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https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/12/12/18861062.php
Taking Direct Action Against US Support for Israel's War on GazaActions for Gaza: Blockades, Occupations, Banner Drops, Graffiti, Smashed Windows, Sabotage2023-12-12T10:44:39Z2023-12-12T10:44:39Zen-US
Israel would not be able to continue its genocidal war on Gaza without military and political support from the United States. The US provides Israel weaponry and munitions to carry out its onslaught. The US feeds the IDF military intelligence gained via satellites and drones flying over Gaza. The US covers for Israel on the global stage with UN Security Council vetoes against ceasefire resolutions. US businesses profit from the current war and never-ending occupation.
Taking local resistance to the next level, protesters in Northern California have engaged in a number of direct actions aimed at disrupting business as usual, targeting those most responsible, and raising the profile of the call to free Palestine. While President Biden was in San Francisco for the APEC Summit, activists shut down all westbound lanes of the Bay Bridge, and others hung a banner on Highway 101 between the airport and San Francisco. A US military vessel destined to deliver weaponry to Israel was blocked from leaving the Port of Oakland for the better part of a day. The San Francisco office of US defense contractor Lockheed Martin was locked down. Communiqués posted on Indybay claim sabotage of train lines in multiple cities, as well as a water main at a pro-IDF fundraiser. Others have taken it upon themselves to smash windows of a military recruiter, banks, and businesses with ties to the Israeli war machine. Banner drops and graffiti in solidarity with the Palestinian people have gone up all over.
Related Features: Millions Stand Up Worldwide in Solidarity with Palestine |
Israel Decimates Gaza, Nearly 2M Palestinians Displaced |
BDS Protesters Block the Boat, Prevent Unloading of Israeli Ship (2021)]]>Anti-War and MilitarismArts + ActionCaliforniaCentral ValleyCity of San FranciscoEast Bay AreaFront PageGlobal Justice and Anti-CapitalismInternationalPalestineU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/12/08/18860974.php
Millions Stand Up Worldwide in Solidarity with PalestineLargest Ever Pro-Palestine Marches in NorCal Demand End to US Aid for Israel's War on Gaza2023-12-09T07:58:16Z2023-12-09T07:58:16Zen-US
In two months, more than 17,000 Gazans have been killed, tens of thousands wounded, huge swaths of infrastructure turned into rubble, and the vast majority of the population displaced, on the verge of famine and widespread disease. And yet, on December 8, the US once again used its UN Security Council veto on behalf of the State of Israel, blocking a ceasefire motion that had the support of over 100 countries. The carnage in Gaza continues, with only a fraction of desperately needed humanitarian supplies allowed into the territory.
Millions of people worldwide are standing in solidarity with Palestinians, starting with emergency rallies the day Israel's relentless bombing in Gaza began. Marches and rallies have continued ever since, demanding a ceasefire, the end of US military support for Israel, and that Palestine be freed once and for all. Every week there are more protests in cities large and small, including in many that have never seen a pro-Palestinian demonstration. City governments in Richmond and Oakland have passed motions urging a ceasefire. In San Francisco, tens of thousands have marched against Israel's war on Gaza.
Related Features: Taking Direct Action Against US Support for Israel's War on Gaza |
Israel Decimates Gaza, Nearly 2M Palestinians Displaced ]]>Anti-War and MilitarismCentral ValleyCity of San FranciscoFront PageInternationalPalestinePeninsulaSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay AreaSouth Bay AreaU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/10/31/18859989.php
Climate Activists Call for Escalation in the Fight for the FutureThree Activists Detained at Climate Protest for Crossing Beale Air Force Base Gate2023-11-01T06:34:25Z2023-11-01T06:34:25Zen-US
At sunrise on October 19, youth climate activists gave a speech decrying the imperialist military-industrial complex, responsible for countless ecological atrocities, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. The speech started with a youth activist giving a statement of solidarity with the people of Palestine and saying that the climate crisis can only be won when everyone is free, including the people of Palestine. Another youth activist called out Beale Air Force Base commander Geoffery Church for his empty promises about "listening to the community" and wanting to make a base that works on "community values." The youth activist declared the entire US military an imperialist machine that destroys the environment and is inherently antithetical to community values.
