Calendar

Come and help us draw awareness to and fight unjust debt!

“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism”  -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Spokescouncil Meetings are scheduled to take place:

January 5th @ 7pm at the OMNI

January 9th @ 7 pm @ the OMNI

January 12th @ 7pm (San Francisco Location TBD)

January 14th @ 7pm (Location TBD)

The MLK weekend will once again culminate in a King Day march that embodies the true spirit of King’s resistance to capitalism, imperialism and racism.

Over the last year, in the Bay Area alone, there have been dozens of police murders.  In San Francisco, we have most recently seen the brutal execution of Mario Woods, in addition to police beating a disabled man in front of the Twitter building and racist text messages exchanged between SFPD on-duty officers.

In Oakland, we have seen 8 Black men murdered by police since only June of 2015. In fact, a recent graphic by Mapping Police Violence shows that in 2015, Oakland ranks third in police killings per million people in 60 of America’s largest cities.

Police are the shock troops of gentrification.  Mayors give them a mandate: make this city appealing to developers by any means necessary.  City Councils fund police and constantly seek to expand their numbers and their powers. As a result, people of color are being pushed out of cities at unprecedented rates, by an out of control rental market, increased police occupation and terrorism against communities of color, as well as crackdowns on those who dare protest these unjust policies.

A year ago, people across the country began taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers; storming shopping centers, blocking streets and highways, interrupting cultural events and public transit.  And the people SHUT IT DOWN. We SHUT IT DOWN because there is a state-sponsored war on Black, Brown, and other marginalized peoples in the United States.  WE SHUT DOWN BUSINESS-AS-USUAL because business-as-usual is an out-of-control epidemic of police terror.

Last year, in partnership with comrades and allies, APTP launched 96 Hours of Direct Action in the Bay Area, and answered a national call to Reclaim King’s Radical Legacy which we did through a march that brought over 7,000 people into the streets of Oakland.  We believe it is important for our movement to draw on King’s legacy to ground ourselves, to reinforce our conviction and confidence in the tactics and strategy of disruptive direct action.

A year later, while we are starting to have an impact, we also see that we have a long long way to go. So this Martin Luther King Day weekend, Oakland’s Anti Police-Terror Project* is calling on you to help us SHUT IT DOWN – again.  Together, we will unleash the vast creativity and organizing capacity of our communities to produce a spectrum of disruptive and creative activity. In the spirit of MLK, we want these to actions to meaningfully interrupt business as usual whether that be with direct action, teach-ins, concerts or prayer vigils and to do so with action logic that links our resistance to fighting racism, economic injustice, and imperialism.  We want you to plan these actions independently, but together we will coordinate collective support for these actions through a spokescouncil so that they have maximal support and impact.

Please visit the facebook event page: Updates, meeting agendas, calendar, and other info will be posted.
https://www.facebook.com/events/632827553487864/

Invite your friends!

Check out the web site for more about APTP’s vision: http://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/new-events/

WE DEMAND:

• The resignation of Mayor Libby Schaaf
• The immediate termination of Chief Sean Whent
• The immediate termination of Chief Greg Suhr
• The immediate termination of the officers involved in the murders of Richard Perkins, Mario Woods, Yuvette Henderson, Amilcar Lopez, Alex Nieto, Demoriah Hogg and Richard Linyard
• The immediate reallocation of city budgets: reduce police budgets and reallocate those funds to provide for affordable housing that allows Black, Brown and other people of color to remain in San Francisco and Oakland.

This year, we shut it down in the names of:

Yuvette Henderson

Nate Wilks

Richard Perkins

Richard Linyard

Demoriah Hogg

Yonas Alehegne

Amilcar Lopez

Mario Woods

Alex Nieto

#mlkshutitdown

#96hours

#reclaimMLK

Reminder this is a call out for affinity groups to organize autonomous solidarity actions in line with APTP’s Principles.
Questions, ideas, comments, or to get involved
Email aptpspokescouncil@gmail.com

Despite unparalleled demonization, military threats, and sanctions the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) opens an unprecedented window into life in cities and countryside alike, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where the Cold War lives on, and how the country took a hitherto little-known path towards socialism.

