Calendar

BFUU-Escalating Inequality Forum:

Define Accountability.
Who trains the Police to serve the public (is public defined)?
Who selects the Police Academy candidates?
What is the Police Academy syllabus?
Use of Force or Use of Words?
How do we end race-based policing!
Who allocates funding for your PD?
How many Police Academy candidates are ex-military?
How many served in Iraq or Afghanistan…how many of those have PTSD?
Should a Social Worker Degree be required for all Police Officers
Is karma relevant? Every action has a consequence.
Should living in Berkeley be a requirement for all Berkeley Police Officers?

Panel:

Ms. Richie Smith
Proverbial Mayor of South Berkeley/Long time member of NAACP/Retired Teacher/Great Grandmother
Ms. Amanda Weatherspoon
3rd year MDiv student, Starr King School for the Ministry/Member Black Lives Matter
Mr. Jesse Arreguin
Member of Berkeley City Council
PTBNL
*Retired Member Berkeley Police Department

Celebrate the legacy of the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast Program and hear stories of how this legacy has inspired various food justice activists from around the Bay Area.

This workshop will feature collective storytelling and interactive meal preparation by activist panel members. We will be cooking a “stone soup” with the ingredients that symbolize each activists’ struggle and how it was inspired by the Panther’s Free Breakfast Program. We will break bread together afterwards. In partnership with Destiny Arts Center, part of the Ruckus n’ Resiliency Series.

There will be music provided by local artists, including Missisippi Delta reggae artist Obeyjah and a Bay Area Fandango.
RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/njetsuq

Hosted by Black Panthers Aunti Frances Moore and Melvin Dickson (head cook for the Black Panther Oakland Community School), the workshop will include panelist members:

-Brent Walker (Phat Beets CSA Coordinator and Farmer)
– Cathy Leonard (Santa Fe CAN)
– Ana Galvis-Martinez (Cafe Panamericano)
-Joy Moore (garden teacher in the Berkeley Unified School District and long-time food activist)
-Joe Liesner (East Bay Food Not Bombs)
-Haleh Zandi (Planting Justice-pending)
-More panelists to follow…

The panel will be followed by a community pumpkin/squash pie contest (Bring a pie, win a prize!) and live music.

Panel followed by a community pumkin/squash pie contest (Bring a pie, win a prize) and live music.

We’ll be hosting our first of a potentially bi-monthly pop-up bazaar featuring local artists, artisans and craftmakers. Stop by anytime between 12-8pm and peruse a phantasmagorical cornucopia of objects and imbibements to titillate the tongue, warm the belly, inspire the mind and adorn the body!

The mission of these Collabazaars is to create a sustainable model for fundraising for the Omni’s monthly expenses while simultaneously providing local makers in our community with income and visibility to support their continued creative / artistic / crafty / culinary endeavors.

As the sun sets both tonight and tomorrow, the Omni will metamorphize into a haunted house befitting of its creepy cavernous and labrynthian corners!

Collaborators:
* Francisco Jimenez, Tucan Vinegars: Selling delicious homemade Costa Rican-style vinegars. Free tastings available!
* Abby Normal Art by Antoinette Gaggero
* Liberation Food Coop: Fair trade, fresh-roasted coffee and a variety of teas to sample.
* Youth Liberation Zines by STINNEY DISTRO
* Live painting by Nikki Lee Drum (http://www.nikkileedrum.com/)
* Musical mosaics: Hand-crafted instruments that can be played and used as unique art pieces.
* Kangs’ Necklaces: Wire Wrapped Gems & Stones
* BerrytheMaker selling her household overstock of accumulated treasures, cheap!
* Sudo Room’s 3D printers will be printing out original magnet designs throughout the day

If you’re interested in running a booth (with a percentage of sales going to the Omni Commons) at future Collabazaars, please contact collabazaar@omnicommons.org

Halloween at Noon – Come to the Cal Bears football game and help build public support for People’s Park as a California State Park. Help save People’s Park and stop the housing plan.

