Newsitem List

As the Port of Oakland views ever increasing use of autos and aviation as integral to humanity's evolution in the Bay Area, others beg to differ. Environmentalists from the Stop OAK Expansion Coalition view fossil fuels as the main cause of, now undeniable, global warming and current climate crises. They demand we move away from autos and air travel to fuel efficient systems such as electric rail. They are protesting and speaking out at public meetings....

More than a decade ago, artists and musicians created a vibrant hub for the arts in an abandoned shopping mall in Porto, Portugal. City officials long sought to close the DIY space and finally moved on the Stop Shopping Center in late July. For over 10 days, more than 500 musicians were forcibly evicted from their workspace by police and city authorities, with over 100 rehearsal rooms and workplaces closed down. Thousands came out to protest the eviction....

On July 14, climate activists demanded a stop to Wells Fargo's reckless funding of fossil fuels. The action was part of a "block party" by local climate action groups that included loud chanting, carnival style games, music, street painting and dancing. Protesters said they timed their event to keep the pressure on the bank as it released its quarterly earnings report. Six protesters locked themselves down to block the entrance and were arrested....

San Francisco's is one of the biggest Pride parades in the world, but as it has grown larger so have criticisms that it has become too corporate. While this year was an opportunity to push back against a wave of homophobia and anti-trans hate across the US, as usual corporate floats abounded at the main event along Market Street. The real spirit of resistance was in the smaller People's March held at the same time in the Tenderloin district....

In a pseudonymous communiqué published on Indybay on May 21, "some vandals" write: Under the cover of night, with the Frisco fog as our accomplice, a crew of friends vandalized over 10 of the right-wing, pro-police “Fentalyfe” street poster installations.... These disturbing posters are part of a $300k campaign, by reactionary group Together SF, that is shaming drug and Narcan users, and calling for the racist criminalization of poor people....

On May 19, Governor Newsom announced a legislative package and signed an executive order that would gut the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to expedite the construction of the Delta Tunnel, Sites Reservoir, and other controversial infrastructure projects, drawing condemnation from environmental groups. On May 25, the California Senate Budget Committee voted to temporarily block the plan, ending the proposal for this legislative year....

In San Francisco on May 1, IBU-ILWU ferry boat workers marched and rallied at Alcatraz Cruises at Pier 33 which is owned by the anti-union Hornblower company. In San José, union members and allies gathered from throughout the South Bay and beyond, then took to the streets. They chanted, "Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportation!" In Fresno, around 200 people marched through downtown to advocate immigrants' rights....

Though technically legal, over seventy percent of the French people feel that the way President Macron pushed through legislation raising the retirement age was a violation of their democratic rights. He relied on Article 49.3, which allows legislation to pass without voting. Even though the Constitutional Assembly claimed the increase was legitimate, working people continue to reject the "reform." Huge demonstrations have wracked the country....

The Western States Petroleum Association and big oil companies peddle their influence through a variety of means, from campaign spending and lobbying legislators to creating astroturf groups and sponsoring business-friendly journalistic events. Numerous media events are paid for by oil dollars, earning the companies favorable mentions by journalistic organizations. Meanwhile, a total of 897 oil drilling permits have been approved thus far in 2023....

Queer Youth Assemble, a national organization that serves LGBTQ people under age 25, organized a national day of action on March 31. Planned to coincide with the annual Trans Day of Visibility, the event was in response to the wave of anti-trans state legislation introduced by Republican lawmakers recently, which seeks to restrict minors' access to transition-related healthcare and prohibit the instruction of LGBTQ-related topics in schools....