Calendar
At our next meeting we will continue our discussions about the past week’s events, hear report backs from autonomous groupings and hold a more focused conversation about long-term strategy and goals. If you or your group would like to help with agenda, facilitation or any other tasks, please contact us at edgecity510@gmail.com.
Thanks to the group of over 80 people who came and participated in the December 14 meeting at Oscar Grant Plaza. Though we were forced to deal with the presence of several uniformed OPD officers as well as a freelance photo journalist and San Francisco Chronicle staffer who refused to leave, the group was able to reflect on this most recent wave of actions and what kind of infrastructures are necessary in the future to support our efforts. Thanks also to the Anti-Repression Committee who gave information about what kinds of support is still needed for people facing charges.
The assembly had initially decided to meet again at the Omni Oakland Commons on Sunday, December 21 @ 2PM. There are multiple events happening this weekend, however, and while we apologize for the change of plans, we think it is best to push back the meeting another week. We hope that folks will attend the following events and continue to help us outreach as much as possible.
Sunday, December 21 @ 1-3pm: Bay Area Legal Observer and Know Your Rights Training workshop in support of #BlackLivesMatter at the East Side Arts Alliance.
Sunday December 21 @ 4pm: Winter Solstice Posada for Alex Nieto at 24th and Mission in San Francisco.
To repeat: the second assembly will take place at the Omni Oakland Commons on Sunday, December 28 @ 2pm.
Come learn about continuing developments, support our Occupiers and help us plan our next steps in opposition to this theft of our public commons.
THE POSTAL SERVICE WANTED TO SELL THE POST OFFICE TO HUDSON-MCDONALD DEVELOPMENT GROUP. HUDSON-MCDONALD BACKED OUT OF THE DEAL IN EARLY DECEMBER.
THE CITY OF BERKELEY SUED THE POST OFFICE TO STOP THE SALE. A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER WAS IN PLACE UNTIL DECEMBER 17th, BUT WAS LIFTED BY THE JUDGE WHEN HUDSON WITHDREW.
There was a hearing in Federal Court on December 11th.
THE FEDERAL JUDGE WILL DECIDE WHETHER THE LAWSUIT WILL CONTINUE OR BE DISMISSED – HE’LL DECI”DE SOMETIME AFTER JANUARY 8TH.
THE POSTAL POLICE HAVE BEEN RAIDING THE OCCUPATION INTERMITTENTLY IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. BUT THE OCCUPIERS ARE NOT LEAVING! Read about one of the eviction attempts here.
Get an overview of the sale announcement here.
Here’s a good more general overview piece.
Davic Rovics gave a concert on the Post Office steps recently. Check out pictures and video of him playing.
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.
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 DEVELOPMENT GROUP. HUDSON-MCDONALD BACKED OUT OF THE DEAL IN EARLY DECEMBER. THE CITY OF BERKELEY SUED THE POST OFFICE TO STOP THE SALE. A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER WAS IN PLACE UNTIL DECEMBER 17th, BUT WAS LIFTED BY THE JUDGE WHEN HUDSON WITHDREW.
Get an overview of the sale announcement here. Here’s a good more general overview piece.
There was a hearing in Federal Court on December 11th.
THE FEDERAL JUDGE WILL DECIDE WHETHER THE LAWSUIT WILL CONTINUE OR BE DISMISSED – HE’LL DECIDE SOMETIME AFTER JANUARY 8TH.
THE POSTAL POLICE HAVE BEEN RAIDING THE OCCUPATION INTERMITTENTLY IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. BUT THE OCCUPIERS ARE NOT LEAVING! Read about one of the eviction attempts here.
Stay tuned for a possible new Chalkupy and Community Gardening event at the Post Office.
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.
: : : : : : Reclaiming King’s Legacy : : : : : :
“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is a state-sponsored war on Black lives in the United States and people across the country are demanding it comes to an end. As long as it remains business as usual to gun down Black women, men and children in the streets of this country, there will be no business as usual anywhere or for anyone. Shut. It. Down.
Oakland’s Anti Police-Terrorism Project is calling a bay area wide spokescouncil to plan and coordinate actions for the upcoming Martin Luther King Day weekend (1/16-1/19). Let’s carry forward and amplify thestruggle, together!
