Calendar
This Friday Sept 4th is First Friday in #Oakland once again, and while the vibe out on the street may not be what it used to be, what happens insideThe Alan Blueford Center For Justice is by the people & for the people, and so therefore, it is amazing every 1st Friday up in Alan‘s House where our message has been #BlackLivesMatter since the day we opened our doors heart emoticon
When I say that 1st Fri is “by the people”, I specifically express my deep gratitude to Tatu Vision, De Anna, Alicia Marie Cornish, Mike Brown, Jada Imani, Maleik Dion, Shawn Carter, & Stoney who I am pretty sure doesn’t mess w/FB but definitely BRINGS IT every 1st Fri;)
This Friday! At Alan Blueford Center for Justice! 2434 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. We will have a showcase of artists, food, and good vibes. 7-10 p.m.
Barcelona has been a site of squatting and community building for several decades, and has been especially influential in recent years. In 2009 it was the birthplace of Spain’s PAH (Movement for People Affected by Mortgages), which pursues direct action to stop evictions and secure housing rights. Out of the 2011 “Indignados” movement came Can Batlló, an autonomous community workspace in the city’s Sants district, which was the site of an abandoned factory planned for development. Activists took over this space and have transformed it and held it for four years, building on earlier projects such as the residential community of Can Vies. This year has seen the recuperation of el Ateneo Enciclopedico Popular, a historical free cultural center in the Raval District. Iban Ek and Aina Gallego are longtime Barcelona activists who will discuss these projects and the culture of community that has created them.
*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)!
Join Sunnyside farmers and other Soil Not Oil attendees for some post-conference socializing, relaxation, and action plotting. The Occupy the Farm Documentary will be screened at dusk, followed by a Q+A with OTF organizers. We’ll be serving handmade falafel, but bring a dish to share if you can, and BYOB 🙂
Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library
Essentials of Scientific Socialism: Part of a Continuing Series
“Clarity about the aims and problems of socialism is of greatest significance in our age of transition.” Einstein’s comment remains true in our Century, when the growing interest in socialism is matched by a growing confusion about socialism. This workshop, led by Gene Ruyle of the ICSS, will be part of an ongoing series seeking to overcome this confusion through study and discussion, focusing on the classics of scientific socialism. This session will continue our close reading of the Critique of the Gotha Program (1875). In preparation, participants are urged to read, or re-read, this important document and bring a copy along with them. (It’s online at the Marx Engels Archive, and I will also have in on my computer to project it on the screen.)
We will also honor the working class struggles which gave us Labor Day with a discussion of “Labor Day and May Day: Two Workers’ Holidays,” By Eugene E Ruyle. (Available online at http://www.peaceandfreedom.org)
Seating is limited, so plan to come early. We start promptly.
FREE – but hat will be passed for donations to NPML
About Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library
A weekly discussion series inspired by our respect for the work of Karl Marx and our belief that his work will remain as important for the class struggles of the future as they have been for the past.
For our full schedule, go to icssmarx.org
Join Phat Beets Produce at Dover St. Edible Park for a plant sale to benefit a paid job for William Jackson. Phat Beets Produce and Jackson have propagated numerous perennial and annual veggies including:
-Purple/Green Tree Collard
-Kosmic Perennial Kale
-Cape Goosbery
-Mint (Chocolate, Pinapple, Apple, Moroccan, Persian, Laotian n’ more)
-Thyme (lemon, lime, silver, creeping, n’ more)
-lemon grass
-Horseradish
-New Zealand Spinach
-Cuban Oregano
Plus lots of annuals…
Jackson is an elder and recycler in our community, who was helped take care of Dover St Edible Park for over 3 years as a volunteer. Support green jobs in our neighborhood! Stay for some tasty garden treats too!
Join Biosafety Alliance & the CSG (formerly known as the California State Grange), in the historic:
SOS Save Our Seeds March and Rally
Fight back the California Seeds Law AB-2470
We will meet in Sunday September 6th at 11:00 AM at the Embarcadero, to walk to Civic Center for a rally.
Speakers – Information – Music – Solidarity
FACTS About the California Seed Law AB-2470
– AB-2470 makes it illegal for a farmer to sell, trade, exchange or barter their seeds more 3 miles from their farm or garden
– AB-2470 redefines “neighbor” as not to exceed 3 miles from one another
– AB-2470 makes illegal community seed exchanges, swap meets, and seed libraries due to the 3 mile restriction
– AB-2470 makes it illegal for a farmer to share their seeds to a friend 3 miles down the road
– AB-2470 unfairly creates competition and threatens the disruption of organic, heirloom seeds, favoring genetically modified (GMO) seeds
– AB-2470 gives the Secretary of Food & Agriculture full authority to dictate what can and cannot be grown in California counties and cities
– AB-2470 provides that any ordinance adopted by a county or municipality after January 1, 2015 that would restrict the production of GMO crops is subject to a veto by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
– AB-2470 limits the rights of local governments from making decisions for the health and safety of it’s citizens and constitutes a state preemption of local control
– AB-2470 redefines “person” to include “corporations”
Come see The Coup at 4pm today at Hiero Day. 3rd and Chestnut.