Bring Signs! Bring your memories of People’s Park! Bring your aspirations for People’s Park!

SAVE CALIFORNIA HISTORY! SAVE PEOPLE’S PARK!

RALLY AGAINST THE STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT

The UC Berkeley Department of Architecture and Chancellor Nick Dirks has announced their housing plan to replace People’s Park. The Dept of Architecture has been trying to build student support for the housing department, as have the student staff of the Chancellor.

Nick Dirks knows that in 4 years, People’s Park can be taken away from the University and made into a California State Park.

People’s Park had previously not been part of UC Berkeley’s development plan, and was going to be left as a Park until at least the year 2020. UC Berkeley had spent funds looking into altering the Park’s landscape, and possibly placing a cafe on the lot. The Park was going to be changed, but left as an open space, just under tighter control of the UC.

But Dirks is currently aware that UC Berkeley cannot wait until 2020. In 2019, the Park would go to the California State Parks. Now UC Berkeley has changed plans, and is going to clear out the lot to develop a student housing complex.

In “Killing Mockingbird” (Nov/Dec News & Letters) C. Safos shows how today’s Black Lives Matter movement totally shakes up the ground for debates about iconic American novels that deal with race like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Come participate in discussing this timely exciting topic.

Free Movie: Concerning Violence (2014 documentary directed by Göran Hugo Olsson – 85 minutes) Olsson artfully elucidates Frantz Fanon’s (“The Wretched of the Earth”) psychiatric and psychological analysis of dehumanizing effects of colonization on the individual and the nation.

COME OUT to support friend and comrade Janye during his preliminary hearing in court this monday! The lawyer says this is an IMPORTANT day to have a big turn out, so let’s PACK THE COURTROOM!

Details:
Janye was arrested a few weeks ago in an obvious case of racial profiling, the cops saying he ‘fit the description’ for a crime he had nothing to do with (which the witness immediately confirmed). While he was in custody, detectives questioned him about his involvement in the protests last year that followed the non-indictment of the murderers of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. After thousands took to the streets, Janye is the only person currently facing charges, and the charges are serious. He has been singled out, and we can’t let them divide and conquer us like that! PLEASE COME OUT ON MONDAY 9AM at WILEY MANUEL COURTHOUSE! Dept 115.

IF YOU CANT COME, or you are able, please considering donating to Janye’s support fund, he owes some money for his hefty 8,000 bail, and might be facing lawyer fees as high as 10,000. https://rally.org/f/5os4KR80OFc

ALSO Janye is looking for work, he has begun college and was studying accounting. Do you know of any job opportunities for him? get in touch!

November 10th’s City Council Meeting could be a historic point in the struggle against poverty wages in America, with Berkeley possibly passing the first ‘more than 15’ in the country. This would not only carry on the momentum of the fight for fifteen nationally, but would remind folks that 15 isn’t the end goal. We want more, as much as we can win.

On November 2, join 15 Now Berkeley for its final planning session prior to the city council meeting. We will discuss outreach actions leading up to Nov 10, our plans for Nov 10, and possible next steps. This is a really important meeting and it would be great to have lots of folks show up to it. Consider coming and having some input!

Join us for a screening of the powerful documentary film “The Hand That Feeds” followed by a panel discussion with a #FightFor15 worker and organizer, UC Berkeley Professor and Center for Latin American Studies Chair Harley Shaiken, and UC Berkeley Labor Center Chair Ken Jacobs.

The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission meeting for tonight has been CANCELLED and postponed and rescheduled to next Monday night, November 9th. There is no city secretary available for tonight.

The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission will discuss several important topics including:

1) Peace and Justice recommendations to Council about the December 2014 police response to protests, particularly mutual aid and tear gas where the PRC report was not strong. Possible support for PRC minority report.

2) Peace and Justice input on NCRIC, UASI/Urban Shield and other BPD agreements.

