Feature Archives

Organizing against racist war hysteria began almost immediately in the Bay Area. On 09-11, 4000 in Berkeley attended a peace vigil, and another peace vigil was held in San Francisco. The next night, youth activists and people of color organized an Emergency Demo Against Racism and War. Since then, dozens of meetings have been frantically held and a number of protests, actions and education about the war is going on. San Francisco Indymedia will continue to cover these developments. Check our calendar for more events, or add your own. Here is a summary of recent and upcoming actions. However, the calendar will be the most updated place on our site for events. SF IMC News Sheet (pdf)

• SF - 10/27: Several hundred people attended a teach-in at Mission High School to hear speakers put the current crisis in perspective. The event was sponsored by A.N.S.W.E.R. A “March for Human Rights and Peace” wound through SF's Mission District. A rally took place at Dolores Park, and featured speakers and hip-hop artists. See photo montage.
  
• Sun - 10/21: Upwards of 5,000 people rallied in downtown Oakland against war and in support of Barbara Lee, the lone member of Congress to vote against giving Bush unlimited war powers. Radio host Davey D, recently fired from KMEL for inviting Lee onto his show, was MC, while Alice Walker and Danny Glover were among those who spoke. Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 KPFA | Davey D's Hip Hop Corner
  Photos: Elias Rashmawi | Richard Becker | Jaggi Singh | Crowd
• SF - 10/20: Several thousand people rallied and marched in San Francisco against the war in Afghanistan, racist attacks and the crackdown on civil liberties. Video | Photo - Read a report with comments
• Sacramento - 10/17: As President Bush sashayed into town for a meeting with elite business leaders, over 100 people gathered in Sacramento to demand an end to the bombing of Afghanistan. Police barricaded the area surrounding Memorial Auditorium, preventing the peaceful demonstration from nearing the conference; the march then proceeded through the downtown shopping district. Verbal clashes erupted as pro-war onlookers, intent on glimpsing the President, jeered the protesters. Police took one anti-war activist into custody; there were unconfirmed reports of further arrests. Following a brief stop at Travis Air Force Base, Bush departed for Shanghai, where he will promote his free trade agenda before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Full Report Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 Anti-War News
• SF - 10/8: About 3,000 people converged at Powell & Market in an emergency demo to oppose the bombing of the poorest country in the world. March photo
• SF - 9/29: An estimated 10,000 participate in massive rally and march in San Francisco's Mission District. More information.
• Berkeley - 9/20: Over 5,000 rally and march in Berkeley against racism and war. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
• SF - 9/20: More than 500 gather for town hall meeting. Read minutes.
• Berkeley - 9/18: One thousand march in downtown Berkeley. Video | Photos: 1 | 2
• Berkeley - 9/17: Huge anti-war rally at UC. Photos 1 | 2
• SF - 9/16: A rally and concert was held to call for true peace and justice, and to declare the city a Hate-Free Zone. Video. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
• Concord - 9/16: A 300-strong vigil for tolerance and peace.
• Fresno - 9/15: 400 march.
• Mendocino - 9/15: Walk for Peace
• Oakland - 9/12: Hundreds of community residents came out to participate in a rally and vigil to speak out against anti-Arab hysteria and war. Stronger Than Bombs video Read Report Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12, Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
• SF - 9/11: A vigil was held at Market and Powell. Read Report Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4, Audio
• Berkeley - 9/11: Upwards of 4,000 people attended.

The U.S. government's spotty history of corruption has led to much speculation about what really happened on September 11th. The lack of meaningful information from corporate media has fueled these discussions. One fact underplayed in the media is that Osama bin Laden was built up and funded by the U.S. Government, CIA and drug trafficking. In espionage jargon, this is called blowback. Afghanistan is also a target for the oil interests, especially Unocal. Reports of prior knowledge of the attack by U.S. officials -- in DC and in San Francisco -- has many people calling "Reichstag."

Conspiracy theories: What Really Happened.com | Mike Ruppert's Voices from the Wilderness | GW Bush on 9/11 Conspiracy Theories | Conspiracy Nation | The Truth about the 9/11 Attacks | purportal.com: the bunk stops here | Urban Legends: Rumors of War

"The reality is the police become necessary in human society only at that junction in human society where it is split between those who have and those who ain't got."
The Sep 11 plane attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center in NYC have shocked people around the world, as rescue teams work to locate bodies and return the city to some semblance of normalcy. Financial markets are plummeting. Thousands perished in the WTC and Pentagon attacks (the Red Cross and other blood centers can still use blood donations). Read a 9/11 summary of events.

There is growing concern about unchecked militarization in a climate of fear and hostility. Colin Powell stated that: "We're building a strong coalition to go after these perpetrators, but more broadly to go after terrorism wherever we find it in the world. It's a scourge not only against the United States, but against civilization, and it must be brought to an end." The US Senate passed the Combating Terrorism Act of 2001, giving the police and FBI sweeping new powers of surveillance. Already, the FBI has been visiting ISPs - requesting to use the "Carnivore" spying utility on their lines - shutting down websites. A new fast-moving house bill, much of it unrelated to fighting "terrorism," aims to restrict liberties even further. Facial recognition systems are being studied for use in airports.

In the aftermath of unprecedented terrorist attacks within U.S. borders, the IMF and World Bank cancelled their annual meeting, originally scheduled for the last week of September, and previously scaled back to two days because of 100,000 people who would protest. In the wake of the tragedies, many protest groups began cancelling or changing their plans: Sierra Club, Friends of Earth, Ruckus Society led the pack which eventually included the withdrawal of the Mobilization for Social Justice. As the U.S. government augments its economic assault on the world with a global "war against terrorism," the Anti-Capitalist Convergence in D.C. is moving ahead with a large protest on Saturday, with a number of autonomous zones forming in the days before and after. Complete coverage at DC Indymedia, and check this page for more photos and updates.