Calendar
Presenters include:
• Four women from Empower
• Niki Adams of the English Collective of Prostitutes
Hosted by the US PROStitutes Collective
Empower Foundation is a sex workers’ collective in Thailand which for 30 years has been promoting rights and opportunities for sex workers, especially access to education, health and legal advocacy. Over the years 50,000 sex workers have passed through their doors including migrant women from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam.
The English Collective of Prostitutes is a UK based group, founded in 1975, which helps sex workers defend themselves against unjust charges and spearheads campaigns for decriminalization, safety and for resources so that sex workers can leave sex work if and when they want.
US PROStitutes Collective is a Bay Area based organization, founded in 1982, which won parity for sex workers in compensation claims and with others got policies establishing immunity from arrest for sex workers reporting violence.
This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from sex workers as well as from grassroots women in the Global South who are organizing for survival across different sectors of society.
Sponsored by Global Women’s Strike/Bay Area, GWS Omni Collective, In Defense of Prostitute Women‘s Safety Project, US PROStitutes Collective and Women of Color/GWS
Potluck reception and discussion with Water and Land Protector Vanessa Dundon aka SiouxZ Desbah, and Water Protector Legal Collective, co-sponsored by AIM-West, Intertribal Friendship House, National Lawyers Guild- SF Bay Area Chapter, and Oakland Law Collaborative.
SiouxZ, Diné / Navajo, is a lead plaintiff in a civil rights class action lawsuit challenging the use of fire hoses, explosive grenades, and other violence against the indigenous-led #NoDAPL movement at Standing Rock. A mother of 4, she is also the founder of Missing Flowers: Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Men; an organizer of Honor Life – Protect Bears Ears; and is participating in The Longest Walk 5.3. SiouxZ was shot in the eye while trying to help a journalist to safety during the police attack on water protectors at Backwater Bridge in 2016, and suffered a permanent vision loss. There will also be a legal update from WPLC.
SiouxZ will also be speaking on Thurs, March 21, as part of the opening roundtable for INVISIBLE NO MORE: A Symposium on Resisting Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color from 5:45-7:30pm at the Multicultural Community Center in Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Union Building at UC Berkeley.
Angela Davis says, “Sunaina Maira locates contemporary BDS activism and the considerable efforts to expand the academic boycott of Israel …to movements for racial, gender and economic equality…In deftly demonstrating that Palestinian solidarity belongs at the center of all our social justice concerns, “Boycott!” both exemplifies the challenge and urges us to fearlessly rise up to it.”GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE FOR OAKLAND MAYOR
Saied Karamooz announces his candidacy as Oakland’s mayor in 2018
Saied Karamooz will share his motivation, vision, and plans as Oakland’s next mayor. Saied believes that everyone is entitled to safe streets, quality education, decent jobs, and dignified homes.
“With the abundance of resources, innovation, and energy in Oakland, there is no reason why our city continues to be plagued by high crime levels, low graduation rates, high unemployment, and inadequate housing,” said Mr. Karamooz.
Press conference will be held on the steps of City Hall, Frank Ogawa Plaza, on Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at 11:30 am.
“There is no greater disservice to the people of Oakland than allowing status quo to obliterate the rich culture, heritage, and history of Oakland,” says Mr. Karamooz, referring to the false narrative and flawed ways of career politicians who are beholden to the dirty money of their deep pocket donors.
Mr. Karamooz believes that true public safety can only be achieved through solid education, quality jobs and dignified homes. As such, he is proposing to divert a portion of OPD’s annual budget to education, jobs, and housing initiatives. Secondly, he is horrified that fifteen years, four mayors, and over a hundred million dollars later, the city’s largest agency, Oakland Police Department (OPD), continues to operate with racially-biased practices as evidenced by the Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA) that placed OPD under federal court supervision in 2003. Mr. Karamooz pledges to bring NSA to an end within 24 months by spearheading a methodical and collaborative initiative with active participation by community leaders and OPD beat officers. Finally, as a genuine expression of his commitment to running a clean money campaign, he is refusing donations from corporations, non-Oaklanders, or in excess of $45.
