In response to a call by the Internationalist Commune in Rojava and the Rise Up 4 Rojava platform, we are preparing a mass demonstration in solidarity with the brave fighters of North-East Syria on Saturday, November 2nd at 2 pm!

ORGANIZED AND ENDORSED BY:

About Face: Veterans Against the War
Bay Area Mesopotamia Solidarity Committee
Bay Area Rojava Defense Coordination
Black Rose Anarchist Federation Bay Area Local
California Kurdish Community Center
Democratic Socialists of America San Francisco
DSA Communist Caucus
Revolutionary Organizing Against Racism
SF Bay DSA Libertarian Socialist Caucus
SFSU Anarchist Student Committee
Solidarity Against Fascism East Bay

PLEASE:

– Take a minute to invite your friends list – now!
– Share the event to your timeline
– Set one of the posted flyers as your profile picture with a link to the event in the description

Seven years ago a revolution began in Rojava that was to radically change the lives of millions of people. The Kurds liberated themselves from the dictatorship of the Assad regime and began to organize themselves in self-governed councils, communes and cooperatives. In particular, the autonomous organization of women became the driving force behind the social revolution. Over the course of the struggle against the Islamic state, a unique multi-ethnic and multi-religious project developed, which today guarantees the peaceful coexistence of millions of Kurds, Arabs and Christians. The Democratic Federation of Northeast Syria is a unique example of the vision of a peaceful and democratic Middle East and has therefore always been a thorn in the side of both regional powers and imperialist states.

Today the Turkish Army started its operation and has started bombardment many places are under heavy artillery attacks. Their goal is to wipe out the Democratic Federation. Several civilians have been killed already and thousand of people have started escaping the danger of ethnic cleansing and Turkish fascism. At the same time ISIS is using the Turkish attacks for insurgency.

As the Internationalist Commune mentioned:
“The imperialist forces have decided to go to war. The troops on the ground are waving the flags of Turkey and of the Islamic State, but the decision was not only made in Ankara but also in the palaces in Washington, Moscow, Paris and Berlin.”

In their wake, tens of thousands of members of Islamist gangs will march into Rojava and Northeast Syria. What this means is what we see every day in Afrin, the territory occupied by Turkey: murder, rape, torture and the expulsion of the local population. A new war would plunge Syria and the whole of the Middle East into renewed chaos and drive hundreds of thousands of people into flight from Turkish troops and their
Islamist mercenaries.

But if the Turkish government and its henchmen expect their extermination fantasies to become reality, they have not taken into account the resistance of the women’s and people’s defense units (YPJ/YPG) and especially the resistance of the people in Northern and Eastern Syria. Those who have defeated the Islamic state through the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs and the courageous resistance of the population will defend the self-governing areas against a Turkish invasion. We must all do our part and fulfill our responsibility of defending this revolution!

The military, economic and diplomatic cooperation between Turkey, the USA, NATO and European countries must be exposed and politically attacked. No support for Erdogan, his regime and his war! No arms supply and no financial or political aid to the Turkish extermination policy!

If democratic movements decide to put the issue on the agenda: in the media, on the streets, in the factories, businesses and classrooms of their countries, then we can develop a common force against Turkey’s war plans. We must build a permanent political resistance capable of preventing cooperation with Turkish fascism in our countries.

DayX – The moment has come – The war has started!
The situation is clear, we call for global resistance!

Take to the streets, take actions, occupy, disrupt and block!

Show those responsible in the government offices and company headquarters what you think of their war! Together we can stop the war of aggression of Turkey!

No war against Northern Syria!

The revolution in Northeast Syria will win, fascism will be smashed!

https://riseup4rojava.org/

We have confirmed ICSS member Mehmet Bayram, freelance journalist, who currently writes for the Sendika.org news outlet, which has been shut down 62 times by the Turkish government. He has recently returned from Turkey and will clarify the situation.

Here’s a preview:  Turkish invasion of Syria serves many purposes for the Turkish regime.  It distracts the masses from the harsh economic realities of capitalism, it unites the Turkish people fed with nationalism behind the fascist dictator when his voter support has fallen below 40%, it kindles the old flame of building the Islamic-Turkish empire that died after the WW1, it legitimizes the barbaric attacks with the long held hatred against the Kurds, it demands funds from the West to keep the “hordes of refugees” from reaching the metropolitan centers of Europe, and, yes, it exposes the hypocrisy of imperialism, to be used as blackmail against Erdoğan’s bosses that created him.

