Walmart's Gerawan / Prima brand engaged in militant anti-Labor union activity

"ALRB issues blistering new complaint on Gerawan's anti-UFW campaign",
2014-09-17 from "United Farm Workers (UFW)" [www.ufw.org].
New update on our campaign at Gerawan--which produces Prima brand peaches, nectarines and plums--and its attempt to resist workers' efforts to get their union contract, with a new 28-page complaint from ALRB chief prosecutor details Gerawan’s anti-UFW campaign.
Full complaint can be found at [archive.org].
Decertification "leader" Sylvia Lopez’s anti-union role began before starting work at Gerawan in June 2013; complaint details that she missed 75 percent of work over the next four months without penalty in company-spawned bid to get rid of the UFW.
In a blistering new 28-page complaint—tantamount to an indictment—the chief prosecutor for the Agricultural Labor Relations Board detailed how the UFW’s renewed attempt to negotiate a union contract with Gerawan Farming “in October 2012 sparked an intensive and ongoing campaign by Gerawan to undermine the UFW’s status as its employees bargaining representative; to turn it employees against the union; to promote decertification of the UFW; and to prevent the UFW from ever representing its employees under a collective bargaining agreement.”
The consolidated complaint, the fifth since last year, was issued on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, by ALRB General Counsel Sylvia Torres Guillen, who said in a news release that, “No employee in the fields should be coerced by their employers when it comes to deciding whether union representation is best for them. The Agricultural Labor Relations Act ensures that agricultural employees can select a collective bargaining representative free from employer interference.”
The complaint specifies a long chronology of serious, multiple and repeated violations of California farm labor law that have been outlined in the four earlier complaints, three from 2013 and one issued in April 2014.

New revelations about Sylvia Lopez -
Among new allegations resulting from state investigations that are contained in the new complaint are those involving Sylvia Lopez, "leader" of the drive to decertify, or get rid, of the UFW.
“Sylvia Lopez began her involvement in anti-union activities at Gerawan before she started working for the company in late June 2013,” the complaint states. “By late June 2013, Sylvia Lopez began to work sporadically for Gerawan (emphasis added)” The complaint continues:
By mid-July 2013, Sylvia Lopez, [other of her family members] and other employees were actively engaged in a campaign of gathering signatures to support the decertification of the UFW at Gerawan. Sylvia Lopez and other employees, including supervisory personnel, began to approach employees in Gerawan’s crews in Kerman and Reedley on a regular basis, during work hours, after work hours, and during breaks, to gather signatures to decertify the UFW. During this period, Sylvia Lopez rarely worked a full day in her crew (emphasis added). Several other employees also took significant amounts of time off to engage in decertification signature gathering during work hours.
In August 2013, owner Dan Gerawan called Sylvia Lopez [and other] employees engaged in the decertification signature gathering effort and invited them to join him on a trip to Sacramento to lobby state legislators over SB 25—a bill that would have amended the Act and, in Dan Gerawan’s view, made it more difficult for agricultural employees to decertify their union…
Gerawan Crew Boss Reynaldo Vilavicencio allowed employees Sylvia Lopez and Belen Solano [Lopez’s daughter] to miss work approximately 75 percent of the time during the period of approximately July 1, 2013 through October 25, 2013, without requiring justification and without employee discipline (emphasis added).

Gerawan ‘actively recruited’ and supported anti-UFW and anti-ALRB protests -
“Gerawan supported protest activities to decertify the UFW,” the complaint alleges. It continues:
In September 2013 and October 2013, Gerawan…actively recruited and encouraged employees to join in protests against the ALRB and the UFW. During this period, Gerawan’s supervisory employees cancelled work and directed workers to protests in Kerman, Visalia and Fresno in support of the decertification effort (emphasis added)…On Monday, September 30, 2013, Gerawan…[shut] down Gerawan’s operation in Kerman, California for one day. [All access to the fields and packing areas were blocked and] Gerawan’s employees were presented with the decertification petition and asked to sign. Gerawan’s crew bosses then directed employees to protest against the ALRB an the UFW instead of allowing employees to work (emphasis added)…Gerawan made sure that employees would not be able to access fields and work on September 30, 2013, thus coercing them into participating in protests in support of decertification (emphasis added). During September and October 2013, Gerawan’s crew bosses regularly encouraged employees to participate in protests for the purpose of gaining support for the decertification petition.
On October 25, 2013, Gerawan provided support to a media event in support of the decertification petition…encourag[ing] several hundred workers to leave work in the middle of the day to attend a protest in Fresno. Upon their return to work, Gerawan paid for the workers who participated in the protest to receive free pizza and tacos…
On multiple days, including, but not limited to, September 27, 2013, September 30, 2013, October 2, 2013, October 25, 2013, and November 1, 2013, Gerawan employees, with direction and support from Gerawan and its supervisors, stopped work and engaged in anti-UFW and anti-ALRB protests for the purpose of gathering signatures on the decertification petition and gaining support among employees, the public and state government officials for decertification (emphasis added).”

Gerawan’s directly supported decertification efforts -
“During the course of the decertification signature gathering effort from approximately July 20, 2013 through November 1, 2013, Gerawan, through its owners, supervisors, and crew bosses, regularly made statements that encouraged and assisted in the effort to decertify the union and coerced employees in their ability to choose whether to support decertification,” the complaint states. It continues:
During the time of the signature gathering effort in September and October 2013, Gerawan set up a website (helpfarmworkers.com) to promote the decertification effort…Gerawan [also] offered its company website…as a means to provide vocal support to employees engaged in the decertification effort…
[The complaint presents detailed evidence that] Gerawan supervisors were directly involved in the decertification signature gathering…
Gerawan discriminatory used attendance policies to support decertification…[from July 1, 2013 through October 25, 2013]. Gerawan, through its owners, managers, supervisors and crew bosses, regularly allowed employees supporting the decertification effort to arrive late to work, leave early, access Gerawan fields on days the employee did not work, take extended breaks during the work day, and to avoid work altogether to engage in signature gathering, protests and other activities in furtherance of the decertification effort (emphasis added).
[Meantime,] during the period of Gerawan’s negotiations with the UFW in 2013 and during the period of July 2013 through October 25, 2013, Gerawan applied strict attendance policies for union supporters and for employees whose absences were unrelated to decertification activities (emphasis added).
- end -

