Calendar
Speakers: Robert King of the Angola 7. Azadeh Zahrabi of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children.
“Hard Times” is a film about Robert King, the first freed member of the Angola 7. King spent 29 years in solitary in Louisiana.
Sponsored by the ANSWER coalition.
Rally – Speak Out – March
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Nationwide outrage has swept across the nation in the wake of the brutal murder of 13 year-old Andy Lopez by Santa Rosa Sheriff Erik Gelhaus.
The worst thing we can do now is go home. Keep the pressure on!
Stand with us as we stand against terror in our communities because:
– Playing with toys is NOT a crime.
– Walking while Brown or Black is NOT a crime.
– Living our lives is NOT a crime.
Fire Prosecute and Jail Erick Gelhaus.
Sponsoring Organizations:
ONYX Organizing Committee, Justice for Alan Blueford (JAB), ANSWER, Oscar Grant Foundation
There will be protests, in Andy’s name, as a collaboration with countless organizations around the nation, with groups protesting in their own respective cities…
Facebook page, more info & RSVP.
Come Tell Your Story.
Guest Speakers & Open Mic. Music, Snacks, Information Tables.
Say NO to Veolia/City Union Busting!
Hands off the Boston School Bus Union 5
– Vice President Steven Gillis (fired 11/1/13),
– Grievance Chair and Local founder Stevan Kirschbaum (fired 11/1/13),
– Recording Secretary and Charlestown Chief Steward Andre Francois,
– Steward and Local founder Richard Lynch and Steward
– 3 term former President Garry Murchison.
The latter three suspended and threatened with firing.
Every day, USW Local 8751 members in Boston are experiencing more and increasing disrespect from Veolia management, including constant suspensions and threats based on bogus allegations and constant harassment. This includes an illegal lockout that occurred on October 8 that was substantiated and witnessed by local union officials and community leaders, which followed a constitutionally protected free speech protest and discussion by the workers of Veolia’s contract violations and disrespect.
eolia is an international conglomerate that has an extensive history of union busting, and relentless attacks on communities of color. Veolia is an International Tea Party patriot with links to the Koch brothers and the 1%. Their crimes of greed are worldwide, from the profits garnered from running segregated buses and a “settlers only” garbage dump in Israeli occupied Palestine.
Facebook page, More info & RSVP.
A unique opportunity to attend a free talk by Dr. Joy DeGruy, author of Posttraumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Injury and Healing.
This is a FREE event.
Dr. Joy DeGruy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication, a master’s degree in Social Work (MSW), a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Social Work Research. Dr. Joy DeGruy is a nationally and internationally renowned researcher, educator, author and presenter. She is an Assistant Professor at Portland State University and the President of JDP Inc. Dr. DeGruy has over twenty-five years of practical experience as a professional in the field of social work. She conducts workshops and trainings in the areas of mental health, social justice and culture specific social service model development.
***PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE BELOW!
The Bay Area Battle in Transport: Workers Face Employer Onslaught
No More Defeats Like Wisconsin!
Business Unionism vs.
Class Struggle Unionism
Meeting:
November 10 (Sunday) 2:00 PM
At: Black Repertory Theater
3201 Adeline Street, Berkeley
Although BART workers marched through downtown Oakland in August and October chanting “Strike, strike, strike!”, union officials shackled them with a concessionary contract.
Why did BART workers settle for a concessionary contract after fighting for four months — striking twice, staging militant mass rallies in downtown Oakland, and inspiring AC Transit bus drivers and mechanics to twice vote down concessionary contracts — each time overwhelmingly?
Why did BART workers vote so resoundingly to approve the concessionary contract (more than 85% of those voting voted “Yes”)? Was this the best they could do? How could they have won a better contract?
Why didn’t BART union leaders mobilize the rank and file (for example, through democratically elected strike committees?) Why wasn’t there a joint strike committee of the BART unions (ATU 1555, SEIU 1021, and AFSCME 3993) and the AC Transit union (ATU 192)? Why did ATU 192 president Yvonne Williams denounce a joint strike of AC Transit workers and BART workers as “Armageddon”?
Why did BART and AC Transit union officials put their faith in Democratic politicians rather than reaching out aggressively to labor and the community? Why did ATU 1555 leaders call on Jerry Brown to invoke a 60-day cooling-off period to suspend the right to strike? How can we defend the right to strike for transit workers, when Democratic state politicians are drafting legislation to make such strikes illegal?
