San Francisco, CA – El miércoles 8 de abril, cientos de residentes del Área de la Bahía se reunieron en la estación de BART de la calle Powell para protestar contra Trump por las amenazas que él hizo el 7 de abril, de que “una civilización entera morirá esta noche” si Irán no reabría el estrecho de Ormuz.

Irán cerró el estrecho tras los incesantes bombardeos de Estados Unidos e Israel contra escuelas, hospitales, universidades, centros de investigación médica y zonas residenciales. Según la Federación Internacional de Sociedades de la Cruz Roja y de la Media Luna Roja, estos ataques han matado al menos a 1,900 personas y herido a más de 20,000 en Irán.

Los manifestantes coreaban “No a la guerra contra Irán” y “Fuera EE.UU. del Medio Oriente”.

La protesta ocurre mientras los bombardeos estadounidenses-israelíes en Irán han contribuido a un aumento en el costo de vida. En algunas partes del país, el precio de un tanque lleno de gasolina ha llegado a los $120. En el Área de la Bahía de San Francisco, el precio promedio de la gasolina ha alcanzado los $6 por galón en la mayoría de los condados, y una gasolinera en Menlo Park llegó a cobrar hasta $7.69 por un galón de gasolina regular.

El 8 de abril, Irán obtuvo una victoria histórica al obligar a Trump a aceptar un plan de diez puntos como base para futuras negociaciones con Teherán. El plan buscaba garantizar un alto el fuego de dos semanas, detener los ataques de EE.UU. e Israel contra Irán, Líbano, Palestina y todo el Medio Oriente, y poner fin a las décadas de sanciones estadounidenses que han afectado la calidad de vida de los iraníes, a cambio de reabrir el estrecho de Ormuz. Sin embargo, horas después, Israel rompió el acuerdo de alto el fuego con bombardeos contra vecindarios y otras zonas civiles en Beirut y en todo Líbano, matando al menos a 254 personas e hiriendo a más de 1,165.

En respuesta a estos ataques de Israel, que recibe el 70% de sus armas a través de ayuda estadounidense, Irán volvió a cerrar el estrecho de Ormuz.

El cierre del estrecho debido a los ataques de EE.UU. e Israel muy probablemente afectará otros aspectos de la vida cotidiana más allá del combustible, incluidos precios más altos en alimentos, fertilizantes, la fabricación de microchips y otros productos de alta tecnología, como señaló el profesor de economía Masao Suzuki en su artículo “Precios crecientes de gasolina provocan aumento de inflación en marzo” (Rising gasoline prices lead inflation surge in March).

“Estamos cansados de las guerras interminables. La gente está en las calles, el BART está siendo desmantelado y los alimentos cuestan más cada día. Irán nunca nos ha hecho daño. Pero Wall Street y D.C. nos siguen dañando todos los días. Necesitamos un sistema mejor, uno que ponga a la gente a cargo en lugar de estos multimillonarios belicistas”, dijo Brandon Cavins de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad.

El creciente número de protestas refleja la creciente frustración entre estadounidenses ante otro conflicto iniciado por Trump en el Medio Oriente. El Pentágono ha solicitado más de $200 mil millones adicionales para continuar los ataques contra Irán – la mayor parte de ese dinero terminaría en los bolsillos de los fabricantes de armas o quedaría sin justificar, como se ha visto en las ocho auditorías anteriores que el Pentágono ha reprobado.

Mientras tanto, las necesidades y servicios esenciales enfrentan recortes o falta de financiamiento. Por ejemplo, el BART planea cerrar entre 10 a 15 estaciones y reducir un 63% de sus servicios, lo que incluye tiempos de espera más largos de hasta 30 minutos (en lugar de los 10 a 20 minutos actuales), horarios reducidos (cerrando a las 9 p.m. en lugar de la medianoche), aumento en las tarifas de estacionamiento y el despido de entre 600 a 1,200 trabajadores, debido a un déficit presupuestario de $376 millones causado por la reducción del financiamiento federal.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Iran #Lebanon #Palestine

San Francisco, CA – On Wednesday, April 8, hundreds of Bay Area residents gathered at the Powell Street BART transit station to protest Trump’s April 7 threats that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran closed the strait after relentless U.S. and Israeli bombardment of schools, hospitals, universities, medical research centers, and residential areas. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, these attacks have killed at least 1,900 people and injured over 20,000 in Iran.

