NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:

occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

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

General Assembly Standard Agenda

Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic

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

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

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

Join us in offering hot food, drinks, snacks, and solidarity to releasees and visitors at Santa Rita Jail!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/MD3k85stxBkWTfL4A

Prisons function to repress, warehouse and extract labor from those that our state deems “criminal”, primarily those of us who are Black, poor, or mentally ill. We believe that solidarity is a weapon of resistance, and that we must respond to the basic needs of our community while also confronting state terror.

In honor of Dujuan Armstrong Jr. who entered Santa Rita Jail for a weekend sentence and never came home, we’re providing material support and direct care to folks at Santa Rita Jail as a small but meaningful way to address the harm caused by incarceration in our community. We do not positively engage with the racist pigs who work at the jail, as they are willing agents of the state that criminalizes and incarcerates us.

We’d love to see you there! Meet us outside of the Lake Merritt BART station at 4pm – we’ll drive out to the jail together from there. All are welcome, no experience required. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/MD3k85stxBkWTfL4A

Free public cultural film series centered on the historic commemoration of the 400th Anniversary of the first Africans brought to British North America. The series will feature a monthly film screening over 7 months, from February 2019 for Black History Month, through August 2019.

Food at 4:30pm
Film at 5pm

Apocalyptic visions of the future pervade today’s political spectrum. One of the more popular comes in two recent works — Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century — by Yuval Noah Harari. For him multiple total crises demand that humanity come up with a “clear idea of what life is all about.”

The debate over “the meaning of life” has been going on “for thousands of years,” but now, says Harari, time is “running out” for Homo sapiens.

From the start Marx grounded his new humanism in a unifying principle that speaks to today’s impasse in human thought and human experience.

Today’s reality demands clarity on meaning be­cause, according to Harari, “the looming ecological crisis, the growing threat of weapons of mass destruction, and the rise of new disruptive technologies will not allow” delay.

What does Harari’s perspective on mean­ing have in common with most of the Left? How is Marx’s perspective distinctive from both?

OCCUPELLA will be singing at the TAX THE RICH RALLY EVERY MONDAY from 5-6 on upper Solano Ave. in front of the (closed) Oaks Theater. Songbooks are provided.

(We’ll also be LEADING SONGS ON JULY 13 at NOON in Civic Center Park (across from Berkeley High and old City Hall). The City of Berkeley will officially recognize the human rights abuses at the border.)

East Bay DSA is proud to host author Eric Blanc and OEA  2nd Vice President Chastity Garcia for a panel discussion and Q&A on July 22 from 7:00-9:00pm.

Educators across the country are rising up against low pay, privatization, and austerity. Former high school teacher Eric Blanc has been on the ground reporting on this historic upsurge for The Nation, Jacobin, and The Guardian. His new book “Red State Revolt” describes the inspiring story of the teachers’ strike wave and analyzes why it points the way forward for all working people. Join us for a discussion of the strikes — from West Virginia, to Arizona, to Oakland — and their lessons for today’s struggles to defend our schools and public services for all.

Please join us from 6-7pm for an informal meet and greet, mingling, and refreshments!

Accessibility Information: 2nd Floor, accessible by stairs only

https://www.facebook.com/groups/541837129562482/permalink/700941026985424/

The East Bay Sanctuary Covenant are the lead plaintiff suing the Trump Administration regarding the Third County Transit Ban. There will be a hearing on their REQUEST FOR A TRO (TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER) For more information https://ebsc.nationbuilder.com/?utm_campaign=ebsc_v_barr&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ebsc 

FACTS ABOUT THE THIRD COUNTRY BAN LAWSUIT

According to Michael Smith, EBSC’s Director of Refugee Rights, “Trump’s policy is illegal and usurps the power of Congress to make laws. Seeking asylum is clearly protected under U.S. and international asylum law. EBSC’s asylum clients are fleeing horrific violence in their home countries. EBSC has one of the largest affirmative asylum programs in the U.S. and has successfully helped almost 4,000 people to obtain asylum.

