US Attorney General Loretta Lynch is quietly coming to Richmond City Hall this Friday.

Once again, despite evidence, witnesses, and a video of the shooting, the police killing of an unarmed man has been ruled a justifiable homicide and will not be investigated. This is unacceptable! We need police accountability now!

Lynch has tuned out the pleas of the people for police accountability. The parents of Pedie Perez, an unarmed man who was killed by Richmond PD last September, are asking for your help.

The Oscar Grant Committee in solidarity with the Perez family, is organizing a rally in front of the Richmond City Hall on Friday. Let us speak up loud and clear demanding justice for Pedie and all those whose lives have been stolen by police terror!

#Justice4Pedie #EndPoliceTerrorNow

New time!!! 12:15pm Today!

OGC Members and Supporters,

It appears the USAG will begin speaking with reporters at 12:45pm, a revised timeline, so it is probably best to arrive at the Civic Center Plaza no later than 12:15pm tomorrow (Friday, 9/25).

*Who*: You–at ANY level of skill (newbs encouraged to attend)!
*What*: Work Party (fun, learning, labor, love)! — Also see TASKS list below!!!
*When*: *Sat 9/5 @ 12 noon* (And Every Saturday, FOREVER)!
*How*: With our bare hands, feet, noses, etc — plus tools and stuff!
*Why*: Omni Commons needs some serious elbow grease to get ship-shape, for the safety, accessibility, and delight of all!

*TASKS*
* Doors (re-hanging and installing closers)
* Carpentry in the basement
* Plumbing, tile, and other water-related activities
* Drywall ’til you drop
* Felt the feet of our ballroom furniture
* Protect our building from confused critters like pigeons!
* General cleaning / tidying / arranging / creativity / expression / explosions / excitement / activity!!!!!!!
* much much much more!

Please join your fellow volunteers, especially the zany and rambunctious
Building and Maintenance Working Group (woooohooooooooooooooooooooo)!

The Flood Wall St. West Welcoming Committee will be hosting two non-violent direct action preps on Sept. 26 & 27 (both 1pm-4pm).

These preps will take participants through the philosophy and tools used in non-violent direct action. These preps will include discussions on the concept of affinity groups, give participants an opportunity to form one or more, a legal briefing and an overall plan for Sept. 28th.

These preps will be an important place to get plugged into for Flood Wall St. West.

WHAT’S FLOOD WALL STREET WEST?
One year ago, thousands of us flooded Wall Street in New York, taking mass direct action in the heart of a global financial system that’s fueling the climate crisis.

Now, a year later, people across the continent are preparing and organizing for #FloodTheSystem, a continental uprising against the economic and political systems threatening our survival.

To kick off #FloodTheSystem, we’re going to Flood Wall Street West: San Francisco’s financial district. Flood Wall Street West will consist of a tour of shame of some of the worst corporate and political bad actors in San Francisco’s financial district. We will take mass direct action to shut down business as usual and emphasize the connections between the climate crisis, capitalism, exploitation and oppression.

For more info on Flood Wall Street West, check out floodwallstwest.org

Sponsored by the Stop Urban Shield Coalition

Hundreds of people carried out powerful theater in the streets and a rally in downtown Oakland on September 11, protesting ‘Urban Shield’ – a regional police militarization exercise, war equipment expo, and SWAT  team competition.

This is the third year that a broad community coalition has mobilized to resist this militarization that is part of the violence, oppression and trauma of communities of color and others impacted by state violence. Last year, the coalition successfully pressed Oakland to disinvite Urban Shield from having the expo in downtown Oakland; this year Pleasanton hosted the expo. More than ten thousand people signed a petition to the Alameda Board of Supervisors to stop Urban Shield, which is funded by the Department of Homeland Security and run by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.

This Saturday, join us for a lively report on this year’s events and discussion of how to continue to resist and end these militarization exercises in our area. The discussion will be led off by Woods Ervin of the TGI Justice Project and John Lindsay-Poland of American Friends Service Committee.

