LYNNE STEWART WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012 HEARING AND 24-HOUR VIGIL ALERT:
Ralph Poynter updated his status: "GREETINGS FAMILY/COMRADES/SPIRIT WARRIORS- BE SURE TO PLACE OUR 'OCCUPY THE COURTS' EVENT IN YOUR CALENDAR. THE EVENING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012 IS THE DATE OF THE ALL NITE VIGIL PRECEEDING THE HEARING FOR LYNNE STEWART AT 500 PEARL STREET NEW FEDERAL COURT ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 29TH IN NYC. THE ALL NITE VIGIL WILL TAKE PLACE IN TOM PAINE PARK BESIDE THE COURT HOUSE. COME WITH YOUR DRUMS - YOUR SLEEPING BAGS - YOUR BANNERS SUPPORT LYNNE STEWART, LEORNARD PELTIER, MUMIA, BRADLEY MANNING AND ALL OF OUR FREEDOM FIGHTERS UNJUSTLY INCARCERATED IN THE TORTURE CELLS OF USA INJUSTICE SYSTEM."
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MUMIA ABU-JAMAL -- EMERGENCY UPDATE -- TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Department of Corrections claims Mumia is in solitary because of his dreadlocks
Mumia and supporters renew request to close torture units in PA prisons
Visit Prison Radio to listen to Mumia's radio commentaries
http://www.prisonradio.org/
Visit HRC's websiteto learn about the reality of solitary confinement torture in PA
http://hrcoalition.org/
Read and forward this press release from the National Lawyers Guild: "After death row transfer, NLG VP Mumia Abu-Jamal languishes in solitary"
http://www.nlg.org/news/press-releases/after-death-row-transfer-nlg-vp-mumia-abu-jamal-languishes-in-solitary-2/
Mumia Still in Solitary Confinement - A Legal Update
From International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal:
Mumia is still in Administrative Custody (AC)-the hole-at SCI Mahanoy. The confinement conditions in all the Restricted Housing Units (RHU) are degrading and tortuous.
Sunday, January 08, 2012
http://freemumianow.blogspot.com/2012/01/mumia-still-in-solitary-confinement.html
Mumia is on a cellblock that houses AC as well as disciplinary custody inmates. He is in solitary confinement, with lights glaring 24/7, without adequate food, or the opportunity to buy food to supplement his diet. He is shackled and handcuffed whenever outside his solitary cell-including when he goes to shower. And he is isolated without regular phone calls, or access to his property, including legal materials, books and typewriter. His visiting hours are limited. In short, Mumia is being subjected to conditions in AC that are more onerous than those on death row.
There is no legal basis for Mumia to be confined in AC. At the point he was no longer under a death sentence, he should have been transferred into general population. This is not dependent on a court date for Mumia to be formally resentenced to life imprisonment.
On January 3 and January 6, 2012 I submitted demand letters on Mumia's behalf to John Wetzel, Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC), and to John Kerestes, Superintendent SCI Mahanoy, to immediately transfer and assign Mumia to general population with full visitation, phone and commissary privileges and access to all programs and services. The stated legal grounds are the following: The degrading, dehumanizing, tortuous conditions of Mumia Abu- Jamal's confinement in administrative custody at SCI Mahanoy are an abuse of authority, counter to DOC regulations, punitive, discriminatory, in violation of his protected liberty interests and his civil rights, including First Amendment rights.
The DOC regulations allow only two permanent categories of imprisonment, death row and general population. AC is by law only a temporary placement. It must be based on defined grounds, justified and implemented subject to procedural due process. None of the grounds listed in the DOC regulations for placement in AC apply to Mumia. In fact, on December 8, 2011 the DOC transferred Mumia from death row at SCI Greene and onto a cellblock that does not house capital inmates. On December 14, the DOC ordered Mumia moved to a medium security facility, SCI Mahanoy, which by regulation cannot hold death row prisoners.
The response by the DOC via telephone by Chief Counsel Suzanne Hueston was that Mumia is in AC pending resentencing and further evaluations. These are bogus explanations. The December 2001 federal court ruling that Mumia's death sentence is illegal has been upheld on appeal. The District Attorney has stated there will be no trial to obtain a new death sentence. Therefore Mumia should be in general population.
Nor is there a reason or basis for "further evaluation." Mumia has been confined in Pennsylvania prisons for some thirty years. The DOC unquestionably knows his history, conduct and behavior. There is nothing in Mumia's personal record to justify holding him in Administrative Custody.
The DOC's treatment of Mumia is punishment for depriving the FOP and Philadelphia District Attorney of his execution. This is the latest attempt by this frame-up system to silence Mumia, an innocent man, and to subject him to tortuous, punitive conditions in the hole.
Rachel Wolkenstein, Attorney
January 7, 2012
1) Write Call Phone and email the Secretary of Corrections
Tell them that Mumia must be immediately transferred to General Population.
