Calendar

RALLY organized by San Leandro Students and Families for Education

Tell the school board to teach, not police our kids! Last Tuesday, the San Leandro School District curriculum committee met and put forward to the board a proposed new curriculum funded and created by national law enforcement agencies that will put police officers on San Leandro elementary school campuses to teach a “gang prevention” curriculum during 5th grade class hours, thus taking away time from actual academic teaching. If approved, police officers will be treated as faculty members (not guests), have complete run of campus, be allowed to stop and interrogate children about any matters and attend parent and faculty meetings.

If adopted, the curriculum will set a new precedent of removing curriculum control from our community: it is a strictly controlled federal curriculum that the district cannot amend to adapt it to our children; and in fact, the curriculum is not supported by our community – not one parent spoke out in favor of the curriculum at last week’s meeting!

This curriculum constitutes a taking from our children’s education and our community’s right to control our children’s education. And we don’t need it! Our elementary schools have strong multi-year anti-bullying and conflict resolution training; we offer safety training in middle and elementary school; what we have is much more comprehensive than what is being offered. In contrast, many of our children need real help in core curriculum courses. And we need full reinstatement of programs cut due to budget cuts.

In this moment when there is so much conflict with police, we need real solutions for police accountability and responsiveness to community needs, not a PR campaign targeting our kids.

This curriculum is not how San Leandro should make a name for itself. According to the police presentation at the curriculum meeting, the Alameda County Sheriff wants to roll this curriculum out to all elementary schools in the county! Berkeley police are being trained, even though we confirmed this week that the Berkeley school board has not heard of the program. This new curriculum is being pushed not by parents, but by police despite parents, to open East Bay Schools to surveillance and policing.

Please come on out and tell the school board what our community values. Stop San Leandro from being an early adopter that could influence school boards through the East Bay. Teach not Police!

The Fever is a 2004 psychological drama produced by HBO Films, directed by Carlo Gabriel Nero and based on the 1990 eponymous play by writer/actor, Wallace Shawn.

The film follows the existential crisis of an unnamed urban sophisticate (Vanessa Redgrave) who becomes aware of the nature of world politics, economic exploitation and the vapid consumerism around her. A series of events lead her to visit an unnamed third world country, representing an exotic location somewhere in Eastern Europe, where the entire economy and populace are geared towards the tourist industry.

Doors open at 6 pm for snacks, and movie will start at 6:30 pm. Free Popcorn!

~Sponsored by Liberated Lens~

Demands:

• Public apology from Suhr to Mario’s mother
• SF pay for Mario’s funeral
• SF pay for Federal Investigation
• Identify all officers who fired weapons
• Fire all officers who discharged weapons
• Fire Police Chief Suhr

This Wednesday at 5 pm @ San Francisco City Hall: Demand Justice for #MarioWoods, murdered by #SFPD. pic.twitter.com/2bYKIzuP2K

— CRC Media Corps (@CRCMediaCorps) December 7, 2015

URGENT. All hands on deck:
Police Commission Meets on Mario Woods
NEED HUGE TURNOUT — Bring your groups.

Justice 4 Mario Woods, 26, assassinated by SF Bayview Police, 12-2-15
SF Bayview Police (5 cops, 25 bullets) were captured on video slaying Mario Woods 12-2-15. Citizens are keeping up rolling actions to ensure the firing of Police Chief Greg Suhr and to  indict and jail the five cops for first degree murder in the execution of Mario Woods.

The SF Police Commission meets to review the case at 5:00 PM.

We are ALL planning to show up at the Police Commission hearing with signs demanding resignation of Chief Greg Suhr, and the indictment of the five cops who killed Mario Woods. We need a Ferguson response. Don’t be pacified.

Come out for our sisters and brothers in the Bayview and for every one of us.

Bring signs:

STOP POLICE MURDERS

JUSTICE FOR MARIO

FIRE SUHR NOW

JAIL THE KILLER COPS

INDICT, CONVICT, JAIL

STAND UP, RESIST! SEND THOSE KILLER COPS TO JAIL
THE WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM IS GUILTY AS HELL

STOP MILITARIZATION OF POLICE

Bring pictures of Mario Woods

http://www.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2015/12/07/police-to-reconsider-use-of-force-policy-after-killing-of-mario-woods
http://www.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2015/12/05/outraged-community-calls-for-sfpd-chiefs-resignation-over-killing-of-mario-woods
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/12/07/mayor-lee-calls-bayview-shooting-very-upsetting-after-viewing-video/

San Francisco will review and potentially revise the police department’s “Use of Force” policy following the fatal police shooting of Mario Woods in the Bayview last Wednesday, Dec. 2. Video of the shooting, showing at least ten police officers surrounding Woods – who was allegedly armed with a knife – before five officers opened fire, has prompted widespread outrage and calls for SFPD Chief Suhr’s resignation.