A call went out for an immediate escalation in the fight for the future. Four activists, banners in hand, then marched across the demarcation line at the Schneider gate of Beale Air Force Base. Military police attempted to forcibly remove the activists from the base by shoving and pushing them back towards the line. Three were detained and marched into the gate building, where they were held for over an hour. Outside of the gate, eight other climate activists renewed the blockade in front of the now-closed gate and held the line until those detained were released. Two were charged with trespassing.
Three Activists Detained at Climate Protest at Beale Air Force Base |
Wells Fargo's Fossil Fuel Investments Protested in Market Street Action]]>Anti-War and MilitarismCaliforniaCentral ValleyEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/09/29/18859257.php
Thousands March in Sacramento to Demand End of Fossil FuelsCalifornia Climate Justice Actions in Coordination with Massive New York City March2023-09-30T03:03:23Z2023-09-30T03:03:23Zen-US
Showing that activism can be effective, California's Governor Gavin Newsom's administration has sued the major oil companies for the damage caused by fossil fuel induced global warming and for knowingly deceiving, for decades, the public about the dangers. Nonetheless, while Newsom and Biden tout their environmental bone fides, both have issued thousands of oil drilling permits.
From the tenor of the demands expressed by the many organizations participating the event, it was clear that the environmental movement will not settle for a nicer, "greener" oil industy. They want an end to fossil fuel use. Totally.
On May 25, the California Senate Budget Committee, in a 3-0 vote, temporarily blocked Gavin Newsom's legislative plan, ending the proposal for this legislative year.
California Senate Committee Blocks Governor's Plan to Gut Environmental Law |
Governor guts landmark environmental law to expedite the salmon-killing Delta Tunnel |
CalMatters analysis of proposal
]]>CaliforniaCentral ValleyEast Bay AreaEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageGovernment & ElectionsNorth Bay / Marinimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/05/25/18856338.php
May Day 2023 Marches and Rallies Demand Dignity and EqualityNorthern California Marks International Workers Day for Labor and Immigrant Rights2023-05-26T06:06:07Z2023-05-26T06:06:07Zen-US
In San José, union members and allies gathered from throughout the South Bay and beyond, then took to the streets for their annual march. "Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportation!" was one of many chants heard along the annual march from Roosevelt Park to Plaza de Cesar Chavez. With flags and banners, union enthusiasts took over major San Jose downtown streets along a route that went past City Hall.
In Fresno, around 200 people marched through downtown to advocate immigrants' rights. The march was organized by the Coalición 1 de Mayo and supported by many community groups, including the Dolores Huerta Foundation and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).
Related Feature: May Day Marches Return to the Bay Area (2021)
]]>Central ValleyCity of San FranciscoFront PageImmigrant RightsInternationalLabor & WorkersSouth Bay Areaimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/04/17/18855508.php
Oil Companies Greenwash Reputations Through the News MediaBig Oil Sponsors Dinners and Awards for California Journalists, Gets Favorable Mentions2023-04-18T02:28:14Z2023-04-18T02:28:14Zen-US
Further examples abound. The WSPA sponsored a "media dinner" in Sacramento on February 28 as part of a business conference known as "BizFed Sacramento Days." Speakers at the dinner included editors and bureau chiefs from the the Sacramento Bee, the LA Times, and the Orange County Register.
And, when the Sacramento Press Club announced that the WSPA would be the "Lede Sponsor" of their Journalism Awards Reception on March 29, the press club wrote, "WSPA is dedicated to guaranteeing that every American has access to reliable energy options through socially, economically and environmentally responsible policies and regulations." That greenwashing language was lifted directly from WSPA's own public relations copy on their website.
Meanwhile, Big Oil spends millions of dollars lobbying California politicians every economic quarter and it pays off. A total of 897 oil drilling permits have been approved since the start of the year by CalGEM, the state’s oil and gas regulator.
