Calendar
WHAT’S THIS ALL ABOUT? DON’T KNOW WHO KALI IS? Here’s the not-so-short version:
Monday will mark another year since a beloved part of our community was ripped away from us and locked up behind bars…because he dared to love and fight for a better life and something bigger than himself.
WHY WAS HE ARRESTED? As absurd as it sounds even now, he was initially taken into custody for sitting on a public bench with a blanket. But we know the real reason they brutalized him and locked him away for 3 more years (nearly giving him a life-sentence!) was for being a bold, beautiful, black man they want so badly to break.
He was one of many arrested during the post-camp Occupy Oakland Vigil but unlike most of us who have since been released or served out our time, he is currently serving out a 3+ year sentence in state prison.
My hope is that you will join me in sending him some mad love and letting him know he is not forgotten.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Come out on Sunday to be part of the group photo and/or sign the card we’ll send him. Write him a letter of your own. Put some money on his books. Let him know he is loved and will not be forgotten!!!
The Long Haul Infoshop will be showing the documentary ‘Soweto to Berkeley’ this week, and is welcoming anti-Apartheid activists to speak.
From Soweto to Berkeley
Documentary (1987), 50 min, dir. Scott Wiseman
“Soweto to Berkeley” explores the student protests and debates at UC Berkeley in the 1980s which led to the Board of Regents decision to withdraw $3.1 billion in funds from companies doing business in South Africa. With the students’ tactics including occupations and direct actions, their organizing efforts, and their successes and failures, still resonate today.
Discussion to follow. Folks who were involved in the anti-apartheid movement in the 1980s are invited to attend and speak about their experiences.
Occupy Forum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue
on all sides of these critically important issues!
The Spirit of CODEPINK: More than Marches!
with Nancy Mancias and Inder Comar
On April 3, 2014, the class action lawsuit targeting six key members of the Bush Administration will come before the United States District Court in San Francisco. Sundus Shaker Saleh, an Iraqi single mother of four, is the lead plaintiff in the class action lawsuit. George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, and Paul Wolfowitz are the six key members mentioned in the lawsuit and all will be represented by the Department of Justice. In Saleh v. Bush, Saleh alleges that the Iraq War was not conducted in self-defense, did not have the appropriate authorization by the United Nations, and therefore constituted a crime of aggression under international law — a designation first set down in the Nuremberg Trials after World War II. The aim of the suit is simple:
to achieve justice for Iraqis, and to show that no one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law.
Nancy Mancias is a campaign organizer for CODEPINK. Mancias is a contributing writer to Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution. Beautiful Trouble brings together ten grassroots groups and dozens of seasoned artists and activists from around the world to distill their best practices into a toolbox for creative action. Among the groups included are Agit-Pop/The Other 98%, The Yes Men/Yes Labs, CODEPINK, SmartMeme, The Ruckus Society, Beyond the Choir, The Center for Artistic Activism, Waging Nonviolence, Alliance of Community Trainers and Nonviolence International. Mancias be talking about creative tactics taken from the book.
Attorney Inder Comar will join Nancy to discuss the class action lawsuit to hold Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Powell and Wolfwotiz accountable for the illegal invasion & occupation of Iraq. CODEPINK’S creativity and strength demonstrates what has become increasingly clear: we need more than marches to successfully address the enormous problems facing our society and our democracy.
Time will be allotted for Q&A, discussion and announcements.
Mail Carrier Tyson Jerome Barnette was killed recently while delivering mail after dark in Maryland. He would never have been delivering mail after dark but for USPS mismanagement, under staffing, and the mass closings of mail processing centers. Monetary reasons are the why of after dark mail delivery. Never again should the USPS “lose a life to save a dollar.”
Join us for
SINGING ON THE STEPS
OF THE BERKELEY MAIN POST OFFICE
with Hali Hammer, Dave Welsh & Anna DeLeon
and remembering Tyson Jerome Barnette.
(Event will be cancelling if raining)
100 trees on public community farmland are slated for destruction… to build a parking lot and supermarket!
The Albany, CA Planning and Zoning Commission just approved a development plan for UC Berkeley’s Gill Tract, one that includes the destruction of these 100 beautiful trees and paving of acres of open green space to build a purely commercial development with no educational value.
Jeff Bond, Albany’s “community development director” graciously agreed to give a tour of these trees to the public. Please come and bear witness yourself!
We hope it will inspire you to join us in defending this precious resource from the bulldozers and the chainsaws!
For more info on the campaign to stop this development: www.boycottsprouts.com
Strike Debt Bay Area has been working with ACCE and the Richmond Progressive Alliance against the Big Banks and for Richmond homeowners, attempting to create national awareness on the issue of principal reduction and the use of eminent domain to help. Read about the issue in an essay written by two SDBA’ers.