John Wetzl, Secretary Department of Corrections
2520 Lisburn Road,
P.O. Box 598
Camp Hill, PA 17001-0598
717) 975-4928 Email: ra-contactdoc@pa.gov
2) Write, Call, Phone and Email the Secretary of Corrections
John Kerestes, Superintendent
SCI Mahanoy
301 Morea Road
Frackville, PA 17932
(570) 773-2158
fax 570-783-2008
3) Write Call Phone and email the Philadelphia DA
Seth Williams, DA Philadelphia
Three South Penn Square
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3499
(215) 686-8000
Email: DA_Central@phila.gov
and finally if you can send Mumia a note or a card.
Write to Mumia
Mumia Abu-Jamal
AM 8335
SCI Mahanoy
301 Morea Road
Frackville, PA 17932
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Here's my letter:
This letter sent separately to:
Secretary of the Department of Corrections Wetzl ra-contactdoc@pa.gov
District Attorney Williams DA_Central@phila.gov
It has come to our attention that Mumia Abu-Jamal AM 8335, since being released from Death Row, has still not been transferred to the general population at SCI Mahanoy. His treatment is described as worse than Death Row. It has been reported to be degrading and torturous. He is being held in solitary confinement with lights glaring 24/7; he is without adequate food; he has been cut off from commissary; he remains shackled and handcuffed whenever he is taken from his cell--even in the shower; he is isolated without regular phone calls or access to his property including his legal material, books, typewriter, etc.; and his visiting rights have been drastically limited.
In short, he is being tortured under your jurisdiction. This is highly egregious; unconscionable and, criminal in the eyes of the world.
He is being punished because, through the legal manifestations of his case, the racism and injustice of the whole U.S. Criminal (IN)Justice System--the largest in the world and that dwarfs the incarceration rates of the all the other countries of the world, combined--has been exposed!
Mumia is respected and loved by millions of people across the globe. Meanwhile, Judge Sabo's words--and I mean HIS words, not mine--the phrase, "I'm 'gonna fry the nigger," has been coined by U.S. police departments around the country!
See:
Plea Deal for Officer Accused of Civil Rights Violation
The government said it intercepted and recorded a call between Officer Daragjati and a female friend in which the officer said he had "fried another nigger."
By MOSI SECRET
January 12, 2012, 2:06 pm
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/plea-agreement-for-officer-accused-of-civil-rights-violation/?ref=nyregion
This situation is intolerable. There is no excuse for such treatment for any human being.
In fact, by rights, Mumia has served his time and should be released from prison altogether!
This we will continue to fight for.
Meanwhile, stop the torture! Release Mumia into the general prison population and restore his rights to him!
The whole world is watching what you do and we will not just "go away" or "quiet down!" Our voices will join together and resound even more loudly: Free Mumia Abu-Jamal!
Sincerely,
Bonnie Weinstein, Bay Area United Against War Newsletter, bauaw.org
San Francisco, CA
415-824-8730
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The Voice of the ILWU
Local 21, Longview, Washington
The Longview Longshore Fight
Join the Caravan to Mass Labor Protest
DEFEND OUR UNION AND OUR JOBS!!!
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union is waging a battle against union-busting. ILWU Local 21 in Longview, Washington is under attack by a giant consortium, EGT, which has built a $200 million grain terminal and is running it as a scab operation. This directly violates the port agreement with ILWU, which has had jurisdiction for over 75 years. This union-busting must be stopped. It's the fight of working people everywhere.
If EGT succeeds, other grain handlers will push for scab operations as well. That would affect the entire ILWU, as grain contracts contribute 30% to our benefits. Not only health & welfare but also our pension fund, dangerously underfunded at 64%. Breaking ILWU jurisdiction would immediately threaten our container ports. ILWU is one of the most militant unions in the country. This is a make-or-break struggle for all organized labor.
Longview Local 21 and San Francisco Local 10, Harry Bridges's local, are asking for your support. The struggle is coming to a head as EGT plans to bring in a ship to load the scab grain stored in their terminal in Longview. This could happen at any time, possibly in mid- to late-January. We are urging workers to join a caravan to go to Longview from your area when the ship comes in and to participate in a mass labor protest rally. It's your right and your duty, to your fellow union members and to yourself.
If thousands of union brothers and sisters show up, along with supporters in other unions and the Occupy movement who have aided the struggle against EGT in Longview, we can put a stop to this union-busting operation. We won't have much advance warning. So we need to prepare to come with our workmates, friends, family, with everyone who understands that our future is at stake in Longview. Get ready to be there!
It can be done. Longshore workers have done it. Last July a thousand ILWU members and supporters blocked a train carrying grain to the scab terminal. On September 7, 400 union supporters blocked a grain train in Vancouver, Washington, and then again in Longview. The next morning hundreds of longshore workers arrived from all the Northwest ports before dawn, and news media reported thousands of tons of grain ended up on the tracks. The ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Vancouver and Portland were shut down - the workers were all in Longview. Now we need you to "meet and greet" the scab ship.
The brothers and sisters in Longview are doing their part. Under a police reign of terror Local 21 with only 225 members has 220 arrests for defending ILWU jurisdiction. They have built a large and broad support campaign with rallies and mass pickets several totaling over a thousand.