Your attendance and comment is welcome.

Statement to the Berkeley City  Council on NCRIC and UASI Agreements
November 2, 2014
Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission

The BPD’s agreements with NCRIC, the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, and UASI, the Urban Areas Security Initiative, come before you again on November 17. Peace and Justice reiterates our opposition to these relationships.

Every year since 2012 the BPD has released summaries of the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) it sends to NCRIC, the regional intelligence fusion center. Each year the summary contains disturbing examples of reportage on constitutionally protected speech, belief, and association, and reporting on non-criminal activity, all in violation of 28 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 23 and your 2012 order that the Department abide by it.

Unfortunately the Department does not release the current year’s summary until slightly before the Council meeting, so the public is unable to verify whether its practice has improved. Regardless, the SAR process is prone to abuse and has been shown nationally to rely on tainted reports full of racial, ethnic, and political bias. Not only are Berkeley’s own reports tainted in this way, but Berkeley receives data from far more conservative jurisdictions that make little pretense of objectivity.

The Peace and Justice Commission therefore recommends against approval of the NCRIC agreement at this time.

*

With regard to the UASI agreement, strong community concerns have arisen about the Urban Shield exercise, which is paid for by UASI. With all the turmoil and pain this country has lived through in the past year, we should know that the burden of militarized policing falls most heavily on African American and other communities of color. We support the proposal by four members of the Police Review Commission to direct the BPD to take a one-year break from participation in Urban Shield, as a beginning to demilitarizing the police department.

Beyond Urban Shield, Peace and Justice remains concerned about the entire UASI relationship. The department should cease this relationship and find other ways to get the training and equipment it needs without this entanglement with the national security, Pentagon, and espionage network.

Sincerely yours,

Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission

Minority Report:
Berkeley Police Review Commission Investigation
December 6-7, 2014 Police Response to Black Lives Matter Protest

The undersigned PRC commissioners support the majority report, which is strong in many respects.

In a few particulars, the undersigned differ from the majority report.  Below we state and explain our dissenting opinions.

Recommendations 18 and 22:  CS gas

BPD:

We recommend that BPD review its policy regarding the use of CS gas and batons in crowd control situations.

PRC:  (7.29.15)

BPD, in conjunction with the PRC, should review its policy regarding the use of CS gas and batons…with the intent of putting substantial constraints on the use of CS gas in crowd control and crowd management.  

>>  The undersigned commissioners recommend:  Prohibit CS gas in crowd control and crowd management: 

Recommendation #29:  Media credentialing
BPD: We recommend the BPD Public Information Officer investigate the viability of establishing a regional media credentialing system.

PRC  (10.8.15)

No policy should be implemented until the matter has been referred back to the PRC to establish a subcommittee to allow for a full discussion and formulation of a policy.

>> The undersigned commissioners recommend:  Support regional media credentialing, but through a system not managed by law enforcement.  Police should not be involved in determining who is legitimate media. The policy should be to recognize all media even if not credentialed by the police, and if in doubt to allow people to film and photograph.

Recommendation #31:  Video surveillance

BPD

We recommend the Department invest in quality video cameras, live stream capability and video capture software to improve situational awareness.

PRC  (9.16.15)

The PRC recognizes the need for the Department to make better-informed decisions in crowd control situations. Therefore, the department needs access to real time surveillance tools. Gathering such information will require some degree of surveillance, which raises concerns regarding citizens’ privacy. We recommend that the Council make a determination of what, if any, surveillance tools should be considered for use, and then refer the matter to the PRC to obtain community input and work with the BPD to establish the appropriate guidelines for such use.

>> The undersigned commissioners recommend adding this sentence:  “PRC should be asked to make a recommendation on any proposal for a surveillance tool before a decision is made to adopt the tool.”