— Boots Riley (@BootsRiley) September 7, 2015
2015s Line Up will host another monumental day of performances in Oakland as this years list of performers is better than ever! We also have unannounced special guest that will grace the stage!. You know Hiero always has a top notch line.
BART Police Chief: Kenton Rainey:
We demand that BART publicly release the body camera footage from the West Oakland BART shooting immediately.
Phone: 510.464.7022,
E-mail: krainey@bart.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bartsf?fref=ts
Twitter: @SFBART
Last week, a man was shot and critically injured at the West Oakland BART Station after a struggle with two BART police officers. BART police allege that the man shot himself in the stomach with his own gun after resisting arrest on the platform.
However, one witness who took a video of the incident says that he heard a “pop” from across the platform. He then saw a black man on the ground and a policeman on top of him and the man on the ground was yelling, “They shot me! They shot me!”
The two officers involved in the incident were wearing body cameras, and an official statement from BART claims that the footage is being reviewed. BART’s statement also declared their intention to charge the man with attempted murder.
But past incidents involving BART police, like the murder of Oscar Grant in 2009, demonstrate that we cannot trust BART police’s account of the events, or to review the footage without oversight from the public.
For the next #72hours, we are urging the public to call, e-mail, Facebook and Tweet BART, and demand that they #releasethetapes. If their version of events is accurate and true, they should have no problem sharing the body camera and BART station surveillance footage with the public.
While body cameras cannot provide a comprehensive recounting of the incident, they can shed some light and increase transparency. BART needs to know that we are watching, and that we are seeking accountability. We demand that BART publically release the body camera footage from the West Oakland BART shooting immediately.
BART Police Chief: Kenton Rainey
Phone: 510.464.7022,
E-mail: krainey@bart.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bartsf?fref=ts
Twitter: @SFBART
Please use the hashtags #72hours and #releasethetapes.
Supporters:
Anti-Police Terror Project
Black Power Network
Coalition for Police Accountability
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
National Lawyers Guild
A comprehensive proposal—not simply to prohibit fracking, but all additional oil and gas extraction—is up for approval by the Alameda County Planning Commission. Under the current East County Area Plan and the Alameda County Zoning Ordinance, conditional use permits can be granted for oil and gas operations. Under the proposed changes to the zoning regulations, such conditional use permits would no longer be available, effectively preventing the expansion of oil extraction in Alameda County.
Opposition includes E & B Natural Resources, operator of wells in East Alameda County, which objects to any limitation on its current operations, and Californians for Energy Independence, a petroleum industry front group, which argues that the County should defer to the State of California in these matters, despite—or because of—the many failures of state agencies to adequately regulate oil producers.
Because we expect opposition to come out in force, we need to pack the auditorium with our own folks, pumped up (you should pardon the expression) and ready to testify, or to hold signs during the hearing.
Will Alameda join Santa Cruz, Mendocino, San Benito and Butte counties in saying no pasaran to the oil industry? Passage of this proposal by the Planning Commission is the last hurdle before the Board of Supervisors makes the final decision. Come join this historic effort!
Need a ride? Contact bstebbins14@gmail.com.
Thanks to you and other great supporters, we’ve had a terrific first step in the dismantling of LIBRARYGATE.
Last Monday, the library director resigned, opening the way for the possibility of productive re-building at Berkeley Public Library.
And, we’re not done yet!
Now, the pressure mounts to persuade the Board of Library Trustees to dialog openly with the community. WE NEED YOUR PRESENCE this coming WEDNESDAY. BOLT will meet and it’s pretty certain that the plans for how to search for the new director will be the focus. Just like we’ve been doing, members of the library public and current and retired staff will sign up for a three-minute public comment speaking slot. We’re looking for YOU!
And your friends.
This meeting will be a turning point. We’re negotiating for an immediate investigation into what’s gone wrong with the library collection and treatment of staff. We need the Board and the library administration to learn from past mistakes. We want to insure that the search for a new library director is a national search for candidates of diverse backgrounds, who have a commitment to the Berkeley community and to the printed word in all its forms. We need an independent interim library director who’s not beholden to the policies and practices of newly-retired Jeff Scott, and who can trustfully restore staff morale. We need to restore a collegial collection development policy and practice, not limited to book selection and weeding by two managers. We need to return all librarians to their work of selecting and weeding the collection. And we want to restore the rampantly weeded collection by reinstating the last copies of titles that were massively tossed.
