Feature Archives

Tuesday November 4th, is election day in the United States. Most of the focus on the mainstream media has been on Obama and McCain, but several third party candidates are also running and there are many local and statewide races and propositions. In California, Proposition 8 threatens to end same sex marriage and in San Francisco, Proposition V threatens to reinstate JROTC in San Francisco schools. California state Proposition 2 will ban abuse of farm animals, while proposition 5 will change treatment of drug offenders to focus more on rehabilitation than incarceration. San Francisco Proposition K aims to reduce abuse of prostitutes through partial legalization; it would effectively cut off funding for prostitution busts, but would require the cops to pursue cases involving violent crime against sex workers.

This Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31, hundreds of Bay Area youth gathered with community members and families to denounce the atrocities committed against immigrant communities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The action was a response to ICE attacks against immigrant communities in so-called “sanctuary cities” like San Francisco and to a presidential election season that has seen neither major candidate substantively address the issues facing immigrant families. BART police shut down at least three stations - Richmond, Fruitvale, and Coliseum - from which groups of protesters were gathering to commute to the protest in downtown San Francisco. At least three protesters were arrested in Richmond.

On Wednesday, Oct. 22, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security raided more than a dozen homes in San Francisco, South San Francisco, and Richmond. Victims of the attack included a San Francisco immigrant family, reportedly all US citizens. On Thursday, Oct. 23, community members gathered in front of the ICE office in San Francisco to protest the violent raids.

Monday October 27th was the first day of a landmark jury trial against Chevron in San Francisco. A protest took place Monday afternoon at the Chevron gas station at the corner of 9th and Howard in San Francisco in solidarity with Nigerian plaintiffs who were in Federal court nearby. Chevron has been charged with gross human rights abuses associated with its oil production activities in Nigeria. The lawsuits are based on a 1998 incident in which Nigerian soldiers shot nonviolent protesters at Chevron’s Parabe offshore platform.

On Oct. 19-22, the Mortgage Bankers Association, a group which represents the real estate finance industry, will be holding their annual convention at San Francisco's Moscone West. Featured speakers include the chief executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two companies that have been at the center of the financial crisis. There will be protests on Sun., Oct. 19 during the convention's opening ceremony and on Mon., Oct. 20 during its opening general session.

The California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA) held a conference in San Francisco on October 13th. CARA unites retired workers and community groups to win social and economic justice. Members of CARA took a bus from the conference on the afternoon of October 13th to demonstrate in solidarity with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union at a Rite Aid store at the corner of Van Ness and Market Streets.

This November, whether the San Francisco Board of Supervisors remains pro-tenant, pro-labor, and progressive will be determined by what happens in the swing supervisor districts of 1, 3 and 11. Community activists have called for a protest on Thursday, October 23rd, to picket the realtors and landlords funding a "downtown" slate of candidates. Protesters will gather at the San Francisco Association of Realtors office at the corner of Franklin and Grove St. at 5:30pm.