Others have contributed too. On Nov. 2, Occupy Oakland mobilized 30,000 people to shut down the port to show their "commitment to solidarity with Longshore workers in their struggles against EGT in Longview, Washington." Local 21 President Dan Coffman speaking about Nov. 2 at Occupy Oakland said, "You can't believe what you people did for the inspiration of my union members..." And on Dec. 12, Occupy called to shut down the coast in support of the struggle in Longview. Again shipping in the port of Oakland was shut down, along with terminals in Seattle, Portland and elsewhere.
We're all in this together. The San Francisco and Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Counties Central Labor Councils have already declared their support. We will be signing up people who are ready to go up to Longview in a caravan when they call us. Local 21 is leading the way. Northwest locals have stepped up to the plate, as has the Occupy movement. Now it is everyone's turn. Together we have the power! Use it or lose it. Show that working people are ready, willing and able to fight for our rights.
Labor Donated, January 4, 2012
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DON'T VOTE FOR THE ONE PERCENT!
We working people--employed, unemployed, partially employed or retired--can't get any economic justice by voting for the One Percent! We need to occupy the elections with our own candidates of, by and for working people! --Bonnie Weinstein
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Mission District's "Run on the Banks"
Noon. Saturday, January 14, 2012
16th and Mission
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Bay Area United Against War Newsletter
Table of Contents:
A. EVENTS AND ACTIONS
B. VIDEO, FILM, AUDIO. ART, POETRY, ETC.
C. SPECIAL APPEALS AND ONGOING CAMPAIGNS
D. ARTICLES IN FULL
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A. EVENTS AND ACTIONS
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TONIGHT!
Please forward and distribute widely:
From Oakland To Freedom! Free Mumia Abu-Jamal! Free Leonard Peltier!
The Labor Action Committee To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal (LAC) Invites you to attend A Fund-Raiser for Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier, organized by Labor Black & Brown, and supported by the LAC
Friday, January 13th, 7 pm to 10 pm
East Side Arts Alliance,
2277 International Blvd, Oakland CA,
btwn 23rd Ave & Munson Way
DIRECTIONS: from 12th St BART in downtown Oakland,
take: bus 1R International, exit at 23rd Ave
Or: BART to Fruitvale Ave, walk to 2277 International
TICKETS: $10, sliding scale, available at location.
100 percent of all proceeds will go to the legal defense of Mumia Abu-Jamal & Leonard Peltier
MUMIA ABU-JAMAL & LEONARD PELTIER SHUT IT DOWN! FREE 'EM ALL!
Both Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier are political prisoners, framed for crimes they did not commit, and unjustly incarcerated for life. Both have been targeted for their political opposition to the US imperialist state of war, racism and exploitation. Mumia has recently gotten off of death row, only to be confined in solitary in a new prison... Scroll down for more information.
PERFORMANCES by Fly Benzo, Sogorea te Warriors, De=Colonized Rymerz, Salah Shambe, DREGSI, Eseibio The Automatic, Abdul Malik, and many more...
for more information on this event, email:
laborblackbrown@yahoo.com
Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier:
Both Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier are political prisoners, framed for crimes they did not commit, and unjustly incarcerated for life. Both have been targeted for their political opposition to the US imperialist state of war, racism and exploitation. Mumia has recently gotten off death row, only to be confined in solitary in a new prison in Pennsylvania, when he should be in general population. Meanwhile Leonard remains in federal prison despite his obvious innocence, and declining health.
Falsely convicted of killing a police officer before a blatantly racist "hanging" judge in 1982, Mumia Abu-Jamal's death sentence was recently overturned by the US Supreme Court as unconstitutional! What took them so long?! But Mumia's conviction, though equally fraudulent, still stands, despite mountains of evidence of his innocence, most of which has never been heard in any court. Mumia's conviction was not just due to the notoriously racist police of Mayor Frank Rizzo's Philadelphia, although corrupt local cops leaped at the chance to frame him because of his criticism of police brutality as a radio journalist. His conviction was also part of a federal government plot, known as COINTELPRO, to destroy the Black Panthers and numerous other left groups.
Leonard Peltier, an activist with the American Indian Movement (AIM), was framed by the federal government, following an incident at the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975, in which two federal agents were killed. At the conclusion of Peltier's trial, the prosecutor closed his argument saying, "We proved that he went down to the bodies and executed those two young men at point blank range." However, at the appellate hearing, the government attorney conceded, "We had a murder. We had numerous shooters. We do not know who specifically fired what killing shots...We do not know who shot the agents." The fact that this admission did not result in the immediate overturning of Peltier's conviction shows the complete corruption of the US criminal justice system.
Leonard Peltier was the victim of a political mobilization by FBI agents--a previously unheard of event--protesting the mere possibility that President Clinton might have pardoned Peltier on his last day in office (surprise, surprise, it didn't happen). And Mumia Abu-Jamal has been targeted by the FBI and Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for his entire political life. The FOP still froths at the mouth for his death even after the Philadelphia DA threw in the towel on trying to reinstate Mumia's death sentence, which was due to the fact that a new sentencing hearing might have cracked the lid on the stinking can of frame-up crimes against Mumia.
