*Richard Aoki - Black Panther & Asian American Activist*
*Cointelpro Attacks & Reclaiming the Legacy*
*Sunday, September 9th 4-6 pm*
EastSide Cultural Center
2277 International Blvd
Oakland
*with Diane Fujino,
Emory Douglas, Tarika Lewis
& Bobby Seale *
Cosponsored By EastSide Arts Alliance and the Freedom Archives
for more information call: 510-533-6629 or 415 863-9977
*Resist Grand Juries!*
*Please join us for a community grand jury teach-in
8/21/12 in Oakland and 8/22/12 in Santa Cruz.*
Grand juries are tools of government harassment that have long been used to
intimidate and destroy radical movements. There are active grand juries
convened in the Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. Several people have
been subpoenaed and are scheduled to appear before the grand jury in the
coming months. They need your support! Come out and learn what grand
juries are and how they operate, what your rights are, and how you can
support grand jury resisters.
*Tuesday, August 21, 2012
6:30PM
The Holdout Social Center
2313 San Pablo at 23rd
Oakland, CA
(this event is semi accessible)
*
*Wednesday, August 22nd
6:00 - 8:00pm
SubRosa Community Space
703 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, Ca
http://www.subrosaproject.org/
This event is wheelchair accessible.*
On the steps of the Alameda County Courthouse on April 3rd, Occupy Oakland, Occupy Cal, supporters, and attorneys gathered for a press conference to confront the latest political persecutions by the Oakland police department, UCPD, and Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley. In Oakland, the "Ice Cream Three" face charges with hate crime enhancements for a February confrontation with a woman who admitted during a recent preliminary hearing to calling the defendants the racially hateful N-word as well as physically pushing one of them and grabbing a political button from the clothing of one of the defendants. At UC Berkeley, non-violent Occupy Cal protesters were struck by UCPD officers with batons at a demonstration in November only to be later charged with a string of criminal offenses. In Oakland and Berkeley, protesters have been issued stay-away orders at the behest of D.A. O'Malley. The ACLU has called such stay-away orders unconstitutional. At the press conference, speakers denounced the selective prosecutions, the trumped-up charges, the exorbitant bails, the stay-away orders, and the abuse of hate crimes laws now being directed against the occupy movement in the East Bay.
By Harry Harris and Kristin J. Bender Oakland Tribune
OAKLAND -- Three Occupy Oakland protesters suspected of stealing an Oakland woman's wallet and making offensive remarks about her perceived sexuality were charged Friday with robbery and committing a hate crime, both felonies, authorities said.
Michael Davis, 32, Nneka Crawford, 23, and Randolph Wilkins, 24, all of Oakland, were charged with the felonies by Assistant District Attorney Paul Hora. All remain jailed at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Bail for Crawford and Wilkins is $105,000 and Davis is being held on $100,000 bail.
Other possible suspects are being sought by police, said Sgt. Randy Wingate, the lead investigator.
Among the evidence against the three, besides the 42-year-old victim identifying them, is a video of the confrontation taken by a fellow Occupy Oakland protester.
"In the department we have zero tolerance for hate crimes," Wingate said.
A hate crime is any criminal act or attempted criminal act directed against someone based on the person's actual or perceived race, nationality or religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender, police said.
The confrontation happened about 6 p.m. Feb. 22 in the 4000 block of Piedmont Avenue. Police said that some Occupy Oakland protesters were demonstrating against a Wells Fargo Bank branch there when a woman across the street expressed her opinion about the Occupy movement and the way it's being handled, Wingate said.
Wingate said a handful of protesters quickly surrounded her and prevented from leaving the area. Her wallet was taken from her purse, and protesters yanked a Barack Obama pin from her clothing, police said.
Wingate said she was also verbally abused, including making derogatory remarks about her perceived sexuality. A protester punched the woman, and she was bruised and scratched in the altercation. Hora charged the three with a felony robbery and a felony hate crime because the woman was injured in addition to being verbally insulted.
One of the protesters shot a video of the altercation, which police viewed on the Internet. It has since been removed. Davis was arrested Wednesday and was arraigned on Friday. Crawford and Wilkins were arrested Thursday during a rally in downtown Oakland and are scheduled to be in court on Monday for an arraignment.
By TERRY COLLINS | Associated Press – Jan. 29, 2012
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Dozens of police maintained a late-night guard
around City Hall following daylong protests that resulted in 300 arrests.
Occupy Oakland demonstrators broke into the historic building and burned a
U.S. flag, as officers earlier fired tear gas to disperse people throwing
rocks and tearing down fencing at a convention center.
Saturday's protests — the most turbulent since Oakland police forcefully
dismantled an Occupy encampment in November — came just days after the
group said it planned to use a vacant building as a social center and
political hub and threatened to try to shut down the port, occupy the
airport and take over City Hall.
An exasperated Mayor Jean Quan, who faced heavy criticism for the police
action last fall, called on the Occupy movement to "stop using Oakland as
its playground."
"People in the community and people in the Occupy movement have to stop
making excuses for this behavior," Quan said.
Protesters clashed with police throughout the day, at times throwing
rocks, bottles and other objects at officers. And police responded by
deploying smoke, tear gas and bean bag rounds, City Administrator Deanna
Santanta said.
Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan said about 300 arrests were made.
"These demonstrators stated their intention was to provoke officers and
engage in illegal activity and that's exactly what has occurred today,"
Santana said.
The group assembled outside City Hall late Saturday morning and marched
through the streets, disrupting traffic as they threatened to take over
the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center.
