The 9th annual Urban Shield – the SWAT team training and weapons expo that brings together local, regional and global police-military units – will be held in Oakland this coming September 4-8. Oakland is gearing up to stop it! Building on growing resistance to police militarization in the US, Bay Area community organizations and the Facing Tear Gas campaign have come together to call for Oakland’s non-participation in Urban Shield, community self-determination, and solidarity with global movements. Urban Shield is connected to national police militarization programs such as 1033, 1122, Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) and DHS Fusion Centers. Stopping Urban Shield is one step to roll back police militarization. Stay tuned for ways to get involved!

Sign on to our demands using our form here and join us for a Community Education Forum where you can learn about Urban Shield, how it impacts our communities and find out how you can plug into the Week of Education & Action, August 30 – September 5.

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
Critical Resistance
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)
Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA)
War Resisters League – Facing Tear Gas

A perspective on recent events.

URGENT Autonomous call to action: Meet Port of Oakland SSA berth 57-59WE’RE BLOCKING THE BOAT AT 5:30 #BlockTheBoat https://t.co/WMC9p6GXWf

— Alyssa (@alyssa011968) August 18, 2014

COME DOWN TO PORT! Autonomous continuation of #BlockTheBoat! Get to port by 5. Some rides leaving from W Oak BART around 430. SELF ORGANIZE!

— Occupy Oakland (@OccupyOakland) August 18, 2014

#BlockTheBoat Protester organized picketline @ 5:00AM & 5:00PM at Oakland Port Berth 57-59 STILL block unloading boat #Anonymous #OpIsrael

— OccupySF (@sf99er) August 18, 2014

If you cant #BlockTheBoat at 5, consider driving with some food/ warmth for activists (tired) & dock workers (who go home with no pay) #Gaza

— Occupy Oakland (@OccupyOakland) August 18, 2014

In the Bay Area? Get out, and help #BlockTheBoat https://t.co/EAkuRtg0St

— Imraan Siddiqi (@imraansiddiqi) August 18, 2014

#BlockTheBoat TONIGHT! 5:30 PM SSA Berth 57! 1717 Middle Harbor Way. Shuttles from West Oakland BART as well. Let’s do this again!!!

— Not Frantz Fanon (@violentfanon) August 18, 2014

The Postal Service has put the Berkeley Post Office up for sale!!

The Postal Service outsourced Post Office services to Staples, replacing union jobs with low-paying, low benefit work.

And we’re fighting against both!

Come help us plan our next steps.

On July 29th, at our invite, Ralph Nader spoke on the steps of the Berkeley Post Office against privatization and corporatism. Watch and listen to his talk here.

We’ve began the “Don’t Shop at Staples” campaign with some awesome… what else? … postcards to send to Staples management!  Here’s the front of the postcard. The campaign has been adopted by Postal Unions, the San Francisco Labor Council and has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, and has gone national!

All four Postal Unions have joined together to support maintaining full service, public Post Offices in every community, with expansion to include postal banking, and to oppose subcontracting and privatization of services. The California Federation of Teachers passed a resolution in support of opposition to Staples.  Just recently the American Federation of Teachers, AFCSME and UNITE HERE did too.

Check out our correspondence with the President of the American Postal Workers Union, Mark Dimondstein. The APWU has been leading the charge against Staples.

For most of July the sidewalk in front of Staples was ‘occupied’ 24/7 by an intrepid band of San Francisco occupiers with solidarity and support from BPOD members distributing literature and convincing people not to shop at Staples.

And we need to be prepared if the Post Office announces a sale! The Advisory Commission on Historical Preservation came out with its report, recommending that sales of Historic Post offices be halted until the USPS conforms with historical preservation law. Here is our response.  Also the Office of Inspector General’s report on the sale of Historic Post Offices came out  recently – anything could happen now since Congress’ “request” that no historic Post Offices be sold until it had come out has been honored and no further Congressional request or mandate has come down. Come help us plan our response.

We have joined with other activists in Berkeley to put a ballot initiative on the ballot to rezone the Berkeley Post Office and other areas in the Historic District to prevent privatization, and also to insure a better Downtown Berkeley.  We succeeded in getting the necessary signatures; it will be voted on in November, but Tom Bates and the City Council have nefarious plans to undermine our coalition.

Encouraging articles are still coming out about using Post Offices as banking facilities for the unbanked. The National Conference of Mayors recently endorsed Postal Banking.  Pew Research held a day-long seminar on Postal Banking.

We are planning our next event, ‘Jam the Sale.’ Spread the work and come help us out!

AND CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE.

“Call going out far and wide to be at the port at 5am. If the ship leaves at 4am, it will be the best 5am victory party ever.”

Shuttles are up amd running as is BART! Come on in!! #BlockTheBoat!

— BlockTheBoatForGaza (@BlockTheBoat) August 19, 2014

We need more people. We’ve seen one red SUV cross picket. No idea if he’s unloading this ship. #BlockTheBoat

— Not Frantz Fanon (@violentfanon) August 19, 2014

The Zim cargo ship left Berth 57 this afternoon, sailed out the Golden Gate apparently on its way south, then did a U-Turn
and is now heading back into San Francisco Bay, probably to Berth 22 (map below), which people reported Zim had reserved for this evening.

Berth 22 now! #BlockTheBoat!!! #Oakland, 1599 Maritime St @BlockTheBoat

— Occupy Oakland (@OccupyOakland) August 20, 2014

Need to have crowd at "Ports America" gates well before 7 to block shift that would otherwise unload Israeli cargo ship #BlockTheBoat

— Occupy Oakland (@OccupyOakland) August 20, 2014

The boat made a u-turn. Heading back to the bay! https://t.co/edVV8KOHh7 @hyphy_republic @thehoopoe @OccupyOakland #BlockTheBoat

— mary mad (@marymad) August 20, 2014

RT @OccupyOakland: Where to go to block the sneak attack of the Israeli ship, returning to port #BlockTheBoat HURRY! pic.twitter.com/1J5GUdZpMJ

— Anarcho Anon (@AnarchoAnon) August 20, 2014

The cargo ship targeted by anti-Israel protesters now headed back to @PortofOakland, not LA. Activists mobilizing pic.twitter.com/wtXS3mHF4q

— Henry K. Lee (@henryklee) August 20, 2014

walking and driving directions & times from West Oakland BART to berth 22 (1500-1599 Maritime) #BlockTheBoat pic.twitter.com/nuBPBqtoyt

— shitty podcast (@uItradian) August 20, 2014

CALL OUT for continued blockade TONIGHT to keep 12am lunch break from re-entering the port. Arrive 10:30-11pm to #BlockTheBoat, #Oakland

— Occupy Oakland (@OccupyOakland) August 20, 2014

Zim ship reportedly has days of unloading. This ain't over, not by a longshore. Support needed Midnight & 6:30AM #BlockTheBoat

— OccupySF (@sf99er) August 20, 2014

Over the last few weeks, police have murdered five Black men & women across the country:

Mike Brown: Ferguson, MO
Ezell Ford: South Los Angeles
Eric Garner: New York
Jacorey Calhoun: Oakland
Unidentified woman in San Jose who had a power drill

And of course, there have been thousands and thousands more murdered Black, Brown & poor people throughout the years.

Oscar Grant
Alan Blueford
Alex Nieto
Andy Lopez
Kimani Gray
Kendrec McDade
Amadou Diallo
Sean Bell
Ramarley Graham

We will take to the streets and tell the police: IT ENDS TODAY

We will gather at 5:00 pm in FOUR locations:
– Oscar Grant OG Plaza
– Oakland Main Library (659 14th Street, Oakland Ca 94612)
– African American History Museum (125 14th Street, Oakland CA 94612)
– Jack London Square (near Waterfont Hotel)

5:00 – 5:15: banner making, public education, speakers
5:15 – 5:30: music & chants
5:30: MARCH to 7th & Broadway
6:00 – 6:30: music, speakers, chants
6:30: MARCH to Oscar Grant Plaza
6:30 – 7:00: Community Speak Out and Action Planning for a Sustained Campaign Against Police Terrorism

Simultaneous Actions in Los Angeles & Mississippi

PLEASE choose a different location for you and your comrades to begin the action! It is important that we show the power of the people to a larger share of our city than just OG plaza.

Again the action will begin in FOUR locations at 5:00 pm:

– Oscar Grant Plaza
– Oakland Main Library (659 14th Street, Oakland Ca 94612)
– African American History Museum (125 14th Street, Oakland CA 94612)
– Jack London Square (near Waterfont Hotel)

Endorsing Organizations: ONYX, MXGM, Healthy Hoodz, Young Oakland, Inner Council of Murdered Children, Alan Blueford Center for Justice, Hip Hop Congress, Workers World

Facebook page & RSVP.

Here is the reading  for the next Politics of Debt meeting  – OMNI basement.

We will continue on with Ellen brown’s Public Banking solution on the topic foreign policy and other countries’ use of Public Banks.

PBS-Germany

PBS-Argentina

PBS-Latin-America1

PBS-Ch-3

Stand in solidarity with the people of ferguson. March starts at un plaza.

The next Taser-free Berkeley organizing meeting.

Also see

PUBLIC FORUM: SHOULD BERKELEY POLICE USE TASERS ON THE PEOPLE OF BERKELEY?

Meeting of the City of Oakland’s “Privacy and Data Retention Ad Hoc Advisory Committee” – open to the public.

When:
2nd & 4th Thursdays
6:00pm – 8:00pm

Where:
Council Chambers
Oakland City Hall
14th & Broadway

Read the announcement from the City of Oakland City Administrator’s Weekly Report (April 25, 2014):

This committee was created by City Council action during the discussions earlier in the year about the Port Domain Awareness Center (DAC). The goal of the DAC is to improve readiness to prevent, respond to and recover from major emergencies in the Oakland region and ensure better multi-agency coordination across the larger San Francisco Bay Area. The goal of the Privacy and Data Retention Policy is to ensure there are safeguards to protect against potential misuse of the data or violations of individuals’ privacy rights and civil liberties. The meeting is open to the public. For questions about the Ad Hoc Committee, please contact Joe DeVries, Assistant to the City

We need to show up to these meetings and pressure the City to adopt a privacy policy that makes privacy a priority, not only “security” or administrative convenience.

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE NEXT BAY AREA STRATEGY MEETING for the October Month of Resistance to Mass Incarceration, Police Terror, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation.

People in Ferguson have repeatedly stood up in righteous rebellion to stop police terror! They have refused to back down in the face of dogs, tear gas, guns, and tanks. They are fighting back and simply demanding justice for Michael Brown — demanding these cops stop murdering young Black men. Here in the Bay Area, people have taken to the streets day after day to demand justice for Michael Brown and the many other victims of police murder, locally and nationally. The determined struggle of people is what’s changed the terrain throughout the U.S. This struggle has reverberated internationally. And, right now is time to step up the struggle; to take it to a HIGHER level; to involve a greater breadth of society. These very serious demands�to namme, indict and jail the cops who killed these people — have to be met now, not next week or next year.

Look at the reality of America: 1 in 3 Black male children born after 2001 will spend some time in prison in his lifetime. The US has 5% of the world’s population, but 25% of the world’s prison population and 35% of the world’s female prisoners! 2 million immigrants have been deported in the last 6 years, with 400,000 in detention each year. The U.S. is the only country in the world that sentences adolescents, children, to spend the rest of their lives in prison. These and many other horrors make clear the level of resistance to mass incarceration, police terror, repression and the criminalization of a generation needs to be taken to a much higher level. THIS MUST STOP… AND THAT IS UP TO US. All that’s happened these last couple of weeks make urgently clear the need to seriously step up resistance and that mounting resistance is the only way things will change.

Who needs to be at this meeting?
IF you are treated like a suspect, a gang banger or drug dealer, just because of the color of your skin,
IF you, or a loved one, is one of the 2.4 million locked up, or in the clutches of criminal “Injustice”,
IF you or your family are targeted, or detained, or deported cuz you came from “Somewhere Else”,
OR, IF you just HATE how other people are treated, and want to END IT
Then�
You need to be at this meeting!

At this meeting we will plan out many events, including (but not limited to) Faith Community Weekend against Mass Incarceration on Oct 3,4 and 5th, the protests for “Not One More Deportation!” on October 13th, the stops in the Bay Area of Dr. Cornel West and the big demonstration in Oakland on October 22, along with cities all across the country – as one part of a making October 2014 as powerful as possible. The college campuses, faith community, neighborhoods, and the culture and art scene all need to be holding events and taking action in October… we will further strategize and plan this out, with the objective of October 2014 making clear tens of thousands are willing to stand up and speak out today to awaken and rally forth millions. We should invite one and all via email, Twitter, phone calls, Internet postings, ads and PSA’S. While there are different understandings of why this is happening and what should be done about it, we need to unite all those who agree this must end to act together in October 2014. October will give all those who want to stop these horrors a vehicle to be part of doing just that and the actions of tens of thousands of us in October will challenge millions more people to stop closing their eyes to these horrors and join the resistance to them.

“For 4 and a half minutes on Monday, at 4:30pm I want you to stop on the highway with your flashers on.” Mike Brown’s body sat. #Ferguson

— deray mckesson (@deray) August 30, 2014

“For 4 and a half minutes on Monday, at 4:30pm I want you to stop on the highway with your flashers on.” Mike Brown’s body sat. #Ferguson

— deray mckesson (@deray) August 30, 2014

Monday Nationwide the family are asking for a shut down of all freeways in USA. #Ferguson #Anonymous @YourAnonNews pic.twitter.com/SlvuVBcXEV

— occupy stockton (@greenthumb209) August 30, 2014

Edward Crawford, subject of @kodacohen‘s iconic #Ferguson photo, addresses the crowd. Same t-shirt. pic.twitter.com/K5wwBTQKQB

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 30, 2014

From the New York Times:

FERGUSON, Mo. — Activists on Saturday called for mass civil disobedience on the highways in and around this St. Louis suburb to protest the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer, with the leaders of one coalition encouraging supporters to stop their cars to tie up traffic on Labor Day.

…

Organizers at the rally called on demonstrators to drive on Interstate 70 and other area highways at 4:30 p.m. Monday, turn their hazard lights on and stop their vehicles for four and a half minutes to symbolize the four and a half hours that Mr. Brown’s body lay in the street.

There will be no meeting of the

Berkeley Post Office Defenders

on Labor Day.  

The next meeting will be one week from today, September 8th.

Meeting with Program featuring Norman Solomon of Roots Action!

SF 99% Coalition
Free and open to the public

6 – 6:30 PM: Potluck Dinner
6:30 – 7:25: Meeting
Agenda:
Welcome & Intros
UU updates-Treasurer’s Report
Environmental News/Actions
Other Recent Actions Reportbacks
Sept 20 OccupySF Street Theatre Update
Sept 21 Climate March Update
Announcements

7:30 – 9:00 Program
Speakers:Norman Solomon, journalist and media critic
followed by
Janet Weil & Susan Harman on opposing Urban Shield (with brief powerpoint presentation);
Zaki Manian of Restore the 4th on state & natl legislation.

Q and A to follow.

Fighting for $15/hour and a union: when we stick together we are heard.

Join us this Thursday in Oakland!

It’s just wrong that so many fast food workers aren’t paid enough to afford our basic needs, like food, transportation and housing. We’re united for a $15/hour wage floor and the right to form a union without retaliation. Raising pay will lift up our families and our community.

Also a rally at 11 am at Oscar Grant Plaza

More on facebook: East Bay Fast Food Workers & Twitter: @fairfastfood

#StrikeFastFood: Join us as we ramp up efforts for $15 and the right to unionize without retaliation. For respect, fair treatment, and against extreme income inequality. WE DESERVE MORE!