Calendar
Stop the US War on the World!
Part of the International Days of Action against Sanctions and Economic War
Learn more at Sanctionskill.org
Sanctions Kill!
Sanctions are War!
End Sanctions Now!
Join us for a Bay Area educational forum as part of the international days of protest against US-imposed sanctions and war on Saturday, March 14, 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. at Restore Oakland, 1419 34th Avenue (at International) in Oakland. Help us build a strong movement against US-imposed sanctions and war. Sponsored by the International Action Center – Bay Area.
Speakers include:
Rhonda Ramiro-Director, BAYAN
Pierre Labossiere, Haiti Action Committee
Bilal Mafundi Ali, Black Alliance for Peace
Teresa Walsh and Nesbit Crutchfield, Venceremos Brigade – Bay Area
David Paul, Embassy Protection Collective
Local endorsers include: BAYAN-USA, Black Alliance for Peace, Task Force on the Americas, International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity, International Action Center – Bay Area, Venceremos Brigade, Bay Area, David Paul, Embassy Protection Collective, Workers World Party – Bay Area, Socialist Action, Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu Jamal.
Sanctions are imposed by the United States and its junior partners against countries that resist their agendas. They are a weapon of Economic War, resulting in chronic shortages of basic necessities, economic dislocation, chaotic hyperinflation, artificial famines, disease, and poverty. In every country, the poorest and the weakest – infants, children, the chronically ill and the elderly – suffer the worst impact of sanctions.
US imposed sanctions, violate international law and are a tool of regime change. They impact a third of humanity in 39 countries. They are a crime against humanity used, like military intervention, to topple popular governments and movements. They provide economic and military support to pro-US right-wing forces.
The US economic dominance and its +800 military bases worldwide demands all other countries participate in acts of economic strangulation. They must end all normal trade relations, otherwise they risk having Wall Street’s guns pointed at them. The banks and financial institutions that are responsible for the devastation of our communities at home drive the plunder of countries abroad.
Many organizations have been fighting Sanctions and Economic War for some time. NOW is an opportunity to combine efforts to raise consciousness on this crucial issue.
This broad campaign will include protests and demonstrations, lobbying, petition drives and all forms of educational efforts.
We are sad to announce that this event has been postponed due to the plague. #COVID19. Stay tuned for a rescheduled date after the public health situation stabilizes. #OICC https://t.co/yxnwEgb6zW
— Media Alliance (@twrling) March 11, 2020
Did you know that crooked landlords are making big money depriving renters in Oakland of the power to choose their Internet Service Provider (ISP)? Exclusive agreements between landlords and incumbent ISPs eliminate your ability to choose providers that charge less money or offer better service, like higher speeds or a commitment to net neutrality and user privacy.
Join People’s Open Network and the Oakland Internet Choice Coalition on Saturday March 14 for our 7th Build Your Own Internet event. We’ll have a panel discussion about preserving internet choice in Oakland, as well as a series of hands-on activities to learn about how the internet works.
The panel will be presented by the Oakland Internet Choice Coalition, a partnership between internet access nonprofits like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Media Alliance, Greenlining Institute and alternate internet service providers (ISPs) like Monkey Brains, Open Fiber, Sonic, and People’s Open Network.
We will talk about why we need to crack open the secretive kickback deals between big landlords and the big three ISPs, and how we’re working to get an ordinance passed in Oakland to protect your right to choose the ISP you want. San Francisco’s law got the big ISP companies so upset they tried to get the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop pre-empt it, but they failed. Now we want to bring these user protections to Oakland and everywhere — and we can’t do it without you.
You will also hear about People’s Open Network’s work to build a community-owned wireless mesh network in the East Bay, as well as their project to set up mobile access for homeless encampments in the Bay Area.
Hands-on activities:
– Antenna building
– Ethernet crimping
Sponsored by
People’s Open Network / Sudo Mesh
Media Alliance
Electronic Frontier Foundation
MonkeyBrains
Greenlining Institute
TURN
MediaJustice
Oakland Tenants Union
For those interested in getting involved in the CA Poor People’s Campaign Supporters Bay Area Steering Committee, next meeting is Saturday March 14, 3:30 – 5:00 pm at BFUU, 1924 Cedar St, Berkeley, CA.
Registration is open!
The fact that there are 140 million poor and low-wealth people in a country this rich is morally indefensible, constitutionally inconsistent and economically insane. Join poor people and moral witnesses from across the country June 20, 2020 for the Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington! On June 20, 2020, we rise together! #PoorPeoplesCampaign
RSVP here: bit.ly/MoralMarch2020
You believe in making a difference, but when it comes to racial justice, are your actions aligned with your beliefs? The work begins with looking in the mirror. Without intentional learning and reflection, white people may uphold beliefs and systems that perpetuate injustice. Join us for an intimate and interactive workshop in which we will unpack how whiteness has shaped our lives and discuss how white people who care can take action for racial justice.