PLEASE SAVE THE FOLLOWING DATES for upcoming meetings in your calendar, and check back on this page because locations will be announced when they are confirmed.
Monday Jan 5th 7pm
Thursday Jan 8th 6pm
Saturday Jan 10th 10am
Monday Jan 12th 6pm
Wednesday Jan 14th 6pm
What is a spokescouncil?
A spokescouncil is a collective framework for direct action mobilizations, where large masses of people organize themselves into smaller teams called “affinity groups”. Affinity groups plan their actions independently with the intention of advancing the larger goal of the spokescouncil. Affinity groups are represented by at least one person (“a spoke”) at the meetings, where they are able to share resources and coordinate their actions with other groups.
Why a spokescouncil?
We propose the spokescouncil as a solution to many of the shortcomings of unstructured mass assemblies. We intend to provide a highly structured organizing space with clear tactical and messaging guidelines, that empowers participants to organize independently and in parallel. We intend to inspire a multitude of diverse actions and awaken the massive potential we have as a community engaging in direct action.
* The Anti Police-Terrorism Project is a project of the ONYX Organizing Committee in coalition with individuals and organizations like The Alan Blueford Center for Justice, Healthy Hoodz, Community Ready Corps, Idriss Stelly Foundation and more
** for questions or more information about the spokescouncil please contact aptpspokescouncil@gmail.co
The Strike Debt Bay Area / Public School reading group meets regularly to discuss readings on the broad subject of the Politics of Debt.
We’re starting a new topic/book for the new year. We’re reading chapter 4 of the first section, and chapters 1 & 2 of the fourth section, of ‘Small is Beautiful’ by E. F. Schumacher.
Join us!
: : : : : : Reclaiming King’s Legacy : : : : : :
“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is a state-sponsored war on Black lives in the United States and people across the country are demanding that it comes to an end. As long as it remains business as usual to gun down Black women, men and children in the streets of this country, there will be no business as usual anywhere or for anyone. Shut. It. Down.
Oakland’s Anti Police-Terrorism Project is calling a bay area wide spokescouncil to plan and coordinate actions for the upcoming Martin Luther King Day weekend (1/16-1/19). Let’s carry forward and amplify the struggle, together!
PLEASE SAVE THE FOLLOWING DATES for upcoming meetings in your calendar. Before your first meeting, please make sure to attend an orientation!
> Monday Jan 5th, 7pm orientation and kickoff meeting, CNA Offices
> Thursday Jan 8th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, OMNI Commons
> Saturday Jan 10th, 10am orientation, 11am meeting, OMNI Commons
> Monday Jan 12th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, (Location TBA)
> Wednesday Jan 14th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, OMNI Commons
> Saturday Jan 17th, 11am meeting, OMNI Commons,
What is a spokescouncil?
A spokescouncil is a collective framework for direct action mobilizations, where large masses of people organize themselves into smaller teams called “affinity groups”. Affinity groups plan their actions independently with the intention of advancing the larger goal of the spokescouncil. Affinity groups are represented by at least one person (“a spoke”) at the meetings, where they are able to share resources and coordinate their actions with other groups.
Why a spokescouncil?
We propose the spokescouncil as a solution to many of the shortcomings of unstructured mass assemblies. We intend to provide a highly structured organizing space with clear tactical and messaging guidelines, that empowers participants to organize independently and in parallel. We intend to inspire a multitude of diverse actions and awaken the massive potential we have as a community engaging in direct action.
* The Anti Police-Terrorism Project is a project of the ONYX Organizing Committee in coalition with individuals and organizations like The Alan Blueford Center for Justice, Healthy Hoodz, Community Ready Corps, Idriss Stelly Foundation and more
** for questions or more information about the spokescouncil please contact aptpspokescouncil@gmail.co
: : : : : : Reclaiming King’s Legacy : : : : : :
“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is a state-sponsored war on Black lives in the United States and people across the country are demanding that it comes to an end. As long as it remains business as usual to gun down Black women, men and children in the streets of this country, there will be no business as usual anywhere or for anyone. Shut. It. Down.
