Feature Archives

In conjunction with hundreds of demonstrations around the U.S., Bay Area CODEPINK Women for Peace marked the 3,000th U.S. combat death in Iraq with a planned walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. The San Francisco contingent was met by law enforcement who told them that the bridge was private property and they were not allowed to walk across it. According to eyewitness and arrestee Janet Weil: "Ten of us, eight women and two men, were arrested after a two-and-a-half hour "stand-in" at the southern end of the bridge. The charge: "trespassing on the Golden Gate Bridge" even though it is a public bridge, AND we never were permitted to set foot on the bridge until, ironically, we were arrested by the CHP." Audio From KPFA Report

A cameraman from News 7 San Franciso was assaulted by the police, who pushed his camera back into his face, injuring his eye and damaging the camera. As the cameraman was taken to the hospital ,the police officer invoved covered his badge number.

Keith McHenry, co-founder of the international Food Not Bombs movement, will be a guest on The Wake Up Call Show at 8:30am on Sunday, December 17th on 101.1 FM, streaming live at www.freakradio.org and archived at www.huffsantacruz.org/brb.html .

McHenry's decade-long struggle with repressive authorities in San Francisco and Santa Cruz contributed significantly to winning the right to serve free food to visibly poor people in public places. McHenry now lives in Arizona and has been in contact with hundreds of local Food Not Bombs groups across the country.

On Friday, December 15th, US District Judge Jeremy Fogel said that the State of California's lethal injection protocol may be unconstitutional. In his 17-page decision, Fogel urged Governor Schwarzenegger to immediately address "significant problems" with the state's lethal injection procedures before executions can resume on the nation's largest death row. Fogel's decision stems from a challenge by convicted rapist and murderer, Michael Morales, that California's lethal injection protocol violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Most death sentences in the US are carried out through lethal injection. Florida has suspended executions after a medical examiner said the insertion of the needles when Angel Nieves Diaz was put to death this week was botched. Governor Jeb Bush has said that he will not sign any death warrants until the panel that is investigating the state's death process completes its final report.

Oakland, Ca - Bill Shiebler, who is the President of the University of California Student Association (UCSA), released a statement in response to the recent police brutality against students at the UC and the Police Brutality Resolution that was passed at the UCSA Board on November 18th, 2006. On October 18th, 2006 during a demonstration at UC Santa Cruz, the police used batons and pepper sprays indiscriminately and without warning against students. On November 14th, 2006 UCLA Campus Police officers used their tasers several times against UCLA student Mostafa Tabatabainejad at the Powell Library.

The Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal met on Saturday morning, December 2nd, to discuss news in the struggle to free Mumia. It has been announced that oral arguments will be presented in a hearing in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals early in 2007. On Saturday, December 9th, people all over the world marked the 25th year of Mumia's incarceration. There will be events in San Jose, Berkeley, and San Francisco on that date. The Mobe also discussed several events that will take place in February, as Lynne Stewart and Michael Ratner will be touring the Bay Area.

On Tuesday December 12th San Francisco activists engaged in a noontime protest condemning Pelosi's vote against Mumia.

Thursday, December 7th was a day of Green Scare Awareness. The Green Scare includes the tactics that the US government, via its law enforcement organizations, is using to attack the ELF/ALF (Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front).

On December 7th, there was an event at Station 40 in SF. The evening included a potluck dinner, letter writing, and screening of films about Green Scare prisoners. On December 8th, a Green Scare Solidarity Action was scheduled for the CAFE Infoshop in Fresno. There were to be a 5pm teach-in with letter writing, and at 7:30pm, performers such as Ryan Harvey and Marc Gunnery of the Riot Folk collective.

CAPS is throwing a Sunday, December 3rd benefit show with speakers to observe the International Day of Solidarity With Political Prisoners at Balazo 18 Gallery, 2183 Mission St, San Francisco, with doors at 5pm. The evening will include the bands Eskapo, Masacre, Myth of Progress, Chest Full of Arrows, and Slash & Burn; speakers about the Green Scare, the Black Panther Grand Juries, Oaxaca/San Salvador Atenco (Mexico), Palestine, and the Philippines; as well as an art display by local artists. All proceeds will go towards prisoner support.