North end of Aquatic Park in Berkeley.

The Bay Area Peace Lantern Ceremony draws forth something beautiful: a community coming together to express visions of a peaceful future and re-commit to bringing those visions to life out of something nightmarish: the incineration of the bustling cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs on August 6 and 9, 1945.
Today, we who are organizing the Peace Lantern Ceremony have our own, new “beautiful nightmare.”
In past years the Peace Lantern Ceremony has drawn between 100 and 650 people.
So far this year, we have nearly 10,000 RSVPs!
We are at an amazing moment, with a beautiful opportunity to grow the movement for a peaceful, nuclear-free world.

·         Your cooperation. Please: (1) Take transit, bike, walk, or get dropped off at the event:
·         Your understanding. We won’t be able to float lanterns for everyone who attends, and may not even have enough lantern shades for everyone to decorate. (If you want to make shades ahead-of-time and bring them to the event, see the volunteer form, which includes a link to instructions.) If there are no shades left when you arrive, please enjoy observing this beautiful event.
·         Wear warm layers; it gets chilly in the park.
·         Bring a flashlight, snacks, water (no glass containers, please).
·         We probably won’t have enough chairs and tables. If you can lend some, or bring your own folding chair, please do.
·         Check our Facebook page for other updates:

Volunteer form

Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library

“Dangerous Circumstances:”
The CFR Proposes a New Grand Strategy Towards China

“…preserving U.S. primacy in the global system ought to remain the central objective of U.S. grand strategy in the twenty-first century.”
Background: The CFR and its Grand Strategy China Report: The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is the think tank of monopoly-finance capital, Wall Street’s think tank. It is also a membership organization: the ultimate networking, socializing, strategic planning and consensus forming institution of the dominant sector of the U.S. capitalist class. The CFR’s activities help unite the capitalist class to become not just a class in itself, but also a class for itself. It is the world’s most powerful private organization, the “high command” body of the American plutocracy. The Council has an almost century long history of forming study groups to plan America’s overall “grand” strategic policies. It sets the agenda for debate, builds consensus among both the powerful and attentive publics, then inserts its own network of people into public office to implement its favored doctrines in the real world. One of its latest efforts, a study group on U.S. grand strategy toward China, completed its work and issued a report– approved by the CFR board of directors–entitled Revising U.S. Grand Strategy Toward China, in March of 2015. This report used the term “dangerous circumstances” to describe the growing tensions between the world’s most powerful two nations.
Laurence H. Shoup will outline the CFR’s worldview, their critique of current U.S. policy toward China, their view of China’s grand strategy, what they think U.S. grand strategy should be, a critique of this CFR report, and the eco-socialist revolution that we now need.
Laurence H. Shoup is author of Wall Street’s Think Tank: The Council on Foreign Relations and the Empire of Neoliberal Geopolitics 1976-2014 (forthcoming, New York: Monthly Review Press, 2015).

Sunday, August 9, 2015 – 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
6501 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)

Seating is limited, so plan to come early. We start promptly.
FREE – but hat will be passed for donations to NPML

About Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library
A weekly discussion series inspired by our respect for the work of Karl Marx and our belief that his work will remain as important for the class struggles of the future as they have been for the past.

For info or to subscribe to our weekly announcements,
Call Gene Ruyle at 510-332-3865 or email: cuyleruyle [at] mac.com
For our full schedule, go to icssmarx.org
https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2015/07/27/icss-fly-2015-08-09-cfr-china-1.pdf

Across the country, on this day, many will take time to pause in remembrance of Mike Brown and the movement his murder sparked in Ferguson and across the country.

Join us in Oscar Grant Plaza as we take time to remember Mike Brown and all of our fallen.

Bring items for an altar, bring poems and songs to share. Bring your passion and commitment to continue the struggle to end police terror in our communities.

We invite you to join us on Sunday, August 9th at the Omni Commons. We are assembling a Volunteer Design & Facilitation Team that will plan and steward a collective visioning and planning process with all of Omni Commons. This future process, which we are calling BECOMING OMNI COMMONS, will seek to:

* expand and transform our collective sense of possibility
* clarify our shared values
* examine our cultures, narratives and processes
* create priorities to move towards more sustainable and supportive ways of being together and being in the world
* design an action-calendar for our visioning and planning process

A plan for BECOMING OMNI COMMONS will be presented to the Omni Commons delegates council (our governance body) and actualized as soon as possible.

The details:
Who: You! Anyone interested in joining our Volunteer Design & Facilitation Team (described above)
What: A fun four-hour facilitated, preparatory meeting, followed by DINNER!
Where: Omni Commons, 4799 Shattuck Ave, Oakland, CA 94609 (and possibly on-line if you cannot be physically present)
When: Sunday Aug 9th 2pm-6pm (you must arrive on-time and stay for the entire session)
Why:
Given our present circumstances:
* We are in a serious financial pickle right now.
* We have an opportunity to potentially buy the building very soon.
* We are struggling with interpersonal conflict, overwork, and burnout.
* We have never had the opportunity to engage in a visioning process since moving into 4799 Shattuck a year ago.
We need to:
* Reform our processes to be inclusive of as many perspectives as possible.
* Align our work and our organizing with our ideals and our politics.
* Provide a safe platform for constructive criticism and reflection.
* Invest openness, patience and respect for the diversity of perspectives and experiences of all of those who have been involved or impacted by Omni Commons in some way or another.
How: If you’d like to join the team and can attend the meeting, RSVP to becoming@lists.omnicommons.org and share any important requests or dietary needs.

RSVP to becoming@lists.omnicommons.org

If you cannot make it and would like to participate, please fill out this survey by August 2nd: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BXGHX2N

Love and solidarity,
Laura Turiano, Yar Cohen, Sarah Pritchard, Julio Rios, Dusty Mabry, Matt Senate, Joe Liesner, Libbie Cohn

“The Fresh Juice Party rose to stardom nearly a year and a half ago when they roasted President Obama, with a song in support of Bradley Manning, at one of his fundraisers in San Francisco. The protest elicited a high-profile response including one from Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and Jon Stewart from “The Daily Show.” ”

Normally OO holds its GA on the 2nd Sunday at 2 PM at the Omni to accommodate the Open Circle meeting there at 3:45 or so, but this week the Open Circle was rescheduled, so GA will be at it “normal” time and place, 4PM at OGP.  -Special Ed

————————————————————————

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets 1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway, often on the steps of City Hall. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. On second and fourth Sundays we meet at 2 PM at the Omni so we can also meet with the Open Circle folks at 3:45. There is a potluck at the Omni starting at about 3PM between the meetings.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for more than three years! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally . Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
3. Announcements
4. (Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Occupy Oakland Kitchen Committee: (kitchen@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

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.

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 the Community Garden at the Post Office.

In the latest developments, Berkeley has Declared War on Its Homeless, and an ordinance criminalizing the homeless came before the City Council on June 30th (see here and here) but was tabled until September.

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.

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.

Location: Dorado’s Tax & Bookkeeping, corner of Davis St.
Agenda:
1.   Discuss most recent version of the ballot measure
2.   Get updates from recent meetings with S.F. Commissioners, San Jose Police Auditor and City Council person Dan Kalb.
3.   Review work plan for Sept – Dec 2015; break out into work groups

No Coal in Oakland

Help block the proposal to transport coal by rail through Oakland for export overseas. Join an educational and planning meeting for residents of District 2 (Abel J. Guillen’s district).

This meeting is particularly relevant to residents of that area (see map) but this project could affect all East Bay residents, and all are welcome.

You will learn what the Coal Free Oakland campaign has been doing and how you can help convince the City Council to ban coal in our city.

A meeting for District 1 residents takes place on August 17, at 6:30 PM.

Join us to fight for a livable wage for all Bay Area workers! We collaborate in principled reflection and action on what the Bay Area livable wage would be and where we are at on the right to a livable wage.

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

Our work together encompasses:

(1) The concerns of precarious, care and contingent workers,
(2) 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.

Oakland Livable Wage Assembly meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, 6:30-8:00 pm at the SEIU Local 1000 Union Hall, 436 14th Street #200, Oakland, CA

Please love and support one another ~ We have a duty to fight ~ We have a duty to win!

olwa.org

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1568668586707336/

 

LIBRARYGATE:   Community coalition exposes Fraud, Waste, and Abuse by Berkeley Library Director

Explosive new documents reveal an illegal and unethical cover up of the destruction of tens of thousands of books/items  from the Berkeley Public Library (BPL) in 2015. This unedited list of 13,850 deleted last copies validates librarians and former librarians concerns about the inaccuracy of the library director’s claim that only 2,200 books have been discarded this year.  Additional computer printouts are also available revealing that over 39,000 books/items were deleted in 2015.

Retired Librarians, Authors, and booklovers will unite in reading from a newly released list of 13,850 titles of last copies deleted from the BPL.  The complete list of last copies and the computer printout will be released at the event, and will be available by email.

ILLEGAL: The Library Director violated state law by failing to respond in a timely way and by failing to provide most of the documents requested in two California Public Records Act (PRA) requests.  After the Library Director refused to release details in response to numerous emails, a Bay Area News Group correspondent and a Berkeley High School student both wrote PRA’s.

WASTE:  Books that could have been donated to community groups or the public have not been made available to Berkeley or Bay Area groups. Prominent community groups such as the Maya Angelou Library and Literacy Center are urgently seeking books but are not allowed to save these books from disposal. Even the Friends of the Library did not get to review many books available for donation.

FRAUD:  Numerous emails from the Library Director have falsely informed residents leading them to believe that only a small percentage of books/items have been deleted. However, as a result of the recently exposed documents, it is evident that the vast discrepancy between the alleged 2,200 and the actual 39,140 books/items deleted is drastic.

ABUSE:  Concerned volunteers who asked questions have been called disparaging names and librarians have been threatened that if they continue to speak out they “will be held accountable.”  Knowledgeable librarians whom are skilled in the procedure of weeding books, have been unceremoniously yanked out of the decision making process. Many books are being disposed of so rapidly that subject experts do not even get to review the merits of that list.

CONTACTS:   Pat Mullan, Retired Head of BPL Art and Music:
Andrea Segal, Former Reference Librarian:
Diane Davenport, Former BPL Head of Reference:
Roya Arasteh, Former BPL Staff:
Kriss Worthington, Berkeley City Council

The final PRC meeting before summer recess. (The next meeting will be September 9) Note that the meeting will be a long one, starting at 6pm rather than 7pm and concluding at 10pm. The reason for the extended length is that we are at the city council’s deadline for a report-back on the investigation of the police response to the BlackLivesMatter protest of December 6. Even if we have to ask the council for a time extension, it is important that we make every effort to complete the investigation as quickly as possible, so it remains a timely report.

Here is the link to the full PRC packet:

http://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Police_Review_Commission/Commissions/PRC%20Pkt%208-12-15..pdf.

The packet contains background information on the city’s ban on using helicopters in most situations.  It also contains the police chief’s statement on the department’s response to the July 27 laundromat robbery, including the Alameda PD’s use of an armored car and a dog from the OPD.  A letter from Andrea Pritchett of CopWatch on this subject is also included.

Current status:

– The Findings are almost complete and are relatively strong as a critique of the BPD’s actions. There will be compromise language in there but it is a good beginning to the conversation.  The final discussion on the Findings this Wednesday may be brief, though there is still time for public comment.

– The Recommendatioons, by contrast, are contested on almost every point.  We have deferred critical decisions about many aspects, including the BPD’s desire for helicopters, less-lethal weapons in crowd situations, how to handle baton abuse, and the contentious debate over who controls mutual aid agencies’ activities and equipment, plus any overall recommendations about accountability and discipline.

Public comment in the PRC meetings has been very effective in strengthening the report.  There will reportedly be significant participation this Wednesday by students of color from UC Berkeley.  Please join them!  Your input on any of the topics mentioned above, or others related to the right to protest or racialized policing, are welcome and appreciated.

Do you know who picks your strawberries, cucumbers and pumpkins? Have you heard of the Driscoll’s produce company? Did you know that workers just hours south of the Bay Area are getting paid starvation wages? Did you hear that these workers waged a historic strike demanding dignity earlier this year?

Join us at a forum to hear a reportback on the struggle of agricultural workers in the San Quintin Valley of Baja CA, Mexico. A delegation of Bay Area activists along with a local San Quintin organizer (via Skype or in person, depending on their travel schedule) will present information on the historic strike that happened earlier this spring and how you can connect with and learn from the ongoing organizing of farm workers just across the border.

Sponsored by Advance the Struggle

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you that one of our longtime Ella Baker Center Books Not Bars family members, Sheri Costa, lost her nephew while he was inside Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail.

On July 15th, Mario Michael Martinez suffered from an asthma attack in his cell while calling for the emergency medical support that would have saved his life.

Tomorrow night, Sheri Costa and the Martinez family will hold a press conference and candlelight vigil to honor Mario, his loved ones, and those who have been victims of carceral violence.

Stand with us as we fight for #JusticeforMario, and for those who are incarcerated to have their immediate medical and safety needs met.

As we mourn Mario, we are thinking about how his death was caused by the same pattern of neglect and racism that allowed Sandra Bland, Rexdale Henry, and countless others to be taken away from us while behind bars.

We at the Ella Baker Center know that the only way to end this violence in our communities is to move resources away from law enforcement and towards communities, to build greater self-determination.

From Waller County, Texas to Alameda County, it is clear that our criminal justice system targets the most vulnerable members of our society: women, trans and queer people, people of color, people with disabilities, the poor, and the homeless.

Without overwhelming pressure from our communities, this pattern will continue. Together we will demand Alameda County make real and lasting investments in the health and sustainability of our city!

May we continue to honor how Mario touched our lives and continue our work in his spirit.

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, fight against Predictive Policing, Stingray 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