Open Circle is taking steps to repeal the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. The timing to achieve this is now.

President trump vows to give police a wider bearth which means more racial profiling, more stop and frisk, more killer cops, zero accountablity.

Let’s work together on this now. The longer trump is in office the harder it will be to turn over this reprehenisble pos Bill.

“Trump states his administration “will be a law and order administration,” committed to ending the “dangerous anti-police atmosphere in America.”
breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/23/trump-white-house-pledges-support-law-enforcement-white-house-page/ )

We are meeting as a community with the families whose loved ones have been harmed and killed by cops. Hear their experiences and updates on their cases for police accountability, participate in further organizing, and, most of all, love and support one another. ♥

Agenda:
3:45 – 4:00 Introductions
4:00 – 4:30 Family Updates
4:30 – 5:15 Collaborate on repealing the Police Bill of Rights
5:15 – 5:30 Announcements
5:30 – 5:45 Network

*This is a Potluck Event, please feel free to bring a dish, snack or (non-alcoholic) beverage to share. ♥

Location Information:

From Oakland : BART to Embarcadero Center, transfer downstairs to MUNI and get on the T Light Trsin going south bound towards Bayview, get off on Caroll Street and walk back half a block on 3rd.
Emergency door on the armstrong side will be open so that attendees can come directly to the common room.
~~~
Open Circle – Families United for Justice provides an opportunity to build community with one another, to offer support to Families victimized by police misconduct, including police murder and stand with Families in their struggle for justice for their loved ones.

Join us for a report back, art auction & fundraiser for the Standing Rock Two Spirit Nation camp!

Trump’s administration brings new, imminent, and scary threats to water protectors at the Standing Rock encampment in North Dakota. Please help the Two Spirit Nation stand up for our water and the sovereignty of our First Peoples!

Candi Brings Plenty belongs to the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe and identifies as an Indigenous Queer, Two Spirit Woman. In addition to her leadership within Two-Spirit Nation at Oceti Sakowin/Oceti Oyate camp, Candi is Executive Director of the Equi Institute of Portland, Oregon’s first Trans- and Queer-focused health clinic, and director of the Portland Two Spirit Society.

Two-Spirit Nation camp is a camp within Oceti Sakowin/Oceti Oyate led by Two-Spirit community members. Two-Spirit Nation was honored with a Grand Entry at Standing Rock on October 14th, 2016, and has been leading the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline since.

**If you cannot make it in person and you are able to contribute to the Two Spirit Nation camp at Standing Rock, please donate directly to the camp’s PayPal account: http://paypal.me/TwoSpiritNation

Food & drinks available for purchase. 21 & over.

Accessibility Information:
The event is in the upstairs ballroom space of the Starline Social Club, which regrettably is not yet wheelchair accessible. There are 2 flights of stairs – approximately 20 steps total – leading up to the ballroom. Restrooms have relatively wide stalls. There will be one gender neutral and one women’s* restroom upstairs, and a single-stall gender-neutral restroom attendees can use downstairs. Guests should use whichever restroom they feel most comfortable with. The venue may use some scented cleaning supplies, but we ask that people do their best to arrive ***free of scents and fragrances,*** to support access for community members with chemical sensitivities. More information about being fragrance free here: https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc/ and here: http://www.brownstargirl.org/blog/fragrance-free-femme-of-colour-realness-draft-15. There will be unscented soap available for use in the restrooms on the night of the event. If you have any additional access needs, questions, or offerings please contact dicewald@gmail.com before the event.

Please come out on monday at 9am to Rene C. Davidson Courthouse Dept 7 to support a comrade arrested at the Anti Trump election day protest. Let’s show our solidarity by packing the court!

Support Standing Rock!

Are you wondering how you can support the Water Protectors at Standing Rock? There are some great ways you can help!

Oceti Sakowin is the “big camp” at Standing Rock. The easiest and most direct way to support the camp is to donate at http://www.ocetisakowincamp.org. The Medic and Healer Council is busy keeping folks at camp safe & healthy this winter. You can donate to them at�] https://psmag.com/inside-the-battle-over-the-dakota-access-pipeline-2509fa77f23e#.88r2314pphttps://medichealercouncil.com/

EMERGENCY #NoDAPL Action! Arrestival! Stand with us! Share widely!

