If the “Proposal for Endorsement and Support of the Dignity and Resistance May Day March and Rally” passes, we would like to request that Occupy Oakland contribute $500 towards the coalition’s organizing expenses, to be used as they see fit.
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Latest Posts
OO Web Committee on the Front Lines, Suffering Casualties – 4/2/12
My Arresting Experience and Photos from the Occupy SF 888 Turk Street Occupation – April 02, 2012
* By Daniel, a member of the Occupy Oakland Website Committee.
I didn’t plan to get arrested today, but it happened. I just wanted to document the occupation.
After staying outside photographing, I decided to go inside and take some photos of the first floor that I learned was open to the media. But while inside I decided to go upstairs to the second floor, where recording/photographing was not allowed, and soon after some occupier yelled of the cops coming in. The panic was present in some of us, but there were others that reminded the rest to calm down.
Cops were on the roof, all around the building. We were all trying to figure out how to leave without getting arrested, but it was futile. There was no way out. For some reason, even though it was my first time getting arrested, I kept some calm and thought that my car might get impounded. I had parked it about a block away. I made a couple of calls and that part was taken care of.
Then my concentration of thoughts was on the cops that were closing in. Where, when, and how would the cops break in and arrest us? Would it be violent, like I am used to seeing the Oakland Police Department’s way of handling protesters?
There was a point that I thought of jumping out the window from the second floor, but because my camera equipment was cumbersome, I decided not to. But there was one occupier that did, unsuccessfully, about five cops jumped on him. I just looked down and photographed those moments.
The police never gave us a chance to leave the building.
At some point I was by the door that had been barricaded from inside. The cops were on the other side hitting hard. The sound was intimidating. Destroying the door, they finally made their way in.
I ended up in a group of occupiers that decided to concentrate in one room, and all of us sat down on the floor to wait for the cops; who not long after came in with shotguns. Later I learned that one occupier who was waiting by the door had a shotgun pointed at his upper body.
Eventually they were picking up who they were arresting first. I was sitting in the middle of the group photographing and, perhaps because of that, I was picked before many others that were in front of me, closer to them.
I, like most of us inside, was handcuffed and brought down to the first floor. After a while an officer walked into the building and told everyone in my group that we were under arrest for trespassing.
I have never before been arrested. It was a bit of a shocking experience.
And also shocking was that the Archdiocese lost its chance to help repair their reputation. They could have allowed the occupation to stay and help the homeless and needy.
If you are a Catholic, I personally suggest that you stop giving your money to them. That money goes to the filthy rich Vatican. They are sitting on gold, while poor people in the world are starving to death.
Anyhow… it was a surreal feeling, but I knew that I had gotten arrested for a good cause. My whole life I have been trying to be a straight and honest person, and now arrested. I am considering not telling my mother, so she does not worry for me. But, at the same time, it reminds me that what I do here helps them too. I come from a poor family, and I know how it feels not to have, not eat at times, or to eat poorly for days and days.
And… that is why I Occupy!
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SF Commune Emergency March – SF Civic Center to 888 Turk – Tuesday, April 2, 2012 – 10 AM, 12 PM, and 5 PM
The SF Commune is calling for an emergency march which meets at 10 AM, Noon, and 5 PM for a GA. It will span from the Civic Center, to 888 Turk (Gough and Turk), to the occupied SF Commune building. Come join us! Bring food, water, and other useful things! Also, if you can’t come, you can call the Archdiocese of San Francisco at: (415) 614-5500, and politely ask that they negotiate with us in person and that we claim sanctuary! Include that we are using this building to feed and house the homeless, are respecting the building, and that there are children in the building. We are also using it as a social center to provide services to the public, including free medical care! What would Jesus do?
Love and solidarity…
The SF Commune!
Photo by Daniel Arauz.
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SF Occupation Underway at 888 Turk! – 4/2/12
The San Francisco Commune was opened today after a large march through downtown San Francisco. The SF Commune has been asked to provide an autonomous headquarters for the Occupy SF movement. There is space for food preparation and distribution, bedrooms for housing, event rooms for General Assemblies, and art projects, classrooms, and space for medical services. The SF Commune will be a social center of our making.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco and its subsidiary, Real Property Support Corporation, have kept this space vacant for 5 years, while those of us seeking shelter are forced to sleep outside.
We are occupying this space indefinitely and need everybody’s help! We need people to spend the night, bring food and supplies, participate in the General Assemblies, and help us set up activities in the space.
Come by and help out! Tell your friends!
Long live the SF Commune!
Photo by Daniel Arauz.
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OGPG 4/1/12
In This From My Heart
by Linda
The camp was the most beautiful experience of my life. Then they tore it down. We responded by bringing tens of thousands to march on the Port of Oakland, declaring a General Strike in the city of Oakland. The night of the General Strike, everyone came back to the plaza and the police shut down the buses so I couldn’t go home. Someone let me use their tent and I didn’t mind staying out all night. It was my first time ever encountering police in riot gear, but the way that my comrades hurled things at them and chanted “fuck the police” gave me a whole new sense of empowerment.
I love Occupy Oakland because it has given me a new voice and a new strength that I never knew I had. It also gave me confidence and the knowledge that I can fight back; I do have a voice and a choice in this world. I can push change forward. I love being in such a diverse movement: Being surrounded by different races, different sexes, different cultures, different thoughts and opinions and different, creative ways we all come up with to communicate with one another makes me feel wiser, helps me think more creatively and inspires me to act more responsibly. Every time I go to a general assembly or a committee meeting I work with other people that feel the same way and that really is a beautiful experience. I’ve always helped people, always wanted to affect people’s lives positively, and Occupy has given me another way to do that.
I’m getting my SSI check cut every three months while my food stamps dwindle away. Housing isn’t easy either. I’m on Section 8 and they want you to bend over backwards to stay in your home. Then I got with occupy and I realized that everyone’s dealing with some bullshit. I’ve been homeless before, for four years in a row, and I don’t ever want to be homeless again. That’s why I fight to help homeless occupiers get what they need to stay on their feet.
The fight for prisoners and their families is my fight too: my husband’s locked up right now on some bullshit charges. Issac ran out of his medication and got into an argument with a corner store owner over religion. The response of the state to a poor man of color in our neighborhood acting out was to taser him and lock him up instead of getting him the care that he needs to stay healthy. This is just one example from my life where I’ve learned about the way mass incarceration affects families: Issac was a huge help around the house, going grocery shopping, watching the baby, helping me take care of my mother, helping financially when he could. Now I’m taking care of three children, including my three year old, on my own, who ask for him daily.
I’m in this mostly for my kids because I’m worried about their education. I have a three year old son whom I’m afraid might not have an elementary school to go to the way schools are closing at an alarming rate, especially in minority communities. I know why; because the threat of our children being educated scares the shit out of them. If our children knew what the rich and powerful know, our kids would take the power of the elite away from them, and they definitely can’t have that. My children march with me, protest with me and shut the banks down with me. I’m showing my children bravery, consistency and courage, admitting that there are wrongs in this society that my kids should be aware of while they’re growing up. The reason why I have them in marches and protests is so they can see how powerful it is when masses of people come together. They should always know they have the freedom to speak up about issues that affect them personally and the struggles that are going on all over the world. I know we might not see the effects immediately, but there are gonna be changes.
The only way to fight this selfish, greedy capitalistic society is to come together against the police, the mayor and the district attorneys. We need to fight back and occupy has given me a ground to fight back on. We need to occupy the courts, the schools, the university campuses, the ports, the banks, the Capitol, the White House, every capitalist institution that doesn’t give people a fair chance at life. I think whoever came up with the port shutdown and the general strike were geniuses. What a way to say fuck capitalism. What a way to say fuck you greedy bastards.
I wish more people would come out to see how beautiful this movement is. Occupy doesn’t just care about what’s going on in Oakland, we care about changing the whole world. Nothing in the world could stop me from being a part of this. No police, no baby daddys, no one can stop me from being a part of this. I want to be in Occupy Oakland ’til I die.
Occupy Oakland Protests Massacre of Sixteen Afghan Civilians
by l.grace
In response to the recent massacre of sixteen Afghan civilians in Panjwai, Kandahar, over one hundred people gathered in Fremont this Friday to protest the ongoing imperialist U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. Demanding ‘No more killings, No more apologies,’ protestors marched from Fremont BART to a nearby military recruitment center and successfully shut down Army, Navy and Air Force offices for the day. Organized by Afghans for Peace, Autonomous Afghans and SF Bay Area Iraq Veterans Against the War, and endorsed and supported by such diverse groups as Occupy Oakland, Decolonize Oakland, Education Not Incarceration and Courage to Resist, the non-violent action proceeded with a rally/speak out where the military industrial complex and U.S. war atrocities abroad were tied to racism, classism and xenophobia on the home front.
“I think its quite telling that that murder, of Trayvon Martin–along with many other murders by police and vigilantes of young unarmed black men and women in this country–occurred around the same time as the massacre in Afghanistan….both of those cases show/reveal the deeply embedded racism that exists in our country that is permeated within our police system, the judicial system, the military, the corporate system; every facet of our society is deeply embedded with racism.” [Adam]
The rally protestors then began marching toward the Little Kabul neighborhood of Fremont, which is home to the largest Afghan population in the U.S. After taking the streets, the march was met with aggressive police action from Fremont Pig Department. FPD pressured the back of the march, using their vehicles and sirens in futile attempts to intimidate protestors onto the sidewalk. Amid chants of “Justice for Trayvon, Justice for Afghanistan” protestors held the streets despite pigs’ best belligerent efforts and returned to Fremont BART without any arrests.
Supporting Our Comrades: A Visit with Eric DeSouza in Sacramento
written by Matthew on March 25th
The visit with Eric Desouza yesterday went smoothly. Three of his Bay Area comrades made the trip out to Elk Grove, and despite the discomfort of being in the jail and the sadness of seeing Eric on the other side of the glass, everyone was in good spirits given the circumstances…He is thankful that people are keeping him in their thoughts, and appreciates that there are continued efforts to spread the word about his situation.
Thankfully, he has reported that the guards at Rio Consumnes are treating him fairly. He has been reading a bit, sleeping a lot, and generally finding the rhythm of keeping his head down and doing his time without any complications…
As far as requests he has made, enough emphasis cannot be put on his desire for more emails. He should be able to receive ten per day, and they do wonders for his morale (and hence facilitate a more rapid passage of time). Anything is welcome, but keep in mind that messages that focus on his incarceration (“hang in there”, “hope you get out soon”, “we all miss you”, and other such well-meaning words of support) can serve as constant reminders that he IS incarcerated. Pretend you are communicating with a pen pal. Try sending him a poem, a short story, song lyrics, thoughts on the latest couple of movies you watched, a description of how your garden is coming along, etc.
He has specifically asked for any news of resistance, from Oakland as well as internationally, to be forwarded to him. Remember that his email will be read before it gets to him, and some content will be frowned upon. While “there were protests in Greece for four days” might be ok, “there were protests in Greece for four days and I can’t wait for that shit to spread here until we burn this motherfucker down” might not be.
He would also like efforts to promote his bail fund to be reignited. Enough thanks cannot be given for all those who gave to the fund in order to get him out after he was arrested, and it is understandable that those efforts waned somewhat after he was released, but his parents are still on the hook for another $5,700 dollars, and as retirees this presents them with no small difficulty.
Occupy Til the Day I Die
a poem composed by Jesus inside Santa Rita jail, to be recited in two parts
I’m gonna Occupy (1), Occupy (2), Occupy (1)
(1) till the day I die
(2) until the day I die
(1) let me tell you why
(2) let me tell ou why
I’m gonna (1) Occupy, (2) Occupy, (1) Occupy
(1) Mic check/ (2) Mic check
Can you all hear me
I’ve got something to say to thee
this isn’t the Land of the Free
like it’s suppose to be
rather we are in Slavery
fighting over money
just to care for family
This truly is insanity
Day in Day Out
this is all life’s about
I wanna choose a different route
but I don’t have time to pout
One day Someday
maybe it’ll ne a different way
when I can enjoy life and play
Not worry about a place to stay
That’s why I’m an Occupier
a better world I desire
I hope to see before I expire
those who stand up I admire
Cause we all know, the government’s a liar
these clowns, we need to fire
it’s time to change our empire
to what we envisioned years prior
A land of the free
for you and me
was our desiny
Originally
from one sea
to shining sea
we can agree
for humanity
Our forefathers fout in history
so we can have this liberty
for all of us in society
to be able to live happily
But currently
regrettably
this is not the way it be
But I hope to see
this once again
but until then
I’m gonna (1)Occupy, (2) Occupy, (1) Occupy
till the day I die (2) till the day I die
let me tell you why (2) let me tell you why
I’m gonna (1) Occuppy, Occupy, Occupy
Court Support Calendar 4/2-4/6
4/2: Ruling expected in the trial of Joe, arrested on J28. Wiley Manuel, Dept 110, 9am.
4/3: Arraignment of Ice Cream Three. Rene C. Davidson, Dept 11, 9am.
4/4: Kali, Gale Schenone Hall of Justice (Pleasanton), Dept 5672, 9am.
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New Occupy Music Video- Together As One
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Demonstration Against Chevron Richmond – Richmond BART Station – Friday, April 20, 2012 – 5:00 PM
The General Assembly of Occupy Oakland endorses and cosponsors the April 20, 2012 demonstration against Chevron Richmond. The demonstration will be held on Friday evening, April 20, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the Richmond BART station. We will march to a rally at Richmond Civic Center.
This demonstration adds to the ongoing community activism in Richmond directed at the ways Chevron has been a bad neighbor. Chevron is a perfect example of how the 1% destroys the health and well-being of the 99%. In the case of Richmond, this includes major pollution. Chevron is the largest industrial greenhouse gas polluter in California. And Chevron is investigating using dirtier
crude oil which would create even more pollution. There are periodic bad air alerts in Richmond and the ever-present danger of fires, flares, and explosions.
In addition to pollution, Chevron endangers the community because of its greed. Chevron is attempting to get a refund of over 100 million in taxes it paid in Contra Costa County over a six year period. If Richmond and other governments have to pay this money to Chevron, it will have a devastating impact on services to residents.
Chevron doesn’t need the money. Its profits in 2011 were $27 billion. Chevron is not a job creator for the City of Richmond. Only 6.9% of the plant employees live in the city. Yet Chevron is attempting to control Richmond’s government by pouring vast sums of money into local elections. The mayor of Richmond is in the Green Party and there are two other strong progressives on the city council, but during elections Chevron spends millions opposing them, trying to replace them with politicians sympathetic to the 1%. Yet the progressive mayor and council members who take no corporate money have prevailed because the community is with them.
These are some of the issues that will mobilize us on April 20, 2012. Occupy Oakland will join other sponsors of this march including: Occupy Richmond, Occupy Berkeley, Occupy Earth Day, the West County Toxics Coalition, the Bay Area Sierra Club, and others. In addition to passing this endorsement, hopefully many of us from Occupy Oakland will take BART to Richmond on April 20 to support our neighbors to the north in their struggles with toxic, greedy Chevron.
* * *
The Environmental Justice Committee is requesting official recognition as an Occupy Oakland committee. The goal of the committee is to increase awareness within OO of the environmental justice movement, increase participation by OO activists in environmental work, and bring the resources of OO to support environmental justice activists in the Bay Area. We have begun to work collaboratively to help plan a demonstration against Chevron on April 20. We are working with the Brooms collective and local community gardens. We will help staff a table at Berkeley Earth Day with literature that points out the role of the 1% in destroying our earth and the disproportionate impact of toxic pollution on communities of color and poor communities, locally and around the world. Future collaborations may focus on increasing mass transit and affordable housing and targeting pollution. Membership in the committee is open to anyone interested in participating. We can be reached through the website on occupyoakland.org. We will update our page on the website regularly and respond to emails sent through the website. Of course we will announce our actions at the General Assembly.
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BBQ on MLK and 52nd – 3/31/2012 Photos
BBQ on MLK and 52nd – 3/31/2012 Photos
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Very Discouraging
From this morning’s OPD bulletin:
We are investigating numerous reports and instances of vandalism this morning following last night’s weekly Occupy Oakland related “FTP” march.
Four broken windows and spray paint damage were found inside City Center (Starbuck’s, Patelco Credit Union, Scott’s Trade, Quizno’s, Savoy Bail Bonds), and nearby downtown businesses were spray painted along Broadway, including Well’s Fargo and the Clorox Building.
Persons wearing black clothing and backpacks were observed committing acts of vandalism and then retreating into the nearby, marching crowd. Officers were unable to make arrests. Although some wore masks to conceal their identity, others are identifiable. Several of these acts of vandalism and suspects were captured on video surveillance.
Past, recent marches have been largely peaceful with only a few isolated crimes and arrests. The Department had scaled back resources for these weekly events in light of the absence of associated criminal activity, and the need to provide public safety resources elsewhere in the City.
I know you’ll say these vandals are not part of Occupy, but unless you weed them out and refuse to allow them to march, this will continue. As you can see, they’ve attacked small businesses, as well as Wells and Clorox, two of Oakland’s biggest employers. Vandalism accomplishes nothing but trashing our city and costing the taxpayers money that should be going to schools, parks, libraries and so much more. We don’t want a large police presence deployed to downtown again. Please police these marches if you must continue to have them. There are better ways to spend your time doing useful things in Oakland and I’ll be happy to be specific, but if you must march, have zero tolerance for the vandals. It’s obvious who they are. Don’t protect vandals. It diminishes us all.
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UPDATED: Court Support Calendar 4/2-4/6
4/2: Ruling expected in the trial of Joe, arrested on J28. Wiley Manuel, Dept 110, 9am.
4/3: Arraignment of Ice Cream Three. Rene C. Davidson, Dept 11, 9am.
4/4: Kali, Gale Schenone Hall of Justice (Pleasanton), Dept 5672, 9am.
4/6: Cincinatti is scheduled for a bail reduction hearing, Rene C. Davidson, Dept 11, 10:30 am. His defense attorney has called for a show of support from fellow occupiers!
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