Now another key vote is set on the issue at the Richmond City Council:
Tuesday, December 17, 5 PM
Critical Vote on Anti-Blight/Save Our Communities
There will be national media coverage. We must show that the Council has overwhelming support in the city. Please come for the rally at 5pm in front of the City Council and plan on staying until 8 pm. Refreshments and signs will be provided. Sign up to speak.
Saturday, December 14, 2-6pm
ART VS WALL ST BANK FORECLOSURES
Help paint and make art and visuals for the December 17 mobilization to Stop Wall St Foreclosure in Richmond
SAT DEC. 14, NEW TIME: 2-6pm
Bobby Bowens Progressive Center
1021 Macdonald Ave
Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning is the US soldier sentenced to 35 years in jail for leaking thousands of documents to Wikileaks exposing US and other governments’ war crimes and corruption. She is 26 years old on this day. Ever since she was detained and tortured in 2010, international protests, including from LGBTQ people, have demanded her release.
Demonstrate your support for her courageous whistleblowing, and for all who blow the whistle on corruption, dictatorship and dirty government secrets.
Join Eviction Free San Francisco and all allies in the fight for housing justice in San Francisco as we take on a landlord (to be named at the action) in San Francisco’s Mission District.
We Say “HELL NO” to the displacement of seniors, artists, immigrants, and workers from this vibrant, diverse, working-class Neighborhood and citywide!
Join two long – time San Franciscans (one disabled senior) who refuse to leave the city they love! By standing up for this household, we stand up for all of our Mission homes…all of us together!!
Don’t Steal our Postal Services Rally
In front of the Staples store
2352 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
The Berkeley Post Office and post offices all over the US are under threat of being fraudulently sold!
In a new attack, US postal services have been snuck into 84 Staples stores all over the country – including Berkeley. Postal services are being provided by low-wage Staples employees, not living-wage Postal professionals.
Please join us to:
- Oppose privatization of the US Postal Services and all public resources. Privatization brings higher prices and worse quality.
- Oppose union busting – replacing union jobs with low paying jobs that offer poor or no benefits.
Non-union pay lowers everyone’s standard of living (USPS compensation $20-$30/hr + benefits. Staples $8 – $12/hr, few if any benefits)
Sponsored by Berkeley Post Office Defenders. Supported by Strike Debt Bay Area.
Rally Poster.
The Occupy Oakland General Assembly will convene over food and libation this week at Mike’s house in El Cerrito. We normally meet at 2:00 PM, but our holiday GA, hike and social will begin later than our usual time: 3:00 PM for a hike on the Albany Hill, 4:30 PM for a short meeting, 5:30 PM for a holiday meal.
If you would like to attend either:
– send email to Mike (electionamend@gmail.com) for directions
– call Mike at 510-299-0493 for directions
– show up at the Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheatre by 2:30 for a ride to Mike’s house. Or call Ed at 510-763-0591 for a ride
All are welcome! Please bring something to share if you can.
This will be the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Federal Reserve.
Monday evening from 6 – 9, OccupyForum will hold its meeting at the FED (101 Market) and have a panel of speakers.
There are some Scheduled events.
5:30 – anti-corporate caroling
6-6:30 – Illuminator will project a message onto the Fed, also the Petaluminator, possibly Light Brigade
Please bring flashlights and other ways to “shed light” on the FED
6:30 – 7:00 – Occupy Forum, topic the Federal Reserve and alternatives (see below)
And other ideas:
– Chalkupy: Ideas for a giant monopoly board are forming, also everyone can write messaging, answer the question “Why are you FED UP with the monetary system?” (or other messaging)
– Blankets: We’re asking everyone who can to drop by a Goodwill or Salvation Army or thrift store and get a blanket (they’re cheap! a few bucks)… The idea is to keep warm while we’re there and then leave them in the free pile for folks who need them.
– Caroling (with words to describe the FED provided)
The FEDERAL RESERVE BANK (commonly called the Fed) and Wall Street banks create just about all the money we use every day. Most people think that the Fed is an agency of the Federal Government. But it’s not. It’s 100% owned by the largest private banks in the US. The Fed uses its incredible power to decide how much new money to create and, more importantly, where to spend it, to benefit the Wall Street banks.
Since most of us think new money is generated by government, we would also expect that money to be directed toward things that benefit all of us such as highways and other infrastructure, education, health care and social security.
However, all money the government spends has to be borrowed at interest from the banks and the Fed. The banks and the Fed create this money, instead, by investing in areas that will provide them with maximum profits – usually wars, the coal and oil industries and real estate. This results in crashes like the current one which started in 2008, and depressions, and no consideration is given to the moral or environmental costs of these investments. Profits over people as usual.
The Fed operates largely in secret, and is not required to be accountable to anyone. There has never been a proper audit of the Federal Reserve Bank. The power to create money is arguably the most important single power in the US economy and yet the people have no control over it!
It’s time to shine a light on the workings of the Fed. We need to start discussing solutions like making the Fed accountable and handing over the power of money creation to the Federal Government! This could be the single most powerful way to create a more democratic economy that serves the interests of all of us – not just a few who profit immensely off of our labor.
