Feature Archives

California held an election on June 3rd. Proposition 98 failed to pass and Proposition 99 passed. In the CA Assembly, Nancy Skinner beat Kriss Worthington and in the State Senate Mark Leno beat Carole Migden. In San Francisco, Prop G passed and Prop F failed to pass.

Propositions 98 and 99 were aimed at changing the government’s power to take private property. Proposition 98 would have abolished rent control and other renter protections. Proposition 99 will block the government from taking single family homes or condominiums to transfer to other private parties.

San Francisco renters took to the streets on May 31st to reclaim public space and call attention to the urgent need to protect tenants' rights in this ever-gentrifying city. The action was timed to raise awareness about the urgent need to stop Proposition 98 and save rent control in the June 3rd election.

On June 15th, Indybay will have an orientation in San Francisco for new volunteers interested in learning about the site and getting involved in media production and editorial work. Come meet some of the collective members, bring your ideas for new projects to collaborate on, learn about some Indymedia history, find out how the site works and discuss ways to improve the site and work more with the community.

Thousands of immigrants and their supporters around the country and in San Francisco marched in favor of a more just immigration policy for the US on May 1st. The next day, 63 immigrant workers from El Balazo Taquerias were raided and detained by ICE. Immigrant rights groups, labor, faith-based groups, and many others will gather for a press conference and rally to denounce the Bay Area raids, and to support the taqueria workers on the day of their first court hearing. They will gather on Tuesday, May 27th at 10 am outside of the Homeland Security Building at 630 Sansome St., in downtown San Francisco.

On Tuesday, June 3rd, Gay Shame will conduct a séance to "summon the ghosts of Polk Street's past", defend street culture and protest Lower Polk Neighbors, whose "business improvement district" has been slowly squeezing the spirit out of Polk Street. Mary writes, "Because the gentrification of the Polk Street area in the Tenderloin is an intersection of so many different wars City Hall is waging -- against people of color, sex workers, homeless people, immigrants, drug addicts, youth, and marginalized queer/trans people -- it's the perfect place to channel voices of resistance."

Bay Area environmental and social justice organizations are demanding a halt to San Francisco's proposed highly polluting Peaker Power Plant Project. Also known as the Combustion Turbine Project, the plant is proposed to be built in Southeast San Francisco, right next to the Bayview Hunters Point community that is already overburdened with pollution.

The work stoppage at all 29 West Coast ports on May 1, 2008 by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) was an historic turning point for the U.S. labor movement. For the first time in more than seventy years, a major U.S. trade union led marches and a system-wide strike on May Day. And for the first time ever, it was not for economic reasons, but for the political demand to end the disastrous and debilitating U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.