China: Wal-Mart against the Strikers

Freedom to organise, Right to Strike, Free Negotiation
Communique N.38, 2014-09-11, from the WORKERS RIGHTS IN CHINA COMMITTEE, published 2014-09-19 by the "ILC International Newsletter", New Series N. 192 (561):
A trade union delegate faces up, despite official pressure! This September – a Back to School and Back to Work season that promises to be difficult - the “Workers Rights in China” Committee reports on the story of this confrontation that is pitting (from the “China Labour Bulletin”, June 26 2014):
---
Wal-Mart against the Strikers and the Delegate -
According to the business daily newspaper The Financial Times (15 June), the Chinese Communist Party of Changde (in the Hunan province) has undertaken a door-to-door operation in an attempt to break the occupation movement on the premises of a Wal-Mart supermarket that has been going on since last March: “On June 12th, cadres of the local committee knocked on the doors at the homes of each of the 69 employees (…) with a photo of the employees in their hands, to give the following message to their family: ‘stop blocking the moving of goods and merchandise from the store, accept Wal-Mart’s proposal of 3000 yuans as legal indemnity’.” In fact, the American super-store giant Wal-Mart has decided to close about twenty of its stores in China, including the Changde one (see issue n° 424 of the Letter). The delegate of the official trade union the ACFTU, Huang Xingguo, considers that the management has acted illegally, as the only motive for closing that is compliant with the law is that of an imminent risk of bankruptcy. All the employees were present at the arbitration committee that was held on May 27, to support their delegate and the lawyers. One of the 69 employees said, “Wal-Mart claims to value its employees, but once they don’t need you anymore, the scrap you”.

Illegal breaking of employment contract -
Huang explained to the China Labour Bulletin – the association that promotes labour rights (27 June) – “There are very precise disposition in our employment contract that refer to the Labour Law concerning the breaking of a contract. In the case of dismissal, an information meeting with the employees must be convened, either directly or through the trade union, 30 days before. Among other things, the dismissal plan must be reported to the Labour administration. This is the legal process that must be complied with”.
However, Wal-Mart announced on March 5th that the dismissals would take effect with the closing of the store on March 19th, i.e., a period of 2 weeks rather than 30 days, which makes the breaking of the employment contract illegal. This is why the employees and their delegate asked for a doubling of the indemnity for ending the contract, calculated on legal basis of seniority. The 69 employees refuse the 3000-yuan indemnity, even if part of the 130 employees accepted it. “As long as there is one single worker who desires to continue this fight, we will defend them (…) And if necessary, we will to all the way to the Supreme Court in Beijing”, said Huang, who what the administrative manager of the store.
Unlike the other stores where the Wal-Mart management chooses the trade union head, a democratic trade union election has been held in Changde. When the conflict broke out, the employees went spontaneously to the trade union of their company, then to the town’s trade union Federation and the Labour administration, but the importance of Wal-Mart for the town and for the country (400 superstores and another hundred to come) paralysed those two institutions.

A mandate -
The first things that they decided was to give a mandate to a team for the negotiation: “The employees knew that there would be four or five Wal-Mart negotiators up against one single interlocutor and that the balance of power would be skewed. So they asked the trade union, as an organisation, to present their demands. Thus a plenary meeting of the trade union committee was convened, to discuss all this and to decide on a position. And then the drawing up of the mandate for the trade union began.” The employees signed off this mandate on and a list of 15 demands was added in appendix. The trade union members were called on to vote on the demands and resolutions were voted.
There was nothing extraordinary about the demands (for example, paying bonuses instead of replacing them with “company gifts”) because everyone knew that the store had always lost money and yet the wages were only 90 yuans (less than $7) above the local minimum wage.
So almost all the demands had been accepted, except the indemnity for the illegal breaking of the contract. “… Why did they persist? Simply because we had devoted our lives to this company, to work there up until retirement. Everyone had personally invested, including doing unpaid overtime and sometimes giving up holidays. Everyone had given for this company. And suddenly, in no time, they threw us out on the street!” said the delegate Huang.

When the officials give active support to Wal-Mart…
Naturally, Huang did not fail to address the town’s ACFTU Federation. At first, there was a refusal to consider the affair, on the motive that financial compensations was not under their power. Then the president of the Federation gave a condition: “We expect of you that you not harm investment in Changde. We do not want to see the town’s image damaged, and so you must not contact any outside media.”
This, delegate Huang accepted and gave up on contacting the media, whilst the Changde ACFTU exhorted Wal-Mart to “make concessions” in order to keep the affair from deteriorating. The ACFTU offered no financial help but several lawyers who were willing to commit to the fight were presented to Huang. That is when the municipal government intervened. All of a sudden, the lawyers became reticent. Huang describes the “dialogue” that was then established: “Two coordination meetings were held. The government did not accept my point of view and affirmed that the closing was legal. At one meeting, I told the district officials and the trade union federation ones that the legal dispositions of the 30-day notice were clear, to the point that even a high-school student could understand. They answered: ‘If you are a high-school student, we are the teachers, and our final decision is the one that counts’.”
As representative of the strikers, Huang was obviously very exposed: municipal officials told him during the negotiations that if he didn’t respect the law, if he made trouble, he could be arrested at any time. Let us specify that at the beginning of the conflict, Wal-Mart management held out the prospect to him of a better position in another town (he was an administrative manager).
Finally, to those who proposed reviewing the demand for indemnity at a lower figure, Huang fiercely held up the employees’ rights and the very letter of the law. For him, it was out of the question to bargain on what was supposed to have been already acquired. Unfortunately, that was not the opinion of the town’s Commission for the Arbitration of Labour Conflicts, who judged on the question three months later, granting – it is true – more than what Wal-Mart wanted, but less that what the strikers demanded.