Why did ILWU officials turn their backs on their union’s militant history and direct their members to cross a picket line of port truckers and community supporters? How can ILWU members reclaim the solidarity their union badly needs. Longshoremen are locked out at two northwest ports. Scabs are doing their work. And negotiations for the ILWU’s master contract for all West Coast ports is just around the bend.
Has the labor movement lost its class struggle moorings? In its heyday unions fought for the unemployed and underemployed, for immigrant workers and youth, against racism and home foreclosures. What can be done to ignite such struggle today, forge real solidarity, and beat the bosses’ barrage of union busting?
Come hear speakers involved in these worker struggles:
George Figueroa– Strike Coordinator of the successful July BART strike for ATULocal 1555*, now being victimized by BART.
Clarence Thomas– Co-Chair of the Million Worker March, Executive Board member of ILWU 10*
A Member ATU Local 192* (AC Transit worker)
Yemane Seium, Frank Adams– Organziers, Oakland Port Truckers’ Association*
Jack Heyman– Chair of TWSC and an organizer of the 1984 longshore anti-apartheid ship boycott, the May Day 2008 anti-war West Coast port shutdown and the 2010 Bay Area ports protest for justice for Oscar Grant
(*for identification purposes only)
This forum is organized by the Transport Workers Solidarity Comittee (www.transportworkers.org)
Information, discussion & community! Monday Night Forum!!
Occupy Forum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue
on all sides of these critically important issues!
OccupyForum presents…
Making Observations: Seeing the World as it Currently is and Adjusting Accordingly
with Javier Ocasio
“Making Observations came about through my need to educate myself, my fellow active citizens and the passive people who go about their daily lives not knowing the current state of the world they live in. Only by getting a visual picture of the present health of our biosphere and the humans who reside in it, can we see what our impact is, and thereby understand how urgent and dire our current situation is. That in turn will enable us to see the importance of developing a broad strategy in which everyone can participate to respond to this crisis, and how unity is the key to our survival.” — Javier Ocasio
Javier Ocasio is an Army Veteran who served 15 years in Army Aviation, in the regular Army and in Special Operations Aviation. He’s been stationed at Ft. Campbell Kentucky, Hawaii, South Korea, Iraq, and Virginia. He was an Aviation mechanic on Chinook helicopters; Squad Leader, Section Supervisor and an instructor teaching new recruits how to fix helicopters. He specialized in troubleshooting and problem solving. After leaving the service he joined Occupy Wall Street, then Occupy DC. He is also a member of Veterans For Peace.
Time will be allotted for Q&A, discussion and announcements. Donations to Occupy Forum to cover costs are encouraged; no one turned away!
A curfew for those less than 18 years of age will
- Give carte blanche to the Oakland Police to stop and harass anyone to check their ID for age, but especially younger people who are in fact eighteen or older.
- Give the Oakland Police carte blanche to stop young women and “search” them.
- Make those who are legally allowed to be out after curfew – both those under 18 and over – have to prove their innocence to the Oakland Police.
- Devote police resources to harassing people, instead of responding to real crime.
- Violate the civil liberties of Oakland’s residents.
- Increase the animosity felt among young people of color towards the Oakland Police, rather than reduce it.
- Increase the likelihood of another horrible police murder, such as happened to Alan Blueford, 18 at the time he was stopped on the sidewalk for no reason by the Oakland Police.
> The 17th Annual Mario Savio Memorial Lecture will present a panel discussion on “New Strategies for Confronting the Climate Crisis” on November 12, at 8 p.m., in UC’s Wheeler Auditorium. Free tickets are available at:
>
> www.mariosaviolecture.eventbrite.com
>
> Disabled access instructions here:
>
> http://access-guide.berkeley.edu/buildings/wheeler-hall
>
> Doors open at 6:30; tickets must be presented by 7:45 to receive priority entrance. The only way to assure a Reserved Seat is by making a donation to the Lecture fund via this link:
>
> http://www.savio.org/donations.html
>
> Panelists include: May Boeve, Executive Director and co-founder of 350.org, Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, Gopal Dayaneni of Movement Generation (Justice & Ecology Project), Sharon Lungo, co-director of The Ruckus Society, and Phil Radford, Executive Director of Greenpeace.