To learn more about campaign’s principles, practices, and promises, visit EveryonesMayor.org.
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El Cerrito Shows Up#Enough #ICEoutofCA
Please join us today & every Wednesday 6 – 7 PM
West entrance El Cerrito Plaza nr Daiso, San Pablo Ave & Carlson.ECSU rallies weekly to speak out in favor of equality and justice. #NoHatehttps://t.co/Wotbz2eRWM pic.twitter.com/E88ORoKhhq
— IndivisibleELCERRITO (@ECindivisible) March 14, 2018
Please join us from 6 to 7 PM at the west entrance to El Cerrito Plaza, intersection of San Pablo Ave & Carlson Ave. We’ll meet on the side nearest to Daiso.
The ECSU goals are to create a significant community presence to speak out in favor of equality, justice, inclusiveness and more. We say NO to hatred, racism, white supremacy and nationalism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism.
You can bring your own sign with your own words expressing what you stand for and against. Use BIG lettering so people in cars can see! We’ll also have some sign-making materials.
We’re from the El Cerrito area. Our Show Up location is at the borders of El Cerrito, Richmond and Albany — all are welcome!
We will assemble lawfully, and won’t block the sidewalk. All locations we select will be wheelchair-accessible. To participate you must commit to non-violent and respectful conduct. Family-friendly.
This free SURJ workshop will dive into the history of voter suppression and mass incarceration from slavery, through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights movement, into the present day of New Jim Crow, and discuss details around – and signature-gathering for The Voting Restoration and Democracy Act of 2018, a ballot initiative that will restore the right to vote to more than 162,000 incarcerated folks and those on parole in California, a disenfranchised group that is disproportionately Black, Brown, and poor. This ballot initiative is led by Initiate Justice. Free but please RSVP.
Tour name: Ballad of a Wobbly WORLD TOUR
A BENEFIT for CIVIC (Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement) featuring David Rovics
David Rovics was born in New York City, and as a guitar-slinging singer/songwriter now based in Portland, Oregon, has toured in over two dozen countries, including at mass protests throughout North America and Europe.
When President Bush came to Berlin in 2002, David entertained the 100,000 or so folks who came to protest, and at the TTIP protest in Berlin in 2015, he sang for 250,000. He was also a featured performer at the G8 protests in Rostock in 2007, the G8 protests in Scotland in 2005, the G20 in Pittsburgh in 2009 and the G20 in Toronto the following year. Other countries where David has played at protests for thousands of people include England, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia and Japan.
In addition to his musical involvement with the anti-capitalist movement, labor, environmental and anti-war movements internationally, he has shared the stage on a number of occasions with Tom Morello, founder of Rage Against the Machine, who also recorded a lead guitar track on David’s 2012 album, Meanwhile In Afghanistan. He has also shared the stage with Billy Bragg, Chumbawumba, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger, and has toured extensively with Attila the Stockbroker, Robb Johnson, Anne Feeney, Tracey Curtis and Alistair Hulett.
CIVIC
Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC) is the national immigration detention visitation network, which is working to end U.S. immigration detention by monitoring human rights abuses, elevating stories, building community-based alternatives to detention, and advocating for system change. Locally, CIVIC volunteers visit immigration detainees at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond, and work in collaboration with the detainees to monitor conditions, educate legislators and the public, and change policy.
Tickets are $15 general admission, and $10 for Students with ID. Advance tickets are available at the link below, or you may purchase your tickets at the door the night of the show. Doors open one half hour before show time. We accept cash only at the door (ATMs are nearby).
The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own adult beverage with no additional corkage fee. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-654-3808. Thank you for your support!
No further information
We’ll be screening and discussing Banana Land, a documentary film about the past and current practices of the Banana industry in Latin America.
This film isn’t about bananas. This is about Big Agriculture, with the banana industry as an example of what happens when Big Ag has complete control of a region. This industry is responsible for the vast majority of the animal exploitation we protest, but we can’t forget that human exploitation is key to Big Ag’s profits and protocol, regardless of if the product is vegan.