Sept. 11th, 2014, Northbay Uprising radio news

Tune in Thursdays 4 to 5pm (PST), with our online webstream [link], and in the San Pablo Bay Area at 89.5FM KZCT [link]. News Beat track is "Education" by Casket Taste of Vallejo.
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SALUTE! Forces for Peace and Justice gather in Ferguson, Missouri [link]
** "Uncle Bobby in Ferguson, supporting the most fearless youth of our generation", by JR Valrey, The People’s Minister of Information [SFBayview.com link] (archive.org)
** "The lessons of Ferguson, Part One: Economic inequality a root cause of unrest" by Marc H. Morial [SFBayview.com link] (archive.org)
** "Ferguson lit the fuse", 2014-09-03 by Willi Ratcliff, publisher, "San Francisco Bayview" newspaper [SFBayview.com link]: On Aug. 9, police in Ferguson, St. Louis County, Missouri, murdered Michael Brown, 18, as he put his hands in the air to let his friend escape. Then the police aimed their full U.S. military-strength force at all the youth of Ferguson who dared to demand justice.
With the world watching and their hands in the air, identifying the police as the source of the violence, night after night, young people waded INTO the tear gas and stood unflinching with guns in their faces. Oscar Grant’s Uncle Bobby, Cephus Johnson, calls them the most fearless youth of our generation. And they vow not to stop until killer cop Darren Wilson is brought to justice.
In Ferguson, the poverty rate doubled in three years and the unemployment rate rocketed from less than 5 percent to over 13 percent in two years. With gentrification at a fever pitch, Black communities across the country, in the inner cities and the suburbs, are fighting for survival. Everyone’s asking, what next?
I say we use our power – with the fierce determination of the youth of Ferguson – pool our resources and put our people to work, proudly providing for their families, building and developing their own, our own, community. That’s why I founded Rising Sun Developers and Rising Sun Investments. Right now, steady, expert hands are laying the groundwork. We’ll have more to report soon.
In Ferguson, the community has fused together across age, class and even race and street tribe differences. In these photos, the Bloods and Crips make peace, and an elderly woman outside the church, packed with 4,500 mourners at Michael Brown’s funeral, leads the hundreds left outside in protest chants to support the youth.

In the words of Marcus Garvey, whose UNIA, the largest mass movement in Black history, just celebrated its 100th anniversary, “Up, you mighty race; accomplish what you will.”



FIGHT BACK CONCERT AT PEOPLE'S PARK IN BERKLEY
Saturday, September 13th, 1-5PM          
Located at 2556 Haste St, Berkeley, CA 94704, [http://www.peoplespark.org]
Musicians, Poets and Speakers PUSH BACK AGAINST
- POLICE & BUSINESS REPRESSION
- LANDLORD & CORPORATE REPRESSION
In the last half year in the south campus area of Berkeley there have been hundreds of arrests banishments and stay away orders. The Telegraph Avenue Merchants Association has taken the landlords contributions hired a ambassador force that acts and do a lot of the work of the police. They have stopped our communication by wiping out all venues that we in the past have communicated through. They have wiped out all of the community on Telegraph Avenue. This is a rally is open to everyone to speak to overcome this repression by the police, landlords, business and corporations.


Northbay Copwatch [link]
** To alleviate public concern for militerized training for civilian law enforcement, Oakland Mayor draws Alameda Co. Sheriff scorn by forbidding Urban Shield from setting up shop in Oakland [link]
** Alameda County Sheriff's business relationship with Urban Shield and Cytel Group [link]
** Alameda Sheriff censors the media, ejecting journalist for taking photos of Urban Shield convention vendors [link]
** Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit filed for Yanira Serrano Garcia [link]
** "The Forfeiture Machine turns Cops into Robbers" video [YouTube.com link]


October 2014: Month of Resistance to Mass Incarceration, Police Terror, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation

If you have not done so, we call on you to endorse the Month of Resistance [link]. An important perspective on why this is such a huge issue comes from Project Censored, which today released a new study, Law Enforcement Related Deaths in the US: “Justifiable Homicides” and the Impacts on Families [ProjectCensored.org link]: "According to newspaper accounts over 1,500 people die annually in the US in law enforcement related deaths. These are all deaths in the presence of law enforcement personnel both on the street and in local jails.  Infamous cases such as Andy Lopez, Oscar Grant, and Michael Brown are only the tip of the iceberg..."
Make plans to participate in October Events [link]:
Wednesday October 1 Publication of The Call for a Month of Resistance
October 3-10 Sermons on mass incarceration in religious institutions
* October 6-12  Panels and symposiums on campuses and in neighborhoods
* October 12-18 Cultural expressions against mass incarceration
* October 13 Not One More Deportation Day
* Wednesday October 22 19th Annual Day of Protest Against Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation
* Friday October 31 National "Wear Orange" Day


Worker's Defense Committee [link]:
** "KAISER SPENDING PREMIUM DOLLARS TO PROVOKE RN STRIKE" [BeyondChron.org link]
** SPEAKING OUT FOR A LIVING WAGE [BeyondChron.org link]
** "Plutocratic Fallacies in the Service of Fast-Food Exploitation" [PortSide.org link]
** "Wage growth in the U.S. is stuck in the '70s" [MarketPlace.org link]
** Fast Food workers have a right to unionize without retaliation [link]
** "'$15 Could Change Everything': Hundreds Arrested As Fast-Food Workers Strike Nationwide" [HuffingtonPost.com link]
** "McDonald’s workers block streets during nationwide wage protests" [PeoplesWorld.org link]



from the Committee to Free 'em All! [link]
** Agreement to End Hostilities, notes from a former SHU prisoner at Soledad [link]
** "Dr. Mutulu Shakur on Tupac: Fight for the legacy" [link]
** "Culture shock! Leaving Skeleton Bay after decades in solitary" [SFBayview.com link]
** "Leaving Pelican Bay SHU, I’m a pup in a brand new world" [SFBayview.com link]
** Status Report from Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa: "Worse than Pelican Bay" [link]


from the Committee for the Study of Fascism, domestic [link], and worldwide [link]:
** Philadelphia PD seize homes of people who can't pay legal fees [link]
** USA torture techniques include near drowning, beyond "waterboarding" with a cloth [link]
** Chicago Tribune reporter Ken Dilanian is a CIA asset [link]
** Oh, Frack You Say! The Royal Dutch Shell company says energy is best exported, and doing so makes for better national security [link]

Remember the dead of 9/11's retribution wars!
** Trillions of dollars worth of minerals recoverable in the jurisdiction of Afghanistan [link]
** Over 5 million civilians killed throughout 10 years of the Afghanistan war [CounterCurrents.org link]
** Iraq’s Shocking Human Toll [GlobalResearch.ca link]
** US Sponsored Genocide Against Iraq 1990-2012. Killed 3.3 Million, Including 750,000 Children [GlobalResearch.ca link]
** Greenspan admits Iraq was about oil, as deaths put at 1.2m [TheGuardian.com link]
** Million Dead in Iraq? 6 Reasons the Media Hide the True Human Toll of War -- And Why We Let Them [Alternet.org link]

** NATO's current warcrimes are comparable to the old Nazi SS, says historical figure [link]
** How Liberals are duped into thinking Fascism does not exist in Ukraine [link]