The protesters walked to the vacant convention center, where some started
tearing down perimeter fencing and "destroying construction equipment"
shortly before 3 p.m., police said.
Police said they issued a dispersal order and used smoke and tear gas
after some protesters pelted them with bottles, rocks, burning flares and
other objects.
The number of demonstrators swelled as the day wore on, with afternoon
estimates ranging from about 1,000 to 2,000 people.
A majority of the arrests came after police took scores of protesters into
custody as they marched through the city's downtown, with some entering a
YMCA building, said Sgt. Jeff Thomason, a police spokesman.
Quan said that at one point, many protesters forced their way into City
Hall, where they burned flags, broke an electrical box and damaged several
art structures, including a recycled art exhibit created by children.
She blamed the destruction on a small "very radical, violent" splinter
group within Occupy Oakland.
"This is not a situation where we had a 1,000 peaceful people and a few
violent people. If you look at what's happening today in terms of
destructing property, throwing at and charging the police, it's almost
like they are begging for attention and hoping that the police will make
an error."
Dozens of officers surrounded City Hall, while others swept the inside of
the building looking for protesters who had broken into the building, then
ran out of the building with American flags before officers arrived.
The protest group issued an email criticizing police, saying "Occupy
Oakland's building occupation, an act of constitutionally protected civil
disobedience was disrupted by a brutal police response today."
Michael Davis, 32, who is originally from Ohio and was in the Occupy
movement in Cincinnati, said Saturday was a very hectic day that
originally started off calm but escalated when police began using "flash
bangs, tear gas, smoke grenades and bean bags."
"What could've been handled differently is the way the Oakland police came
at us," Davis said. "We were peaceful."
City leaders joined Quan in criticizing the protesters.
"City Hall is closed for the weekend. There is no excuse for behavior
we've witnessed this evening," City Council President Larry Reid said
during a news briefing Saturday.
Oakland Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, echoed Reid's sentiments and said
that what was going on amounts to "domestic terrorism."
The national Occupy Wall Street movement, which denounces corporate excess
and economic inequality, began in New York City in the fall but has been
largely dormant lately.
Oakland, New York and Los Angeles were among the cities with the largest
and most vocal Occupy protests early on. The demonstrations ebbed after
those cities used force to move out hundreds of demonstrators who had set
up tent cities.
In Oakland, the police department received heavy criticism for using force
to break up earlier protests. Quan was among the critics, but on Saturday,
she seemed to have changed her tune.
"Our officers have been very measured," Quan said. "Were there some
mistakes made? There may be. I would say the Oakland police and our
allies, so far a small percentage of mistakes. "But quite frankly, a
majority of protesters who were charging the police were clearly not being
peaceful.
Earlier this month, a court-appointed monitor submitted a report to a
federal judge that included "serious concerns" about the department's
handling of the Occupy protests.
Jordan said late Saturday that he was in "close contact" with the federal
monitor during the protests.
Quan added, "If the demonstrators think that because we are working more
closely with the monitor now that we won't do what we have to do to uphold
the law and try keep people safe in this city, they're wrong."
Oakland assesses City Hall damage after Occupy break-in
Beck Diefenbach / AP
Occupy Oakland protestors burn an American flag found inside Oakland City
Hall on Saturday.
By NBC News, msnbc.com
Story updated 12:30 p.m. ET:
Oakland officials on Sunday were inspecting damage inside City Hall that
was caused by about 50 Occupy protesters who broke in and smashed glass
display cases, spray-painted graffiti, and burned the U.S. and California
flags.
The break-in on Saturday was the culmination of a day of clashes between
protesters and police. At least 300 people were arrested on charges
ranging from vandalism and failure to disperse.
At least three officers and one protester were injured.
Mayor Jean Quan said Occupy protesters have caused an estimated $2 million
in damages from vandalism since October. She said the cost to the city
related to the Occupy Oakland protests is pegged at about $5 million.
The scene around City Hall was mostly quiet Sunday morning. It was unclear
whether protesters would mount another large-scale demonstration later in
the day.
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Story updated 6:00 a.m. ET:
A U.S. flag was burned by a group of protestors inside City Hall,
according to City Council President Larry Reid. City officials also said
three police officers and one protester were injured during Saturday's
events.
Story updated 3:15 a.m. ET:
Sgt. Christopher Bolton of the Oakland Police Department told msnbc.com
that the number arrested was likely between 200 and 300. "We are still
processing the arrests," he said. He was speaking after the release of a
statement on the Oakland City website that put the number of arrests at
200. "That figure is probably on the low side and we don't have a
confirmed total yet," said. Sgt Bolton. In the statement, released in a
PDF file format, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said: "Once again, a violent
splinter group of the Occupy Movement is engaging in violent actions
against Oakland. The Bay Area Occupy Movement has got to stop using
Oakland as their playground." The statement also said there were reports
of damage to exhibits inside City Hall during the protest.
Story published 1:30 a.m.:
Police arrested about 300 people Saturday as Occupy Oakland protesters
were thwarted trying to take over a vacant convention center and a YMCA
but later broke into City Hall, where they burned a flag taken from
inside.
Police used tear gas and "flash" grenades in the afternoon against 2,000
protesters who tried to tear down fences around the vacant Henry Kaiser
Convention Center, where they hoped to establish a new camp. Police said
some demonstrators started throwing objects at officers. There were at
least 19 arrests in the afternoon.
After 6 p.m. (9 p.m. ET), police in riot gear declared a group of
protesters gathered near the YMCA under mass arrest for failing to
disperse, according to local media reports and livestreams. Police said
about 100 demonstrators were arrested at the YMCA.