A product being vegan does not mean it’s cruelty free, and living compassionately is an ongoing, active process built on critical thinking and kind choices 💚
Join us for a two hour photography workshop by activist and photographer Brooke Anderson. Whether you’re using your iPhone or a DSLR, through this workshop you will have the opportunity to:
• reflect on the role of photography in social movements and visual storytelling
• learn key principles of composition, lightening, exposure
• explore the settings and various “tips and tricks” on your camera phone
• practice taking portraits and get feedback
• discuss key issues around consent, representation, legal rights, etc.
Brooke Anderson is a social movement organizer and photographer based in Oakland, CA. Check out her work @ https://www.facebook.com/
There is a suggested donation of $10 from any interested activists to help cover the costs of the event. Please email tia@oaklandpeacecenter.org
How do we approach the challenging conversations, whether it’s about confederate flags, Donald Trump, cultural appropriation, Palestine/Israel, or even just racism and racial justice in general? Members of the White Noise Collective will facilitate this workshop ,exploring the difficult conversations in our lives around race and power.
This workshop is an opportunity to dive in much deeper with structured time to practice a range of difficult conversations around highly-charged racial issues. We will be sharing some basic skill-building tools in how to approach conversations, and then explore scenarios relevant to the lives of participants. This will include examination of some of the ways that internalized sexism can impact our courageous speaking capacities.
Small group work, role-plays, and Theater of the Oppressed techniques will support seeing tough communication blocks in a new light. We’ll try out what feels challenging, in a relatively low-stakes and supportive environment, allowing ourselves time to debrief, reflect, and learn from each other.
Contact basebuilding@surjbayarea.o
The largest national march against gun violence and the largest national march led by the youth ever!
Looking for volunteers, musicians, and speakers.
Mission Statement:
Not one more. We cannot allow one more child to be shot at school. We cannot allow one more teacher to make a choice to jump in front of a firing assault rifle to save the lives of students. We cannot allow one more family to wait for a call or text that never comes. Our schools are unsafe. Our children and teachers are dying. We must make it our top priority to save these lives.
March For Our Lives is created by, inspired by, and led by students across the country who will no longer risk their lives waiting for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings that has become all too familiar. In the tragic wake of the seventeen lives brutally cut short in Florida, politicians are telling us that now is not the time to talk about guns. March For Our Lives believes the time is now.
On March 24, the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington, DC to demand that their lives and safety become a priority. The collective voices of the March For Our Lives movement will be heard.
School safety is not a political issue. There cannot be two sides to doing everything in our power to ensure the lives and futures of children who are at risk of dying when they should be learning, playing, and growing. The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues. No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country.
Every kid in this country now goes to school wondering if this day might be their last. We live in fear.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Change is coming. And it starts now, inspired by and led by the kids who are our hope for the future. Their young voices will be heard.
Stand with us on March 24. Refuse to allow one more needless death.
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES!
This event information comes from the California Coalition for Women’s Prisoners:
Join CCWP for the Drop LWOP Town Hall
In the past six months six women have had their Life Without Parole (LWOP) sentences commuted by the Governor. At the end of January 2018 two of these women were found suitable for parole and will soon be free. This victory illustrates how the Drop LWOP Campaign and A Living Chance project are creating a foundation for the commutation of all people sentenced to LWOP and the elimination of LWOP from the penal code altogether.
At the Drop LWOP Town Hall you will
- learn updates about the Drop LWOP campaign
- hear audio from A Living Chance Storytelling to End Life Without Parole
- engage with a panel of formerly incarcerated women, including survivors of the life without parole sentence
- learn how you can get involved
Featuring food from Mamacitas Cafe, a raffle and items for sale made by people living inside women’s prisons.
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This year we light the fires in solidarity with Afrin. Join us to act together in the future 6pm March 24th at the fire pits of Ocean Beach, San Francisco.