Erdoğan is trying to capitalize on the contradictions within the imperialist camp and tries playing one against the other by forcing the issues that will benefit his presidency and him personally, until, of course, his personal wealth is put on the table.  The victims of course are the Kurds, Arabs, Yazidis, Armenians.  This invasion, supported by the imperialist centers has become an ethnic cleansing tool for the Turkish racist nationalists to use against the Kurds.

What is Disability Justice? People often express feeling intimidated and ill-equipped to unpack what we’ve been taught about disability, and how to support and advocate for disabled people in our everyday lives. This workshop is a fabulous opportunity for you to dive into the magic of disability justice with SURJ and Alex Locust at the helm.

With “Spill the Disabili-Tea™”, Alex will be facilitating an interactive discussion of disability justice for those committed to elevating their support for disabled folks in their community. Using his lived experience, education, and advocacy know-how, he’ll lead a candid conversation exploring the following questions (and more):

-Who is “disabled” and what creates that experience?
-What is “disability justice?”
-What’s the “right way” to interact with people with disabilities?
-How can I do better about those tricky “microaggressions?”
-What’s the difference between “access” and “inclusion?”
-Is disability a cultural experience and how can that intersect with other cultural identities?
-How can I integrate these skills in the community (e.g. Pride celebrations, workplace culture, community gatherings)?

Come join us for an afternoon of real talk, experiential exercises, group work, and lots of laughs as we all Spill the Disabili-Tea™.

How do we approach difficult conversations, whether it’s about racist violence on the border, cultural appropriation, or white supremacy and racial justice in general? What is it like to have these conversations with our family, friends and coworkers with a vision for the long haul? Members of the White Noise Collective will facilitate this workshop exploring the difficult conversations in our lives around race and power.

Preregistration is required due to limited space.

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 3 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 3:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland.  (Note: we meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months,  once Daylight Savings Time springs forward we tend to assemble at 4 PM).

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 2 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over five years! 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

1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
3. Announcements
4. (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

Food, Stories, Dancing.  All for Michael.

Celebration of Michael’s life.

Michael Dress Code: Wear It Like Michael.

Migrant rights groups & activist organizations united to #DisarmICE

Please come learn about Rojava’s history, organization, and current struggle.

Years after imperialist markings on a map separated their people and fragmented their territory, 7 years ago the Kurdish people realized a piece of their resistance and reclaimed territory in what is known as northeastern Syria, what has come to be known as Rojava.

A revolution led by women, based on ecological justice and anti-capitalism, that developed a political infrastructure for regionally nested direct democracy and a cooperative solidarity economy among an ethnically and religiously diverse population, Rojava is a beacon for anyone yearning for liberation from the forces of extraction, exploitation, and oppression that dominate global geopolitics.

As a realization of peace and self-determination in the so-called Middle East, Rojava is under constant threat from regional and global authoritarian and fascistic powers. With the recent US facilitated Turkish invasion, this threat is more real than ever. It is of crucial importance to understand what is in jeopardy in Rojava, and how we can mobilize to defend it.

oscargrantcommittee-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

In alliance with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) we organized the October 23, 2010 labor and community rally for Justice for Oscar Grant. On that day the ILWU shut down the Bay Area ports in solidarity. Our mission is to educate, organize and mobilize people against police and state repression. Sisters and brothers! The Oscar Grant Committee invites you to join us in this vital struggle.

We meet on the 1^st Monday of each month
You can join our discussion list by sending a blank (doesn’t even need a subject) email to

oscargrantcommittee-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

ACCE Action Oakland is calling for a Bay Area-wide spokescouncil to plan and coordinate actions for a Week of Action for Housing Justice – November 17th – 23rd.

The housing crisis has never been this bad – at least in our lifetimes. Low-income communities of color are being hit the hardest. People are literally dying on our streets, because they cannot afford housing. We are calling on everyone who is being impacted in any way by the artificially-created housing scarcity in Oakland – whether you are unhoused, housing-insecure, rent-burdened, or just tired of watching your friends and , family and neighbors being forced to leave – to help us SHUT IT DOWN!

