Calendar

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Jul
6
Sat
Suds, Snacks and Socialism: Assange & Press Freedom @ Starry Plough
Jul 6 @ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Join the Peace and Freedom Party’s Alameda County chapter for the monthly Suds, Snacks and Socialism forum All are welcome to discuss the topic of Julian Assange and Press Freedom.

Doors open at 2pm. The program will start promptly at 2:30pm and will wrap up by 4:30pm, but folks can stay and talk as long for as you like. All ages welcome!

The July forum on Julian Assange and Press Freedom is co-sponsored by the Oakland Greens, the Alameda County Peace and Freedom Party and Bay Area System Change Not Climate Change and the Task Force on the Americas. The forum is part of our ongoing Socialist Forum Series on the first Saturday of every month. Our purpose is informed political discussion, and the views expressed are those of the speakers only, not official positions of the Peace and Freedom Party or our fellow co-sponsors.

 

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The National Get Organized for an Actual Revolution Tour Program and Fundraiser @ Revolution Books
Jul 6 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The National Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution Tour Program and Fundraiser. The tour will be coming to Revolution Books, Berkeley on July 6th. Join us! “You Think You’re Woke…But You’re Sleepwalking Through a Nightmare-This System Can’t be Reformed, It Must Be Overthrown!”
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Jul
7
Sun
Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library @ Niebyl Proctor Library
Jul 7 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Sun, Jun 16, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Cuba”s Democracy
Constitutional Referendum and grassroots political processes.
Cuba is always described as a “dictatorship” by the mainstream media and the U.S. government, thus providing a pretext for the economic blockade and talk about regime change. But Sharat G. Lin found a remarkable democratic process in the recent Constitutional Referendum in Cuba and months of nationwide discussions involving millions of voters. (Awaiting confirmation)

Sun, Jun 30, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Fascism What It Is and How To Fight It
“Fascism: What It Is and How To Fight It” – a two part talk including a historical overview of the events leading up to the rise of fascism in Europe leading up to WWII, and a political analysis of the failures of the communist movement at the time in preventing it. This all in light of the current rise of white supremacy and fascist movements in the U.S., Europe and Latin America and the lack of a united left movement to fight it. Supplemental handouts will be available, including a timeline. Presented by Peoples Alliance members Bill Bowers and Tova Fry (both former WWP) : Bill leading with the historical overview and TovaFry following with the political analysis, largely based on Trotsky’s work of the same name.

Sun, Jul 7, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Reading Capital

This is part of a continuing discussion of Capital, reading, paragraph by paragraph from the Penguin edition (1967). We’ve finished Chapter One (after one year) and are now working our way through Chapter 2: The Process of Exchange, p. 178.

Sun, Jul 7, 2019: 12:45-1:45 pm
Planning Session
We get together after the morning session on the first Sunday of every month to discuss things in general and plan the schedule for our Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library forums. This is an open meeting. Everyone is welcome to help plan our future sessions. Please come with suggestions and concrete plans. Also, please review our web site to familiarize yourself with our current proposals. Newcomers and Old Timers welcome.

Sun, Jul 14, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
General Elections in India:
Modi’s Fascism vs. Social Democrats and the Left

Modi has completed 5 years in power, with his BJP having a majority in the Indian Parliament. In 2014, Modi won on the slogan of  “Be with everyone, development for everyone” in the background of major corruption scandals in the last 5 years of the 10 years that Congress Party ruled (2004 thru 2014), with Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi as the Congress Party President.
Modi moved rapidly to consolidate power in his hands, ousting or sidelining veteran leaders in his own Party. Under his 5 years of rule, “cow protectors” have become emboldened. Several incidents of lynching of Muslims have taken place, religious bigotry is openly practiced, and assassinations of several public intellectuals, all secularists, have taken place while he mostly sat silently over such egregious violations of civil rights. Further he has tried to create a militarist posture and sought to portray himself as a strong PM, who is willing to take on the terrorists based in Pakistan aggressively. His policies of “demonetization” of 1916 created a great deal of small business distress. Unemployment is at 45 year high and farm distress and farmer suicides continue. But the mass media, now privately owned, and funded by big capital  has helped create him as a “the man of the people”.
Raj Sahai will present his views on what is beginning to boil under the surface of a seeming “all is well” scenario presented in India in the mass media and projected and globally.

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Third Annual Indivisible Berkeley Picnic @ Live Oak Park Picnic Area #1
Jul 7 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Wind up July 4th weekend with your IB friends! Come to the Third Annual Indivisible Berkeley Picnic!

Bring:

Food or drink to share — Sign up for the potluck! Note: Alcohol is not allowed in city parks.

Family and friends

Frisbees, footballs, etc.

Musical instruments, if that’s your jam

Optional: Something to sit on (there are several picnic tables)

Questions? Want to help? Email beccafreed@gmail.com.

Here’s the flyer if you want to print it out and share it!

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SF Mime Troupe – Treasure Island @ John Hinckle Park
Jul 7 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

CHECK BELOW FOR LOCATIONS OTHER THAN FOR 7/6 and 7/7

SF Mime Troupe’s play – Using the classic pirate novel Treasure Island as its inspiration the show is the story of Hawkins, a civil servant in San Francisco, who accidentally stumbles upon the plans of a developer, L.J. Silver. Through bribery, and label brutality, Silver is overriding all the clear health, safety, and human concerns regarding developing Treasure Island for his own greed.

Written by Michael Gene Sullivan with Ellen Callas, Marie Cartier, Keiko Shimosato Carreiro.
Music by Michael Bello, Lyrics by Daniel Savio.
Co-Directed by Wilma Bonet with Lisa Hori-Garcia.

TREASURE ISLAND features Mime Troupe veterans Lizzie Calogero, Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, Michael Gene Sullivan, as well as returning performers Andre Amarotico and Brian Rivera

Other East Bay dates and locations:

  • Frances Willard/Ho Chi Minh Park
    Sat, Jul 13th @ 2:00 PM (Music 1:30)
    Sun, Jul 14th @ 2:00 PM (Music 1:30)
    Hillegass Ave. & Derby St., Berkeley map toHillegass Ave. & Derby St.
    Ticket Info: FREE (Suggested donation $20)
    Post show discussion on 7/13
  • Lakeside Park / Lake Merritt
    Wed, Jul 31st @ 7:00 PM (Music 6:30)
    Thu, Aug 1st @ 7:00 PM (Music 6:30)
    Edoff Memorial Band Stand, Oakland map toEdoff Memorial Band Stand
    Ticket Info: FREE (Suggested donation $20)
    In front of the Edoff Memorial Band Stand
  • Live Oak Park
    Sat, Aug 3rd @ 2:00 PM (Music 1:30)
    Sun, Aug 4th @ 2:00 PM (Music 1:30)
    Shattuck Ave. & Berryman St., Berkeley map toShattuck Ave. & Berryman St.
    Ticket Info: FREE (Suggested donation $20)
    Post show discussion on 8/3
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Jul
8
Mon
Oakland Privacy Advisory Commission @ Oakland City Hall
Jul 8 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Of Interest Agenda Items:

4. 5:15pm: OPD presentation of Joint Terrorism Task Force Annual Report (2018) – review and take possible action.
5. 5:25pm: IT Department presentation of Online Privacy and Security Policy – review and take possible action.
6. 5:40pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – OPD – ShotSpotter technology Impact Report and proposed Use Policy – review and take possible action.
7. 6:20pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – OPD – Remote Camera Impact Report and proposed Use Policy – review and take possible action.

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Tax the Rich Singalong with Occupella @ In front of old Oaks Theater
Jul 8 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

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.)

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Jul
9
Tue
Hold PG&E Accountable! @ Various
Jul 9 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Public Utilities Commission: Hold PG&E Accountable!

PG&E’s negligence has caused fires that killed dozens of Californians. Now they want to make us pay for their negligence. PG&E is asking the California Public Utilities Commission  (CPUC) for permission to raise our rates to pay their expenses for liability payments and for the safety measures they were supposed to be doing all along.

According to the district court judge overseeing PG&E’s probation for its felony criminal convictions, PG&E “pumped out $4.5 billion in profits and let the tree [trimming] budget wither.” They have not yet paid anything to victims of the Camp Fire — but they found $204,800 to contribute to Gov. Newsom’s gubernatorial campaign

Tell the CPUC to stop the rate hikes and hold PG&E accountable! Join The Utility Reform Network, the No PG&E Bailout Coalition, and others at CPUC hearings on the proposed rate hikes. The CPUC will hold these hearings throughout the PG&E service area in July in August. In the Bay Area:

San Francisco, July 9, 1 PM
CPUC Auditorium, 505 Van Ness Ave.
* Webcast: www.adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc
* Listen-only phone line: 1-877-937-0554, passcode: 7031793

Oakland, July 24, 1 PM and 6 PM
Elihu M. Harris State Office Building Auditorium, 1515 Clay St.,

Santa Rosa, July 31, 1 PM and 6 PM
Santa Rosa City Hall Council Chamber, 100 Santa Rosa Ave.
* Webcast: www.youtube.com/user/CityofSantaRosa or www.facebook.com/CityofSantaRosa
* Listen-only phone line: 1-877-937-0554, passcode: 7031793
* Santa Rosa residents will also be able to view the broadcast through the television on the Government Channels (Comcast 28 or AT&T 72)

Complete list of hearings here

To get more info and take action online:

The Utility Reform Network petition demanding no PG&E rate hikes before holding PG&E fully accountable for its negligence.

