Open Forums

Video from the UC BSU Vigil and Speakout for the Charleston Victims.

UCB BSU members, students, labor and community people rallied at the UC Berkley campus Sproul Plaza on June 18, 2015 to protest and condemn the terrorism and racist murder of 9 Charleston South Carolina church parishioners. They pointed out that this is a long continuation of murder and terrorism against the Black community throughout the history of the United States. The murder was also done on the anniversary of the rebellion against slavery that was planned at the church. (Video description) Oaklander Gerald Smith from the Oscar Grant Committee and … Continued

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East Bay Regional Park District: Your recreation fees at work arming Ranger Rick

Apparently at the East Bay Regional Park District meeting on June 16th in Oakley (in the Delta, not Oakland) they voted on a resolution regarding PROTESTS.  Does anyone know the thrust of it?  Apparently it is not well noticed. Here are a few pics of the EBRPD on manoeuvres at the 2011-2012 Urban Shield exercises in Oakland.                     Documentation of militarized weapons for East Bay Parks District Police http://www.cehrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/EBRPD_1033_weapons_memo_19Sep2014.pdf The… Dept. currently possesses 11 weapons acquired through the 1033 program. The … Continued

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Open letter to police chief Sean Whent

Dear Sean Whent, I realize you’re a busy man, so I’ve hidden truffles all through this communiqué, to help you keep up your stamina. I realize it probably takes a lot to get a rise out of a “Top Cop” like yourself, but I assure you, you’ll be doing barrel rolls all the way back to Walnut Creek. As well, given the high rates of cuckoldry in your profession, and the prettiness of your wife, let’s keep this short. Top Cop, you have upset the most transformative and influential economic … Continued

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Who Killed Demouria Hogg?

The following demands have been made by the community in the OPD officer-involved killing of Demouria Hogg on June 6th, 2015. Community Demands: If the Mayor of Oakland, the Oakland Police and the City of Oakland wish to have us believe there is any shred of accountability within, they must 1. Immediately release the name or names of the officer or officers involved in the shooting, as required by the 5/29/14 California Supreme Court decision, Long Beach Police Officers Association v City of Long Beach. 2. Immediately make public all … Continued

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Open Letter to Schaaf and Company

Dear Elizabeth Schaaf, Chamber of Commerce, et al…, Liz… Lizzy, your attempts to destroy Oakland’s business community have not gone unnoticed, so consider yourself, henceforth, on notice. As you proceed lockstep with your predecessor realize, we dealt with her too. I do wish we had a chance for a proper introduction. Perhaps your recently greased FBI associates will be kind enough to share their files with you, but as you’ve no security clearance of any importance, and as you may be neither willing nor able to perform the “favors” necessary … Continued

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Public Land for Private Profit: Only It Didn’t Happen.

Everyone expected it to pass. As the Oakland Post put it before the vote City Council Set to Approve Sale of City Land for Luxury Apartment Tower and again after it Before Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, the proposal to sell a city parcel to build a luxury apartment tower at Lake Merritt seemed like a done deal. On June 2nd, with the doors blockaded and the upper galleries closed off, 90+ speakers’ names were called to speak on the proposal to sell the 12th St. parcel at a fire … Continued

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STRIKE DEBT BAY AREA WILL HOST A DEBTORS’ ASSEMBLY!

If I owe the bank thousands, the bank owns me; but if, together, we owe the bank trillions, then we own the banks.   Strike Debt is responsible for the Rolling Jubilee, a mutual-aid project that buys debt at steeply discounted prices and then abolishes it; the Corinthian 100 Student Debt Strike; and the Debt Resisters’ Operations Manual. On Saturday, June 6, Strike Debt Bay Area, the local chapter of Strike Debt, will host a Debtors’ Assembly. As individuals, families, and communities, most of us are drowning in debt for … Continued

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Hella Privacy! Maybe.

Almost two years after the Domain Awareness Center first crept onto the radar of Bay Area activists… it will be allowed to power up. Two years past it was a system spec’ed to spy over all of Oakland, incorporating traffic cameras, Shotspotter, school cameras, license plate readers and social media, with no controls on information sharing with other agencies like the FBI or ICE. Now, it is a system confined to take input from the Port of Oakland (at least without Council approval of further expansion). It may not use … Continued

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In the Unending Battle Between Bulldozer and Broccoli…

Occupy The Farm took their protest against Sprouts’ plan to pave the Gill Tract down to Fremont and Mountain View , Saturday, May 30th. Some of the action included a mean, if not lean, bulldozer attempted to clear out a broccoli and a grape, but instead was chased away itself. Much music, merriment and mulch, not to mention some serious messaging, was done. Successful #boycottsprouts action. No one arrested! Message delivered. Fun had by all. #OccupyTheFarm #GillTractDefense — Occupy the Farm (@occupyfarm) May 30, 2015 Check out some non-embeddable videos of the … Continued

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“We will not Be Divided. Or Conquered. We will Continue to Take the Streets that Rightfully Belong to the People.”

The Mayor asked for a meeting with the protest organizers for the Sunday, May 24th rally and march. Here is the request and the reply… Arrests in Oakland protests over limit on nighttime marches #BreakTheCurfew http://t.co/GjRFf4sNKQ pic.twitter.com/w4NdM3CKFH — Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) May 25, 2015   Hello Katie, My name is Tomiquia Moss and I am the chief of staff to Mayor Schaaf. The Mayor would like a chance to meet with you and Nichola to discuss the City’s crowd control policy. I realize that you all have planned a … Continued

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