Long descriptions of taser abuse by police: taser-stories

The San Francisco Immigrant Legal & Education Network will be hosting our annual International Migrant’s Day. This year’s theme is “Human Rights and Migrant Rights Across Borders”. This is a day of celebration and cultural sharing as well as raising awareness in our community about important issues and engaging in dialogue.

Our two presenters for the night will be covering the Syrian Refugee Crisis as well as Black Lives Matter Movement.  We will be having a variety of performances including, Chinese Lion Dancers, Peruvian Folklorico, and Migrante Musical Group.

Please help spread the word and join us for an evening of food, performances, cultural sharing, and dialogue.

The event is free and open to the public. Translation in Spanish. Arabic, Tagalog, and Chinese will be provided.

The Conscientious Projector Film Series for the 99% presents:
Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune. Plus! We will open with the Debut Screening of the New 2015 (30 Min) Vic Sadot Video:
“Phil Ochs May 1973 Interview: Nixon, Watergate, & S. America” on December 10, 2015 7 PM.

We will screen the 2015 Vic Sadot video made from the 1973 reel-to-real audio “Phil Ochs May 1973 Interview by Vic Sadot & Rich Lang” (30:10). The main feature will follow: “Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune”, a film by Kenneth Bowser released on First Run Features. (97 minutes, documentary, color, English, 2010)www.philochsthemovie.com

Synopsis: As our country continues to embroil itself in foreign wars, PHIL OCHS: THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE is a timely and relevant tribute to an unlikely American hero. Over the course of a meteoric music career that spanned two turbulent decades, Phil Ochs sought the bright lights of fame and social justice in equal measure – a contradiction that eventually tore him apart. From youthful idealism to rage to pessimism, the arc of Ochs’ life paralleled that of the times, and the anger, satire and righteous indignation that drove his music also drove him to dark despair. In this brilliantly constructed film, interview and performance footage of Ochs is illuminated by the ruminations of Joan Baez, Tom Hayden, Pete Seeger, Sean Penn, Peter Yarrow, Christopher Hitchens and others. Trailer: Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune (Documentary) HD http://youtu.be/zbS4ruKw2OQ

This location is wheelchair accessible via the ramp on the Bonita Avenue side of the building.

Sponsored by the BFUU Social Justice Committee
www.bfuu.org/events

We are back at our favorite homestead- Penelope- and we want to do it big for the holidays by bringing folks to eat, drink and be merry AND support a good cause.

That’s right folks– proceeds of our profit will be going to support the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, a kick ass organization empowering Arab communities in the Bay to fight for social justice and self-determination.

Tis the season for giving, but why not fill your belly and enjoy the warmth of Arab hospitality while you’re at it?

Mark your calendars. You don’t want to miss this holiday pop up.

The ReSisters: An evening of music, satire, hope, and three-part harmony with the Divas of
Dissent.

The ReSisters are Pat Wynne, Liliana Herrera, and Hali Hammer, three accomplished performers and songwriters, who mix topical commentary with the age-old pleasures of melody, close harmony, and rhythm.
There’s a rumor that Bernard Gilbert (sometimes known as the ReMister) will take a rare turn at the microphone for a guest set.

Presentation: 4-6pm
Party + Potluck: 6-9pm

For the last 3 months, Joelci Dannacea, an economist and leader of the Landless Worker’s Movement of Brazil (MST) has been visiting the Bay Area to learn more about U.S. social movements, and to share about her work with the MST, one of the world’s largest, most successful social movements.

As the exchange comes to a close, Joelci, the Bay Area Friends of the MST, PLACE for Sustainable Living, Occupy the Farm, and the Sustainable Economies Law Center invite you to Joelci’s last public event before she heads back to Brazil. Joelci will share reflections and insights on the current political moment, the MST’s ongoing work, and how together we must “Globalize the Struggle, Globalize Hope”.