>
> Wheeler is significantly smaller than Pauley, so people should download their tickets as soon as they know for sure that they’re coming. A friend can save you a seat, but remember, you will need to have your own ticket to enter.
>
Join the Port Truckers as they make noise at city hall while some are inside meeting with California Air Resources Board. This is the body that is able to grant some of the demands of the Truckers, including an extension on truck upgrades and grant funding to compensate the cost of upgrades. They had refused to meet with the truckers until the port action in October.
While a few if them are in the meeting with CARB, port and city officials, the truckers want to let them know that there is LOTS of support for them outside!!
Protest Against the Indictment of Palestinian Activist, Rasmea Odeh
The United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and Rasmea’s supporters and legal team have called for the 13th of this month to be NATIONAL DAYS of ACTION to support Rasmea and demand dropping of the charges now!
If convicted, Rasmea faces up to 10 years in prison, being stripped of her U.S. citizenship, and probable deportation. We cannot allow this to happen. The charges against her are a political attack on her as an individual and on Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities across the U.S. as a whole. The U.S. government is attacking Rasmea just as they attacked the Holy Land Foundation, the 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists in 2010, Chicano leader, Carlos Montes, and many others who have fought for justice and dignity.
Endorsed by: USPCN, Palestinian Youth Movement, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, International Jewish Anti-zionist Network, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Bay Area Committee to Stop Political Repression, National Lawyer’s Guild-San Francisco, Freedom Archives, Critical Resistance, All Of Us Or None
Take Action!
Sign the petition to drop the charges against Rasmea: http://www.iacenter.org/rasmeaodehpetition/
Call and send photos of support for Rasmea!
Join the Facebook page: Drop The Charges Against Rasmea Now!
Mobilize to support Rasmea at her next hearing in Detroit on November 13th.
Have your organization sign or write a solidarity statement (email to: stopfbi@gmail.com)
Less than 2 months ago, Occupy Wall Street’s Alternative Banking Group published a brand new 100-page book entitled, “Occupy Finance”! The entire book is available free online.
Strike Debt Bay Area’s “Politics of Debt” book discussion group will get together in downtown Oakland next Wednesday evening, November 13th, to discuss the first half of the book, including the following chapters:
Introduction: Fighting Our Way Out of the Financial Maze
Section 1. The Real Life Impact of Financialization on the 99%
Chapter 1. Heads They Win, Tails We Lose
Chapter 2. The Bailout: It Didn’t Work, It’s Still Going On, and It’s Making Things Worse
Section 2. How We Got Here
Chapter 3. How Banks Create Money … and Keep Itt
Chapter 4. A Little History to Explain a Lot of Tragedy
Chapter 5. The Dirty Dozen Legal Outrages
Join us for lively and informative discussion of this important Occupy achievement!
All are welcome!
Resisting the Prison Industrial Complex is a multiracial and inter-generational panel discussion on community resistance efforts against mass incarceration among communities of color. Panelists will share their experiences and perspectives as former prisoners, crusaders against mass incarceration and advocates for the rights of prisoners, their families and ex-offenders.
The panel will include prestigious members of the following community organizations:
• Families With a Future
• All of Us or None
• Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity
• Asian Prisoner Support Committee
• Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
In the fall of 2012, Bob Avakian gave a series of talks in different cities. This is a film of one of those talks.
“American Promise is more than a documentary; it is part of a bigger, ongoing movement about changing perceptions of-and behavior and values with respect to-young African-American males in our society.” Documentary Magazine
A documentary 13 years in the making, American Promise follows the journeys of two African-American boys and their families from kindergarten to high school graduation and provides a powerful narrative about the lives of african-american boys and their families, as well as the factors that contribute to the achievement gap in education for black males.
Also showing in San Francisco at the Roxie and in Berkeley at Rialto Cinemas in Elmwood.
For nearly 15 years Critical Resistance has been fighting against new prison and jail construction. Today, counties across the Bay Area are facing plans for new jails. Although polls show that Californians don’t want their tax dollars spent on prison and jail construction and the projects will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, sheriffs from Santa Cruz to Contra Costa are considering them.
