Community Forum in Response to Oakland Police Riot at Port of Oakland Picket

ENDING POLICE VIOLENCE: AT THE PORT AND IN OUR COMMUNITIES

AN OAKLAND COMMUNITY FORUM

First Congregational Church of Oakland
2501 Harrison Street
Monday, April 28, 2003
Doors at 6:30PM Forum at 7:00PM

Victims of the April 7 violence at the Port of Oakland will speak, and videotape of the incident will be shown. Speakers will include representatives of

* International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local10
* Central Labor Council of Alameda County
* National Lawyer's Guild
* PUEBLO (a Police Watchdog Group)
* Global Exchange
* Green Party of Alameda County
* People's Non-Violent Response Coalition

Speakers will put forward policy proposals concerning the reform of the Oakland Police Department in anticipation of the City Council Public Safety Committee hearing on April 29. Proposals will include:

* A genuinely independent investigation of the Police Department and City Officials;
* The firing of those responsible for the police misconduct;
* An investigation of the role of the Port of Oakland, and the companies based there, in the decision to break up the protest;
* Strengthening the citys Citizens' Police Review Board;
* The need for an apology for the deceitful portrayals of the protestors by the Oakland Police Department;
* Encoding respect for nonviolent pickets in the law.

Most importantly, by drawing parallels between the OPD's inappropriate behavior at the Port on April 7 and it?s documented behavior in the city's poorer communities, we will discuss what we want in a police force.

We have joined with the Oakland City Council in its call for a nonviolent response to conditions in the Middle East. We now ask the City Council to join with us in calling for a nonviolent response to conditions in the city of Oakland. Use of force by the Police, like all use of force, should be rare and judicious. We therefore call for a team of Peacekeepers, not a violent force, on the streets of Oakland.

PRESS CONTACT: Kenny Mostern, 510-268-9979; 510-593-9831 (cell)

Flyer in .pdf format is attached.

Please share this information widely!