While Leonard and Mumia are special targets of the capitalist state due to their unbending political opposition, hundreds of other frame-up victims and political prisoners languish in prison. Meanwhile, high-security prisons torture people in SHU's, and jails are bursting at the seams with non-violent offenders. The crimes of the "justice" system are part of the exploitative system known as capitalism, and the victimization of political activists such as Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier is part of a class war waged on the oppressed and exploited by the ruling class.
The Labor Action Committee To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal stands for a class-struggle counterattack. For labor action to free Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier! Free all class-war political prisoners! End the racist death penalty!
Labor Action Committee To Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
www.laboractionmumia.org
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#J15 Worldwide Candlelight Vigil for Unity 7:00 p.m. Worldwide
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
January 15th, 2012 @ 7:00pm in Each Time Zone Globally
Jan. 9, 2012, 4:43 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
http://occupywallst.org/article/j15-worldwide-candlelight-vigil-unity/
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It's Time to "Occupy the Dream:" African-American Faith Community Joins Forces with Occupy Wall Street - First Day of Action on MLK Day, Jan 16 at Federal Reserve Banks
Members of the African-American faith community have joined forces with Occupy Wall Street to launch a new campaign for economic justice inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Faithful to its philosophical origin, the "Occupy the Dream" coalition has called for a National Day of Action on Martin Luther King Day - Monday, January 16, 2012 - when they will "Occupy the Federal Reserve," in multiple cities nationwide, focusing attention on the gross injustice visited upon the 99% by the financial elite. This will be the first of many actions leading up to a mass gathering in Washington D.C., to be held April 4 - 7, when millions will unite in celebration of the life and legacy of Dr King.
In support of this effort, StudioOccupy.org has created this inspiring video:
http://studiooccupy.org/#!/media/oici4d
The Occupy the Dream coalition was launched by a contemporary of Dr. King - Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. - and Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant of the Empowerment Temple Church, in partnership with Occupy Wall Street organizers. The following statement in support of the Occupy the Dream coalition was prepared by over 30 Occupy Wall Street organizers and read at the National Press Club in Washington, DC:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for social and economic justice with a deep moral commitment to non-violent civil disobedience. His legacy inspires many of us on the front lines of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Nearly fifty years since hundreds of thousands of people marched with Dr. King and filled the nation's capital, the dream that inspired our nation remains unfulfilled. As shocking as it is to believe, there is a more severe inequality of wealth in the United States today than there was back then. More Americans are living in poverty today than when Dr. King organized the Poor People's Campaign.
While the rich have grown richer, tens of millions of Americans have been exploited and left behind. In a time of great wealth and technological advancement, American families are desperately struggling to get by and to make ends meet.
Our political, economic, and legal systems have become wholly corrupted through a system of political bribery. Through campaign finance, lobbying, and the revolving door between Washington and Wall Street, our wealth has been consolidated into the hands of the few at the expense and suffering of the many.
Many of our brothers and sisters lead lives dominated by fear. Fear of losing a home. Fear of losing a job. Fear of losing medical coverage. Fear of losing the ability to provide food for our families. And for far too many, these fears have already become a reality.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is about people coming together to say "enough is enough." Our families have endured economic oppression for too long. The Occupy Wall Street movement draws its strength from people of all different walks of life, with opinions across the political spectrum, coming together to find common ground and unite against the global financial interests that have bought control of our government.
Dr. King's vision of economic justice is an edifying example of what we intend to achieve. The Occupy movement has become a powerful force by occupying communities throughout the country. The time has now come for us to embody the spirit of Dr. King and for us to "Occupy the Dream."
We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the African-American Faith community in this campaign for economic fairness and justice. We are all in this fight together. We all want a healthy and secure future for our families. In the absence of a government that will defend and represent us, we are now taking it upon ourselves to stand up and defend our own families.
It is a great honor today to join with the spirit of Dr. King, to join with heroes of the civil rights movement, luminaries of the faith community, pioneers in music and all of you in attendance.
It is a great honor today to announce the birth of the "Occupy the Dream" movement.
Social Media Accounts
Twitter: @OccupyDreamOWS
Facebook: Occupy the Dream
For more information visit OccupyDream.org.
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A Call to Occupy Wall St. West!
http://www.occupywallstwest.org/wordpress/
Friday, January 20, 2012
San Francisco Financial District
DAYLONG NONVIOLENT MASS OCCUPATION
of the Wall St. banks & corporations attacking our communities, homes, education, environment, livelihood, and democracy
What?
A day of mass action centered in the SF Financial District involving mass occupation, mobilization, nonviolent direct action and disobedience.
We ask people, groups, movements and communities from San Francisco, the Bay Area and across California to self-organize and take action with us to disrupt business-as-usual either at a bank or corporation where you are drawn to act or at one initiated by other participants.
Many ways to participate without risk of arrest!
