The Le Méridien and Hyatt on Fisherman’s Wharf are not respecting the right of workers to choose a union. UNITE HERE Local 2 has called for actions on those days. Join the Francisco for Mayor Campaign on the picket line on Monday, Sept. 28, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. and from 4 – 6 p.m. at Le Méridien, 333 Battery Street, between Clay and Sacramento. If you are willing to engage in a civil disobedience action, call 415-863-1225 or email sflivingwage@riseup.net

Come learn about continuing developments in the battle save the Berkeley Post Office, other Post Offices in the area, and the Postal Service from privatization, support our Occupiers and help us plan our next steps in opposition to the theft of our public commons.

The postal service wanted to sell the post office to Hudson-Mcdonald, a local developer. The City of Berkeley sued the post office to stop the sale. Hudson-Mcdonald backed out of the deal in early December.

Federal Judge William Alsup decided to dismiss the lawsuit in April because the Postal Service says it is not currently selling the building.  But we’re not fooled. The Postal Service could “find” a buyer at any moment. Fortunately, the Judge ordered the Postal Service to provide 42 days notice before any sale, so that the lawsuit could be refiled.

Check out the Community Garden at the Post Office.

In the latest developments, Berkeley has Declared War on Its Homeless, and an ordinance criminalizing the homeless came before the City Council on June 30th (see here and here) but was tabled until at least September.

Also check out our website and the Save the Berkeley Post Office website, and First they Came for the Homeless Facebook for updates.

BPOD is an offshoot of Strike Debt Bay Area, which itself is an offshoot of Occupy Oakland and a chapter of the national Strike Debt movement, which is an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street.

It’s been two weeks since the Stop Urban Shield coalition rallied in Oakland, California against notorious SWAT-training and weapons expo, Urban Shield.

Check out our successful #StopUrbanShield press round up here!

But we’re just getting started. 

Tomorrow, September 29th, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is set to sign off on an amendment to Sheriff Ahern’s two-year agreement with the Urban Areas Security Initiative (a Department of Homeland Security grant program) that funds SWAT trainings, including Urban Shield.

This year, one of the Urban Areas Security Initiative agreements is increasing to $6,289,697 for Fiscal year 2014-2016. We must let the Board of Supervisors know that we are watching Urban Shield, and all federal funding of militarized trainings more broadly (see sample text below.) 

1) Call and email Board of Supervisors today!

Supervisor Haggerty// shawn.wilson@acgov.org (510) 272-6691
Supervisor Valle//  christopher.miley@acgov.org (510) 272-6692
Supervisor Chan//  jeanette.dong@acgov.org (510)272-6693
Supervisor Miley// anna.gee@acgov.org (510)272-6694
Supervisor Carson//   rodney.brooks@acgov.org (510)272-6695

2) If you are near Oakland, visit the BOS general meeting tomorrow 9.29 at 10:45 am and make a public comment at

1221 Oak Street, Room #555
Oakland, CA 94612

“Dear _________
I am writing to urge you and all Alameda County Board of Supervisors to take leadership in putting an end to the militarization of police and disaster preparedness represented by the annual Urban Shield exercises and weapons display, funded by DHS through the Urban Areas Security Initiative. The emphasis on SWAT teams as the response to emergencies – including natural disasters – as well as the exclusive focus on worst-case violent scenarios, diminishes resources for responding to the ordinary emergencies community members face every day: inaccessible housing and medical care. It also reinforces an attitude that police are at war with communities, with people of color, poor and those with mental health issues bearing the worst brunt.Alameda County should not be hosting Department of Homeland Security funded events, which involve not only nine Bay Area counties, but teams from around the United States.That is why I ask you to not sign the amendment to increase the Urban Areas Security Initiative grant tomorrow, and to stand with Alameda County communities, and people across the nation, not federal agencies!

Regards,

_______“

Sponsored by: Berkeley NAACP; UCB Black Student Union; Berkeley Copwatch: ACLU Berkeley/ NorthEastBay Chapter: National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

Newly released data on police stops confirms local activists’ and communities’ of color charges of racial profiling in Berkeley. Data collected by the Berkeley Police Department reveals a pattern of discriminatory conduct against African American and Latino civilians.

Stops: Though Black people constitute less than 8% of Berkeley’s population, they were 30.5% of those stopped by police; whites, comprising 60% of Berkeley, were 36.7% of those stopped.

Disposition: 38.1% of White people stopped by Berkeley police were eventually released without being either arrested or cited. However, 66.2% of African Americans were released without an arrest or citation, with Hispanics/Latinos close behind at 56.4%.

Searches: African Americans were 31% of civilians stopped, yet they were 57% of searches. Whites, on the other hand, were 37% of stops and only 14% of searches.

Local organizations will discuss the data and its implications in detail at the press conference.

Cyrus Farivar, author and senior business editor at Ars Technica, will deliver a talk titled “We’re All Being Watched: Local Surveillance.”

This event is sponsored by the Mellon Sawyer Seminar

COME SUPPORT A REAL ONE ! EAST OAKLAND 65TH & INTERNATIONAL #JUSTICE4RICH #fuckthepolice pic.twitter.com/o8YKVkIEuH

— Baby Trubble (@TR1GG4H4PPY_) September 29, 2015

A drum circle protest is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. tonight outside Oakland City Hall. 

See background information here in this East Bay Express article  by San Levin.

