Feature Archives

The struggle to free Pennsylvania death row political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal has reached a crucial juncture, and two events were scheduled for the Bay Area this week to raise awareness of and funds for his legal struggle. On Sunday, September 17th, a Night of Music and Poetry for Mumia Abu-Jamal will be held at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. This event, which will begin at 7:00pm, will include Boots Riley from the Coup and many others. The Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia held a rally at the Alameda County Courthouse on Friday, September 15th. Photos

Anarchist political prisoner Rob Los Ricos was released from prison this summer, after serving a sentence of seven years for hitting a police officer with a rock in Eugene, Oregon. He will be speaking at several Bay Area events between September 14th and 26th about his experiences in prison, what it takes to make it through, and the scene in Eugene (pre and post prison), amongst other topics.

Many events are being held around the Bay Area to commemorate the fifth anniversary of September 11th, 2001. Some will focus on mourning the lives lost, while others will question the official message about how and why 911 occurred; still others will stand in opposition to the deaths of 3,000 Americans leading to tens of thousands of deaths worldwide in wars against "terrorism." The 5th annual 9/11 Truth Rally and March was held on Saturday morning, September 9th. Report Emergent Sea 9/11: Artists of Color Speak Up 5 Years after 'Sep 11' was held Saturday night in San Francisco, with an evening of spoken word and music.

Californians for GE-Free Agriculture reports that SB1056, the bill that would have preempted local restrictions on genetically engineered organisms, failed to make it through the California Senate, and has died with the close of the legislative year. This is seen as a major victory. The Monsanto-backed bill was introduced last year after the passage of four county and two city bans on GE crops.

"Dark Water Rising: The Truth About Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescues" is a new documentary about animal rescues in New Orleans. The film spotlights the plight of more than 50,000 dogs and cats that were left behind in New Orleans, along with the efforts of a small group of rescuers from around the world. Filmmaker Mike Shiley introduces the film and answers questions after each screening. The film was shown on Monday, August 28th, 2006 at the Roxie Film Center in San Francisco. It was also screened at the San Rafael Film Center on Thursday, September 7th at 7:00pm.

Fault Lines, the bi-monthly newsmagazine of the SF Bay Area Independent Media Center, has released its 18th issue of radical political analysis and social commentary (PDF). Free issues of Fault Lines are available at various locations throughout the Bay Area, with many articles online. The Fault Lines page on Indybay has details on how to get involved. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 6th.

Several events were held in SF and Oakland to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina disaster on the Gulf Coast. People honor those who have died, committed to fight for the right to return for all those who are still displaced, and demanded an end to blatant racial discrimination in post-Katrina New Orleans. A Katrina Community Commemoration Event was held on Tuesday, August 29th at the First Unitarian Church in Oakland. Other Bay Area events included a film festival on Sunday, August 27th in SF, and a press conference on August 28th at FEMA Headquarters in Oakland. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Flyer SF Critical Mass will also commemorate Katrina on August 25th.