For the past two months, San Francisco maritime union members have been picketing daily to maintain union wages and working conditions. Alcatraz Cruises, a new subsidiary of Terry MacRae's San Francisco-based company Hornblower Cruises and Events, is refusing to hire IBU and MM&P members who have worked on the Alcatraz ferry since 1973. In a show of solidarity, ILWU Local 10 has voted for a port-wide shutdown on Saturday, Dec. 9th, in support of the workers.

Read more on Indybay's Labor & Workers page

Deaths and disappearances continue in the state of Oaxaca. Participants in the Oaxacan social movement only expect the conditions of repression to worsen, especially with the entrance of Felipe Calderon of the PAN (National Action Party) into presidency. The PFP conducted a massive roundup of people on Saturday night, which resulted in at least 3 people killed and another 25 disappeared. In the same twenty four hours, a hotel worker said that he came across a group of PFP officers who boasted to him that they had already killed 13 people, and that the press would never know because the bodies had been disappeared. Read more
December 6th: Reportback: Oaxaca: A Portrait of Rebellion, San Francisco

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CAPS is throwing a Sunday, December 3rd benefit show with speakers to observe the International Day of Solidarity With Political Prisoners at Balazo 18 Gallery, 2183 Mission St, San Francisco, with doors at 5pm. The evening will include the bands Eskapo, Masacre, Myth of Progress, Chest Full of Arrows, and Slash & Burn; speakers about the Green Scare, the Black Panther Grand Juries, Oaxaca/San Salvador Atenco (Mexico), Palestine, and the Philippines; as well as an art display by local artists. All proceeds will go towards prisoner support.

Read more on Indybay's Police State page

Leftist Rafael Correa, a 43 year-old middle-class economist, beat billionaire banana magnate Alvaro Noboa in Ecuador’s runoff presidential election on November 26, capturing two-thirds of the vote. Ecuador now joins Bolivia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Chile and Brazil in electing leftist chief executives within the last year. During the campaign he said “It is necessary to overcome all the fallacies of neoliberalism,” and that he advocates “Socialism for the twenty-first century.”

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Oakland, Ca - Bill Shiebler, who is the President of the University of California Student Association (UCSA), released a statement in response to the recent police brutality against students at the UC and the Police Brutality Resolution that was passed at the UCSA Board on November 18th, 2006. On October 18th, 2006 during a demonstration at UC Santa Cruz, the police used batons and pepper sprays indiscriminately and without warning against students. On November 14th, 2006 UCLA Campus Police officers used their tasers several times against UCLA student Mostafa Tabatabainejad at the Powell Library.

Read more on Indybay's Police State, Education & Student Activism or Santa Cruz Indymedia pages

The Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal met on Saturday morning, December 2nd, to discuss news in the struggle to free Mumia. It has been announced that oral arguments will be presented in a hearing in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals early in 2007. On Saturday, December 9th, people all over the world will mark the 25th year of Mumia's incarceration. There will be events in San Jose, Berkeley, and San Francisco on that date. The Mobe also discussed several events that will take place in February, as Lynne Stewart and Michael Ratner will be touring the Bay Area.

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On November 30th, The Federal Preventative Police expanded its operations into the surrounding towns around Oaxaca City. Today they have conducted a raid into Zaalchia, 11 kilometers outside of Oaxaca City and numerous other towns. Read More

On November 29th, Radio Universidad was handed over to the administrators of Benito Juarez Autonomous University. As part of an agreement with APPO, the University will now handle security for the station. This week, outgoing Mexican President Fox said that he would use a hard hand against the movement in Oaxaca.

There was a Oaxaca reportback, November 30th, at Bound Together Books in SF. December 1st was an international day of solidarity with APPO. There was a protest at 2pm in Oaxaca. There also was an all-day protest at the Mexican Consulate in Sacramento. On December 6th, Barucha Calamity Peller, who has contributed to Indybay from Oaxaca will give a reportback "Oaxaca: Portrait of Rebellion," at 8pm at Station 40 in San Francisco.

Read more on Indybay's International or Americas pages

SF videographer Mike Kavanaugh screened "FARMCORE - The Movie: Punk Rock History of the SF Farm" on Thursday, November 30th at 7pm at the Roxie Film Center (3117 16th St, at Valencia). "Farmcore" is a documentary that tells the story of San Francisco's legendary Farm, located in the Mission District during the 1980s. Punk shows at The Farm featured such bands as the Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, Black Flag, and Butthole Surfers. The Farm also hosted community gardens, an art gallery, child daycare center, and a multicultural community space. After all other major punk clubs in the city had been shut down, the Farm raged on until late 1987, when it became an early victim of gentrification of the Mission District.

Read more on Indybay's Indymedia or San Francisco pages

Over a year ago, "Nicole," a 22-year-old Filipina, was gang raped and tossed aside by six U.S. Servicemen outside of a club in Subic Bay, Olongapo City (a former U.S. naval base site). On November 26th, GABRIELA Networkheld a vigil for “Nicole.” Photos People gathered at 4pm at the Dewey Memorial in SF's Union Square, to light candles for "Nicole" and others who have been brutalized by rape and other forms of violence against women. babae sf has called for an action in support of "Nicole" to be held from 5-6:30pm on Monday, November 27th at the SF Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Ave. GABRIELA reports that the alleged perpetrators should receive a verdict in their trial this week.

Read more on Indybay's Womyn page

Jim Shetler, head of the negotiating team of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), on November 16 announced a historic “agreement in principle” between federal and state agencies, NGO’s and the public utility over the terms and conditions of its 50-year license for its Upper American River Project. Photos

Read more on Indybay's Environment & Forest Defense or Central Valley pages

November 27th, 2006 - B.C. Peller reports: Following the repression exerted on November 25th the federal police (PFP) has come out with statements declaring that they're patience is exhausted and that they are willing to go all out to put an end to the movement by December 1st. Read More
November 26th, 2006 - B.C. Peller reports: There are reported to be 4 different armed groups operating in Oaxaca City at the moment, PRI backed paramilitaries, the Federal Preventative Police (PFP), the state police and the Federal Investigative Police (AFI). Read More
November 25th, 2006 - radio zapote writes: Today, after the seventh megamarch in Oaxaca, members of the APPO attempted to form a human fence around the federal preventative police (PFP), but were attacked with gas. This unleashed a series of clashes with violence again igniting in the city. Many have been arrested and there are reports of many wounded, some by gunfire. It is confirmed that three people were killed.

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November 25: The Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca is on its seventh mega-march with the idea of encircling the federal police who have been stationed in the center square of Oaxaca City since November 2nd. The federal police has responded with massive amounts of teargas. Report from the start of the march.
The date December 1st is looming on the horizon, as it is when the fraudulently-elected Felipe Calderon is supposed to become president of Mexico, and Oaxaca's largely-deposed Ulises Ruiz Ortiz would be eligible to appoint a new governor. With the 7th Mega-Marcha, the popular movement in Oaxaca is stepping up its organizing to maintain its autonomy.
The Cinco Señores Barricade, set up in front of the Benito Juarez Autonomous University, is the last remaining barricade in Oaxaca City. Portrait of The Last Barricade by Barucha Calamity Peller

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On Friday, November 24th, the 5th Annual Buy Nothing Day Action was held from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at the Emeryville Shellmound (Bay Street Mall). Some 100 people gathered at Shellmound Drive and Ohlone Way. They sang, spoke, handed out flyers, and marched through the mall. Report | Photos The mall was recently built atop the Emeryville Shellmound, despite protests and strong objections from Indian People Organizing for Change (IPOC) and supporters. The shell mound, which was older than the pyramids in Egypt, was once 60 feet high and up to 600+ feet in diameter, with at least four levels of burial sites.

Read more on Indybay's Race page

The day after Thanksgiving is often called "Black Friday," because as people start their holiday shopping, many stores' balances move "into the black." Anti-capitalist activists call the day after Thanksgiving Buy Nothing Day. The Bay Area has a tradition of holding rowdy protests on that day. As Indian People Organzing for Change says, "Buy Nothing Day isn't just about changing your habits for one day. It's about starting a lasting lifestyle commitment to consuming less and producing less waste. Consumerism is desecrating the earth and its resources. Thousands... everywhere will take a 24-hour consumer detox as part of the 14th annual Buy Nothing Day." Events that were listed on Indybay took place in cities such as San Francisco, San Jose, and Emeryville. On Saturday, the monthly Really, Really Free Market will take over Dolores Park from 12pm to 4pm.

Read more on Indybay's Globalization & Capitalism page

While most of America focuses on the turkey they will eat on Thanksgiving, animal rights activists cannot forget the poor conditions millions of turkeys are forced to live in every day. Animal activists do not begrudge the celebration of family and friends on Thanksgiving, partaking in the camaraderie of the day themselves, but they are actively working to improve the living conditions of turkeys and/or to encourage the public to consider more humane animal-free alternatives.

Read more on Indybay's Animal Liberation page

On Tuesday, November 21st, attorneys for jailed indymedia journalist and video blogger Josh Wolf appeared before Federal District Court Judge Alsup to argue for Josh's release from federal prison; the request was denied. This 90+ day imprisonment is believed to be unprecedented for a journalist who refuses to hand over information to a grand jury. Josh is one of dozens of US political prisoners who will not be with their loved ones for the holidays.

Read more on Indybay's Indymedia page

November 20th was the 8th Transgender Day of Remembrance. An observation of the day was held on Sunday, November 19th in Oakland's Preservation Park. Photos: 1 | 2 Organizers highlighted the fact that many transgendered women have been assaulted on the streets near Preservation Park. This event was also a way to let neighbors know that there is a trans community outside of San Francisco. At least two prominent killings of trans people have occurred east of San Francisco in recent years- those of Gwen Araujo in Newark and Alfred Dibble in Stockton.

Read more on Indybay's LGBTI / Queer or East Bay pages

On November 14th, a student at UCLA who objected to showing his ID was repeatedly given electrical shocks with a Taser and then dragged from the campus library. Video posted to LA Indymedia and YouTube confirm witnesses reports of police brutality so extreme that some are describing it as torture. Video On November 17th, 500 students took part in a rally and march to campus police station.

Read more on Indybay's Police State or California pages

On Friday, November 17th, supporters of local animal advocate Nadia Winstead held rally at 10am in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco. Afterwards, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston found Winstead to be in civil contempt for her refusal to testify before a federal grand jury investigating the animal liberation movement. Judge Illston stayed the enforcement of the contempt order for two weeks to allow Winstead to file the appeal.

Read more on Indybay's Animal Liberation page

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic, commonly referred to as vinyl, is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created. On November 12th, the Raging Grannies demonstrated in the SF Bay area against PVC, which is found in shower curtains, consumer packaging, and even rubber duckies. Video & Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Read more on Indybay's Environment & Forest Defense page

At noon on Tuesday November 14th, in front of the Federal Building a press conference was held as part of the release of the Western Regional Advocacy Project's (WRAP) report called, "Without Housing: Decades of Federal Housing Cutbacks, Massive Homelessness, and Policy Failures." In seven cities across the country similar press conferences were held, including ones in Seattle, Washington, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Photos

Read more on Indybay's Poverty & Housing page