other tell stories that might otherwise remain untold. We make films in a spirit of collaboration and solidarity, share a lending library of film equipment for creative projects, organize free, at cost or donation-based workshops.

If you’d like to make videos or want to become a member, join us for our weekly meeting and a workshop!

We usually, meet briefly and then work on projects. It’s open to all!

https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Optik_Allusions

Meet at the Simon Bolivar Statue in UN Plaza (Hyde Street between McAllister & Market) – a short walk from Civic Center BART in San Francisco

A draconian and racist policy of ethnic cleansing in the Dominican Republic threatens a quarter of a million people with deportation to Haiti. Second and third generation Dominicans who are classified as Haitian have been stripped of citizenship and declared “migrants.” Vigilante mobs and legal authorities alike are pushing people out of their homes and taking their property. Anyone who is Black and under the age of 85 may be classified as Haitian, even if they were born in the DR and have no ties to Haiti. They are being expelled from the country and made stateless.

We join with individuals and organizations across the country, the Caribbean and the globe to denounce this injustice and demand the government of the Dominican Republic reverse its unjust law and end forced expulsion of its citizens. No Human Being Is Illegal.

At the same time, we cannot ignore or fail to denounce our own government which under the Obama Administration by 2014 was responsible for the mass deportation of over two million immigrants and the annual incarceration of half a million people in horrific detention facilities awaiting immigration proceedings across the country. No Human Being Is Illegal.

Updates on our progress, organizing strategies and developing work plan to get Public Safety Oversight measure on the Nov 2016 ballot

Join Oakland Privacy Working Group to organize against the Domain Awareness Center (DAC), Oakland’s citywide networked mass surveillance hub, and other invasions of privacy by our benighted City Government, to support privacy ordinances now being considered by the Oakland City Council emerging from the effort to fight the DAC, and help in other fights to preserve and restore our privacy around the Bay Area, in California and nationwide.

OPWG was instrumental in stopping the DAC from becoming a city-wide spying network, and its members helped draft the Privacy Policy that puts further restrictions on the now Port-restricted DAC.

Stop by and learn how you can help guard Oakland’s right not to be spied on by the government & if you are interested in joining the Oakland Privacy Working Group email listserv, send an email to:

oaklandprivacyworkinggroup-subscribe AT lists.riseup.net

For more information on the DAC check out

• DAC FAQ
• Oakland Wiki Domain Awareness Page
• Oakland Privacy WordPress

A film screening of Fuck Off, Google! (55min)

A short film exploring the recent rebellion against Google and the desolation that is has brought to our communities. The film traces the path that the rebellion took on the streets of the Bay Area and points to a way out for all those who seek a life that is not built on slavery and exploitation.

A variety of food, drinks, and literature will be provided for free. The event will take place in the Omni Ballroom. The event will be sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

The SF City Planning Commission needs to hear your voice! The Planning Department is trying to short cut the process and force through plans for a new jail. They have tried to declare that there will be no significant impact to SF by filing a “mitigated negative declaration.” San Franciscans won’t stand for this!

Join us as we demand a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR)! Because over 160 people submitted public comment in opposition, our appeal will be heard in a public hearing tomorrow. Now is the time to take action against a new jail.

We need everyone to come out and voice their concerns at the appeals hearing:

What: Public Hearing on Appeals – Agenda Item #4

A jail is not healthy for the environment or community. If built, the jail will create many impacts to the neighborhood that have not been sufficiently studied: noise, air quality, loss of parking, wind and shadow on the playground at Victoria Manalo park. And, as if this were not enough, the nearby SRO tenants will likely lose their home. Furthermore, it is troubling that prisoner exercise yards will be open to toxic freeway smog. We demand the city conduct a full Environmental Impact Report that includes studying alternatives and a no-build option.

We can stop this jail, and we will. See you tomorrow at City Hall!

This Thursday an Oakland Police Department helicopter pilot will brief the public on OPD’s use of Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera systems. Stop by 25 June 2015, 6pm – 7pm, Room 4, Oakland City Hall.This may be your only chance to comment on the policy before it’s sent to the council.