At 7pm the commission resumes work on the investigation of the December 2014 police response to Black Lives Matter protests. See below for more information.
Prior to the full meeting, the Mutual Aid Subcommittee will meet from 6 to 7 to discuss BPD agreements with agencies like the intelligence fusion center (NCRIC), UASI (Homeland Security anti-terrorism funding program, which pays for Urban Shield), and UCPD. I will send more information on this subcommittee meeting separately.
Public comment is welcome at the beginning of each meeting.
Here is the agenda packet for the full 7pm commission meeting: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Police_Review_Commission/Commissions/PRC%20Pkt.%209-9-15.pdf http://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Police_Review_Commission/Commissions/PRC%20Pkt.%209-9-15.pdf
You may wish to review the packet before coming to the meeting, as it includes:
1. A memo to the city council announcing a delay in reporting back on the investigation (council meeting of December 1)
2. Recommendations already passed by PRC as part of the investigation
3. Proposed outline of overall report to council
— And unrelated to the investigation:
4. Right to Watch: new police General Order, and a protest by CopWatch
5. Proposed commission work plan for the rest of the year
6. Letter sent by PRC to council on proposed changes to BPD General Order N-17 governing Suspicious Activity Reporting to the NCRIC fusion center.
The racism of police violence, climate change, sexism and homophobia, war, economic inequality. The injustices of American society stang exposed for everyone to see. Yet the many apologists for capitalism claim that whatever its defects there is no alternative to a system that puts corporate greed ahead of human need. We disagree! Join the International Socialist Organization and discuss what socialism is and how you can get involved today in the struggle to change the world.
Organized by the International Socialist Organization
After many months of appearances, Dante is accepting a felony plea deal. Let’s show up to send him onward to probation and moving forward with his life! The sentencing appointment was specific to the minute, so be on time! That is not, of course, a guarantee that the courts will be prompt.
Check the anti-rep website and Facebook for any change or postponement before going!
A few weeks ago you may have signed a petition demanding an investigation be conducted in the death of an inmate, Mario Martinez, at Santa Rita County Jail. We invite you to come out and support our rally at the Corizon office. Corizon is the healthcare provider at Santa Rita County Jail who is partially responsible for Mario’s death on July 15, 2015.
We will meet at 10:30AM at 1130 Ballena Blvd in the city of Alameda. We will march from this location to 1150 Ballena Blvd. where Corizon’s office is located. The event will begin at 11:30 AM promptly.
Please RSVP and let me know if we can count on you to join the rally. Thank you for signing the petition, your support and your time, Have a great day.
The event formerly known as the Mission Takes the Planning Commission, has expanded! We make history on 9/10 at 11am!
11 AM :: RALLY/ACTION
:::: Activities/Actions throughout the DAY ::::
((( THUR. 9/17 is ROUND 3 )))
Save the Date :: Details TBA soon!
Build Affordable Housing • Stop the Evictions • Preserve SF Arts and Culture • Just Cause Evictions 2.0 • YES on I • YES on F • Don’t Supersize SOMA • No Beast on Bryant • Save Yerba Buena Island Community
Organized by ACCE • Bayan NorCal • Calle 24 Latino Cultural District • Causa Justa :: Just Cause • The Cultural Action Network • Gabriela SF • Our Mission No Eviction • Plaza 16 Coalition • San Francisco Antidisplacement Coalition • SoMa Action Committee • and many more!
__________________________
SIGN THE PETITION http://tinyurl.com/
SIGN UP FOR MORE INFO http://goo.gl/forms/
FOR UPDATES throughout the day on 9/10: follow on Twitter: @CulturalActNet @PlazaSixteen or follow our Facebook pages
– Please RSVP and stay tuned on the event page.
Please turn out for this and bring 10 friends!
“Cowspiracy-The Sustainability Secret” is a ground breaking feature length environmental documentary on the most destructive industry on our planet today. The intrepid filmmakers investigated the cattle industry and its impact on climate change and global warming. Don’t miss this exciting, shocking yet humorous film. It is as eye-opening as it is inspiring. Find out why the nation’s leading environmental organizations are afraid to talk about this seemingly obvious issue.
Doors open 6pm. Refreshments served.
Wheelchair accessible.
Protest Alameda County Sheriff Ahern’s
militarized police exhibit and exercises
Urban Shield is the largest SWAT training & war-weapons expo in the world. We will gather on September 11th, across communities, to end it & resist police militarization around the world!
