Calendar
On Tuesday, January 22nd, join the JAB Coalition and allies and come on back out to City Hall as the full City Council weighs what to do now that the Public Safety Committee has recommended moving forward on the Wasserman/Bratton consultancy proposal. In addition, the 22nd will be the 2 year anniversary of the murder of Raheim Brown by OUSD police officers Barhim Bhatt and Jonathan Bellusa. Please join us to come together for a rally to honor the lives of all of Oakland’s sons and daughters murdered by the police. The City Council meeting will begin at 5:30 and the rally will start at 5:00.
Although Wasserman vehemently denied that he or the City Council were in any way trying to bring Stop and Frisk or gang injunctions or youth curfews or zero tolerance policing to Oakland, it is impossible to deny that the choice of a contract with Bill Bratton suggests the opposite. Bratton was on air the night before the Public Safety Committee meeting proudly proclaiming yet again his support of Stop and Frisk and his belief that any city that doesn’t have a Stop and Frisk policy is “doomed to failure.” Wasserman also kept repeating the importance of community involvement and bringing the community together (and even seemed to take credit for the hundreds who came out to protest the Bratton contract), but neither in his time consulting with the OPD nor when he and the city announced a month ago that the Bratton hiring was a done deal (it wasn’t) did he ever bring the community in. How are we as a community supposed to believe what Wasserman says when he’s been so clearly dishonest this far?
Much more at the Facebook event page
We brought our solutions to city hall. The council heard the public loud and clear: NO MORE MONEY FOR OPD; invest the money in our schools, in our shuttered libraries, in youth centers and job programs. Unsurprisingly they have decided to hand more money in a broken and visibly racist police force. So in light of the recent and expected arrogance on the part of city council, we converge in the streets to voice our rage and to make it perfectly clear we will not allow ourselves to be further criminalized.
Most of us know that speaking to city council is a futile exercise, but one of the greatest parts about city council meetings is that we hear each other. We had so many beautiful and brilliant voices last night, but we don’t need their forum to speak to each other. Come to the plaza to rally and discuss how we can stop the violence of poverty in Oakland without them.
When we talk about stopping the violence, we are talking about eliminating the desperation that life under capitalism causes, and we are talking about ending the violence of the police occupation we live under.
Please join us for a discussion/GA at 5 pm to strategize as to what our course of action and response to this decision should be for this evening and into the coming years. Let’s remind them that we are ungovernable. Bring your ideas and your noisemakers.
“From the folks who brought you the West Coast Port Shutdown.”
We will be brainstorming our next major action, a livable wage campaign, part of which will be an attempt to raise holy hell over the fact that the minimum wage in Oakland is still $8.00, while in San Francisco it is $10.55 and in San Jose it is $10.00. Plus the fact that the city is willing to insist on its own workers and those with contracts to the city being paid a living wage but not private sector workers. Please come join us and add your voice!
We will also be discussing Labor related efforts such as the Mi Pueblo workers’ struggle, ILWU and ILA happenings, Drone Coalition actions, what’s happening with the SF19, and more.
The Healthcare Movie
Potluck at 6pm
An entertaining 65 minute documentary explaining how Canada got their beloved healthcare system. The Healthcare Movie is full of lessons that we can use in our campaign for single payer healthcare.
A discussion will follow the film.
Dear Friends,Please join us as we gather to remember Aaron Swartz. Speakers will include Danny O’Brien, Lisa Rein, Peter Eckersley, Molly Shaffer Van Houweling, Cindy Cohn, Brewster Kahle, Tim O’Reilly, Elliot Peters, Alex Stamos, and Carl Malamud; there will be an opportunity for brief remembrances.
RSVP.
Non-union fast food workers at the Oakland Airport continue to seek a fair process to decide if they want to form a union. They have called for a boycott of their shops, and have participated in several rallies over the past few months to bring attention to injustices and retaliatory firings. Workers have filed grievances at all levels of government, and met directly with Port Commissioners to stress the urgency of the situation.
This past week, the Port of Oakland concluded their investigation into alleged violations of the Living Wage Ordinance by several of the non-union employers. The Port’s investigation found many violations of the law, confirming the stories of nearly all of the workers who filed complaints. One positive result is that many workers will have the opportunity to cash out paid time off they should have received.