Today the Army Corps of Engineers notified Congress that it will grant an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline in the next 24 hours, trampling a planned environmental and tribal consultation review process.

Statement from Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network:

“Donald Trump will not build his Dakota Access Pipeline without a fight. The granting of an easement, without any environmental review or tribal consultation, is not the end of this fight — it is the new beginning. Expect mass resistance far beyond what Trump has seen so far.

“The granting of this easement goes against protocol, it goes against legal process, it disregards more than 100,000 comments already submitted as part of the not-yet-completed environmental review process — all for the sake of Donald Trump’s billionaire big oil cronies. And, it goes against the treaty rights of the entire Seven Councils Fires of the Sioux Nations.

“Donald Trump has not met with a single Native Nation since taking office. Our tribal nations and Indigenous grassroots peoples on the frontlines have had no input on this process. We support the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, and stand with them at this troubling time.”

You can read that notification letter here:
http://www.ienearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Dakota-Access-Pipeline-Notification-Grijalva.pdf

After taking down “the Village” that had been erected at Marcus Garvey Park last week, the city agreed to have a meeting about homelessness tomorrow at 4 at city Hall in hearing room 1.

San Franciscans passed Prop W to fund the Free City College initiative. Since then the Board of Supervisors have kept their promise to the voters by acting to set aside the monies needed and the DCCC has unanimously passed a resolution in support of making the Free City College Initiative REAL by Fall 2017. Now we need to Mayor Lee to just cut the check!

We’ve learned Mayor Ed Lee is considering drastically reducing the scope of Free City or possibly preventing it from moving forward at all, despite being supported by the voters.

Please join us on Thursday, 2/9 at 12:30pm at City Hall Polk St. steps to show your support for making City College FREE for ALL San Franciscans! We will rally from 12:30-1pm and then march to the Mayor’s office at 1pm to deliver thousands of signed postcards urging him to do the right thing for the future of higher education in San Francisco.

With exorbitant housing prices and high student debt, students often face choices between enrollment and rent, between textbooks and groceries. In the face of these calamitous times San Francisco must set the example and ensure access to quality education.

Let’s make Free City REAL!

Can’t attend the day of the action? Here’s one thing you can do instead:

Make a short 30 second video answering this question: Why do we need to act now to make City College FREE for all San Franciscans again? Tag Mayor Edwin M. Lee (type “@MayorEdLee “) and include the hash tags#FreeCity #KeepYourPromise

The City of Oakland is planning a public forum on public banking in Hearing Room 3 of Oakland City Hall (14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland).

Presenters are:

• Marc Armstrong, member, Federal Reserve Faster Payments Task Force, co-founder and past President of the Public Banking Institute, co-founder and President of Commonomics USA;
• Jesse Arreguin, mayor of Berkeley, former Berkeley City Council member
• Tom Sgouros, author of Checking the Banks: The Nuts and Bolts of Banking for People Who Want to Fix It (2014), Senior Policy Advisor to Rhode Island Treasurer; and
• Nichoe Lichen, member of Santa Fe’s Brass Tacks Team (“public banking facts that stick”), Board Member of the Public Banking Institute; and
• Henry Wykowski, past prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office
 in Northern California, currently Harborside Health Center’s lead attorney, speaking on cannabis law as it relates to public banking.

Panel Discussion – How Do We Make This Happen?
Questions and Answers

Endorsing the Idea of Public Banks

“…a Public Bank here in California. I think it’s a good idea.”– Robert Reich, Professor of Public Policy, UC Berkeley, address to the California Democratic Convention.

“By using state deposits to finance local investments, the Public Bank will support billions of dollars of critical investments in infrastructure, small businesses, and student loans — saving our residents money and returning all profits to the taxpayers.” – Philip Murphy, leading Democratic candidate for New Jersey Governor. 

“Oakland has been raided by Wall Street for too long. Disastrous pipeline projects have been bankrolled by unaccountable banks for too long. Finance must be under democratic control for the good of our cities, towns, states, and country. Public banks are a real step in this direction.” – Hannah Appel, Professor of Economic Anthropology, UCLA, and former Oakland resident.