ISIS, an "Islamo-Fascist" state, was funded and trained by the USA and allies (Saudi Arabia, Israel, etc.) to destabilize the governments of Syria and Iraq, both of whom are allies of Iran. Researchers have documented the partnership between the CIA, Mossad and Turkey's national security agencies and the ISIS militias, funneling money, weapons (including chlorine gas for mass-killings) and a convoy of brand-new Toyota and Nissan trucks. The following articles provide some insights into the taboo subject of Israel's recent support for the Islamic State:
** "Jerusalem Post", Feb. 2014, documents Prime Minister's visit to "Jihadist elements" being treated at IDF hospital in Golan (just over the ridge from Syria, where jihadist death-squads have killed many civilians of national minorities like the Druze who support Syria's secular government). [GlobalResearch.ca link]
** "Blowback: How Islamic State Grew Out of U.S Invasion of Iraq, Destruction of Nation" [DemocracyNow.org link]
** "Why doesn't Israel ever get attacked by ISIS and al Qaeda?" by Brandon Turbeville [external link]
** “The ISIS Crisis: Brought to you by US and Isreal”, 2014-08-31, CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX [CindySheehansSoapBox.com] interview with Brandon Turbeville of “Truth on the Tracks” radio [BrandonTurbeville.com].

** "Iraq and Syria are Burning, “Constructive Chaos” and America’s Broader Strategy to Conquer Eurasia" [GlobalResearch.ca link]
** "Israel Helps ISIS with Airstrikes Against the Syrian Government" [SGCNews.com link]

ISIS, Turkey, and Chemical Weapons: 
Today, the USA says it will begin bombing Syria, targeting chemical weapons being used.
** "Syria airstrikes need boots on the ground, AF officer says", 2014-09-11 [Archive.today link] [USAToday.com link]: U.S. special operations forces will be needed on the ground in Syria to make the expanded air war President Obama has ordered there more effective, a senior Air Force commander told USA TODAY. The spy planes flying missions over Iraq and Syria can develop a list of potential Islamic State targets, said the commander who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe what the war might look like. But it's "absolutely crucial that pilots are talking to an American on the ground" who can verify that the target is legitimate. [end excerpt]
Same thing happened last year (2013). The USA was about to conduct massive airstrikes against civilians in Syria in response to the use of chemical weapons being used against civilians... by ISIS, but blamed on the Syria government. This plan was stopped when an international investigation found that the chemical weapons were being used by USA-sponsored ISIS militia:
** "Turkish prosecutors indict Syrian rebels for seeking chemical weapons" (2013) [RT.com link]
** "UN accuses Syrian rebels of chemical weapons use" [Telegraph.co.uk link]
** "Was Turkey Behind Syrian Sarin Attack?" [ConsortiumNews.com link]
** "Under-Reported UN Investigation Points to Rebel Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria"[Gowans.wordpress.com link]
** "On brink of Syria invasion: 1 year since Ghouta chemical attack" [RT.com link]


Liaison group to the Solano Peace, Justice & Freedom Coalition [link]:
** Anti-war movement responds to Obama's speech on Iraq, Syria and the Islamic State [link]
** "Veterans For Peace Statement Opposing U.S. Bombing of Iraq and Syria" [link]
** USA & EU prepared for years of military intervention in northern Arabia oil fields [link]
** ‘Stop NATO!’ Anti-militarist protest gains momentum in Wales ahead of summit [link] (archive.org)

Dawnstar Indigenous Nations Committee [link]:

KURDISTAN - Salute to the PKK! Protectors of the Yezidi and other nations, advancing human-rights and a community free of trans-national domination.

** "The new PKK unleashed a social revolution in Kurdistan" [link]

** [links.org.au/node/4033]

PKK of West Kurdistan work in solidarity with the Yezidi nation: 

** [wsm.ie/c/kurdish-terrorists-rescue-yezidis]

** [anarkismo.net/article/27301]

Committee for the Study of History and the Current Context [link]:

Note: the following presentation of unpolitically correct information advances our studies as fearless researchers in the field. The following warrants an examination with a clear mind. 

Break free from the censorship.

“WE WERE LIED TO ABOUT 9/11” weekly radio show, part of THE SOAPBOX People's Network [link]

** Episode 1: Jenna Orkin. Listen at Youtube [link], more info [link].
** Episode 2: Mickey Huff. Listen at Youtube [link], more info [link].
** Episode 3: Erik Larson. Listen at Youtube [link], more info [link]
** Further documentation
- [HistoryCommons.org]
- [scribd.com/911DocumentArchive]
- [911datasets.org/index.php/Main_Page]

Remember their stories...
In September 1966, the Hunters Point Rebellion made headlines around the world when the youth of Hunters Point rose up to stop police murder and occupation. They held the Hill against the police until the governor called in the National Guard, and their tanks rumbled up and down Third Street.
** "1966 Hunters Point Rebellion: Recollections of Harold Brooks and Thomas Fleming" [SFBayview.com link]. Although the young “rioters” did little damage beyond breaking some windows and overturning a police car, Mayor Jack Shelley sent SFPD sharpshooters, who shot into the Bayview Opera House, where children had sought sanctuary. And Gov. Pat Brown, father of current Gov. Jerry Brown, declared martial law and called in the National Guard, who patrolled Third Street on foot and in tanks.

– Photo: The Hunters Point Bayview Spokesman, a local Black newspaper

"Workers of the world unite, the only thing you have to lose is your chains!" - Karl Marx.
As popular as it is becoming across the Americas, you may not know a thing about a Communist's ideas. Listen in to a Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox [link] Labor Day interview with Ray O. Light of the Revolutionary Organization of Labor, to talk about the links between the working-class in the United States and oppressed peoples of the world, and the censoring of 20th century history. Listen here:


