Occupy Oakland shuts down the banks and the port
By Terry Messman on • FROM THE ARCHIVE • This article originally appeared in the November 2011 issue of Street Spirit. Demonstrators climbed on
Occupy Oakland
The Disneyfication of Downtown Oakland — Business Improvement Districts and the Battle for Public Space
Large real estate corporations hired New City America to establish two Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in Oakland. The Downtown Oakland BID and the Lake Merritt BID are working aggressively on behalf of Oakland’s owning class, focusing on driving youth of color, activists, the poor, and houseless persons out of district boundaries.
Bringing Dr. King’s Message to a New Generation
This is how a legacy is passed on to a new generation: Martin Luther King gave his life to spreading the message of nonviolence. After he was assassinated, Bernard Lafayette picked up the fallen torch, and passed it on to Kazu Haga and Jonathan Lewis. Now they are sharing this vision with the next generation.
Building the Positive Peace Warrior Network: The Street Spirit Interview with Kazu Haga
Kazu Haga is dedicated to spreading Martin Luther King’s vision of the Beloved Community to the next generation. Rev. King believed that his philosophy of nonviolent resistance could be effective not just in the struggle against segregation, but also in the struggle against militarism, and in the struggle against economic injustice.
Thousands March in May Day Protests in Oakland
More than 5,000 protesters marched in Oakland on May Day to call for economic justice, full human rights for immigrants and poor people, and to demand an end to corporate greed and bank bail-outs. Demonstrators represented Occupy Oakland, immigrant rights organizations, anti-war activists, faith groups and labor unions.
Occupy Activists Condemn Abuses at San Quentin Prison
The Occupy movement joined with prison reform groups to uphold the rights of prisoners whose suffering is concealed behind the concrete walls of California’s vast prison system. The demonstration was held to expose prison abuses and to bear witness on behalf of the multitudes behind bars excluded from our democracy.
The Occupy Movement Stands at the Crossroads: Street Spirit Interview with George Lakey
“If we do stuff that justifies — in the eyes of the uncommitted — the repression of the state, we will certainly lose. And the uncommitted are most of the 99 percent. We need a lot more of those people. But the only way to win them over is through strict adherence to nonviolent struggle.” — George Lakey
Discovering the Unexpected Power of Nonviolence: Street Spirit Interview with Erica Chenoweth
"We found that during the period of 1900 to 2006, nonviolent resistance campaigns are about twice as effective as violent ones in achieving their goals. We also found that these trends hold even where most people expect nonviolent resistance to be ineffective -- for instance, against dictatorships and highly repressive regimes." — Erica Chenoweth
Berkeley May Sell Its Public Housing to a Billionaire
At the same moment when thousands of families in public housing across the nation are living in substandard conditions or are at risk of becoming homeless, the Berkeley Housing Authority has entered into an agreement to sell the city’s occupied public housing units to a billionaire.
Oakland Pastor Reflects on the Occupy Movement
We, like 99% of the people marching in Oakland, were unified by the desperate condition of our world, our families and our future. We were the cry of the lost oak trees that once lived here, as well as the moans of the Ohlone people who once thrived here.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
While Occupy Oakland protesters were marching in the streets, another wing of the anti-poverty movement gathered to take a stand against injustice. Instead of marching, they were drumming. Despite the harsh reality of poverty, people at St. Mary’s manage to find hope amidst the struggle to survive.
Occupy Oakland: Timeline of a Resistance Movement
Occupy Oakland is at the forefront of a grass-roots movement against injustice that is sweeping the country. Oakland’s massive marches and encampments have gained national significance. This chronology of the first month of demonstrations is a record of the amazing accomplishments of this people’s movement for social justice.