Liberated Lens invites you to a screening of short films across the Black Diaspora with a post-screening discussion with Aldane Walters & Marna Paintsil Anning. This event is free and food will be provided! Doors open at 4:30 pm on Sunday, May 19th at Omni Commons. This event is wheel chair accessible. For more information go to LiberatedLens.org or contact (510) 863-4331.
Monday, May 20, 2019Pittsburg City Council 65 Civic Ave Pittsburg, CA 94565 (One block North on Railroad Ave Exit off HWY 4) (Railroad Drive Stop at End of Line BART Extension Trolley)
Contact Info: 510-674-8181 or 925-565-8393 or email: oscargrantcomittee.ogc@gmail.com
Demand Number One: FIRE KILLER COP DILLON TINDALL
The people of Pittsburg are NOT safe with trigger happy cop Dillon Tindall on the police force. He has shown bad judgement in killing Terry Amons without just cause. At the very least, he must be fired to prevent further tragedy.
Demand Number Two: PASS THE RICHMOND ORDINANCE
District Attorneys work closely every day with the police and rely on them to get convictions. More often than not they turn a blind eye to police misconduct. We need laws and policies that hold trigger happy cops accountable. The Richmond City Council, responding to public pressure, passed. an ordinance to have an INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION of all police killings, to avoid this conflict of interest. Pittsburg and other cities must pass similar laws as a first step to justice.
Terry Amons, Jr., a 43 year old Black man, was. shot and killed by Pittsburgh police late Friday night on January 12, 2018, while eating dinner inside his car outside of Nations Burgers in Pittsburgh, as was his habit before going to work on his night shift job as a delivery driver for Presidential Propane Company. The police claim that Terry was reaching for a gun, but body cam video, which clearly shows Amons attempting to comply with shouted contradictory orders from two cops with guns drawn and aimed at him. At no time did Amons make any move toward the holstered pistol that was in plain sight in the central storage area between the front seats.
The video shows Amons complying with orders to place his hands on the steering wheel, then attempting to comply with frantic commands to “get out of the car” before being senselessly gunned down while attempting to comply.
We hold the Pittsburgh PD responsible for murdering an innocent Black man. Terry’s mother, Sandra, said: “They executed my son. The Pittsburgh Police Department (PPD) illegally, without a warrant, searched Terry’s home after they killed him.”. The PPD did not provide Terry’s family with the names of the officers involved. The Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights is the legal justification for withholding this information. Only months later did the Oscar Grant, Committee learn the names of the Police Officers involved: Dillon Tindall, who fired, the shots, and Jesus Arellano. According to the East Bay Times, the body cam video, shows Terry being shot by Tindall after. shouting “Do not reach for that fucking gun.” As Terry falls out of the car he continues fo say, “I wasn’t reaching for nothing, swear to God.” Then the officers handcuffed him. Terry died at John Muir Medical Center in Martinez.
The police claim they were responding to a drug dealing complaint that provoked the initial contact. No drugs were found on Amons or in his car.
The family is considering filing a lawsuit.‘ Family and friends of Terry Amons have launched an on-going struggle for. . Justice4Terry, along with the OGC, SURJ (Stand Up for Racial Justice), and others. So far, three monthly protest actions have been held with up to 60 energetic people involved. Monthly meetings to plan ongoing events are open to the public.
Join the struggle, for more info contact: 510-674-8181 or 925-565-8392
Or email: oscargrantcommittee.ogc@gmail.com
Click on Image to download PDF flyer
The Oscar Grant Committee . Justice4Terry Amons Committee
You can help! Join the Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality and State Repression
Born from the struggle for justice for Oscar Grant, murdered by BART police on Jan 1, 2009. We organize working class resistance in support of families whose loved ones were murdered by police.
JOIN US, our meetings are normally on the First Monday of every month at 7:00 PM at the Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Avenue in North Oakland
Confirm time at: www.oscargrantcommittee.org . oscargrantcommittee.ogc@gmail.com
A 6-week series to help us develop a deeper analysis and to call attention to the kinds of changes needed in the City’s budget and policies.
4/15 – Housing
4/22 – Economy
4/29 – Education
5/6 – Public Health
5/13 – Neighborhood Life
5/20 – Public Safety
The first week’s workshop on the Housing Indicators is the first of a 6-week series to help us develop a deeper analysis and to call attention to the kinds of changes needed in the City’s budget and policies.
Join us for this deeper dive into the Equity Indicators Report for the City of Oakland. Released last year, it clearly shows the effects of white supremacy on our community. Oakland posted a failing score of 33.5 out of a possible 100 across all indicators. This was the lowest score of all cities that participated in this national study.
Carroll Fife, the founder of Black Women & Elected Leadership, the Executive Director of Oakland ACCE, and one of the founding members of Community READY Corps, will join us as a guest speaker to provide some deeper analysis of the report’s findings and point us to actual solutions that will advance racial justice and equity in our housing market.
Join Amazon Watch, Diablo Rising Tide, Greenpeace USA, Idle No More SF Bay, and Sunflower Alliance in Richmond at Chevron’s gates to protest its brutal violations of environmental and human rights at home and all over the world.