Gloria La Riva is a lifelong social activist and organizer with the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.  She visited North Korea in 1989 and 2015.

Sharat G. Lin, PhD writes on global political economy, labor migration, and public health.  He is a research fellow and former president of the San José Peace and Justice Center.

Now meeting once a month, on the fourth Sunday, instead of twice a month.

4:30 pm Program Part 1:
Issues Roundtable, Gitmo, misc. topics
6:00 pm Vegetarian Potluck Dinner
live music, Mike Rufo, Vic Sadot, Francis Collins
7:00-9:00pm Program, Part 2:
Joanna Macy: Keynote on “Active Hope”

Speakers/Facilitators

Harvey Wasserman and Jon Simon: Clean Elections and Voting Machines
Dennis Burnstein, KPFA host, poet
Donald Goldmacher, “Heist” filmmaker/producer: the new Berkeley Progressive Alliance
Linda Seeley, SLO Mothers for Peace: Shut Diablo Canyon Now!
Shahid Buttar, Bill of Rights Defense Committee/Defending Dissent Foundation: Privacy Rights, Surveillance
Cynthia Papermaster, No More Gitmos and Ann Fagan Ginger, Meiklejohn Institute: Shut Gitmo and Prosecute Torture
Anna Cecelia Blackshaw: SURJ (Standing Up for Racial Justice)
Susan Harman: Public Banking
Toby Blome, Codepink: Ending Drone Wars
George Lippmann: Berkeley Peace & Justice Commission, Police Accountability Civilize and De-militarize the police; stop police murders and brutality
John Lindsay-Poland, AFSC: Stop Urban Shield Audit the Pentagon, End U.S. Wars of Occupation and Plunder

Many activists are overwhelmed with the variety of issues needing their attention. The number of meetings, protests, and actions of various sorts are causing burnout, but worse, we are not seeing many victories and we need some victories to have hope and to keep going to make this world a just and healthy one.

This 2016 election year will be a real opportunity for change if we take advantage of the predicted huge voter turnout to turn the corporate-funded Republicans and Democrats out of office who are not protecting the environment, upholding the law, or legislating for citizens’ needs. Can we unite behind progressive candidates and elect them? We think so. We know it’s possible given the current disgust with the mainstream political parties, the gridlock in Washington, and the corruption that’s evident and literally killing us.

The hoped-for goal of the gathering will be to identify actions and strategies that are, or could, lead to victories on the local, state, national and international level.

Another goal is to cross-pollinate and enhance our limited resources by working together more, by sharing ideas, support and communication so we can better join our voices and creative actions for more clout and more effective results.

The Community Democracy Project is your connection to direct democracy in Oakland! Convened out of Occupy Oakland in Fall 2011, we’re gathering steam on a campaign to bring the people back in touch with the city’s resources through participatory budgeting.

Picture this: Across Oakland, Neighborhood Assemblies are regularly held in every community. People come together to tackle the important issues of their neighborhoods and of the city. At these assemblies, people don’t just have discussions–they learn from one another, from city staff, and they make fundamental decisions about how the city should run. They decide the city budget.

Democratic, community budgeting is a powerful step toward building strong communities, real democracy, and economic justice–and it’s being done all over the world.

The budget of the City Oakland totals more than $1 billion per year. Although part of the budget must be used for specific purposes, still over half of the budget–over $500 million per year–consists of general purpose funds paid by the taxes, fees, and fines of the people of Oakland. The Mayor and the City Council decide the city budget, with minimal input from the community.

Working together, we will not only get a seat at the table–we will REBUILD the table itself. Participatory democracy is real democracy–join us to say: Local People, Local Resources, Local Power!

A behind the scenes look at the Emergency Room at Highland hospital in Oakland.

Please come support Nailah, a comrade who was part of last year’s uprisings and is having charges filed against her in the last days before her statute of limitations is up

OTU’s Mission

The Oakland Tenants Union is an organization of housing activists dedicated to protecting tenant rights and interests. OTU does this by working directly with tenants in their struggle with landlords, impacting legislation and public policy about housing, community education, and working with other organizations committed to furthering renters’ rights. The Oakland Tenants Union is open to anyone who shares our core values and who believes that tenants themselves have the primary responsibility to work on their own behalf.

Monthly Meetings

The Oakland Tenants Union meets regularly at 7:00 pm on the second Monday evening of each month. Our monthly meetings are held in the Community Room of the Madison Park Apartments, 100 – 9th Street (at Oak Street, across from the Lake Merritt BART Station). To enter, gently knock on the window of the room to the right of the main entrance to the building. At the meetings, first we focus on general issues affecting renters city-wide and then second we offer advice to renters regarding their individual concerns.

If you have an issue, a question, or need advice about a tenant/landlord issue, please call us at (510) 704-5276. Leave a message with your name and phone number and someone will get back to you.

After 5 years of persistent protests at Beale AFB, opposing drone killing and global militarization, and many dozens of arrests over the years with very few trials, the U.S. military & gov’t are now preparing to prosecute, as they grow weary of our continued resistance.  Next week, 10 defendants will bring the illegal drone program to Sacramento courts again and welcome supporters!
January 12, Tuesday:
8:00 am – Anti-drone rally in front of courthouse, to include mock drone attack street theater
9:00 am – Arraignment, U.S. Federal Court, 501 I St., Sacramento
(8th Fl., Courtroom 27)
Mid-day, Anti-drone actions in Sacramento:
Full details to be determined,  to include Anti-drone march thru Sacramento streets,
Congressional visits, and more.

FB event, sign up here:
www.facebook.com/events/1642557749341977/
WE WILL NOT BE MOVED!  OR INTIMIDATED!….
Drone Protest continues at Beale AFB that afternoon, into Jan. 13, am.

On the same day as their arraignment:
The “Beale 10” and supporters will return to Beale AFB for 2 day protest. This will be a solidarity action in support of a  protest planned in DC at the State Capitol, called The Real State of the Union. On the same day as President Obama’s State of the Union address (expected to be filled with the usual deception and misinformation), activists in DC and across the country will stage actions to publicly bring attention to the real crises facing our nation and the world, and the failed U.S.  policies that contribute to them.
(details below)  Solidarity protests are planned at Beale and Creech drone bases the same day, to call for an end to the U.S empire’s number one oppressive tool, armed drones, that mostly kill indiscriminately.

We now have 4 former drone operators and air force veterans speaking out, who have publicly unveiled the real truth about drone killing and how it is destabilizing the world:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43z6EMy8T28

January 12, Tuesday
3-5:00 pm: Vigil/protest, Wheatland Gate,
Intersection of South Beale Rd. & Ostrom Rd.

Evening: Potluck and No Drones Peace Encampment,
(hotel options also)
Main Gate, Beale AFB, end of N. Beale Rd., east of Marysville.
6:00pm: Tentative group viewing of State of Union Address
(in public venue/Marysville, TBD)

RALLY

The President will be delivering his State of the Union Address on Jan. 12th in the evening. Join with other senior and disability organizations, labor unions, and environmental activists to let the President know that California opposes the TPP (and let Congresswoman Pelosi hear us too!). Events like this will be happening around the country on this day –prior to the President’s speech. Stand up and be counted.

