Calling All Artists, Church Leaders, Community/Cultural Workers and Allies:

Show UP Monday! Bring your art, friends, families & congregations!

The City of Oakland is redesigning downtown and they’ve left us out of the equation. Next week, they’ll be hosting a series of public events on Planning Downtown Oakland. Let’s make sure our communities’ voices are heard – and let’s be creative!

RALLY at CITY KICKOFF EVENT & DESIGN WORKSHOP

SPUR – who is hosting the workshops that follow for the rest of the week – released a report on “shaping the future of downtown Oakland”. Of 30 recommendations in the report, only 1 mentions art – briefly. Just one.

We want Cultural Equity, Affordable Housing, and Anti-Displacement protections for the existing residents throughout the city that have made it such a vibrant and desirable place to live. We want an Oakland Arts & Culture Commission that’s representative of all the districts in Oakland. We want more City Arts staff who will work together to ensure public dollars and public policies are used appropriately to preserve, strengthen and grow our creative neighborhoods. We want more funding for arts and culture, arts education in schools for our children, and we want All Of Oakland’s neighborhoods to be resourced.

SHOW UP Monday with your people and make your voices heard!

AND be sure to show up at one of the public input “Open Studio” design workshops that run every day for the following week – 10/20 to 10/27 – from 9am to 6pm. They’ll take place at SPUR’s new offices at 1544 Broadway, right across from The Rotunda Building and the Latham Square construction.

For more information on the Downtown Specific Plan and the City’s public events next week, click here: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/PlanDowntownOakland/index.htm

For updates on how to #KeepOaklandCreative, “like” the page:
https://www.facebook.com/KeepOAKCreative

The SPUR Report is available online here: http://www.spur.org/sites/default/files/publications_pdfs/SPUR_A_Downtown_for_Everyone.pdf

#KeepOaklandCreative
#KeepOaklandDiverse
#KeepOaklandAffordable
#DevelopmentWithoutDisplacement

A big Thank You to Desi Mundo, Campaigns Commitee Member for helping coordinate this action!

Community Meals//FREE PIZZA DAYS!!!!

Now that everyone is settled in to the new school year and getting ready for Halloween, your neighborhood sourdough bakers and pizza people, Nick and Aron’s on Telegraph and Nick’s Pizza on Shattuck will be hosting a pair of their famous COMMUNITY MEALS, opening up their doors for two hours to serve FREE PIZZA, SALADS AND HOMEMADE BEVERAGES. We organize these events in the spirit of community and neighborhood. With everyone welcome to join us, hang out, have some dinner on us and meet their neighbors

While Oakland is going through a whiplash of changes around us, we want to take an opportunity to renew our commitment to ALL the members of our community. We believe in a vision of Oakland that supports all of it’s residents, whether they rent, own or live on the street,. We believe that one of the best ways to straddle our divides is to join in a meal together. This October, Nick and Aron’s will be adopting the Nick’s Pizza tradition of Community Meals, where we host all of our neighbors to have a meal together, get to know each other and form community.

OUR INTENTION IS TO KEEP OUR RESTAURANTS, EVENTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS FRIENDLY, CARING SPACES

Free pizza, salad and housemade beverages. Happy Hour prices on beer and wine!
Good community vibes, and waiting on DJ confirmation from a very  special name.

Inspired by Naomi Klein’s best-selling book, the film presents seven portraits of communities on the front lines of the climate crisis. With the UN’s Paris Climate Conference just coming up in just six weeks, this film is a call to action: to mobilize our movement and to organize for change, wherever we are.

Check out the trailer:

Films can be a powerful tool to scale up awareness, engagement, and action in the climate movement, so we really hope you can join your local screening. Bring a friend, (or several!) as movies can be a great entry point for folks not already in the climate movement.

Wed, Oct 21 Only!

The Spook Who Sat by the Door is a 1973 film based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Sam Greenlee. It is both a satire of the civil rights struggle in the United States of the late 1960s and a serious attempt to focus on the issue of black militancy. Dan Freeman, the titular protagonist, is enlisted in the Central Intelligence Agency’s elitist espionage program as its token black. After mastering agency tactics, however, he becomes disillusioned and drops out to train young Chicago blacks as “Freedom Fighters”. As a story of one man’s reaction to white ruling-class hypocrisy, the film is loosely autobiographical and personal.

The novel and the film also dramatize the CIA’s history of giving training to persons and/or groups who later utilize their specialized intelligence training against the agency – an example of “blowback”.

Doors open at 7 pm.FREE POPCORN FOREVER!

~Sponsored by Liberated Lens~

Film evenings begin with optional potluck refreshments & social hour at 6:30 pm,
followed by the film at 7:30 pm, followed by optional discussion after the film.

THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN SISTERS,

Episodes 1 & 2  By Aljazeera TV

For a description of this film, see the website.