"Beheadings, Bombings, and 'Western Values': Apparent United States policy",
2014-09-10 from "World Cant Wait" [www.sfbaycantwait.net]:
If “brutal” enemies do the beheading, start bombing whole regions, as Henry Kissinger said on Sunday [link], and respond disproportionately, in a way that “you would not analyze in terms of a normal response.”
If authoritarian “friendly” governments do the beheading, as Saudi Arabia has done 26 times [link] since August 4, 2014 (mostly to non-Saudis and political dissidents) say and do nothing. Human Rights Watch says the U.S. maintains a “deafening silence” on human rights violations by Saudi Arabia, its key ally in the region.
National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice explained her government's take on “advancing” human rights while maintaining friendships with torturers last December [link]: “Let’s be honest: at times, as a result, we do business with governments that do not respect the rights we hold most dear. We make tough choices.”
The beheadings of two journalists from the United States by the Islamic State in Iraq & Syria were horrifying, deliberately so. The executions, for drug trafficking, inciting protest, or at the whim of a judge in Saudi Arabia's Islamic court, where there is no civil procedure, are also outrageous.
But even more outrageous are the air wars by the powerful military machines of NATO and the United States, which inevitably kill civilians, and have so far done far more damage to people.
A World to Win News Service said Monday, "The Islamists beheaded the journalist Foley for political ends and to send a political message. The U.S., like the world's imperialist and other reactionary governments, kills for the same reasons, abroad and at home. No violent act is beyond them – the only question is what, at a given moment, suits their exploitative interests and their oppressive political power."
Glenn Greenwald wrote on American fear of ISIS in The Intercept [link]: “It’s easy to understand why beheading videos provoke such intense emotion: they’re savage and horrific to watch, by design. But are they more brutal than the constant, ongoing killing of civilians [link], including children, that the U.S. and its closest allies have been continuously perpetrating? ...for instance, Pakistani teenager Tariq [Khan] attended an anti-drone meeting, and then days later, was “decapitated” by a U.S. missile — the high-tech version of beheading — and his 12 year old cousin was also killed by that drone [link]. Whether “intent” is one difference is quite debatable... but the brutality is no less. It’s true that we usually don’t see that carnage, but the fact that it’s kept from the U.S. population doesn’t mean it disappears or becomes more palatable or less savage.”
It's really key to understand that the U.S. war and occupation created the ground on which Islamic fundamentalism spread.
David Swanson, Sept. 10th, in "Warning to War Supporters" [link]: "If you want to bomb a country every time an evil group murders people in a gruesome manner, you'll have to bomb a lot of countries including our own.  ISIS draws its strength in Iraq from resentment of the Iraqi government, which bombs its own cities using U.S. weapons [link], and which beheads people [link], albeit in grainier footage with lower production values.  Allies in the region, including allies that support ISIS [link], including allies armed by the United States [WSJ.com link] (some of which arms end up in the hands of ISIS [link]), themselves behead people regularly [link]. But is that worse than other types of killing?"
We will learn more tonight from President Obama about his plans for retaliation against the Islamic State in Iraq, and likely in Syria as well.  We're told he will predict that a 3 year war will dismantle ISIS.
It's already begun. Centcom tweets its videos of 131 US bombing attacks on Iraq this year [link]. Of course you don't see who gets killed. So far we know nothing specific about the use of drones, save for reports of flights and a few photos.
Nick Mottern, coordinator of kNOwdrones.org, wrote today about the similarity between U.S. and Israeli use of drones:
“In its drone use against IS in the Iraqi cities of Mosul and Fallujah and other urban areas, the US will almost certainly use Israeli procedures developed for drone use over Gaza, where drones harass the population, assassinate and direct bombing by piloted aircraft.
“The use of drones now underway in Iraq and envisioned for Syria takes US drone use beyond assassination and relatively narrow use in ground support that has occurred in Afghanistan and Libya, into wide-ranging, systematic use as a key component of US war fighting against people who have no modern air defenses. This follows the lead of Israel in drone use, and is predicated on ignoring the rights to privacy of hundreds of thousands of civilians as well as their right to freedom from fear and right to life.” (Continue reading... [link])
Whether by airstrike or dronestrike, U.S. attacks on Iraq and Syria won't increase the safety of the people. But the fear-mongering continues, leading people to think that ISIS plans an attack on the U.S.  Democratic Senator Bill Nelson made these claims about ISIS in arguing for war [link]:
“This is a terrorist group the likes of which we haven’t seen before, and we better stop them now... It ought to be pretty clear when they start cutting off the heads of journalists and say they’re going to fly the black flag of ISIS over the White House that ISIS is a clear and present danger.”
The biggest danger is that people living in the U.S. will once again get bamboozled into supporting an unjust war to strengthen the U.S. empire in the name of "stopping" Islamic fundamentalism.
How is that working in Afghanistan, 13 years later?


ACTION CALENDER!


Resolution in Support of the Northern California People’s Climate Rally [link]

Oct 4th is Anti-Drone Day of Action

VFP chapters are urged to join with activists around the world for the International Day of Action Against Drones, October 4th, which is also the first day of "Keep Space for Peace Week."  Check out the list of actions already planned on the www.knowdrones.com website and join in with a local action, or plan your own.  Ideas include demonstrations outside of drone bases or manufacturers, an educational presentation, showing of a film, leafleting, or making quilt blocks for the Drones Quilt Project.  For a list of other action ideas and resources, click here.
Email Casey @ casey@veteransforpeace.org to let the national office know what you have planned!

Benicia Planning Commission
Thurs., Sept. 11, 6pm!
~ PUBLIC HEARING ~
WHERE:  Benicia City Hall, 250 East L Street  
WHEN: This Thursday, September 11, 2014
PACKED HOUSE: Plan to arrive between 3pm and 7pm
THIS WILL BE DIFFERENT...
At this hearing, our Planning Commissioners will be asking questions and making their own comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report. This is a very important part of the process. Please attend to hear what our Planning Commissioners have to say.
This will ALSO be the last PUBLIC comment hearing on Valero's Draft Environmental Impact Report. If you have not spoken before, this is your last chance - you can still speak even if you have not submitted a speaker card before. And if you were at one of the last hearings and submitted your card but they didn't get to you or you left before they could get to you, you can speak at this hearing. .
PLAN TO ATTEND.  Numbers speak!
For guidelines and suggestions on how to offer comments that are helpful to our Planning Commissioners, see RESOURCES at [http://safebenicia.org/basic-information/downloadable-resources/].
For additional background information and resources see LEARN MORE at [http://safebenicia.org/basic-information/]
Another good source of information is The Benicia Independent [http://beniciaindependent.com].


Exploding Oil Trains in Fremont?
Thursday, September 11,  7:00 - 9:00 PM
Fremont Senior Center, 40086 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, CA 94538
The event is free, though donations will be accepted to help cover expenses. The facility is wheelchair accessible.
[http://eotif.weebly.com/]
Concerned that the oil trains slated to run through the East Bay pose a local threat from spills and explosions and a global threat because the oil they carry will contribute to climate change, a group of south Alameda activists are hosting an educational and organizing event.
Mile-long trains of tank cars carrying oil will likely be moving through the East Bay, including Fremont -- unless we do something about it. These are the same sort of trains and tank cars that exploded in a fiery crash in Lac Mégantic, Quebec, in July 2013.
In response to concerns, a group of Tri-City residents is presenting this "get-informed" program. The first speaker, Jess Dervin-Ackerman from the Sierra Club, will discuss what the crude oil trains entail and why we should be concerned about them. The second speaker, Diane Bailey, a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), will explain how the spike in oil trains is connected to the U.S. energy boom and to global climate change.