Demonstrators chanted “No war on Iran” and “U.S. out of the Middle East.”

The protest comes as U.S.-Israeli bombardments on Iran have contributed to a rising cost of living. In some parts of the country, the cost of a full tank of gas has reached $120. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the average price of gas has reached $6 per gallon in most counties, with one station in Menlo Park reaching as high as $7.69 for a gallon of regular.

On April 8, Iran secured a historic victory, forcing Trump to agree to a ten-point plan as the basis for future negotiations with Tehran. The plan was intended to secure a two-week ceasefire, halt U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, Lebanon, Palestine and across the Middle East, and end decades-long U.S. sanctions that have harmed Iranians’ quality of life – in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, within hours, Israel broke the ceasefire agreement with bombardments on neighborhoods and other civilian areas in Beirut and across Lebanon, killing at least 254 people and injuring 1165 more.

In response to these attacks by Israel, which receives 70% of its weapons through U.S. aid, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz once again.

The closure of the strait due to U.S.-Israeli attacks will likely impact other aspects of daily life beyond fuel, including higher prices for groceries, fertilizer, chip manufacturing, and other high-tech goods, as stated by Professor of Economics Masao Suzuki in his article Rising gasoline prices lead inflation surge in March.

“We're tired of endless wars. People are on the streets, BART is being gutted, and groceries cost more each day. Iran has never hurt us. But Wall Street and DC keep hurting us every single day. We need a better system, one that puts people in charge instead of these warmongering billionaires,” said Brandon Cavins from Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The growing number of protests reflects rising frustration among everyday Americans over Trump launching another U.S.-instigated conflict in the Middle East. The Pentagon has requested more than $200 billion additional funds to continue attacks on Iran – most of which would either go to the pockets of arms manufacturers or remain unaccounted for, as seen in the eight previous audits the Pentagon has failed.

Meanwhile, essential needs and services face cuts or underfunding. BART, for example, is looking to close 10 to 15 stations and cut 63% of services, including longer wait times of 30 minutes (up from 10 to 20 minutes), reduced hours (closing at 9 p.m. instead of midnight), increased parking fares, and the layoff of 600 to 1200 employees, due to a $376 million budget deficit caused by decreased federal funding.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #Iran #Lebanon #Palestine #AntiWarMovement

San Francisco, CA – On November 30, over 120 Filipino American activists from a variety of organizations including Bayan USA, Kabataan Alliance, Anakbayan, the Malaya Movement and League of Filipino Students held a joint action in front of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco.

The action was part of an international call for demonstrations in solidarity with Filipinos around the world, in the wake of a series of devastating floods in the Philippines killing dozens and displacing hundreds more. The top political and economic leaders of the country, including President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Junior and former Vice President Sara Duterte, have been involved in a vast corruption scandal in which over $10 billion worth of funds meant for flood control infrastructure were instead funneled into “ghost projects” and the pockets of corrupt politicians and businesspeople.

Demands calling for the resignation of President Marcos, and demands for Marcos, Sara Duterte and all other involved parties to face accountability have spread rapidly among Filipinos, in their homeland and in the diaspora alike. The establishment of a provisional people’s council to replace the current administration is also another growing demand.

The San Francisco protest echoed many of the slogans that protesters back in the Philippines have taken up, including “Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot! Magnanakaw, mga pahirap, Tanggalin sa, kanilang pwesto!” meaning “Lock up the corrupt! Thieves and oppressors! Remove them from their posts!” as well as “Hindi, hindi! Magpapagapi! Ganyang kami, mga Pilipino!” meaning, “No, no we won’t be defeated! That is how we are, us Filipinos!”

The speakers advanced demands, both from the homeland and diaspora, calling for the resignation and prosecution of all corrupt officials, as well as for the freeing of Filipino migrants in detention centers, like Ya’akub Vijandre and Kuya Ricky. These demands being connected demonstrated the strength of international solidarity.