Several protesters at the YMCA appeared to be put hard to the ground as
police moved in and at least one protester had blood on his face.
Protesters chanted, "Let us disperse," but instead were taken one by one
for police processing.
Some protesters claimed they were trying to flee police by running through
the YMCA rather than take over the building.
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Later in the evening, about 100 police officers surrounded City Hall while
others swept the inside of the building.
Police arrived after protesters had broken into City Hall, stole an
American flag from the council chamber and set it ablaze, the Oakland
Tribune reported. Officers stomped out the fire.
Earlier, protesters met at Frank Ogawa Plaza around noon and marched
toward the convention center in hopes of making it their new meeting place
and social center, NBCBayArea.com reported.
Read NBCBayArea.com coverage of the protest
Oakland officials said about 250 people were in the group when the protest
started but the crowd grew to about 2,000.
Earlier during the rally one of the organizers, Shake Anderson, said, "We
are here to protect each other and to be civil disobedient. ... We're
doing it to change the world, not just today but every day."
Stephen Lam / Reuters
Police officers arrest an Occupy Oakland demonstrator during a clash
Saturday in Oakland, Calif., where officers fired tear gas at hundreds of
protesters who tried to take over a shuttered convention center.
The protesters were walking through Laney College around 2:30 p.m. Some
people were wearing bandanas over their mouths and others were holding
signs saying, "We are the 99%." A marching band dressed in pink and black
tutus and neon pick tights also was in the crowd.
Officer Jeff Thomason said police started making arrests when some in the
crowd started throwing objects at them during the afternoon rally. Three
officers were injured, police said, but did not elaborate.
@OaklandPoliceCA tweeted around 3 p.m., "Area of Oakland Museum and Kaiser
Center severely impacted. Persons cutting and tearing fences for entry.
Bottles and objects thrown at OPD."
Once they reached the center, organizers planned to kick off a two-day
"Oakland Rise-up Festival" to celebrate the establishment of the
movement's new space.
Occupy Oakland spokesman Leo Ritz-Bar said the action would signal "a new
direction for the Occupy movement: putting vacant buildings at the service
of the community."
Stephen Lam / Reuters
Occupy Oakland demonstrators shield themselves from an explosion Saturday
during a confrontation with the police near the Oakland Museum of
California in Oakland, Calif.
He also warned that protesters could retaliate against any repressive
police action by blocking the Oakland International Airport, occupying
City Hall or shutting down the Port of Oakland.
City officials said that while they are "committed to facilitating
peaceful forms of expression and free speech, police would be prepared to
arrest those who break the law.
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"The city of Oakland will not be bullied by threats of violence or illegal
activity," city administrator Deanna Santana said in a statement issued
Friday.
This article includes reporting from NBCBayArea.com, The Associated Press
and msnbc.com's Miranda Leitsinger and Alastair Jamieson.
OAKLAND, Calif. — Police were in the process of arresting about 100 Occupy protesters for failing to disperse Saturday night, hours after officers used tear gas on a rowdy group of demonstrators who threw rocks and flares at them and tore down fences.
Police Sgt. Christopher Bolton said the arrests came after protesters marched through downtown Oakland a little before 8 p.m. Saturday, with some of them entering a YMCA building.
Meanwhile, about 100 police officers surrounded City Hall while others were swept the inside of the building to see if any protesters broke in.
More help from other police agencies was also on the way, with busloads of Alameda County sheriff's deputies arriving in the downtown area late Saturday.
The nighttime arrests came after 19 people were taken into custody in Occupy Oakland protests hours earlier.
Police used tear gas and "flash" grenades on the group Saturday afternoon after some demonstrators threw rocks and other objects at them. Police said three officers were hurt, but they released no details.
Police said the group assembled at a downtown plaza Saturday morning, with demonstrators threatening to take over the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center. The group then marched through the streets, disrupting traffic.
The crowd grew as the day wore on, with afternoon estimates ranging from about 1,000 to 2,000 people.
The protesters walked to the vacant convention center, where some started tearing down perimeter fencing and "destroying construction equipment" shortly before 3 p.m., police said.
Police said they issued a dispersal order and used smoke and tear gas after some protesters pelted them with bottles, rocks, burning flares and other objects.
Most of the arrests were made when protesters ignored orders to leave and assaulted officers, police said. By 4 p.m., the bulk of the crowd had left the convention center and headed back downtown.
The demonstration comes after Occupy protesters said earlier this week that they planned to move into a vacant building and turn it into a social center and political hub. They also threatened to try to shut down the port, occupy the airport and take over City Hall.
In a statement Friday, Oakland City Administrator Deanna Santana said the city would not be "bullied by threats of violence or illegal activity."
Interim police Chief Howard Jordan also warned that officers would arrest those carrying out illegal actions.
Oakland officials said Friday that since the Occupy Oakland encampment was first established in late October, police have arrested about 300 people.
The national Occupy Wall Street movement, which denounces corporate excess and economic inequality, began in New York City in the fall but has been largely dormant lately.
Oakland, New York and Los Angeles were among the cities with the largest and most vocal Occupy protests early on. The demonstrations ebbed after those cities used force to move out hundreds of demonstrators who had set up tent cities.
In Oakland, the police department received heavy criticism for using force to break up earlier protests. Among the critics was Mayor Jean Quan, who said she wasn't briefed on the department's plans. Earlier this month, a court-appointed monitor submitted a report to a federal judge that included "serious concerns" about the department's handling of the Occupy protests.
05 January 2012 Hellaoccupyoakland
Cops surround and raid peaceful Occupy Oakland vigil. Photo courtesy of
@alyssa011968.Around 11:30p.m. on Wednesday night, a contingent of about
60 police in riot gear appeared at the Occupy Oakland vigil in Oscar Grant
Plaza and arrested about eight to twelve people, many of whom are members
of the media team. The police abruptly left after “destroying everything”
at the peaceful vigil, and no reason was given for the sudden raid and
arrests. A small group of a dozen (which soon grew to forty) Occupiers
immediately marched to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to protest the
random arrests and show support for those being held in custody. They were
told by a group of police in front of the jail that if they came closer,
they would also be arrested.
The mainstream media is speculating that the small raid was a response to
a dispute between Occupy Oakland protestors and the police over the permit
for our 24/7 vigil, which was revoked following the cops’ complaints about
the presence of trash cans and people sharing food near the information
table.
There is at least one report that eyewitnesses saw police comparing
targeted protestors to photos before making the arrests, which is
consistent with stories of police surveillance of Occupy Oakland
protestors. These arrests also follow months of harassment of Occupy
Oakland by Oakland police, harassment which seems to have intensified in
the past few weeks. Reasons for some of the most recent arrests include
carrying a yoga mat and having a bike in the plaza.
Photo courtesy of @alyssa011968.
Update on 1/4/12 Raid and Arrests, New Arrests, Video
05 January 2012 hellaoccupyoakland
Police Raid Photographing Occupy Oakland protestors
OPD photographs, then arrests Occupy Oakland protestors
The past couple of weeks have marked a disturbing rise in arrests of
Occupy Oakland protestors in Oscar Grant Plaza. Last night was no
exception, as cops in riot gear arrested over a dozen vigilers suddenly
and without apparent cause. Other Occupiers immediately mobilized,
gathering in the plaza and outside of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office,
where they were told to leave.
Occupy Oakland Media’s Adam and Anti Repression Committee’s Laleh on KPFA
discussing the arrests
Members of the Interfaith tent called for an autonomous action at 2pm
today at City Hall to demand the release of all arrestees and an end to
the persecution of protestors. In response, City Hall locked its doors and
would not let anyone into the building. Two more protestors, Lawrence
“Toby” Barton and Greg Fernandez, were arrested when the doors suddenly
opened and cops appeared, adding to the numbers of Occupiers now in jail.
We’ve learned that those arrested last night were charged with “resisting,
delaying, or obstructing an officer,” even though there were many others
present and at least two people were followed by cops and arrested as they
crossed the street in a peaceful attempt to avoid a confrontation with
authorities. A legal status update from the Occupy Oakland Anti-Repression
Committee on OccupyOakland.org states:
Naomi, Svend, Knowledge, Dominic, Adam, Bunny, Stephanie & Nneka have
all been charged with misdemeanor obstruction (148) [they’ve added a
second misdemeanor for Stephanie] and will be arraigned tomorrow
morning at 9am in Dept 107. Bail is set at $5000 for all of them
except Stephanie whose bail is $10,000.
Ali has also been charged with an additional felony. His arraignment
is tomorrow at 2pm in Dept 112. His bail is set at $15,000.
Chris has also been charged with 2 additional felonies. His
arraignment is Monday at 2pm in Dept 112. His bail is set at $25,000.
Sean has also been charged with 1 additional felony. His arraignment
is Monday at 2pm in Dept 112. His bail is set at $30,000.
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
1) Let’s flood the numbers below with calls and bring as much pressure
today as we can so that they drop charges tomorrow morning. Get
everyone you know to call…
Nancy O’Malley (Alameda District Attorney): (510) 272-6222
Jean Quan (Mayor): (510) 238-3301
Deanna Santana (City Administrator): (510) 238-3301
Howard Jordan (Chief of Police): (510) 238-3076
2) Make sure to attend the arraignments tomorrow!!
http://www.facebook.com/events/305210996187282/
Stay Strong and Support your comrades!!!
Solidarity,
Anti-Repression Committee
Most of those arrested last night were members of the Occupy Oakland media
team, and many believe they were purposefully targeted. Media team member
Adam Katz (@geekeasy) was among those taken in last night. Adam was
released at 2pm today along with one other person. Here is Adam’s
firsthand video of his own arrest, as well as video of an officer filming
him one day prior.
Occupier faces lynching charges
03 January 2012 hellaoccupyoakland.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2 – Oakland, CA – Deanna Santana, Oakland’s City Manager has been
clear that it is no longer her intent to prevent violence or to prevent
illegal lodging, but instead that her goal is to now “clear the plaza.”
[1] The harassment of protesters reached a point where they are now
ticketing occupiers for having a bike in the plaza; the citation simply
said “bike”. They are interpreting Oakland Municipal Code 9.16.010 so
broadly, that they feel justified in arresting anyone for having anything
in the plaza. But they are selectively enforcing these laws, and only
citing and arresting occupiers. These police actions constitute
deliberate and blatant repression of Occupy Oakland.
On Friday, December 30, Oakland police raid city hall plaza under orders
from city hall. They tell everyone to gather their things and leave. But
moments later, without warning, the police begin arresting people. A
woman is grabbed by police for having a yoga mat under her arm, and taking
some food off a table. An officer clearly states that they are arresting
people for “having property in the plaza without a permit.” [2]
It’s now illegal to have a yoga mat or a bike in front of city hall?
Shortly after these first three arrests, the police rush back into a group
of protesters and forcibly grab Tiffany Tran, a small Asian woman. A
policeman says she was arrested for says “instigating that first one …
when you cause other people to be arrested, then you get arrested too.”
[3]
According to the combined statements of the police on the scene, Tiffany
Tran was arrested for instigating other people to have property in the
plaza.
All of the arrestees are held in hot van without water or food for 8 hours
before they are taken to Santa Rita prison. At the prison, 13 hours after
first being arrested Tiffany is charged with the crime of “lynching”.
The anti-lynching California law dates back to 1933, and was created
seeking to prevent white vigilante mobs from taking black prisoners away
from “peace officers”, such that these racist mobs could hang black
prisoners without trial.
But today, the situation has been reversed. The police are no longer
“peace officers” trying to protect and serve. The police are now the ones
engaged in brutal repression of peaceful citizens. And the same law, and
same punishment, which was designed to try to prevent racist mobs from
hanging people, is now being used against Tiffany Tran.
In a phone call with her boyfriend, Tiffany reported that the guards are
singling her out for abuse because of her connections with Occupy. The
guards are hurling constant verbal abuse at her. In two days, she’s
barely been fed.
Tiffany will be arraigned Tuesday at 2pm. We call on the district
attorney to immediately drop all charges against Tiffany Tran.
District Attorney: (510) 272-6222
We also call on the City Manager and Mayor of Oakland to immediately stop
in their repression of peaceful protesters at Occupy Oakland.
City Administrator: (510) 238-3301
Mayor:(510)238-3141
References:
Friday, January 13, 2012
7:00pm until 10:00pm
Whats up Yall ?
We of Labor Black Brown as well as numerous allies are organizing a
fundraiser for the Legal Defense of Mumia Abu Jamal and Leonard Peltier
This is also a Political awareness event for all political prisoners
known and less well known. The LONGSHORE PORT SHUT DOWNS have shown
us that we, the working class, have power in numbers and our
grassroots and its time to ORGANIZE
AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!
We got performances by:
FLY BENZO
SOGOREA TE WARRIORS
DE=COLONIZED RYMERZ
SALAH SHAMBE
AZTEC
DREGS1
ESEIBIO THE AUTOMATIC
ABDUL MALIK
MESTIZA
SENECA
JEREMY GOODFEATHER
Mikhael
Shango Abiola
WITH MORE TO COME!
CHECK US AT
EAST SIDE ARTS ALLIANCE
2277 INTERNATIONAL BLVD, OAKLAND, CA
TICKETS ON SALE AT LOCATION 10$ SLIDING SCALE
100% of all Proceeds will go to the legal defense of LEONARD PELTIER
and MUMIA ABU JAMAL
CONTACT US:
laborblackbrown@yahoo.com
December 11, 2011 Anti-Repression Committee, Occupy Oakland
One of our comrades, Truth, was arrested the evening of the General
Strike. He now is still in custody due to a probation violation. The
Anti-Repression Support Committee would like to encourage everyone
involved in the Occupy movement to stand in solidarity with him through
this rough time. Truth is (as he put it) “an occupier for life!” and was
with us from day one of the occupation of Oscar Grant Plaza until his
arrest. We just received a letter from him and he has expressed that he
wants to hear from and see fellow occupiers and was overjoyed to know we
hadn’t forgotten him.
Here’s a few suggestions on how to get Truth’s back:
1. Go to his courtdates, give him a wink and the evil eye to the judge and
DA (who’s trying to give him a year! F-that.)
NEXT COURTDATE: January 31st at 2pm at Rene Davidson courthouse (note this
is a different courthouse than the arraignments!) on 12th and Oak street.
Department 11.
2. Write him letters!
HIS ADDRESS: Eric Benard #AWK373
550 6th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
3. Visit him. He’s at North County Jail (aka Glenn Dyer Jail) which is on
7th Street and Clay. Look at this site for visiting hours and rules:
http://alamedacountysheriff.org/DC/gdj_info.htm#VISITING
4. Truth’s NLG attorney is looking for witnesses to his arrest. Did you
witness his arrest? Please get in touch with the National Lawyers Guild if
you think you did, or if you have video or pictures of his arrest. If
you’re not sure do not hesitate to check with the NLG. Call the hotline:
415 285 1011
To get in touch with the Anti-Repression Support Committee email us at
antirepression@occupyoakalnd.org
Nov. 12,. 2011 By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tensions were rising at anti-Wall Street protests
in three western cities on Friday as demonstrators in Portland, Salt Lake
City and Oakland defied orders by police to dismantle their camps.
In Portland, police said they had received reports that protesters were
digging a reinforced hole and fashioning makeshift weapons out of wood and
nails after Mayor Sam Adams gave them until midnight on Saturday to clear
out of two downtown parks.
Police said they believed Occupy Portland organizers had also put out a
call for reinforcements from Oakland, Seattle and San Francisco as they
prepared for a confrontation.
"There may even be as many as 150 anarchists who will arrive soon,"
Portland police said in a written statement.
"There is information that people may be in the trees during a police
action and that there are people who are attempting to obtain a large
number of gas masks," the statement said.
Occupy Portland organizers, who say their encampment numbers between 500
and 800 people, denied that they were making weapons or recruiting
anarchists for a pitched battle and insisted that they were a nonviolent
movement.
Still, while a few protesters trickled out of the two main camps in
downtown Portland as the deadline approached, hundreds remained hunkered
down in their tents on a chilly Friday night in the Pacific northwest.
In Salt Lake City, meanwhile, protest organizers vowed to resist an order
by police chief Chris Burbank clear out of Pioneer Park in downtown by 30
minutes after sundown Saturday.
Burbank said he had had enough after an unidentified and possibly homeless
man was found dead in his tent there, possibly of carbon monoxide
poisoning from a propane heater and a drug overdose.
'I'M GOING TO FIGHT'
"We can no longer tolerate individuals camping on our streets. We can no
longer care for individuals camping here," Burbank told protesters. "I
commit to work with you to find avenues that you can express your free
speech. It just can't be done through camping in our streets and in our
parks."
But protest organizer Jesse Fruwirth told Reuters that a number of protest
members were willing to remain in the park and face arrest on Saturday
night if the city could not be persuaded to let them stay.
"We were caught off guard this afternoon. We believed we had a cooperative
relationship with the city," he said following an impromptu press
conference and candlelight vigil.
Homeless protester Nathan Clark, meanwhile, told Reuters he had found a
safe haven in the park after years in foster homes and on the streets and
"us being shut down isn't cool."
"I'm staying here," Clark, 18, said. "I'm going to fight this cause. I'm
going to stay my ground."
And in Oakland, where police and protesters have clashed several times
over the past few weeks, organizers said they intended to stay in Frank
Ogawa Plaza near city hall despite increasing pressure by authorities.
On Friday night, police handed out fliers at the Occupy Oakland encampment
putting demonstrators on notice that they were violating the law by
camping and having open fires.
The warnings came one day after a man was shot to death not far from the
plaza, prompting the Oakland police officers union to release an open
letter asking protesters to pack up and leave.
But protesters, who say the shooting was unrelated to them, took shelter
in their tents on Friday night as a steady rain fell over the Bay Area,
showing no signs of leaving.
Police forcibly removed tents and drove protesters out of Frank Ogawa
Plaza on October 25, only for demonstrators to return later to reclaim the
public square outside City Hall.
Police and protesters clashed again the following week after a day of
largely peaceful citywide rallies and marches that forced a brief shutdown
of the Port of Oakland..
(Additional reporting by Teresa Carson, James Nelson, Noel Randewich, Jim
Christie, Dan Levine, James Nelson, Alex Dobuzinskis and Mary Slosson;
Editing by Eric Walsh)
Nov. 5, 2011 Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The second Iraq war veteran hospitalized after a
confrontation at an Occupy Oakland protest wasn't participating in the
demonstration when he was injured and arrested, a friend and colleague
said Saturday.
Kayvan Sabeghi, 32, had joined in a march the day before but was only
trying to get home when he was beaten by police early Thursday, said
Esther Goodstal, who co-owns a brewery with Sabeghi in nearby El Cerrito.
"I saw he had bruises all over his body, and that's not right," Goodstal
told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "No one should treat
another human being like this."
An Oakland police spokesman didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.
A Highland Hospital spokesman said Sabeghi was in fair condition Saturday
but released no further details. Goodstal said Sabeghi was in the
intensive care unit and had to undergo surgery for a lacerated spleen. She
said he was mostly in good spirits.
Goodstal said Sabeghi took part in an Occupy Oakland march to the city's
port Wednesday but left when it was over.
"After that, he went out with his friend and had dinner," she said.
When dinner was over, Sabeghi decided to call it a night because he had to
work Thursday. He was walking home in west Oakland sometime late Wednesday
or early Thursday when he encountered a line of police at the protest who
wouldn't let him through, Goodstal said.
"Literally, you (could) see his apartment," she said. "The police for some
reason ... said, 'No, you cannot pass.'"
Goodstal said Sabeghi told her he tried to explain his situation and
officers began hitting him with batons.
Records show Sabeghi was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest. He was
one of more than 100 people arrested by 3 p.m. Thursday.
Goodstal said Sabeghi asked for medical attention several times from a
jail cell and an ambulance came more than three hours after another friend
posted his bail. An official who answered the phone at an Alameda County
Sheriff's Office jail could confirm only that Sabeghi had been arrested
and released on bail.
A week earlier, Marine veteran Scott Olsen, 24, suffered a skull fracture
during clashes between police and Occupy Oakland participants.
Olsen, who also served in Iraq, worked his day job as a security software
engineer Oct. 25. He then joined participants at night at Occupy San
Francisco before traveling across the bay to the Oakland site, where he
was injured.
Wall Street protesters around the country have rallied around Olsen's plight.
by Demian Bulwa, Matthai Kuruvila,Justin Berton, Chronicle Staff Writers
Thursday, November 3, 2011 SF Chronicle
(11-03) 09:49 PDT OAKLAND -- A long day of mostly peaceful protest in
Oakland descended into chaos after midnight. Masked vandals shattered
windows, set fires and plastered downtown businesses with graffiti before
police moved in, dispersing crowds with tear gas and flash-bang grenades
and making dozens of arrests.
Buildings that had windows smashed early today around City Hall included a
Men's Wearhouse store, a dental office and the headquarters of the police
internal affairs division.
Graffiti was everywhere - from anarchist symbols to threatening gang tags.
Messages included "Oakland commune" and "kill cops."
The street clashes - which hospitalized three protesters and left several
officers with minor injuries - happened near Occupy Oakland's tent city in
Frank Ogawa Plaza at 14th Street and Broadway, which had been the center
of Wednesday's general strike. That event peaked when thousands of people
angry at economic inequality marched to the Port of Oakland, shutting it
down.
Most of those people had gone home by 11 p.m. Wednesday, when dozens of
protesters took over a vacant two-story building at 16th Street and
Broadway - two blocks from the encampment - that once housed the nonprofit
Travelers Aid Society.