Hakima Arhab was terminated by the owners of Subway in what the Port found to be retaliation for filing a complaint. The only remedy recommended by the Port , however, is back pay for time she should have worked. So far, the Port is unwilling to demand that she be reinstated! What kind of precedent does that set?
The Port is unwilling to stand with Hakima. Will you?
A Foreclosure Defense Group Orientation and Training
Foreclosures, evictions, gentrification, massive displacement… These are facets not of a “crisis” but of a targeted, ceaseless attack, an attack of one class and its institutions upon another with communities of color taking the brunt of the assault.
The Occupy Oakland Foreclosure Defense Group forwards an anti-capitalist perspective built on community organizing, self defense and our experience and successes.
This Friday, January 25th, we offer an orientation on the local political terrain, on the forces at play in this current attack and an introduction to our vision, our work and how we get down.
We especially encourage to attend those many folks that have put in work around our recent fights and those who are interested in becoming more involved in these immediate and tangible struggles.
Presenters include
Darwin Bond-Graham, noted sociologist and journalist who has published extensively on the political economy of Oakland. (You might have seen him in the streets around Occupy Oakland as well!)
Anthony Panarese, longtime local community organizer and notorious pain in the ass of the local establishment, now a staffer with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment.
Core organizers with the Foreclosure Defense Group
Hope to see you there!
For any questions you can email us at foreclosure@occupyoakland.org or call the OOFDG hotline 510.207.0182
Join our statewide mobilization to Chowchilla to protest the unconstitutional overcrowding in California’s women prisons and show our support for our loved ones inside who are struggling to survive as the conditions worsen. As a result of the conversion of Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW), one of the remaining women’s prisons has now reached 179% capacity. A woman recently transferred to CCWF informed us that they were given clothes and bedding that “you wouldn’t want even your dog sleeping on.” Another person confirmed, “Everything we rely on to survive, including medical and legal, is highly impacted by overcrowding. Overcrowding is the issue. It causes everything else to come crashing down like dominoes.”
We need your help to show the U.S. Supreme Court, the government, and prison officials that not only are we witnessing this discrimination and abuse but we will not be silent! Join us in demanding an end to overcrowding! Our loved one’s deserve humane living conditions and their freedom! Bring them home!
Caravans leaving from MacArthur BART in Oakland at 10:30AM and Chuco’s Justice Center in Inglewood at 8:30AM. We will gather at 2PM at SE corner of Ave. 24 and Fairmead Blvd off Highway 99 in Chowchilla.
NEED A RIDE? HAVE A RIDE TO OFFER? Contact chowchilla.rally@gmail.com or 415-255-7036 x 314
More information at Occupy For Prisoners Web Site.
MEETING NOTE: THE MEETING IS NOT — NOT — AT THE USUAL PLACE. IT’S AT THE OTHER SEIU HALL IN EAST OAKLAND!!!
We are planning our actions for the new year in our search for Justice 4 Alan Blueford. We are making a difference! We can use all the help we can get! Come join us!
We are launching a campaign to convince California Attorney General Kamala Harris to indict officer Miguel Masso for the murder of Alan Blueford.
We are protesting the imminent imposition of Stop & Frisk within the confines of Oakland. We made our presence known, along with other groups, at the Oakland City Council meeting this past Tuesday, where they voted to hire William “Stop&Frisk” Bratton as a high-priced consultant to further terrorize the denizens of the city. We will be discussing what next steps we should take.
We are formulating how we should interact with Judge Thelton Henderson’s Compliance Director for the Oakland police.
We are discussing how we can aide other families who are victims of police violence.
We are putting together support from Labor Unions, students, people of faith and everyone else who is opposed to injustice with respect to policing our country.
We are making a difference! We can use all the help we can get! Come join us!
JOIN THE PARTY FOR DEFENSE OF WORKING CLASS RADICALS GG AND ORION’S HOME AGAINST THE ROTTEN INTERNATIONAL RULING CLASS CAPITALIST BANKS AND COURTS.
ACOUSTIC MUSIC 1PM TO 4PM
4PM TO 7PM ORION/S JOY OF JAZZ WITH GUEST JAZZ MUSICIANS
POT LUCK GALS BRING FOOD
GUYS BRING DRINKS OR VICE VERSA.