Patrick Racela of Migrante NorCal gave introductory remarks, “Historically we know, November 30 is the birthday of Andres Bonifacio, the revolutionary leader from the working class who built up and organized the Katipunan, who defeated the Spanish colonialists and ended 300 years of Spanish rule.”

Racela continued, “We want to combine these fights against corruption back home. We want to combine these fights to protect Filipino migrant workers. We want to free those held captive in ICE detention centers. That is why the resounding call from even our community back home, is for Marcos and Duterte to resign.”

The program featured student organizers, faith leaders and workers sharing their experiences and how they connect with the ongoing struggle. Mike Casey, San Francisco Labor Council president stated, “The corruption in the White House is no different than the corruption in the Philippines. And in fact the oppression and the kidnapping of working people off our streets is no different than the oppression and red-tagging of workers in the Philippines.” Red-tagging refers to the practice of the Philippine government designating activists as communists in order to manufacture an excuse to arrest or kill them.

Casey continued, “Working people in the U.S. have a lot more in common with workers in the Philippines than we do with the elites here in the United States.”

Midway through the program, Anakbayan Daly City held a cultural performance, playing the song Awit ng Kalayaan, meaning Song of Freedom.

The vice-chairperson of Migrante San Francisco, Ate Leigh, told the crowd about the Marcos regime, “Korrupt ang ama, korrupt din ang anak,” meaning if the father is corrupt, so too is the child (referencing the prior corruption of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, father of current president Bong-Bong).

Leigh condemned the complicity of Sara Duterte and ended her speech with a call to action; “Burukrata kapitalismo, ibagsak! Ipaglaban ang gobyerno ng taong bayan, makibaka para sa bansang demokrasya!” meaning “Down with bureaucrat capitalism! Fight for a people’s government! Struggle for national democracy! Marcos, Duterte, resign!”

Bonifacio Day is a time for Filipino activists to hold protests that hearken to Andres Bonifacio’s revolutionary legacy. With broad discontent and anger rising among the Filipino community the world over, this year’s Bonifacio Day has witnessed large mobilizations against the rotten systems oppressing the Filipino people, both in their homeland and abroad.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #Philippines

San Francsico, CA – On July 28, over 350 activists rallied outside the Philippines consulate in San Francisco for the People’s State of the Nation Address. The PSONA is an annual event meant to contrast with the state of the nation address given by Philippines President Ferdinand “Bong-bong” Marcos Junior. The PSONA addresses the struggles faced by Filipino workers both at home and abroad, and the neglect that the Marcos administration has for the people it claims to protect.

This year’s PSONA focused heavily on how the consulates have failed to support Filipino migrant workers facing deportations and ICE attacks, along with President Marcos’ close collaboration with the racist, warmongering, anti-immigrant Trump administration. The Philippine consulate in San Francisco was blasted for its refusal to aid migrant workers, even encouraging many to self-deport.

The program of the PSONA included speakers from the Tanggol Migrante movement, BAYAN USA, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), Gabriela, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students and the Malaya movement.

Chants and slogans emphasized the complicity of the comprador Marcos regime, such as “Marcos, traydor, tuta ni Trump!” Meaning “Marcos, traitor, lapdog of Trump!” as well as “Sino, sino, sino ang terrorista? Si Marcos, si Trump, sila ang terrorista!” meaning “Who, who, who are the terrorists? Marcos, Trump, they are the terrorists!”

Patrick Racela of Migrante NorCal gave an introductory speech to start out the program, calling out President Marcos directly, stating, “How is it that you can come to the United States and claim that you are serving the people, when in essence what you have done is bow down to Trump, and sell out our homeland? Shame!”

Brandon Lee, chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, a longtime activist and fighter in the Filipino activist movement, also joined the program. Lee was the target of an assassination attempt from the Philippine military, which had left him crippled. He has continued to organize for justice and human rights in the Philippines and participated in the PSONA to call out the Philippine consulate in SF. Lee criticized the consulate for its refusal to allow him into the building to deliver letters from the community demanding that the Philippine commission on human rights reopen his case.

