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.

Come share prayers, quotes, poems, and favorite passages from your scriptures with us. Simple breakfast will be served.

Join Berkeley Copwatch on Sunday, July 10th to get training on how to…
* deal with the police
* safely assert your rights
* safely and effectively observe the police in your community.

The workshop will be held at the Grassroots House at 2022 Blake Street in Berkeley at 11am. The trainings usually last 2 – 3 hours.

This is a free event; snacks will be included! Bring your bodies and your buddies, as well as questions, concerns, stories, resources.

And in the meantime, check out the Berkeley Copwatch Know Your Rights Pocket Card here: http://www.berkeleycopwatch.org/resources/pocketguide05.pdf

Bay area climate justice activists have a victory to celebrate: the Oakland City Council’s unanimous June 27, 2016 vote to ban large coal shipments from a new Oakland marine export terminal. The grassroots organizing that made this possible will be highlighted with a report back by Margaret Rossoff of No Coal in Oakland. Ella Teevan of Food and Water Watch will present on and contextualize the emerging campaign to ban fracking in Alameda County. Then both speakers will reflect on the state of the movement to stop global warming to prevent catastrophic sea level rise and offer their perspectives about where do we go from here. We will conclude with a vigorous, thoughtful conversation about next steps for the Climate Justice Movement in Alameda County and the Bay.

Margaret Rossoff is active in the Sunflower Alliance and a participant in No Coal in Oakland. She facilitated Occupy Oakland meetings and was a founder of the Occupy Oakland Environmental Justice Committee.

Ella Teevan is Northern California Regional Organizer for Food and Water Watch. She is leading the campaign to ban fracking in Alameda County. As a student activist at U.C. Berkeley 2011-2014, she participated in Occupy Cal.

Homework Assignment: Oakland Votes to Block Large Shipments of Coal

SPONSOR: Green Sundays are a series of free programs & discussions sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County. They are held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party of Alameda County normally follows at 7 pm. Council meetings are always open to anyone who is interested. Please visit our website https://acgreens.wordpress.com/

The Anti Police-Terror Project calls on Oakland police officers: Blow the whistle on corruption, misconduct, and predatory policing

Black Lives Matter Vigil and Community Healing Circle, UCB, Sproul Steps 4:30 on Monday, July 11th. pic.twitter.com/bayxUuF5S4

— Na'ilah Suad Nasir (@ProfNai) July 9, 2016

In January 1994 the Zapatistas took the city of San Cristobal in an armed revolution to fight for the rights and freedom of the indigenous people of Chiapas. This rebellion has not died down since ’94 though the media is ignoring it. The Zapatistas are now functioning in complete autonomy from the Mexican Government and have formed their government without hierarchy and based in consensus.

Maria Donjacour went and visited one of the Zapatista communities and is by no means an expert, but wishes to share some of the history of the movement, some of the native language she learned there (Tzotzil). In addition, there will be an engaged discussion in order to practice some of the ideas that emerge from the language that can help us in our organizing to fight the forces that destroy our communities as well as the ones in southern Mexico and around the world.

Maria grew up in San Francisco, and has attended many OccupyForum events. She is interested in dance, social justice and political change. She is a Division 2 student at Hampshire College, Amherst MA.

Imagine what free City College could mean for building enrollment at our College and for the students­and would-be students­in our City.

This Tuesday our supervisors will vote on the initiative to make City College of San Francisco FREE to city residents and workers. They will also vote on the identified funding source, a small increase in the transfer tax on SF luxury buildings and mansions. You can help show them how much our community supports making CCSF free for San Franciscans. Join us! We are delivering petitions and letting supervisors know: this is important for our City and our College!

City Hall (meet on Polk St. steps)

• join our delegation to deliver petition signatures
• tell supes to vote YES: make CCSF free for San Franciscans
• supervisors will be voting on the initiative to make City College of San Francisco FREE for city residents and workers

Scheduled for the July 12th Berkeley city council meeting is a proposal to draft an ordinance for civilian oversight over surveillance technology used by law enforcement in city limits. Surveillance oversight would be steered by an open participatory privacy working-group. Surveillance technology includes drones, camera systems, license plate readers, facial recognition software, IMSI catchers (International Mobile Subscriber Identity), social media aggregator software, and much more. A privacy working-group would place limits on how technology is used, the vendors that law enforcement purchases from, and the types of data sharing agreements law enforcement enters into.

At the meeting, there will be be a comment period for the proposed surveillance oversight ordinance, during which members of the public can speak in favor of community control over police surveillance. Members of the public may stay #Anonymous if they so choose – there is no requirement to state your name.

(Be aware that the item is listed last on the schedule as Item #41. The city council meeting starts at 7:30PM, but the item may not be heard until around 9PM or later. But even though the item is listed last, it could be moved sooner in the schedule. Bring food and a book to read while waiting.)

Press Event and Rally

Front steps of City Hall, Frank Ogawa/Oscar Grant Plaza
Join the Twitter/Facebook/Call-in storm at 1:30-2:30pm! 