Join the Stop Urban Shield Coalition to say NO to policing, militarization and state violence!
While Urban Shield is just one front in the fight against the state’s attempt to militarize every aspect of our lives – from its war-making here and abroad, to the increasing presence of police in our schools, to the systemic murder of Black and Brown people at the hands of police – stopping Urban Shield would be a major victory against this growing trend of militarization in cities everywhere, from Oakland to Ferguson to Baltimore.
Join us in resisting violence against our communities and in fighting for genuine visions of justice, safety, and self-determination.
Organized by American Friends Service Committee, Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Bay Area Latin America Solidarity Coalition, Civilize the Cops, Code Pink, Critical Resistance, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Justice for James Rivera, Million Hoodies, Oakland Privacy Working Group, Oscar Grant Committee, Palestinian Youth Movement, Restore the 4th, San Leandro-SAFE, School of the Americas Watch-Oakland & San Francisco, UAW Local 2865, War Resisters League, Xicana Moratorium Coalition
THE ANASTASIO PROJECT RETURNS TO OAKLAND
The widely acclaimed multidisciplinary arts project brings to life local stories of state violence
WHEN: September 11 – 13 and 18-20, @ 8:00 pm
Across the country, the #blacklivesmatter movement has forced to the surface a conversation that has been happening under the mainstream radar in communities of color for centuries. Today, America can no longer ignore the epidemic of state violence that she is enacting on Black, Brown and poor communities by her various law enforcement agencies.
For two weekends – September 11-13 & 18-20 – in partnership with Eastside Arts Alliance, José Navarrete and Debby Kajiyama of NAKA Dance Company surface these conversations once more by returning to the stage their acclaimed production of the The Anastasio Project; a multidisciplinary performance investigating race relations, state brutality and border violence.
Combining interactive video, original music, a large-format mural, spoken word and dance, The Anastasio Project draws on personal experiences of violence endured by people of color living in Oakland to create a profound and moving community event.
Prior to the performance, audience members are encouraged to explore the art galleries where pieces by various local artists will kick start conversations on the impacts of state violence in communities of color. For the complete list of artists, visithttp://nkdancetheater.com/anastasio/.
The Anastasio Project was inspired by the tragic story of Hernandez-Rojas, a Mexican national who was beaten to death by a dozen customs and border patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2010.
“When we saw the cell phone footage of the beating of Hernandez-Rojas, we were devastated as we watched the Border Patrol inflict so much pain on another human being,” said Kajiyama in an interview with The Triangle Lab. “People were screaming at the Border Patrol to stop; Anastasio was asking for clemency; but nothing stopped the officers, and they continued to beat him.”
These are the kinds of stories flooding the daily airwaves and social media platforms of America and why the return of The Anastasio Project is so timely and critical. “The youth that we’ve worked with at Eastside Arts Alliance are not afraid to tell the truth and have themselves become the vehicles for social change,” said Navarrete. “We are concerned about their future, and the legacy that we leave for them. Most people from East Oakland are people of color, and youth are likely targets for racial profiling and police brutality. We want to learn from them; we want to share their perspectives.”
The Anastasio Project asks how we can avoid repeating the tragedies of Hernandez-Rojas, Sandra Bland, Mike Brown, Natasha McKenna, Tamir Rice and thousands like them in cities across the country.
Three of the performances will include pre-show conversations with community activists and organizers including Bertha Gutierrez & Families of San Diego (9/12), Cat Brooks of the Anti Police-Terror Project (9/13) and Mujeres Unidas y Activas with Matt Gonzalez from the SF Public Defenders Office (9/19). These dialogues will explore the complexities of state sponsored terror: ICE, the police, FBI, the military and their supporters. All conversations begin at 4:00 pm and will be followed by a light reception prior to the performance.
Development of The Anastasio Project is supported by: The MAP Fund, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; William & Flora Hewlett Foundation; City of Oakland Cultural Funding; The Kenneth Rainin Foundation; The East Bay Community Foundation’s East Bay Fund for Artists; The Open Circle Foundation; the Center for Cultural Innovation Investing in Artists Grant; EastSide Arts Alliance; Theatre Bay Area’s CA$H Grant; the Zellerbach Family Foundation; the Akonadi Foundation; the Della Davidson Prize; the California Arts Council Creating Places of Vitality Grant, California Shakespeare Theater’s Triangle Lab, Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, and many generous individual donors.
NAKA Dance Theater and Eastside Arts Alliance present the return of The Anastasio Project
TICKETS: To purchase tickets online visit brownpapertickets.com.
For more information visit nkdancetheater.com or eastsideartsalliance.org.