No PG&E Bailout petition demanding
* No public bailout of PG&E and other private monopoly utilities
* Public takeover of the monopoly utilities’ electricity grid infrastructure
* Implement a climate-justice model for development of clean energy resources
* Make the California Public Utilities Commission accountable to its mandate to protect the public.

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Oakland City Council – Rental Protections for Section 8 Tenants @ Oakland City Hall
Jul 9 @ 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm

 

An ordinance to prohibit discrimination against renters with rental assistance (e.g., Section 8 Vouchers) is on the agenda at a Special Meeting of Oakland City Council at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, July 9. It appears as item 7.38 on the Consent Calendar so it should come up relatively soon in the meeting. They take all speakers for consent calendar at once; speakers should indicate which item they are addressing.

If we can get some residents to tell personal stories (their own or a friend or family member) of waiting forever to get Section 8 and then not being able to use a voucher because no landlord would take it, that would be great. Contact dolores@ebho.org if you would like to speak.

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The Justice Study Report Back @ Red Bay Coffee House
Jul 9 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Do No Harm Coalition and Anti Police-Terror Project have called this gathering to report back the data from our three year community commissioned project The Justice Study—an investigation into the health impacts of law enforcement violence. We seek community feedback on the analysis and strategy on releasing the data prior to any publication in the medical and public health literature or in the media.

For this gathering, we wish to continue our dialogue with and extend our service to those most impacted by police – particularly those who are black, brown, indigenous, trans, and poor. While all are welcome, we will centralize the concerns of these people.

DNHC was commissioned by the community fighting for justice for Mario Woods to create a research study that asked the question “If a police killing is the wound and the medicine is justice, what happens to our community health when the medicine is withheld?”

The research team from UCSF and Santa Clara University developed The Justice Study with community direction and has been engaged in a 3 year process. The scope of the study investigates all law enforcement violence—from police to ICE to FBI—and research tools are available in English and Spanish.

We seek input and guidance as we take our next steps to make this research as impactful as possible. We are grateful to have Red Bay Coffee Roasters hosting us and jazz bassist Marcus Shelby present to offer musical accompaniment to our work together.

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Jul
10
Wed
Laborfest: The Gig Economy, AI, Robotics & Workers @ ILWU Local 34 Hall
Jul 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

The Gig Economy, AI, Robotics, Workers and Dystopia San Francisco
Initial Speakers:
Steven Hill, writer and journalist on the Gig Economy.
Author of Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism are Screwing American Workers.
Edward Escobar, founder of the Alliance for Independent Workers – #DriversUnite International Movement. UBER/LYFT/Black Car Driver
Mehmet Bayram is a tech worker and is with the International Labor MediaNetwork.

Sponsored by LaborNet and WorkWeek Radio

San Francisco is now a world center of tech, yet the workers, whether UBER-Lyft drivers or a growing number of gig workers, are under extreme stress and face nightmare conditions with no worker or union rights. The growing number of suicides is a reaction to this dire state.

While San Francisco has more billionaires per person than any city in the world, there are thousands of homeless, escalating evictions of tenants, and a massive gridlock with growing environmental issues. Has capitalism gone wild and is this the permanent dystopian world or can working people and our unions transform this city and society? These are some of the questions that will be addressed at this event.
See also:
https://laborfest.net/event/the-gig-economy-ai-robotics-workers-and-dystopia-san-francisco/

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Jul
11
Thu
housing, homeless solutions and best practices @ Alameda County Training Center
Jul 11 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

The Interfaith Council of Alameda County is hosting a regional meeting focusing on housing, homeless solutions and best practices.  Refreshments will be served.

The meeting is co-sponsored by City of Berkeley Councilmember Cheryl Davila, City of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, City of Oakland Council President Rebecca Kaplan, Alameda County Board of Supervisors President Wilma Chan, supervisors Keith Carson and Nate Miley, the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) and Project WeHOPE.

 

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Our Choice: Documentary and Panel Discussion @ Omni Commons
Jul 11 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Reproductive rights are being challenged and degraded. What are our rights to abortion access here in California? These are real issues we need to talk about. We’ll screen documentary NO CHOICE, personal testimonies from women of color and have a panel of experts who can speak on the issues.