There will be an all-day orientation site at Bradley Manning/Justin Herman Plaza where unaffiliated folks can get information, including where and how to plug into actions, with mobilization times at 6:00 am (Wall St. West starts when Wall St. East starts!), 12:00 noon and 5:00 pm.
We call on the Occupy movements and the 99% across the region to join us.
Why?
To end corporate personhood! Corporations are NOT people; Money is NOT speech. January 20th is the anniversary eve of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, which further privileged corporations over people in our Constitution.
To expose how Wall St. operates in our midst, attacking our communities, homes, livelihoods, education, environment, democracy, and health.
To demand that banks stop foreclosing on our neighbors and evicting them from their homes for profit.
To contribute to ongoing community fights for social and economic justice against banks and corporations.
To build and mobilize a broad-based, strategic mass movement asserting the people power of the 99% in San Francisco, the Bay Area, California and the region.
How?
DON'T GO TO OR WALK OUT OF WORK AND SCHOOL. No Business as Usual!
FORM/JOIN AN ACTION GROUP: Organize an action/affinity group with friends, neighbors, classmates, congregation and/or co-workers. We encourage you to organize an action group in your own community or with folks who share common interests or identities.
You may also meet people to form or join a group with at a Nonviolent Occupy Direct Action Training (more info later in this document) or by networking through Meetup.
These groups can take action, do education and outreach, etc. in their own communities and neighborhoods in addition to supporting mass actions and occupations and staying organized for the long haul. Please send a spokesperson from your group to the weekly Occupy SF Action Council Meeting to coordinate.
If you want to let others know that your group is participating and about the actions you are planning, we encourage you to do so!
PREPARE: Participate in a two-hour Nonviolent Occupy Direct Action Training to prepare, find out more and maybe meet up with folks to form or join an affinity group. National Lawyers Guild will sponsor Know Your Rights Trainings.
ORIENT: Go to the orientation site by the ice skating rink at Bradley Manning/Justin Herman Plaza beginning at 6:00 am and throughout the entire day for info and to plug in.
Occupy SF Action Council
The Occupy SF Action Council is an ongoing weekly "spokescouncil" meeting of affinity groups and organizations to coordinate actions and mobilizations. It is the primary coordinating body for the Occupy Wall St. West January 20, 2012, actions and lead-up activities. Decisions are made by spokespeople chosen by their groups using a modified consensus decision-making process [try for full consensus; if not possible, 9/10 majority].
All groups participating in the January 20 / Occupy Wall St. West actions, please send spokes to participate.
Sunday, January 8, 2:00pm: Unite-Here Local 2, 209 Golden Gate @ Leavenworth (just North of 7th and Market_Civic Center BART), map
Sunday, January 15, 2:00pm: Unite-Here Local 2, 209 Golden Gate @ Leavenworth (just North of 7th and Market_Civic Center BART), map
Thursay, January 19, 6:00pm: Location TBA
Check the web calendar ( www.occupywallstwest.org/calendar) for the latest information on all meetings related to the January 20 actions.
Occupy Wall St. West Workgroups
Organizing and outreach for Occupy Wall St. West (OWSW) is coordinated by the OWSW Action Workgroup and carried out by other ongoing and ad-hoc workgroups, including: Trainings, Outreach, Press, Media, Internal/Action Communications, Food and Housing.
If you have questions or would like to contribute to organizing, available contact info for each workgroup is listed on our website.
Initial Participating Organizations
Occupy SF General Assembly and Action Council
Occupy SF State University
Occupy SF Housing Coalition:
ACCE, Asian Law Caucus, Causa Justa: Just Cause, Coalition on Homelessness, Eviction Defense Collaborative, Housing Rights Committee, Occupy SF, QUEEN, San Francisco Tenants Union
Progressive Workers Alliance:
Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, Chinese Progressive Association, Filipino Community Center, La Raza Centro Legal Day Laborer Program and Women's Collective, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, People Organized to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights, People Organized to Win Employment Rights, Pride at Work, Young Workers United
Jobs with Justice
SF Labor Council
California Nurses Association
Pride at Work/HAVOQ (Horizontal Alliance of Very Organized Queers)
Rainforest Action Network
Code Pink
ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and Racism) Coalition
28th Amendment Group
Move to Amend
SF Interfaith Allies of Occupy
SF 99% Coalition
Additional participating groups are (and can be) listed online here .
ORGANIZATIONS: Existing organizations who respect the ethos of the Occupy movement (e.g., being autonomous from political parties and organizations; non-hierarchical and directly democratic structure; and nonviolent protest, occupation and resistance) are warmly welcomed to participate.