Picketing for Andy Lopez at the Hall of Justice
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 9:00 a.m. to noon
Justice Coalition for Andy Lopez's on-going weekly picket to demand Justice for Andy Lopez.
600 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa
Justice for Andy Lopez Cruz! (d. 2013-10-22; Santa Rosa) [link]

Resolution in Support of the Northern California People’s Climate Rally

adopted by the San Francisco Labor Council
See [http://bayareasept21-350bayarea.nationbuilder.com]

Whereas on Sunday, September 21st there will be  a massive, non-violent march in New York City called by 350.org, along with thousands of local, and national environmental , union and social justice organizations across the country, and

Whereas on that same day, there will be a Northern California People’s Climate Rally at Lake Merritt Park Amphitheater, in Oakland California in solidarity with the event in NYC, and

Whereas, the United Nations Climate Summit 2014 will be held two days later on September 23rd, in NYC, representing another step towards the corporate takeover of the UN climate negotiations and the privatization of land, water and air resources under the guise of a global climate compact, and

Whereas the biosphere is in a fragile balance; the warming of the atmosphere melts the arctic ice that reflects sunlight, which means more sunlight absorbed, which means more warming, which in turn melts more ice, and on and on, so that these “feedback loops” which have already begun, approach “tipping points” where they spin out of control threatening our continued existence on this planet, and

Whereas the heads of state meeting at the UN climate talks are politicians, not scientists, and, therefore must respond to massive social pressure, even as they ignore the science.

Therefore Be it Resolved that the San Francisco Labor Council calls on its member organizations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to participate in the Northern California People’s Climate rally to be held on Sunday, September 21st at Oakland’s Lake Merritt Park Amphitheater to stand in solidarity with the People’s Climate Justice Summit in NYC for a world with an economy that works for people and the planet.  For a world that is safe from the ravages of climate change.  For a world with good jobs, clean air and water, peace, justice and healthy communities.

Be it Finally Resolved that the San Francisco Labor Council send copies of this resolution to its affiliates and the California Federation of Labor to encourage these bodies to support the Northern California People’s Climate Rally.

To alleviate public concern for militerized training for civilian law enforcement, Oakland Mayor draws Alameda Co. Sheriff scorn by forbidding Urban Shield from setting up shop in Oakland

** Alameda County Sheriff's business relationship with Urban Shield and Cytel Group [link]

"Oakland will not host Urban Shield next year, Jean Quan says"2014-09-07 by Hamed Aleaziz for "The San Francisco Chronicle" [http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-will-not-host-Urban-Shield-next-year-5738774.php]:
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has announced that Urban Shield, a trade show and training exercise for law enforcement and emergency crews, will no longer be held in the city.
The four-day event, which costs $1 million and is funded by the federal government, brings about 200 law enforcement organizations to the area, mostly from city and county police agencies. Emergency crews - nurses, ambulance workers and others - also attend the event.
Hundreds protested this year's event, a combination of a trade show with heavy weapons and emergency preparedness drills, Friday in Oakland.
The militarization of police forces has become a national topic of debate after police officers in Ferguson, Mo., confronted crowds of citizens protesting the shooting of an unarmed black teenager last month.
"As to Urban Shield itself: Urban Shield is a regional preparedness training exercise for law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services and has been held in Oakland for the past two years. The event will not be held in Oakland next year," Quan said in a statement Friday. "The City Administrator's Office will be asking our agent not to pursue another contract."
But officials from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, which coordinates the conference, hit back at Quan's statement.
"Mayor Quan has had little to no involvement with Urban Shield. She does not have the authority to tell Urban Shield or anyone that they can't come into the City of Oakland," said Sgt. J.D. Nelson, a spokesman for the office.
"We recognize that she can influence the Oakland convention center, but we find it amazing that the mayor of Oakland does not want better training for the cities' first responders nor the hotel tax revenue, sales tax revenue, and low crime rate in the downtown area that Urban Shield and its 5,000-plus attendees has provided in the last few years to the City of Oakland," he said.
The office started the event, which is now in its eighth year.
Nelson said if Oakland doesn't want them, they will be "more than happy to bring these benefits to some other area."
Quan posted the statement on her Facebook page. Before her message on Urban Shield, she noted that in the wake of Ferguson, the city had received questions on military hardware in the Police Department. "It's important to note that OPD has no military surplus hardware at all, and no fully-automatic weapons," she said.
"There are good people on all sides of these issues," she said, "working hard every day to create a safer Oakland with stronger relationships between our hardworking officers and our inspiring communities."

Status Report from Bro. Clyde Jackson, released from Pelican Bay SHU

"Leaving Pelican Bay SHU, I’m a pup in a brand new world"
by Clyde Jackson, published 2014-09-06 by "San Francisco Bayview" newspaper [http://sfbayview.com/2014/09/leaving-pelican-bay-shu-im-a-pup-in-a-brand-new-world]:
Send our brother some love and light: Clyde Jackson, C-33559, SATF C3-217, P.O. Box 5246, Corcoran, CA 93212.
---
Photo: CSATF prisoners listen to a visiting missionary in the “hot flaming sun” of the San Joaquin Valley. For prisoners whose color has faded from decades in isolation, with rare exposure to sunlight, the hot sun of the San Joaquin Valley is good medicine.

Leaving Pelican Bay SHU was exhilarating – with at the same time a feeling of melancholy. Seemingly a paradox. When one has spent decades isolated to fashioned hours of 22½ hours each day, strangely this abnormality functions as a norm.
I hardly looked back as I was departing, but I was never displaced from the stark reminder of what I personally experienced and what others continue to endure.
When I finally reached this place (California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility at Corcoran), I began to realize that I had actually been released and quite possibly over a period of time I might just be able to restore in myself a sense of normalcy.
It actually took me four days to get here after making multiple stops at other points. This added to my level of anxiety in anticipation of the new environment I was designated for. Thus far, I truly can attest to the fact that general population is totally distinct from what I remembered 33 years ago when I first arrived at San Quentin.
A month after my arrival, I have not settled in yet and probably will not, simply because transitional adjustment develops over a long period of time. Especially considering the horrific circumstances of the SHU, it is not an easy adjustment.
So to facilitate this process, I put together on a daily basis “short thoughts” in order to relax my mind and not become over-consumed. The sun is beautiful as I watch it “flame” across the sky. I’m learning receptibility as I adapt to the cultural generational gap.
Yard is sparse, twice a week, so the three times I’ve relished the “hot flaming sun,” more and more my complexion is returning. People are good-spirited and it’s a trip listening to their stories on an exchange basis.
I’m on the verge of reconnecting with my family. And I had my first contact visit in over 30 years with two great friends who provided me a generous level of comfort. It was a splendid occasion.
One thing that captures my attention is that after all the struggles of the past, there is definitely more work needing to be done. I’m waiting on a job now as I wait to enroll in the educational department to complete my academic course I started in the previous environment.
In sum, it’s like being a pup in a brand new world. I’ve conveyed this new experience accordingly and I’m just trying to fit in and live with the same intransigent discipline that keeps me on the correct course.
First time I’ve had a phone call that’s not related to an emergency situation, so I could just enjoy the tone of the receiver’s voice. Takes a while getting used to. Until next time, be up!

