San Francisco, CA 94110
USA
Sponsored by the Stop Urban Shield Coalition
Hundreds of people carried out powerful theater in the streets and a rally in downtown Oakland on September 11, protesting ‘Urban Shield’ – a regional police militarization exercise, war equipment expo, and SWAT team competition.
This is the third year that a broad community coalition has mobilized to resist this militarization that is part of the violence, oppression and trauma of communities of color and others impacted by state violence. Last year, the coalition successfully pressed Oakland to disinvite Urban Shield from having the expo in downtown Oakland; this year Pleasanton hosted the expo. More than ten thousand people signed a petition to the Alameda Board of Supervisors to stop Urban Shield, which is funded by the Department of Homeland Security and run by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.
This Saturday, join us for a lively report on this year’s events and discussion of how to continue to resist and end these militarization exercises in our area. The discussion will be led off by Woods Ervin of the TGI Justice Project and John Lindsay-Poland of American Friends Service Committee.
This event will be held in a space with posters created by artists from around the country in response to militarization of police, borders, in wars, and on alternatives, called #HumanizeNotMilitarize, sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.