This year we light the fires in solidarity with Afrin. Join us to act together in the future 6pm March 24th at the fire pits of Ocean Beach, San Francisco. Look for the #YPG #YPJ flags. @ROJTHANET @RojavaNyc @radio_rojava @cooprojavabakur @boerneaj @CommuneInt @gators4anarchy pic.twitter.com/pqn4vPDGUu
— Rojava Solidarity (@Bay_Meso) March 14, 2018
“Nuclear Cattle,” directed by Tamotsu Matsubara, 58, focuses on the farmers’ response after the government ordered them to slaughter livestock exposed to radiation due to the disaster.
Matsubara spent about five years making the film, repeatedly returning to affected areas in Fukushima Prefecture from June 2011 onward, capturing the thoughts of the cattle farmers.
“People whose voices aren’t normally heard often ring the truest,” Matsubara says, referring to the people he met.
As a consequence of the disaster, the farmers have been unable to sell cattle exposed to radiation, and are also losing money on food for the animals. Yet in some cases, they continue to keep the cows.
Among those featured in the film is a man who refuses to cave in to the government’s order to slaughter the cattle. On the other hand, there are others who have completed the slaughter, coming out with statements such as, “I will never rear an animal again in my life.”
This event will screen “Nuclear Cattle” and will be followed by a discussion on recent developments in Fukushima.
“Nuclear Cattle” is Matsubara’s first feature film. In making the movie, he was also supported by veteran producer Takeshi Shiba, 53, who has vast experience in the field of documentary production.
“There was no need to sugarcoat the raw statements made by the farmers. I just wanted to spread the voices of these people, and for them to be accepted across the nation,” Shiba explains.
Meanwhile, the director says, “These people believe money alone won’t help them find a solution, and that’s where we can find how precious their way of life as human beings is.”
Film Description:
A man finds himself living among the animals and enchanted spirits of the rainforest, and learns of the true consequences of human destruction in this animated adventure. Crysta (voice of Samantha Mathis) is a young fairy who is being tutored in the powers of magic by the older and wiser Magi (voice of Grace Zabriskie) in an Amazon rain forest. Their home is on the verge of destruction and they must figure out how to save it.
Family friendly!
Watch the preview here.
Dinner: 6:30 PM
Movie: 7:30 PM
Sponsored by: Laney College Ethnic Studies Department and the Free Mumia Coalition
Speakers: Arthur League, Cat Brooks, Jack Heyman, Judy Greenspan, Gerald Smith, and Richard Becker
Alia Sharreif – hip hop artist
Video – Longshore Workers Shut Down Ports to Free Mumia
Ras Ceylon & Carole Seligman, co-chairs Who Is Mumia Abu-Jamal?
Mumia Abu-Jamal is a revolutionary journalist. A former member of the Black Panther Party and MOVE supporter, he fought racism and police brutality with outspoken radio reporting in Philadelphia in the 1970s. Known as the “voice of the voiceless,” he was an award-winning journalist. His work continues today–from behind bars–with books he has written, and recorded essays on imperialism, war, racism and more.
Because he acted and spoke out against police brutality and racism, Mumia was considered an enemy of the state. He was targeted by the FBI’s COINTELPRO disruption program from age 15, framed for a crime he did not commit, and sentenced to death. His death sentence was
overturned, but he now he is serving life without the possibility of parole. He has been falsely imprisoned now for almost 36 years. Cops, courts and politicians conspired to put Mumia away, and they are still at it; but Mumia has never wavered from insisting on his innocence!
Mumia Abu-Jamal should have never spent one day in jail. Mumia’s case exposes the race and class bias of the entire capitalist judicial system. The state demands his slow death in prison as retaliation to his defiant resistance to state repression and racial oppression. But Mumia has not been silenced.
We stand with Mumia. Mumia’s freedom is part of our own struggle for justice and human liberation.
Endorsers: Labor Action Committee To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, Workers World Party, Oscar Grant Committee, ANSWER Coalition, Freedom Socialist Party, Anti Police Terror Project, By Any Means Necessary, Socialist Organizer, DSA Justice Committee, Socialist Viewpoint, Oakland Teachers for Mumia, and Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz.