Calendar
“When I was born here, this was Mexico, and where I die, this is still Mexico.” El Californio, from Mi Familia.
A second-generation Mexican immigrant narrates his family history, beginning with the journey of his father, Jose, across Mexico to Los Angeles where he meets Maria, and starts a family. Each subsequent generation contends with political and social hardships, ranging from illegal deportations in the 1940s to racial tensions and gang fights in the ’60s and ’70s. Yet through it all, or perhaps because of it, the family remains strong.
Join us at The New Parkway Theater as we screen Mi Familia with an after show discussion led by members of KPFA’s La Onda Bajita progr
Sun, May 12
Turkey at the cross roads of imperialism
Turkey is struggling to find a new and better position in the world while fascism erodes the economy, human rights, freedom of press and all opposition. New “elections” on March 31 is only a sham as mounting evidence of corruption piles. Turkey has lost on Syria, a quagmire it planned on winning big with the bog guys. As Turkey oscillates between European Union, the USA and Russia, it finds itself more and more irrelevant. Contrary to the big plans of becoming a leader in the Middle East, Turkey has been relegated to a position where it is only trying to find who to follow. Such is the position of those who accept imperialism instead of standing up to it. ICSS member Mehmet Bayram will present and lead our discussion. TENTATIVE
Sun, May 19
¡VIVA MEXICO!
Mexican President Díaz (1876-1880 and 1884-1911) famously commented: “Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States.”
Diaz got it at least half right. Mexico has suffered in the shadow of the Colossus of the North, but Mexico is not poor. Mexico is rich in many ways, yet it also has been impoverished. And Mexico has been greatly underappreciated by North Americans. This presentation will emphasize the many poorly known accomplishments of Mexico, while uncovering the role of US imperialism.
Mexico is bucking an international right-wing tide, shifting its government from right to left-of-center with the presidential inauguration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) on December 1. Speaking for international capital, The Economist is worried. The other 99% of humanity is hopeful.
Roger Harris will present a PowerPoint-illustrated cautionary history of this trice conquered land. A longtime activist with the Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, Roger is on the board of the Task Force on the Americas (http://taskforceamericas.org/), a 33-year-old human rights organization, and is active with the Campaign to End US-Canadian Sanctions Against Venezuela (https://tinyurl.com/yd4ptxkx). He last visited Mexico in March.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
Sun, May 26, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Report from Venezuela Delegation
Venezuela is in the cross hairs of imperialism. It has the largest oil reserves in the world, but more than that, Venezuela is determined to use its resources for the benefit of its own people instead of handing them over to transnational corporations or imperialist rulers. In the age of imperialism, these trends are enough to make any country the target of imperialist plunderers. We are under a media barrage of lies, misinformation, and open US propaganda about Venezuela. With this intense muddying of waters it becomes very hard to know and understand the events happening around this Latin American, Bolivarian, country.
In order to observe what is really going on there, recently Bay Area residents Mehmet Bayram, ICSS member and journalist, and Laura Wells, Green Party Congressional Candidate, visited Venezuela with the “End Venezuela Sanctions” delegation. They will present their experience and lead the discussion afterwards.
Sun, June 9, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee
After 24 years in the USA, 38 years in the (East) German Democratic Republic as a McCarthy-era exile, then nearly 30 years in unified Germany, Victor Grossman, the ex-pat journalist and author examines the rise and fall of a socialist experiment as he observed and participated in it. He tries to clear through a fog of misinformation and distortion regarding it, describing its achievements, its successes as well as its blunders and negative aspects. Its position regarding Nazis and fascism is compared with that in West Germany. Its school system, women’s rights, both models in many ways, cultural questions and other matters are examined from a personal, anecdotal and sometimes humorous perspective.
The book then turns to a broader examination of possible lessons to be learned when searching for solutions to present-day problems: the growing gap between rich and poor, alarmingly malevolent dangers for a crippled environment, the menace of racism and new fascist movements, the almost ignored danger of atomic annihilation – and who is to blame for them. But the book also looks at newly invigorated hopes for a better, a socialist future despite the many barriers to its realization – seen through the prism of a veteran of the “old Left” in the USA, Communist rule and the Cold War in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, and expresses his views on current fears and hopes on both sides of the Atlantic – and the Pacific.
(Copies of Victor’s book will be available for purchase, cash or checks only, NO CREDIT CARDS.
Sun, Jun 16, 2019: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Cuba”s Democracy
Constitutional Referendum and grassroots political processes.
Cuba is always described as a “dictatorship” by the mainstream media and the U.S. government, thus providing a pretext for the economic blockade and talk about regime change. But Sharat G. Lin found a remarkable democratic process in the recent Constitutional Referendum in Cuba and months of nationwide discussions involving millions of voters. (Awaiting confirmation)
TANC General Assembly!
Our general assemblies are open and free for anyone to join. We’ll be discussing ongoing projects: tenant organizing, houseless organizing, public housing organizing and more. Rent is too high, and we’ve got to organize and fight against marketized housing. Come through and let’s get organized against the housing market!
– – – – – – – – – – – –
We are a group of Bay Area tenants who are fed up with rising rents, evictions, and harassment at the hands of landlords. We are fed up with our neighbors having no option but to live unsheltered and at constant risk of police harassment. We want to stop landlords, developers, and cops from looting our communities.
A council is a group of tenants who work together to wield collective power against a shared landlord in order to improve their conditions. While, in general, councils may organize for more affordable, habitable, and safer housing, the issues that a council decides to organize around is ultimately dictated by its members. Councils can be powerful because they can directly apply their collective pressure on their landlord without the permission of city hall or other third parties.
TANC will help organize councils and bring them together as a network. While councils interface directly with their landlord, they can find support from other councils who rent from different landlords. We will assist in getting the word out to tenants and researching landlords. Neighbors will get to know each other during dinners, BBQs, and other events that TANC will support. We will compile complaints that are common across councils and aid in seeking their resolution. Councils will discuss and demand timely repairs, and support tenants threatened with eviction. Ultimately, the point is to reconfigure power dynamics of landlords and tenants in the Bay Area.
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
Twitter: @EarthStrikeSFBA
Facebook: @EarthStrikeBA
We, the people of the world, are striking to save our planet. Leading climate scientists have warned that we only have until 2030 to prevent global temperature increases from exceeding 1.5ºC. At that time, many effects of Climate Change will be irreversible, and the consequences will be dire. If the global average temperature increases reach 2°C, the results will be catastrophic; famine, droughts, floods, wildfires, the spread of infectious diseases and mass extinction– all on an unprecedented global scale. It would mean the collapse of the human race. According to the Carbon Disclosure Project’s 2017 Carbon Majors Report, 71% of all industrial greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies worldwide. Big business does not serve the interests of the environment or a sustainable future, and by extension, the interests of humanity and life itself. A drastic change in course is imperative to avert catastrophe. To address this potentially catastrophic event, our protests will raise awareness for the global general strike, beginning September 27, 2019. Until all the world’s corporations and governments are held accountable to the needs of the common person, we refuse to participate in a system that only serves to line their pockets. Under the provisions of our protests, there will be no banking, no offices full of employees, no schools full of children, until our demands are met. We refuse to function in a society and political system that is complacent in the environmental demise of our planet.
Earth Strike is not made up of political elites. We are not funded by Super PACs. We are not servants to corporate masters. We are not interested in being re-elected. We do not kowtow to institutions of power. We are people, common people, who understand the alarming situation we are facing, and we demand something be done. We have no vested interests, save one: the survival of all life on the planet. Earth Strike is a global movement with Chapters all over the world, building momentum and solidarity across country and state lines, through concerned communities, and spanning every person with the conscience to recognize the noble goal of the preservation of our home. Based in the idea of solidarity, Earth Strike is a coalition of horizontally-organized, popular, workers movement to save the very existence of life on earth. As an inhabitant of this earth, we urge you to join us, to mitigate and prepare for the effects of Climate Change. Spread our demands, organize with your community, and take a stand for the future, our future.
The Earth shall go on Strike!
Our Demands
- Enact energy systems of community-led renewable energies
- Wind-down and end all fossil fuel extraction, and become totally carbon neutral by 2035
- End all pipeline projects
- Guarantee the sovereignty of indigenous lands with regards to government and government sponsored projects involving their land
- Democratically determine and allocate community led renewable energy initiatives
- Fund and expand carbon neutral and fare-free public transit
- Prepare for Climate Change and protect those most harmed
- Aid communities displaced by climate catastrophes with a focus on rebuilding sustainable infrastructure, including providing state-level aid to United States territories for natural disasters
- Increase funding for FEMA by at least 50%
- Offer a grant program to people who lose their means of survival due to energy transition
- Improve FEMA to better serve the needs of communities
- End the FEMA 50% rule and all regulations that base community aid on market values of property.
- Train FEMA and other disaster response personnel to work with low income and homeless, people of color, and other marginalized communities
- End the use of military/police forces in disaster relief programs
- Provide transportation and lodging in evacuation situations for everyone, prioritizing at-risk communities.
- Protect workers by repealing the Taft-Hartley Act
- Include climate change and environmental safety in collective bargaining and union negotiations with employers
- Retrofit buildings for energy efficiency and disaster resilience
- Build climate-adaptive infrastructure
- Improve sustainability of agricultural processes
- End all subsidies to the meat industry
- Regulate large-scale agriculture to reduce methane emissions, limit hazardous runoff, and preserve biodiversity.
- End factory farming and create significantly stricter regulations in regard to quality of life for livestock
- Further research and development on addressing dairy and other animal agriculture related environmental concerns.
- Cattle must be fed diet of at least 50% grass grazing and the rest will be supplemented with grain and forages with less than 10% corn
- Enact non-retaliation policies to limit large company’s control over individual farmers’ agricultural practices
- End seed patents on genetically modified crops
- Incentivize planting native/food gardens on residential properties
- In conjunction with the above, ban lawn grass.
- Incentivize local production/consumption of food
- Sustainably manage resources
- Mindfully manage potable water resources, and the inclusion of rainwater into irrigation and waste systems
- Limit logging to only what can be replanted in the span of 1 year and enforce that replanting occurs
- Deprivatize and municipalize all water supplies
Meeting of homeless activists and homed supporters from around the Bay Area.
Resist!
Hey folks! time to roll deep to the Life Enrichment Committee (LEC) at Oakland City Hall.
on the agenda is a crucial report and recommendation that if passed and implemented as policy will upgrade the quality of life in every encampment across Oakland while we wait for permanent deeply affordable housing to be built, and will protect informal settlements with tiny homes like the village from being sabatouged and destroyed.
for the past 5 months, Councilwoman Nikki Fortunato Bas has been leading the charge to ensure the city of Oakland will not only acknowledge and protect the constitutional rights and human rights of our curbside neighbors, but that the city’s policies and practices are informed by those rights. working with Councilperson Rebecca Kaplan‘s office, the two have been meeting with homeless advocates and unhoused leaders to formulate the report and recommendations below.
if passed by the LEC, the report and recommendations will go to full city council for vote. if city council passes, it will be transformed and implemented into policy. this is a real game changer!
dealing with the bureaucracy has been frustrating, stressful, painful and at times harmful. its like being in a hamster wheel going no where. but we have a chance to get off the hamster wheel, and make some really progress and movement forward to ensuring our people on the streets have everything they need during this crisis in a dignified, humanitarian, and empowering way.
please sign up to speak in support of this report and recommendations. even if you don’t plan on speaking, you can give you time to someone who has a lot to say but ran out of time. and for those who do want to speak, we will have talking points on the day of for you.
lets do this!
here’s the amazing, dream report and recommendation:
https://docs.google.com/…/2PACX-1vSE868GsAkIK5CODC_Qnh2…/pub
thank you Councilwoman Bas and Councilperson Kaplan for being the champions of Oakland’s most vulnerable.
Come hang out with East Bay DSA members and talk about socialism, current events, historic events, the future, music, your cat, someone else’s cat, etc. We’ll tell you about upcoming East Bay DSA events and how you can get involved!
The Coalition for Police Accountability filed a motion to be Intervenors in the 16 year-long Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA). Our motion was opposed by the City, by Plaintiffs’ Attorneys and, of course, the OPOA. Here’s an excerpt of the City of Oakland’s response to our motion:
“Today is a much different day than when the NSA began. For one thing, the City is in compliance with all but four tasks. Dkt. No. 1238. The City is faithful to the idea that with strong medicine like the new policies the Department has put into place and a bench of strong, committed leaders, the Department can be the trustworthy guardian the community deserves. Today is a much different day than when the NSA began.”
REALLY??????*
We need to have a strong representation of supporters at the hearing a week from today*!
*(It’s possible that the Judge will notify us of his determination and cancel the hearing – if so, we’ll cerrtainly let everyone know well ahead of time,)
Can we count on you?
Please help to spread the word and come to the hearing (you must have a valid, non-expired ID to get into the building). We ask:
- Why is the City opposed to our involvement?
- How many more years and millions of dollars must we spend to reform OPD?
- Why shouldn’t the community have a voice in this process after 16 years of gridlock?
We need to be visible to Judge Orrick to advance our argument that the community cannot continue to be a silent partner or a hostage in this ongoing, expensive enterprise.
Basta!
David Paul, Embassy Protection Collective
Carolina Morales, Venezuelan activistOn the heels of a month-long trip through Venezuela in the midst of growing U.S. aggression, anti-war activist Gloria La Riva will speak on the current situation in Venezuela, with a progressive perspective on the crucial issues facing the Venezuelan people: the U.S. economic sanctions, the U.S. media blockade, and the people’s organizing efforts to overcome the aggression. La Riva will show exclusive first-hand video footage from her trip and answer the questions:
• What is the Bolivarian revolution all about?
• Is Venezuela suffering an economic collapse?
• What is the role of the U.S. and is the danger of U.S. war near?
• How can people in the United States get involved?
$5-10 donation (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Wheelchair accessible. Refreshments provided.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/464500407626348/
Meeting tomorrow 10am @ Downtown Berkeley Starbucks til whenever just to hang out, do art, talk about general plans.
— Earth Strike California (@EarthStrikeSFBA) May 30, 2019
In a continued effort for community building, they're showing @BootsRiley's film, Sorry to Bother You, tonight at People's Park. pic.twitter.com/gZxXszABzx
— Alastair Boone (@alastairboone) May 30, 2019
It’s almost time for May’s monthly potluck and free movie at the Bobby Bowens Progressive Center!
This month we will be screening The One Percent (1h 16m)
Schedule: 6:30pm Potluck / 7pm Screening
Join us on May 30 for the documentary The One Percent, created by Jamie Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. The film examines the system that allows a growing divide between the wealthy and the poor in America. Johnson interviews a number of America’s richest people and asks them about the inherent dangers of having the majority of America’s money in the hands of less than one percent of its citizens. Also interviewed are Chuck Collins and Bill Gates Sr., estate tax proponents and Johnson’s own father, James Johnson who earlier in his life was interested too in the subject of inequality.
Johnson also discusses the economic and societal pitfalls of our current economic imbalance with Milton Friedman, Robert Reich and Ralph Nader. Using real-world examples of the wealth gap, Johnson takes a tour of a dilapidated housing project in Chicago, rides around with an enlightened taxi driver, and sees the human toll of the unfair economics of the Florida sugar industry.
The money that flows into the system shapes who gets what in the economy. At the end people who give the money have the greatest benefits. Yet not all rich people see the wealth gap a good sign and think the problem should be reversed. Is there truly equality in life? Are there solutions to the problem?
This is a free monthly event at BBPC that falls on the last Thursday each month. Mark your calendar for upcoming films:
June 27 – Flow: for Love of Water
July 25 – Tapped
TILL SHE IS FREE OR MARYTRED YEAH IT/S VERY SERIOUS
BASTA !!! FREE CHELSEA MANNING WEEKLY VIGIL
optional after meeting/party rain cancels.
The helicopter arrives at midday, so get there early and don’t miss out!
This is a great opportunity to make ourselves seen and heard, and immediately after the event we plan to head off to the MoveOn forum and the CADem event with our IMPEACH signs and banners – so BRING IMPEACH SIGNS AND BANNERS, & be prepared for a long and impeachful day!!!
Please sign up HERE if you would like to VOLUNTEER, and sign up at the official event page (link under the ‘tickets’ tab) if you’d just like to attend.
Let’s ITMFA!!!
Please amplify on social media using the hashtag #ImpeachOnTheBeach.
Come join East Bay DSA’s Medicare for All Committee as we discuss updates from the fight for single-payer healthcare and upcoming organizing projects. We’ll circulate some a short reading in advance, so please RSVP. All East Bay DSA members interested in getting involved with the Medicare for All campaign are welcome!
Suds, Snacks, and Socialism at the Starry Plough Pub
U.S. Imperialism and the Struggle for Venezuela’s Future
Roger Harris and Mehmet Bayram, both recently returned from Venezuela, will discuss this key battleground in the U.S. ruling class’s ongoing war to overthrow independent and left-wing governments world wide. The will be joined by the National President of Veterans for Peace, Gerry Condon, who was beaten by police when he was delivering food to the activists defending the Venezuelan Embassy in Washinton, DC. All speakers have recently visited Venezuela.
Questions and comments will follow the presentations. Doors open at 2:00. All ages welcome.
This forum is co-sponsored by the Oakland Greens,
the Alameda County Peace and Freedom Party and
Bay Area System Change Not Climate Change