Key Wall St. West Action Sites
We propose that the most key Wall St. institutions to target:
Are major players in the economy
Contributed to the financial crisis and economic melt-down
Have a presence in San Francisco
Have ongoing campaigns against them locally
BIG WALL ST. BANKS:
Wells Fargo World HQ (420 Montgomery) & branches
JP Morgan Chase West Coast HQ (560 Mission) & branches
Bank of America B of A Center (555 California) & branches
Citibank Citigroup Center (1 Sansome) & branches
SOME KEY WALL ST CORPORATIONS:
Goldman Sachs (555 California)
Morgan Stanley (555 California)
Merrill Lynch (101 California)
Capital International (1 Market, 20th floor)
Chartis Group (AIG) (1 Market, 36th floor)
Bechtel (50 Beale)
PG&E (77 Beale)
SOME KEY WALL ST CORPORATIONS:
Fannie Mae (50 California)
Federal Reserve Bank (101 Market)
SEC (44 Montgomery)
ACTION MAP:
Additional corporate or government sites that groups are planning actions at can be added to the online action map along with the address and information about why they are being targeted.
A printable version of the online Action Map will be available for download by January 10.
Nonviolent Occupy/Direct Action Trainings
These two-hour trainings will cover all the basics of the Jan. 20 Occupy Wall St. West Occupation, including hands-on skills and information about nonviolent direct action, disobedience and occupation for those considering participating in or supporting direct actions, or who just want to find out more. Trainings will include:
How to engage in direct action and occupation
Tools for de-escalation (and escalation)
Working in groups
Dealing with arrest and legal consequences
You may meet people at the training to form an affinity group with (a group of 5-25 who works as a team for Jan. 20) or join an existing group to participate in the day of action.
Please come on time, stay for the whole time and please RSVP using our web form.
If you have a group or community 15 or more people and would like us to have trainers come to you to do a Nonviolent Occupy/Direct Action Training, ask us and we'll make it happen if we can!
SF DIRECT ACTION TRAINING SCHEDULE
Saturday, January 14, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sunday, January 15, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sunday, January 15, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Monday, January 16, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Tuesday, January 17, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Wednesday, January 18, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (2 trainings)
Thursday, January 19, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Thursday, January 19, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (3 trainings)
Thursday, January 19, 8:30pm - 10:30pm (3 trainings)
Friday, January 20, 5:00 am - 5:00 pm all-day orientation @ Bradley Manning/Justin Herman Pl.
For locations, stay tuned to the www.occupywallstwest.org/calendar.
Legal Support
Occupy Legal is a collective of activists, lawyers and legal workers dedicated to supporting economic justice occupation encampments in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we are supporting Occupy Wall St. West.
We are asking groups to self-organize their own legal support contact person-we will work with you. More info on how to do legal support is here.
Occupy Legal works to transform the demoralizing experience of arrest and incarceration into an empowering one. We are working in collaboration with the Bay Area chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.
What we will do:
Provide "Know Your Rights" information and trainings
Provide materials on documenting injuries and police misconduct
Staff a hotline - 415.285.1011
Organize and dispatch legal observers when needed
Track people in jail to make sure everyone gets out
Provide emergency support to people who are having a crisis in jail
Help people who are not released from jail
Find lawyers to meet with and defend arrestees on criminal charges
Organize a meeting for arrestees (if needed)
Maintain a website: http://occupylegal.info
What we can't do:
Handle bail/bond-we can't raise funds, arrange bail, or otherwise deal with money
Provide logistical support for people as they are released from jail (rides, food, medical/emotional support)
Guarantee free representation for the duration of your criminal case
We may not have resources to represent people who are being held in jail due to prior unrelated charges
Make legal decisions for you-we will give information, but in the end your actions are your own
Legal Training
The Know Your Rights training covers basic constitutional rights, interacting with the police, searches and the court/arraignment process. We use role-playing and real life scenarios to empower activists to assert their rights in protest situations and to demystify the legal process.
You can also take the official NLG Legal Observer training. If you ever wanted a sexy green hat, this is the training for you. The Legal Observer program is part of a comprehensive system of legal support designed to enable people to express their political views as fully as possible without unconstitutional disruption or interference by the police and with the fewest possible consequences from the criminal justice system.
Please contact us at occupylegal@riseup.net to RSVP or to request additional trainings for your group!
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING
Sunday, January 15, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm: location TBA
Housing
We will try to connect out of town participants with Bay Area housing. Please fill out aweb form if you know you are coming and you need housing OR if you live in the Bay Area and can offer housing. If you have personal contacts (e.g., friend of a friend/family, etc.), please pursue those to leave housing available to those without contacts.
Action Agreements
Agreed to by Occupy SF Action Council & General Assembly:
These basic action agreements allow for a diversity of participants from the 99% needed to build a strategic mass movement capable of standing up to and overthrowing the rule of the 1%, and building a better world. We make agreements about how we make decisions and how we occupy together; these are basic agreements about how we take action together, beyond which individuals and groups are autonomous. These are not philosophical or political requirements or judgments about the validity of some tactics over others; just minimal agreements to create a basis of trust to work together as diverse communities, and to know what to expect from each other.
Occupy SF action participants agree not to engage in property destruction, unless it's part of our strategy or action agreed to at General Assembly/Action Council (example: entering a foreclosed home to re-occupy). All groups, regardless of strategy and tactics, are welcome to participate in the day of action and are asked to agree to the general principles of the Occupy SF actions.
