Feature Archives

On Wednesday, March 14th, it was announced that two charges against Ed Rosenthal were dismissed. Federal District Court Judge Charles Breyer ruled that Rosenthal, who is an author and medical marijuana activist, was vindictively prosecuted, and dismissed charges of tax evasion and money laundering. The remaining marijuana charges against Rosenthal are virtually identical to those pursued against him in his 2003 trial. Rosenthal's trial has been continued, and a status conference will be held on April 13th at 11:00am.

A month after declaring his entry into the 2008 presidential race, Illinois Senator Barack Obama appeared in Oakland for a massive campaign rally on St. Patrick's Day. Well over 10,000 people packed into Frank Ogawa Plaza to hear him make his case for why he should be elected President of the United States. While the first democratic primary isn't until January 2008 and the general election isn't until November later that year, the diverse crowd cheered Barack Obama as if he were a candidate in the final stretch of an election.

On the morning of March 19th a nonviolent direct action took place at Chevron World Headquarters, 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon. Protesters demanded an end to Chevron's oil crimes from Richmond to Iraq, saying "No blood for oil! Climate justice now! and Stop war, end empire!" About 80 people participated, from locking themselves to "oil" barrels in order to block one entrance to Chevron's headquarters to participating in street theater.

Haitian singer and grassroots organizer Annette Auguste ("So An") was seized from her home by US Marines as part of the 2004 coup d'etat in Haiti, and was held as a political prisoner for over 2 years. Oakland welcomed So An on Saturday, March 10th, for a musical performance and celebration at The Uptown.

"Haiti: We Must Kill the Bandits," the new 90-minute film by Kevin Pina, introduced by So An, will be screened on Wednesday, March 14th, at 7PM at the Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave. in Oakland.

In February, Oakland's Intertribal Friendship House (IFH), the oldest American Indian Urban community center in this country, announced that it was facing possible closure. IFH had to raise $30,000 by March 23rd, to pay current and back taxes. Several benefit events were held in Oakland from March 15th through 17th. "We are pleased to announce that we have sufficiently raised the funds to pay the taxes and protect IFH and the Urban Native community from yet another encroachment on Native American territory - a tale very familiar to our people" states George Galvis of IFH

On Thursday, March 1st, approximately 150 people gathered in front of the University of California, Berkeley administration building, California Hall, to protest the proposed agreement between the university and British Petroleum.
The event was publicized as a clean-up of a toxic oil spill at California Hall. Two students wearing British Petroleum lab coats were detained after dumping a mixture of molasses and water, resembling crude oil, at the entrance of California Hall. Reposted Articles, Photos and Videos of the demonstration.

March 1st update: The School Administrator voted last night to close East Oakland Community High School and several other schools.
East Oakland Community High School (EOC) is under threat of closure by an un-elected State Administrator. EOC is an inovative community school that is "about teaching students to be positive, caring, successful members of our community." Education Not Incarceration has been working with the National Education Association's 3.2 million members to stop students from being pushed out of school and into prisons. Protesters gathered at 2pm on Wednesday, February 28th and reportedly marched 8 miles to the School Board meeting, where State Administrators presented their recommendations to School Board members.