Come together at the GA Sunday, January 27, to take a stand against sexual assault and to deconstruct the system of patriarchy that is so deeply entrenched in our society. This is a principal item on the agenda for our movement, and avoiding action against patriarchy, which is the root of capitalism and state bureaucracy, obliterates our chances of success. Come together to form the Men Against Patriarchy Assembly Sunday, January 27, at the Occupy Oakland GA, 19th St. and Telegraph Ave., Oakland, 2:00PM.
“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” – Emma Goldman (supposedly)
On Jan 28, 2012 Occupy Oakland activists planned “Oakland Rise Up! Move-in Day”, an action intended to result in the takeover of a large building to be converted into a community center. The Oakland Police Department responded to a jubilant show of community support and enthusiasm for community service by firing “less lethal” weapons and deploying explosives on a crowd which very clearly included children.
… (complete writeup on Facebook page)
Nearly a year later, state repression of Occupy Oakland continues, our personal and activist relationships are severely tattered and torn, and noone can fix this but us.
Stay-Away orders remain on the books and continue to separate our community, keeping many of our most valued members away from events like #O25.
Let’s meet up at 19th and Telegraph, throw the greatest fucking dance party that Occupy Oakland has ever seen, hold a speakout for stayaways, and if we feel comfortable with our numbers, embark on a peaceful and cathartic march past our old battlegrounds.
Let’s heal our community and get back to doing what we all came together to do in the first place – draw attention to economic and social injustice, corporate control of politics, and the mother fucking banks.
Long live the movement, and Fuck The Police!
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ATTENTION! People arrested on J28!
A class action law suit against OPD and mutual aid police departments is being filed! We need your stories, videos, twitter feeds, and anything else that can help piece together what happened on that day and the following days spent in Santa Rita and Glen Dyer. Particularly of interest: accounts of police brutality, felony charges, and situations where personal/medical needs were not met. Also, we are trying to track down all journalists (those with valid press pass) who were detained and/arrested at the Y.
Please contact ASAP Yolanda Huang at 510-392-2140, j28.legal@gmail.com
Strike Debt is an arm of Occupy Wall Street, born from the need to foster “resistance to all forms of debt imposed on us by the banks.” One of its projects is the debt-buying-and-abolishing Rolling Jubilee, and another is the Debt Resistor’s Operations Manual, a publication best described as “half survivor guide, half exposé of the lending industry.”
The benefit will feature a wide variety of local performers, including the Bay Area’s famously opinionated punk rock and spoken word legend, Jello Biafra, comics Sean Keane and Kevin O’Shea, and more! 7:30pm
Strike Debt Bay Area Web Page.
Strike Debt advertises the Bay Area fundraiser! You can watch a livestream of the fundraiser by going to that site on Monday evening at 7:30 PM. You can also donate via a WePay account to Bay Area Strike Debt from that page.
100% of every online donation will go to funding the projects of Strike Debt Bay Area.
Also:
Strike Debt Bay Area FaceBook.
STRIKE DEBT BAY AREA ANNOUNCES OAKLAND’S FIRST DEBTORS’ ASSEMBLY!! FEB 2ND. CLICK FOR DETAILS.
Nell Myhand was locked out of her home on Tuesday 1/22/2013 after Chase foreclosed and sold her home to Freddie Mac instead of modifying her loan to make it affordable. Join us on Thursday 1/31/2013, from 4:30 -5:30 pm at 1330 Broadway St (12th St BART) to protest this injustice and send Chase the message to work with Nell. For regular updates go to www.nellmyhand.net
Show your support – Sign Nell’s petition here; – phone/fax/e-mail blast Today! (sample RAP at end) Chase Bank CEO Jamie Dimon Tel: 212-270-1111; Fax: 212-270-1121; e-mail address; jamie.dimon@jpmchase.com
Nell Myhand (1329 E. 32nd St Oakland CA 94602) lived with her partner, Synthia, for over ten years. They fell behind on their mortgage payments after Synthia became disabled and Nell lost her job. Synthia has been forced to move into assisted living because of the stress of threatened eviction. After they spent over two years and hundreds hours pursuing an affordable mortgage payment through the loan modification process, Freddie Mac, which was bailed out by tax payer dollars refused to approve a loan modification and supported Chase Bank in foreclosing and evicting Nell.
Freddie Mac and Chase Bank are now giving conflicting reasons as to why they did not modify the loan. They threatened to change the locks trying to bully Nell into leaving. Nell and Synthia have already paid over 2/3 of the value of their home but face being made homeless and being left with nothing. We demand that Chase work with Nell.