“Evidence from around the world suggests that public banks can be a powerful tool to support local economic development that is sustainable and inclusive.  Since giant private banks have lost the public trust for their predatory actions,   responsible city leaders must consider the option of a public municipal bank.”– Fred Block, Professor of Sociology, UC Davis. Author “Democratizing Finance”

Going Deeper

Friends of the Public Bank of Oakland: www.friendsofpublicbankofoakland.org

Commonomics: www.commonomicsusa.org

Public Banking Institute: www.publicbankinginstitute.org

Bank of North Dakota: bnd.nd.gov

(Essay) Public Banks: Bank of North Dakota: ilsr.org/rule/bank-of-north-dakota-2

(Book) The Public Bank Solution, From Austerity to Prosperity, by Ellen Brown

The words of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution were supposed to guarantee that slavery and involuntary servitude effectively were outlawed. With the exception of punishment for a crime where the “party shall have been convicted.” That’s the loophole. And as detailed in Ava DuVernay’s “The 13th”, the injustice system in America has not changed all that much since the earliest days of slavery.

The statistics DuVernay puts onscreen say it all: African-Americans make up 6.5% of the U.S. population but a whopping 40% of the prison population — in a country with the highest level of incarceration in the world; up more than tenfold since 1970 and existing mostly to put away black and Latino men. It all comes down to money. That was the driving force in the beginning, when slavery effectively was ended, but the South had to figure out a way to balance the economics when suddenly short about 4 million slaves. Using the loophole in the 13th Amendment, Southerners started putting blacks in prisons for petty reasons and used them as a workforce without calling them “slaves.” Today the practice is very much alive, overcrowding our prisons and filling them with minorities, the most vulnerable and underprivileged among us.

Sponsored by the BFUU Social Justice Ctee as part of our Conscientious Projector series.

Wheelchair accessible.

Join us for a ‘Black Lives Matter — Protect the Vulnerable’ Sing. Everyone welcome!

Free. Each documentary will begin promptly at 5:30 PM, discussion afterwards.  Food provided.

Feb 3 – John Henrik Clarke – A Great and Mighty Walk

Feb 10 – The House I Live In

Feb 17 – The Night Tulsa Burned

Feb 24th – 13th

On February 11th, there are rallies planned across the country to in support of defunding Planned Parenthood, a move which will cut off essential services to people all across the spectrum, but particularly those who are at or near the poverty line.

Join us in taking back the conversation around Planned Parenthood. The majority of the country does not believe it should be defunded, but we need to make sure that our voices are heard.

If you bring signs, make them short and clearly pro-PP/pro-choice. We want to make sure that we’re seen as a counter-protest and not part of the larger protest.

More details about the protests we are fighting against here: http://protestpp.com/locations. Additional details will be added here as they are determined.

Join us in ensuring quality, affordable health care for all!

Offerings:

• Massage therapy
• Energy work
• Acupuncture
• Birth Doula Practitioners
• Herbal Medicine
• Resource library
• Free Hot Meal
• Free Store
• Cafe Space to hang out, eat, make art and discuss what healing means to us by us and for us.

Emergency Information Session About New Executive Orders

Attorneys from CAIR – San Francisco Bay Area and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus will be on hand to:

*Share what is known and what is still unclear about the travel restrictions put in place on 1/27 through the #MuslimBan
*Share what you should know about the ban
*Share what you should to do protect yourself

Oakland! I'm speaking in about 45 minutes at 2607 Myrtle Street
Oakland, Ca 94607 pic.twitter.com/TWL7VtJXB7

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) February 12, 2017

Do you feel a drive to do something about the environment, immigrants’ rights, healthcare, Black Lives Matter, indigenous rights, reducing bullying, or building a culture of peace and inclusion? Are you looking for resources to turn your passion into action? Do you seek community support to help navigate the complications of the incoming administration?

If so, come meet like-minded neighbors, local activists, and peacemakers at the second Oakland Peace Center Activism and Advocacy Resource Fair.

Discover the ways you can get involved with activism, advocacy, and volunteering. Ask questions and get connected.

Learn about pressing issues and develop critical skills by attending FREE skill-building workshops offered at the fair.

Whether you are a long time activist or have never attended a rally in your life, your contributions matter!