David Talbot, founder and former CEO of Salon.com, has written an explosive portrait of Allen Dulles, the man who transformed the CIA into a powerful, secretive and ruthless organization that changed world history and dragged America from democracy into the current national security state, militarily maintaining world dominance, with a government controlled by corporate power. This shocking history, “The Devil’s Chessboard: Allen Dulles and the Rise of America’s Secret Government” is thoroughly and convincingly indexed. KPFA manager Quincy McCoy will host this KPFA benefit.

advance tickets: $12 : brownpapertickets.com :: T: 800-838-3006  or Pegasus (3 sites), Moe’s, Walden Pond Bookstore, Diesel a Bookstore, Mrs. Dalloway’s, S.F. – Modern Times.

Why: To demand that San Francisco’s most upwardly-mobile politician serve the City’s residents with the greatest needs, rather than the fewest.

Scott Wiener Roast

Weiner Roast 3. Scott is not on your side. Oct. 23rd, you can let him know how you feel. This type of protest will get his attention. Wear themed costumes, Les Miserables, weiner, peasant uprising with pitchforks and torches. Bring jokes.  Bring hotdogs, the fixings, and we may need additional grills. Small hibachi style or camping bbq.  An unknown number will be there and we want more than enough food. Homeless are coming, and the food won’t be wasted. Clothing optional. Spread the word.

We all know the shananigans Stupidvisor Scott Wiener pulls every day. His hatred of poor people especially the homeless is beyond belief. Well, for the third time we are going to go visit him to shout loudly:

• SF is not for sale
• End Homelessness Now
• Affordable Housing for All

Many of us have survived the shelter system and choose not to repeat that experience. Instead we camp on the sidewalks and other out of the way places. This conduct while necessary is prohibited from 7:00 AM until 11:00 PM by the SF Police Code. There are exceptions: most important is the one which deals with rallies, demonstrations, meetings and similar events.

Homeless Action Team is a self-advocacy network of homeless, unemployed and employed workers. We are an affinity group of First They Came for the Homeless our decision making process is autonomous.  We our Homeless not Helpless. We are demanding a Hand Up, Not a Handout. We promote self-reliance individually and collectively. We defend and serve our community under the terms of Mutual Aid and Voluntary Cooperation.

Our Demands:

1. Stop criminalizing homelessness  it only makes the problem worse.  Harassing homeless people for sitting or lying on sidewalks, depriving them of sleep, driving them out of parks that are their best available sanctuary makes it impossible for them to heal the damage done to their lives.
2. Allow homeless folks to take care of themselves.  With proper rest and even a minimal sense of security, homeless people will have a better chance of organizing their lives and of becoming self-sufficient.  As San Francisco provides shelter beds for less than 20% of its homeless population, urban camping areas must exist within the City limits as an alternative.
3. Create housing that the homeless can afford.  Salt Lake City has demonstrated that this is cheaper than hounding homeless folks like criminals and wasting money on emergency services that obviously don’t solve the problem of homelessness.

They left me in the room for 5 hours with my hands tied behind my back and legs tied to each other. When I refused to confess, they slapped me and tightened my hand ties even more.” – 15-year-old prisoner

Children and families in Silwan face constant violence—both physical and psychological. Illegal and armed settlers are taking over Palestinian homes and land. These settlers often harass and viciously attack Palestinians on the street. Meanwhile bulldozers carry out “administrative demolitions” which leave many homeless and threaten thousands more. And hundreds of people each year—including children as young as six and many, many teenagers—are arrested, beaten, and tortured by Israeli police.

Event includes:

Room Number 4 photo exhibit about violations of Palestinian children’s rights, accompanied by written testimonies from the children themselves

Presentation by Sahar Abbasi Baidon – direct from Palestine! Sahar is Deputy Director of Madaa Silwan Creative Center where she works with children who have been arrested, runs the women’s program and more. She is also a mother of four.

Scratchboard drawing used to create the wedding mural just painted at Shoruq Cultural Center in Dheisheh Refugee Camp – plus photos of Palestinian students creating tiles for the mural

Videos and photos of community murals painted in Silwan by US-based Art Forces & Madaa Silwan Creative Center –in response to Israel’s violent evictions and confiscation of land, house by house

Donation requested at the door, no one turned away. Benefit for the Madaa Silwan Creative Center, to raise funds for a staff psychologist to support the children and their families after the trauma of arrests, home demolitions and violence.

This event is a collaboration between Middle East Children’s Alliance & Art Forces

Cosponsored by Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Friends of Sabeel- North America, Jewish Voice for Peace/Bay Area, and more!

For info: www.mecaforpeace.org, 510-548-0542.

The KPFA Multi-Media team is holding a training/education event to help build our network for multi-media: live streaming, and use of social media to help build the KPFA streaming channel and also to help labor and community organizations build their own live streaming channels.

Help us expand KPFA and other news sources through interactive communication and get your events on the KPFA streaming channel. Get to know producers, streamers, and activists fighting for working people and immigrant rights, housing rights, against racist violence and environmental rights. The struggle against cuts in public services and privatization of education are issues that all working people need to see. We will also have presentations on how multi-media and streaming is being used to break the information blockade. Training and conference will be bi-lingual and streamed on KPFA web.