Oakland’s Anti Police-Terrorism Project is calling a bay area wide spokescouncil to plan and coordinate actions for the upcoming Martin Luther King Day weekend (1/16-1/19). Let’s carry forward and amplify the struggle, together!
PLEASE SAVE THE FOLLOWING DATES for upcoming meetings in your calendar. Before your first meeting, please make sure to attend an orientation!
> Monday Jan 5th, 7pm orientation and kickoff meeting, CNA Offices
> Thursday Jan 8th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, OMNI Commons
> Saturday Jan 10th, 10am orientation, 11am meeting, OMNI Commons
> Monday Jan 12th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, (Location TBA)
> Wednesday Jan 14th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, OMNI Commons
> Saturday Jan 17th, 11am meeting, OMNI Commons,
What is a spokescouncil?
A spokescouncil is a collective framework for direct action mobilizations, where large masses of people organize themselves into smaller teams called “affinity groups”. Affinity groups plan their actions independently with the intention of advancing the larger goal of the spokescouncil. Affinity groups are represented by at least one person (“a spoke”) at the meetings, where they are able to share resources and coordinate their actions with other groups.
Why a spokescouncil?
We propose the spokescouncil as a solution to many of the shortcomings of unstructured mass assemblies. We intend to provide a highly structured organizing space with clear tactical and messaging guidelines, that empowers participants to organize independently and in parallel. We intend to inspire a multitude of diverse actions and awaken the massive potential we have as a community engaging in direct action.
* The Anti Police-Terrorism Project is a project of the ONYX Organizing Committee in coalition with individuals and organizations like The Alan Blueford Center for Justice, Healthy Hoodz, Community Ready Corps, Idriss Stelly Foundation and more
** for questions or more information about the spokescouncil please contact aptpspokescouncil@gmail.co
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 DEVELOPMENT GROUP. HUDSON-MCDONALD BACKED OUT OF THE DEAL IN EARLY DECEMBER. THE CITY OF BERKELEY SUED THE POST OFFICE TO STOP THE SALE. A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER WAS IN PLACE UNTIL DECEMBER 17th, BUT WAS LIFTED BY THE JUDGE WHEN HUDSON WITHDREW.
Get an overview of the sale announcement here. Here’s a good more general overview piece.
There was a hearing in Federal Court on December 11th.
THE FEDERAL JUDGE WILL DECIDE WHETHER THE LAWSUIT WILL CONTINUE OR BE DISMISSED – HE’LL DECIDE SOMETIME AFTER MARCH 19th.
THE POSTAL POLICE HAD BEEN RAIDING THE OCCUPATION INTERMITTENTLY IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. BUT THE OCCUPIERS ARE NOT LEAVING! Read about one of the eviction attempts here. There haven’t been any raids since a few days before Christmas, but they might start up again with the holidays over.
Stay tuned for a possible new Chalkupy and the new Community Gardening event at the Post Office.
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.
: : : : : : Reclaiming King’s Legacy : : : : : :
“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is a state-sponsored war on Black lives in the United States and people across the country are demanding that it comes to an end. As long as it remains business as usual to gun down Black women, men and children in the streets of this country, there will be no business as usual anywhere or for anyone. Shut. It. Down.
Oakland’s Anti Police-Terrorism Project is calling a bay area wide spokescouncil to plan and coordinate actions for the upcoming Martin Luther King Day weekend (1/16-1/19). Let’s carry forward and amplify the struggle, together!
PLEASE SAVE THE FOLLOWING DATES for upcoming meetings in your calendar. Before your first meeting, please make sure to attend an orientation!
> Monday Jan 5th, 7pm orientation and kickoff meeting, CNA Offices
> Thursday Jan 8th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, OMNI Commons
> Saturday Jan 10th, 10am orientation, 11am meeting, OMNI Commons
> Monday Jan 12th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, (First Presbyterian Church)
> Wednesday Jan 14th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, OMNI Commons
> Saturday Jan 17th, 11am meeting, OMNI Commons,
What is a spokescouncil?
A spokescouncil is a collective framework for direct action mobilizations, where large masses of people organize themselves into smaller teams called “affinity groups”. Affinity groups plan their actions independently with the intention of advancing the larger goal of the spokescouncil. Affinity groups are represented by at least one person (“a spoke”) at the meetings, where they are able to share resources and coordinate their actions with other groups.