This workshop offers those who are new to racial justice work an opportunity to reflect on and analyze the role that whiteness has played in their lives. Through individual, small-group, and whole-group activities, participants will be invited to:
*Reframe racism as a system, rather than a product of individuals who are “good” or “bad”
*Reflect on how their own racial identity has influenced their experiences in the world
*Create a plan for taking at least one action in their own lives to deepen their commitment to racial justice
This workshop welcomes anyone who would like to participate, but it is especially well-suited for white people who are:
*In the early stages of exploring what it means to be white
*Seeking to grow their skills in analyzing and discussing the effects of racism
*Feeling ready to take action to create a more just world
ASL Interpretation: Requests must be made at surjbasebuilding@gmail.com no later than Thursday, March 12 at 9 PM.
NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:
occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)
On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.
OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.
At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.
General Assembly Standard Agenda
Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic
Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.
Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area
San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv
Carbon Trading? Carbon Offsets? Net Zero? In the prophetic words of Chief Seattle, “How can one sell the air?” Join Idle No More and friends to find out why many Indigenous people and frontline communities say these are false solutions to the climate crisis.
Speakers are:
- Casey Camp-Horinek
- Daniel Ilario
- Gary Graham Hughes
- Pennie Opal Plant
Sponsored by Idle No More SF Bay and Indigenous Women of the Americas Defending Mother Earth Treaty.
Hey #Oakland the Town Hall on homelessness that was supposed to be at BeeBe Memorial is now an online one hosted by Mayor Schaaf on March 16th, 6-8 pm. Spread the word! #oakmtg https://t.co/kCw1gQ9BUh
— TDL (@tdlove5) March 11, 2020
New people should arrive at 6:30 for an orientation. Meeting will start at 7:00.
We’ll be giving updates on other recent activities and we’ll be setting aside time for small group meetings. That will provide some working time for teams, but also offers an opportunity for newcomers to sample the range of projects and activities we’re involved in (letter writing, lobbying, and more).
Sign up for notices at http://citizensclimatelobby.org/chapters/CA_Alameda_County/
The Dimond Branch Library invites you to “She’s beautiful when she’s angry” a documentary about the birth of the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1960’s. Snacks and a brief discussion will follow the film.
Join Oakland Privacy to organize against the surveillance state, police militarization and ICE, and to advocate for surveillance regulation around the Bay and nationwide.
We fight against spy drones, facial recognition, police body camera secrecy, anti-transparency laws and requirements for “backdoors” to cellphones; we oppose “pre-crime” and “thought-crime,” — to list just a few invasions of our privacy by all levels of Government, and attempts to hide what government officials, employees and agencies are doing.
We draft and push for privacy legislation for City Councils, at the County level, and in Sacramento. We advocate in op-eds and in the streets. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and believe no one is illegal.
Check out some of what we worked on in 2019.
Oakland Privacy originally came together in 2013 to fight against the Domain Awareness Center, Oakland’s citywide networked mass surveillance hub. OP was instrumental in stopping the DAC from becoming a city-wide spying network. We helped fight and helped win the fight against Urban Shield.
Our major projects currently include local legislation to regulate state surveillance (we got the strongest surveillance regulation ordinance in the country passed in Oakland!), supporting and opposing state legislation as appropriate, battling mass surveillance in the form of facial recognition and other analytics, and pushing back against ICE.
On September 12th, 2019 we were presented with a Barlow Award by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for our work.
If you are interested in joining the Oakland Privacy email listserv, coming to a meeting, or have questions, send an email to:
Check out our website: http://oaklandprivacy.org/
Follow us on twitter: @oaklandprivacy
“WATCHING YOU WATCHING US”
Oakland Privacy works regionally to defend the right to privacy and enhance public transparency and oversight regarding the use of surveillance techniques and equipment. Oakland Privacy drove the passage of surveillance regulation and transparency ordinances in Oakland and Berkeley and is kicking off new processes in various municipalities around the Bay. To help slow down the encroaching police and surveillance state all over the Bay Area, join us at the Omni.
Want to get involved with SURJ Bay Area? Come learn about our current work and activities. SURJ moves white people to act for justice, with passion and accountability, as part of a multi-racial majority.
You will hear about SURJ’s pathways for entering the work, including committee work, upcoming workshops, and events. We’ll answer your questions and share how you can get involved in the movement for racial justice.