Hundreds of others looked on as protesters barricaded the block at both
ends with wooden pallets, trash cans, tables and tires. They hung banners
from the building's roof, spray-painted its exterior and chanted, "Whose
street, our street!" One group of protesters broke cement blocks into
baseball-size rocks.
Police had kept their distance from Occupy Oakland protesters since coming
under scrutiny for deploying tear gas and flash-bang grenades and firing
projectiles in a clash last week that left one demonstrator with a serious
head injury. Police critics said officers had used excessive force and
violated city policies on crowd control.
But late Wednesday, hundreds of police officers responded to the area just
before midnight. They found that protesters - many covering their faces
with bandanas, and some in gas masks - had started a massive trash fire at
16th and Broadway that sent flames 15 feet high.
Police said later that they were concerned that the flames endangered
residents in the area along with the 500 or so people on the street.
Just after midnight, police ordered the crowd to disperse as an unlawful
assembly. Soon, one officer on Broadway was struck on his face shield by a
bottle, disorienting him.
Within a minute, officers launched flash-bang grenades and tear-gas
canisters. Protesters scattered and a fire crew put out the blaze.
The crowd quickly regrouped and entered into a long standoff with officers
on Broadway. Another confrontation happened at 16th Street and San Pablo
Avenue, where police surrounded several dozen people and arrested them
just before 1:30 a.m.
Several of those arrested spoke before they were taken away. Jonathan Yeh,
26, of Davis, said he had been in the wrong spot at the wrong time and had
not heard a dispersal order.
"I did hear people throwing bottles and breaking windows," he said.
Morgan Ress, 30, of Oakland was watching the protest as an observer for
the National Lawyers Guild.
"Police formed lines on both sides of us," Ress said. "I saw them beat
anyone who ran and arrest anyone who stood still."
Derek Winslow, 26, of Oakland, was working as a medic.
"I was attempting to provide medical aid to someone who was injured,"
Winslow said. "I didn't know how close I was to the police line. I was
knocked down (by police) and told not to move."
He conceded that he hadn't obeyed orders.
"They gave me an order to disperse and I did not leave," he said.
Police officials drew a contrast between Wednesday's march to the port by
Occupy Oakland protesters - which involved thousands of people and was
peaceful - and the nighttime events, in which a much smaller crowd grew
unruly.
They said the late-night protesters had thrown threw metal pipes, hammers,
glass bottles, rocks and cobblestones.
"This begged action," said Sgt. Chris Bolton, chief of staff to interim
Police Chief Howard Jordan. "We are reacting to the situation provided to
us."
Many protesters disagreed, saying police had escalated the situation and
should not have used tear gas. During the standoff, people shouted "go
home" at the officers, who appeared to be from several Bay Area agencies.
"These people would be extremely peaceful if the agitators - the police -
didn't show up," said a 25-year-old man in a bandana who declined to give
his name.
He said the protesters' late-night actions had been "tactical. In other
words, it was to make it bigger. There's an awe factor."
The protesters who were on hand for the clashes, though, were deeply split
over what happened. Some scolded window-breakers and told them Occupy
Oakland was supposed to be a peaceful protest. Whenever someone would
light a fire, others would try to stomp it out.
"Violence is not a statement," one protester shouted after a man in a mask
broke a clothing store window.
As protesters built one of the barricades on 16th Street, a nearby
resident who had joined Wednesday's demonstrations walked up and began to
take it apart. But whenever he moved a trash can or table or pallet, a man
in a mask would put it back.
"What does putting trash in the street accomplish?" asked the neighbor,
35-year-old Tarrell Gamble, as a crowd confronted him. "This is somebody's
property."
Masked men shouted and swore at Gamble, and one protester briefly put him
in a headlock. They accused him of being a police officer and said, "Let's
give it up for the hall monitor."
"Everybody's so tough with a mask on," Gamble said as he continued to try
to clear his street, without success.
After two women escorted him away, Gamble said, "The protest is supposed
to be about corporate greed. It's not about trashing the streets of
Oakland."
Nearby, a man in a mask said Gamble was wrong. "These are drastic
measures, to make people listen," the 24-year-old said. "This is our block
now."
October 25, 2011 Occupy Oakland
This morning at 5am over 500 police in riot gear from cities all over
central California brutally attacked the Occupy Oakland encampment at 14th
& Broadway. The police attacked the peaceful protest with flash grenades,
tear gas, and rubber bullets after moving in with armored vehicles.
Apparently the media was not allowed in to document this repression, and
the police established barricades as far apart as 11th and 17th. Over 70
people were arrested and the camp gear was destroyed and/or stolen by the
riot police.
Contact the mayor and tell her what you think of her actions.
Reconvene today at 4pm at the Oakland Library on 14th & Madison. Occupy
Oakland is not finished, it has only begun.
Inside the Shocking Police Crackdown on OccupyOakland: Tear Gas...An eyewitness account...
by Susie Cagle, of AlterNet
Tuesday Oct 25th, 2011
Over the last two weeks I've seen a community rise up seemingly out of
nowhere -- one based on consensus decision-making and strong
anti-oppression values for all people involved. One that included free
food and a clean kitchen, a community garden, free school and twice-daily
yoga.
Last night I saw that community torn apart by a show of force so grossly
outrageous in terms of mass of force, brutality, and cost to an already
broke city that nearly shut down most of its libraries, and is on the
verge of closing schools.
All day rumors of an impending eviction had been swirling around the tent
city occupation in Frank Ogawa Plaza. After several nights of false
alarms, campers seemed split over what to believe on Monday. It was Occupy
Oakland's two-week anniversary, and a group of demonstrators partied at
the 14th and Broadway plaza entrance with cake, balloons and dancing. The
General Assembly was smaller; there were clearly more tents missing than
on the previous day. But people were engaged, and strides were made.