Bring friends and loved ones. We are stronger together.

TABLING ORGANIZATIONS (more to come!):

* ACLU
* Arab Resource and Organizing Center
* Asian Americans Advancing Justice- Asian Law Caucus
* Bay Area 350
* Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS)
* CAIR- Council on American-Islamic Relations
* CircleUp Education
* Community Democracy Project
* East Bay Forward
* East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy
* Food First
* Healthcare for All- California
* Islamic Networks Group
* Islamic Relief USA
* Jewish Voice for Peace
* Niroga Institute
* Oakland Peace Ambassadors
* Our Family Coalition
* Senior and Disability Action
* Soul Shoppe
* Sunflower Alliance
* SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) Oakland/Bay Area

WORKSHOPS (more to come!)

* Social Media for Activists
* Protest Safety
* Islamaphobia and It’s Impact
* HeartMath Trainings
* “What if I’m Cisgender, White and Heterosexual?” Privilege and Fierce Allyship
* Knowing Your Rights: Interacting with Law Enforcement when traveling, and at school

Updates with organizations who will be tabling and additional workshops will appear on the Facebook page.

Please note: the room is accessible, but bathrooms are up about 8 stairs. There is parking around the corner at 111 Fairmount avenue on the south side of the building.

JOIN OUR SANCTUARY RESTAURANT MOVEMENT TODAY!

On Monday, February 13th, 2017 (2.13*) join the Restaurant Opportunities Center – Bay Area and ACCESS: Women’s Health Justice in a pivotal event on the intersections of economic and reproductive justice. We will bring together workers, employers, academics, parents, activists and policymakers for a transformative discussion on how restaurant owners, co-workers and community members can support each other during these trying times.

Our opening panel discussion will bring in key leaders and workers to connect the issues and bring together the broader picture. In the second half of the event, we will break off into smaller groups to participate in active workshops and move together towards productive outcomes in regards to the surging Sanctuary Restaurants movement, which seeks to create dignified and safe working conditions for immigrants, Muslims, people of color, women of color and LGBTIQ people.

*~ CHILDCARE WILL BE PROVIDED! ~*

Please RSVP (here: tinyurl.com/gngqpk9) or by clicking on the “ticket” link in the event!

AGENDA:
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Registration & Pastry Mixer
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Panel Discussion on Reproductive Justice + Economic Justice
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM Lunch
12:15 PM – 2:15 PM Sanctuary Restaurants//Sanctuary Bodies Workshop/Teach-in
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM Closing Circle

BACKGROUND:
In the Trump era, both immigrant workers//families and *reproductive* healthcare are severely under attack. Both issues greatly impact the lives of low-income working women of color and put simply, affect families. Being one of the largest and fastest growing private sector employers, and one of the top employers of women and immigrants, the restaurant industry has great potential to be a strong stakeholder in the move to protect workers.

ACCESS – WOMEN’S HEALTH JUSTICE:
ACCESS Women’s Health Justice removes barriers to sexual and reproductive health care and builds the power of Californians to demand health, justice and dignity. Their English & Spanish ACCESS Healthline provides free, confidential and nonjudgmental information, referrals, peer counseling and advocacy on the full range of reproductive health services. Their Practical Support Network ensures that people in California can obtain safe abortion services without isolation or delay, with a network of more than 200 volunteers who provide rides, overnight housing, child-care, translation & other assistance to make reproductive health care access a reality.

RESTAURANT OPPORTUNITIES CENTER – BAY AREA:
ROC the Bay is one of 10 local chapters of ROC United, a national non-profit worker center and advocacy organization. ROC the Bay seeks to ensure a just workplace and build power through the creation of a strong community of restaurant workers in the Bay Area. They provide hospitality job trainings for low-income restaurant workers, help to enforce the minimum wage through know your rights trainings and work with restaurant owners to promote just working conditions, fair wages and racial equity.

*$2.13 is the federal subminimum wage for tipped workers, a wage that has remained stagnant for over 20 years. Although California has One Fair Wage, and does not participate in the tip-credit system, ROC the Bay seeks to build awareness around $2.13 and show solidarity for the workers in the 43 other states that continue to allow for workers to rely solely on tips for their wages.*