This event will be held in a space with posters created by artists from around the country in response to militarization of police, borders, in wars, and on alternatives, called #HumanizeNotMilitarize, sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.

Rummage Sale | Bake Sale | Lunch / Dinner | Live Music | Movie Night!

Wow, Part One was amazing, let’s do it again, but for longer this time 😉

Please come and donate to Omni Commons to help us cover our ongoing expenses and keep this common space thriving for positive social change!

Schedule:

• 10am – Open Rummage Sale + Bake Sale
• 12pm – Open Meal Service (Lunch / Dinner)
• All day until 8pm – Live Music / Performances
• 8pm – Movie Night http://backchan.nl/meetings/view/4106

We need you to bring your friends, your enemies, and your frenemies—as long as you come to support Omni Commons, and most important to HAVE FUN!

The Flood Wall St. West Welcoming Committee will be hosting two non-violent direct action preps on Sept. 26 & 27 (both 1pm-4pm).

These preps will take participants through the philosophy and tools used in non-violent direct action. These preps will include discussions on the concept of affinity groups, give participants an opportunity to form one or more, a legal briefing and an overall plan for Sept. 28th.

These preps will be an important place to get plugged into for Flood Wall St. West.

WHAT’S FLOOD WALL STREET WEST?
One year ago, thousands of us flooded Wall Street in New York, taking mass direct action in the heart of a global financial system that’s fueling the climate crisis.

Now, a year later, people across the continent are preparing and organizing for #FloodTheSystem, a continental uprising against the economic and political systems threatening our survival.

To kick off #FloodTheSystem, we’re going to Flood Wall Street West: San Francisco’s financial district. Flood Wall Street West will consist of a tour of shame of some of the worst corporate and political bad actors in San Francisco’s financial district. We will take mass direct action to shut down business as usual and emphasize the connections between the climate crisis, capitalism, exploitation and oppression.

For more info on Flood Wall Street West, check out floodwallstwest.org

Come watch some short films on White Privilege and then engage in a discussion about the films and the issue in general. Supported by members of Open Circle, which will have met from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM just previously (all are welcome to either or both events!)

The film choices are still being finalized. Stay tuned.

The Community Democracy Project is your connection to direct democracy in Oakland! Convened out of Occupy Oakland in Fall 2011, we’re gathering steam on a campaign to bring the people back in touch with the city’s resources through participatory budgeting.

Picture this: Across Oakland, Neighborhood Assemblies are regularly held in every community. People come together to tackle the important issues of their neighborhoods and of the city. At these assemblies, people don’t just have discussions–they learn from one another, from city staff, and they make fundamental decisions about how the city should run. They decide the city budget.

Democratic, community budgeting is a powerful step toward building strong communities, real democracy, and economic justice–and it’s being done all over the world.

The budget of the City Oakland totals more than $1 billion per year. Although part of the budget must be used for specific purposes, still over half of the budget–over $500 billion per year–consists of general purpose funds paid by the taxes, fees, and fines of the people of Oakland. The Mayor and the City Council decide the city budget, with minimal input from the community.

Working together, we will not only get a seat at the table–we will REBUILD the table itself. Participatory democracy is real democracy–join us to say: Local People, Local Resources, Local Power!

Come learn about continuing developments in the battle save the Berkeley Post Office, other Post Offices in the area, and the Postal Service from privatization, support our Occupiers and help us plan our next steps in opposition to the theft of our public commons.

The postal service wanted to sell the post office to Hudson-Mcdonald, a local developer. The City of Berkeley sued the post office to stop the sale. Hudson-Mcdonald backed out of the deal in early December.

Federal Judge William Alsup decided to dismiss the lawsuit in April because the Postal Service says it is not currently selling the building.  But we’re not fooled. The Postal Service could “find” a buyer at any moment. Fortunately, the Judge ordered the Postal Service to provide 42 days notice before any sale, so that the lawsuit could be refiled.

Check out the Community Garden at the Post Office.