Supporters to date: Berkeley Unitarian Universalists, Boots Riley; Causa Justa Just Cause; Commemoration Committee of the Black Panther Party; Ecumenical Peace Institute, Every Mother is a Working Mother; Global Women’s Strike; Haiti Action Committee; International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network; Payday Men’s Network; Oakland/Bay Area stop foreclosures ad hoc working group; Paul Kivel, No2 HousingCrime; US PROStitutes Collective; Queer Strike; Ruckus Society; Sister Circle; Women of Color in the Global Women’s Strike; activists in Occupy Oakland, friends & others…
“From the folks who brought you the West Coast Port Shutdown.”
We will be brainstorming our next major action, an attempt to raise holy hell over the fact that the minimum wage in Oakland is still $8.00, while in San Francisco it is $10.55 and in San Jose it is $10.00. Plus the fact that Oakland is willing to insist on its own workers and those with contracts to the city being paid a living wage but not private sector workers. Please come join us and add your voice!
We will also be discussing Labor related efforts such as the Mi Pueblo workers’ struggle, ILWU and ILA happenings, Drone Coalition actions, what’s happening with the SF19, and other labor-related happenings.
MEETING NOTE: THE MEETING IS NOT — NOT — AT THE USUAL PLACE. IT’S AT DAN SIEGEL’S OFFICE.
We are planning our actions for the new year in our search for Justice 4 Alan Blueford. We are making a difference! We can use all the help we can get! Come join us!
We are launching a campaign to convince California Attorney General Kamala Harris to indict officer Miguel Masso for the murder of Alan Blueford.
We are protesting the imminent imposition of Stop & Frisk within the confines of Oakland. We made our presence known, along with other groups, at the Oakland City Council Public Safety Committee meeting two weeks ago and the City Council meeting last week, where they discussed the hiring of William “Stop&Frisk” Bratton as a high-priced consultant to further terrorize the denizens of the city. We will be discussing what next steps we should take.
We are formulating how we should interact with Judge Thelton Henderson’s Compliance Director for the Oakland police.
We are discussing how we can aide other families who are victims of police violence.
We are putting together support from Labor Unions, students, people of faith and everyone else who is opposed to injustice with respect to policing our country.
We are making a difference! We can use all the help we can get! Come join us!
On Saturday, February 2nd, Strike Debt Bay Area will host Oakland’s first Debtors’ Assembly.
As individuals, families, and communities, most of us are drowning in debt for the basic things we need to live, including housing, education, and health care. Even those of us who do not have personal debt are affected by predatory lending. Our essential public services are cut because our cities and towns are held hostage by the same big banks that have been bailed out by our government. All of us are outraged that big banks don’t have to pay their debts, but we do.
Debt keeps us isolated, ashamed, and afraid—of becoming homeless, of going hungry, of being crippled or killed by treatable illness, or of being trapped in poverty-level jobs. Those facing foreclosure, medical debt, student debt, or credit card debt feel alone, hounded by debt collectors, and forced into unrewarding work to keep up with payments.
Strike Debt is building a movement to challenge this system while creating alternatives and supporting each other. At the Debtors’ Assembly we will come together as a community and begin to rethink debt, not as an issue of individual shame, but as a political platform for collective resistance and action. Come to the Assembly to learn about tools for escaping the closing walls of debt, to share resources and skills, and to magnify our assembled energy. As we share our experiences we can begin to take back from the financiers what they have taken from us: our freedom and our future.
Debt resistance is just the beginning. Join us as we imagine and create a new world based on the common good, not Wall Street profits.
ORGANIZATION INFO: Strike Debt Bay Area is the local chapter of Strike Debt, an international movement of groups working to build popular resistance to all forms of unjust debt. Strike Debt has organized the Rolling Jubilee, the Debt Resistors Operations Manual, and local debtors’ assemblies. Strike Debt supports the creation of just and sustainable economies, based on mutual aid, common goods, and public affluence. We owe the financial institutions nothing. It is to our friends, families and community that we owe everything.
Our weekly open meeting for members and supporters to discuss the weeks tasks and projects. Come get plugged into ongoing housing defense work! We have abundant and varied work for all folks in any number of meaningful projects.
Rain location: SF Pizza, 1500 Broadway, Oakland