“The Philippines has long been one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid in Southeast Asia, for bombs, ammunition and other equipment, supposedly to counter external threats. However in reality, this has been used for its internal military operations, to bomb and strafe communities, and kill Filipinos,” said Lee. “Across the Philippines, many communities are losing their livelihoods, and homes, in the name of so-called ‘development projects,’ causing environmental destruction.”

Other speakers shed light on the difficulties faced by Filipino migrant workers, who received no help and support from the Philippine consulates on their arrival to the U.S. Kuya Jay, chairperson of Migrante San Francisco shared his personal experiences. “Many of us left the Philippines to support our families. But what we found when we got here was far from what we hoped for. I slept in a storage room. We didn’t have proper meals. We didn’t receive overtime pay. We worked day and night – and were treated as if we didn’t deserve rest, or even a voice.”

“Why are Filipinos forced to leave our country in the first place? It’s not because we want to leave, it’s because we are forced to,” said Rachel Lucero, an organizer with Malaya SF. “It’s because of the conditions in the Philippines. Since Marcos Junior took office, 3 million more Filipinos are living in poverty. The number of hungry families has doubled. And when our people try to fight back against their conditions, they are met with violence! Shame!”

KC Avilla, an organizer for Malaya San Francisco told the crowd, “Marcos Jr. is protecting himself, and his own family's power. He knows that the next person that we will come after for corruption is him.“

Andan Bonifacio, chairperson of Bayan USA, closed out with a speech reaffirming the Filipino people’s dedication to fighting back. “Real change will never come from the likes of Marcos. Real change will never come from the likes of the Dutertes. It’ll come from us, the people. It won’t come trying to serve the interests of the foreign imperialists. It’ll come from us, learning and fighting to stand on our own two feet.”

Although attacks against Filipino migrant workers escalate under the Trump administration in the U.S, whilst the Marcos administration continues to oppress and exploit the Filipino people while acting as a puppet for U.S. interests, the Filipino people are not sitting idly by. Filipino organizations are ready to struggle and fight for victory over reaction, whether it is found in the puppet Marcos regime in the Philippines, or in the tyrannical Trump administration here in the U.S.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #Philippines #Bayan #Marcos #BongBong #PSONA #Malaya

Corporate CEOs and state leaders, including President Joe Biden, planned to meet to discuss so called “free trade” deals designed to further enrich the world’s financial elite at the expense of oppressed nations and workers around the world. In response, the No 2 APEC Coalition called for a week of demonstrations to once again shut down the summit, just as it had been shut down in Chile in 2019.

Anti-imperialist, women’s, migrant, LGBTQ, student, youth, labor and other social justice groups answered the call under the banner of “People and Planet over Profit and Plunder.” The protest began at Embarcadero Plaza with a land acknowledgment. San Francisco sits on the ancestral and unceded land of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, from whom organizers had been given permission and support to host the anti-APEC demonstrations. There were cultural performances, including poetry and song, followed by speakers from different organizations.

A member of the International Women’s Alliance condemned APEC for proposing false economic solutions that only exacerbate the super-exploitation of women workers. An organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement denounced the U.S. imperialist leaders participating in APEC for also profiting off the ongoing genocide and oppression of the Palestinian people. They affirmed the fearless and unwavering struggle of the Palestinian resistance, asserting that through international solidarity in the anti-imperialist movement, liberation for Palestine in our lifetimes is possible. An organizer with Nodutdol exposed APEC as a vehicle for the further militarization of the Asia-Pacific region, including the Korean peninsula, which contributes to the obstruction of the Korean movement for reunification and national liberation.

Protesters marched from the plaza down Market Street, shutting down one of the largest main streets in downtown San Francisco. Multilingual chants filled the air, including “From Palestine to the Philippines, shut down the U.S. war machine!” “Up, up with liberation, down, down with militarization!” and “We are unstoppable! Another world is possible!” The march was rerouted due to a heavy police and FBI presence, but protesters stayed strong and gathered at the end for a final rally.

Rhonda Ramiro, chair of BAYAN-USA, reminded the crowd what they had gathered to fight for: “We are fighting for a world where all workers have pay and workplace protections, where all working people have the right to unionize and organize, for collective and community control of the land, consistent and unconditional access to food, livable housing and shelter for all, for a stabilized climate, and protection of biodiversity and the natural world.”

Kobi Guillory, co-chair of the Chicago chapter of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, emphasized that all our movements are connected through the common enemy of U.S. imperialism, stating, “We are here protesting against APEC because imperialism always violates the right of self-determination of oppressed people.” He reminded the people that we have power in our numbers, and that through solidarity in our struggles, we will one day overthrow the entire global system of capitalist exploitation and oppression.

#SanFranciscoCA #CapitalismAndEconomy #APEC #ILPS #BAYANUSA #NAARPR

San Francisco, CA – On November 11, close to 900 people gathered at San Francisco State University for a counter-summit against the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit later that week.

The day was convened by the “No To APEC Coalition,” which had 160 endorsing organizations. The counter-summit was the first action leading up to a week of activity against APEC.

APEC is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. While the rhetoric that APEC pushes seem to benefit the member economies, the No to APEC Coalition states that it’s a forum for corporations and institutions to push so-called “free trade” to exploit their workers and put the benefits of corporations over the rights of nations and peoples.

The day began at 9 a.m. with opening remarks that reviewed what APEC and IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) were, and why it’s important to mobilize against them.

The keynote speaker was Brandon Lee, who came out to a standing ovation and chants of “Justice for Brandon Lee!” Lee is an indigenous rights activist who in 2019 was shot in four places by the 54th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, rendering him paralyzed. Lee continues to organize for human rights and is a member of the San Francisco Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines.

During his keynote speech, he spoke about how he became an organizer, and the current fight against Chevron. He also joined the chorus to mobilize against APEC and IPEF, “I will continue to fight as long as I breathe. My story is one of many. There are 1000 people here today, diverse and multi-generational, each with their own journey, all united against APEC. And we will not go gently into the night. We will rage!”

After Lee’s speech there was a plenary with speakers from different movements, including organizers from Palestine, Starbucks Workers United, Myanmar, and others.

The afternoon saw two sets of dozens of workshops for people to choose from.

The evening ended with a call to action for November 12 and the march against APEC. It closed out with agitating speeches, that fired people up!

#SanFranciscoCA #NoToAPEC #APEC #Capitalism #Economy #ILPS

San Francisco, CA – On October 8, upwards of 3000 people from across the Bay Area marched in San Francisco to show solidarity with Palestine. They rallied to support the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom from Israeli occupation.

The Bay Area protest, like demonstrations around the United States, support the Palestinians’ united effort to take back occupied land seized by Israel since 1948. Israel has a decades-long record of oppression and brutal human rights atrocities. The recent campaign of resistance is named “Al-Aqsa Flood” after the historic Al-Aqsa mosque in Al Quds, which has been the target of Israeli attacks in recent years.

The protest began at the San Francisco Israeli consulate building, where thousands gathered with Palestinian flags. The crowd unapologetically cheered for the liberation of Palestine with repeated slogans such as “Free, free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

During the initial rally, police in riot gear were present in front of the Israeli consulate, separating protesters from the building. Meanwhile, the Palestine coalition’s security kept a small contingent of pro-Israeli reactionaries away from the crowd. Despite tensions, the leadership of the pro-Palestine rally and its security encouraged the crowd to not engage with the Zionists.

After the starting rally, the crowd marched from the Israel consulate to Embarcadero Plaza. Taking to the streets, the protesters flew the Palestinian flag. They also displayed depictions of Ghassan Kanafani, a Palestinian revolutionary with the PFLP, and Che Guevara, a revolutionary icon who has inspired many such as Kanafani. As the protesters marched, an unidentified man tried to infiltrate the crowd. Protest security confronted him and prevented the man from getting closer, while the march continued.