* Information for Twitter/Facebook/Call-in Storm: Thurs. July 14, 1:30-2:30p
#protectoaklandrenters
“Please support Kaplan’s Renter Protections Act as it will be introduced on July 19th without gutting or weakening the existing language!”
@DanKalb @Abel_Guillen @annieforoakland @LynetteGM @LibbySchaaf

• District 1/North Oakland- Kalb: 510 238-7001
• District 2/Eastlake/Chinatown/San Antonio/Trestle Glen/Crocker- Guillén: 510-238-7002
• District 3/West Oakland/Downtown/Adams Point- McElhaney: 510-238-7003
• District 4/Hills/Laurel/Dimond/Allendale- Campbell-Washington: 510-238-7004
• Mayor Libby Schaaf: 510-238-3141

Please Join us in a PEACEFUL-FAMILY FRIENDLY Vigil/Rally and March for our Brother Teodoro Valencia Jr..

Teo was known and loved by many people. Teo was charming, caring and a loving person with a beautiful smile. He was a loving son, brother, uncle and friend. On March 11, 2016 Teo was wrongfully killed by the Newark Police Department. He was shot intentionally in the back with an AR-15 Assult Rifle by a single police officer.

Our family’s goals are to bring justice for Teo, as well as truth and light to the darkness that the police have been using to mislead and opress our community.

Our demands for this event include the following:

1.) Get Justice for Teo. This includes a retraction and public apology from the Newark Police Department; as well as exposing the officer, prosecuting and firing him.
2.) De-militarize the Newark Police Department. This includes the removal of AR-15 Assault Rifles and similar combat weapons; as well as training the police to do their job with minimum use of force.

We welcome everyone and anyone who has a heart and cares about their community, family, and friends. We do not want this injustice to happen to anyone else. “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” -1 John 3:18

Additional Details:
– We will be meeting on the sidewalk, and we ask that you park your car on the street or in the shopping center to the left of 7-11- not in the St. Edwards Church or KFC Parking Lots.
– We will update you with details as we receive them

Israel’s ongoing military occupation of Palestinian territory and its repeated invasions of the Gaza strip have triggered a fierce backlash against Israeli policies virtually everywhere in the world — except the United States. The Occupation of the American Mind takes an eye-opening look at this critical exception, zeroing in on pro-Israel public relations efforts within the U.S. Roger Waters, the narrator, is an English rock musician, singer-songwriter, and composer. He is best known as the bass player, co-lead vocalist, lyricist, and principal songwriter in the rock band Pink Floyd. Over the last few years, he has emerged as a prominent advocate for Palestinian human rights.
Sponsored by the BFUU Social Justice Ctee as part of our Conscientious Projector series for the 99%.

Help us kickoff the Oakland vs. Big Soda Campaign on Saturday, July 16th!

Hear from speakers about how the sugary drink tax will benefit you and the Oakland community. Learn how to talk about the tax and inform the community about the lies Big Soda is telling. After, we’ll head out into the community and make sure Oakland knows the truth about Big Soda and the soda tax. Light snacks will be served.

RSVP at this link.

International Conference Against Privatization

The effort to destroy unions and working conditions is directly connected to privatization and deregulation. In nearly every country of the world, public workers are under attack through outsourcing and deregulation. This educational conference will look at privatization in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

Another key part of international policy that is being pushed through the US-controlled IMF and World Bank are trade agreements such as NAFTA, CAFTA, and the TPP. This conference will look at the history of so-called “Free Trade” agreements and how this has lowered working conditions and also brought about the destruction of health and safety conditions and the privatization of healthcare, housing, education, and all public services.

Another focus of this conference will be the relationship of privatization to corruption on a global level. The crisis in Brazil and other countries are examples of how privatization has led to a growing corruption crisis.
Speakers from around the world will connect the dots and explain how unions have organized locally, nationally and internationally to defend working people.

Endorsed by Transport Workers Solidarity committee, United Public Workers For Action (UPWA.info)

This fall, Kayla Moore’s family will go to court to hold Berkeley and the BPD accountable for Kayla’s death in 2013.

Want to lend a hand in advance of this important fight? Come to our art-making party on Saturday, July 16th to create art that honors Kayla’s life.

We’ll be making posters, banners and other outreach materials. There will be a variety of ways to lend a hand; no need to have so-called creative talent. We’ll also have food to share.

Drop by between 11:30am and 4pm – and invite your friends!

Panel discussion by the KPFA Community Advisory Board.

Food, documentary screenings, music, art and sculpture unveiling.

Join neighbors for an afternoon block party honoring Berkeley civil rights leader William Byron Rumford.

This free public event will feature music, food, film screenings, kids’ activities and festivities aimed at building community by celebrating the life and legacy of Mr. Rumford, a key player in the Civil Rights movement in California.

Mr. Rumford (1908-1986) was the first African American elected to a state public office in Northern California. Among other achievements as a California Assembly member
, he authored groundbreaking legislation which banned discrimination in employment (1959) and housing (1963). These laws helped to pave the way for similar federal legislation. In addition to his public service at the state level, Rumford played an integral role in the South Berkeley community where he lived for 50 years. He owned and operated a pharmacy at 2960 Sacramento Street from 1942 until 1981 which now houses a clinic named in his honor.

Cal will hold vigil Monday @4:30 to remember Nicolas Leslie, now confirmed killed in #Nice truck attack. Terrorism has hit UC Berkeley hard

— Berkeleyside (@berkeleyside) July 17, 2016