IDA - Bay Area Events

1. Know Your Rights! Attend Emergency Grand Jury Teach-In
2. Gopher Gardening at Ocean Beach
3. Foie Gras Outreach Event in Walnut Creek
4. Foie Gras Protest in Marin County
5. IDA's May 2005 Auction for the Animals


1. Know Your Rights! Attend Emergency Grand Jury Teach-In

At least seven Bay Area activists have been subpoenaed in the last week to appear before a federal grand jury convened in San Francisco. As government repression in post-9/11 America increases, so does the use of the federal grand jury to intimidate, incarcerate and decommission activists in the animal rights, environmental, and other social justice movements. At a recent hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, John E. Lewis, Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division of the FBI, testified that, "Investigating and preventing animal rights extremism and eco-terrorism is one of the FBI's highest domestic terrorism priorities."

Do you know your rights? Do you know what to do if called before a grand jury? Learn what you can do to protect yourself and other activists against this unjust process at an Emergency Grand Jury Teach-In featuring the following speakers:
- Mark Vermeulen of the National Lawyers Guild
- Claude Marks of the Freedom Archives
- Anita Carswell, Former Grand Jury Resister
- Local activists with grand jury experience

What: Emergency Grand Jury Teach-In
When: Tuesday, May 31st at 7:00 p.m.
Where: 3030-B 16th Street (near Mission Street), San Francisco - click http://tinyurl.com/byunn for directions to this event.


2. Gopher Gardening at Ocean Beach

Join the San Francisco Wildlife Protection Project, a joint effort by IDA and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, to create a wildlife "sanctuary" along the Great Highway. By landscaping the area according to the Parks Department's specifications, volunteers create a habitat for native gophers and prevent them from being trapped and killed. This is an ongoing monthly effort, and happens on the first Saturday of each month. Please give us a hand so we can help the gophers.

What: Gopher Gardening
When: Saturday, June 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Where: Corner of the Great Highway and Wawona Street, San Francisco, at the small brick Recreation and Park maintenance building. Click http://tinyurl.com/4hnh2 for directions to this event.

For more information, please contact Kevin Connelly at (415) 388-9641, ext. 226 or kevin [at] idausa.org.


3. Foie Gras Outreach Event in Walnut Creek

California lawmakers approved a bill that will make foie gras illegal by 2012, yet many restaurants continue to serve this cruel dish because wealthy customers are willing to pay top dollar for it. That's why IDA started our sustained presence outreach and education campaign: to show restaurants that they will actually lose valuable customers by continuing to serve foie gras.

Join activists for an outreach event in Walnut Creek to convince upscale restaurant Le Bistro to permanently remove foie gras from their menu.

What: Foie Gras Outreach Event
When: Saturday, June 4th - meet at 11:30, protest begins at noon
Where: Le Bistro, 1606 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek - please call (925) 788-8296 to RSVP and get the precise meeting location

If you are unable to attend, please write or call Proprietors Jean-Paul and Kathleen Peluffo to politely let them know that you will not dine at Le Bistro until they stop serving foie gras.

Le Bistro
1606 North Main Street
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Tel.: (925) 407-8000
Fax: (925) 407-8002
Email: info [at] lebistro.fr


4. Foie Gras Protest in Marin

Please join IDA, the Animal Rights Committee of the Marin Peace & Justice Coalition, and Animal Rights Marin (ARM) for another foie gras protest at the Lark Creek Inn Restaurant in Larkspur. Signs and literature will be provided, so all you need to do is show up!

The Animal Rights Committee of the Marin Peace & Justice Coalition has repeatedly contacted the Lark Creek Inn Restaurant with information and respectful requests for a meeting. They have even offered to postpone the protest if management agrees to discuss the foie gras issue with activists at any time prior to June 9th. The Lark Creek Inn Restaurant has so far ignored these attempts at civilized communication. However, if they do agree to meet with the group before June 9th, those who want to attend the protest will be promptly informed that it has been postponed or (if management agrees to stop selling foie gras) cancelled. Contact ARM to RSVP at (415) 459-1149.

What: Foie Gras Protest
When: Thursday, June 9th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: The Lark Creek Inn, 234 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur - click http://tinyurl.com/bftv2 for directions

If you are unable to attend, please write or call Chef/Owner Bradley Ogden to politely let him know that you will not dine at the Lark Creek Inn Restaurant until he stops serving foie gras.

Lark Creek Inn Restaurant
234 Magnolia Avenue
Larkspur, CA 94939
Tel: (415) 924-7767, ext. 15
Fax: (415) 924-7117


5. IDA's May 2005 Auction for the Animals

IDA's May 2005 Auction for the Animals is drawing to a close, so be sure to take advantage of this special opportunity to help IDA defend the rights, welfare and habitats of animals while getting some great gifts for yourself or a loved one. Now is the time to bid on a wide selection of over 250 elegant, exciting and unique items valued at more than $45,000 and donated to IDA for this very special online fundraising event.

While the auction started on May 1st, the third wave is going on right now with new items that were added on May 15th. There are many fabulous items to bid on, including fantastic travel and accommodation packages, special celebrity memorabilia, and tickets for great entertainment and sporting events. Visit http://www.ebay.com/ida to see what's available. Once you find an item that you like, click on the link to view its description, the current bid price, and how much time is left until the bidding ends. Place your bid and keep an eye on it to make sure that, by the time the bidding ends, it's YOURS.

We are still accepting donated items to sell during the auction, so if you have an item that you would like to contribute, please contact Nicole Otoupalik at (800) 338-4451. All donations are tax deductible. If you already sell on eBay, now is a great time to designate 10-100% of your own auction proceeds to IDA by registering at http://www.missionfish.org the partner of eBay Giving Works.