Calendar
John Carpenter’s legendary sci-fi action film is now regarded and revered more like a prescient documentary. If you really want to know what’s going on behind the scenes of our authoritarian Government and all the complicit corporations, keep those glasses on, man. Also, chew bubble gum and kick ass.
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As the CDC considers further vaccine rollbacks today at a hearing in Atlanta, we all must remember how our health, our lives, and our struggles for collective liberation are interconnected.
When attacks on our public health happen, we all feel the consequences. Higher costs, lack of access to preventative care, long wait times, and staffing shortages are all inevitable should we allow these attacks to continue unabated. We must remain furious and do everything in our power to resist these assaults on our rights and dignity. Join us on Monday evening, September 22nd at 8pm ET/5pm PT for our next national medical debt call. We’ll discuss the current state of healthcare and how we can build a lasting movement together to fight these ongoing crises. Finally, we’ll close out with some grounding practices to envision a future free from debt. |
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No one should have medical debt. Basic needs like housing and a healthy environment should not be paywalled. People should be the central priority of our society — not profit. |
As COVID cases once again rise across the Bay Area, access to testing and protective resources has become more difficult for our communities—especially for Black, Brown, unhoused, and working-class residents. Many of the free testing sites that once served our neighborhoods have closed, and store-bought tests are unaffordable or unavailable for many.
In response, the Anti Police-Terror Project and The People’s House are stepping up to meet the need. We believe public health is a collective responsibility, and we remain committed to providing tools that help keep our communities safe and resourced.
We are now offering free COVID testing multiple days a week at The People’s House in Oakland (893 Willow St).
Testing Schedule
- Tuesdays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Mondays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Detox, which also includes free ear acupuncture, Narcan distribution, fentanyl test strips, and peer support for addiction and mental health
- 1st and 3rd Fridays from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Clinic, which includes massage therapy, acupuncture, healing circles, and other community-based wellness services
What to Expect
- Rapid antigen COVID tests are available on-site
- In most cases, individuals will be able to leave with a box of take-home tests (while supplies last)
- K/N95 masks are available to anyone who needs them
- No insurance, ID, or pre-registration is required
- All services are free of charge
As we move farther and farther into whatever comes next, Diablo Rising Tide is offering a workshop on “Advanced Safety & Security for Street Actions.”
This four-hour program will cover
- Your rights in action scenarios (and how cops try to trick you out of them!), plus ways to provide legal and jail support for your affinity group.
- Digital security tactics to protect your devices and information.
- How to become a police liaison for your affinity group, and why a PL is so important!
- Deescalation skills for a variety of confrontational groups, including police, bystanders, vigilantes, federal agencies (like ICE), and more.
- Strategies for dealing with chemical and other “non-lethal” weapons deployed by law enforcement.
The trainers emphasize that this is “an advanced (201-level) training, and participants should have some NVDA experience.”
1. Call to Order, determination of quorum
2. Open Forum/Public Comment on Non-Agenda matters
3. Action Items:
a. Annual Reports 1. CrimeTracer Forensic Logic 2024 (OPD)
b. Use Policies 1. OPD Community Safety Camera Systems (OPD)
To observe and participate in the meeting via Zoom, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85817209915 Or One tap mobile: 1 669 444 9171 To participate in the meeting virtually, you must log on via Zoom. If you have a question, please raise your hand in Zoom during open forum and public comment. For those attending in person, you can complete a speaker card and submit to staff.
Members of the public can view the meeting live on KTOP or on the City’s website at https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/ktop-tv-10. Comment in advance. To send your comment directly to the Privacy Commission and staff BEFORE the meeting starts, please send your comment, along with your full name and agenda item number you are commenting on, to Felicia Verdin at fverdin@oaklandca.gov. Please note that eComment submissions close one (1) hour before posted meeting time. All submitted public comment will be provided to the Privacy Commission prior to the meeting. 1 of 89
As COVID cases once again rise across the Bay Area, access to testing and protective resources has become more difficult for our communities—especially for Black, Brown, unhoused, and working-class residents. Many of the free testing sites that once served our neighborhoods have closed, and store-bought tests are unaffordable or unavailable for many.
In response, the Anti Police-Terror Project and The People’s House are stepping up to meet the need. We believe public health is a collective responsibility, and we remain committed to providing tools that help keep our communities safe and resourced.
We are now offering free COVID testing multiple days a week at The People’s House in Oakland (893 Willow St).