Tuesday May 21: Turn out for a rally and press conference followed by public comment. We need you to help us push #AuditAhern forward. The abuses committed by ACSO are unacceptable. We will not be silent. We will not be complacent. pic.twitter.com/WpsviplSC6
— Ella Baker Center (@ellabakercenter) May 16, 2019
We don’t have to wait to repeal Costa Hawkins to fight displacement and stabilize the homes of thousands of tenants in Oakland NOW.
Oakland City Council has the power to remove rent-control exemptions on thousands of currently owner-occupied duplex and triplex units in Oakland and protect the futures of families in thousands more. It’s time we demand they take action to stop displacement and rent gouging.
Closing the rent stabilization loophole for owner-occupied 2-3 unit buildings would immediately:
• Protect an estimated 5,100 tenants already living owner-occupied duplexes or triplex units by allowing them to re/gain rent stabilization;
• Qualify these tenants for protections under Oakland’s Tenant Protection Ordinance, which protects tenants from harassment and “bad acting“ landlords who are refusing to make necessary repairs;
• Make these tenants eligible for relocation payments for no-fault evictions
• Preserve the affordability of approximately 11,000 additional units vulnerable to losing rent stabilization and coverage under the Tenant Protection Ordinance and Uniform Relocation Ordinance.
Learn more about the fight here https://cjjc.org/mediapress/closetheloopholes-to-defend-and-expand-oaklands-rent-stabilized-housing/
And join us
Tuesday 5/21 @ 5:30pm First full City Council Vote – 3rd Floor Oakland City Hall
and
Tuesday 6/4 @ 5:30pm Final vote 3rd Floor Oakland City Hall
Also up for a vote on 5/21 – demand transparency and accountability from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department https://www.facebook.com/events/395420811306185/
Item 12 (Acquisition of Bearcat armored vehicle)
The Josh Pawlik killing in March 2018 is a key event conditioning responses to this request to approve the acquisition of a second Bearcat. In that event, OPD deployed its existing Bearcat, as well as officers armed with AR-15 assault rifles. Compliance Director Robert Warshaw and the Executive Force Review Board pointed out that “officers did not use the armored vehicle as cover. They utilized it as a shooting platform.” (see attached, p. 2) The killing was wholly preventable. Yet OPD’s review of the event made no reference to the Bearcat deployment rules included in Chief Kirkpatrick’s supplemental report – which had been re-distributed to OPD commanders only 11 days before the killing of Mr. Pawlik.
Questions raised or that remain unanswered by the supplemental report:
In light of the fatal misuse of OPD’s Bearcat in the killing of Josh Pawlik, the Council should not approve the acquisition of a second Bearcat, at the very least, until OPD has incorporated a use policy for the Bearcat, applicable to all members of OPD, that is considered and approved by the Police Commission.
Moreover, the Council and Police Commission should direct OPD to apply for other uses of the state COPS grant, more consistent with the community’s needs.
Other points: A Public Records Act request was file for records of OPD’s deployments of the Bearcat and other armored vehicles since the beginning of 2016, including reasons for deployment, demographics of those contacted during the deployments, and any harms documented. Their response was extended and is now due on June 1.
State legislation last year (AB 3131) would have required, for police departments’ acquisition from any source of all military-grade equipment, including Bearcats: use policies, reporting on use, and approval by city councils. The Senate and Assembly approved the bill, but it was vetoed by Governor Brown. Similar state legislation is expected to be re-introduced next year.
We need to tell the Richmond City Council to phase out coal operations at every meeting of the council. A couple of people speaking at each meeting can be effective in keeping council members aware of the urgency of this issue and the popular support for the ordinance phasing out coal, presently with the city attorney’s office. In addition, it publicizes the issue to those who watch the televised (and archived) meeting or read the on-line minutes.
The opportunity to speak up about coal is during the Open Forum. This time slot, very early in the meeting, allows residents to address the council about items not on the agenda. To speak in Open Forum, you must complete and file a pink speaker’s card with the City Clerk prior to the commencement of Open Forum. These cards are available at the meeting. The amount of time allotted to individual speakers varies: if there are 15 or fewer speakers, a maximum of 2 minutes; 16 to 24 speakers, a maximum of 1 and one-half minutes; and 25 or more speakers, a maximum of 1 minute. After that you can go home!
Here are a few suggestions for topics:
* Encourage the council to move this item to the Planning Commission ASAP.
* Thank the council for its April 23 action.
* Question why the city has been unable to locate a Conditional Use Permit for coal operations at the Levin-Richmond Terminal.
* Advocate for phasing out the shipment of coal from the terminal with the Richmond Coal Ordinance.
* Share your concerns about coal in your community.
If you are planning to speak, please email action@sunflower-alliance.org and put NCIR Comment in the subject line.
This can be a brief but high-impact action for No Coal in Richmond!
Socialist Night School takes a post-convention breather on May 21 for our first film night, the second session in our three-part series on imperialism and internationalism. We’ll be holding a special screening of Part I of Patricio Guzman’s The Battle of Chile, the legendary documentary about the social revolution that brought Salvador Allende to power in Chile in the 1970s and its violent repression. Here’s your chance to see what the Village Voice called “the major political film of our times.” We will also have LaCroix and snacks!