Join us this Monday, Dec. 23 at 5pm on the Federal Reserve’s 100th Birthday when we will Illuminate the Fed!
Speakers will include Occupy activist Jane Smith, who will provide us with details on how the Fed works (or doesn’t work), and how we can take control of money creation away from big banks. The Illuminators will be there to project images and messages onto the FED building and there will be other events as well, listed below. Bring flashlights! Bring blankets! Bring ideas for chalking: “Why are you FED UP?”
On Dec. 26th, at 8:30 a.m., forget the shopping (or returning) and support Community College of San Francisco in Superior Court. Join us to hear CFT/AFT 2121 and the SF City Attorney’s request for injunctive relief. The actions against City College by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) must be stopped!
Subject: Urgent Action: Protest against Korean Government Repression on Dec 27 Noon
SF Rally to Defend the Right to Strike! Free All Arrested Strikers!
Stop Mass Firings of South Korean Railway Workers!
Victory to the KCTU General Strike!
8,565 Korail workers have been suspended and their union offices raided because of their strike action against privatization which began on December 9, 2013. This is not the first attack by the Korean
government on the labor movement. Teachers’ unions have been threatened with being banned and workers have been sued personally for going on strike causing personal bankruptcy and suicides.
The Transport Workers Solidarity Committee TWSC has initiated the call for a solidarity rally and labor/community delegation to go to the Korean Consulate in San Francisco and submit a statement
opposing the suspension of Korea Rail Workers, the attack on their union and in support of their struggle against privatization. Similar schemes also threaten transit workers and public workers in the Bay Area including the ongoing attack on ATU 192 AC Transit workers and BART ATU 1555, SEIU 1021 and AFSCME 3993. This attack was directly connected to international companies like Veolia who are privatizing transit services in complicity whith state governments run by both Democrat and Republican Parties, are pushing to outlaw strikes and collective bargaining.
We urge all transportation workers, public workers, trade unionists and all workers to join us in the action in solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters in Korea and against the action of the Korean Railroad corporation (KORAIL) supported by the Korean government. This rally is also endorsed by the United Public Workers For Action www.upwa.info
If you would like to endorse this action please contact Transport Workers Solidarity Committee www.transportworkers.org (415)282-1908
Chalkupy (or Occuchalk) every Tuesday at 3pm in front of 101 Market Street. Bring yourself and your ideas and let’s put it in chalk in front of the Federal Reserve Bank at 101 Market Street in San Francisco. Other actions in and around 101 Market Street in San Francisco as well. Contact Mike Zint at https://www.facebook.com/#!/mzint1?fref=ts
Eats. Raffle. Tattoos. Live Musik!
Celebrate the New Year by joining comrades in the street on NYE in Oakland, CA:
March to North County Jail
Bring friends, noisemakers, fireworks
Bring the noise to inmates in North County Jail. In solidarity with prisoners and prison rebels across the globe. In honor of fallen comrades. Against prison society. In the spirit of total liberation.
All rebels to the streets!
All Families of a loved one killed by Gun Violence, Please bring an 8×10 photo and a Loved one favorite color balloon to be released.
Come meet us at the Grant Station for the 5th annual vigil/celebration for Oscar Grant to be held on New Year’s Day at the Grant Station (Fruitvale BART Station).
Join the Oscar Grant family on this Day of Remembrance!
WE ARE ALL STILL OSCAR GRANT
SPEAK OUT:
• Family of murdered victims
• Artist
• Community Activist
LIVE Performances:
• Libation
• African-Native-Latino Ceremony
• Poetry, music, spoken word
• Candle lighting, Balloon Releasing
• Words of inspiration Min. Keith Muhammad
• RGB–Young Gifted and Black–Our Children
GUEST APPEARANCES:
Ryan Coogler — Director of Fruitvale Station
And more guests – check them out at the Facebook page & RSVP
Panel Discussion features Wanda Johnson, Keith Muhammad, Nigel Bryson, Dan Siegel, Cat Brooks.
Performances by Ras Ceylon, Jabari Shaw, Rasheedah Sabreen, PaRadise ThePoet
Friendraise for forthcoming documentary Oscar Grant: The Rest of the Story.
Source.
COME CHALK THE SIDEWALK (WE’LL BRING THE CHALK), GET CREATIVE WITH SIGNS & TP, TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE TPP, THE NEXT CORPORATE-BULLY OFFENSE AGAINST THE EARTH, HUMANITY, THE ENVIRONMENT & NATIONAL LAWS & SOVEREIGNTY, BEING PUSHED IN SECRET BY 600 CORPORATIONS — A KIND OF NAFTA ON STEROIDS FOR THE FAR EAST — LET NANCY PELOSI & HER ILK IN CONGRESS KNOW THAT THEY BETTER NOT ‘FAST TRACK’ OR PASS THIS TERRIBLE LEGISLATION.