The Fresno City Council has passed, with a 6-1 vote, an ordinance that will remove homeless people from median islands while allowing established community groups to continue using the space for their fundraisers. Bill Simon, the chairperson of the Greater Fresno American Civil Liberties Union, called the measure discriminatory.

Simon said, "Perhaps Mr. Westerlund was well intentioned when he proposed this median safety ordinance, but on its face it has a discriminatory intent and motive against poor people, especially against the homeless while protecting two popular fundraisers - The Fresno Bee Day for Children's Hospital and the Firefighters fundraiser. But, the equal protection guaranteed by the Constitution does not allow one set of rules for some people and another set for others. Equal treatment means everyone or no one. If fundraising on a median is unsafe for some, then it is unsafe for all."

Fresno City Council member Larry Westerland defended his ordinance, saying that if "somebody who wanted to, up to one time every six months, they would be able to come in and there would be a form they would fill out, a one page form, it would be like here is my name, here is the median I would like to occupy on this date, whatever that date would be. We talked about a 48 hour notice before going out there." Westerlund's ordinance would require the applicant to pay a filling fee, provide proof of insurance, and require the use of a brightly colored vest.

Read more with photos & audio

Alexis Hutchinson, a single mother from Oakland, CA, is facing up to a year in military prison for refusing to leave her son in Georgia foster care while being deployed to Afghanistan.

Fort Stewart, GA, Army officials announced four separate court martial charges against Specialist Alexis Hutchinson, the single mother of a one-year-old son who missed deployment in early November 2009 when her childcare plan fell through.

Despite assurances by military public affairs officers that the Army would work with Spc. Hutchinson and her attorneys to resolve the matter administratively, rather than through the criminal process, charges of missing movement, AWOL, dereliction of duty, and insubordinate conduct were filed on January 13th.

Spc. Hutchinson is a 21-year-old native of Oakland, CA, now facing over three years in prison, a dishonorable discharge, and the loss of custody of her infant. She has been assigned to Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, GA, since February 2008.

Military objector support group Courage to Resist is raising funds for Hutchinson's defense and circulating a petition on its website to demand that charges be dropped. Read more

Previously: Seeking time to plan for son, Army mother is arrested

Courage to Resist

January 22nd marked the 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

The January 23rd "Walk for Life" was smaller than in past years. By its own estimate, the group against reproductive choice was 20,000 to 30,000. However the San Francisco Chronicle estimated the size at "several thousand", not the "tens of thousands" that the pro-lifers claim.

More than 200 pro-choice activists, while a smaller group, had a significant presence, including music by Brass Liberation Orchestra, the Raging Grannies, a great pro-woman rapper on stage, and loud chants directed at the anti-choice demonstrators.

Their demands included affordable, accessible abortion without apology, and the elimination of insurance companies via a single payer Medicare for All style national health care system, with true universal coverage. In addition to concerns for women's healthcare, the coalition of activists demanded an end to sexual violence and rightwing terrorism. They called for civil rights for queers and immigrants.

Queer and feminist activists managed to block the "Walk for Life" march for a brief period by extending a 25-foot banner across the Embarcadero at the moment the march began. Their banner read "Religious Bigots Unwelcome in San Francisco." After police forced the pro-choice protesters off the road, they held the banner along the side where all the marchers saw it.

The Day of Action for Reproductive Justice was endorsed by many community groups, elected officials, individuals and grassroots organizations. An abbreviated list includes: California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Single Payer Now, Nursing Students for Choice - UCSF, American Federation of Teachers (AFT Local 212), and Latin American Alliance for Immigrant Rights (ALIADI). State Senator Mark Leno endorsed the action as did State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, who addressed the crowd.

Videos: 1 | 2 | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Audio: 1

There was also a "Walk For Life" in Los Altos on Januray 22nd. Linda Williams, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, adressed about 100 people, then they walked and marched through downtown Los Altos. They outnumbered their Catholic Church opponents on the opposite side of the street three-fold. Photos

Previous years of SF "Walk For Life" counter-protests: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

Hundreds of people from up and down the West Coast converged in San Francisco on January 20 to rally, march and organize to eradicate homelessness. Looking to the skies, they collectively exhaled with a giant sigh of relief when the clouds parted and the sun came out over Justin Herman Plaza just in time for a noon gathering.