Sept. 4th, 2014, Northbay Uprising radio news

Tune in Thursdays 4 to 5pm (PST), with our online webstream [link], and in the San Pablo Bay Area at 89.5FM KZCT [link]. News Beat track is "Education" by Casket Taste of Vallejo.
Hosted by Dr.G., Minister of Information of the Northbay Movement for a Democratic Society, with a California-wide network of journalists, organizers, and entertainers, breaking the blockade of censorship, with research archives and verified sources! View past headlines [link]. Join the Community Journalist program, send news & info to [NorthbayMDS@gmail.com].
Know more with the Community Journalist's Notebook [link]!

The managers of 89.5FM KZCT, their associates, and sponsors, are not to be held liable for the information and commentary provided by the Northbay Uprising Radio News, produced by the Northbay Movement for a Democratic Society, as a non-partisan research and education project.


New supply of buttons at the Peace & Justice Center! "Hands UP Don't SHOOT", "Ground the Drones", "Give Earth a Chance", "Peace in the Mideast", and more! $1.00 donation - available at the Peace and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401

ACTION HEADLINES!
Stories are reviewed and provided by Northbay MDS Committees.

Northbay Copwatch [link]:
** Justice for Andy Lopez! Action called for Sept. 9th in Santa Rosa! [link]
** Justice for Yanira! Action called for September 6th in Half Moon Bay! [link], Facebook event page [link]
** Retaliation against the man who recorded an extra-judicial murder? "Wife of Man Who Filmed NYPD Chokehold Is Arrested", 2014-08-06 [link]: The wife of the man who recorded video of New York Police Department officers performing a fatal chokehold has been arrested on assault charges. Chrissie Ortiz, 30, allegedly struck a woman outside a Staten Island grocery in New York Tuesday after the two got into an argument. She faces a misdemeanor assault charge, the Staten Island Advance reports [link]. Ortiz's arrest comes just days after her husband, 22-year-old Ramsey Orta, was arrested on gun possession charges. While being taken into custody, Orta told arresting officers, "You're just mad because I filmed your boy."

The recent action by the "Justice for Mario Romero!" campaign brought together a number of community members speaking out against human-rights abuse in Vallejo! (Photos 2014-09-02 by Dee Dee Dunson)
 


Student Power!
Student Unity Movement activists sent us the following:
** "UC regents reconfirmed over criticisms of out-of-state recruiting", 2014-08-22 by Alexei Koseff for "SacBee.com: Capital Alert" blog [link]: The state Senate overwhelmingly reconfirmed four members of the University of California Board of Regents Friday, but not before raising concerns over the university’s increasing enrollment of out-of-state and international students.
Regents Richard C. Blum, Norman J. Pattiz and Richard Sherman were reconfirmed for another 12-year term by a vote of 29-3, while regent Monica Lozano was reconfirmed in a separate vote of 31-0.
SEE ALSO:
[http://ucsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/New-UC-Regents-Release_012213ev1.pdf]
[http://cloudminder.blogspot.com]
[http://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=18369]
[http://www.dailycal.org/2014/08/26/students-faculty-frustrated-uc-regent-confirmation]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regents_of_the_University_of_California]


Worker's Defense Committee [link]:
Fast Food workers on strike across the USA!
[http://www.popularresistance.org/fast-food-workers-strike-across-the-nation/]

** Photos 2014-09-03 in Sacramento, Worker's Power! with The ANSWER Coalition, SOL Collective :
- 8am, #‎FF15‬ ‪#‎FastFoodWorkers‬ rally in front of McDonald's in Sacramento‬

- at 9am, Police attempting to intimidate ‪#‎FF15‬ ‪#‎FastFoodWorkers‬ organizers in ‎Sacramento‬:


** "Oakland: Workers demand investigation of noose found on city truck", 2014-09-03 from "1021 Newswire": SEIU 1021 members took action to demand an investigation of a noose found hanging on a city truck last week. At a meeting with the City Administrator and Public Works Director, members made it clear that hatred and violence have no place at work and in our communities. OPD is now investigating the incident.
* Oakland Tribune: "Oakland workers outraged over noose hung from city truck" [link]
* KTVU: "Oakland city workers discover noose hanging from vehicle" [link]
* KPIX: "Noose Found on Oakland Public Works Truck Used by African-American Employees" [link]

** "La Clinica workers picket for patient care", 2014-09-03 from "1021 Newswire":
About 150 healthcare workers picketed outside La Clinica in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland last Wednesday for the safety of their patients and the health of their communities. They marched, chanted, passed out flyers, spoke with community members, and literally “blew the whistle” on poor management decisions they believe may be endangering their patients.
They called on CEO Jane Garcia to meet with them to address increased workloads, short staffing, longer wait times, and problems in the medical records department spreading workers too thin and ultimately diminishing the quality of care their patients deserve.
“We’re here to bring attention to the community that patient care at La Clinica is at risk due to many factors,” said Chapter President Angel Valdez. “We are short staffed, people are overworked, and there’s just not enough help to go around. We want to be able to provide quality care to our patients and communities but these issues are making it very complicated.”
“Increased workloads, an increasing number of patients, and decreased personnel has affected every department at La Clinica in every one of our clinics,” said Chapter Secretary Rosa Lutrario.


