West Coast FTAA Consulta in Oakland, Oct 18

CALL FOR A WEST COAST ANTI-FTAA CONSULTA IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA!

WHEN: Saturday October 18, 10am to 8pm

WHERE: Oakland, California, HERE Local 2850 Union Hall, 548 20th St - map (between Telegraph and San Pablo), Downtown Oakland (a block from 19th St/Oakland BART)

CONVENORS: Direct Action to Stop the War (DASW), Anti-FTAA Action and Action for Local/Global Justice

Building on a major victory over the World Trade Organization in Cancun, Mexico, tens of thousands of people will gather in Miami from November 19-22 in a crucial mobilization to stop the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). When the FTAA meets in Miami to unilaterally finalize their vision of an economic policy that threatens the freedom and well being of every living being in this hemisphere, we'll be there to say no. Ordinary people are not allowed into the meetings, but shutting the doors will not silence our voices. At the FTAA protest in Quebec, we tore the fence down; the next year in Quito, we descended from the four directions with our demands for justice; and this year in Miami, we'll stop them in their tracks. A better world is necessary. With dances of dissent, seductive artwork, padded blocs, critical mass bike trickery, guerrilla murals and other displays of public beauty and empowerment we'll build a better future right then and there in the streets of Miami!

Activists from across the country have converged at Consultas in Pittsburgh, Chicago and Denver to plan coordinated actions, street tactics and creative disruptions in Miami.

Speakers from Pittsburgh, Miami and Denver organizing efforts will be present to give reportbacks from regional mobilizations.

DASW, Anti-FTAA Action and Action for Local/Global Justice invite activists throughout California and the west coast to participate in a Consulta to plan nonviolent direct actions for Miami that will send a message loud and clear to the world that the movements against war and empire are alive and well in the belly of the empire.

Proposed consulta agenda items:

• Updates from organizers on the ground in Miami and how we can support impacted communities struggle in Florida
• Direct action tactics for Miami
• Padded bloc actions & updates from other consultas
• Preparation of legal and medial strategies for Miami
• Formation of a communication network to be used on the ground in Miami
• Jail support and solidarity
• Teach-in, legal march and rally and other activities in Miami
• Sustained anti-FTAA and other related campaigns
• Ongoing anti-war, anti-corporate globalization, anti-empire networking
• Outreach

The Consulta will last from 10am to 8pm on Saturday October 18th, with possible breakout planning sessions on the morning of Sunday the 19th. A fundraising party will also be organized for the evening of Saturday, October 18.

REGISTER NOW!

We strongly encourage you to register for the consulta. Please contact us (sfconsulta@riseup.net) ASAP with the name of your group (if applicable), number of people attending, as well as specific housing or other special needs.

For more information regarding campaigns, direct action and networking against ftaa, corporate globalization and related local struggles in the Bay Area, sign on to the nowto listserve: http://lists.riseup.net/www/subscr ibe/nowto

For more information regarding the anti-ftaa mobilization in Miami and related national campaigns and organizing, sign on to the ftaa listserve: http://lists.riseup.net/www/subscri be/ftaa

For more information regarding DASW, go to: http://www.actagainstwar.org/

For more information regarding Anti-Ftaa Action, go to: http://www.antiftaa.net/