The San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness and the Los Angeles Community Action Network helped fill the large plaza across from San Francisco's towering Ferry Building. These two organizations were joined by Sisters of the Road, Street Spirit, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, and the group known as Street Roots. Together they formed an action organizing team and sponsored speakers from across the US.

Following the rally, the group marched past Speaker Pelosi's office in the Federal Building then continued on to the Civic Center Plaza. Marchers sloshed through puddles left by recent thunderstorms, but as one participant pointed out, "ain't nothing tough about this compared to sleeping on the streets."

Photos: 1 | 2 | Videos: 1 | 2

Western Regional Advocacy Project | Los Angeles Community Action Network | San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness

Looking back on a life growing up in East Palo Alto, 24-year-old Re'Anita Burns cannot remember a time when there was not a monster living her backyard. The monster was a hazardous waste disposal company, Romic Technologies, with billowing smokestacks that spewed foul-smelling chemicals into this low-income community of color.

After Re'Anita and other members of Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) helped shut down the monster, The Nation hailed their victory over Romic as one of the top 10 youth activism victories of 2007.

Now, entering a second decade of community organizing, Re'Anita fights in YUCA's battle for affordable, decent housing in East Palo Alto. Giant landlord Page Mill Properties went into receivership in 2009, which led to some long overdue changes fought for by YUCA members, including improved apartment complex maintenance. However, Page Mill raised rents in violation of the city's rent stabilization ordinance before its financial collapse. Re'Anita refuses to give up on the tenants who need relief, and is working to roll back rents in Page Mill apartments.

Read the article | Youth United for Community Action

On Thursday, December 17th at 6:30pm in the Santa Cruz High School Auditorium, Joshua Hart and Bruce Appleyard will address the impacts of cars on our social lives and what can be done about it. Admission is free and open to the public.

People living on streets with heavy motor vehicle traffic are experiencing a considerable deterioration of their local social lives according to Joshua Hart, a former Santa Cruzan who recently completed research at the University of the West of England. Results suggest that residents on busy streets have less than one quarter the number of local friends compared to those living on similar streets with little traffic.

Read more | On the Level: Car Free Blog | Driven to Excess

Demonstrators staged a die-in at the feet of busy shoppers in front of one of San Francisco's busiest markets on December 5th. Posed by their side, members of satirist group "Billionaires for Wealthcare" dramatized the disparate treatment of rich and poor in America's healthcare system.

Activists for a single payer healthcare system that would provide medical care to people at all income levels said that the Stupak amendment to the US Congress' health care reform plan is an attack on women's rights, but especially on poor women's access to reproductive care. Their protest started when they fell as if dying in front of San Francisco's Ferry Building, then continued as demonstrators rose to solemnly march through the crowded farmer's market. They carried the mock coffin of a victim of poor healthcare.

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Audio: 1 | 2

On Sunday, December 6th at 3pm at the Peace Resource Center in Seaside, three members of the Watsonville Brown Berets will present about their experiences with the 2009 Pastors for Peace 20th annual Caravan to Cuba. The Caravan is a nonviolent direct action that brings literally tons and tons of aid to the island nation in open and direct defiance of the US embargo and travel ban against Cuba.

Rob Erlich, Eden Fabian, and Sandino Gomez went with the caravan this past July and spent nine days in Cuba during the 50th anniversary celebration of the revolution. They visited numerous Cuban institutions, including schools, organic gardens, community and cultural centers, clinics, research centers, and more. Read more

East Palo Alto residents surrounded city council members as they entered City Hall on December 1st. Residents of Page Mill Properties and their supporters rallied in front of the building to attempt to secure the support of council members in the tenants' long battle against mega-landlord Page Mill. As per their action plan, they surrounded the council members one by one in groups of three or four protesters. The demonstrators made their demands clear in conversations with individual council members. They asked that the city force Page Mill Properties to pay fees owed for violating the city's rent stabilization ordinance. They also politely but firmly requested that each and every council member attend an upcoming tenants meeting.

