Friday, December 02, 2011

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Stopa deportation of Occupy Oakland activist Pancho!

Free Pancho now!

Demand that Barbara Lee order ICE to lift the immigration ban on Pancho!
Sign the petition now: http://www.change.org/petitions/free-pancho-now.

For more information and actions you can take click here (PDF).


Free Pancho Now

Pancho while being arrested

Francisco “Pancho” Ramos-Stierle was arrested while meditating at the Oscar Grant Plaza during the second early morning raid on the Occupy Oakland encampment on November 14th. He is currently being held by the Oakland Police Department on $10,000 bail and they plan to turn him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immediate deportation. He could be sent to Arizona as soon as tommorrow morning. That means we need to act now!

Pancho is an Oakland resident and a powerful community organizer. He was recently pursuing his PH.D in astrophysics at UC Berkeley but resigned from the program when he learned that his work would be used to promote “safer nuclear weapons.” Pancho has continued his service to the Oakland community through promoting community gardens and organizing against divisive programs such as the ICE-coordinated “Secure Communities”.

As a mediator and activist, Pancho has become an icon of peaceful protest against the unnecessary force the city of Oakland is using against the 99%. Join us in demanding that Senator Barbara Lee intervene forcing ICE to drop the immigration hold on Pancho immediately and that they stop the unjust surveillance of immigrants in Oakland.

The photo of Pancho meditating–as riot police arrest him–has gone viral on Twitter, and Facebook and has been a source of incredible inspiration to many around world. In a note from jail Pancho wrote to us saying, “Just tell them I love them all. Great space to meditate!” Now it is time to demand the freedom of our brother as we speak out against police crackdowns, unjust U.S. immigration policies and support this growing movement against Wall Street greed.

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Angela Davis speaks on Occupy Oakland - General Strike 02-11-11

Video footage of Angela Davis giving one of the opening speeches on the morning of November 2, 2011--The day of the first General Strike in Oakland since 1946.

Her speech is followed by an announcement stating that the Longshoreman's Unions has shut down the Port of Oakland in solidarity with the Strike.




Thousands went on the streets an shut down the port...





and the day ended this way....

Traveler's Aid Building Takeover and Police Response

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Nov 2 Oakland General Strike


Blockade Port of Oakland During Nov 2 General Strike


resolution passed unanimously by the Occupy Oakland strike assembly on Friday October 29

On Wednesday, November 2nd as part of the Oakland General Strike, we will march on the Port of Oakland and shut it down. We will converge at 5pm at 14th and Broadway and march to the port to shut it down before the 7pm night shift.

We are doing this in order to blockade the flow of capital on the day of the General Strike, as well as to show our commitment to solidarity with Longshore workers in their struggle against EGT in Longview, Washington. EGT is an international grain exporter which is attempting to rupture longshore jurisdiction. The driving force behind EGT is Bunge LTD, a leading agribusiness and food company which reported 2.4 billion dollars in profit in 2010; this company has strong ties to Wall Street. This is but one example of Wall Street’s corporate attack on workers.

The Oakland General Strike will demonstrate the wide reaching implications of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The entire world is fed up with the huge disparity of wealth caused by the present system. Now is the time that the people are doing something about it.The Oakland General Strike is a warning shot to the 1% – their wealth only exists because the 99% creates it for them.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Police brutally attack Occupy Oakland

Solidarity actions across U.S.


Please circulate this video of the police attack against the Occupy Oakland movement.

Police have stepped up their attacks to crush the Occupy actions across the country. Police forces in a number of cities have conducted mass sweeps and arrests of peaceful protesters. From the mass false arrest of more than 700 on the Brooklyn Bridge on Oct. 1 to mass arrests in Chicago, Atlanta, Oakland and beyond, the police forces have made clear their role as the servants of the 1 percent.

In Oakland, the police viciously attacked Occupy Oakland with tear gas, flash grenades and projectile weapons. Scott Olsen, an Iraq war veteran, was shot in the head by the police with a projectile. Scott is reported to be in critical condition.

As the video vividly shows, the Oakland police directly targeted those protesters who bravely tried to give aid to the injured.

We must all stand together. Let’s continue to organize, occupy and protest in the coming days and weeks. This is a global grassroots movement for justice and change. We won’t be pushed back by police violence.

There will be several demonstrations in cities across the country in solidarity with Occupy Oakland. Below are some of the actions that have been announced; Occupy movements from across the country are publicizing many others through their websites, Twitter and Facebook accounts.

In the Bay Area: There will be demonstrations at 6 p.m. nightly at 14th and Broadway in Oakland called by Occupy Oakland until protesters until their occupation resumes.

In New York City: Gather at Liberty Plaza tonight (Wednesday, Oct. 26) at 9 p.m. for a march.

In Boston: March tonight (Wednesday, Oct. 26) at 9 p.m. starting at Dewey Square.


Thursday, October 13, 2011

People of the world, rise up on October 15th!



OCTOBER 15TH

UNITED FOR #GLOBALCHANGE

On October 15th people from all over the world will take to the streets and squares.

From America to Asia, from Africa to Europe, people are rising up to claim their rights and demand a true democracy. Now it is time for all of us to join in a global non violent protest.

The ruling powers work for the benefit of just a few, ignoring the will of the vast majority and the human and environmental price we all have to pay. This intolerable situation must end.

United in one voice, we will let politicians, and the financial elites they serve, know it is up to us, the people, to decide our future. We are not goods in the hands of politicians and bankers who do not represent us.

On October 15th, we will meet on the streets to initiate the global change we want. We will peacefully demonstrate, talk and organize until we make it happen.

It’s time for us to unite. It’s time for them to listen.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Mumia Abu Jamal's death-sentence has been effectively ruled unconstitutional

United States Supreme Court Rejects Appeal from Philadelphia DA’s Office
Mumia Abu-Jamal’s Death Sentence is Unconstitutional

(New York, NY) — Today the United States Supreme Court rejected a request from the
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to overturn the most recent federal appeals court decision
declaring Mumia Abu-Jamal’s death sentence unconstitutional. The Court’s decision brings to
an end nearly thirty years of litigation over the fairness of the sentencing hearing that resulted in
Mr. Abu-Jamal’s being condemned to death. Mr. Abu-Jamal will be automatically sentenced to
life in prison without the possibility of parole unless the District Attorney elects to seek another
death sentence from a new jury.

The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) and Professor Judith Ritter
of Widener Law School represent Mr. Abu-Jamal in the appeal of his conviction and death
sentence for the 1981 murder of a police officer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Supreme
Court’s decision marks the fourth time that the federal courts have found that Mr. Abu-Jamal’s
sentencing jury was misled about the constitutionally mandated process for considering evidence
supporting a life sentence.

“At long last, the profoundly troubling prospect of Mr. Abu-Jamal facing an execution
that was produced by an unfair and unreliable penalty phase has been eliminated,” said John
Payton, Director-Counsel of LDF. “Like all Americans, Mr. Abu-Jamal was entitled to a proper
proceeding that takes into account the many substantial reasons why death was an inappropriate
sentence.” Professor Ritter stated, “Our system should never condone an execution that stems
from a trial in which the jury was improperly instructed on the law.”

Mr. Abu-Jamal’s case will now return to the Philadelphia County Court of Common
Pleas for final sentencing.