ATTY GEN'L GONZALES OUSTED FROM MISSION DISTRICT

Last week the Bay Area Coalition for Immigrant Rights hurriedly sent out word to the activist community of an unbelievable event: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was scheduled to speak in support of the Bush immigration plan in the largely Latino community of San Francisco's Mission District.

Many, many folks were involved in voicing their opinions and mobilizing opposition to the Champion of Torture’s visit to San Francisco. Among them were Francisco Herrera, Raul Caimanque and Catherine Cusic, who live in the neighborhood where Gonzales was scheduled to speak. Together with others they started delegations to visit the owner of the breakfast/speech location. The owner of Medjool Restaurant is, according to Catherine, Lebanese and “had his own pain” in the days preceding the scheduled event.

Francisco, Raul, and Catherine mobilized quite a force.
Catherine spent over an hour with the owner of the planned venue, and Francisco and Raul also took actions as did local Palestinian small business owners. Together they were part of an effort that resulted in the restaurant owner doing the right thing. With only a day’s notice the Attorney General’s speaking engagement was cancelled. Mainstream press reports cited, "security concerns" as the reason.

Catherine writes this reminder to all…”Think Globally and fight
like hell for your neighborhood”.

Part II of this story is that Gonzales’ speech to the Commonwealth Club scheduled for several hours later WAS held in Santa Clara, CA (South Bay). The Raging Grannies, South Bay Mobilization, Veterans for Peace, and others mobilized to demonstrate at that location. Raging Grannies Action League members protested loudly near the ballroom where the Attorney General spoke, and were escorted out of the building, but not before their action was noted in the press. See story with photos elsewhere on indybay or visit http://www.RagingGrannies.com

(Authors note: I've only spoken to a small number of the many people who UNWELCOMED Gonzales' to northern California. Please post if you have more information on the events that led to the cancellation in San Francisco and the demonstration in Santa Clara. Let's acknowledge all the good folks who mobilized on short notice!)