Recommendation:  Mutual Aid

PRC  (10.8.15)

We believe it is critical for BPD to communicate to mutual aid responders the values of the COB, including de-escalation tactics, before and during a crowd event. BPD should continue to review its briefing and communication practices to make every effort for mutual aid responders with our policies. We request that the BPD make specific recommendations on strategies and procedures to achieve these goals.

>> The undersigned commissioners recommend:  Abide by state law, section 8618 of the Legislative Code which states, “Unless otherwise expressly provided by the parties, the responsible local official in whose jurisdiction an incident requiring mutual aid has occurred shall remain in charge at such incident, including the direction of personnel and equipment provided him through mutual aid.”[1]

Abide by the Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Plan prepared by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services which states that “the jurisdiction requesting mutual aid” is responsible for “advising responders what equipment they should bring.” [2]

Abide by the 1992 the Berkeley City Council resolution mandating that the BPD take direct supervisory responsibility for all mutual aid units deployed to the maximum extent amount allowable by law.[3]  

The BPD is accountable for the actions of other departments participating in a mutual aid activity in Berkeley.  Therefore, the department should account for what policing equipment is brought into Berkeley, in particular what type of less-lethal projectiles and chemical agents, and how many rounds are discharged by mutual aid participants, what type of strikes were delivered, and how many civilian injuries were reported.

Pathfinders, BPD personnel assigned to accompany mutual aid agencies in Berkeley, will not only facilitate communication but play an active role in supervising mutual aid and ensuring that mutual aid act under BPD command and follow BPD policies.

[1] http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/cacode/GOV/1/2/d1/7/11/s8618

[2] http://www.caloes.ca.gov/LawEnforcementSite/Documents/1Blue%20Book.pdf

[3] “That the BPD take direct supervisory responsibility for all mutual aid units deployed to the maximum amount allowable by law…advise such units that they will be expected to comply with [BPD] regulations and policies,” and that if there are conflicts with other agencies over policies which cannot be resolved, “BPD reserves the right to elect not to deploy those units affected….Where the City of Berkeley has adopted more stringent standards, those will take precedence over county-wide standards within Berkeley.”  http://www.berkeleyside.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2003-09-09-Item-54-57.pdf

Here’s your chance to learn more about market-based approaches to solving the climate crisis and an opportunity to engage with local proponents.  Efforts to put a price on carbon pollution are underway at the state and national levels.  Come hear about proposals such as a carbon tax, existing programs such as California’s cap and trade auction, and other efforts to transition toward a clean energy economy.

OccupyForum will take a field trip to COPWATCH’s Berkeley meeting.

COPWATCH is an activist group dedicated to monitoring police and protecting citizens, whose slogan is: “Refuse to be Abused.” Beginning in 1990, Copwatch ran street patrols to document police harassment of homeless people on Telegraph Avenue. Its newsletter highlighted patterns of intimidation, selective enforcement, misinformation and excessive oversight by police. Over the next decade, Copwatch held hundreds of “Know Your Rights” trainings. Copwatch spearhead demonstrations, filed complaints, used its documents to build court defense,  spoke out at investigative hearings, stood up against pepper spray and other brutal policing techniques (check their website for a full description). They have been a force to be reckoned with on every level to stop systemic police brutality, and a model for organizations in other cities.

We have the good fortune to be invited to their November meeting in Berkeley. This is gonna be deep: they’re discussing what they’ve learned recently, and want to work on regarding the militarization of police, police accountability, training, your rights on the street for yourself and others, how to be a copwatcher, and more:

� Millitarization of police and how to draw that down
� Immediate triage situations: how to behave on the streets / intervention in police stopping people, including African Americans, homeless/veterans, etc.
� Police Accountability
� Police Training
� Copwatcher training, including your rights on the streets
� Longer term strategies for dealing with police violence

In the meantime, you can take a look at “These Streets Are Watching” beforehand to get acquainted with the issues and to formulate questions.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKeM6zWfAjs

How did two boyhood friends from Midland, Texas wind up arrested on terrorism charges at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota? Better This World follows the journey of David McKay (22) and Bradley Crowder (23) from political neophytes to accused domestic terrorists with a particular focus on the relationship they develop with a radical activist mentor in the six months leading up to their arrests. A dramatic story of idealism, loyalty, crime and betrayal, Better This World goes to the heart of the War on Terror and its impact on civil liberties and political dissent in post-9/11 America.

