Calendar

Friday April 7th, 2017 is the One Year Anniversary of the death of Luis Góngora Pat at the hands of the SFPD. Luis was a 45 year old indigenous Mayan Mexican, an immigrant worker and a family man who for a decade and a half supported his wife and three children in the small town of Teabo by sending remittances from his dishwasher and line cook earnings. In 2014, he and his brother were illegally evicted from their home in the Mission District during the peak housing crisis of San Francisco, after which they became homeless. Extended family helped his brother José get back on his feet, and the plan all along was to help Luis next, but his life was brutally ended before then; a victim of police terror in the Sanctuary City of San Francisco.

On the one year anniversary of his death, Luis’s family will March Against Police Terror in The Sanctuary City of San Francisco. Your participation in the march is humbly requested. We will address Luis’s unjust killing, and heighten awareness of the systemic oppression that regularly takes the lives of people of color in the City of San Francisco through evictions, homelessness, discrimination, deportations, police violence, and other injustices.

March Schedule & Stops, (approximate times)

• 10:00 a.m.—Shotwell and 19th – Memorial Altar at location of shooting. Spiritual ceremonies for Luis Góngora Pat, then march to: 
• 11:00 a.m. Valencia and 17th -Mission Police Station. . Rally against police violence, then march to:
• 12:00 p.m. Market and Valencia – Luis’s Stolen Home. Rally for housing rights, immigrant rights, and rights of the unhoused/ homeless, then march to:
• 1:00 p.m. Polk and McAllister – City Hall, front steps. Key moment. A visceral comment by José, brother of Luís, press conference, and rally for Justice and Honor for Luís Góngora Pat, then cross the street to:

• 2:00 p.m. Polk and McAllister – Civic Center Plaza. Healing Circle for Families Hurt by Police Violence. SFCOH will be providing a meal!

Please march with us against Police Terror in the Sanctuary City!
The family of Luis Góngora Pat is reaching out to you for support. They would like as many people as possible to attend the march.

RSVPs already include California families of victims of police murder; Asociación Mayab; Coalition on Homelessness; Causa Justa; Answer Coalition; The Brown Berets; Poor Magazine; members of the Shambhala Meditation Center of SF; Idriss Stelley Foundation; the Coalition for Justice For Amilcar Perez Lopez,  ​OccupySF, ​and many more. The march will include indigenous ceremonies and be led by Aztec dancers. Jaranero dancers from Yucatán will join us too! We will hear from speakers against SFPD violence and for civil rights, housing, immigration, and homeless rights. The family lawyer Adante Pointer will present on the Góngora Family lawsuit, and more! This is going to be a very large event, and mainstream media will be present.

A march against the systemic violence against black and brown in San Francisco is long overdue! Bring your signs, banners, and voices!

How can you help:

• Please save the date for this very special day, and please outreach to all friends and colleagues! 
• Please circulate the attached flyer (below) and The Facebook Page for the Event as widely as possible!
• If you would like to co-sponsor this event, please reply to this email and we will add your name to a flyer for circulation and our website event post.
• If you can help us with media outreach, or would like to offer other support, please reply to this email.
• Please also stay tuned for an upcoming fundraising campaign to gather support for Luis Góngora Pat’s family in the Yucatán peninsula on this terrible date.

Articles

• The life and death of Luis Góngora: the police killing nobody noticed, The Guardian UK
• The PoLice Murder of Luis Demetrio Gongora Pat, One Year Later/ El asesinato de Luis Demetrio Gongora Pat un año más tarde, Poor Magazine
• Family of slain homeless man files lawsuit against city, officers, El Tecolote

• Luis Gongora autopsy confirms he was shot on the ground, 48 HillsIn Spanish and Mayan

Come back out for Part 2 of the City Council’s meeting on reviewing the rent ordinance!

We held an amazing press conference on Tuesday, featuring 12 speakers representing five local groups, two political positions, and multiple faith leaders. We heard from Gray Harris, VP of Alameda’s school board; an Alameda special ed teacher and renter; Imam Musa Balde of the Islamic Center of Alameda; and Mariele, a 17-year-old Encinal High student. In addition to the Alameda Renters Coalition, we heard from Alameda Progressives, Renewed Hope Housing Advocates, Filipino Advocates for Justice, and Alameda for Black Lives.

There is resounding community support for real rent control and just cause, and Friday brings another opportunity to press the council for what we need. Come out! We need:

– An end to no-cause evictions (2 votes already secured!)
– A sustainable cap on annual rent increases tied to the Bay Area CPI
– Standardized relocation assistance
– Elimination of the RRAC and appointment of a hearing officer
– An online rental database
– A repeal of the sunset clause

Walk #4 in July

Sunday, July 16th
Rodeo Conoco Phillips 66 Refinery to Richmond Chevron Refinery California

We encourage folks to walk with us the entire day.  It is truly a beautiful, profound and inspiring way to make a difference.