Come by our open Delegates Meetings every Thursday evening at 7pm! We’ll give space to brief announcements, updates from working groups, proposals up for consensus, and discussion around important issues. The schedule is created weekly at the following url: https://pad.riseup.net/p/omninom
This meeting usually happens in the Ballroom, but the the location may change depending on the access needs of people attending and other events taking place in the building.
Monthly reading and discussion series for those interested in a better understanding of a socialist perspective.
Suggested readings for this topic (readings are recommended but optional):
1) The Future is Socialism by Speak Out now {link}
https://speakoutsocialists.org/the-future-is-socialism-2/
2) What it Will Take; Beyond Capitalism (Chapter 21) by Carol Dansereau {pdf download}
https://speakoutsocialists.org/wp-content/uploads/what-it-will-take_dansereau_ch21.pdf
3)What Socialist America Will Look Like (1953) by James Cannon {link}
https://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1953/socialistamer.htm
4) Introduction to Marxism; The Coming of the Classless Society (Chapter 15) by Ernest Mandel {pdf download}
https://speakoutsocialists.org/wp-content/uploads/intro-to-marxism_mandel-ch15.pdf
5) Socialism on Trial (selections) by James Cannon {pdf download}
https://speakoutsocialists.org/wp-content/uploads/socialism-on-trial_cannon-selections.pdf
The Police Commission is considering changes to the Oakland Police Department’s use of force policy. This is an opportunity to let the Commissioners know your thoughts and experiences to help them make the right decisions!
Strike Debt Bay Area proudly hosts a non-technical book group discussion monthly on new and radical economic thinking. Previous readings have included Doughnut Economics, Limits, and Banking on the People.
This month we will be reading the four essays in the 2nd section of the book Capital and Its Discontents.
(Chapters 6,7,8 & 9).
In an era of profound economic and ecological crisis, this collection unravels the dynamic contradictions at the heart of capitalism and points possible ways forward to a liberatory future. Through a series of incisive conversations with some of the most eminent thinkers and political economists on the Left—including Noam Chomsky, Tariq Ali, David Harvey, Ellen Meiksins Wood, Mike Davis, and Doug Henwood—Sasha Lilley examines the roots of the global economic meltdown, neoliberalism in the Global South and North, struggles against empire past and present, the eternal pendulum swing of social revolt, and the potentialities of the radical tradition in a time of austerity.
All are welcome!
Californian’s face a drinking water crisis. Pat Elder’s 20 city California Military Poisons Tour calls attention to the military’s role in contaminating land and water on bases and in nearby communities with PFAS “forever chemicals” linked to chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Former residents of California’s George Air Force Base will tell of the toxic legacy across generations of exposure while serving there. We’ll discuss what California is doing about this crisis and Next Steps for Action. Help us build a movement for human rights, environmental and health justice, and peace for present and future generations.
Speakers are:
Pat Elder, an investigative journalist with Civilian Exposure and Board Member of World BEYOND War.
Patricia Hynes, a retired Professor of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, and Director of the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice.
Gar Smith, an award-winning investigative journalist for Project Censored, author, editor, co-founder of Environmentalists Against War and a board member of World BEYOND War.
Lisa McCrea and Denise Torri served at George Air Force Base and Lauren Coletrain who was born there.
Liz Rosenbaum, an organizer of Fountain Valley Clean Water Action Coalition, (link www.fountainvalleycwc.wixsite.com/water ) in Colorado that has one of the largest and most contaminated populations in the country.
Sponsored by the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom’s Earth Democracy and Disarm/End Wars Committees, BFUU Social Justice Committee, Code Pink, WorldBeyondWar, Veterans For Peace and Civilian Exposure.
Forum details and speaker bios here.
Register at https:/eventbrite.com
Let’s get together and share prayers, quotes, and poems for spiritual nourishment. Everyone and all traditions are welcome. Information to connect via zoom is below. You can download the free app at: https://zoom.us
“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” ~ Bahá’u’lláh
“Remember the saying: ‘Of all pilgrimages the greatest is to relieve the sorrow-laden heart.'” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
https://zoom.us/j/6699780656
See invite list
GoingMaybeNot Going
Zach Norris, ED of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, has a new book titled We Keep Us Safe: Building Secure, Just and Inclusive Communities. In this moment of heightened anxiety and growing white supremacy, Norris will talk about the need to distinguish between crime and harm and how each of us can take steps toward achieving real safety and prosperity
NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:
occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)
On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.
OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.
At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.
General Assembly Standard Agenda
Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic
Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.
Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area
San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv
