Calendar
Brothers and sisters, the fight at Castlewood is not over yet! Yes, the workers are back on the job, but they have not yet received any back pay (which the union estimates to be $1.8 million) nor do they have a fair contract moving forward.
December 20th is the day before Castlewood would have to file an appeal, if they choose to continue dragging out the legal process with the National Labor Relations Board. For those who missed it, an administrative law judge with the NLRB ruled back in August that Castlewood had been illegally locking out the workers for 2 years.
Our message is simple: Pay your WORKERS not your lawyers!
We will have holiday themed snacks, and there may even be a guest appearance by the Grinch!
RSVP at our facebook event. For questions, contact Matt at 703-955-0075.
Our “DIY drive-in” continues Jodie’s driveway every Thursday night at 6pm.
This week we are showing Exit through the Gift Shop.
Hot cocoa and cider, popcorn, and community!
Come on by and chat, chill or whatever!
Occupy Oakland Foreclosure Defense Group.
No One Gets Put Out.
“Solidarity is the People’s Weapon”
Street block to cell block, lets ring in the New Year Oakland style – against the racist prison system!
An uncompromising event organized by people of color in solidarity with all those behind bars and all those facing state repression.
Sponsorship unknown.
Come Meet us at the Grant Station for the 4th annual vigil for Oscar Grant to be held on New Year’s Day at the Grant Station (Fruitvale BART Station).
Join Oscar Grant family on this Day of Remembrance!
WE ARE ALL OSCAR GRANT
SPEAK OUT
• Family of murdered victims
• Chairman Fred Hampton Jr
• Community Activist
LIVE Performances of
• Libation
• African-Native-Latino Ceremony
• Poetry, music, spoken word
• Candle lighting, Balloon Releasing
• Words of inspiration Min. Keith Muhammad
• Much More!
Guest Appearances:
Donald E. Lacy, Jr. is a S. F. S. U. alumnus, who holds a B. A. Degree in Theater Arts, (with a film minor). His acting credits include: “Jack”, “Blood In, Blood Out”, “L.A. Heat”, “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper”, “Wolf”, and many more. He will perform “Black Man Endangered Species
Carlos Aguirre: Musician, Actor/Educator known as Emcee Infinite will perform a Beatbox tribute to Oscar Grant
Zar the Dip, Entertainer/Artist will perform new activist song “Pathetic Justice”
Chairman Fred Hampton Jr is President and Chair of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee (POCC). He is the son of Fred Hampton, Sr, activist and deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP)
Ras Ceylon Coming straight out of the West Coast (Bay Area & Southern California) representing Gideon.Force, Ras Ceylon is an emcee, educator and organizer bringing revolutionary music, a hip-hop meets reggae dynamic and explosively conscious lyrics. Drawing on his Sri Lankan roots and Rastafarian faith, Ra…hear his live performance
Why?
1. Because We Are All Oscar Grant
2. Because we should not forget
3. Because to release a balloon in the name of your Love one Killed
4. Come to embrace and Support all who have lost a Love one
5. Show your Love to Oscar Grant daughter, Tatiana , now 7yrs old.
Much Love from Tatiana and family of Oscar Grant, Hope to see you at the vigil!! “We Are All Oscar Grant”
There will be poetry, music, spoken word, candle lighting, Balloon releasing and speak out.
“Every tragedy represents an opportunity to move the agenda for justice forward.” We cannot forget and will not forget what happen on January 1, 2009 at 2:11 am. Join us in remembering and celebrating our martyr comrade brother, Oscar Grant. His life was taken to remind us that We Are All Oscar Grant
It was the COMMUNITY that led to the resignation of Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff.
It was the COMMUNITY that led to the resignation of Bart Chief of Police, Chief Gee.
It was the COMMUNITY that led to the resignation of Bart General Manager, Dorothy Dugger.
It was the COMMUNITY that led to the resignation of police officer Johannes Mehserle.
It was the COMMUNITY that led to the Department of Justice to open a investigation of Civil Rights violation against the Bart Police
It was the COMMUNITY that led the demonstration Downtown Oakland, making it known, “No Justice, No Peace”.
It was the COMMUNITY that joined with the ILWU Local 10 to shutdown l the ports in Northern California.
It was the COMMUNITY that helped usher in the US 9th Circuit court of Appeals establishing that using stun guns without an imminent threat of harm is unreasonable.
The COMMUNITY have made HISTORY, not VICTORY for the first time in 458 years of California History a officer was charged, arrested, convicted and sentenced to prison for killing a unarmed Black Man in the line of duty. Victory is when we have DESTROYED a racist criminal justice system and replaced with a true Freedom , Justice & Equality system for all people.
Occupy Denver Calls On All Available Occupy Networks to Mobilize Against Keystone XL Pipeline January 7th.
Join us for another mass action in Southeast Texas on Monday, January 7th, including a 3 day training camp leading up to the big event. Our trainings and events are open and include roles for everyone ready to defend our homes from toxic tar sands.
RSVP right now so we can know how many people to expect.
SCHEDULE (Jan. 3rd – 8th):
Thursday, Jan. 3rd – Travel & Arrival
Friday, Jan. 4th – Day 1: Direct Action Training Camp
Saturday, Jan. 5th – Day 2: Direct Action Training Camp
Sunday, Jan. 6th – Day 3: Direct Action Training Camp
Monday, Jan. 7th – Mass Action to Stop Keystone XL
Tuesday, Jan. 8th – Debrief and Depart
More information: Facebook Event.
WHAT: Bring an open heart, and material support to offer inmates who may be released during this time and any loved ones who may be there visiting current inmates.
HOW: Some suggestions include bringing food, drinks, smokes, cell phone to make calls, clothes, info/resources for both immediate and ongoing needs post-incarceration, ears to listen, BART/bus fare, an extra sweater/jacket/shirt, etc.
WHY: FtP! Fuck the Prison industrial complex and all tools of oppression!!!
Mutual aid, because “inside or outside, we’re all on the same side.”
SPECIAL CALL TO ALL NATIVE DANCERS AND SINGERS! Please come with your drums, regalia, and songs in honor and prayerful support of Chief Spence and First Nation peoples.
We will arrange for any gifts and offerings for Chief Theresa Spence to get to her.
“Idle No More calls on all people to join in a revolution which honors and fulfills Indigenous sovereignty which protects the land and water. Colonization continues through attacks to Indigenous rights and damage to the land and water. We must repair these violations, live the spirit and intent of the treaty relationship, work towards justice in action, and protect Mother Earth.” — #IdleNoMore
We humbly request that you turn to your elders and ask for their blessing and prayers for the round dance.
Here are some guidelines:
• Remember that we will be in Ohlone territory.
• Assume that you are being videoed and photographed. If you do not wish to be, please let those with cameras know.
• Native drummers and singers will call you into the circle at 2:00 pm.
• Please watch out for one another, especially children and the elderly.
• Remember why we are there: to honor and pray for Chief Theresa Spence and to show our First Nation brothers and sisters in the north our support.
• We expect the police might run us off at some point. Please be calm, peaceful, and honorable in your conduct. We can always scatter and regroup or move to another location. We will take direction from the elders.
Wanishi (thank you).
Belated Holiday Party! Everyone invited! Of particular interest to those who support alternatives to the two capitalist Parties.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors Public Protection Committee will be holding a hearing on immigration detainers (S-Comm).
Keep our Families Together, End ICE Holds in Alameda County!
Join us at the
Alameda County Public Protection Committee Hearing on “ICE Detainers”
Please join us on January 10th at the Alameda County Public Protection committee hearing on “ICE Detainers”. Community members with advocates and organizers will offer testimony on the devastating impacts of detention & deportation and urge Alameda County to adopt a new policy that ends the enforcement of ICE holds!
Increased federal immigration enforcement has resulted in a record number of deportations nationally and results in the separation of families, including here in Alameda County. In 2011, there was an unprecedented number of deportations, 400,000, more than any year before! California has had over 82,531 deportations as a result of S-Comm, more than any other state. In Alameda County approximately 2000 immigrants have been deported and many more individuals have been turned over to federal authorities by the County, facing deportation.
For the past two and a half years we have been pushing for an end to S-Comm and this is the first hearing in Alameda County where the Board of Supervisors will hear directly from our communities about the devastating impacts of local police collaboration with ICE.
We want this hearing to be filled with everyone in the community who opposes the separation of families and believes that enforcing immigration is not the job of local police.
Last Saturday January 5th, a young woman was assaulted in an attempted rape on 23rd and San Jose streets in the Mission–the first attack of this nature in 2013. She narrowly escaped by fighting off her attacker.
We are joining together in an act of SOLIDARITY. Women and in the Mission district of SF to alert the neighborhood of what has happened in order to promote increased VIGILANCE so that these crimes do not continue on our streets.
Last year, several women were brutally raped on the streets of the Mission, some with broken necks. We must ensure that our sisters, our mothers, our daughters are safe on these streets.
Please bring any signs stating a clear message of NO MORE SEXUAL VIOLENCE ON OUR STREETS and MISSION SOLIDARITY TO KEEP STREETS SAFE. Please bring a drum or a pot and a wooden spoon to drum. Please bring puppets if you have them.
We will have bilingual flyers to distribute in the neighborhood, to post in every store front, to hand out to every household asking for increased VIGILANCE so that no more women are attacked on our streets.
Walk at 430pm along 16th, down Valencia to 24th, over to 24th and Mission then back up to 16th and Mission.
Saturday 12 January 2013
San Antonio Park
3:00pm;
1701 East 19th Street, Oakland, CA1701 East 19th Street, Oakland, CA
Come out & celebrate MLK’s b-day by helping us stop the ignorance & STOP THE VIOLENCE!!! Too many are dying in our community and it’s gonna take a village to get us out of this.
Refreshments will be provided.
from facebook event
Join the Justice for Alan Blueford Coalition and allies on Tuesday 1/15 to tell City Council that we reject Bill Bratton and his racist, fascist policies. Meet up at 5:00 for a rally with the meeting at 5:30. Make sure to fill out speaker cards online beforehand or at City Hall (http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/CityClerk/s/SpeakerCard/SpeakerCard/OAK032373).
If you can’t attend in solidarity with the JAB Coalition, here’s a petition for you to sign, voicing your discontent with the cities plans:
http://www.change.org/petitions/oaklanders-against-william-bratton-and-racial-profiling
As some of you may have heard, OPD has a new strategy to reduce crime in Oakland. This plan is to ask City Council for an additional $250,000 to hire Bill Bratton as a consultant for one year. They have happily announced that they are bringing in the man responsible for NYC’s dramatic drop in crime and the man who helped the LAPD work through their own federal difficulties after the Ramparts case.
Here’s what they’re not telling you about Bratton’s multi-pronged approach to crime reduction:
1) Bratton takes credit for implementing NY’s broken window policy. On the surface, the policy sounds great – if you repair minor damage then you don’t send the message that an area is worthless and thus raise civic pride and prevent crime. But Oakland has already instituted a new policy along these lines that exposes a key flaw. It is not the city that pays for this damage but home owners and business owners. Businesses and homes that fail to remove graffiti promptly can be fined. So it is the homeowner who is punished for the police’s ineptitude at preventing vandalism in the first place. Moreover, one can no longer simply leave the graffiti up and appreciate the art because the city sees it as counter-economic to have graffiti anywhere. Ultimately, broken windows forces civilians to take on police roles they already pay others to do regardless of whether they personally believe in the laws or not.
2) Bratton believes in a zero tolerance policy for all crime. This means harsher punishment and more policing of minor infractions (including public protest, public disturbance, vagrancy, public intoxication, smoking marijuana, etc). This sort of strategy takes a way a cop’s (meager) rationality and forces them to further criminalize the public. For those police who already have no problem seeing Oakland residents as criminals, zero tolerance encourages them to punish as harshly as they can to deter crime.
3) In a recent interview, Bratton talked up the importance of stop and frisk and compared it to chemotherapy (http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120322/manhattan/former-nypd-chief-bill-bratton-compares-stop-and-frisks-chemotherapy). That’s right. Bratton thinks the people being stopped are like a cancer, and the rest of the city (the innocent ones) simply need to endure the poison (in this case the unlawful stops and searches) in order to make the city healthy again. There is no doubt that bringing a de jure Stop and Frisk policy (to replace the already existent de facto policy) will only encourage police racism and police violence. Moreover, with recent comments by Fruitvale’s new City Councilmember Noel Gallo in which he proclaimed his own desire for a “search and frisk” policy, there is no doubt that the Council will be moving in this direction.
4) Bratton has also been vocal in his disgust with cities that have tolerated Occupy camps. In regard to NYC, he reportedly almost ran for mayor because he was so angry at how tepidly Bloomberg had responded to the Zuccotti Park Camp. Bratton despises the tents for the same reason as the broken windows and encourages harsh response to populist movements to preserve the status quo.
So what’s really going on here? The last two consultants, Frazier (who they chose) and Warshaw (who was forced on them by Judge Henderson), both wrote scathing reports of OPD that Deanna Santana tried to cover up and edit. So now they found someone to say exactly what she wants to hear. They’re not out of control, they’re too controlled. They’re not too violent, they’re not violent enough. Also, with the new Federal Compliance Director coming in with a clear mandate to stop Stop and Frisk as it already exists off the books in Oakland and to work against racial profiling, the Police and City Officials want to make it harder to change their backwards, racist policies. Oakland has become the epicenter of anti-brutality campaigns, so those who want the brutality to continue are bringing in their big guns. They know that in the wake of Oakland’s crime and murder spike, that the people of Oakland will be much easier to bully into whatever program they recommend.
We say no.
No to zero tolerance!
No to “broken windows” policies!
No to Stop and Frisk!
No to racial profiling!
No to Bill Bratton!!
Come out and tell the Public Safety Committee that we want none of this and that we will be heard. Get a speaker card, bring a banner, get rowdy. Remind City Council whose city this is.
Join the JAB Coalition and allies on Tuesday 1/15 to tell City Council that we reject Bill Bratton and his racist, fascist policies. Meet up at 5:00 for a rally with the meeting at 5:30. Make sure to fill out speaker cards online beforehand or at City Hall.
As some of you may have heard, OPD has a new strategy to reduce crime in Oakland. This plan is to ask City Council for an additional $250,000 to hire Bill Bratton as a consultant for one year.
Here’s what they’re not telling you about Bratton’s multi-pronged approach to crime reduction…
Stop the Injunctions Coalition writeup.
City Council Public Safety Committee Meeting Agenda (The 2nd item listed, labelled as Item #4).
The benefit will feature “Fighting For Our Lives,” a short documentary about the history of resistance to medical neglect at CCWF & VSPW plus presentations by prison survivors, information about the protest and sign-making. We’re so grateful for the community support!
More info at the Occupy 4 Prisoners website.
On Tuesday, January 22nd, join the JAB Coalition and allies and come on back out to City Hall as the full City Council weighs what to do now that the Public Safety Committee has recommended moving forward on the Wasserman/Bratton consultancy proposal. In addition, the 22nd will be the 2 year anniversary of the murder of Raheim Brown by OUSD police officers Barhim Bhatt and Jonathan Bellusa. Please join us to come together for a rally to honor the lives of all of Oakland’s sons and daughters murdered by the police. The City Council meeting will begin at 5:30 and the rally will start at 5:00.
Although Wasserman vehemently denied that he or the City Council were in any way trying to bring Stop and Frisk or gang injunctions or youth curfews or zero tolerance policing to Oakland, it is impossible to deny that the choice of a contract with Bill Bratton suggests the opposite. Bratton was on air the night before the Public Safety Committee meeting proudly proclaiming yet again his support of Stop and Frisk and his belief that any city that doesn’t have a Stop and Frisk policy is “doomed to failure.” Wasserman also kept repeating the importance of community involvement and bringing the community together (and even seemed to take credit for the hundreds who came out to protest the Bratton contract), but neither in his time consulting with the OPD nor when he and the city announced a month ago that the Bratton hiring was a done deal (it wasn’t) did he ever bring the community in. How are we as a community supposed to believe what Wasserman says when he’s been so clearly dishonest this far?
Much more at the Facebook event page