We will begin at Lone Tree Park in Rodeo

8:00 a.m. Water Ceremony – Feel free to bring water from your watershed!
9:00 a.m. Registration
9:30 a.m. Walk Begins
There are several places along the walk where folks can join the walk – please see the details of the route below.

The walk will end at Keller Beach in Richmond 

You can join us at any time during the day of the walks.
Call this number to find out where we are: (510) 619-8279

Make sure to keep the phone number on you if you are joining us on the walk!

Registration for the walk will begin at 8:00 a.m.  Walkers will be asked to agree to the Nonviolent Principles.  For details on what to bring/not bring, please go to “What To Expect” in the tabs above.

This walk is approximately 13 miles from beginning to end.  There will be vehicles available for people who wish to take breaks during the walk.  Medics will also be available.   Water will be provided – Please bring your own refillable water bottle.

Everyone will be taken back to their vehicles at the end of the walk.  If you are coming to the walk with friends and have two vehicles, please consider leaving one vehicle at the end.   Carpool:  Sign up to drive or be a passenger here: CARPOOL

There will be two points where folks can get rides back to the beginning in Rodeo, at the Hilltop stop in Richmond and at the end at Keller Beach.

We will begin at Lone Tree Park in Rodeo within sight of the Conoco Phillips 66 Refinery and walking to Richmond, stopping to pray at several places including the Kinder Morgan facility and the gates of the Chevron refinery.  We will end at Keller Beach in Richmond, the last natural beach left in the San Francisco Bay where we will all enjoy a delicious meal made by Mike Bear and his family and  youth from Urban Tilth in Richmond!

Can’t come but want to support?  Welcome us at Keller Beach in Point Richmond and feel free to bring a dish to share if you would like. 

Happy Equinox! Spring is here ~ plants are leafing out, peaches and plums are blooming, and folks are planting our perennial plants throughout the country.  It is the busiest time of the year for the nursery with finishing up cuttings, seeding, grafting fruit trees, weeding and fertilizing, potting up bare root plants, and shipping out plant orders.  We are very grateful to the many volunteers that have gotten their hands dirty with us this past month.  We had nearly 30 volunteers come through at our work party on March 4th, had about 40 college students on Alternative Spring Break from Penn St. and University of LaVerne come through for tours and volunteer work, and had teachers from Slide Ranch on the coast come out.  Our work and plant knowledge is being spread to youth in many places.  Much thanks to all of the hands that have helped us in the busyness of Spring!

We have two upcoming volunteer work parties  on Saturdays in April:
April 8th 10am-4pm
April 22nd (Earth Day!) 9am-4pm

On Earth Day, join us for a Volunteer Day of fruit tree planting, weeding, cleaning and more including a Super Citrus Fruit Tree Sale, a Sale of Salves and Tinctures from our gardens, a bounce house for kids, and a Kale Smoothie Pop Up.  Please bring your own Water, Pot Luck Food and Good Attitude!  We are building community as well as growing plants!

Offerings:

• Massage therapy
• Energy work
• Acupuncture
• Birth Doula Practitioners
• Herbal Medicine
• Resource library
• Free Hot Meal
• Free Store
• Cafe Space to hang out, eat, make art and discuss what healing means to us by us and for us.

BERKELEY COPWATCH PRESENTS

What can mental health care and crisis response look like without police involvement? Join the Justice 4 Kayla Moore Coalition and Berkeley Copwatch for a forum to address that question. The forum will feature individuals and organizations who are fighting for, building and living out mental health alternatives to the police. We will also discuss next steps for our campaign to fight for changes in how our communities and the City of Berkeley approach mental health crises.

How can we build our capacity and leverage our grassroots power to support the Movement for Black Lives Policy platform?

Please join the SURJ Policy Working Group on Saturday April 8th from 1pm to 4pm for an interactive legislative strategy session and workshop that will demystify the legislative process, build our legislative capacity, and highlight the legislative priorities and strategies of our POC partners. All levels of experience are welcome!

In addition to break-out discussion groups, we will hear from special guests Bridget Kolakosky, Legislative Director for Senator Holly Mitchell, author of the RISE Act and Emily Harris, State Field Director for the Ella Baker Center, a co-sponsor of the RISE Act. Both guests will share their experiences and strategies on how to bring grassroots voices to the capitol in meaningful and impactful ways.

This event is FREE but an RSVP on our website to required to attend as there is limited space: http://www.surjbayarea.org/policy_strategy_session

ACCESS NEEDS: This event is wheelchair accessible. If you have specific access needs, please email us and we’ll be happy to work with you to accommodate them.

SCENT FREE: We ask that guests do their best to be as scent free as possible. Please refer to this resource from the EastBay Meditation Center for more information on what that means. There will be a scent free section of seating offered. http://eastbaymeditation.org/accessibility/PDF/How-to-Be-Fragrance-Free-.pdf

Monthly interfaith prayer meeting, held on second Sundays, dedicated to survivors and victims of violence and police terror in Oakland.

“Remember the saying: ‘Of all pilgrimages the greatest is to relieve the sorrow-laden heart.'” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The Baha’i community of Oakland is organizing this gathering for the community to connect, share prayers, writings and poems from all spiritual traditions, reflect and recharge and build coalitions interested in healing.

Come share prayers, quotes, poems, and favorite passages from your scriptures with us. Simple breakfast will be served.

“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” ~ Bahá’u’lláh

Today, 12 pm, gather at GG Bridge Plaza, #SF side for monthly @CODEPINK Golden Gate Bridge Walk for Peace. #Syriahttps://t.co/0KCFvflbeQ pic.twitter.com/4mcAwsZjWk

— Indybay (@Indybay) April 9, 2017

The Trump-Putin post-truth world of Fox News and Russia Today, are kindred moments of a global capitalist order that has devolved into neo-fascism: scapegoating the “Other” and accepting genocide. Internal reactionaries and competing multiple regional and global powers have no regard for human life, as demonstrated most horribly by Assad’s latest chemical gas assault on Khan Sheikhoun and Trump’s terror against civilians in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. As a Syrian revolutionary recently put it, “After all this slaughter, we ask, do the Syrian people not belong to the human community?”

Multiple forms of resistance continue: the global women’s movement, Black Lives Matter and immigrants everywhere, including in the U.S. Mass demonstrations against Putin’s regime emerged anew across Russia last week, demanding end to official corruption.

Is this world of vile nationalism and permanent war a return to the horrors of so-called primitive accumulation through enslavement and conquest? Does Marx’s thought and revolutionary practice speak to this moment? Gerry Emmett’s essay, “Marx’s Marxism vs. Trump-Putin’s barbarism,” in the March/April News & Letters addresses these issues.

How can the mass outpourings go beyond opposition and give humanity a different future?

We hope to see you there and hear your thoughts.

Tax the Rich Rallies every Monday from 5-6 pm on upper Solano in front of the Oaks Theater and the Chase Bank.

All are welcome!

Also We’ll be at  SURJ (Stand Up for Racial Justice) event that starts at the Grand Lake Theater on Saturday April 1^st from noon-1 :00 PM.

For our calendar of events, songs to download and more: www.occupella.org.

OccupyForum Presents the film “Thirty Seconds to Midnight” with Producer Regis Tremblay about the danger of nuclear war, climate change and the struggle to challenge these dangers

Friends,
Hope you can join us for one of the   three Bay area showings of excellent new film Thirty Seconds to Midnight April 10 and 11. It is a powerful film about the danger of nuclear war and climate change and the struggle of people around the world to challenge these dangers. Please spread the word   to the larger community and hope to see you there. See the flyer attached.
Warm Greetings and Peace,
David Hartsough

​What: Film “Thirty Seconds to Midnight” with Producer Regis Tremblay.

​Three threats to life on the planet: nuclear technology, a nuclear Armageddon, climate change.

EFF Launches Community Security Training Series

EFF is pleased to announce a series of community security trainings in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library. High-profile data breaches and hard-fought battles against unlawful mass surveillance programs underscore that the public needs practical information about online security. We know more about potential threats each day, but we also know that encryption works and can help thwart digital spying. Lack of knowledge about best practices puts individuals at risk, so EFF will bring lessons from its comprehensive Surveillance Self-Defense guide to the SFPL.

EFF has tailored this series for technology beginners who may be unaware of potential privacy dangers, but already use smart phones or computers. Library patrons are invited to bring their devices to EFF’s introductory classes which include discussions of basic online security concepts and privacy tools. Lisa Wright and Willie Theaker, members of EFF’s TechOps Team, will facilitate Digital Privacy and Security: A Beginner-to-Intermediate Workshop followed by Encryption Apps for your Phone: An Intermediate Workshop. There will be two opportunities to attend each class.