Why a spokescouncil?
We propose the spokescouncil as a solution to many of the shortcomings of unstructured mass assemblies. We intend to provide a highly structured organizing space with clear tactical and messaging guidelines, that empowers participants to organize independently and in parallel. We intend to inspire a multitude of diverse actions and awaken the massive potential we have as a community engaging in direct action.
* The Anti Police-Terrorism Project is a project of the ONYX Organizing Committee in coalition with individuals and organizations like The Alan Blueford Center for Justice, Healthy Hoodz, Community Ready Corps, Idriss Stelly Foundation and more
** for questions or more information about the spokescouncil please contact aptpspokescouncil@gmail.co
On Monday the 12th, the Peace & Justice Commission will create specific proposals for the Berkeley City Council to review at its upcoming meetings. The draft attached above is a starting point. It needs your input and participation in Monday’s discussion to shape it into a truly transformational platform. We look forward to hearing your ideas about changes to Berkeley’s policies on policing and accountability, along with an investigation of police practices.
There will be time for extensive public comment on specific proposals for changes in city policy and practice. Please prepare by reviewing the attached draft document before the meeting (see below). We have arranged for a larger room, so please feel free to spread the word!
In 2014 the community made our anger felt about the uncounted police killings of African American and Latino youth, and we declared the apparently radical notion that Black lives matter.
Now it’s 2015, and time to make real change in Berkeley.
This month the city government will be discussing how to rein in the outrageous police attacks on non-violent demonstrations. We must be allowed to demonstrate safely against the killings of people of color by state authorities.
See Councilmember Jesse Arreguin’s three specific proposals, including wording changes to several BPD General Orders, in items 27, 28, and 29 in the upcoming January 20 Council agenda at:
But this is not enough. Let us remember what brought us out in the streets in December. Black lives are devalued here in Berkeley as across the country. Kayla Moore is dead because our society favors “command and control” over compassionate mental health care.
We must keep the focus where it belongs. We can end racial profiling and impunity for those who kill under color of authority. We can turn around the militarization of local police, the collaboration with national security intelligence sharing, and begin to overturn the racial disparities that ravage communities of color in Berkeley.
Transforming policing and racial justice in Berkeley
: : : : : : Reclaiming King’s Legacy : : : : : :
“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is a state-sponsored war on Black lives in the United States and people across the country are demanding that it comes to an end. As long as it remains business as usual to gun down Black women, men and children in the streets of this country, there will be no business as usual anywhere or for anyone. Shut. It. Down.
Oakland’s Anti Police-Terrorism Project is calling a bay area wide spokescouncil to plan and coordinate actions for the upcoming Martin Luther King Day weekend (1/16-1/19). Let’s carry forward and amplify the struggle, together!
PLEASE SAVE THE FOLLOWING DATES for upcoming meetings in your calendar. Before your first meeting, please make sure to attend an orientation!
> Monday Jan 5th, 7pm orientation and kickoff meeting, CNA Offices
> Thursday Jan 8th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, OMNI Commons
> Saturday Jan 10th, 10am orientation, 11am meeting, OMNI Commons
> Monday Jan 12th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, (First Presbyterian Church)
> Wednesday Jan 14th, 6pm orientation, 7pm meeting, OMNI Commons
> Saturday Jan 17th, 11am meeting, OMNI Commons,
What is a spokescouncil?
A spokescouncil is a collective framework for direct action mobilizations, where large masses of people organize themselves into smaller teams called “affinity groups”. Affinity groups plan their actions independently with the intention of advancing the larger goal of the spokescouncil. Affinity groups are represented by at least one person (“a spoke”) at the meetings, where they are able to share resources and coordinate their actions with other groups.
Why a spokescouncil?
We propose the spokescouncil as a solution to many of the shortcomings of unstructured mass assemblies. We intend to provide a highly structured organizing space with clear tactical and messaging guidelines, that empowers participants to organize independently and in parallel. We intend to inspire a multitude of diverse actions and awaken the massive potential we have as a community engaging in direct action.
