Calendar

9896
Nov
1
Fri
SAVE CHELSEA & JULIAN
Nov 1 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

JOIN US TO SAVE CHELSEA & JULIAN EVERY FRIDAY

SAVE CHELSEA AND JULIAN FROM TORTURE AND DEATH
NEWS LETTER 10/11/19

Please sign up for our emails and alerts at:
https:/bayaction2freeassnge.org and watch “XY CHELSEA” go to SHOWTIME
“XY CHELSEA” clk free 7 day suscription.or free @
https://archive.org/details/XYChelsea

The Main Stream Media (MSM) is so full of lies, it’s got the masses confused!!
There are only a few places we can get the truth.Chelsea and Julian were two of
the most important WHISTLE BLOWERS to tell the truth about USA’s illegal,
immoral WARS. USA is one of the largest TERRORIST countries in history,
killing, wounding, and forcing emigration on millions of folks (did you know there
are 65 million migrants?) all over the world!!

Saving Chelsea and Julian is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!! To the Working
class and it’s Allies.They told us the truth about the wars! And all the NEW
McArthyism (phony Russia Gate conspiracy led by the New York Times) is
blaming Julian for being a puppet of Russia. So much of all our issues stem from
the honesty of Chelsea and Julian!! That’s why the RULING CLASS imprisoned
them and want’s them DEAD.

Please write letters to Chelsea (only hand written and no post cards or
pictures, or anything written on the outside of the letter) Write to: Chelsea
Elizabeth Manning, William Truesdale Adult Detention Center, 2001 Mill Road,
Alexandria Va. 22314. Also write julian writejulian.com

We need to hip people to YouTube shows, web sites and twitter feeds ie. –
twitter.com/xychelsea, twitter.com/defendassange, and wikileaks.org

– Definitely check out these specific links, and add comments and tell your friends:
– Real News Network – “Federal judge continues Chelsea Manning’s confinement
and $1000/day fine” https://youtub.be/qjywz_U_x1c
– The Jimmy Dore Show – “Chelsea Manning jailed again for
protecting journalism” https://youtu.be/bTqVNKXZYAY (89,000 hits)
– Chelsea Manning “Abolish ICE” https://youtu.be/R7qpQGGQqa8
-Orion song”WE will keep fightin everyday even though our tears won’t
go away!” youtube/DnF6pvX4478

– Chelsea’s scathing 7 page letter to the judge about the history of the SECRET GRAND
JURIES: – https://www.aaronswartzday.org/chelsea-manning-letter

 

 

67048
Panel Discussion on Facial Recognition @ The Glass Room Exhibit
Nov 1 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

 The Glass Room, is an exhibition that gives visitors hands-on experiences with unconventional artworks and tools that visualize abstract ideas about data and digital privacy. So far we’ve had successful exhibitions in Berlin, New York, and London, which drew over 30,000 visitors.

As part of the Talks Program at The Glass Room, there will be a  panel discussion about what the facial recognition ‘ban’ in SF really means for its citizens. We are bringing together activists from EFF, ACLU, Oakland Privacy and others to discuss the topic.

67269
Nov
2
Sat
Healing Justice: Ending Mass Incarceration @ Wright Institute
Nov 2 all-day

he Racial Justice Action Group, as part of Psychologists for Social Responsibility along with the Wright Institute Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Justice Teams Network would like to invite you to an interdisciplinary conference at the intersections of psychology, mental health, and organizing to end mass incarceration. The conference will take place on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd from 9:30am – 4:00pm on both days.

This is a working conference rooted in the principles of liberation psychology, decolonial praxis, and anti-racist organizing. The intent is to build community and movement among mental health professionals and psychologists to end mass incarceration. We would like to invite organizers, psychologists, mental health professionals, students, attorneys, journalists, and anyone interested in how to address the trauma of mass incarceration.

The conference will build on the call to action raised by Psychologists for Social Responsibility in their 2016 statement on Torture, Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment and Racial Injustice in the United States.

The conference will include panels, breakout working groups, large group discussions, workshops, and engagement in action. We will collaboratively explore many questions, including:

  • What are the ethical responsibilities of psychologists working inside the system?
  • How would crisis intervention look like without the police?
  • What is the current state of the struggle against solitary confinement?
  • How can psychologists and clinicians contribute their skills to the movement?
  • How can communities protect one another in response to ICE raids?
  • How can we address torture in US prisons and jails?
  • How is trauma created and perpetuated by the system of mass incarceration?
  • How can knowledge of trauma help in addressing the issue?
  • How can we interrupt the school to prison pipeline?
  • What is the role of white supremacy and colonialism in creating and upholding this system?
  • What do we know about US political prisoners and how to support them?

We will provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks on both days with vegan and gluten free options.

In an effort to ensure that the conference is affordable for all, we are asking for a fee of $22 dollars for participation. However, we are committed to eliminating cost as a barrier to participation. As such, please email psysr.endmassincarceration@gmail.com if the cost is prohibitive in any way. Arrangements will be made for all who would like to attend.

67046
Dia De Los Muertos – Funeral Procession in Protest for Children in Camps and/or Dying @ Dolores Park
Nov 2 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

IN MEMORY OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
WHO DIED

CROSSING THE US – MEXICAN BORDER.

Image

67238
Reckoning With Nia: A Community Symposium @ The Greenlining Institute
Nov 2 @ 11:45 am – 4:30 pm

eckoning With Nia: A Community Symposium on Black Womxn, Public Safety & Collective Trauma On July 22, 2018, Nia Wilson and her sisters, Tashiya and Letifah, were brutally attacked by a white man wielding a knife at the MacArthur BART station in Oakland; while her two sisters survived the attack, Nia died that night on the platform. Her murder shocked the Town as thousands marched in the streets of Oakland and cities across the country demanding accountability. Yet more than a year after her death, little has changed and justice for Nia’s death has not been forthcoming.

Reckoning With Nia: Black Womxn,* Public Safety & Collective Trauma is a community symposium convened by Ashara Ekundayo Gallery that brings together black womxn artists, scholars, activists from the Bay Area to examine the structural conditions that make black women vulnerable in the public sphere and to share the political strategies and aesthetic practices that they are developing in response to this violence.

Every Body Welcome | Limited Space |

Doors 1145am

Lunch – 1200p – 1245p – Catered by Miss Ollie’s
w/ musical offerings from Destiny Muhammad

Panel Discussion – 100p – 230p
Roundtable – 245p – 415p

The symposium will consider the following questions:
What would it mean to center the experiences of black womxn in discussions of public safety?
What are the structural processes and logics that explain why public institutions – mass transit, the education system, the police – continually fail to keep black womxn safe?
How do we make our communities safer without criminalizing them or increasing the presence of the police in our communities?
What are the artistic and cultural responses that create collective safety and how do can we show up as “First Responder” in situations of need?
And finally how we can intervene in these public institutions in ways that protect all black womxn’s lives and bodies?

Guest Speakers:
Lateefah Simon , President, Akonadi Foundation, BART Board of Directors District 7

Letifah Wilson , Community activist, Sister of Nia Wilson

Olka Forster , Creator/Host of the Black Moon Podcast

Courtney Morris, PhD , Assistant Professor – Women & Gender Studies, University of CA – Berkeley, Artist-In-Residence at Ashara Ekundayo Gallery

Leigh Raiford, PhD , Associate Professor – African American Studies, University of CA – Berkeley, Curator

Angela Hennessy, Associate Professor – Fine Arts/Critical Studies, California College of the Arts, Visual Artist

Janelle Luster, Program Associate, Compton’s Transgender Cultural District

Moderator, Ashara Ekundayo , Curator, Cultural Strategist

womxn* is an inclusive term and identity that welcomes cis and trans women, femmes, gender non-conforming people, and non-binary folx into the narrative

Ashara Ekundayo Gallery is honored to Partner with: The The Greenlining Institute, City of Oakland Human Services – ReCAST Grant, the Girls & Women of Color Collaborative aka “Breaking The Silence” Bay Area Town Hall on Women & Girls of Color, Compton’s Transgender Cultural District, National Black Women’s Justice Institute, and the Nia Wilson Foundation

Accessibility Information: The Greenlining Institute is an ADA compliant, wheelchair accessible venue. Restrooms will be labeled as Non-Gendered.

67266
Oakland Climate Action Plan Town Halls @ Rainbow Recreation Center
Nov 2 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Speak up for strong climate action and justice as Oakland reviews its draft “2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan.” Hear responses to the city’s draft plan from the Oakland Climate Action Coalition, which has been leading a neighborhood-based planning process to make sure the 2030 plan includes the community’s priorities for social, economic, and environmental justice.

The city will hold two Town Hall meetings where people can dive into the draft strategies and vote on what needs to be kept, changed, or eliminated. Both Town Halls will cover the same material.

Food and childcare will be provided.
Simultaneous interpretation will be available with advanced request (email climate@oaklandca.gov). 

Town Hall 1: Saturday, November 2

Lunch 12 PM
Town Hall 1 – 4 PM

67286
Global Day of Resistance for Rojava – OGP @ Oscar Grant Plaza
Nov 2 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

In response to a call by the Internationalist Commune in Rojava and the Rise Up 4 Rojava platform, we are preparing a mass demonstration in solidarity with the brave fighters of North-East Syria on Saturday, November 2nd at 2 pm!

ORGANIZED AND ENDORSED BY:

About Face: Veterans Against the War
Bay Area Mesopotamia Solidarity Committee
Bay Area Rojava Defense Coordination
Black Rose Anarchist Federation Bay Area Local
California Kurdish Community Center
Democratic Socialists of America San Francisco
DSA Communist Caucus
Revolutionary Organizing Against Racism
SF Bay DSA Libertarian Socialist Caucus
SFSU Anarchist Student Committee
Solidarity Against Fascism East Bay

PLEASE:

– Take a minute to invite your friends list – now!
– Share the event to your timeline
– Set one of the posted flyers as your profile picture with a link to the event in the description

Seven years ago a revolution began in Rojava that was to radically change the lives of millions of people. The Kurds liberated themselves from the dictatorship of the Assad regime and began to organize themselves in self-governed councils, communes and cooperatives. In particular, the autonomous organization of women became the driving force behind the social revolution. Over the course of the struggle against the Islamic state, a unique multi-ethnic and multi-religious project developed, which today guarantees the peaceful coexistence of millions of Kurds, Arabs and Christians. The Democratic Federation of Northeast Syria is a unique example of the vision of a peaceful and democratic Middle East and has therefore always been a thorn in the side of both regional powers and imperialist states.

Today the Turkish Army started its operation and has started bombardment many places are under heavy artillery attacks. Their goal is to wipe out the Democratic Federation. Several civilians have been killed already and thousand of people have started escaping the danger of ethnic cleansing and Turkish fascism. At the same time ISIS is using the Turkish attacks for insurgency.

As the Internationalist Commune mentioned:
“The imperialist forces have decided to go to war. The troops on the ground are waving the flags of Turkey and of the Islamic State, but the decision was not only made in Ankara but also in the palaces in Washington, Moscow, Paris and Berlin.”

In their wake, tens of thousands of members of Islamist gangs will march into Rojava and Northeast Syria. What this means is what we see every day in Afrin, the territory occupied by Turkey: murder, rape, torture and the expulsion of the local population. A new war would plunge Syria and the whole of the Middle East into renewed chaos and drive hundreds of thousands of people into flight from Turkish troops and their
Islamist mercenaries.

But if the Turkish government and its henchmen expect their extermination fantasies to become reality, they have not taken into account the resistance of the women’s and people’s defense units (YPJ/YPG) and especially the resistance of the people in Northern and Eastern Syria. Those who have defeated the Islamic state through the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs and the courageous resistance of the population will defend the self-governing areas against a Turkish invasion. We must all do our part and fulfill our responsibility of defending this revolution!

The military, economic and diplomatic cooperation between Turkey, the USA, NATO and European countries must be exposed and politically attacked. No support for Erdogan, his regime and his war! No arms supply and no financial or political aid to the Turkish extermination policy!

If democratic movements decide to put the issue on the agenda: in the media, on the streets, in the factories, businesses and classrooms of their countries, then we can develop a common force against Turkey’s war plans. We must build a permanent political resistance capable of preventing cooperation with Turkish fascism in our countries.

DayX – The moment has come – The war has started!
The situation is clear, we call for global resistance!

Take to the streets, take actions, occupy, disrupt and block!

Show those responsible in the government offices and company headquarters what you think of their war! Together we can stop the war of aggression of Turkey!

No war against Northern Syria!

The revolution in Northeast Syria will win, fascism will be smashed!

https://riseup4rojava.org/

67296
Medicare for All March and Rally @ UN Plaza
Nov 2 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Join National Nurses United to demand  that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi take leadership to win Medicare for All. Universal health care is essential part of any Green New Deal and sustainable future. Access to good health care is especially crucial for people in communities whose air is poisoned by the pollution, and will become increasingly needed as climate change brings new health threats,.

This  statewide rally will feature speakers from the California Nurses Association / National Nurses United and other movement leaders.

The organizers say, “We know that Medicare for All is the only true solution to the health care crisis. But we will only win when a mass movement of people stand up and demand it. We’ll be in San Francisco to call on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to move forward H.R. 1384, the Medicare for All Act of 2019, which now has the support of over half of the Democrats in Congress.”

After the rally at UN Plaza, demonstrators  will march to Yerba Buena Gardens.

Limited bus transportation to San Francisco will be available from select locations in California.

info/RSVP

67287
Nov
3
Sun
Healing Justice: Ending Mass Incarceration @ Wright Institute
Nov 3 all-day

he Racial Justice Action Group, as part of Psychologists for Social Responsibility along with the Wright Institute Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Justice Teams Network would like to invite you to an interdisciplinary conference at the intersections of psychology, mental health, and organizing to end mass incarceration. The conference will take place on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd from 9:30am – 4:00pm on both days.

This is a working conference rooted in the principles of liberation psychology, decolonial praxis, and anti-racist organizing. The intent is to build community and movement among mental health professionals and psychologists to end mass incarceration. We would like to invite organizers, psychologists, mental health professionals, students, attorneys, journalists, and anyone interested in how to address the trauma of mass incarceration.

The conference will build on the call to action raised by Psychologists for Social Responsibility in their 2016 statement on Torture, Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment and Racial Injustice in the United States.

The conference will include panels, breakout working groups, large group discussions, workshops, and engagement in action. We will collaboratively explore many questions, including:

  • What are the ethical responsibilities of psychologists working inside the system?
  • How would crisis intervention look like without the police?
  • What is the current state of the struggle against solitary confinement?
  • How can psychologists and clinicians contribute their skills to the movement?
  • How can communities protect one another in response to ICE raids?
  • How can we address torture in US prisons and jails?
  • How is trauma created and perpetuated by the system of mass incarceration?
  • How can knowledge of trauma help in addressing the issue?
  • How can we interrupt the school to prison pipeline?
  • What is the role of white supremacy and colonialism in creating and upholding this system?
  • What do we know about US political prisoners and how to support them?

We will provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks on both days with vegan and gluten free options.

In an effort to ensure that the conference is affordable for all, we are asking for a fee of $22 dollars for participation. However, we are committed to eliminating cost as a barrier to participation. As such, please email psysr.endmassincarceration@gmail.com if the cost is prohibitive in any way. Arrangements will be made for all who would like to attend.

67046
Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library: Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds. @ Niebyl Proctor Library
Nov 3 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

We have confirmed ICSS member Mehmet Bayram, freelance journalist, who currently writes for the Sendika.org news outlet, which has been shut down 62 times by the Turkish government. He has recently returned from Turkey and will clarify the situation.

Here’s a preview:  Turkish invasion of Syria serves many purposes for the Turkish regime.  It distracts the masses from the harsh economic realities of capitalism, it unites the Turkish people fed with nationalism behind the fascist dictator when his voter support has fallen below 40%, it kindles the old flame of building the Islamic-Turkish empire that died after the WW1, it legitimizes the barbaric attacks with the long held hatred against the Kurds, it demands funds from the West to keep the “hordes of refugees” from reaching the metropolitan centers of Europe, and, yes, it exposes the hypocrisy of imperialism, to be used as blackmail against Erdoğan’s bosses that created him.

Erdoğan is trying to capitalize on the contradictions within the imperialist camp and tries playing one against the other by forcing the issues that will benefit his presidency and him personally, until, of course, his personal wealth is put on the table.  The victims of course are the Kurds, Arabs, Yazidis, Armenians.  This invasion, supported by the imperialist centers has become an ethnic cleansing tool for the Turkish racist nationalists to use against the Kurds.

67308
Spill The Disabili-Tea™: A Disability Justice Workshop @ Sierra Club
Nov 3 @ 12:45 pm – 3:00 pm

What is Disability Justice? People often express feeling intimidated and ill-equipped to unpack what we’ve been taught about disability, and how to support and advocate for disabled people in our everyday lives. This workshop is a fabulous opportunity for you to dive into the magic of disability justice with SURJ and Alex Locust at the helm.

With “Spill the Disabili-Tea™”, Alex will be facilitating an interactive discussion of disability justice for those committed to elevating their support for disabled folks in their community. Using his lived experience, education, and advocacy know-how, he’ll lead a candid conversation exploring the following questions (and more):

-Who is “disabled” and what creates that experience?
-What is “disability justice?”
-What’s the “right way” to interact with people with disabilities?
-How can I do better about those tricky “microaggressions?”
-What’s the difference between “access” and “inclusion?”
-Is disability a cultural experience and how can that intersect with other cultural identities?
-How can I integrate these skills in the community (e.g. Pride celebrations, workplace culture, community gatherings)?

Come join us for an afternoon of real talk, experiential exercises, group work, and lots of laughs as we all Spill the Disabili-Tea™.

67184
Challenging Conversations About Race and White Supremacy @ East Bay Community Space
Nov 3 @ 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

How do we approach difficult conversations, whether it’s about racist violence on the border, cultural appropriation, or white supremacy and racial justice in general? What is it like to have these conversations with our family, friends and coworkers with a vision for the long haul? Members of the White Noise Collective will facilitate this workshop exploring the difficult conversations in our lives around race and power.

Preregistration is required due to limited space.

67235
Occupy Oakland General Assembly @ Oscar Grant Plaza
Nov 3 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 3 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 3:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland.  (Note: we meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months,  once Daylight Savings Time springs forward we tend to assemble at 4 PM).

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 2 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

ooGAOO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over five years! 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

  1. Welcome & Introductions
  2. Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
  3. Announcements
  4. (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

62637
Michael Diehl Memorial Celebration @ The Berkeley School
Nov 3 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Food, Stories, Dancing.  All for Michael.

Celebration of Michael’s life.

Michael Dress Code: Wear It Like Michael.

67242
Coalition to Close the Concentration Camps Meeting @ Omni Commons
Nov 3 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Migrant rights groups & activist organizations united to #DisarmICE

67146
Nov
4
Mon
Emergency Report Back and Teach-in on Rojava & Turkey’s Invasion @ Place for Sustainable Living
Nov 4 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Please come learn about Rojava’s history, organization, and current struggle.

Years after imperialist markings on a map separated their people and fragmented their territory, 7 years ago the Kurdish people realized a piece of their resistance and reclaimed territory in what is known as northeastern Syria, what has come to be known as Rojava.

A revolution led by women, based on ecological justice and anti-capitalism, that developed a political infrastructure for regionally nested direct democracy and a cooperative solidarity economy among an ethnically and religiously diverse population, Rojava is a beacon for anyone yearning for liberation from the forces of extraction, exploitation, and oppression that dominate global geopolitics.

As a realization of peace and self-determination in the so-called Middle East, Rojava is under constant threat from regional and global authoritarian and fascistic powers. With the recent US facilitated Turkish invasion, this threat is more real than ever. It is of crucial importance to understand what is in jeopardy in Rojava, and how we can mobilize to defend it.

67303
Oscar Grant Committee Meeting @ Zoom Meeting
Nov 4 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Because of the COVID pandemic we will be meeting virtually via Zoom on the first Monday of the month.

Meeting ID: 828 0976 4186

If you wish to get the password please subscribe to the Oscar Grant Committee mailing list by sending an email to:

The Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality & State Repression (OGC) is a grassroots democratic organization that was formed as a conscious united front for justice against police brutality. The OGC is involved in the struggle for police accountability and is committed to stopping police brutality.

In alliance with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) we organized the October 23, 2010 labor and community rally for Justice for Oscar Grant. On that day the ILWU shut down the Bay Area ports in solidarity. Our mission is to educate, organize and mobilize people against police and state repression. Sisters and brothers! The Oscar Grant Committee invites you to join us in this vital struggle.

We meet on the 1st Monday of each month
You can join our discussion list by sending a blank (doesn’t even need a subject) email to

oscargrantcommittee-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

63650
Spokescouncil for Housing Justice @ ACCE
Nov 4 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

ACCE Action Oakland is calling for a Bay Area-wide spokescouncil to plan and coordinate actions for a Week of Action for Housing Justice – November 17th – 23rd.

The housing crisis has never been this bad – at least in our lifetimes. Low-income communities of color are being hit the hardest. People are literally dying on our streets, because they cannot afford housing. We are calling on everyone who is being impacted in any way by the artificially-created housing scarcity in Oakland – whether you are unhoused, housing-insecure, rent-burdened, or just tired of watching your friends and , family and neighbors being forced to leave – to help us SHUT IT DOWN!

We need to continue raising the alarm and demanding action until our politicians recognize that housing is a basic human right; until everyone has a stable and affordable place to call home. We need to take the crisis in our communities to the doorsteps of decision-makers.

During this week we will be highlighting the damage being done by large corporate speculators that have bought up homes in our neighborhoods as an investment strategy for Wall Street bondholders. We will expose the large number of units sitting vacant in luxury buildings, bought as investments by the wealthy. We will expose speculators that are flipping our apartment buildings and jacking up our rents to move in wealthier tenants.

Together, we will unleash the vast creativity and organizing capacity of our communities and produce a spectrum of disruptive and visionary activity. We want these actions to meaningfully interrupt business as usual whether that be with direct action, teach-ins, flash mobs, or prayer vigils, and to do so with action-logic that links our resistance to fighting racism, economic injustice, and colonization. We want you to plan these actions independently, but together we will coordinate collective support for these actions through a spokescouncil so that they have maximal support and impact.

Attend a spokescouncil meeting :
Monday, November 4th at 7 pm
Thursday, November 7th at 7 pm
Saturday, November 9th at 11 am
Monday, November 11th at 7 pm
Thursday, November 14th at 7 pm

What is a spokescouncil?
A spokescouncil is a collective framework for direct action mobilizations, where large masses of people organize themselves into smaller teams called “affinity groups”. Affinity groups plan their actions independently with the intention of advancing the larger goal of the spokescouncil. Affinity groups are represented by at least one person (“a spoke”) at the meetings, where they are able to share resources and coordinate their actions with other groups.

Why a spokescouncil?
We propose the spokescouncil as a solution to many of the shortcomings of unstructured mass assemblies. We intend to provide a highly structured organizing space with clear tactical and messaging guidelines, that empowers participants to organize independently and in parallel. We intend to inspire a multitude of diverse actions and awaken the massive potential we have as a community engaging in direct action.

Start forming an affinity group now:
Discuss this callout with your friends, comrades, fellow workers, families, roommates, etc. See if you can pull together a crew of people who will be in close contact for the next few weeks, who are similar-minded and want to step up to organize or take part in actions. Then start planning an action! At least one of you should come to the spokescouncil meeting to share ideas and coordinate with the larger group.