Someone announced that a nearby church had donated use of its kitchen for
the Occupation. There would no longer be a need for the propane the city
had found so problematic. There was more talk of growing the camp than
defending it. When I went home around 2:30am to feed my cat and charge my
phone, I felt confident the plaza was safe for the night.
Halfway through my tea I read on Twitter that campers had spotted police
mobilizing a few blocks from the camp. By the time I arrived back at the
plaza, campers had barricaded the perimeter of the camp as well as the
entrances to the plaza. I walked the perimeter and didn't see any police,
so I entered the camp, where feelings were tense. That's when I heard the
roar of police motorcycles on Broadway. By the time I pulled my video
camera out and crossed the street, about 500 Oakland police and supporting
troops from more than a dozen nearby departments were mobilizing in riot
gear, clubs and guns in hand. They announced that by remaining in the
camp, protestors might face "chemical agents" and "bodily injury."
I couldn't get the man making the announcements to meet my eye.
A few minutes later, police broke their lines and some of the news vans
along 14th were allowed to leave. It was then I noticed that I and a
couple dozen others who were primarily filming the police action were now
between a second and third line of officers. We were pinned. I heard a few
pops, a flash, a crack, and saw a puff of white smoke that kept growing.
Suddenly we were moving quickly down 14th street, followed by a cloud of
tear gas. At least 85 protesters were arrested, of the approximately 200
who remained in the plaza. Many remain in jail on $7,500-$10,000 bails
awaiting arraignment on Thursday.
More than an hour later, after shutting down much of downtown Oakland
within a large barricaded perimeter, and after the end of park curfew at
6am, police mobilized to clear out Snow Park, the expansion sister camp to
the main plaza. Several protesters were arrested there after refusing to
leave their camp, which had been facing eviction notices for nearly a
week. The demonstrators there had brought a manual lawnmower and were
maintaining the overgrown park; they had no portable toilets or sanitation
issues; and they were not cooking with an open flame. When asked why they
were arrested during open park hours, one officer responded that the park
was "a crime scene" so it could be closed at any time. At that point I
couldn't help but laugh. "I'm serious," he said.
These camps are now flattened, but occupiers remain defiant. As I write
this, people are organizing. That's what I feel the need to do here, but
while I want to provide more synthesis, I don't feel like I can do that
yet. I came to Occupy Oakland as an independent journalist and it was made
known to me that my right to free speech as a member of the media is about
as valuable to the city of Oakland as the rights of the occupation that
they're holding in cells. I think I'm still reeling.
But I guess what I'm saying is that the city council meeting might be kind
of crowded tonight.
Susie Cagle writes and draws true stories. She is also the founder of the
Graphic Journos collective.
Wednesday, August 10 · 3:30pm - 10:00pm
Lake Merritt BART station [800 Madison Street / Oakland, CA ]
Created By Jeremy Miller
On January 22, 2011 Raheim Malik Brown Jr. was
assassinated by Oakland School Police Officers
Jonathan Bellusa and Barhim Bhatt. On May 25th
2011 The Oakland Board of Education (Governing
Board of the Oakland Unified School District)
astoundingly justified Lil Raheim's killing in a
statement made by General Counsel Jaqueline
Minor. Lil Raheim's assassination at the hands
of the two school police officers is far from
justified as is evinced by the open lawsuit
concerning the matter that was filed on behalf of
the family by Attorney John Burris on July 7th 2011.
PLEASE JOIN US AT LAKE MERRITT BART STATION on
AUGUST 10, 2011 @3:30 pm for a RALLY DEMANDING
JUSTICE 4 RAHEIM BROWN Jr. At 4:45 pm we will
march to the Oakland Unified School District
building where the family and the community will
present their demands directly to the school
board at its first meeting upon returning from their summer recess.
July 10, 2011 Indybay.org
On Friday, July 8th, Bay of Rage held its third Anticut demonstration, this time in solidarity with hunger strikers at Pelican Bay and across the California prison system. After a short rally at Telegraph and Broadway, a defiant march snaked its way through the streets of downtown Oakland toward the North County jail at 7th Street and Clay, where chants and speeches rang out calling for an end to the prison industrial complex and the capitalist system that necessitates incarcerating so many people. Inmates aware of the demonstration outside could be heard banging on the windows of the jail.
Now, finally, the money is gone. The world has run out of future, used it up, wasted it on the grotesque fantasies of the rich, on technologies of death and alienation, on dead cities. Everywhere the same refrain, the same banners and headlines: there is nothing left for you. From the US to Greece, from Chile to Spain, whatever human face the State might have had: gone. The State is no longer a provider of education or care, jobs or housing. It is just a police force, a prison system, a bureaucracy with guns. . .
Sometimes, maybe, we get treated to some political theater: faked expressions of concern or outrage from the puffy, grimacing faces. But the result is always the same – in Oakland, in Sacramento, in Washington, in the offices of the IMF – whatever the owners of wealth want, they get. The rest of us are sacrificed on the altar of the bottom line.
No money on which to retire after a lifetime of crushing work. No money to go to college. No money for the grade schools and high schools, which every day look more and more like prisons. No money for the people maimed, sickened and driven insane by this unbearable society.
We could go through the new California budget line by line, but you basically already know what it contains. It’s not a budget but a bludgeon. Every line says the same thing: Fuck you. Die.
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01/28/12 11:51 PM ET
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