Calendar
To keep the land arable, the earth able to breathe, and the people of San Francisco able to grow and eat local, nutrient-rich, organic food in the city, people will walk to a potential development site on June 1st to plant food, build a village, and hold space together.
We can out-grow the old power structures!
There will be a dialogue and discussion about the loss of urban gardens to development in San Francisco at the Free Farm at 1 pm (thefreefarm.org) This will be followed by a gathering of folks who will take direct action in Jefferson Square Park directly across Gough Street from the Free Farm. We will get ready to move, plant, and hold space at 2pm. Follow us on twitter @LiberateLand or #liberatetheland if you are late!
On the night of May 27, bulldozers and backhoes rolled into Gezi Park, a tiny island of trees and grass at the center of Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, and started ripping it apart. This was part of a government project to “pedestrianize” the historic square—what that meant in this case, according to many blogs, was turning one of the last open green spaces in the city into a shopping mall. No community organizations or local people were asked what they thought about the plans for the park, devised by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which included rebuilding historical barracks that were demolished in the 1940s and adding sidewalks to make the square more friendly to pedestrians.
Four days later, after nonviolent protesters occupied the park and survived attacks by the police that included tear gas and water cannons, they’ve won at least a temporary victory thanks to a court decision. In fact, Istanbul’s mayor, Kadir Topbaş, just announced that there was never any plan to build a mall. It’s an amazing 11th-hour turnaround, but it didn’t happen without a battle.
Protesters began gathering in the park as early as Monday, May 27, and word spread through social media as more pro-park, anti-government Turks showed up to sit in front of the bulldozers. By Wednesday, the police were involved, and they responded to the nonviolent protests with aggressive tactics—what really got everyone’s attention was a photo from Reuters showing a young, apparently peaceful environmentalist in a red dress getting pepper-sprayed by a gas-masked cop. That image became a symbol of the “occupation” of Gezi Park, as well as the cops’ terrorization of the protesters.
We will join Liberate the Land at 950 Gough St in SF to march in Solidarity with those brutalized by Turkish Police for merely trying to save a park from being torn down.
This is a non-permitted march (yay) and there will be a constructive direct action that takes place after the march. Talk to folks there about the details, or just come along for the ride! We need livestreamers, video, signs in solidarity with Taksim protesters, and most of all, you.
OAKLAND (UN)FAIR CARNIVAL AND MARCH
We are graduate students, undergrads, faculty, workers, lecturers, and others concerned about DEFENDING QUALITY AND ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC EDUCATION and BUILDING SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE WORKPLACES at the UC.
Thursday June 6
(un)Fair Carnival and Musical March::
12pm: Start at Oscar Grant Plaza. We’ll be stopping by the hotel where high-level administrators are attending a conference with panels on how to suppress protests and public events like ours.
People’s Public Forum::
If you want to join us just for the People’s Public Forum:
1pm: Converge at Snow Park before we head to the Kaiser Center (300 Lakeside Dr.) at 1:30 for a People’s Public Forum. We are hopeful that the administration will let us speak inside the Oakland Room #1015 as per their original plan, but we are prepared to hold a press conference with speakers outside of the building if they refuse. Come one, come all.
President Obama is coming to Palo Alto for a fundraiser, and hundreds of people are gathering to meet him with a powerful message: stop the Keystone XL pipeline!
Over the last couple months, thousands of organizers across the country have met President Obama at events across the country to tell him we expect him to stop the pipeline. Just 6 weeks ago, over 1000 folks gathered in San Francisco, and over 150 in Atherton to tell the President no pipeline! It’s the South Bay’s turn again to show the President we want him to stand up for the climate and stop Keystone XL.
We know that this decision is about siding with Big Oil or the people. We may not be able to make it into an expensive fundraiser, we will make sure that we are heard. There will be signs and banners there already; all you absolutely need is to be ready to make some noise.
Come join us on Thursday for what is sure to be a fun time.
Join us for a solidarity rally to support the protests in Turkey, which initially began at Gezi Parki. The demonstrations at Gezi Parki were directed to halt the destruction of Taksim’s last green area. For the past week, a cross section of the population has been demonstrating throughout Turkey against police brutality and increasingly anti-democratic government practices. At least two protestors have been killed as a result of police brutality. We need your support!
Join us as we share prayer and peaceful protest through the City of Manteca from the point where Ernest was murdered in the 200 block of Flores Ave to the Manteca PD – We will then be having a bbq and event after at location to be announced – bring yourself, we will have signs but you can share your own loved ones poster if you want – so come on out and Join us and remind them WE WILL NEVER FORGET AND WE WANT JUSTICE!!
