Feature Archives

4/16: Today, with Passover beginning at sundown, protesters led by Jews For A Free Palestine and supporters marched to the Israeli Consulate. They took over the lobby and interrupted business as usual demanding: 1) an end to the genocidal war on the Palestinian people, 2) an end to the occupation and all settlements, 3) the upholding of the international human rights of all Palestinians, including the right of refugees to return home. A group of twelve Jewish protesters attempted to deliver these demands to the Consulate but were denied entrance. Organizers chose this day to shut down the Israeli Consulate because, in the words of one participant, "It is impossible to celebrate Passover while the war on the Palestinian people continues to escalate. 205 children have been murdered in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip, in the last two months alone." Details

Latest update: More than 30 detained, crowd still vibrant and strong
4/14: In a show of continued resistance to an increasingly belligerent Bush Administration, individuals and affinity groups associated with the Direct Action to Stop the War network vowed to shut down one of the leading beneficiaries of the invasion of Iraq and the alleged "War on Terrorism," Chevron-Texaco. The massive corporation has been implicated in the destruction of communities both locally and abroad.
Photo: 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| Video: 1 | 2

Background | Fact sheet (pdf) | Project Underground on Chevron-Texaco | Oilwatch

Despite heavy rain, an increasingly jingoistic US press, and threats of violence from Willie Brown, nearly ten thousand protesters took to the streets of San Francisco to protest US colonial ambitions in Iraq. Video: 1 Photos: 1 | 2| 3

The US is continuing to massacre thousands of Iraqis, leaving cities without clean water and allowing hospitals to get looted while protecting the Iraqi Oil Ministry. Israel has told the Palestinians to "learn from Iraq" which suggests that IDF attacks on civilians will only get worse. This week, the Israeli Defense Force killed Thomas Hurndall,an ISM activist from the UK, who was in Gaza to promote peace. Everyday innocent Palestinians die and the world hardly notices.

Legal Solidarity Needed:4/8, 5pm: Four protesters are still being held, as police fail to provide the D.A. with the necessary reports to process their cases. 4/8 Legal Update, 4/7 Legal Update.

4/7: Anti-War demonstrators arrived around 5AM at the port of Oakland to picket American President Lines (APL) and Stevedoring Services of America (SSA). APL receives millions of taxpayer dollars every year for shipping military cargo through the Department of Defense Maritime Security Program (MSP). SSA was awarded a $4.8 million contract for a year's operation of the Port of Umm Qasr in Iraq.

The picket line was successful in provoking the ILWU into sending many of its workers home for the day. After approximately 30 minutes, the Oakland Police Department moved in to disperse the demonstrators, using concussion grenades , wooden bullets, and beanbags full of metal shot. Scores of people, including six onlooking workers, suffered injuries and Jack Heyman (Business Agent, ILWU Local 10) was arrested with over 35 other protesters and port workers.

Police violence quickly forced protesters back to the West Oakland BART station and there was then a spirited march downtown to the Oakland Federal Building. A press conference was held at 2:30 in front of City Hall to address issues of police violence towards workers and protesters.

Strong anti-war sentiments by longshoremen combined with disgust at OPD violence kept large portions of the Oakland docks shut down for most of the day, but as would be expected Mayor Jerry Brown defended the police brutalization of protesters.

Photos:   1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10   Reports:   1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9   Video:   1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Groups of 10 people started from Justin Herman plaza (mix of 9 Iraqi civilians and 1 US soldier) and wandered downtown SF (both the financial and shopping district) for a few hours. They took their antiwar message into shopping centers, banks, building lobbies, and BART stations.
Report | Video

4/7: Nine students were arrested this morning while shutting down Interstate 280. At approximately 8:30 am a few of the students dropped a large banner off the Ocean Avenue overpass with a peace sign on it that simply read "No War." Six students with lockboxes then moved out on to the freeway and successfully shut down all northbound lanes of traffic, with the exception of the fast lane/shoulder. Other students wandered amongst the stuck motorists handing out orange juice, doughnuts, and this morning's chronicle, which had a headline about the United State's invasion of Baghdad, explaining to motorists that the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq was the reason for the lockdown. The students were arrested are reportedly being held on conspiracy charges at the Hall of Injustice. Full Story | Video

There were also over a dozen arrests Monday during protests at the San Francisco Federal Building (video) and at the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

4/5:With over a thousand civilian casualties already reported in Iraq (and well over ten times as many dead Iraqi soldiers), Oakland took to the streets Saturday to demand an end to US aggression. Two feeder marches (one from UC Berkeley and another from MacArthur BART) met up with a rally at Mosswood Park. After about an hour of music and speakers, the crowd marched up Telegraph to Frank Ogawa Plaza. The rally and march were organized by the April 5th Coalition for Peace and Justice, an ad hoc coalition of groups representing labor, community, peace, civil rights and students.
Video:   1 | Photos:   1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14