Members Needed for Working Groups:
If you have the capacity to participate in the week of action but do not have an affinity group, plus come and join one of our Week of Action working groups:
– Media
– Outreach
– Big March – Wednesday, November 20th

67291
Nov
5
Tue
Defend Wood Street Homeless Encampment as City of Oakland Attacks
Nov 5 @ 8:00 am – 11:00 am

The United Front Against Displacement, an organization composed of Homeless and housed activists, is holding a rally Tues., Nov. 5 at 8 am on West Grand and Wood St., (2217 Wood St.) to defend the Wood Street encampment. The residents have been repeatedly threatened by the City of Oakland with the towing and seizure of their vehicles, shelters and personal property.

The City of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department have been harassing a local encampment on Wood Street, issuing them a series of “notices to tow” by claiming that their shelters were abandoned or inoperable, subject to tow and removal. Residents have been given three contradicting warnings to vacate.

Confusion has been heightened as city officials have backed away from previous promises of expanded services in the area. Residents and activists have mobilized over the last year against treatment by the city of Oakland by rallying at the Oakland City Hall. At the Nov. 5 action, residents and homeless advocates will come together in an attempt to stop the evictions on Wood St. and West Grand Ave. and fight back against this latest upcoming attack on their community.

67316
E12 Appeal and attend Nov. 5 City Council mtg! @ Oakland City Hall, Oscar Grant Plaza
Nov 5 @ 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Dear neighbors and allies,

The fight for the maximum amount of 100% affordable housing on the E12th St. parcel continues. In the past month, we filed a legal appeal with the city, raised $2k for filing fees, submitted a Public Ethics Complaint against a council member for their conflict of interest, and successfully pressured the council to move the E12th land sale discussion from a closed meeting, to a public session. Next week, the Oakland City Council will make the final decision on whether to approve our appeal. If we win, we will have a new opportunity to realize the People’s Proposal, a community-generated proposal for 100% affordable housing, but we need your help.

In the next week, we need individuals and ally organizations to help in four specific ways:

1. Sign-on to our letter to the City Council asking them to approve our legal appeal of the UrbanCore luxury tower development. We need ally organizations and individual community members to endorse our letter. Read the letter and sign-on here: bit.ly/E12Appeal

2. Send your own individual email to the City Council, asking them to approve our legal appeal and support the maximum amount of affordable housing on our public land. You can write your own email, or use the template attached. Email council@oaklandca.gov by Nov. 4.

3. Join an upcoming meeting with individual city council members this week, to push them to support the People’s Proposal. Email Jen Miller at soyjenn@gmail.com ASAP if you can attend a meeting with a council member on behalf of your organization, or as an individual.

4. Fill the council chambers for the Nov. 5 City Council meeting and to speak out in support of our appeal and the People’s Proposal. The Council will decide whether to approve UrbanCore’s market-rate housing tower or to uphold our appeal — we need a massive turnout to win. We are ready to support you with talking points and snacks! Please come and bring two friends! Please share this call out!! Tuesday Nov. 5 at 5:30 pm or when you can, at City Hall.

Background: Eastlake United for Justice and the E.12th St. Coalition has been engaged in a multi-year campaign to win affordable housing on city-owned public land. Despite massive community opposition, the City of Oakland has offered the developer a series of sweetheart deals to develop a luxury tower consisting of 253 market-rate units, and a separate smaller building with only 90 “affordable” units. After several years, the market-rate tower development is now moving toward final approval, and we have one more chance to re-engage the City, kill the deal, and guarantee 133 100% affordable homes for close to 700 people and numerous public amenities on public land through our community-generated People’s Proposal.

Thank you for being part of our collective fight for affordable housing and community-driven development on public land in Oakland.

In solidarity,
Eastlake United for Justice

E12th Individual Supporter Letter Template for City Council:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sRSikAOdBY7hz0GCkGA1WoJI3CFzO-xhgxns2HT-glg/edit

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