* The Anti Police-Terrorism Project is a project of the ONYX Organizing Committee in coalition with individuals and organizations like The Alan Blueford Center for Justice, Healthy Hoodz, Community Ready Corps, Idriss Stelly Foundation and more
** for questions or more information about the spokescouncil please contact aptpspokescouncil@gmail.co
On the agenda is the use of a residential street as a staging area for the cops during the protests against killer cops beginning December 6, as well as discussion about policies regarding the use of teargas and mutual aid.
Agenda and related documents here: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=12962
BAY AREA CIVIL LIBERTIES COALITION GENERAL MEETING
The Bay Area Civil Liberties Coalition works actively to empower individual efforts and support collective initiatives within the San Francisco Bay Area to support human rights, defeat illegal spying and surveillance and end abuse and militarization by local, regional, statewide and national government agencies and criminal justice/homeland security programs.
Individuals and organizations that support this work are encouraged to join us. Voting memberships for new organizations are subject to approval by the founding organizations. BACLC also engages in project-based collaborative work with a wide variety of organizations.
The Anti-Police Terrorism Project is a project of the ONYX Organizing Committee that in coalition with other organizations like the Alan Blueford Center for Justice, Workers World and Healthy Hoodz is working to develop a replicable and sustainable model to end police terrorism in this country.
We are led by the most impacted communities but are a multi-racial, mutil-generational coalition.
We meet the 3rd Thursday of every month at Eastside Arts Alliance at 7:30 pm.
Come organize to challenge:
- SLPD profiling/harassment of POC
- SLPD shootings and killings of POC
- militarization, including the BearCat and military-grade weapons
- Increased surveillance
- SLPD School Resource Officers creating “dossiers” on “at risk” elementary school students
- more
“You may well ask: ‘Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?’ You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.”
On
Sunday, January 18, the run-up to the historicMarch for Real Climate Leadership begins with an Oakland forum on “Organizing at the Crossroads: What Real Climate Leadership Looks Like,” one of seven forums to be held throughout the state on the community impacts of the gas and oil industry.
California is standing at the crossroads between deadly fossil fuel-dependency and the promise of an emerging social and economic renewal. And only an equitable, green energy transition rooted in environmental justice can take us there.
Come hear an inspiring panel of real climate leaders who are unafraid to face this challenge head on: newly elected Assemblyperson Tony Thurmond of AD 15 and Richmond City Councilperson Eduardo Martinez; Mary Lim Lampe of Genesis and Gamaliel; a representative of the California Nurses Association; community organizers Andrés Soto of Communities for a Better Environment, Margaret Gordon of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, and Juan Flores of the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment. Pennie Opal Plant offers the opening invocation. Forum MC is New Yorkers Against Fracking co-founder and Californians Against Fracking organizer, David Braun. Other speakers TBA.
The evening panel discussion will showcase how everyday Californians are in the fight of our lives against all aspects of the fossil fuel economy including extraction, infrastructure and transport, and our resistance to the industry’s assault on sustainable businesses and innovation. We’ll be exploring the intersections between our movements and aligning our energies behind one common goal: a truly clean energy future where our children are not poisoned for toxic profits.
Hosted by Californians Against Fracking, California Nurses Association, Sunflower Alliance, 350Bay Area, 350.org, Sierra Club, and others.
What: An inspiring organizing meeting to get ready for the March for Real Climate Leadership
Why: To meet local activists near you, learn about the local organizing that’s happening in the Bay, and build momentum towards the March for Real Climate Leadership
Next month’s march is one of our best chances to demand real action to combat the climate crisis here in California — and the next step towards making Oakland part of that is coming to the community organizing meeting on Sunday.
We have an amazing chance to build on the momentum from 2014, from over 4,000 people rallying in the state capitol to demand a ban on fracking, to historic mobilizations across the country for the People’s Climate March, to New York banning fracking in December. Let’s make the March for Real Climate Leadership the first of 2015’s big movement moments.
These organizing meetings will deepen our local networks and create new connections — because real climate leadership isn’t just about banning fracking (though that’s a big part of it). We will talk about the march itself, as well as: organizing and recruitment, how to be a bus captain and bring dozens of people from your community to the march, and ways to create art to make the day transformative.
Click here to sign up for the organizing tour stop in Oakland on Sunday.
Let’s make this amazing,