Testing Schedule
- Tuesdays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Mondays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Detox, which also includes free ear acupuncture, Narcan distribution, fentanyl test strips, and peer support for addiction and mental health
- 1st and 3rd Fridays from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Offered during The People’s Clinic, which includes massage therapy, acupuncture, healing circles, and other community-based wellness services
What to Expect
- Rapid antigen COVID tests are available on-site
- In most cases, individuals will be able to leave with a box of take-home tests (while supplies last)
- K/N95 masks are available to anyone who needs them
- No insurance, ID, or pre-registration is required
- All services are free of charge
After it’s planned release through a major theater chain was canceled at the last minute, online satire website The Onion’s mockumentary about Jeffrey Epstein and his relationship to figures in the White House and elsewhere is making its way to independent theaters, along with their parody of dating reality shows in a double feature that, apparently some people don’t want you to see.
Thu: 4:00 
Thu: 7:55
Email strike.debt.bay.area@gmail.com a few days beforehand for the online invite. All are welcome!
For our October, 2025 meeting we will be reading and discussing the first three chapters of The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart (The CBC Massey Lectures) by Astra Taylor (Amazon) (Verso Books). For our November meeting we will finish the book.
Finalist, 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction
Finalist, 2024 Writers’ Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
These days, everyone feels insecure. We are financially stressed and emotionally overwhelmed. The status quo isn’t working for anyone, even those who appear to have it all. What is going on?
In this urgent cultural diagnosis, author and activist Astra Taylor exposes how seemingly disparate crises―rising inequality and declining mental health, the ecological emergency, and the threat of authoritarianism―originate from a social order built on insecurity. From home ownership and education to the wellness industry and policing, many of the institutions and systems that promise to make us more secure actually undermine us.
Mixing social critique, memoir, history, political analysis, and philosophy, this genre-bending book rethinks both insecurity and security from the ground up. By facing our existential insecurity and embracing our vulnerability, Taylor argues, we can begin to develop more caring, inclusive, and sustainable forms of security to help us better weather the challenges ahead. The Age of Insecurity will transform how you understand yourself and society―while illuminating a path toward meaningful change.
Strike Debt Bay Area hosts this non-technical book group discussion monthly on new and radical economic thinking. Our first book was Doughnut Economics, and our most recent book was Elinor Ostrom’s Rules for Radicals”. For the rest of our reading list see here.
RSVP, for location : https://actionnetwork.org/events/mass-meeting-and-noncooperation-training/
As we face a never-ending news cycle of atrocities committed against our communities, it is essential that we ground ourselves in community organizing and resist the regime that seeks to keep us fearful and powerless. Now is the time to come together, bring your neighbors and friends, and get ready so we can stay ready.
To ensure you are fully prepared to take action safely, confidently, and powerfully, ACLU is hosting a crucial pre-action training:
This training will cover key information and strategies, including:
- Knowing your rights during protests and encounters with law enforcement
- Practical tools and techniques for safety and de-escalation in tense moments
- Building the knowledge and strength to support others in the streets and beyond
When we know our rights, we can defend them. Let’s get ready to protect our community and freedoms together.
Spanish translation and American Sign Language interpretation will be available for this program. Traducción al español estará disponible.
Catch you there!
the Oakland Police Commission will vote on Agenda Item #6 — a dangerous proposal to hand OPD $2 million for assault rifles, armored BearCats, drones, and other military-grade weapons.
This is a defining moment for Oakland.
Let’s be real:
- Crime is down. Violent crime has dropped, homicides are down 30%, and overall crime has fallen significantly.
- The city is broke. We’re in a budget crisis — jobs, libraries, and community programs are being cut.
- This plan does not make us safer. It’s about expanding OPD’s power, not protecting Oaklanders.
Read more about OPD’s plan here: Oakland cops want $2 million for assault rifles, drones, and armored vehicles
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And the officers pushing for this expansion? They’re the same ones who’ve already taken lives in our community:
- Lt. Omar Daza-Quiroz — shot and killed Derrick Jones, an unarmed Black barber, in 2010.
- Lt. Eriberto Perez-Angeles — also involved in the killing of Derrick Jones.
- Sgt. Patrick Gonzales — killed Gary King Jr. (2007), shot and paralyzed Ameir Rollins (2006), and led the team that killed Joshua Pawlik (2018).