Justice For Ernest Duenez Facebook page
The Whole Damn System is Guilty
On June 10th the trial of racist vigilante George Zimmerman is set to begin. It will take the renewed actions of thousands from all walks of alife to have a hot at justice in this case.
March and rally, protest and walkout. Post the slogan and put up signs declaring:
The Whole Damn System is Guilty!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: NOT A PENNY MORE FOR OPD!!
BBQ at 4:30 PM.
Rally at 5:30 PM.
Bring your family and plan to stay for the City Council Budget Hearing at 6:30 PM.
Wear your JAB shirt!
Dear Friends and Allies of the Justice for Alan Blueford Coalition:
Please join us at City Council 14th and Broadway on June 13th at 5:30 PM. The City Budget decision is fast approaching. The City of Oakland is holing several hearings about city funds and June 13th is the next one. The big question is what will the city council spend our money on: police or social services. The city workers in several unions (SEIU Local 1021, IFPTE Local 21, and IBEW local 1245) are fighting for more money for their contracts, and less for the department that takes up the lion’s share of the budget: namely the police. Just as many unions such as SEIU 1021 have endorsed the Justice for Alan Blueford Campaign, so too does the Justice for Alan Blueford Campaign stand in solidarity with city workers in their fight. Our fights are connected since we face the same enemy.
Why should money go to a police department that still has not fired and charged Alan’s killer, Miguel Masso?
– For more info about the police budget, OPD racism and the basics of Alan’s case:
Tell the City Council to stop Police Terrorism
Sign up to speak to the council show up by 6:30 or sign up ahead of time here:
Online speaker signup
Money for city workers not racist police murder!
Fire, charge and convict Officer Miguel Masso for the murder of Alan Blueford!
Justice 4 Alan Blueford website
Jail Diane Feinstein instead
START DATE: Friday June 14
TIME: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location Details: Rally & Chalk art 5pm at Dianne Feinstein’s Office, One Post St. near Montgomery BART station on Market St., San Francisco March at 4pm from Gezi Gardens, Laguna and Fell St. (formerly Hayes Valley Farm)
Protest RALLY AND CHALK ART TO SUPPORT NSA WHISTLEBLOWER EDWARD SNOWDEN AT DIANNE FEINSTEIN’S OFFICE AT ONE POST ST. NEAR MONTGOMERY BART STATION. BRING CHALK!!! 5PM RALLY AT FEINSTEIN’S OFFICE ONE POST ST. 4PM MARCH TO FEINSTEIN’S OFFICE FROM GEZI GARDENS, LAGUNA AND FELL ST. (FORMERLY HAYES VALLEY FARM, CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY ACTIVISTS TO PREVENT DEVELOPMENT)
The government is watching you, yet we refuse to live in fear. Stand in solidarity with whistleblowers and those that speak truth to power! Edward Snowden, 29 year old whistleblower, exposed the illegal NSA/FBI surveillance system called PRISM which gives the government and private security firms direct access to the servers of Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Youtube, MSN, etc. as well as direct access to Verizon phone logs. Edward Snowden, like Bradley Manning and Daniel Ellsberg before him have done a great service to humanity by uncovering to the public the extent at which the government will go to spy on its citizens and deprive of our rights. Dianne Feinstein has called Snowden a traitor, yet she is the chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence where she would have been briefed on these government programs that threaten our freedom and violate our fourth amendment rights. Rally at Feinstein’s office at 5pm, march to Feinstein’s office from Gezi Gardens at 4pm.
Saturday, June 22nd from 7:00 PM to morning!
Bring a sleeping bag.
Oscar Grant Plaza 14th Street & Broadway, OaklandFeast! Films! Music! More!
“This movement won’t end here. We’ve started something much bigger than the park. …After tis, I don’t think people will go back to being afraid of this government or any government.”
-Seyitt Cikmen, 19
Port of Oakland: Don’t Let OAK Fast Food Restaurants Break the Law!
Fast food workers at the Oakland Airport have spent the past year fighting for justice on the job – but their bosses are fighting back. The National Labor Relations Board just charged the OAK Subway and Jamba Juice with breaking labor laws and firing workers who spoke out. AND the Port of Oakland found that these same employers violated the living wage and fired workers who complained about it. But so far, the employers haven’t faced real consequences.
On the one-year anniversary of the campaign for fair food at the Oakland Airport, stand with the workers as they call on the Port to enforce the law and protect workers’ rights in OUR airport!
What’s going on?