If you can’t attend the rally on the Jan. 12th – please be sure to make these calls: (you don’t need to wait until Jan. 12th to call)

STOP THE TRANS PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (TPP)
It’s a Bad Deal for Seniors, People with Disabilities, and Medicare!
Call Senator Feinstein and Your Congressperson Today
Capitol Switchboard: 877-762-8762

The United States has concluded negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, and on November 5, 2015, President Obama released the text of the agreement. This started a 90-day period for public review before Congress can take an up or down vote. The agreement contains various provisions that could affect drug prices for all Americans, including seniors. These provisions would block patent reform and jeopardize the government’s ability to negotiate lower prices for drugs in public programs like Medicare. Here are some key talking points that you can use when talking with your elected officials and others about the dangers of the TPP:
Fewer jobs, lower wages

Voting for the TPP means fewer jobs and lower wages for American workers. This is because it fails to address currency manipulation; has incredibly weak rules of origin on autos and auto parts; and fails to level the playing field in terms of state-owned enterprises and labor and environmental standards.

All the rhetoric being used to pitch the TPP has been heard before. NAFTA and CAFTA were supposed to end undocumented immigration. The Colombia Free Trade Agreement was supposed to solve the long-standing issues of violent repression of labor unionists. And the Korea FTA was going to create 70,000 jobs. Not one of these promises has been fulfilled.

Higher Prescription Drug Prices

The Alliance for Retired Americans, Doctors Without Borders, AARP and Oxfam America agree: TPP contains extreme patent protections for name-brand pharmaceuticals that threaten to restrict access to cheaper lifesaving medicines in all TPP countries, including in the United States.
TPP contains a lengthy patent exclusivity period for certain types of drugs – including biologics, special drugs used to treat cancer and arthritis. This will make it more difficult for other companies to manufacture the cheaper generic versions of drugs – leading to higher costs for everyone.

TPP jeopardizes the government’s ability to list and price prescription drugs in public programs, like Medicare, which millions of seniors and disabled people rely on. More specifically, foreign corporations or subsidiaries will be able to challenge Medicare if drug pricing in these programs affects their profits. .

Finally, TPP could tie the hands of future Congresses to negotiate drug prices under Medicare or enact a Medicare drug rebate program, which would save Medicare $121 billion over 10 years.

Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the industrialized world, and last year drug prices went up by 13 percent. That’s more than eight times the rate of inflation in a single year! We think Congress should be working on ways to reduce drug costs, rather than making this problem worse. This is not the time to support an agreement that could further increase drug costs to consumers and the government while lining the pockets of the pharmaceutical industry.

“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism”  -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Spokescouncil Meetings are scheduled to take place:

January 5th @ 7pm at the OMNI

January 9th @ 7 pm @ the OMNI

January 12th @ 7pm @ the OMNI

January 14th @ 7pm @ the OMNI

The MLK weekend will once again culminate in a King Day march that embodies the true spirit of King’s resistance to capitalism, imperialism and racism.

Over the last year, in the Bay Area alone, there have been dozens of police murders.  In San Francisco, we have most recently seen the brutal execution of Mario Woods, in addition to police beating a disabled man in front of the Twitter building and racist text messages exchanged between SFPD on-duty officers.

In Oakland, we have seen 8 Black men murdered by police since only June of 2015. In fact, a recent graphic by Mapping Police Violence shows that in 2015, Oakland ranks third in police killings per million people in 60 of America’s largest cities.

Police are the shock troops of gentrification.  Mayors give them a mandate: make this city appealing to developers by any means necessary.  City Councils fund police and constantly seek to expand their numbers and their powers. As a result, people of color are being pushed out of cities at unprecedented rates, by an out of control rental market, increased police occupation and terrorism against communities of color, as well as crackdowns on those who dare protest these unjust policies.

A year ago, people across the country began taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers; storming shopping centers, blocking streets and highways, interrupting cultural events and public transit.  And the people SHUT IT DOWN. We SHUT IT DOWN because there is a state-sponsored war on Black, Brown, and other marginalized peoples in the United States.  WE SHUT DOWN BUSINESS-AS-USUAL because business-as-usual is an out-of-control epidemic of police terror.

Last year, in partnership with comrades and allies, APTP launched 96 Hours of Direct Action in the Bay Area, and answered a national call to Reclaim King’s Radical Legacy which we did through a march that brought over 7,000 people into the streets of Oakland.  We believe it is important for our movement to draw on King’s legacy to ground ourselves, to reinforce our conviction and confidence in the tactics and strategy of disruptive direct action.

A year later, while we are starting to have an impact, we also see that we have a long long way to go. So this Martin Luther King Day weekend, Oakland’s Anti Police-Terror Project* is calling on you to help us SHUT IT DOWN – again.  Together, we will unleash the vast creativity and organizing capacity of our communities to produce a spectrum of disruptive and creative activity. In the spirit of MLK, we want these to actions to meaningfully interrupt business as usual whether that be with direct action, teach-ins, concerts or prayer vigils and to do so with action logic that links our resistance to fighting racism, economic injustice, and imperialism.  We want you to plan these actions independently, but together we will coordinate collective support for these actions through a spokescouncil so that they have maximal support and impact.

Please visit the facebook event page: Updates, meeting agendas, calendar, and other info will be posted.
https://www.facebook.com/events/632827553487864/

Invite your friends!

Check out the web site for more about APTP’s vision: http://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/new-events/

WE DEMAND:

• The resignation of Mayor Libby Schaaf
• The immediate termination of Chief Sean Whent
• The immediate termination of Chief Greg Suhr
• The immediate termination of the officers involved in the murders of Richard Perkins, Mario Woods, Yuvette Henderson, Amilcar Lopez, Alex Nieto, Demoriah Hogg and Richard Linyard
• The immediate reallocation of city budgets: reduce police budgets and reallocate those funds to provide for affordable housing that allows Black, Brown and other people of color to remain in San Francisco and Oakland.

This year, we shut it down in the names of:

Yuvette Henderson

Nate Wilks

Richard Perkins

Richard Linyard

Demoriah Hogg

Yonas Alehegne

Amilcar Lopez

Mario Woods

Alex Nieto

#mlkshutitdown

#96hours

#reclaimMLK

Reminder this is a call out for affinity groups to organize autonomous solidarity actions in line withAPTP’s Principles.
Questions, ideas, comments, or to get involved
Email aptpspokescouncil@gmail.com

The Sustainable Berkeley Coalition is working for open, transparent governance that supports our diverse community with appropriate development, housing and protected environment. Meetings are planned for the second Wednesdays of the month at 7:30 pm

Our Berkeley Progressive Alliance will join other civic groups and communities
to help create a united voice and vision to elect  2016 Berkeley leadership.
We need a city council and mayor that will represent  the true vision of our city’s people.
We need affordable housing and community-oriented development projects,
green developers, innovations to help the homeless and the underemployed,
better opportunities for small and local businesses, an environmentally sustainable
vision for traffic and local transportation, and better prioritization of infrastructure
and city services maintenance.

Individuals, neighborhood groups, social justice and environmental justice organizations are invited and welcome. We learn from each other and are stronger together. 

The CPA is creating a charter amendment ballot initiative to create an accountable, civilian-controlled, police commission.

The ONLY agenda item will be a discussion of whether or not we should file a petition with the City Clerk’s Office to declare our intention to collect signatures to independently place our item on the Nov 2016 ballot.

We will discuss the pros and cons, including logistic challenges but also organizing opportunities.

In the interim, we will try to assemble as much information about what signature initiatives involve, what the needed  capacity looks like. Toward that end, we have committed to having a final draft that we would need to submit to the City Clerk ready for your review by January 8^th.

Do you know about mental health resources in Alameda County? Learn more on Jan 13! RSVP https://t.co/dhxKdzr8Lb . pic.twitter.com/R4WGMsu2ua

— Keith Carson (@Keith_Carson) January 11, 2016

The Occupy The Farm documentary will be screened on the Sprouts grocery building @ 30th & Broadway today 6pm; protests outside store all day

— Occupy Oakland (@OccupyOakland) January 13, 2016

Go to grand opening of Sprouts grocery 30th & Broadway, #Oakland today & tell shoppers to boycott until company stops paving Gill Tract farm

— Occupy Oakland (@OccupyOakland) January 13, 2016