We need to continue raising the alarm and demanding action until our politicians recognize that housing is a basic human right; until everyone has a stable and affordable place to call home. We need to take the crisis in our communities to the doorsteps of decision-makers.

During this week we will be highlighting the damage being done by large corporate speculators that have bought up homes in our neighborhoods as an investment strategy for Wall Street bondholders. We will expose the large number of units sitting vacant in luxury buildings, bought as investments by the wealthy. We will expose speculators that are flipping our apartment buildings and jacking up our rents to move in wealthier tenants.

Together, we will unleash the vast creativity and organizing capacity of our communities and produce a spectrum of disruptive and visionary activity. We want these actions to meaningfully interrupt business as usual whether that be with direct action, teach-ins, flash mobs, or prayer vigils, and to do so with action-logic that links our resistance to fighting racism, economic injustice, and colonization. We want you to plan these actions independently, but together we will coordinate collective support for these actions through a spokescouncil so that they have maximal support and impact.

Attend a spokescouncil meeting :
Monday, November 4th at 7 pm
Thursday, November 7th at 7 pm
Saturday, November 9th at 11 am
Monday, November 11th at 7 pm
Thursday, November 14th at 7 pm

What is a spokescouncil?
A spokescouncil is a collective framework for direct action mobilizations, where large masses of people organize themselves into smaller teams called “affinity groups”. Affinity groups plan their actions independently with the intention of advancing the larger goal of the spokescouncil. Affinity groups are represented by at least one person (“a spoke”) at the meetings, where they are able to share resources and coordinate their actions with other groups.

Why a spokescouncil?
We propose the spokescouncil as a solution to many of the shortcomings of unstructured mass assemblies. We intend to provide a highly structured organizing space with clear tactical and messaging guidelines, that empowers participants to organize independently and in parallel. We intend to inspire a multitude of diverse actions and awaken the massive potential we have as a community engaging in direct action.

Start forming an affinity group now:
Discuss this callout with your friends, comrades, fellow workers, families, roommates, etc. See if you can pull together a crew of people who will be in close contact for the next few weeks, who are similar-minded and want to step up to organize or take part in actions. Then start planning an action! At least one of you should come to the spokescouncil meeting to share ideas and coordinate with the larger group.

Members Needed for Working Groups:
If you have the capacity to participate in the week of action but do not have an affinity group, plus come and join one of our Week of Action working groups:
– Media
– Outreach
– Big March – Wednesday, November 20th

Dear neighbors and allies,

The fight for the maximum amount of 100% affordable housing on the E12th St. parcel continues. In the past month, we filed a legal appeal with the city, raised $2k for filing fees, submitted a Public Ethics Complaint against a council member for their conflict of interest, and successfully pressured the council to move the E12th land sale discussion from a closed meeting, to a public session. Next week, the Oakland City Council will make the final decision on whether to approve our appeal. If we win, we will have a new opportunity to realize the People’s Proposal, a community-generated proposal for 100% affordable housing, but we need your help.

In the next week, we need individuals and ally organizations to help in four specific ways:

1. Sign-on to our letter to the City Council asking them to approve our legal appeal of the UrbanCore luxury tower development. We need ally organizations and individual community members to endorse our letter. Read the letter and sign-on here: bit.ly/E12Appeal

2. Send your own individual email to the City Council, asking them to approve our legal appeal and support the maximum amount of affordable housing on our public land. You can write your own email, or use the template attached. Email council@oaklandca.gov by Nov. 4.

3. Join an upcoming meeting with individual city council members this week, to push them to support the People’s Proposal. Email Jen Miller at soyjenn@gmail.com ASAP if you can attend a meeting with a council member on behalf of your organization, or as an individual.

4. Fill the council chambers for the Nov. 5 City Council meeting and to speak out in support of our appeal and the People’s Proposal. The Council will decide whether to approve UrbanCore’s market-rate housing tower or to uphold our appeal — we need a massive turnout to win. We are ready to support you with talking points and snacks! Please come and bring two friends! Please share this call out!! Tuesday Nov. 5 at 5:30 pm or when you can, at City Hall.