Northbay Entheogenic Freedom [link]:
** "Reefer Madness Redux", from [http://media-alliance.org/article.php?id=2431]:
USA Today devotes a surprising amount of attention to manipulating emergency room statistics to argue marijuana is more dangerous than cocaine or heroin.
Media Alliance has long argued that the presentation of statistical data without background context, or with deliberately confusing background context, allows subtle editorial advocacy, often in favor of reactive and reactionary political stances.
As a case in point, a Media News reader drew our attention to a story in USA Today that used emergency room statistics to infer that casual marijuana use is more dangerous and has more adverse health risks than people think. Writer Liz Szabo presented drug related emergency room visits statistics nationwide:
2011 - 505,000 Cocaine
2011 - 455,000 Marijuana
2011 - 258,000 Heroin
What Szabo left out of her statistical analysis was the relative total number of users of each of the 3 drugs, with marijuana usage dwarfing the use of cocaine or heroin.
When the data is analyzed including the quantity metric, (using 2010 data in a study by the NIH puvlished in the Washington Post), heroin use is 34.8 times more likely to result in an emergency trip visit for a user and cocaine is 12 times more likely. In fact, even alcohol users have a slightly higher likelihood of ending up in an emergency room.
That Szabo's chart and article don't make these distinctions conveys a deeply misleading impression to USA Today's readers.
* USA Today chart and story by Szabo [http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/27/risks-of-marijuana/10386699/?sf29269095=1]
* NIH Study from Washington Post [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/07/31/the-federal-governments-own-statistics-show-that-marijuana-is-safer-than-alcohol/]


Committee for the Study of Fascism, domestic [link], and worldwide [link]:
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING WHAT WENT ON IN FERGUSON!
** Popular Resistance Newsletter - Ferguson And Global Struggle For Justice [link]
** Community-Labor Alliance counters fascism in Ferguson, Missouri [link]
** Freedom Summer in Ferguson, Missouri, with young people organizing for worker's rights and human rights [link]
** Young #Ferguson activists, Lost Voices, who have been sleeping outdoors in protest since Mike Brown's killing woke up to a noose in their yard. (Photo 2014-08-31 by Nyle Fort)


"ALBA Expresses Solidarity with Protesters in Ferguson", 2014-08-19 from "TeleSur" [link]:
The Latin American and Caribbean bloc asked U.S. authorities to carry out a fair investigation into the death of Michael Brown.
The ALBA countries released a joint statement Tuesday expressing their "profound concern" with the violence sparked by the police killing of an unarmed black teenager, which the bloc said is a reminder of the serious racial discrimination that has yet to be resolved in the United States.
"The countries of ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance of the People of Our Americas, integrated by Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Bolivia, and various Caribbean nations) express their solidarity with the African descent communities of the United States," the statement added.
The bloc's statement calls on the U.S. government to carry out a fair and transparent investigation into the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson and demanded that security forces respect human rights when trying to control protests in the Missouri township, which has been affected by violent clashes of police against demostrators that claim justice.
​"Alba also expresses its solidarity with the familiy of Michael Brown, ase well as with the other victims of the violence that has spread throughout Ferguson," the statement said.
Hands Off Bolivarian Venezuela and ALBA! [link]

And in world news...
** Fascist Ukraine publicly punishes dissenting lawmaker who spoke against mass-killing of civilians [link]
** Fascist Ukraine death-squad murders journalist Andrey Stenin who had been reporting on mass-killing of civilians [link]

** The Economics of Ebola (EboBun) [link]

** "The Covert Origins of ISIS --Evidence exposing who put ISIS in power, and how it was done", updated 2014-09-03,
FULL REPORT [http://scgnews.com/the-covert-origins-of-isis],
VIDEO [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMjXbuj7BPI].

SYNOPSIS: In June of 2014 Al-Nusra merged with ISIS at the border between Iraq and Syria. So to review, the FSA [Free Syrian Army, the 'rebels'] is working with Al-Nusra, Al-Nusra is working with ISIS [link], and the U.S. has been sending money and weapons to the FSA even though they've known since 2012 that most of these weapons were ending up in the hands of extremists. You do the math. In that context, the sarin gas attacks of 2013 which turned out to have been committed by the Syrian rebels [link], makes a lot more sense doesn't it? If it wasn't enough that U.N. investigators [link], Russian investigators [link], and Pulitzer prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh [link] all pinned that crime on Washington's proxies, the rebels themselves threatened the West that they would expose what really happened if they were not given more advanced weaponry within one month. By the way, this also explains why Washington then decided to target Russia next. This threat was made on June 10th, 2013. In what can only be described as an amazing coincidence, just nine days later, the rebels received their first official shipment of heavy weapons in Aleppo [link].
Also see:
** ISIL completely fabricated enemy by US: Former CIA contractor [link]
** How America Made ISIS [link]


ACTION CALENDER!








SHUT DOWN URBAN SHIELD

Friday, Sept. 5th, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. 

in front of the Oakland Marriott City Center, 1001 Broadway, Oakland.

Organized by the War Resisters League as a part of the Week of Education & Action to Stop Urban Shield in Oakland. 

Join us as we converge on the Oakland Marriott! The Marriott manages the City Center for the City of Oakland, and that convention center will be the site of much Urban Shield activity.

Urban Shield is an annual SWAT team training and weapons expo that brings together local, regional, and global police-military units. It takes place every year in Oakland. This year it will take place from September 4th through the 8th.
ENOUGH! Pushing the Marriott is our first step to Stopping Urban Shield in Oakland and ending Urban Shield war games entirely. Building on growing resistance to police militarization in the US, Bay Area community organizations and the Facing Tear Gas campaign have come together to call for Oakland's non-participation in Urban Shield, community self-determination, and solidarity with global movements. Urban Shield is connected to national police militarization programs such as 1033, 1122, Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) and DHS Fusion Centers. Stopping Urban Shield is one step to roll back police militarization.

Organizations endorsing the resistance to Urban Shield so far include:

Screening of Generations in Solidarity 
Friday, September 5, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Danville Congregational Church, 989 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Danville
The film tells the story of Sister Parish's beginnings during the civil wars in Central America and how Sister Parish communities continue to struggle for justice today amid violence, globalization and environmental degradation. The documentary includes footage from our 25th Anniversary delegation, as well as interviews of Sister Parish leaders from Guatemala, El Salvador and the United States. The film serves as a powerful reminder of our shared journey, and how we can continue to stand in solidarity with each other today.
We are excited that the producer of a fantastic documentary, "Generations in Solidarity",  will be in the Bay Area for a week beginning September 2nd .
For more info see [http://generationsinsolidarity.homestead.com] and also [http://sisterparish.org]


Kick-off Rally for Measure FF (Oakland minimum wage)
Saturday, Sept. 6th,
8:30 AM
Rally @ Maxwell Park School, 4618 Allendale, Oakland
& then precinct walking :)
sponsored by: Lift Up Oakland campaign [http://www.liftupoakland.org/] [510 269 2213] [info@) liftupoakland.org]