At Embarcadero Plaza, the coalition began its program with speakers. The theme throughout the different speeches was the condemnation of the U.S. government for aiding Israel in the oppression of Palestine. Another theme was the hypocrisy of the Western media for ignoring the brutal Israeli bombing campaigns and massacres against Palestinian people.

Protesters defended the Palestinian right to self-determination and demanded an end to the occupation. They refused to label Palestine’s united front of resistance arising from Gaza as “terrorists.” In San Francisco and around the world, the people are demanding, “Solidarity with Palestine!”

The protest was organized by a coalition of Palestinian and socialist organizations such as the Palestinian Youth Movement, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Al-Awda Coalition, Palestinian Feminist Collective, Party for Socialism and Liberation and others.

#SanFranciscoCA #Palestine #NationalLiberation #Israel

San Francisco, CA – On May 19, around 100 people gathered in San Francisco State University’s Knuth Hall for the San Francisco leg of the Mandela Nakba 75 Tour. It featured the Honorable Chief Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela and member of the Parliament of South Africa.

The tour was co-hosted by the US Palestinian Community Network and the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, and had already visited Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cleveland, and Orange County.

San Francisco State University Assistant Professor in Race and Resistance Studies Rama Ali Kased emceed the event, and spoke about the importance of upholding the legacies of Nelson Mandela and Malcolm X, as the event coincided with the late Malcolm X’s birthday. The night kicked off with a poetry reading by 12-year-old Falasteen Hefnali, who read the poem As Long as I Have Inches of Land.

Next was a speech by longtime union activist Clarence Thomas. Thomas is a third-generation member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 10. He spoke about the ILWU’s historic acts of solidarity with the peoples of South Africa as well as Palestine. In 1984, ILWU longshoremen in San Francisco held an 11-day blockade of a South African ship in protest of the country’s apartheid regime.

More recently, the ILWU took part in community blockades of Israeli ships at the Port of Oakland in 2010, 2014, and 2021, in solidarity with Palestine. Thomas spoke of the enormous power harnessed by workers withholding their labor during these blockades, saying, “When longshore workers don’t work, the global economy shuts down.” He concluded with a series of call-and-response chants with the audience, including “From Ferguson to Palestine, occupation is a crime!”

Monadel Herzallah, member of the USPCN National Coordinating Committee, then spoke about the solidarity work shared between South Africans and Palestinians dating back to the 1970s and continuing through the present day. He recounted how Palestinian political prisoners wrote to Nelson Mandela and saw the South African anti-apartheid struggle as a source of inspiration and motivation for their own struggle at home. He also spoke about the ongoing Palestinian resistance movement, and how youth engagement in the movement is a beacon of hope and strength.

The next speaker was Sanyika Bryant of the New Afrikan People's Organization and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. He began by acknowledging that May 19, 2023 would have been Malcolm X’s 98th birthday, and spoke about Malcolm X’s commitment to international solidarity with the oppressed peoples of the world. “The anti-colonial struggles of the world are not over,” Bryant stated. He spoke about the similarities between different nations’ struggles for self-determination, from South Africa to Haiti to Palestine. Speaking to the Palestinian community members gathered at the event, he said, “We thank you for your struggle. We thank you for never giving up.”

The final speaker was the Honorable Chief Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, who began with a rousing chant of “Amandla! Awethu!”, meaning “The power! It’s ours!” in the Nguni languages of southern Africa. Mandela dedicated his speech to Malcolm X, saying “The history of Black Americans is an ongoing Nakba.” He pointed out the historic parallels between the displacement of South Africans by European settlers and the displacement of Palestinians by Zionist settlers, along with the solidarity shared between the resistance movements of both nations.

In commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, Mandela spoke about the horrors of the Deir Yassin massacre of 1948, when Zionist militias brutally murdered over 100 Palestinian villagers, including women, children, and the elderly. He also advocated for the ongoing cause of Palestinian resistance to Israel, saying, “We must continue to champion the Palestinian struggle, especially the BDS – Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions – campaign, across all sectors of society.”