A point of focus during the presentation will be “The Social Movement Economy”. Joelci will explain how she helps establish agricultural co-operatives on land recently won through occupation, and how those co-ops quite literally feed, house, and otherwise support their militancy. For the latter half of the discussion, Joelci will be joined by Chris Tittle from the Sustainable Economies Law Center, to discuss how co-operatives are (and aren’t) supporting social movements here in the U.S.

There will be time for Q+A following the discussion, and a party to send Joelci off!

Donations at the door appreciated, no one turned away for lack of funds.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition will be hosting LYRICAL REVOLT, a political-artistic space to express oneself through any vocal medium. Join us as we use the power of our words and art to battle the injustices that face the world today.This open mic is dedicated to the liberation of the Palestinian people and the demand to immediately release Mumia Abu Jamal and all political prisoners in the United States. The violently racist doctrines of Zionism and white supremacy have terrorized and imprisoned Palestinians on their own land while leaders of the liberation struggles of oppressed people have either been murdered or locked up in U.S. prisons. The growing movements and rebellions confronting state terror remind us that Existence is Resistance! Free Mumia! Free Palestine!
———————–

The program will start at 7pm sharp, sign ups will start at 6pm.

On Saturday, December 12th, Paul Z. Simmons will speak on their series of recent dispatches from the liberated territories of Rojava in Northern Syria, a region besieged by war yet is also in the midst of one of the most far reaching social experiments of the 21st Century: the ‘Rojava Revolution.’ The liberated territories of Rojava are a thriving example of stateless democracy and of a people who are overturning traditional institutions such as patriarchy and social hierarchies. All events will be by donation and free copies of Paul’s dispatches will be on hand along with other revolutionary anarchist publications.

Simons talks about his experiences including crossing international boundaries under false pretenses, attending commune meetings in Kobane, high-velocity detours around ISIS sympathetic villages, and the camaraderie of the YPG militias. Simons had full access to the various revolutionary organizations and militias and will discuss their mandates and implementation issues associated with realizing a stateless society. Weaving together ideas of anti-authoritarianism, feminism, ecology, and a rejection of the state, Paul Z. Simons’ report, which is part adventure and part political journalism on the the Rojava Revolution, is not to be missed by anyone working for sweeping social transformation in the current age.

Check out the whole tour:

Sunday, December 6th, 7pm, Santa Cruz
SubRosa Infoshop, 703 Pacific Ave

Monday, December 7th, 7pm, Monterey
Old Capitol Books, 559 Tyler St

Tuesday, December 8th, 7pm, Cupertino
De Anza College, Campus Center, Conference Room A&B, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd. $3 parking permit required for campus parking.

Saturday, December 12th, 7pm, Oakland
OMNI Commons, 4799 Shattuck Ave

Sunday, December 13th, San Francisco
Station 40, 16th Street 4040 B (Near Mission Street). Note, Station 40 is up two flights of stairs.

Sponsored by: Modern Slavery, FireWorks, Ruins of Capital Distro, Industrial Workers of the World/Solidarity Network San Jose, Direct Action Monterey Network (DAMN), SubRosa Infoshop, OMNI Commons, and Station 40.

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

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.

In April, it was two years since we started holding these prayer meetings at the Baha’i Center. Come share prayers, quotes, poems, and favorite passages from your scriptures with us. We will serve a simple breakfast.

Oakland: Bill of Rights Day Celebration

bill of rights day
Tickets are limited. Please purchase yours below by Friday, Dec. 11, 2015.

It’s been an amazing year, full of victories for all Californians!

Come celebrate with us at our annual Bill of Rights Day. This year, we’ll be in Oakland at the Impact Hub, a coworking space for change-makers!

After the program, enjoy appetizers and an open bar at the reception, honoring:

Dorsey Nunn for his commitment to racial justice, especially in voting rights and for catalyzing the nation’s “ban the box” movement. His work empowering formerly incarcerated people is an inspiration.

Dr. Milton Estes for his leadership and decades of service to the ACLU both in Northern California and nationally. Milton has served as an advisor in the areas of reproductive justice, public health, and HIV/AIDS policy, as well as providing exemplary service as a Board leader.

Let’s honor these bold leaders together and celebrate a year of legislative successes for civil rights and civil liberties!