Over 97% of EBSC’s asylum cases are approved, showing that these claims are meritorious. These are people fleeing persecution and seeking safety under the law. Contrary to what the administration is claiming, this population is not safe in Guatemala or Mexico, where they are vulnerable to their persecutors and other forms of oppression. Many of EBSC’s clients, including LGBTQ people and survivors of gender-based violence, are fleeing persecution in Mexico. Asylum seekers crossing the U.S. southern border are not only from Central America. They may be from Russia, Africa, and Asia; some have traveled through South America, the jungles of Panama and Central America, with the hopes of reaching safety. Nearly all of EBSC clients are victims of atrocious forms of persecution – 80% have been raped or sexually abused, including male and female children. Going forward, 80% of EBSC clients would be unable to apply for asylum.

The ramifications of the Trump administration’s actions will be long-reaching for people who are genuinely deserving of asylum protection. EBSC’s 37-year old asylum program reaching the most traumatized populations would be terminated. Act Now! Write your congressional representatives! Join EBSC’s social media networks. Share accurate news and articles so more people are informed of the detrimental impact of these attacks on asylum law. Support EBSC by volunteering or donating – your support matters!

PG&E wants to make you PAY for their destruction! Come to this special CPUC Public Hearing and say HELL NO to this terrible idea. NO to the increased utility fees! NO to PG&E-caused deadly megafires! Let’s Own PG&E!

Agenda.

Of special interest:

VII. SB1421 Compliance Update
Commissioner Thomas Lloyd Smith has requested several updates: from OPD as to what
has already been disclosed and what the plan is for future disclosures, and from CPRA on
what their process is for reporting to the Commission on what is being publicly released.

XII. OPD’s Use of Force Policy
The Commission will discuss the next steps in addressing OPD’s Use of Force policy. The
Commission may discuss scheduling a public hearing on Use of Force. This is a new item.

You’re invited to the global premiere of “The Response,” Shareable’s 30-minute documentary about community-led disaster response and recovery featuring on-the-ground efforts in communities across Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

In the midst of all the hurricane-driven chaos, a quiet revolution has been slowly percolating on the island. The film explores how an impromptu community kitchen meant to help feed survivors in the town of Caguas quickly grew into an island-wide network of mutual aid centers (Centros de Apoyo Mutuo) with the ultimate aim of restoring power — both electric and civic — to the people.

Launching at Oakland’s legendary Pro Arts Gallery & COMMONS with the Northern California Resilience Network and film producer, Tom Llewellyn, this benefit screening for Shareable will also feature an all-star panel discussion and celebration afterwards.

We’ll also celebrate NorCal Resilience Network’s ‘Resilience Hubs’ initiative (a community-led network of spaces ready for anything). To catalyze more community action, all participants will get Shareable’s new guide, “How to Create a Resilience Hub in Your Community”.

One night only on July 24th. Buy your tickets today to join a celebration of “disaster collectivism,” those instances when communities make the bold decision to make transformational social change in the wake of disasters.

#ShutDown850 NOW! Join us for this day of action to pressure the Board of Supervisors to take action and stop delaying on passing legislation to close county jail #4 at 850 Bryant. #NoNewSFJail #AbolitionNOW pic.twitter.com/bHsz3SFy8M

— #ShutDown850 | No New SF Jail Coalition (@ShutDown850) July 17, 2019

INVITATION: Reflections from the Poor People’s Campaign Moral Congress The Poor People’s Campaign is entering its next phase, and we want you with us as we continue to build this moral fusion movement. Please join or a report-back event on the Moral Action Congress that was held in Washington DC last month.

We’ll hear from Poor People’s Campaign members who attended the Congress, laying out the vision for the campaign and how we’re going to build a people-powered movement, making it impossible for our elected officials to ignore the struggles of the 140 million poor people in this country. We hope you’ll join us for this event. Please RSVP  by emailing info@ppcbayarea.org.

The event will begin at 6pm. We’ll have light refreshments at the start. Childcare will be available on request — please let us know in your RSVP if you’ll be needing that.

Forward together, not one step back! The Bay Area Poor People’s Campaign Steering Committee

oin East Bay DSA’s Labor Committee for our monthly social!

Grab food and drinks, hang out with other members who are interested in the labor movement, hear about what’s happening in the East Bay DSA Labor Committee, and learn how you can get involved!