One year ago, non-union fast food workers at the Oakland Airport launched a campaign to win good jobs and safe, healthy working conditions. They demanded a fair process to decide whether to join a union, without intimidation from their bosses.
Now, the National Labor Relations Board just charged the Oakland Airport’s Subway and Jamba Juice with a host of labor law violations – including firing, disciplining and cutting hours for workers who support the union.
Meanwhile, a Port of Oakland investigation found that Subway and Jamba Juice violated the Port’s Living Wage laws and fired workers in retaliation for filing complaints. The Port ordered Subway and Jamba Juice to pay back wages and reinstate the fired whistle-blowers.
But months later Subway and Jamba Juice still have not complied with those orders. The Port has the power to impose additional fines and penalties on the restaurants, take them to court to enforce the orders, or terminate the underlying Port contracts, but it hasn’t done any of these things. A year after they were illegally fired for standing up for their rights, airport cashiers Hakima Arhab and Diamond Ford are still fighting to get their jobs back.
The Oakland Airport belongs to the people. It should provide good, secure jobs that strengthen our community – and workers shouldn’t be punished for saying so!
Come tell the Port of Oakland: take action NOW to make Subway and Jamba Juice respect their workers’ rights – and bring Hakima and Diamond back to work!
Recently, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee announced that openly gay Army whistleblower PFC Bradley Manning would be honored as a grand marshal for the largest gathering of LGBT (lesbian gay bisexual transgender) people and allies in the United States.
PFC Manning was selected for one of our community’s highest accolades because he helped reveal unpunished war crimes, the Pentagon’s link to Iraqi torture, and other disturbing and previously secret foreign policies. PFC Manning has already pleaded guilty to charges that will carry a 20-year prison sentence. The military still pursues a life sentence.
Then, the SF Pride Board of Directors retracted the invitation, stating:
“Bradley Manning will not be a grand marshal in this year’s San Francisco Pride celebration. …. even the hint of support for actions which placed in harm’s way the lives of our men and women in uniform — and countless others, military and civilian alike —will not be tolerated by the leadership of San Francisco Pride.”
WHAT?
The SF Pride Board of Directors is parroting the US military, offering uncritical support for the military’s anti-Manning smear campaign. Most experts believe Manning’s actions endangered no one.
After being challenged by many members of the LGBTQ community, the SF Pride Board issued another statement explaining that the election of Bradley Manning as Grand Marshal was a procedural error. They did not retract the statement made earlier by the Pride Board President which was widely publicized.
Their statements are disgraceful. No matter who you believe should be Grand Marshal or what you think about Bradley Manning’s case, the SF Pride Committee’s unconditional support of the military should make your skin crawl.
The Dyke March has always opposed U.S. militarism, rejected corporate sponsors, and supported people who risk their lives to further freedom, transparency, and democracy.
The Dyke March has a working relationship with SF Pride. Like the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, as well as some local businesses that serve the queer communities, Pride has provided financial support to the Dyke March. Nevertheless, we believe, as members of a family, we should be critical and express our opinions even when they differ. We cannot be silent regarding the unjust condemnation of Bradley Manning by SF Pride’s Board of Directors.
We honor LGBTQ people and all people who refuse to be silent in the face of oppression and repression.
Come Out for Our LGBTQ Whistle blower PFC Bradley Manning at the 2013 SF Pride Parade! You are invited to join our official, fabulous, and epic, contingent for the SF Pride People’s Grand Marshal Bradley Manning!
Music by Kaimera & the Brass Liberation Orchestra, Featuring Daniel Ellsberg (riding in a convertible), and a motorized cable car (for those who can’t walk).
Come celebrate the radical heritage and original spirit of Pride by joining the contingent in support of a heroic Queer army intelligence analyst who sacrificed everything so we could all know the truth about US wars and foreign policy by leaking classified information that revealed war crimes, torture, lies, corruption, spying, bribery, false imprisonment and much more to the Wikileaks whistle blowing website.
This year’s Pride falls in the midst of a military court martial this summer where PFC Manning’s entire life will quite literally be on the line. This will be the most crucial time to show support for this young hero, especially from the LGBTQ community. By marching with us we will not only be supporting Manning but challenging an entire system of oppression at home and abroad. LGBTQ liberation is integrally tied to the collective liberation of all oppressed groups. Despite the SF Pride Board publicly maligning and rescinding Manning as a Grand Marshal, members of the San Francisco LGBTQ, military veteran and activist community have named Bradley Manning the 2013 San Francisco Pride People’s Grand Marshal & we will be marching in solidarity & in mass. Free Bradley Manning, our communities and the world!
Manning is in prison for us! Let’s come out for him!
