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Tenants at Berkeley's Redwood Gardens Demand Respect

Features   Uncategorized
“I heard the word ‘respect’ used so many times at this conference I still get goosebumps, because that has been one of the things that hurt me most that happened in this building,” said Eleanor Walden, a tenant at Redwood Gardens. “We were treated with distance, lack of respect.

Removal of Bus Shelter Harms East Oakland Residents

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Many believe that the removal of the bus shelter and bench was a punishment against the community because homeless people sometimes use the bus shelter. Many elderly and disabled persons depend on the bench as a place to rest and keep their groceries safe while waiting for the next bus.

New Hope for Homeless Vehicle Dwellers in California

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The last Homeless Census reported that people living in vehicles was one of the fastest growing segments of the homeless community. “Our research has shown a dramatic increase in the number of people whose primary residence is a motor home or RV,” said Peter Connery of Applied Survey Research.

Berkeley Report Justifies Police Attacks on Black Lives Matter

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More weapons, more gadgets, more surveillance, and even helicopters are requested in the police report, “Response to Civil Unrest.” The police wish to continue militarizing police departments, as well as defending the violent response to the Black Lives Matter movement — as though legitimate protest in our society does not exist.

Gandhi's Vision of Nonviolence: Holding Firm to Truth

Features   In Dialogue
The Street Spirit Interview with Jim Douglass, Part 4: "We chose to be in the sights of the weapons of our own troops. For a few days, we were just as vulnerable as the Iraqi people. Explosions were occurring all over the city from missile attacks by our fleet in the Gulf."

Berkeley City Council Delays Vote on Anti-Poor Laws

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“These new laws are actually worse than I anticipated, particularly the one about obstructing the sidewalk,” said Osha Neumann. “You won’t be able to have any possessions larger than two feet square any time of the day or night. We should ask the councilmembers how big their beds are.”

Blockading the ‘White Train of Death’

Features
A reporter warned Jim Douglass that he had observed a train north of Seattle that looked like it was “carrying big-time weapons.” The reporter added that the heavily armored, all-white train looked like “the train out of hell.”

Housing First — But Not in Berkeley

Features
Berkeley brags about its somewhat mythological tradition of compassion for the poor. Yet many services are designed to help people get off the street and find housing in some other town — not in Berkeley. Evicted with nowhere to go? Service providers will help you find scarce shelter space — in Richmond.

It's Time to Abolish Berkeley’s Ambassador Program

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The ambassadors of the Downtown Berkeley Association are an absurd gang of civil rights violators. Homeless people are in the worst position to try to combat this institutionalized discrimination. The City Council has failed to provide responsible oversight, and city commissions have too little influence to truly protect the public.

Street Spirit Interview with Jim Douglass (Part 2)

Features   In Dialogue
When Father Dave Becker came to dinner at the home of Jim and Shelley Douglass next to the Trident base, the first sentence he said after he sat down on the sofa was, “I want to understand from you what it means to be the chaplain of the Auschwitz of Puget Sound.”