Please join us for July’s monthly potluck and free movie at the Bobby Bowens Progressive Center.

In light of the global Plastic Free July movement, we are going to watch Tapped (1 hr, 15 min) and additional clips about the plastic pollution crisis.

Tapped looks into the effects of plastic bottled water on issues such as pollution, human health and climate change. Plastic bottles ideally can be recycled but many of them end up in landfills or the ocean where they pose a threat to marine life. Also presented is an overwhelming amount of evidence that will change the way anyone thinks about bottled versus municipal water.

Since China’s ban on most plastic import, our plastic waste has been flooding Southeast Asian countries that lack the capacity to manage such amount. And yet more plastics are being manufactured as the industries want to educate us that recycling, instead of avoiding waste at its source, is the key solution to single-use petrochemical products although our recycling management is inadequate to catch up with the rate the plastic waste is being produced.

Join us and explore how our reliance on single-use disposable products leave us swimming in plastic pollution. Bring some food to share…and…your own re-usable foodware if you can.

Since November of 2018, there have been weekly protests, sometimes involving hundreds of thousands of people, from students to housewives to workers to retirees, angry at the high cost of living and the government’s policies.
Come and hear a presentation by Camille Chauchat, a French school teacher and an activist with the Fraction L’Etincelle in the NPA (New Anti-Capitalist Party) and participant in the Yellow Vest Movement in Lyons, France.

EastSide Arts Alliance, the Global Uchinanchu Alliance (GUA) and the Okinawa Kenjinkai Study Group (OKSG) present:
Final Fridays Films of Solidarity & Resistance
“Our Island’s Treasure”

film screening, Q and A with the filmmaker, and yuntaku/talk story

Have you heard about what’s been going on in Henoko, Okinawa? What is #RiseForHenoko? Maybe you’ve heard about how local residents have been protesting the building of a new U.S. military base in Oura Bay? The ongoing landfill work to create this base is destroying thousand-year-old coral reef structures, and threatens the aquatic life in the bay, including the Dugong, a manatee-like marine mammal that is close to extinction.

Maybe you’ve heard about the February 2019 Okinawan prefectural referendum, where 71.7% of Okinawans voted in opposition to the new base? Despite the democratic opposition of the indigenous Okinawans, the Japanese government continues to push forward with the land reclamation process.

A lack of U.S. media attention has meant that most people in the United States don’t know about the social and environmental crisis in Okinawa that worsens every day. Teenaged filmmaker Kaiya Yonamine created a documentary this year to shed light on what’s going on. She explains on her website, https://www.riseforhenoko.com:

My name is Kaiya, and I am a 17-year old Okinawan-American high school student from Portland, Oregon. I recently went back to Henoko this spring because I was frustrated with the silence of the media around this crisis.

I wanted to make a documentary to show the world what’s happening. My documentary, “Our Island’s Treasure,” focuses on the current destruction of the beautiful Okinawan ocean in Henoko and the fight by native Uchinanchu people to protect it. Please help spread awareness.

FilmWorks United International Working Class Film & Video Festival

The Teachers’ Protest – 2019 (78 min.) Directed by Jon Seal (UK)

1942. Occupied Norway. Teachers must join the Nazi Teachers’ League and teach Nazi ideas in their classrooms. 8,000 of them write protest letters. They are threatened with salary withdrawal and the sack. Still they refuse. In a desperate attempt to break them, the Nazi government arrests 1000 male teachers and sends them to prison camps, 300 miles above the Arctic Circle. The education system is in chaos and now the battle begins.

The Teachers’ Protest is an opportunity to learn about one of the most remarkable stories of passive resistance in World War Two – a story unknown outside of Norway. The documentary brings these events to an international audience through the memories of those involved in the protest. The drawings of Herlov Åmland, made in the terrible conditions of the Arctic prison camp, are brought to life through animation and become the dramatic heart. The Teachers’ Protest tells us how ordinary people stood up to horrific oppression in an extra ordinary way. Sadly, it is as relevant today as ever.

This feature length documentary uses interviews, archive footage, and the fascinating animation of original drawings to tell the teachers’ story to an international audience for the first time.