Calendar
The Canadian government has threatened Montreal, Maine and Atlantic engineer Thomas Harding and traffic controller Richard Labrie with life in prison as scapegoats for the Lac-Mégantic oil train disaster. Jeff Powers of the SWP will lead a discussion about the real causes of the disaster on July 26, 2013 where a MMA train derailed, destroying the downtown and killing 47 people.
Crew size reduction, long hours with little time for rest, and poorly maintained track, bridges and rolling stock all play important roles in the Lac-Mégantic catastrophe, but the Canadian government is framing two individuals instead of investigating the real causes and vigorously prosecuting the corporations responsible.
Donation: $5 — $1 for unemployed. Traducción al español.
*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)!
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:
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!
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.
Occupy Forum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue
on all sides of these critically important issues!
Francisco Herrera and Ross Mirkarimi:
Addressing the Needs of the People
Francisco Herrera is a musician, a long-time Green Party member, and an activist with the Living Wage Coalition. He is running for Mayor in order to “bring the wisdom of the neighborhoods to City Hall.” Francisco has developed a 12-year plan for getting SF back to meeting the needs of the people who live here. And he has done this with over 200 residents’ input. In a speech to the League of Women Voters, he asked: “How do we get City Hall to listen to the wisdom of our neighborhoods and respect our strengths? What kind of city do we want for our children and grandchildren — for ourselves?”
Francisco started the “People’s Campaign” to form a long-term effort to develop a plan and vision of San Francisco as a city friendly and affordable to working families. Francisco’s platform includes building more affordable housing, eviction protection, a budget that prioritizes arts and human services, safe streets and a better Muni system, public education, an expansion of Healthy SF, an end to deportations and cooperation with ICE, accountable policing, and more living wage jobs.
Herrera has been endorsed by Jill Stein (Green Party US Presidential Candidate 2116), the Green Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, the Tenants’ Union, SF supervisor John Avalos, former Calif. Assembly member Tom Ammiano, SF Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, SEIU Local 1021, and AFT Local 2121, and many SF labor unions. You can find out more at: http://www.peoplescampaign.net/platform
R O S S M I R K A R I M I
Ross Mirkarimi has succeeded in lowering the costs for inmates to stay in touch with their families by phone (a key factor in lowering recidivism). He has supported Five Keys, an award-winning high school inside the jail. Mirkarimi has increased visiting hours for all inmates, and houses transgender inmates according to gender identity. He also helps enroll inmates in Obamacare when released from jail. Sheriff Mirkarimi has made some good decisions that have put him at odds with Mayor Lee. He has strongly supported SF’s “sanctuary city” policy, which allows undocumented immigrants to cooperate with law enforcement without fear of deportation. Mirkarimi is also is the only Sheriff in the state to have an Eviction Assistance Unit, which protects tenants and slows evictions. This assistance, while short of an outright refusal to evict (which would result in Lee suspending Mirkarimi), has put Mirkarimi at odds with landlords and developers. The Green Party strongly endorses Ross Mirkarimi for another term as Sheriff.
Refreshments. 6-6:30 meet and munch. 6:30-9 Herrera and Mirkarimi Q & A and your input. Donations greatly appreciated. No one turned away. No money ever accepted from corporations… ever. From civic center BART come up escalator to UN Plaza and walk straight thru the plaza to Hyde St. Turn right on Hyde and walk 2 short blocks to Golden Gate. Turn right and walk to middle of the block to 215.
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,
_______“
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
The City of Benicia Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the recirculated draft EIR (RDEIR) for a proposed crude-by-rail project. The proposed project would allow the Benicia Valero Refinery to receive up to 70,000 barrels per day of its crude by rail. It currently receives crude by ship and pipeline. The project involves installation of a new railcar unloading rack, rail track spurs, pumps, pipeline and other infrastructure at the refinery.
The environmental analysis conducted to date indicates that there would be significant and unavoidable impacts on air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous materials and biological resources. The RDEIR considers potential impacts that could occur between the crude oil trains point of origin and the California state border, and from the border to Roseville, CA.
The RDEI can be reviewed and download from the Planning Commission’s page on the the City of Benicia website.