Meeting Agenda

• 6:00pm: Call to Order, determination of Quorum
• 6:05pm: Review and approval of minutes from May 28 meeting.
• 6:10pm: Discuss DAC related action at June 2 City Council meeting.
• 6:20pm: Presentation from OPD Helicopter pilot on FLIR use.
• 6:35pm: Discuss and take possible action on Forward Looking Infrared thermal imaging system (“FLIR”) policy.
• 7:00pm: Open Forum

Governor Brown, who continues to position himself as a climate leader while his own permissive dirty drilling and fracking policies undercut his efforts – and also while these policies poison untold quantities of water during an epic drought, will be speaking at a ceremony commemorating the signing of the UN Charter. We’re going to be outside to remind him that climate leaders don’t frack – and responsible leaders don’t poison our water!

Join us in San Francisco as we put pressure the Governor for a fracking ban! Help us send a clear message: TRUE climate leaders don’t create policies that further contribute to climate change, nor do they allow the poisoning of our precious water resources during an historic drought. Period.

Bring noisemakers, signs, and your friends! See you there!

On Jan 20, 2015, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office released a 3-page report completely exonerating Officer Wallace Jensen of any wrongdoing in the shooting of Pedie Perez:

“We conclude that … the officer acted in lawful self- defense, Based on our review, we believe the officer’s actions constitute Justifiable Homicide.”

The District Attorney’s report states that the office must be guided by the “law that states that the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Jensen’s actions were not in self-defense” but the report in no way even discusses two eye witnesses that claim that his actions were absolutely NOT in self-defense. Their narratives have been excluded, but in fact their testimony should be considered by a trier of fact who should make the determination of whether they are credible in a legal proceeding. At least two eye witnesses contradict Officer Jensen’s story, providing ample grounds to initiate a prosecution of the officer for murder in this case.

We reject the coverup and call for openness and transparency with an independent investigation and an independent prosecutor.

Break the chains, and bring on the hot links! The Justice Collective will host a summer barbecue in celebration of our community’s ongoing efforts to achieve justice and freedom for all Black and Brown lives.

It’s a chance both to honor the work of POC organizers and activists working toward racial and economic justice, and to publicly hold space together in protest against the ongoing gentrification of Oakland. The possibilities are endless, but we need YOU, your vision and enthusiasm to make this event a reality!

We want to co-create this event with our members and friends! Join the BBQ Planning Committee by emailing tia (at)thejusticecollective.org and express your interest!

Facebook RSVP.

This is a special screening to the base of activists who have donated to make the film happen, or to anyone actively interested in remedies to the Supreme Court’s Orwellian-named “Citizens United” decision, which made corporations legal “persons” with the right to spend as much money as they like to, and try to buy US elections. Sponsored by the BFUU Social Justice Committee. Some Social Justice Committee members are in a protest scene as “extras”.
For more info on the film and how to make a contribution to the filmmakers: http://www.peaceteam.net/citizens_united2.php

Direct action against Sprouts Farmers Market in the South Bay.

Be there or be square.

Location, Time TBA.

Bring a wooden spoon.

Email occupyfarm@gmail.com for more details

Donations desperately needed as well.  Send to

Prison Literature Project

P.O Box 1253

Berkeley, CA 94701

Defenders of the forests of the East Bay Hills will be meeting to discuss and organize this weekend. Please spread the word and come join us!

If you’ve not signed up on the East Bay Hills Forest Defense discussion and organizing list, please do so here (or get in touch if you need help signing up): https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/eastbayhills

Come learn about continuing developments in the battle save the Berkeley Post Office and the Postal Service from privatization, support our Occupiers and help us plan our next steps in opposition to the theft of our public commons.

The postal service wanted to sell the post office to Hudson-Mcdonald, a local developer. The City of Berkeley sued the post office to stop the sale. Hudson-Mcdonald backed out of the deal in early December.

 There was a hearing in Federal Court on December 11th. There was another hearing in March 26th. Federal Judge William Alsup decided to dismiss the lawsuit in April because the Postal Service says it is not currently selling the building.  But we’re not fooled. The Postal Service could “find” a buyer at any moment. Fortunately, the Judge ordered the Postal Service to provide 42 days notice before any sale, so that the lawsuit could be refiled.

Check out our response to the Judge’s order.

Check out the Community Garden at the Post Office.

In the latest developments, Berkeley has Declared War on Its Homeless, and an ordinance criminalizing the homeless wil come before the City Council on June 30th. (See here and here.)

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.