These are the people demanding more firepower. And we already know how they use it.
SHOW UP AND SPEAK OUT
Oakland Police Commission Meeting
Thursday, October 9 – 6:30 PM
Oakland City Hall – 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Agenda Item #6 – Vote NO on OPD’s $2 Million Weapons Expansion
TALKING POINTS
1. Crime Is Down — There’s No Justification for Expansion
OPD’s own data shows crime has dropped significantly. Pouring $2 million into weapons when the city is cutting basic services is reckless and unjustifiable. Militarization isn’t safety — it’s waste.
2. Militarization Is About Power, Not Safety
OPD isn’t replacing old gear; it’s expanding its arsenal — 75 new assault rifles, two armored BearCats, and 19 new drones. There’s no plan to retire old weapons. Militarized policing escalates harm and fear — it doesn’t prevent violence.
3. The Officers Behind This Have a Violent Track Record
The officers pushing this plan have already taken Black lives in Oakland. Giving them more deadly tools is a direct threat to community safety.
4. Real Safety Comes from Investment in People
Safety doesn’t come from drones and rifles — it comes from housing, healthcare, youth programs, and violence prevention. Every dollar spent on militarization is a dollar stolen from real safety solutions.
LEGAL & MORAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Assembly Bill 481 makes it clear:
Cities can only approve military equipment purchases if they are necessary and cost-effective — and if there are no reasonable alternatives for public safety.
OPD’s request fails every test. They already have over 150 rifles, armored vehicles, and access to other regional military gear. And yet 33 officers sit on paid administrative leave, with 12 collecting salaries for over two years, costing taxpayers $3.6 million annually — while OPD demands even more weapons.
Oakland deserves better.
PEOPLE POWER WORKS – AND WE’VE PROVEN IT
Last week, we celebrated a major win when the Oakland Privacy Advisory Commission voted 4–2 to reject OPD’s attempt to integrate city cameras with Flock Safety’s mass surveillance network.
Read more: Oakland Privacy Commission rejects Flock Safety surveillance expansion
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As Cat Brooks, APTP Co-Founder, said:
“Oaklanders showed up and made it clear: we refuse to hand over our city’s data to a for-profit company that profits from surveillance, collaborates with ICE, and violates our most fundamental rights. Mass surveillance is not safety — investment in housing, healthcare, and community care is.”
We won that fight because the community showed up. And we can win again tonight.
It’s our city. Our safety. Our future.
Let’s stop OPD’s militarization plan — the same way we stopped their surveillance grab.
www.antipoliceterrorproject.
DEMOCRACY NOIR at the Elmwood Theater, Berkeley
https://rialtocinemas.com/coming-soon-elm/democracy-noir-elm/
93 minutes. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1085879218/5925ce599f
As Viktor Orban dismantles Hungary’s democratic institutions, three women – a journalist, a politician, and a nurse – work tirelessly to fight for their country’s soul. A rousing portrait of resistance and a chilling mirror image of the current crisis of democracy in the US. Revered by Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, Orban’s influence helped shape Project 2025 and the current policies of the Republic Party. The film is a timely lesson on how the rise of autocratic politicians around the world, and an increasingly emboldened far right politic, pose dire consequences for us all.
Fact award Nominee CPH:DOX, Tim Hetherington Award Nominee, Sheffield,
Best Documentary and Impact Award, Boston Film Festival;
Jury Award, One World Festival Prague; Best Documentary, Sebastopol Film Festival;
Best Human Rights Film, Chicago International women’s Film Festival
Democracy Noir provides a sweeping account of one of the most consequential regimes of this century. It paints an incisive portrait of how Viktor Orban used a free and democratic election to install authoritarian rule in Hungary, enjoying widespread approval from Hungarian nationalists as well as global conservative neighbors inclined to his illiberal views. He changed the constitution, took over the courts, dismantled the rule of law, and took over the media. Revered by Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, Orban’s influence helped shape Project 2025 and the current policies of the Republic Party. The film is a timely lesson on how the rise of autocratic politicians around the world, and an increasingly emboldened far right politic, pose dire consequences for us all.
Democracy Noir tells this story through the activism of its three subjects, – opposition politician Timea Szabo, journalist Babett Oroszi, and nurse Nikoletta (Niko) Antal� detailing how unchecked power can quickly remove rights that were once taken for granted. It shows the women fighting their country’s unravelling social and cultural landscape.