Bring your mobile devices for the  workshop because every device is a little different.
Pre-Registration Requested: Contact KPFAStream@gmail.com to register.

It’s Orion’s Birthday and their 5th Anniversary.  to open gate call gg 916 718 2105

Bring Acoustic Instruments and/or your voice.

ps Orion Sez ” We expect lotsa yaking singin , playing,and havin a good time gals bring drinks guys bring food or vice a versa LBGT    vice a versa too.NO barbeque

you may play gg/s uke and/or piano and my acoustic guitar.My Drum set will not be available .Orion/s Joy of Sextet Jazz and latin Jazz will not be playing at the Party since  they will be playing Sunday oct 25 5 to 7pm at Caffe Treiste 2400 san pablo Berk.

thanks for making the World amore peaceful and joyful Palace Orion 510 719 6429

Do you ever miss the delightful aroma of decomposing compost? Do you ever wonder what happened to that fragile vegetable start that you planted? Or that kindred spirit you met pulling bind weed?

Then come to reconnect, schmooze, eat and drink with old and new faces, past and current volunteers at the UC Gill Tract Community Farm Volunteer Appreciation Party!!!

This is our small token of appreciation to thank you for all your hard work in helping to grow and sustain this ground-breaking, amazing, and fruitful farm and community space!

Travel with members of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and the NLG through Oakland, visiting key sites of struggle for the Black Panther Party and other Black radical movements in the historic Town. From the site of Huey P. Newton’s trial and Bobby Hutton’s murder to the location of major demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the killing of Oscar Grant, you’ll see the history of Black radical movements in Oakland from the 1960s to the present. The tour is wheelchair and stroller accessible.

Meet: Lobby of Oakland Marriott City Center to walk to Alameda County Courthouse.

Part of #Law4thePeople2015 http://www.nlg.org/2015-law-people-convention

Right now there are more predatory payday lenders in the US than McDonald’s and Starbucks combined. And new ones keep popping up! In fact, payday lenders are often owned by the same banks that won’t provide accounts or loans to poor customers. Most progressives are so opposed to predatory lending that they want to shut payday lending down altogether … without providing an alternative for people who are cash-strapped and in need. Strike Debt Bay Area, an offshoot of Occupy Oakland, has found an answer in our hometown of Oakland.

Community Check Cashing (CCC) is a non-profit, providing the same services that for-profit payday lenders do — at a third to a half of what they charge.  CCC estimates that it has saved its customer base over $1,200,000 in the six years it has been open.

As activists, we’ve been exploring ways CCC can be strengthened and its model can be expanded — with the ultimate goal of taking out the for-profit payday lenders. We call this project Human Interest Lending. We’ll provide some history of the banks and the social contract, and talk about where we want to go. We’ll also update attendees on some of Strike Debt Bay Area’s other projects, including ending Student Debt and saving the Berkeley Post Office.

Debbie Notkin is on the board of the James Tiptree  J. Literary Award, and blogs at Body Impolitic www.laurietobyedison.com/body-impolitic-blog). She is an active member of Strike Debt Bay Area. She is contracts manager for a large nonfiction publishing company.

JP Massar is an activist with Strike Debt Bay Area, the Oakland Privacy Working Group, the Oakland Livable Wage Assembly and Occupy Oakland, a writer on the national progressive blog Daily Kos, the former policy chair for the Siegel for Oakland Mayoral campaign, and occasionally he can be seen marching against police violence or testifying against police militarization at the Berkeley and Oakland City Council.

Time will be allotted for discussion and announcements.

Item 23 on the Berkeley City Council Agenda. (2nd on the Action agenda)

Do you want a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) on you to be lodged in the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) because you chalked a political message on the sidewalk, or put a poster or two on a building’s wall? In BPD’s General Order N-17, for NCRIC, VANDALISM is defined as a criminal activity with a potential terrorism nexus, to be reported.

Do you want a SAR sent on you to NCRIC because you took a picture of a bridge, building or of the cops in action?PHOTOGRAPHY, in such cases, is a potential criminal or non-criminal activity to be reported if done “in a manner that would arouse suspicion in a reasonable person”. Could the “manner” be wearing a hoodie or scarf and/or being tan?

The Police Review Commission (PRC) has recommended supposed changes to BPD’s General Order N-17, on SARs to NCRIC. Actually they are not changes, but rather spell out Federal Regulations and California Constitution privacy requirements already to in G.O. N-17.

Spelling out these regs in no way changes the Definition of Criminal Activities and Potential Criminal and Non-Criminal Activities to be sent as SARs to NCRIC.

How can we expect the City Council to control on whom and what SARs are sent to NCRIC when this is decided by BPD’s two or three FBI Terrorism Liaison Officers who cannot discuss their actions with a BPD supervisor without the permission of the U.S. Department of Justice, their FBI supervisor at the FBI’s Bay Area Joint Terrorism Task Force that runs NCRIC?✳️

Please attend this Tuesday’s, 10/27/15, City Council and tell them to NOT APPROVE NCRIC in its entirety! PRC’s “changes” make no difference.

— Berkeleyans Organizing for Liberty Defense