Includes performance by vocalist Indigo Mateo!

Panelists:

Sonja Goetz-Avila, campus organizer from the justCARE coalition
Noel Jones, student member from Students United for Reproductive Justice
Layidua Salazar, board member from ACCESS
Juana Rosa Cavero, executive director of California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom (moderator)

Free event.
Light snacks.

Wheelchair accessible.

Co-hosted by ACCESS Women’s Health Justice and Public Square Medi

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WELCOME HOME PROJECT OPENING RECEPTION @ CARE Art Gallery
Jul 11 @ 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm

Please join us for the opening reception of the Welcome Home Projectphotography exhibit! This project highlights the stories of 20 formerly incarcerated men and women who returned to their communities and turned their lives around. Participants from the project will speak at 5:30pm.

on-site parking available

RSVP on Eventbrite

The Welcome Home Project, a project of Community Works, is a collection of stories and photographs of formerly incarcerated Alameda County residents who reclaimed their lives after years in prisons and jails. Their stories are testimony to the power of resilience and determination in the face of the barriers that formerly incarcerated individuals face.
Community Works News

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Jul
12
Fri
Vigil Gathering for Immigrant Children @ Oscar Grant Plaza
Jul 12 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

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Lights for Liberty: Lake Merritt, Oakland CA @ Lake Merritt Colonnade
Jul 12 @ 7:00 pm – 9:15 pm

Please join us for this candlelight vigil to stand in solidarity with immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and in protest of detention and family separations. Together let’s be the change and stand up for compassion and human rights.

Check event page for more and updated details.

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Lights for Liberty: Berkeley CA pedestrian bridge @ University Ave. pedestrian overpass over I 80
Jul 12 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm

On July 12, 2019, thousands of people across the country will pour into the streets and into their own front yards to protest the inhumane conditions faced by migrants, all as part of Lights for Liberty: A Nationwide Vigil to End Human Detention Camps.

Indivisible East Bay is proud to join the wide coalition of groups presenting Lights for Liberty events! We will co-host an event on the evening of Friday July 12 with Together We Will-Albany Berkeley and El Cerrito Progressives.

We will gather on the University Avenue pedestrian bridge in Berkeley, over I-80. Please bring a candle for the vigil. (We have a few.) Large signs are preferred so cars on the freeway can read them until it gets dark. Signs should reflect the inhumane conditions of refugees, detentions, and camps. After dark, we will light our candles against this darkness in our country.

Worldwide event website: https://www.lightsforliberty.org/

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Jul
13
Sat
GO GREEN – COMMUNITY LUNCH – SHAKE YOUR BOOTY @ Fellowship Hall
Jul 13 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Green New Deal  Mobilization 101   11am – 1pm
Come, join other activists from community organizations which support the Green New Deal
l Speak your piece l Tell it like it is l Move the process forward
Sponsored by BFUU Social Justic Committee
Contact : Gene Herman | genebh@lmi.net | 510-684-1491

Break bread together – lunch provided by BFUU –  1 – 2pm
l  Build Community  l  Conspire  l  Reminisce  l  Schmooze
Sponsored by BFUU Hospitality and Membership Committees
Contact : Jeff Palmer | jeffpalmer123@comcast.net

Music to dance to by Moses Canales and Soul Rising   2 – 4pm
l  Bring your dancing shoes  l  Music of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s
Sponsored by BFUU Music & Social Justice Committees and BFUU Social Justice Ministry Task Force
Contact : Dr. Susan T. Mashiyama | music@bfuu.org

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The Impact of Coffee Crisis on Communities and the Border Crisis @ Red Bay Coffee
Jul 13 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Context: The current price of commodity coffee is below $1 and does not cover the cost of production for most producers, especially smallholder farmers. These producers are at the risk of starvation, lack school fees and healthcare funds and some are risking illegal immigration to the U.S. or switching to illegal crops. What can be done to help? But first, are consumers even aware of this coffee crisis given the cost of a cup of coffee is rising or not considered cheap.

Event: This event will seek to raise awareness and educate consumers of the coffee crisis and its impact on marginalized communities, especially women, people of color and migrants.
Format: Panel (20 minutes discussion) + Q&A (20 minutes) + Social and complimentary coffee
Venue: Red Bay Coffee, Saturday, July 13th at 11am to 1pm

Organizers: Red Bay, Fair Trade, Kahawa 1893

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Close the Camps Now! – Rally for Children at Migrant Detention Centers @ Civic Center Park (MLK Park)
Jul 13 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

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