Democracy Noir’s inspiring protagonists offer lessons in resistance against long odds that can serve to arouse increased resistance by Americans to the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law in our own country. By 2019, the Hungarian opposition to Orban, that began nearly a decade earlier with street protests, unified and won the mayoral race in Budapest where 20% of the nation’s citizens reside. It was this Mayor who led the courageous Pride march in defiance of Orban’s ban in 2025. In 2020, a new party, Tisza, was formed and gained prominence when a former member of Orban’s party, Peter Madgar, became its leader in 2024. Tisza is an actual threat to Orban’s power, making the elections of 2026 important dates for Hungary and the United States.
Produced by Sigrid Dyekjaer https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1410710/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_7_in_0_q_Sigrid%2520Dy
A Clarity Film & Real Lava Production
Bay Area Peace & Justice Activists join Singers, Drummers:
2nd Fridays 5-6:00 pm
Outdoors beside “The Way” 1305 University Ave between Acton & Bonar
Open Mic: Songs, Poems, Chants for Peace & for Palestine
Bring signs/ banners, instruments, rattles, drums and your Voice
Ceasefire Now, Break the Siege, Lift the Blockades. Let in Food & Humanitarian Relief
SPARE IRAN. STOP WW III!
Our taxes fund massive weapons of mass destruction in the US & Israel.
That money is needed for US healthcare, education, housing!
HANDS OFF IMMIGRANTS
STOP ICE
HANDS OFF our LEGISLATORS
MARINES/National Guard OUT OF California
Sponsored by the Social Justice Committee of the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists & CODE PINK
DEMOCRACY NOIR at the Elmwood Theater, Berkeley
https://rialtocinemas.com/coming-soon-elm/democracy-noir-elm/
93 minutes. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1085879218/5925ce599f
As Viktor Orban dismantles Hungary’s democratic institutions, three women – a journalist, a politician, and a nurse – work tirelessly to fight for their country’s soul. A rousing portrait of resistance and a chilling mirror image of the current crisis of democracy in the US. Revered by Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, Orban’s influence helped shape Project 2025 and the current policies of the Republic Party. The film is a timely lesson on how the rise of autocratic politicians around the world, and an increasingly emboldened far right politic, pose dire consequences for us all.
Fact award Nominee CPH:DOX, Tim Hetherington Award Nominee, Sheffield,
Best Documentary and Impact Award, Boston Film Festival;
Jury Award, One World Festival Prague; Best Documentary, Sebastopol Film Festival;
Best Human Rights Film, Chicago International women’s Film Festival
Democracy Noir provides a sweeping account of one of the most consequential regimes of this century. It paints an incisive portrait of how Viktor Orban used a free and democratic election to install authoritarian rule in Hungary, enjoying widespread approval from Hungarian nationalists as well as global conservative neighbors inclined to his illiberal views. He changed the constitution, took over the courts, dismantled the rule of law, and took over the media. Revered by Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, Orban’s influence helped shape Project 2025 and the current policies of the Republic Party. The film is a timely lesson on how the rise of autocratic politicians around the world, and an increasingly emboldened far right politic, pose dire consequences for us all.
Democracy Noir tells this story through the activism of its three subjects, – opposition politician Timea Szabo, journalist Babett Oroszi, and nurse Nikoletta (Niko) Antal� detailing how unchecked power can quickly remove rights that were once taken for granted. It shows the women fighting their country’s unravelling social and cultural landscape.
Democracy Noir’s inspiring protagonists offer lessons in resistance against long odds that can serve to arouse increased resistance by Americans to the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law in our own country. By 2019, the Hungarian opposition to Orban, that began nearly a decade earlier with street protests, unified and won the mayoral race in Budapest where 20% of the nation’s citizens reside. It was this Mayor who led the courageous Pride march in defiance of Orban’s ban in 2025. In 2020, a new party, Tisza, was formed and gained prominence when a former member of Orban’s party, Peter Madgar, became its leader in 2024. Tisza is an actual threat to Orban’s power, making the elections of 2026 important dates for Hungary and the United States.
Produced by Sigrid Dyekjaer https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1410710/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_7_in_0_q_Sigrid%2520Dy
A Clarity Film & Real Lava Production
DEMOCRACY NOIR at the Elmwood Theater, Berkeley
https://rialtocinemas.com/coming-soon-elm/democracy-noir-elm/
93 minutes. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1085879218/5925ce599f
As Viktor Orban dismantles Hungary’s democratic institutions, three women – a journalist, a politician, and a nurse – work tirelessly to fight for their country’s soul. A rousing portrait of resistance and a chilling mirror image of the current crisis of democracy in the US. Revered by Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, Orban’s influence helped shape Project 2025 and the current policies of the Republic Party. The film is a timely lesson on how the rise of autocratic politicians around the world, and an increasingly emboldened far right politic, pose dire consequences for us all.
Fact award Nominee CPH:DOX, Tim Hetherington Award Nominee, Sheffield,
Best Documentary and Impact Award, Boston Film Festival;
Jury Award, One World Festival Prague; Best Documentary, Sebastopol Film Festival;
Best Human Rights Film, Chicago International women’s Film Festival
Democracy Noir provides a sweeping account of one of the most consequential regimes of this century. It paints an incisive portrait of how Viktor Orban used a free and democratic election to install authoritarian rule in Hungary, enjoying widespread approval from Hungarian nationalists as well as global conservative neighbors inclined to his illiberal views. He changed the constitution, took over the courts, dismantled the rule of law, and took over the media. Revered by Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, Orban’s influence helped shape Project 2025 and the current policies of the Republic Party. The film is a timely lesson on how the rise of autocratic politicians around the world, and an increasingly emboldened far right politic, pose dire consequences for us all.
Democracy Noir tells this story through the activism of its three subjects, – opposition politician Timea Szabo, journalist Babett Oroszi, and nurse Nikoletta (Niko) Antal� detailing how unchecked power can quickly remove rights that were once taken for granted. It shows the women fighting their country’s unravelling social and cultural landscape.
Democracy Noir’s inspiring protagonists offer lessons in resistance against long odds that can serve to arouse increased resistance by Americans to the dismantling of democracy and the rule of law in our own country. By 2019, the Hungarian opposition to Orban, that began nearly a decade earlier with street protests, unified and won the mayoral race in Budapest where 20% of the nation’s citizens reside. It was this Mayor who led the courageous Pride march in defiance of Orban’s ban in 2025. In 2020, a new party, Tisza, was formed and gained prominence when a former member of Orban’s party, Peter Madgar, became its leader in 2024. Tisza is an actual threat to Orban’s power, making the elections of 2026 important dates for Hungary and the United States.
Produced by Sigrid Dyekjaer https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1410710/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_7_in_0_q_Sigrid%2520Dy
A Clarity Film & Real Lava Production
Green Sunday: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85449203697
Karl Grossman and Harvey “Sluggo” Wasserman will join California safe energy activists in a deep dive into how to shut the Diablo Canyon nukes and convert the state to 100% renewables.
Gavin Newsom has sabotaged the 2018 omnibus agreement to do just that. We want to plan here how to revive that agreement & make it happen.
We hope to have representatives from the Mothers for Peace & others at this event, which will be aimed at tangible results.
Also, here is a link to an article entitled, “Putin’s UnPeaceful Atom”, which we published in Counterpunch today: https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/10/06/putins-unpeaceful-atom/
Karl Grossman is the author of “Cover Up: What You Are Not Supposed to Know About Nuclear Power.” He is the host of the nationally broadcast TV program “Enviro Close-Up with Karl Grossman” ( http://www.envirovideo.com )
Harvey “Sluggo” Wasserman wrote “Solartopia! Our Green-Powered Earth,” and co-wrote (with Norman Solomon, Bob Alvarez & Eleanor Waters) “Killing Our Own: The Disaster of America’s Experience with Atomic Radiation.” His Green Grassroots Election Protection ( http://www.grassrootsep.org ) zooms on most Mondays at 2 p.m. PT.
Green Sundays are a series of free public programs & discussions on topics “du jour” sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party follows at 7:00 pm. Council meetings are open to anyone who is interested.
- Save the Date – No Kings Day, October 18th: MAGA thinks their rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us.
- San Francisco – Sue Bierman Park, Washington St. & Drumm St., 1:30-4:30PM
- Volunteer for SF No Kings Day, click here
- Oakland – Wilma Chan Park, 810 Jackson St., 12-2PM
- Volunteer for Oakland No Kings Day, click here
- Pleasanton – Pleasanton Tennis & Community Park, 5801 Valley Ave, 1:30-3PM
- San Francisco – Sue Bierman Park, Washington St. & Drumm St., 1:30-4:30PM