Feature Archives

UPDATE 7/9: Police raid Occupy ICE SF.

On July 2, "Block ICE" protesters set up a chain link and barbed wire fence in front of the main entrance to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building in San Francisco. Later, tents went up in front of metal gates used by buses transporting detained immigrants. A core group of protesters are now staying around the clock at the encampment. A statement released by occupiers reads, "We are also standing against a system of border imperialism that makes arbitrary definitions of citizenship".

Demonstrators decrying Trump's policy of separating immigrant children from their parents were in the streets throughout the month of June. An even larger wave of protest hit on June 30, a national day of action, with rallies held locally in dozens of Northern California cities. One of the largest protests was at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond, the only ICE detention center in the Bay Area.

In a 5-to-4 decision, the Supreme Court’s conservative justices wrote that even considering all of President Trump’s anti-Muslim statements about the travel ban, the order should be upheld. Reaction was swift in the San Francisco Bay area; emergency protests were held San Francisco, San José, and other cities across the U.S. within hours of the announcement.

OneFam in West Oakland is a community-based organization that includes Bikes 4 Life and the 7th Street Rev Cafe, with roots going back to the Oscar Grant movement. Over the last decade, the Black community in West Oakland has faced massive displacement as gentrifying forces steamrolled through the neighborhood. And, now, OneFam is fighting imminent eviction. Solidarity BBQs on 7th Street are happening every Saturday afternoon, starting June 9.

On May 24, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón announced that he will not be filing charges against the police officers who murdered Mario Woods in 2015 and Luis Góngora Pat in 2016. The following evening, protesters expressed their disgust with the decision by shutting down traffic near the Mission District police station. A series of protests have been held in front of Gascón's house.

Kiilu Nyasha was loved and cherished around the world. She was a San Francisco-based journalist and former member of the Black Panther Party (BPP). Kiilu, 78, passed away on April 10. A memorial service is being organized by Kiilu’s close family and friends for Sunday, May 20. Beloved friends, family, comrades, and admirers of Kiilu are welcome to a community gathering that celebrates Kiilu’s life and principled pursuit of liberation for all oppressed peoples.

Justice Teams Network launched on May 2 to build power against systemic State Violence in all its forms. The Network is a statewide coalition of rapid response organizations across the state of California that will mobilize communities to respond radically to state violence. The Network will focus heavily on legislation as well as a public information campaign around the Police Officer’s Bill of Rights, the single largest obstacle to police accountability.