Read More
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https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2023/03/06/18854722.php
Activists Declare Right to Rescue Farm AnimalsProtestors Call on Merced DA to Prosecute Cruelty at Foster Farms, Not Animal RescuersMarch 7 at Merced County Superior Court.]]>2023-03-07T05:49:41Z2023-03-07T05:49:41Zen-US
In September 2021, Alicia Santurio and Alexandra Paul removed two chickens from a truck at the slaughterhouse, took them to receive veterinary care, and placed them in a sanctuary for rescued animals. The women are being charged with theft, with the trial set to begin March 7 at Merced County Superior Court.
The rescue occurred on the same day animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) released hidden camera footage obtained inside the slaughterhouse. Former slaughterhouse worker Susana Chavez, who co-organized the February protest, said, "the DA’s office isn’t lifting a finger to investigate or prosecute, opting instead to come after members of the group that blew the whistle on Foster Farms."
Related Features:UC Berkeley Graduate Student Workers Demand COLA (2020) |
UC System Wide Day of Action in Support of Fired UCSC Workers (2020) |
Strike Escalates After UCSC Fires Nearly 100 Graduate Student Workers (2020) ]]>CaliforniaCentral ValleyEast Bay AreaEducation & Student ActivismFront PageLabor & Workersimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2022/11/13/18852992.php
Fears of Nuclear War Give Rise to Nationwide ProtestsElected Leaders and Weapons Makers Urged to Deescalate Risk of Apocalypse2022-11-14T01:24:51Z2022-11-14T01:24:51Zen-US
Defund Nuclear Defense, organizer of the October national action wrote: "Very few members of the House and Senate have risen to the occasion by speaking out and working for measures to de-escalate tensions between nuclear powers. Nor have many of them devoted serious effort to reviving negotiations for nuclear-weapons treaties and disarmament measures."
Event Announcements: San Mateo |
Berkeley |
San Francisco ]]>Anti-War and MilitarismCentral ValleyCity of San FranciscoEast Bay AreaFront PagePeninsulaimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2022/09/04/18851897.php
Anti-Fascists Fight Back at Straight Pride Rally in ModestoAlt-Right Far Outnumbered by Counter-Protesters at Central Valley Anti-Gay Demo2022-09-04T23:19:16Z2022-09-04T23:19:16Zen-US
After the opposing groups clashed for about 20 minutes, police in body armor stepped in with tactical gear and declared the scene an "unlawful assembly", justifying their action by saying that a shrub was lit on fire and that fights had broken out. Police cleared the area near the Planned Parenthood using pepper ball guns, but not before supporters of reproductive rights faced off with a police line, shouting at them. There were several arrests.
Read More |
Event Listing
]]>Central ValleyFront PageGlobal Justice and Anti-CapitalismLGBTI / QueerPolice StateWomynimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2022/03/04/18848387.php
Russia Moves to Take All of Ukraine by Military ForceUkrainians Resist Invasion, World Responds with Protests, Sanctions, and Weapons2022-03-04T22:20:52Z2022-03-04T22:20:52Zen-US
The Ukrainian government did not collapse upon the first presence of Russian troops. Instead, a strong Ukrainian commitment to resistance arose. Russia has yet to take the capital Kyiv, but is increasing attacks on civilian centers as it assumes control of other Ukrainian cities in the north, east, and south. In response, Western nations have imposed increasing levels of sanctions on Russia and its elite, while NATO countries specifically are providing a steady stream of weaponry to Ukraine.
Bay Area Ukrainians and those in solidarity with them protested in San Francisco on February 26 and 27. Many of them agree with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's calls for maximal NATO involvement. On March 6, Code Pink and other anti-war organizations have called for a Global Day of Action to protest the invasion, while also pointing to NATO expansion on Russia's border as having contributed to the crisis. The complicated politics of the invasion have exposed rifts across the political spectrum and led to some odd alliances. As the danger of a wider war looms, no one is sure how it can be stopped or where exactly it all ends.
Related Feature: Fascist Coup Attempt Fails to Overthrow Presidential Election Results]]>CaliforniaCentral ValleyCity of San FranciscoEast Bay AreaFront PageGovernment & ElectionsNorth Bay / MarinPeninsulaU.S.image/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/09/27/18845239.php
Bay Area Rejects Texas Anti-Abortion LawDozens of Pro-Choice Protests Hit Northern California, Along with Nationwide ActionsIndybay has coverage from a dozen cities.]]>2021-09-28T04:07:02Z2021-09-28T04:07:02Zen-US
Two national days of action, October 2 and October 3, were both designated as days for street protests and informational zoom meetings. Activists said they will not stop after the weekend of actions but will continue with sustained protests to demand an end to the dangerous, escalating attacks on reproductive rights and freedoms in the U.S.
Related Feature: Bay Area Marches to Protect Women's Rights (2020)
]]>CaliforniaCentral ValleyCity of San FranciscoEast Bay AreaFront PageGovernment & ElectionsNorth Bay / MarinPeninsulaSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay AreaSouth Bay AreaWomynimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/08/17/18844356.php
Protest for Better Treatment of the Homeless Held at Fresno City HallActivists Set Up Tents and Demonstrate for Alternatives to Being on the Streets2021-08-17T21:44:16Z2021-08-17T21:44:16Zen-US
One of the activists at City Hall was Gordie Ochinero-Bermudez, who recently got media attention for doing a 450-mile bike ride to raise money for porta-potties for Fresno’s homeless. Ochinero was herself homeless for a time, and she has had mental health issues. She thinks mental illness is common among homeless people and should be treated. In fact, she thinks this is key.
“There's a core to the problem, and it's not addiction, it's not homelessness, it's mental health,” Ochinero said. “We have to go to that core. You can put them in shelters all day long, but you're not going to be successful unless you have help there and support and resources and an AA meeting, a therapist. Somebody who can go in there and say, ‘Hey, do you take medication? Do you have a dog? Hey, let us get your dog in a shelter.’ Like do the things that are going to help them emotionally, mentally."
Read More with Photos]]>Central ValleyFront PageGovernment & ElectionsHealth, Housing, and Public Servicesimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/07/27/18844024.php
New Wolf Pack Confirmed in California’s Plumas CountyPhotographs of 'Beckwourth' Pack Captured on Trail Camera2021-07-28T05:33:10Z2021-07-28T05:33:10Zen-US
“With states like Idaho and Montana racing to slaughter their wolf populations, this is such wonderful news,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior West Coast wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “These beautiful newcomers are proving that California has great habitat for wolves, as scientists have said all along.”
California currently has two other existing groups of wolves: the Lassen pack, confirmed in 2017, and the Whaleback pair, which is not yet a pack, confirmed in late 2020. California’s only other known wolf pack in modern times, the Shasta pack, was confirmed in summer 2015 but disappeared a few months later.
See Also:Wolf Update: California’s Lassen Pack Grows ]]>Animal LiberationCaliforniaCentral ValleyEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront Pageimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/04/30/18842039.php
May Day Marches Return to the Bay AreaInternational Workers' Day 2021 Filled with Marches, Rallies, and Direct Actions2021-05-01T06:51:09Z2021-05-01T06:51:09Zen-US
This year, beginning to emerge from a deadly year-long pandemic, actions marking May Day across Northern California demanded worker rights, housing for all, and racial justice, expressing solidarity with the Chilean general strike. Marches and rallies were held in San Francisco, Oakland, San José, and Fresno. In Oakland, a vacant house was reclaimed to highlight real estate speculator greed and a nighttime march which called for abolishing the police was met with a large and aggressive police presence. In Alameda, protesters rallied outside the homes of those who called police on Mario Gonzalez, leading to his death in April. A "Love Over Hate Unity march and rally" was held in Mountain View. Online events examined the history of May Day, celebrated social justice struggles, and looked back at America's imperialist war in Vietnam.
Announcement of the grand jury's decision led to national outrage and multiple protests in the San Francisco Bay Area's larger cities of Oakland and San Francisco, but also in smaller cities including Menlo Park on the Peninsula. In the Central Valley city of Fresno, protesters gathered in front of the Unitarian Universalist Church, a frequent venue for protests, for a vigil in Breonna Taylor's honor.
Related Feature: Protests Grow As Coronavirus Spreads Among Prisoners at San Quentin]]>Central ValleyFront PageHealth, Housing, and Public ServicesPolice StateWomynimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/07/23/18835285.php
Joaquin Murrieta and the Road to Three RocksArroyo de Cantua: History is Seldom a Straight Road2020-07-23T19:18:12Z2020-07-23T19:18:12Zen-US
White settler colonizers soon concluded that California had to become a part of the United States, although it was unclear whether it would be a slave or free state. They also had to rid the land of the Miwoks, who for three thousand years, had occupied the Sierra landscape surrounding the richest veins of ore.
Next, they turned to the “Mexicans” and other Spanish speakers, but that would require the creation of a myth. They needed a ruthless bandit who could simultaneously appear in distinct and distant locations, steal horses and valuables and allegedly kill a few defenseless settlers.
Read More |
En Español]]>Central ValleyFront PageLabor & Workersimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/07/21/18835239.php
Justice for Vanessa Mural and Vigil in FresnoMurder of Vanessa Guillen: From Me Too to George Floyd2020-07-22T02:32:26Z2020-07-22T02:32:26Zen-US
Specialist Guillen was a 20-year-old soldier in the U.S. Army who was killed by a male soldier at Fort Hood, Texas, on April 22. Her remains weren’t found until June 30. The killer was apparently 20-year-old Specialist David Robinson. Robinson killed himself July 1 as investigators were on the way to speak with him. Robinson’s girlfriend Cecily Aguilar admitted she helped Robinson dispose of Guillen’s body.
Guillen told members of her family she was being sexually harassed. In the context of the Me-Too movement and the groundswell of protest against the killing of George Floyd, the public is making connections, and Guillen’s death has been met with great concern.
Read More
]]>Anti-War and MilitarismCentral ValleyFront PageRacial JusticeWomynimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/27/18834653.php
Juneteenth Becomes Huge Event NationwideLargest Juneteenth Demonstrations Ever in the Bay Area and Beyond2020-06-27T19:09:14Z2020-06-27T19:09:14Zen-US
Among the many Bay Area protests was a march from the San Francisco Embarcadero building to a rally at City Hall. After speeches and 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence, nearly a thousand marchers proceeded down Market Street to City Hall.
In Oakland, the ILWU shut down the port along with others up and down the West Coast. Thousands marched from the port to Oakland police headquarters and then rallied in front of City Hall. Numerous other marches and rallies were held in Oakland. Santa Cruz and other Northern California cities marched in large numbers as well. In Palo Alto and Fresno, protesters painted "BLM" and "Black Lives Matter" in huge letters in the street in front of their City Halls.
Related Features: Oakland Youths Protest to Rid Schools of Police |
Uprisings Explode Across the Country After Murder of George Floyd |
Juneteenth Rally For Immigrant Rights (2006)]]>Central ValleyCity of San FranciscoEast Bay AreaFront PageImmigrant RightsPeninsulaPolice StateRacial JusticeSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay Areaimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/06/03/18833704.php
Uprisings Explode Across the Country After Murder of George FloydBay Area George Floyd Protests Met with Police Tear Gas, Projectiles, and Curfews2020-06-04T01:57:56Z2020-06-04T01:57:56Zen-US Anti Police-Terror Project wrote: If you are watching what’s unfolding in Minneapolis, you may be wondering why people break social distancing guidelines to protest police violence. The Minneapolis Police Department, like police departments across the country, have a long and bloody history of the killing of Black bodies including Jamar Clark and Philando Castile. And here in the Bay Area, we are still reeling from the murder of Steven Taylor in San Leandro and the shooting of one Black person and one Chicanx by the Hayward Police Department.