In the latest developments, Berkeley has Declared War on Its Homeless, and an ordinance criminalizing the homeless came before the City Council on June 30th (see here and here) but was tabled until at least September.

Also check out our website and the Save the Berkeley Post Office website, and First they Came for the Homeless Facebook for updates.

BPOD is an offshoot of Strike Debt Bay Area, which itself is an offshoot of Occupy Oakland and a chapter of the national Strike Debt movement, which is an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street.

It’s been two weeks since the Stop Urban Shield coalition rallied in Oakland, California against notorious SWAT-training and weapons expo, Urban Shield.

Check out our successful #StopUrbanShield press round up here!

But we’re just getting started. 

Tomorrow, September 29th, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is set to sign off on an amendment to Sheriff Ahern’s two-year agreement with the Urban Areas Security Initiative (a Department of Homeland Security grant program) that funds SWAT trainings, including Urban Shield.

This year, one of the Urban Areas Security Initiative agreements is increasing to $6,289,697 for Fiscal year 2014-2016. We must let the Board of Supervisors know that we are watching Urban Shield, and all federal funding of militarized trainings more broadly (see sample text below.) 

1) Call and email Board of Supervisors today!

Supervisor Haggerty// shawn.wilson@acgov.org (510) 272-6691
Supervisor Valle//  christopher.miley@acgov.org (510) 272-6692
Supervisor Chan//  jeanette.dong@acgov.org (510)272-6693
Supervisor Miley// anna.gee@acgov.org (510)272-6694
Supervisor Carson//   rodney.brooks@acgov.org (510)272-6695

2) If you are near Oakland, visit the BOS general meeting tomorrow 9.29 at 10:45 am and make a public comment at

1221 Oak Street, Room #555
Oakland, CA 94612

“Dear _________
I am writing to urge you and all Alameda County Board of Supervisors to take leadership in putting an end to the militarization of police and disaster preparedness represented by the annual Urban Shield exercises and weapons display, funded by DHS through the Urban Areas Security Initiative. The emphasis on SWAT teams as the response to emergencies – including natural disasters – as well as the exclusive focus on worst-case violent scenarios, diminishes resources for responding to the ordinary emergencies community members face every day: inaccessible housing and medical care. It also reinforces an attitude that police are at war with communities, with people of color, poor and those with mental health issues bearing the worst brunt.Alameda County should not be hosting Department of Homeland Security funded events, which involve not only nine Bay Area counties, but teams from around the United States.That is why I ask you to not sign the amendment to increase the Urban Areas Security Initiative grant tomorrow, and to stand with Alameda County communities, and people across the nation, not federal agencies!

Regards,

_______“

Sponsored by: Berkeley NAACP; UCB Black Student Union; Berkeley Copwatch: ACLU Berkeley/ NorthEastBay Chapter: National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

Newly released data on police stops confirms local activists’ and communities’ of color charges of racial profiling in Berkeley. Data collected by the Berkeley Police Department reveals a pattern of discriminatory conduct against African American and Latino civilians.

Stops: Though Black people constitute less than 8% of Berkeley’s population, they were 30.5% of those stopped by police; whites, comprising 60% of Berkeley, were 36.7% of those stopped.

Disposition: 38.1% of White people stopped by Berkeley police were eventually released without being either arrested or cited. However, 66.2% of African Americans were released without an arrest or citation, with Hispanics/Latinos close behind at 56.4%.

Searches: African Americans were 31% of civilians stopped, yet they were 57% of searches. Whites, on the other hand, were 37% of stops and only 14% of searches.

Local organizations will discuss the data and its implications in detail at the press conference.

Cyrus Farivar, author and senior business editor at Ars Technica, will deliver a talk titled “We’re All Being Watched: Local Surveillance.”

This event is sponsored by the Mellon Sawyer Seminar

COME SUPPORT A REAL ONE ! EAST OAKLAND 65TH & INTERNATIONAL #JUSTICE4RICH #fuckthepolice pic.twitter.com/o8YKVkIEuH

— Baby Trubble (@TR1GG4H4PPY_) September 29, 2015