Calendar
Milo Yiannopoulos and Free Speech on the Berkeley campus: A Discussion
Trump tweeted on Feb 2: “If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view – NO FEDERAL FUNDS?”
We are inviting speakers to lead our discussion on this topic.
Within Our Gates by Oscar Michaeux.
Oldest known surviving film made by an African-American director.
1920’s silent film. Portrays the contemporary radical situation in the United States during the early 20th Century – the years of Jim Crow, the revival of the Klan, the Great Migration of blacks to cities of the North and Midwest, and the emergence of the ‘New Negro.’
Free snacks and popcorn.
We will review the work our 18 teams have accomplished over the past two weeks, and set action plans for the next two weeks. Time permitting, we might also offer a training on Grassroots Organizing 101 or another topic as part of our evening. A more detailed agenda will be developed over the next week, as we hear back from our new groups and see what they would find most helpful.
The family of Angel Ramos inivites community members to attend and make their voices heard during public comment at the next Vallejo City Council meeting. Vallejo police murdered Angel on January 23rd, 2017.
The family demands:
-The release of the officers’ body camera footage
-Naming of the officer(s) who killed Angel
This is an important early opportunity to put City Councilmembers on notice that the community will not tolerate a cover-up or failure to investigate.
Sing for an hour with the Tax the Rich crew.
Event is cancelled if it is raining.
Bring your signs. Bring your noisemakers. Bring your crew. Show the world we will not stand for this in our backyard. #deleteUber
We say NO to:
* Sexism and misogyny of tech bro culture
* Exploiting workers with low wages and predatory loans, “contracting” economy
* Tech driven displacement of people of color and immigrants, the poor and working class, queers and artists
* Silicon Valley “neutrality” and complicity with Trump’s agenda and neoliberal capitalism.
Why #deleteUber?
http://mashable.com/2017/02/21/uber-disgusting-examples/
https://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/uber-executive-suggests-digging-up-dirt-on-journalists
http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/06/uber-subprime-auto-leases/485480/
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dozens-uber-employees-describe-sexist-hostile-work-culture-article-1.2979909
https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-one-very-strange-year-at-uber
OccupyForum presents…
Information, discussion & community! Monday Night Forum!!
Occupy Forum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue
on all sides of these critically important issues!
At the River I Stand:
The 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike,
the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, and Strike as Strategy
Film and Discussion with George Wright
Memphis, Spring 1968 marked the dramatic climax of the Civil Rights movement. At the River I Stand skillfully reconstructs the two eventful months that transformed a strike by Memphis sanitation workers into a national conflagration, and disentangles the complex historical forces that came together with the inevitability of tragedy at the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This 58-minute documentary brings into sharp relief issues that have only become more urgent in the intervening years: the connection between economic and civil rights, debates over strategies for change, the demand for full inclusion of African Americans in American life, and the fight for dignity for public employees and all working people.
In the 1960s, Memphis’ 1,300 sanitation workers formed the lowest caste of a deeply racist society, earning so little they qualified for welfare. In the film, retired workers recall their fear about taking on the entire white power structure when they struck for higher wages and union recognition.
But local civil rights leaders and the Black community soon realized the strike was part of the struggle for economic justice for all African Americans. Through stirring historical footage we see the community mobilizing behind the strikers, organizing mass demonstrations and an Easter boycott of downtown businesses. The national leadership of AFSCME put the international union’s full resources behind the strike. One day, a placard appeared on the picket lines, which in its radical simplicity summed up the meaning of the strike: “I am a man.”
Endemic inner-city poverty, attempts to roll back gains won by public employees, and the growing gap between the rich and the rest of us make clear that the issues Martin Luther King, Jr. raised in his last days have yet to be addressed. At the River I Stand succeeds in showing that the causes of (and possibly the solutions to) our present racial quandary may well be found in what happened in Memphis.
We are very lucky to have George Wright with us to help disentangle the issues and tease out the strategies applicable to ourselves today.
Time will be allotted for announcements.
Donations to Occupy Forum to cover costs are encouraged; no one turned away!
Today on Flashpoints KPFA Producer.. Water Protector and Drone Base Resistor, Freewillin Franklin will join host Dennis Bernstein in featuring the documentary film “National Bird”
National Bird follows the dramatic journey of three whistle blowers who are determined to break the silence around one of the most controversial current affairs issues of our time: the secret U.S. drone war. At the center of the film are three U.S. military veterans. Plagued by guilt over participating in the killing of faceless people in foreign countries, they decide to speak out publicly, despite the possible consequences….Their stories take dramatic turns, leading one of the protagonists to Afghanistan where she learns about a horrendous incident. But her journey also gives hope for peace and redemption. National Bird gives rare insight into the U.S. drone program through the eyes of veterans and survivors, connecting their stories as never seen before in a documentary. Its images haunt the audience and bring a faraway issue close to home.