• Digital Privacy and Security: A Beginner-to-Intermediate Workshop
  Tuesday, March 28, 2017
  6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

• Encryption Apps for your Phone: An Intermediate Workshop
  Tuesday, April 4, 2017
  6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

• Digital Privacy and Security: A Beginner-to-Intermediate Workshop
  Tuesday, April 11, 2017
  6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

• Encryption Apps for your Phone: An Intermediate Workshop
  Tuesday, April 18, 2017
  6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Event details are included in each link to the EFF calendar above. Space is limited and attendance is on a first-come, first-served basis so attendees should prepare to arrive early. We encourage all EFF supporters to help people in their circles learn more about online rights issues and how to keep themselves—and each other— safer.

At the end of April, EFF’s spring Bay Area Members’ Speakeasy will feature a more advanced workshop on email encryption and key generation open to EFF members and their guests—we encourage you to bring a friend! Following the workshop, all EFF members will be invited to join our PGP keysigning party to help bring the community together and further expand the web of trust. If you are a current Bay Area member accepting email, you will receive a personal invitation including event details. Not a member yet? Join today!

With the Surveillance Self-Defense project and these local events, EFF strives to help make information about online security accessible to beginners as well as seasoned techno-activists and journalists. We hope you will consider our tips on how to protect your digital privacy, but we also hope you will encourage those around you to learn more and make better choices with technology. After all, privacy is a team sport and everyone wins.

Three Threats to Life on the Planet:

• Nuclear Technology
• Nuclear Armaggedon
• Climate Change

A powerful film about the danger of nuclear war and climate change and the struggle of people around the world to challenge these dangers. Please spread the word  to the larger community and hope to see you there.

Producer Regis Tremblay will be at the showing.

[Note: We called the Hayward City Manager’s office to confirm that there is a meeting on 4/11 at 7pm. Per the Brown Act, they’re supposed to post the agenda publicly 72 hours before the meeting, so hopefully that happens. We’ll call again the day of to make sure it’s still happening.]

Join the family of Elena “Ebbie” Mondragon at the next Hayward City Council meeting to demand both the truth and real accountability for her recent killing by Fremont police. (Hayward PD is “investigating” since it happened there.)

Unidentified Fremont detectives – driving an unmarked car in Hayward – shot 16 year-old Ebbie on March 14th in the middle of an apartment complex and concocted a very suspicious story to justify killing an innocent girl.

Ebbie’s family misses her deeply and remembers her as a kind young woman who was a big SF 49ers fan.

The family demands are as follows:
-Any video footage leading up to, during and after the shooting
-Full autopsy report plus any and all medical records
-Any and all information about what happened to the car the police were following
-Questions answered: Did Fremont police have permission to be conducting surveillance and following a car in Hayward? Was Hayward PD at all aware of this operation?

—–

Can’t make it? You can also support Ebbie’s family with funeral costs (they still need to pay for the grave marker – at least $1,000 at the Antioch cemetery) by donating here: https://www.gofundme.com/3iibrkw

Dejuan Hall’s trial has been moved to June 19th as of now.

Dejuan Hall was brutally beaten by Vallejo police officer Spencer Muniz-Bottomley on 3/10/2017, then charged with battery on police officer and resisting arrest. Hall does not face ANY charges related to the reason police were called on him as he was not breaking any laws.

Video of VPD officer Bottomley beating unarmed Dejuan Hall can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/antionette.saddler/posts/1338405206216750?pnref=story
Officer Bottomley was never suspended and remains on duty.

Hall’s trial is Wednesday, April 12th at 9 AM in Dept. 9 Room 209 at the Solano County Courthouse in Fairfied. Please come out and show support.

No to War in Syria!

The Causes and Consequences of the Unending US War Drive

With the launching of military strikes on Syria, the US is opening a new chapter in its bloody wars in the Middle East, which have left more than one million dead. The consequences of the direct targeting of the Syrian government are incalculable. How will Russia respond? The world could wake up some morning in the near future to the news that the two largest nuclear-armed powers in the world are at war.

There is no opposition to war from within the media and political establishment. Indeed, the Trump administration’s actions against Syria are in line with the demands of the Democratic Party, backed by the most powerful factions of the Pentagon and CIA.

As always, the US government justifies its actions by reference to allegations of atrocities carried out by whatever government is in its crosshairs. The media treats as established fact the claims that the Syrian government is responsible for the use of chemical weapons, while ignoring the horrific atrocities committed by the US throughout the Middle East.

What are the real motivations for the unending war drive? What are the geostrategic interests of the US in the Middle East? What will be the consequences? Above all, how can war be opposed?

Suggested reading for Wednesday’s class:

The airstrikes in Syria and the war drive of American imperialism
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/04/10/pers-a10.html

The US attack on Syria: A prelude to wider war
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/04/08/pers-a08.html

The bombing of Syria: A new chapter in the US drive for global hegemony
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/04/07/pers-a07.html

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