This public forum will examine the militarization of local police departments and the implications for public safety, inspired by the murder of Yuvette Henderson by the Emeryville Police Department. Yuvette was gunned down on February 2nd after being confronted by a security guard at Home Depot for alleged shoplifting. She died in a hail of gunfire by Emeryville police armed with AR-15 military-grade machine guns.

Since that day, many in our community have asked – why does a small police department, patrolling a community of less than 11,000, need military-grade assault weapons? Are the people of Emeryville any safer because of it?

We’ll also explore the ways that agencies like the Pentagon have played a role in accelerating the militarization of local police departments, as well as the direct connection between the Oakland Police Department and the Israeli Defense Force. Policy experts and local activists will examine the impact of coordination between police and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Latino communities.

The day will also feature spoken word and music performances highlighting the damage done by police violence. This forum is the launch of a broader campaign to end militarization of the Emeryville Police Department, and will include opportunities to get involved.

Casey was arrested protesting at Old Berkeley City Hall on Monday, 12/7, for “lodging.”
He had a hearing on Thursday at which the judge set bail at $2500, because
he does not have a fixed place of residence and is therefore not “reliable enough”
to be let out without bail.

He has another hearing on Monday, 12/14, at 9:00 AM at Wiley Manuel, Rm 104.

Casey’s attorney has written:

Casey’s court date is Monday. Honestly, if there are folks willing to
support him by coming to court, I know that makes a difference for people on
the inside. Do you think there would be any support for that?

So if you can make it, please mark your calendar and show up!!

You can read more about the homeless Occupation of Old Berkeley City Hall on the
First They Came for the Homeless Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/First-they-came-for-the-homeless-253882908111999/

and the first several days of the Occupation (before they were evicted) were summarized here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/11/28/1454718/-Homeless-Not-Helpless-Diary-of-an-Occupation

First They Came for the Homeless joined the fight against the sale of the Berkeley Post Office
and the privatization of the Commons more than a year and a half ago, and is still Occupying
the downtown Berkeley Post Office, and has organized the protest against anti-homelessness
ordinances that have been passed by the City Council of Berkeley, continuing with the protest
at Old City Hall.

                  Movie Night: “Where the Spirit Lives” A film about aboriginal life in Canadian residential schools

Where the Spirit Lives (1989) is a drama about aboriginal children in Canada being taken from their tribes to attend residential schools for assimilation into majority culture. The Aboriginal Residential Schools were a network of “residential” (boarding) schools for Indigenous Canadians (First Nations or “Indians”; Métis and Inuit). Funded by the Canadian government they were administered by Christian churches and operated for most of the 20th Century. The policy was to remove children from the influence of their families and culture, and assimilate them into the dominant Canadian culture.^[2] Over the course of the system’s existence, about 30% of native children, or roughly 150,000, were placed in residential schools nationally.

A consensus emerged in the early 21st century that residential schools did significant harm to Aboriginal children who attended them by removing them from their families, depriving them of their ancestral languages, through sterilization, and by exposing many of them to physical and sexual abuse by staff members, and other students. Many native and non-native people are calling for reparations to be made by the Canadian government to the survivors of the system.

The lead character of the film is a young girl taken from her reservation to one of the schools but whois particularly resistant to efforts to westernize her.

It may be interesting to discuss the film’s story in light of the election of the new Canadian Prime Minister who has said one of his top priorities will be to honour treaties with aboriginal people and to address long-standing issues such as poverty and racism towards them.

Time will be allotted for Q&A, discussion and announcements.

Our pressure is working — but we can’t let up now! Some factions are still pushing the jail.

There are key events coming up for our fight in December. Will you join us in demanding that the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors halt their rush moves to push through the proposed jail?

Mark your calendars and join us to speak out at the Board of Supervisors meeting against the new jail and for community care.

Update 12/14

We are so close to stopping the new jail in San Francisco!

Today, San Francisco Supervisors David Campos, Jane Kim, John Avalos, and Board President London Breed stood united in their unequivocal opposition to a new jail in San Francisco.

“We are not going to support a stand alone prison to continue to lock up African Americans and Latinos in this city, we are not going to continue to lock up people who have mental illness and substance abuse problems and clearly need to be treated,” said President Breed.