The show will feature excerpts from the film and an interview with the producer/director Sonia Kennebeck.
People will also be able to donate to KPFA for a copy of the film..
Rev. Traci Blackmon, an organizer and registered nurse, discusses her experiences in social justice activism and community health in the wake of Michael Brown Jr.’s murder in Ferguson, MO. In Ferguson, Rev. Blackmon provided a mobile faith-based outreach program to improve health outcomes in underserved and impoverished areas. She co-authored the newly released “White Privilege” curriculum currently being taught throughout the United Church of Christ.
The event is FREE and open to the community.
How activists in a working-class company town (Richmond, CA) harnessed the power of local politics to reclaim their community.
Court Support Needed!
Michael Brewster, was brutally attacked by police on February 8th.
His mother, Trina Peters, flagged down the police, explained Michael was having a mental health problem and asked them to call an ambulance for him. They said they would. Instead, the officers rushed him threw him on the ground and began to detain him. They called for back up and police swarmed the area.
Michael was unarmed and posed no threat to the officers, yet, they had him face down on the ground. Despite telling him he couldn’t breathe, several officers were on top of him. They beat him up and attempted to assault him with a billy club. Police told the people recording the incident to get back because it was a crime scene.
They beat him so badly that he was at SF General Hospital for 4 days before transferring him to the jail at 850 Bryant St, SF. The police denied his mother visitation and refused to release information regarding his wellbeing and that his court date was this last Wednesday. She only learned of it that day by chance.
The judge set his bail at $100,000. He is still being held at 850 Bryant St, SF.
His family is begging for court support.
Rabi’a Keeble, former OO participant, will present on proposed legislation to increase Oakland’s minimum wage to $20, to establish fair scheduling standards, and an office of labor standards enforcement for the City of Oakland. We believe under this presidential administration the best defense is a strong offense. We’ve got the Dubs, why can’t we have the country’s highest minimum wage? -:)
This legislation was drafted at the request of the Oakland Livable Wage Assembly. We will seek your advice and support for the necessary mobilization(s) to secure enactment we hope in 2017.
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The sudo room five minutes of fame is a social event where a bunch of folks meet up and munch on snacks while some folks make short 5 minute presentations about projects they’re working on or things they care about.
This type of event is blatantly stolen^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hheavily inspired by the noisebridge 5MoF events.
People are encouraged to bring snacks/food/drinks.
Schedule[edit]
These events happen every first Wednesday of the month at sudo room!
Email info@sudoroom.org or the sudo room mailing list to claim a slot for your project. All we need is the title of your presentation and a way to contact you.
10 minutes are allocated to each 5MoF presentation which includes 5 minutes for the presentation, time for questions and time for the next person to get their computer hooked up.
7 pm: People shuffle in, snack on food and get settled
7:30 pm: 1st 5MoF presentation
7:40 pm: 2nd 5MoF presentation
7:50 pm: 3rd 5MoF presentation
8:00 pm: 10 minute break (announced as a 5 minute break so we actually stay on time)
8:10 pm: Three-minute explanation of sudo room and the Omni. Donation hat passed around. New members encouraged to sign up right then and there.
8:12 pm: 10x 30 second announcements (no computer hookup allowed, no need to book these in advance)
8:20 pm: 4th 5MoF presentation
8:30 pm: 5th 5MoF presentation
8:40 pm: 6th 5MoF presentation
8:50 pm: Announce https://pad.riseup/p/sudoride for letting people ride-share back home.
8:51 pm: Social hangouts and tour of omni for new folk.
10:00 pm: Cleanup of food, chairs, etc. and moving folks to sudo room for continued hacking/socializing.
https://sudoroom.org/wiki/5MoF
Please join EFF’s Executive Director Cindy Cohn in conversation with Alexander Macgillivray and Nicole Wong, both former U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officers under President Obama who also worked as legal counsel inside Google and Twitter. The panel will discuss the development of the Obama administration’s policies on the Internet, intellectual property, and technology and privacy, as well as the costs and benefits of going “inside” the White House. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a robust Q&A session.
All are welcome to attend this free event so feel free to bring a guest! Space is limited, so please RSVP to reserve your spot. Drinks and light snacks will be served.
Hope to see you there!
How do our eating habits affect climate change? Transition Berkeley invites you to view COWSPIRACY: THE SUSTAINABILITY SECRET a ground breaking documentary that takes a sobering look at a destructive industry that is threatening the health of our planet. The film documents this industry’s impact on species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution and more. Learn how we can be part of the solution.