A co-production with ITVS, Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega’s Better This World has been called “Riveting” by The Washington Post, “Mind-boggling” by New York Magazine and “sharply focused & superbly put together” by The Hollywood Reporter. The film was given the Writers Guild of America’s Best Documentary Screenplay Award, Gotham Independent Film’s Best Doc Feature Award and an IDA Creative Achievement Award. Additional honors include Best Documentary Prize at the San Francisco International Film Festival and 3 National Emmy Nominations – including one for Best Doc.

Supporting local filmmakers since 2009

We’re going to mobilize and head to a local Sprouts store to urge customers to boycott Sprouts! Email gilltractfarm@gmail.com for more info.

Come out to defend the Gill Tract! Despite 20 years of community organizing to maintain the land for farming, green-washing super market Sprouts is still planning to build a store on the Gill Tract. Meet up to coordinate with other folks before deploying to a Sprouts store in the Bay Area. This is a great way to plug into Occupy the Farm and take a stand for the land!

JOIN CODEPINK, WORLD CAN’T WAIT, OCCUPYSF Action Council and others at the huge PEACE banner

Theme this week is: Remembering Pirate Mike’s (Stephen Michal Clift) Legacy

Feel free to bring your own signage, photos, flyers. Additional signs and flyers provided.

Pirate Mike and other Veterans for Peace have participated in this vigil highlighting various justice issues and with Codepink at Beale and Creech AFB’s against DRONES

All are welcomed!

Come support the Alameda Renters Coalition and their fight for a moratorium on rent increases and a rent control ordinance.

At the special meeting, the City Council will receive a study on the City’s rental housing market, prepared by BAE Urban Economics (BAE).  To address the rental housing market, including rapidly rising rents and low vacancy rates in Alameda, City staff will also present a range of policy options that the City Council may consider, including consideration of a temporary moratorium on rental increases or evictions without just cause.  The BAE rent study and the staff report for the special meeting will be available on the City’s website by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28, 2015.

Join the California Nurses Association at a free special Labor Screening of “This Changes Everything,” a flim by Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein, based on her best-selling book about climate chaos.

The film will be followed by a conversation among rank-and-file workers who have been impacted by ecological crisis and labor leaders whose unions are throwing down for climate justice.

As Naomi recently told union members: “Our current economic model is not only waging war on workers, on communities, on public services and social safety nets. It’s waging war on the life support systems of the planet itself. The conditions for life on earth. Climate change: It’s not an “issue” for you to add to the list of things to worry about it. It is a civilizational wake up call. A powerful message – spoken in the language of fires, floods, storms and droughts – telling us that we need an entirely new economic model, one based on justice and sustainability.”

Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpuSt_ST4_U.

Not available on Nov. 4th? Join us for an alternate screening on November 11th at UNITE HERE Local 2 in San Francisco: https://www.facebook.com/events/151574678528299/.

A march for peace, humanity and an end to the corruption and oppression that keeps us all from our higher evolution.

The million masked march is collective of peaceful protesters coming together to stand against oppression and the denial of our rights. To show that we, as citizens, stand together peacefully but firmly against injustice, oppression, corruption, brutality, and corporate greed.

We stand together in support of rights and fair treatment for the homeless and displaced, for honesty and transparency in government, for equality for all people, regardless of class, gender, sexuality, religion, or affiliation. We don the masks to become one thing. United. We are the voices of those unheard, or that cannot speak up.

Unofficial location info from the Facebook page comments:

In terms of the march plan, we are near 100% certain we will be starting at the Embarcadero this year; most likely at the plaza.