These projects not only run the risk of putting our counties in fiscal jeopardy, they also undercut the resources available for the life-affirming programs and services that can get people out of jails and keep them out. Jails primarily target poor Black and brown communities and more than 70% of people in county jails in the Bay are there pre-trial, because they can’t afford to pay their bail or bond.
Get Involved!
Come to the Bay Area Skillshare to Fight Jails: “Bring Our Loved Ones Home”
Security is tight at the federal courthouses–people will need to bring ID and be ready to go through a metal detector. No one should be carrying weapons or contraband.
Homeless people in Albany sued the East Bay city Wednesday to try to halt their impending eviction from a waterfront landfill known as the Bulb, where some of them have lived for years…
“After years of allowing and even encouraging the homeless to seek shelter on the Bulb, the city’s sudden decision to reverse course and evict Bulb residents on the eve of winter, after having made no progress to address the lack of housing or shelter in the city, puts the population at great risk,” said Maureen Sheehy, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
The city has built the shelters and plans to open them within the next week while evicting Bulb campers, said Osha Neumann, another lawyer for the homeless. He said attorneys plan to ask a federal judge Monday for a restraining order blocking the evictions while the suit proceeds.
Also see the rally, march and organizing meeting for later on this date.
Occupy Forum continues…
Information, discussion & community! Monday Night Forum!! Occupy Forum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue on all sides of these critically important issues!
Another World Is Possible!!!
OccupyForum presents the film…
“American Autumn: An Occudoc”
and Q & A with David Hartsough
What would a world look like that had a culture and an economic system that places human need above corporate greed, and how do we bring that world into being? Who cares what it is called. Call it Socialism, Call it Real Democracy Now, and Call it Chunky-Monkey-Cherry Garcia. The world needs to change radically, it needs to change dramatically, and it needs to change fast. This documentary is an invitation for you to participate in that positive change. Frankly, because, we need you. Yes, you.
Shot on the front lines and meeting spaces of the Occupy movement in NYC, Boston, and Washington, DC from the earliest days through the end of January 2012, American Autumn: an Occudoc is an inside-looking-out-view of the Occupy movement. With interviews and insight from key organizers, thinkers and activists including Medea Benjamin, David Degraw, Dr. Margaret Flowers, Lee Camp, Naomi Klein, Nathan Schneider, Ashley Sanders, Vlad Teichberg, Sgt. Shamar Thomas, Dr. Cornel West, Kevin Zeese and many more, the film challenges us to keep on keeping on.
Writer/producer/director Dennis Trainor, Jr. weaves commentary and a fearless style that often puts the viewer right between police and protesters.
This movie is an invitation for you to join the Occupy movement, but there are no membership dues, no papers to sign. All that is required is the willingness to see the world as it is and decide that you are going to be part of the solution. Occupy is less of an organization and more of an organism, a living, breathing, multi-tentacled force that refuses to find a niche or be pushed into a corner. This organism is still a baby, and the narrative it will be telling in the years to come is yours to write.
The film will be followed by Q&A and discussion led by David Hartsough. Where do we go from here? How do we rebuild the powerful potential of the Occupy Movement? What is already happening and what needs to take place to reclaim the power of the People and help bring about a radical transformation of our society? David Hartsough has been a nonviolent activist since he met Martin Luther King, Jr in 1955. Co-Founder of Nonviolent Peaceforce, Director of PEACEWORKERS and co-author of a new Proposal to build a global movement to END ALL WARS, David has been active with Occupy Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC and with
Announcements to follow. Donations to Occupy Forum to cover costs are encouraged; no one turned away!
We’ll meet at Albany City Hall for a rally and then a march. After the march we will all meet to strategize and plan. This is our chance to take the organizing to the next level.
(Also, see the court hearing listing for earlier on this date)
Moderator: Dr. Crystallee Crain
Speakers:
- Emmett Till Family Representatives.
- Airicka Gordon-Taylor
- Ollie Gordon
- Wanda Johnson (mother of Oscar Grant)
- A member of the Blueford family.
- Walter Riley (civil rights attorney)
- George Calvis (community organizer)
- Clarence Thomas (labor organizer)
- Steve Pitts
(from the UC Berkeley Labor Center)
Co-sponsored by: Prophetic Justice Ministries, ISO, Black Workers Center, Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice, UC Berkeley Black Student Union, Bay Area Black Student Alliance.
Organized by: Till Family Organizing Committee.