More contact info:
Lisa Geduldig (Publicist) • Ph: (415) 431-7363 • Cell: (415) 205-6515 • lisag@igc.org
Come Out for Our LGBTQ Whistle blower PFC Manning at the 2013 San Francisco Pride Parade!
With the Brass Liberation Orchestra & DJ set by Kaimera!
Endorsed by: Gay Liberation Network, Veterans for Peace & Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Come celebrate the radical heritage and original spirit of Pride by joining the contingent in support of a heroic Queer army intelligence analyst who sacrificed everything so we could all know the truth about US wars and foreign policy by leaking classified information that revealed war crimes, torture, lies, corruption, spying, bribery, false imprisonment and much more to the Wikileaks whistle blowing website.
Facebook Page. More information. RSVP.
Join Justice 4 Alan Blueford & SEIU pickets at the Eastmont Mall in support of SEIU civilian workers inside OPD and for civilianization and Internal Affairs reforms.
OPD is around the back of the mall. You can enter the parking lot from Foothill.
Pickets at City Hall and the other City administration buildings around OGP begin at 6:00 AM.
It takes a lot of courage for non-union, low-wage workers to go on strike – especially when their co-workers have been fired for organizing. The workers are ready, but they need your support! Please join us on the 5th and 14th and support these courageous worker leaders!
Non-Union Airport Fast Food Workers Ready to STRIKE!
Strike Build-Up Actions at Oakland Airport Terminal 2:
Friday, 7/5: 11:30 am -1:30 pm.
Sunday, 7/14: 7 am, noon, 5 pm.
It’s going to be a hot summer: as East Bay public workers struggle for justice on the job, non-union workers at Oakland Airport fast food restaurants are preparing to strike!
“My bosses cut my hours to punish me for trying to form a union. They fired my co-worker for organizing, and they still haven’t brought her back to work. I’m tired of waiting for justice – I’m ready to fight!” said Oakland Airport Subway cashier Hayat Selmani.
A year ago, airport fast food workers launched a public campaign for better jobs – including a fair process to decide whether to form a union. Some workers have faced serious retaliation: the National Labor Relations Board just charged two OAK restaurants with breaking labor laws and firing workers who spoke out. And the Port of Oakland found that these same employers violated the living wage and fired workers who complained about it. But so far, the employers haven’t faced real consequences.
Now the workers are taking action to protest their bosses’ unfair labor practices. At Thursday’s Port Commission meeting, workers announced a strike deadline of July 11th. While the strike date itself was not announced, workers are calling for a picket on Friday, July 5th, and a full day of action on Sunday, July 14th.
Si se puede!
UNITE HERE Local 2850 Facebook Website
You may know Dominic Ware, a worker at the San Leandro Walmart and one of the most visible and active OURWalmart leaders in the Bay Area. Just this week he was out supporting the BART strike. And a few weeks ago he and many of his co-workers were on strike themselves.
Today, Dominic was fired. Walmart cited his absences as a result of the strike. Last week, Raymond from Richmond, Barbara from Sacramento and up to 40 strikers across the country were fired or disciplined. Dominic has been there for his co-workers, for BART strikers, for nurses fighting Sutter, for Oakland residents fighting displacement, for all of us in this movement.
It’s time to be there for Dominic and defend our freedom to speak out, stand up and live better.
10am – Action in support of fired strikers Raymond and Louis from Richmond Walmart (1400 Hilltop Mall Rd, Richmond, CA)
12pm – Action in support of #walmartstrikers at San Leandro Walmart (1919 Davis St San Leandro, CA)
2pm – Action in support of fired striker Dominic from San Leandro Walmart (15555 Hesperian Blvd, San Leandro, CA)
4pm – Action in support of #walmartstrikers at Fremont Walmart (44009 Osgood Rd, Fremont, CA)
Message: Stop firing #walmartstrikers – We call on you to end your illegal disciplinary actions and terminations and demand that you immediately reinstate all Walmart workers who were fired for simply exercising their rights.
I’m not sure San Francisco – what with the BART strike and the holiday – has quite had a chance to come to terms with the magnitude of what the accreditingcommission overseeing City College has done to us.
This unelected, unaccountable body has shattered one of the most important public institutions in the city, damaging the economy, the workforce, and the hopes of tens of thousands of students. And it’s done so for the worst possible reasons.
March in protest next Tuesday! We march from the downtown campus at 4th and Mission to the Department of Education. Gather at Downtown Campus around 4 p.m., march at 4:30pm: (Campus is @ 88 4th Street @ Mission -2 blocks from Powell St. BART)