Background: Eastlake United for Justice and the E.12th St. Coalition has been engaged in a multi-year campaign to win affordable housing on city-owned public land. Despite massive community opposition, the City of Oakland has offered the developer a series of sweetheart deals to develop a luxury tower consisting of 253 market-rate units, and a separate smaller building with only 90 “affordable” units. After several years, the market-rate tower development is now moving toward final approval, and we have one more chance to re-engage the City, kill the deal, and guarantee 133 100% affordable homes for close to 700 people and numerous public amenities on public land through our community-generated People’s Proposal.

Thank you for being part of our collective fight for affordable housing and community-driven development on public land in Oakland.

In solidarity,
Eastlake United for Justice

E12th Individual Supporter Letter Template for City Council:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sRSikAOdBY7hz0GCkGA1WoJI3CFzO-xhgxns2HT-glg/edit

Every Face Every Tent Has A Story!

This will be an engaging evening through the use of the films from two local Berkeley film makers, highlighting some of the “Unhoused” population residing in Berkeley followed by a presentatiom/discussion of the problems facing those on the streets as well as their impact on the housed residents that have been their neighbors.

Dinner will be buffet style and several local restaurants have already agreed to donate. Some of the sponsors are: The Thai Table, Everett & Jones, Juan’s Place, all in Berkeley, and Cal Peternell’s new restaurant, The LEDE located in Oakland… and MORE!

RESERVATIONS: Due to limited seating, If you want to attend, PLEASE let Eleanor know ASAP and get your seats reserved now:

Email her at: Eleanor@ConsiderTheHomeless.org
Be sure to include your name, email address, phone number and the # of tickets to reserve. To guarantee your reservations tickets must be paid in full by Oct. 31st

Pay by Check: Make it out to Consider The Homeless! 
then mail it to Consider The Homeless
PO Box #2771
Berkeley, CA 94702

Pay by Credit Card: only available via PayPal.

Barbara Brust – Founder, Director – Consider The Homeless!

Please forward this to others or share with them this link.
www.ConsiderTheHomeless.org/Newsletters/100819.html

Join us election night, Tuesday, Nov. 5th at 7pm for KPFA’s Documentary Night Screening of:

The Great White Hoax by Tim Wise.

In The Great White Hoax, anti-racist educator Tim Wise explores how American political leaders have scapegoated people of color to divide working class voters and consolidate power. Taking from Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign it expands its scope to make sense of what’s happening today as we gear up for 2020 and how Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric fits a pattern of racism that goes back centuries.

After-film discussion led by Adrienne Lauby of the program Pushing Limits. Adrienne will share her insight on the film (with audience participation) and her own 9 years of anti-racism work experience.

For a century, the US labor movement advocated immigration restrictions in fear that new immigrants would drive down wages for US workers. In the last few decades, however, the AFL-CIO has made a dramatic turn to become advocates for comprehensive immigration reform. What accounts for that shift?

Policies that aim to restrict immigration flows rarely achieve their intended result. Instead, their main result is to deprive immigrant workers of rights and to undermine the ability of all workers to organize to improve their conditions. For that reason, Lee argues, the labor movement should advocate for the free movement of labor across borders. Such a stance provides the basis for solidarity between working-class people regardless of where they are born.

Find the readings here: https://www.eastbaydsa.org/night-school/

We will rally on Sproul Steps on the UC Berkeley Campus to defend, protect, and save People’s Park from development. Don’t let UC destroy our historic, green, and public space! Join us! Be part of the power of the People of People’s Park!

PUBLIC FINANCE WORKSHOP: MEMBER MEETING

50 years ago this fall, on November 20, a group of people that came to be known as Indians of All Tribes began a 18-month occupation of Alcatraz Island. This act of self-determination emerged from conditions faced on reservations and in urban centers, from the activism of the Third World Strike at San Francisco State, and resulted in major changes taking place across the continent. From a new consciousness of sovereignty to at least ten major policy and law shifts, Mary Jean Robertson, host of the radio show Voices of the Native Nations, discusses the far reaching impact of claiming “the Rock”.