A trial will be held to determine whether the City of Berkeley persecuted First They Came for the Homeless, aka The Poor Tour, a group of politicized homeless individuals, for their political activities.
Jury selection commences on the 20th.
California Prison Focus presents “Liberate the Caged Voices”, to foster engagement between the community and those living behind bars through music, letters, and poetry.
This police review commission meeting will feature a discussion on the Berkeley Police Department’s surveillance policies regarding the following:
+Body Worn Cameras
+Automatic License Plate Readers
+GPS Trackers
+More?
There will also be a discussion on data collection and analysis from police stops.
Public comment will be at the very start of the meeting, with additional time at the very end of the meeting.
Heads Up… local Blue Lives Matters activist Christine Schwartz will be at the meeting filming public speakers for the purposes of harassment. She has habitually been at PRC meetings with her camera to intimidate members of the public from speaking.
Movie Nights at Reem’s
The Arab Film and Media Institute and Reem’s are partnering to bring some of our favorite Arab films to Oakland. Screenings are free + the amazing team at Reem’s will be serving the full menu throughout the evening. And that’s not all! There will be movie snacks (including za’atar popcorn!),
April 11: Refugee Stories
Far from a one-size-fits-all marking of “experience” so often depicted on Western media outlets when it comes to the plight of the refugee, this program of 5 powerful short documentaries spotlight the multitude of hues that should be considered when discussions of the refugee experience are had.
May 23: Shorts (Playful Pondering)
From dating drama in Bahrain and an abandoned Qatari cinemaplex, to wacky Lebanese nuns and land mine explosions, this eclectic mix of 6 whimsical, albeit socially-concerned short format narrative works will take viewers on a journey of humor, self-discovery, and provocation.
June 13: Seventeen
The Jordanian under-17 women’s soccer team prepares for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, hosted by Jordan in 2016. Coming from different backgrounds, each of the girls has faced a different set of challenges as a national team player. But now they come together to face their biggest challenge yet.
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Speakers
Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan, District 3
Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, District 5
Brian Hofer, Chair of Oakland Privacy Commission
potluck at 6PM – meeting at 6:45PM
Please Bring Something to Share
Hang out with other members who are interested in the labor movement, hear about what’s happening in the East Bay DSA Labor Committee, and learn how you can get involved!
By Young Adults from St. Paul’s Episcopal School
#FridaysForFuture is a movement that began in August 2018, after 15 years old Greta Thunberg sat in front of the Swedish parliament every schoolday for three weeks, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. She posted what she was doing on Instagram and Twitter and it soon went viral.
On the 8th of September, Greta decided to continue striking every Friday until the Swedish policies provided a safe pathway well under 2-degree C, i.e. in line with the Paris agreement.
The hashtags #FridaysForFuture and #Climatestrike spread and many students and adults began to protest outside of their parliaments and local city halls all over the world. This has also inspired the Belgium Thursday school strikes.
TILL SHE IS FREE OR MARYTRED YEAH IT/S VERY SERIOUS
BASTA !!! FREE CHELSEA MANNING WEEKLY VIGIL
optional after meeting/party rain cancels.
Housed folks: show up this Friday w/ POOR Magazine in solidarity with your unhoused neighbors who are getting swept & criminalized all over the Bay. This brutality won't end until housed & unhoused folks stand together.
1pm SF City Hall
4pm Oakland City Hall#StopTheSweeps pic.twitter.com/OyyWlaewQ8— DSA San Francisco (@DSA_SF) May 22, 2019
The U.S. government lost track of some 1,475 immigrant children, perhaps more, who were placed in sponsor homes.
At least 389 migrant children have been separated from their families since a federal judge ruled to stop the practice in June 2018.
Families are still being separated at an alarming rate. Babies and young children continue to be exposed to inhumane conditions.
WE MUST CONTINUE TO BRING AWARENESS OF THIS ISSUE TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND TO MAKE A STAND AGAINST THIS PRACTICE.
Please join us for a PEACEFUL PROTEST on SATURDAY, MAY 25TH, 2019 at the corner of YGNACIO VALLEY ROAD & N. CIVIC DRIVE in WALNUT CREEK, CA.
REMEMBER: Bring your signage and snacks. Water will be provided.
There will also be a limited number of poster boards and markers available to make your own signage.
OUR “STATIONS”:
– South Side corner of Ygnacio Valley Road and N. Civic Drive
– Iron Horse Trail Bridge above Ygnacio Valley Road (please plan to use effectively large signage in this area)
THE “MESSAGE”:
Human rights is a non-partisan issue. You are welcome to bring your own signage, but please, refrain from hate-fueled messages, derogatory phrases, and foul language. Please find a balance between bringing positivity and awareness to our table.
THE “RULES”:
– Be Civil
– Be Safe
– Be Present
Feel free to share with your friends, families, and communities at large!
https://act.indivisible.org/event/attend-local-actions/140685