Before the film our special guest, attorney Jeff Pierce with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, will talk about efforts to combat the environmental harms of industrial animal agriculture, and highlight ways our individual choice to consume fewer animal products can help solve the problem. He’ll also discuss policy changes that can be implemented at the local level to address the impacts of animal agriculture on the environment.
After we watch COWSPIRACY we’ll have a time for discussion and planning local actions. Please bring vegan snacks to share for the social gathering at 6:30. The program begins at 7pm.
This event is co-sponsored by Transition Berkeley and BFUU’s Social Justice Ctee.
Wheelchair accessible.
Thinking outward and giving our time to others!
Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
With everything that’s been going on this month (politically, socially, and emotionally) it’s time to fill Berkeley with the love of Christ. It’s time to put the church at the forefront for healing and reconciliation.
Friday: donation collection on Sproul Plaza! 12pm-3pm
Satuday: 10:30am- 2pm / sandwich prep and distribution
Join, Join, Join.
If you cannot offer your time but would still like to help you can donate materials or ingredients OR just pray that God would use this to bless the people of Berkeley.
Counter protest planned for noon today 2 hours ahead of Berkeley #March4Trump pic.twitter.com/NmdeoGyzoo
— Scott Morris (@OakMorr) March 4, 2017
East Bay DSA is proud to present: NOW IS THE TIME
Join us on March Fifth and learn more about the fight to make single payer healthcare a reality!
Through interviews, animations and exposé, this new documentary film tells the story of the drama, struggle, and success of the movement towards healthcare equity.
Aftwards, the filmmakers Laurie Simons and Terry Sterrenberg will answer questions about the film and the state of healthcare in the United States.
Sponsors:
East Bay Democratic Socialists of America (EBDSA)
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP)
Therapists for Single Payer (TSP)
Escuela Comunitaria presents:
This dialogue in the Latino community will be an evening of telling our stories, and the first showing of the new film ‘Where the Guns Go’, a documentary on U.S. weapons and testimonies of victims of organized crime and the drug war in Mexico.
Organizado por Oakland Sin Fronteras, American Friends Service Committee, Frente Indigena de Organizaciones Binacionales, 67 Suenos, Encinal.
Information, discussion & community! Monday Night Forum!!
Occupy Forum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue
on all sides of these critically important issues!
“VJ Burma”
Film Presentation and Short Talk
by Ethan Davidson
As our country seems to lurch closer and closer to extreme authoritarianism, it is useful to learn
about how other people have successfully resisted extreme authoritarian government. The Saffron Revolution in Burma, and its video journalists, is one such example. In 2007, five years before Occupy, the people of Burma spontaneously organized a large mass resistance in a nation ruled by a brutal military government. It was not the first such rebellion. Students, dissidents, rural ethnic minorities, and Buddhist monastics had resisted before. But they had always been put down by brute force, leaving most things unchanged. Aung Sang Suu Kyi, the democratically-elected leader, had been denied power and held under extended house arrest on and off for two decades.
In 2007, when a large mass resistance broke out, a dilemma had to be confronted. The media was totally state-controlled, and foreign journalists were not permitted in, so whatever happened was known only to those who had seen it. In response, a group of independent video journalists taped
the uprising and the response as it happened, at the risk of their lives, and others smuggled the footage into Thailand, and from there to the global media.
The uprising really caught fire when the Buddhist monks started participating. Burma is a
Buddhist nation, and its monks are highly respected. But in the past, those monastics who had resisted the government had been killed, while those who did not were given good food and beautiful, comfortable buildings. The generals who ruled Burma loved to be photographed giving food to monks, and these pictures were posted all over the state media.
Traditionally, Buddhist monks eat by going silently from house to house with begging bowls and eating anything that was put in them. While this custom had been modified, the symbolism of the begging bowl was still a potent one. All the monks had to do was to march in public with their begging bowls turned upside down, symbolizing their refusal to take food from a corrupt or harmful source. No words or banners were needed. The meaning was understood by all.
At its peak, demonstrations were estimated at up to fifty thousand people. Inevitably, another government crackdown followed, and the film ends on a grim note. Yet change followed rapidly. The generals lost much of their power, and Aung Sand Suu Ki was released. She ran for the nation’s highest office again, and won by a landslide.
The movie is comprised completely of videos taking by the Video Journalists, and includes footage of highly dangerous situations that one rarely has a chance to see.
Come and see how resistance can be successful, even in the most desperate situations.
Time will be allotted for announcements.
Donations to Occupy Forum to cover costs are encouraged; no one turned away!