The largest demonstrations have been held in the Oakland and San Francisco, but there have been protests big and small in the cities of Walnut Creek, Mountain View, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Redwood City. In the South Bay city of San Jose, police responded to demonstrations with flashbang grenades, tear gas, and crowd control projectiles. In addition to the Bay Area, there have been Central Valley protests in Bakersfield and Fresno. Thousands have protested in coastal Santa Cruz County.
Fresno: Vigil for George Floyd in Fresno
]]>Central ValleyCity of San FranciscoEast Bay AreaFront PageGlobal Justice and Anti-CapitalismHealth, Housing, and Public ServicesPeninsulaPolice StateRacial JusticeSanta Cruz / Monterey Bay AreaSouth Bay AreaU.S.image/png
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/08/18832187.php
California Approves New Fracking During COVID-19 PandemicCOVID-19 Targets Communities with Respiratory Illnesses from Air Pollution2020-04-09T00:42:41Z2020-04-09T00:42:41Zen-US
Fracking opponents strongly condemned the approval of new fracking permits at a time that the state is virtually shut down, and people are dying everyday from the COVID-19 virus. In a statement, Food & Water Action California Director Alexandra Nagy blasted Governor Newsom in response to the approval of new fracking operations during a pandemic.
“By allowing a sudden return to fracking in the state, Governor Newsom has shown his true oily colors,” said Nagy. “Despite his pledges to ban fracking and bring California into a clean energy future, Newsom has quietly fallen into line with the corporate fossil fuel interests that have been polluting this state’s air and water for decades.”
Related Feature:Trump Opens 725,500 Acres of California’s Central Coast to Oil Drilling]]>Central ValleyEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageGovernment & ElectionsHealth, Housing, and Public Servicesimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/02/18832059.php
Release of ICE Detainees Demanded to Prevent Spread of Coronavirus"Honk for Justice" Car Rallies in SF, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego2020-04-02T14:50:36Z2020-04-02T14:50:36Zen-US
While following state shelter-in-place regulations, people in several cities demonstrated in vehicles on March 31, Cesar Chavez Day, with banners and messages for Governor Gavin Newsom. In Los Angeles, activists drove cars past the local ICE facilities, while in Sacramento, the car rally visited the state Capitol.
At the Honk for Justice action in San Francisco, about 50 cars with 75 people contained only shared household or close contact participants. They stopped first at ICE facilities on Sansome Street, then paused at the Federal Building which houses Nancy Pelosi's local office. At both locations, the caravan stopped for about 15 minutes while demonstrators continuously honked their horns. Members of Never Again Action, the group that coordinated the Bay Area protest, led chants with bullhorns aimed directly at Pelosi's upper floor office. At 7th and Market Streets, the San Francisco Police Department blocked the pre-planned route but protesters quickly adjusted their tactics to continue to City Hall, where they filled the plaza with vehicles plastered with messages including "Free Them All."
However, critics of the contract’s signing strongly disagree with this assessment that this land is “prime farmland,” noting that the district is located on arid, drainage-impaired land located on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Fishing groups, Tribes, conservationists, family farmers and environmental justice advocates have been pushing to retire much of this land from agricultural production for many years.
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, stated,
“At a time of unprecedented climate changes and droughts we should not be circumventing the law and promising by federal contract far more water than actually exists to one large irrigation group at the expense of others.”
See Also:Native American and Salmon Activists asks Governor, AG to Stand Against Trump Water Plan]]>CaliforniaCentral ValleyEnvironment & Forest DefenseFront PageGovernment & Electionsimage/png
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/27/18831114.php
Corruption in the Fresno Police Department Runs DeepA Dark Underbelly of Corruption in Fresno and the FPDMike Rhodes reports: My first history lesson about Fresno’s corrupt underbelly was in the late 1990s when I read Mark Arax’s book "In My Father’s Name." It is a great book about Arax’s search for the killer of his father, which dives deep into Fresno’s interesting but corrupt past. Arax, writing for the Los Angeles Times, quoted Larry Miller, a retired federal agent who busted numerous Fresno bookies with connections to the Fresno Police Department in the 1960s. “It was a rotten town with a rotten police force and the citizens didn’t mind. Their indifference was practically suffocating.”]]>2020-02-28T07:02:25Z2020-02-28T07:02:25Zen-USMike Rhodes reports: My first history lesson about Fresno’s corrupt underbelly was in the late 1990s when I read Mark Arax’s book "In My Father’s Name." It is a great book about Arax’s search for the killer of his father, which dives deep into Fresno’s interesting but corrupt past.