Page Mill Properties, East Palo Alto's largest landlord, has been in dispute for years with tenants whose rents they raised in violation of city laws that dictate the amount rents may be increased. In September, Page Mill failed to make a $50 million payment to Wells Fargo and a judge appointed Ward Realty Advisors to take control of Page Mill's 1,800 rental units in the city. Despite the court appointment, maintenance is still a problem in the rental units. Residents report roach infestations and broken appliances are common.

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As the traditional American Thanksgiving holiday drew near, immigrant rights groups held actions in San Francisco and Washington D.C. to expose the unjust treatment of immigrants in both congressional and senate healthcare bills.

“Hey hey, ho ho, the five year bar has go to go,” shouted Californians who came to demonstrate at Pelosi's San Francisco office from as far away as Los Angeles. In speeches, chants, and song, they urged Congress and the White House to repeal the five year waiting period for low-income legal immigrants to receive access to affordable health care. Korean-Americans made up the majority of participants and enlivened the event with traditional drumming and a circular march. They were joined by members of progressive Chinese and Spanish speaking communities.

At approximately the same hour in Washington D.C., a group of committed Asian Americans and Latinos confronted staff in the office of US Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina. Rep. Wilson has been a vocal opponent of government-subsidized health benefits to immigrants and is well-known for his outburst, "You lie!" during a speech by President Obama to a joint session of Congress. When a member of the delegation said that the congressman's policies are based on racism, one of Wilson's staff members retorted with an outburst of his own, saying "That's not true!" and turning his back on the group.

Summarizing the sentiment of the demonstrators, EunSook Lee, Executive Director of NAKASEC, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, stated: “... immigrants continue to become the scapegoats and, if not corrected, this will result in a poisoning of the health care debate and the blocking of the real progress Americans need.” NAKASEC was the key organizer of this week's bicoastal actions.

Read More | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium

In a little-noticed hearing coming up Thursday, November 19th at 7pm at Santa Cruz City Hall Chambers, the Planning Commission will continue consideration of a staff-concocted ban on all additional marijuana clubs and growhouses in Santa Cruz. The meeting will be open to the public. Only one item will be on the agenda--the Marijuana Club Ban,--continued from an earlier Commission meeting two weeks ago.

The result of a New Club Ban would be to give a monopoly inside City limits to the two existing clubs-- Greenway Compassionate Relief Inc. and Santa Cruz Patients Collective. Read more

Previous Indybay Coverage: Prohibition on New Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Passed by Santa Cruz City Council

On November 10th, the Stanislaus County District Attorney was not interested in anything less than a misdemeanor conviction against two volunteers arrested for offering syringe exchange, and harm reduction services in the Airport District of Modesto. In an act of punishment and criminalization of public health service, the District Attorney offered the defendants a plea bargain that included jail time, three years probation, and a "Stay Away Order," requiring them to stay out of the park where they were arrested. The stay away order was added the day after defendants began conducting syringe clean-ups and public education about safe disposal in the Mono Park area.

The Mono Park 2 assert that, "the D.A. keeps sending the wrong message LOUD & CLEAR: the lives of users, residents and workers in this community are not worth protecting from accidental needle sticks, disease or injury. In the mean time, the user's worst nightmares of disease or injury, a parent's worst thought of their child getting stuck, and the risk to park and public safety workers looms over Mono Park." In addition to the public health concerns, the "stay away" order on defendants' records would appear as if they were child molesters, abusers or drug dealers -- all of which would have a variety of negative consequences in their future.

Read more | Syringe Exchange Defendants Prepare for Battle in Modesto | Busted for Handing Out Clean Needles | Interview with "Modesto Mono Park 2" | Off The Streets Project