There will be a vigil for Antonio Ramos, the muralist who was killed in West #Oakland today. Corner of 35th & West St, 9:30 am tmrw. #oakmtg

— David Colburn (@davidcolburn) September 30, 2015

The City of Oakland is facing a serious affordable housing crisis, with numerous residents being displaced from their homes. A hearing is scheduled on the housing crisis at Oakland City Hall (click this link for agenda calendar: https://oakland.legistar.com/calendar.aspx).

At Together We Rise, we will celebrate those who have sustained the Ella Baker Center’s work over the years and invite attendees to join our team.

Come and learn about our recent wins, and what’s coming up next for us. More details about Together We Rise.

There will be light appetizers, a photobooth, and entertainment from a soon-to-be-announced special guest. One drink ticket comes with admission.

If you become a sustaining donor of the Ella Baker Center today with a donation of $10 a month or more, you will receive complimentary admission to Together We Rise!

TAPPED is a beautifully filmed, compelling documentary in which Stephanie Soechtig and Sara Olsen explore the environmental consequences of bottled water. TAPPED does to bottled water what Food, INC and Super Size Me did to the food monopolies. The film begins with: By 2030, two thirds of the world will not have access to clean drinking water. The film also covers chemical pollution, plastic pollution, mile wide plastic soups in the ocean, water privatization and community water rights.
This event is a result of our partnering with Food and Water Watch, a national organization that champions healthy food and clean water for all. We will be joined by Liz Solorio of FWW, Juliana Gonzales of The Watershed Project and Matt Freiberg, chair of our own Berkeley Climate Action Coalition water committee for a discussion after the film.
Please bring finger food and/or drinks to share at 6:30 for Meet and Greet before the film. In keeping with the film’s message let’s try not to bring any plastic containers!

For more info: info [at] transitionberkeley.com
website: http://www.transitionberkeley.com

This event is co-sponsored by Transition Berkeley, Food and Water Watch and BFUU’s Social Justice Committee.
Suggested donation $5-$10. No one turned away.
Wheelchair accessible.

“We have cancelled the event at the Alameda Coroner’s office this Friday because they have released the autopsy report. This is a victory and couldn’t of happened without your support! More details to follow.”

— APTP   https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=647064612099995&id=513658562107268

Nearly nine months have passed since Yuvette Henderson was gunned down by Emeryville Police on the Oakland Emeryville border and the Alameda County Coroner has yet to release her autopsy report.

The family and community of Yuvette Henderson have been seeking justice and closure only to be met with with a wall of silence from the various agencies involved. Crucial to getting answers on exactly what happened that day is a full release of the Coroner’s autopsy report. The fact that a full nine months have passed since since her death on February 3, 2015 and still no autopsy report has been released makes serious doubt about the State’s willingness to be transparent in the interest of justice.

Gather with us this Friday to demand that they immediately release the long overdue report.

THIS EXHIBIT CONTINUES THROUGH NOVEMBER 1ST.

Join us for our opening screening of the 2015/2016 season on October 2nd at 5:00pm!

Eyes on Oakland is a community-powered, art-meets-journalism initiative that seeks to inform and engage residents across Oakland about the different types of surveillance technology used by local police. A collaboration between the Mobile Arts Platform and The Center for Investigative Reporting, Eyes on Oakland featured two key venues: a participatory installation in the “Who Is Oakland?” exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California, and pop-up outings around Oakland with the Mobile Arts Platform, a classic Ford Falcon van retrofitted as a roving newsroom. The work was sourced by information from CIR’s reporting, and driven by creative insights gathered from Oakland residents. So far, Eyes on Oakland has directly incorporated attitudes on surveillance from hundreds of residents, and inspired a host of fact-based conversations on the balance between privacy and public safety in communities across the city and at the Oakland Museum.

Hope to see you there!

The Great Wall located on West Grand Avenue between Broadway and Valley Street, next door to Luka’s Taproom and Lounge.

Is it enough to “Feel the Bern?” Or do we need to build a movement that will last beyond 2016 and transform America and Mother Earth? Our Suds, Snacks and Socialism forum is inviting speakers from different political perspectives to join us discussing these are other important questions.

We are in a state of emergency. Law enforcement violence against black and brown communities is increasing at an alarming rate, and we need to be ready to respond.

At an early age we learn how to prepare for emergencies and natural disasters. We learn how to put out fires, how to board up our homes, or how to drop under a desk. Communities of color now need training on how to respond to more frequent incidents of violence both on the streets and inside of jails and prisons.

So the Ella Baker Center, in partnership with the ACLU of California, is organizing a #CaravanForJustice from October 3-10 that will travel throughout the state to mobilize communities against police violence and spread awareness about the Mobile Justice CA app.

The caravan willl launch at a rally in Oakland on Saturday, October 3 from 2-4 pm at Oscar Grant Plaza. The rally, co-sponsored by the Anti Police-Terror Project and Black Lives Matter Bay Area, will feature testimonials from Oscar Grant’s uncle, as well as from family members of victims of police violence in the United Kingdom, who are joining the caravan.

Come out and learn how you can get involved in local and statewide work to end police violence in California! RSVP here.

During stops in 9 counties throughout the state, the #CaravanForJustice will:

• Educate community members about how to use the Mobile Justice CA app
• Gain support for the Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015 (AB 953)
• Highlight the presence of regional Justice Teams for Truth and Reinvestment
• Engage people in a global conversation about police violence

Join us and be part of a movement in motion to end law enforcement violence.