Additional planning Commission meetings to receive comments on the RDEIR are scheduled for Sept. 30, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8. These would be held only as necessary to hear public comment. Comments may also be submitted on in writing, no later than 5 PM on Thursday, Oct. 15.
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There will be a vigil for Antonio Ramos, the muralist who was killed in West #Oakland today. Corner of 35th & West St, 9:30 am tmrw. #oakmtg
— David Colburn (@davidcolburn) September 30, 2015
The City of Oakland is facing a serious affordable housing crisis, with numerous residents being displaced from their homes. A hearing is scheduled on the housing crisis at Oakland City Hall (click this link for agenda calendar: https://oakland.legistar.com/calendar.aspx).
At Together We Rise, we will celebrate those who have sustained the Ella Baker Center’s work over the years and invite attendees to join our team.
Come and learn about our recent wins, and what’s coming up next for us. More details about Together We Rise.
There will be light appetizers, a photobooth, and entertainment from a soon-to-be-announced special guest. One drink ticket comes with admission.
If you become a sustaining donor of the Ella Baker Center today with a donation of $10 a month or more, you will receive complimentary admission to Together We Rise!
TAPPED is a beautifully filmed, compelling documentary in which Stephanie Soechtig and Sara Olsen explore the environmental consequences of bottled water. TAPPED does to bottled water what Food, INC and Super Size Me did to the food monopolies. The film begins with: By 2030, two thirds of the world will not have access to clean drinking water. The film also covers chemical pollution, plastic pollution, mile wide plastic soups in the ocean, water privatization and community water rights.
This event is a result of our partnering with Food and Water Watch, a national organization that champions healthy food and clean water for all. We will be joined by Liz Solorio of FWW, Juliana Gonzales of The Watershed Project and Matt Freiberg, chair of our own Berkeley Climate Action Coalition water committee for a discussion after the film.
Please bring finger food and/or drinks to share at 6:30 for Meet and Greet before the film. In keeping with the film’s message let’s try not to bring any plastic containers!
For more info: info [at] transitionberkeley.com
website: http://www.transitionberkeley.com
This event is co-sponsored by Transition Berkeley, Food and Water Watch and BFUU’s Social Justice Committee.
Suggested donation $5-$10. No one turned away.
Wheelchair accessible.
“We have cancelled the event at the Alameda Coroner’s office this Friday because they have released the autopsy report. This is a victory and couldn’t of happened without your support! More details to follow.”
— APTP https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=647064612099995&id=513658562107268
Nearly nine months have passed since Yuvette Henderson was gunned down by Emeryville Police on the Oakland Emeryville border and the Alameda County Coroner has yet to release her autopsy report.
The family and community of Yuvette Henderson have been seeking justice and closure only to be met with with a wall of silence from the various agencies involved. Crucial to getting answers on exactly what happened that day is a full release of the Coroner’s autopsy report. The fact that a full nine months have passed since since her death on February 3, 2015 and still no autopsy report has been released makes serious doubt about the State’s willingness to be transparent in the interest of justice.
Gather with us this Friday to demand that they immediately release the long overdue report.
THIS EXHIBIT CONTINUES THROUGH NOVEMBER 1ST.
Join us for our opening screening of the 2015/2016 season on October 2nd at 5:00pm!
Eyes on Oakland is a community-powered, art-meets-journalism initiative that seeks to inform and engage residents across Oakland about the different types of surveillance technology used by local police. A collaboration between the Mobile Arts Platform and The Center for Investigative Reporting, Eyes on Oakland featured two key venues: a participatory installation in the “Who Is Oakland?” exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California, and pop-up outings around Oakland with the Mobile Arts Platform, a classic Ford Falcon van retrofitted as a roving newsroom. The work was sourced by information from CIR’s reporting, and driven by creative insights gathered from Oakland residents. So far, Eyes on Oakland has directly incorporated attitudes on surveillance from hundreds of residents, and inspired a host of fact-based conversations on the balance between privacy and public safety in communities across the city and at the Oakland Museum.
Hope to see you there!
The Great Wall located on West Grand Avenue between Broadway and Valley Street, next door to Luka’s Taproom and Lounge.