I remember Arax writing about Fresno Police Chief John Goehring (a relative of Herman Goehring, the Nazi field marshall). Federal agents in 1917, during a raid of the Ku Klux Klan HQ in Los Angeles, found a list of seven Fresno police officers who were KKK members. The mayor had the seven fired, but the Civil Service Board overturned the decision officially keeping racism alive and well in Fresno.
Arax, writing for the Los Angeles Times, quoted Larry Miller, a retired federal agent who busted numerous Fresno bookies with connections to the Fresno Police Department (FPD) in the 1960s. “It was a rotten town with a rotten police force and the citizens didn’t mind. Their indifference was practically suffocating.”
Now former FPD Chief Jerry Dyer wants to be the next mayor of Fresno. If elected, he will continue the good old boy connection with a corrupt past and bring that culture to the highest elected position in the city.
Related Feature: Isiah Murrietta-Golding Shot in the Back of the Head by Fresno Police]]>Central ValleyFront PageGovernment & ElectionsPolice Stateimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/24/18831033.php
Unhoused Man Pummeled by Fresno CopsHomeless Task Force Officers Brutalize Man at "Dreamers Camp" in Fresno2020-02-25T04:13:42Z2020-02-25T04:13:42Zen-US
The brutalization happened in Fresno on February 21 at a homeless encampment near West Avenue and Freeway 180. As David — the homeless person in the photo — was attempting to say "my advocate is on her way," he was thrown to the ground. After the Sargent slammed him to the ground, David was punched and all he could remember was getting hit multiple times and kicked in the head by all four officers.
Related Features:Fresno's No Camping Ordinance Criminalizes Homeless People |
What It Is Like to Be Homeless in Downtown Fresno
]]>Central ValleyFront PageHealth, Housing, and Public ServicesPolice Stateimage/jpeg
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/05/18829457.php
Northern California Rallies Against Occupation of Iraq, War with IranFollowing January 4 Demos, Organizers Call for More Protests on January 8, 9, 12, 14 & 252020-01-05T17:42:08Z2020-01-05T17:42:08Zen-US
That extrajudicial killing swelled the turnout in San Francisco while anti-war activists quickly announced similar actions at other Northern California locations. An estimated 2500 to 3000 people marched in San Francisco. A smaller, but no less energetic, contingent raised their voices in San Mateo. A diverse crowd rallied at San Jose City Hall.
ANSWER Coalition announced an emergency protest for Wednesday, January 8 at 5pm in San Francisco at Powell and Market, which drew about 100 people on very short notice.
MoveOn, Indivisible and others called for nationwide protests and vigils on Thursday, January 9, including in at least 19 Northern California locations. Over 100 people attended a vigil for peace with Iran in Fresno on January 9.
Code Pink led a No Iran War--Golden Gate Peace Walk on Sunday, January 12 at 11:45am.
Activists on the peninsula organized a half hour non-partisan, non-sectarian Peace Vigil on Tuesday, January 14 from 5pm to 5:30pm in front of Foster City City Hall (610 Foster City Blvd).
A broader range of organizations called for a Global Day of Protest on Saturday, January 25, including in San Francisco at Powell and Market at 12pm and in at least seven other Northern California locations. About 1000 people rallied and protested at Powell and Market and marched to Union Square in San Francisco. The Raging Grannies reminded people about the Kent State massacre at the San Mateo rally against War On Iran. Several hundred people marched and rallied in San Jose.