“Although it pains me to turn down $80 million, my grandmother used to say ‘all money ain’t good money,’ and this is bad money,” said Breed. “This is money for a bad purpose. And I’d rather go down in history as someone opposing something that is wrong than to accept money that is going to continue to destroy people’s lives. We can do better and we will do better.”

The Supervisors were joined by former Supervisor and state Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, Youth Commissioners and Project WHAT! members Jessica Calderon and Cecilia Galeano, Eva Alexander from TGI Justice, and Lily Fahsi-Haskell from Critical Resistance Oakland.

Thanks to your calls, emails, and presence in City Hall, we are closer than ever to stopping this jail. But we need to make sure we have the votes, so we cannot stop now!

Email and call the Supervisors who have not yet declared their opposition to the jail, and let them know that we cannot move forward with a jail that promotes the violent repression of the City’s most marginalized residents.

Then, join us tomorrow at the full board hearing to demand our city implement real solutions — not more policies that destroy the poorest communities and families in our city.

Next Tuesday’s Berkeley City Council meeting will be a critical one, on several fronts, for police accountability. Please make sure to attend and raise your voices for true change.

* One year after the police assault on demonstrators proclaiming Black Lives Matter, the Council will finally hear recommendations from the Police Review Commission investigation.
* Council will hold its annual vote on BPD agreements with law enforcement and military bodies. Community people are mobilizing to protest the relationships with NCRIC, the intelligence fusion center, and UASI, the funder of the militaristic Urban Shield exercise.
* Jesse Arreguin has placed a positive item on the agenda to move the City toward a new model of public safety.

If you participated in the December 2014 protests and felt your rights were violated—COME OUT DEC. 15!
If you disagree with Donald Trump and think Muslims and Arabs should not be treated like criminals because of their ethnicity and religion, COME TO COUNCIL!
If you or people you know have been racially profiled by the BPD—wwhich has now been substantiated by their own data–COME TO COUNCIL DEC. 15!

Details on apropos agenda items:

Item 34:  Updates on Police and Community Relations Referrals
From: Councilmember Arreguin
Recommendation: Schedule a worksession on April 26, 2016 for staff to update City Council on the progress of the referrals approved at the February 24, 2015 Council meeting regarding Police and Community Relations.
Consent calendar

Item 39:  Agreements, With Other Law Enforcement Agencies, Police Departments or Private Security Organization  (Continued from December 1, 2015)
Attachment 1, Exhibit A
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Conduct a public hearing, and at the conclusion of the hearing, adopt a Resolution approving agreements, understandings or policies existing or revised as of July 15, 2015 between the Berkeley Police Department and other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, military and/or intelligence agencies, police departments and private security organizations in order to maintain the current level of police resources and emergency services.  Review attached Suspicious Activity Reports and Mutual Aid requests/responses provided annually as per City Council request.
Action calendar

Item 40: 
a. Report of Investigation Into the Police Department Response to Protests on December 6, 2014 (Continued from December 1, 2015)
From: Police Review Commission
Recommendation:
1.  Accept the PRC’s investigative report into the BPD’s response to the protests of December 6, 2014; and
2.  Refer the report to the City Manager for implementation of the recommendations
Financial Implications: Unknown
Contact: Katherine Lee, Commission Secretary, 981-4950

b. Response to PRC Report on BPD Response to December 6 Protests, Revision of Police Crowd Management Policies(Continued from December 1, 2015)
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Direct the City Manager to have the Berkeley Police Department collaborate with the Police Review Commission to further develop mutually agreed upon revisions to the Berkeley Police Department’s policies and procedures regarding response to protest activity and to report back to the Council within 180 days for an update.
Action calendar

***

Many other critical items are also on the agenda, including implementation of Homeless Task Force Tier One Recommendations, Living Wage for City Employees, Eviction Prevention, Affordable Housing Plan,   Worker Co-ops; and from Peace and Justice:  Prosecution of John Yoo, Haitian Family Reunification Program, Support for Indigenous Peoples in Berkeley, and End Drone Warfare.

The Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club has scheduled an emergency meeting.

The panel includes  Xiomara Castro of Citizens Trade Campaign[www.citizenstrade.org] and Suzanne York of the Sierra Club.  There will be time for questions and a discussion of effective responses. Refreshments  will be provided, but there will be no potluck at this meeting. You do not have to be a member or a Democrat to attend.