In forming the Occupy SF Action Council the coordinating body for Occupy Wall St West Occupy SF General Assembly and the Occupy SF Action Council agreed that: those who respect our practice of being autonomous from political parties and organizations, of being non-hierarchical and directly democratic, and of nonviolent protest, occupation and resistance are welcome. Groups that wish to co-opt, dominate or use the Occupy movement to further their own organization or ideology are not.
KEEP ON THE LOOKOUT IN LATE JANUARY OR EARLY FEBRUARY:
A Call to Action
From the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Counties Central Labor Council [Longview area, Washington]
January 2, 2012
"We are imploring all able working class people willing to take time out of his or her own lives, to come to Longview, Washington for a historic protest.
.... The class struggle never really goes away. Right now the rich and the ruling class are attempting to deal a blow that labor might never recover from....
.... If you believe in a better future for the 99% of us that work for a living, do what you can to support ILWU Local 21."
The resolution that was just passed by the Labor Council in the Longview area is attached. (This is the "Call to Action" to accompany the Resolution.)
A Call to Action: It is estimated, sometime in late January or early February the [scab] EGT facility at the port of Longview will receive its first grain ship to be loaded at its berth. The name and timing of this ship will undoubtedly be kept secret until the last possible moment. It is likely there will be a few days to as little as 24 hours notice of when the ship will dock. Notification will be given via the Internet and any other relevant means of networking throughout the country.
We are imploring all able working class people willing to take time out of his or her own lives, to come to Longview, Washington for a historic protest.
This is the time for workers everywhere to take a stand. Unions and the working class standard of living that have benefited from collective bargaining for so long are in danger of being extracted completely. You can see this systematically taking place over the last 30 years or longer, and especially in recent times. Unions have lost ground over this period of time due to unjust anti-labor laws, corporate influence on the government, and complacency on the part of organized labor among other reasons.
We recognize the danger of, and view the government attack on collective bargaining of public employees as a warning shot to labor as a whole. Wisconsin was ground zero and the spark that awoke the sleeping giant that is labor. Workers are beginning to remember there is indeed strength in numbers, regardless of how many unjust laws are made to divide us.
We have not been pacified long enough, as to give up our constitutional rights or to give up all the gains our forefathers fought and died to achieve over the last hundred years. People inherently ask WHY? Why should I, or others come to the aid of the ILWU? Why should I care, and what does it matter if this ship gets loaded and they lose this struggle?
The ILWU has a proud history of being arguably the strongest labor union in the world for almost 80 years. The secret of this success lies in the bottom up, rank and file democratic structure. This empowers and involves every member. And the intelligence and foresight of the leaders who knew without unity on the entire west coast and unity with the working class, there was no strength.
EGT is attempting to break the ILWU. EGT is operating on public port property where the ILWU have worked for decades. They are in violation of their lease agreement, which states that the ILWU is to be the workforce on port property. Longshoremen have done work in port grain elevators before the ILWU was formed [in the 1930s]. If EGT succeeds, they will have essentially broken the ILWU.
First, they will set a precedent that work on public port docks is no longer automatically Longshore Jurisdiction. Then within less than a year, when the northwest grain handlers agreement is set to be negotiated, all the other grain elevators will seek to either go non-ILWU or will seek to match the eroded standard EGT creates. Shortly thereafter in 2014, the ILWU will negotiate its master contract with the Pacific Maritime Association. If they lose, you can bet the PMA will take notice and hit hard.
Most importantly to note is that grain accounts for 30% of the ILWU health and welfare package. If you lose a third of your bargaining power and your traditional jurisdiction on port property, what are you left with? Either no ILWU, or a union that would resemble nothing like what it once was. There would be little or no collective power up and down the west coast, and no way to fight for social justice or defend the working class, just as the ILWU has done for so long, in its entrenched and strategic position at the gates of international commerce.
Longshoremen have traditionally been a rough and tough bunch, but they always make sure to educate their members on the importance of history, unity and the power of collective bargaining. People nowadays forget or have not been taught their own history, they forget what it means to cross a picket line, and become a scab the rest of their life. For 30 years or more we have been sliding downhill, while some would argue unions have outlived their time. The reality is unions are the last defense when the imperfect system of checks and balances within our government fails to serve the interests of the workers.
The class struggle never really goes away. Right now the rich and the ruling class are attempting to deal a blow that labor might never recover from. The ILWU has always been the vanguard of labor everywhere. Today, the ILWU's value of "An Injury to One, Is an Injury to All" couldn't be any more pertinent for all organizations. So please, if you believe in a better future for the 99% of us that work for a living, do what you can to support ILWU Local 21.
