Feature Archives

The Women’s Choice Clinic of Oakland, the venerated feminist health clinic that has provided non-judgmental, culturally sensitive abortion and reproductive health care services to Bay Area women for 36 years, is closing its doors. The clinic is the oldest feminist health center providing abortions in the nation. However, it is not anti-abortion protests that are forcing the clinic to close, nor is it a decline in demand for services. It is California’s chronic low and slow reimbursements for MediCal services, and budget cuts. On Wed. April 8, a press conference will be held at the Oakland City Hall, at 1pm.

International Women's Day was Sunday, March 8th, and was celebrated around the Bay Area through a variety of events. The Stop Violence Against Women: 1 in 3 Art Exhibit included performances on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, March 8th, Code Pink marched across the Golden Gate Bridge, and then attended a potluck and program in Berkeley. In Palo Alto, the film "A Single Woman: The Story of Jeannette Rankin" was screened. In L.A., a march and rally aimed to "Celebrate Resistance and Internationalism! " and on Sunday there was a Women Hold Up Half the Sky presentation.

The satirical song warbling Raging Grannies have been both booed and applauded up and down the San Francisco Peninsula and excitement is building as the premiere of Pam Walton's documentary *Raging Grannies: The Action League* comes to the Cinequest Film Festival this weekend. The San Jose Mercury News puts the spotlight on this documentary saying it's "what's hot at Cinequest" and the Metro News Silicon Valley calls it a PICK of this year's annual 10 -day film festival. The 55 minute documentary premieres in San Jose on March 7 and 8.

On January 24th, the "March For Life" took place in San Francisco. Tens of thousands of people who oppose abortion and gay rights converged on San Francisco for a march down the Embarcadero. Several hundred counter-protesters showed up to denounce the right-wing message of the marchers. The Bay Area Coalition for Reproductive Rights (BACORR) had called on supporters of human rights to protest the “Walk for Life," which was led by religious conservatives.

A controversy began in 2007 when a young mother's profile photo of her nursing her infant suddenly disappeared from the social networking website Facebook. There was no explanation as to why the photo was removed, and Facebook has not responded to her inquiries. Despite queries from other women who have found similar family photos removed over the last year, Facebook still hasn’t changed its policy. On December 27th, women of all ages gathered in front of Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto to protest discrimination against nursing mothers.

Sarah Palin flew into San Francisco to attend a GOP fundraiser on October 5. Several hundred angry protesters gathered in front of the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Burlingame, adjacent to the San Francisco airport, to demonstrate their displeasure with the GOP platform. Following the vice-presidential candidate's recent debate with Democratic candidate Joe Biden and her attacks on Obama's character made at a speech in Carson, California on October 4th, many protesters' signs referred to Palin as an outright liar.

The indynewswire show airs weekly on Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1 FM, Friday mornings 10-12 noon, broadcasting news and opinion from independent media worldwide, focused on indymedia sites but also drawing from other websites. The October 3rd episode features discussion of sexual violence, patriarchy, and militarism across Mexico. This show is dedicated to Sali (Marcella Grace Eiler), found dead September 24th in San Jose del Pacifico, Oaxaca, Mexico.