Oakland City Council Honors Judi Bari with Her Own Day : Indybay

The city of Oakland has gone from proclaiming Judi Bari to be a terrorist to honoring her with her own official city day. This remarkable turnaround was proclaimed yesterday, May 20, in the chambers of the Oakland City Council nearly a year after a jury award Bari's estate along with fellow activist Darryl Cherney $4.4 million for violations of their civil rights committed by Oakland Police and FBI agents thirteen years ago. Bari and Cherney were falsely accused of car-bombing themselves while on a musical organizing tour for Redwood Summer 1990. The First Annual Judi Bari Day of Oakland will take place this Sat., May 24 at 11:30 am and consist of a quiet anniversary gathering at the site of the bombing at Park Blvd. and MacArthur in Oakland, in front of Oakland High School. The resolution follows below.

Activist Darryl Cherney, who was riding with Judi Bari the day a car bomb almost killed her noted that in these days of the war on terror, "The government can not be trusted to decide who is a terrorist and who is not in many cases." Cherney said, "There is a political agenda that the federal government follows in declaring peaceful activists to be terrorists while anti-abortion groups and the Ku Klux Klan remain unscathed. Thankfully, the City of Oakland has righted a wrong. They should do this more often, like in the case of the activists who were shot by police at the port of Oakland during a peaceful anti-war rally. It's OK to admit you're wrong and make amends."

Cherney presented the Oakland City Council with a statue of "Gaia," the ancient Greek Goddess representation of the living, breathing Mother Earth. He said that she would be watching over them as they make their decisions about school closures and police brutality. The statue is the work of Oberon Ravenheart of Mythic Images in Sonoma County.

OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL



RESOLUTION NO.    C. M. S.



INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBERS    Nancy J. Nadel



Resolution to Declare May 24, 2003 as Judi Bari Day in the City of Oakland



WHEREAS, Judi Bari was a dedicated activist, who worked for many social and environmental causes, the most prominent being the protection and stewardship of California's ancient redwood forests; and



WHEREAS, examples of Judi Bari's efforts include the preservation of the Headwaters Forest in Humboldt County, the protection of the Cahto Wilderness area and the Albion River Watershed in Mendocino County, and the formation of a timber worker-environmentalist alliance; and



WHEREAS, prominent environmental activist David Brower stated on the occasion of her untimely death from cancer at the age of 47, Judi always projected an unwavering commitment to her values and her continued urgings to affect apathy into action. We will miss her commitment and compassion, her strength, courage and conviction. We can honor her by sharing it; and



WHEREAS, on May 24, 1990, Judi Bari was the victim of a car bombing in Oakland that nearly took her life; now therefore be it



RESOLVED, that the City of Oakland shall designate May 24 as Judi Bari Day and celebrate and honor the work of Judi Bari in advancing the causes of forest protection, eco-feminism, labor organizing, bridge building between environmentalists and timber workers, and civil rights for political activists; and be it



FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City shall encourage its schools, civic institutions and citizens to memorialize Judi Bari's work through art, media, festivals, school assignments and other creative means.



IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,    , 2003



PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:



AYES: BROOKS, BRUNNER, CHANG, NADEL, QUAN, REID, WAN AND PRESIDENT DE LA FUENTE,



NOES:



ABSENT:



ABSTENTION:



ATTEST:    CEDA FLOYD


City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the City of Oakland, California