"The most important word in the language of the working class is solidarity."- Harry Bridges
In Solidarity,
Kyle Mackey, Secretary/Treasurer Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Counties Central Labor Council
ILWU Local 21 Member
Resolution of the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Counties (Washington) Central Labor Council -
Adopted January 2, 2012
Whereas: the ILWU has always been at the forefront in the struggle for social justice and better working conditions. And,
Whereas: ILWU Local 21 has inspired working people worldwide. And,
Whereas: ILWU jurisdiction is under an unprecedented attack. And,
Whereas: It is clear to all working people that EGT is seeking to race to the bottom and destroy a long history of good family wage jobs throughout the area. And,
Whereas: The Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Counties Central Labor Council, hereinafter called the council, recognize the blatant union busting tactics of EGT, as well, the danger of losing the ILWU as a powerful ally for the working class. And,
Be it Resolved: that this Council call out to friends of labor and the "99%" everywhere to come to the aid of ILWU Local 21, and to support them in any way possible in their fight against multi national conglomerate EGT. And,
Be it further Resolved: that this Council request that anyone willing to participate in a community and labor protest in Longview, Washington of the first EGT grain ship, do so when called upon by this body. And,
Finally be it Resolved: that the Council forward this resolution to all local unions, the Washington State Labor Council, Oregon Federation of Labor, California Labor Federation, the AFL-CIO, and all other relevant organizations.
Respectfully submitted,
Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Counties Central Labor Council Executive Board
[Note: This is the Central Labor Council for the Longview, WA area.]
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Justice for Kenneth Harding Jr.
Sunday, January 22, 2012 Noon
3rd and Oakdale:
Protest and March to Candlestick Park
Kenneth Harding JR. was murdered by the San Francisco police on July 16, 2011 for allegedly evading a two-dollar Muni train fare. Kenneth was only nineteen years old when he was gunned down and left in the street for over twenty-eight minutes where he bled out and died on 3rd and Oakdale. The Kenneth Harding Fr. Foundation is asking for the community's support in bringing the noise. We are doing a protest and march down 3rd street to Gilman and Jamestown in order to surround Candlestick Stadium during the NFC championship game. We need justice for Kenneth Harding Jr., hands off the truth tellers, and to fight back against police brutality. We will start off at Kenneth's memorial sight and disburse at the stadiums park. We want to bring awareness to all game attendees that the police in the Bay View/Hunters Point community are killing our children, violating our rights, and trying to silence people for speaking out. Come out, take a stand and help support us. We are fighting for an injustice we want to see change. Kenny may be gone but he will never be forgotten. Help honor his memory by supporting his movement.
Contact facebook.com/justice4kennethhardingjr
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LYNNE STEWART WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012 HEARING AND 24-HOUR VIGIL ALERT:
Ralph Poynter updated his status: "GREETINGS FAMILY/COMRADES/SPIRIT WARRIORS- BE SURE TO PLACE OUR 'OCCUPY THE COURTS' EVENT IN YOUR CALENDAR. THE EVENING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012 IS THE DATE OF THE ALL NITE VIGIL PRECEEDING THE HEARING FOR LYNNE STEWART AT 500 PEARL STREET NEW FEDERAL COURT ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 29TH IN NYC. THE ALL NITE VIGIL WILL TAKE PLACE IN TOM PAINE PARK BESIDE THE COURT HOUSE. COME WITH YOUR DRUMS - YOUR SLEEPING BAGS - YOUR BANNERS SUPPORT LYNNE STEWART, LEORNARD PELTIER, MUMIA, BRADLEY MANNING AND ALL OF OUR FREEDOM FIGHTERS UNJUSTLY INCARCERATED IN THE TORTURE CELLS OF USA INJUSTICE SYSTEM."
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#F29 - Occupy Portland National Call To Action To
Shut Down the Corporations FEBRUARY 29, 2012
by OccupyWallSt
http://occupywallst.org/article/f29-occupy-portland-national-call-action-shut-down/
via Occupy Portland & Portland Action Lab:
"Occupy Portland calls for a day of non-violent direct action to reclaim our voices and challenge our society's obsession with profit and greed by shutting down the corporations. We are rejecting a society that does not allow us control of our future. We will reclaim our ability to shape our world in a democratic, cooperative, just and sustainable direction.
We call on the Occupy Movement and everyone seeking freedom and justice to join us in this day of action.
There has been a theft by the 1% of our democratic ability to shape and form the society in which we live and our society is steered toward the destructive pursuit of consumption, profit and greed at the expense of all else.
We call on people to target corporations that are part of the American Legislative Exchange Council which is a prime example of the way corporations buy off legislators and craft legislation that serves the interests of corporations and not people. They used it to create the anti-labor legislation in Wisconsin and the racist bill SB 1070 in Arizona among so many others. They use ALEC to spread these corporate laws around the country.
In doing this we begin to recreate our democracy. In doing this we begin to create a society that is organized to meet human needs and sustain life.
On February 29th, we will reclaim our future from the 1%. We will shut down the corporations and recreate our democracy.
Join us! Leap into action! Reclaim our future! Shut down the corporations!
*This action received unanimous consensus from the Portland General Assembly on Sunday January 1st, 2012."
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NATO, G8 In Chicago: More Details Released, City Grants First Protest Permit
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
January 12, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/nato-g8-in-chicago-more-d_n_1203429.html
Lifting the Veil from S DN on Vimeo .
@OccupyTheHood, Occupy Wall Street from adele pham on Vimeo .
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