The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, where audience members submitted questions to the event speakers. In response to a question about meeting George Floyd’s aunt at the Nakba 75 event in Minneapolis, Mandela recounted how moving it was to meet with her and visit George Floyd Square, saying, “We know exactly what George Floyd and many other Black Americans are subjected to.”

When asked about what it was like to grow up as the grandson of Nelson Mandela, he told the story of meeting him in prison for the first time as a nine year old. He also spoke about his grandfather’s commitment to the Palestinian freedom struggle, recounting his quote, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

After a standing ovation, all the event attendees gathered on stage for a group photo, many raising fists high in the air in solidarity with Palestinian resistance and reinvigorated in their commitment to fight against Zionist oppression. The group chanted together, voices united, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

#SanFranciscoCA #Palestine #nakba #MiddleEast

The USW encouraged Chevron to return to the bargaining table, but it refused, forcing workers to give notice of their intent to begin an unfair labor practice strike on March 21 at 12:01 a.m.

The previous contract between Chevron and USW Local 5 expired February 1, and members have since been working on a rolling 24-hour extension.

“It’s disappointing that Chevron would walk away from the table instead of bargaining in good faith with its dedicated work force,” said Mike Smith, chair of the USW’s National Oil Bargaining Program.

The USW reached a pattern agreement with the oil industry on wages and working conditions on February 25, but each of the approximately 200 participating units also bargain over local issues before ratifying their individual contracts.

#SanFranciscoCA #SanFransiscoCA #PeoplesStruggles #Strikes #UnitedSteelworkersUSW #oilWorkers

San Francisco, CA – On May 13, over 9000 people gathered at the intersection of Valencia and 16th Streets to rally and march in solidarity with Palestine, demanding an end to Israel’s collective punishment and ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The protest was organized by the Arab Resource and Organizing Center along with the Bay Area chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement.

People marched down Mission Street, led by a truck, looping around to a final rally at Dorset park. The crowd was filled with Palestinian flags and people wearing keffiyehs.

“My family right now is in Gaza worried about their existence on this planet,” said Zeyad Elomari of the Palestinian Youth Movement. “We see the Black struggle for liberation the same as the Palestinian struggle for liberation. It's all connected. We are joining in our struggles, we have people from the Black Lives Matter movement coming to our protest today, just as we went to the George Floyd Black Lives Matter protests.”

#SanFranciscoCA #Palestine #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #FreePalestine

The new union is part of CWA’s CODE-CWA (Coalition to Organize Digital Employees) project, and the workers will be members of CWA Local 1400. It follows successful union drives by other Google workers – like HCL contract workers in Pittsburgh and cafeteria workers now with UNITE HERE! in the Bay Area – as well as unions formed by workers at other tech companies like Kickstarter and Glitch.

The Alphabet Workers Union, however, will be the first open to all employees of Alphabet, regardless of their role or classification.

“This is historic – the first union at a major tech company by and for all tech workers,” said Dylan Baker, a software engineer.

Google began as a small tech company with a “Don’t be evil” mantra, but has quickly become one of the most influential companies in the world. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, now has more than 120,000 workers. It is responsible for vast swaths of the internet, controlling tools used by billions of people across the world, with subsidiaries as varied as Waymo, Verily, Fitbit and Wing.

Yet half of Google workers at Alphabet companies are hired as TVCs – temps, vendors, or contractors -without the benefits afforded to full-time employees. Executives have been awarded tens of millions of dollars in exit packages after documented sexual harassment against others at Google. And the company has taken on unethical government contracts, like drone targeting for the military, yet kept the nature of that technology secret even to the Googlers working on those projects. It has removed its past motto from its mission statement.

#SanFranciscoCA #PeoplesStruggles #Google #AlphabetWorkersUnion

According to the union, “On Friday, June 19, 2020, the ILWU Coast Longshore Division will stop work for eight hours on the first shift in 29 West Coast ports from Bellingham, Washington to San Diego, California in observance of Juneteenth. This action follows on the heels of the June 9, 2020 action in which the ILWU Coast Longshore Division stopped work coastwide at 9:00 a.m. for nine minutes in honor of George Floyd, adding to the chorus of voices protesting police brutality and systematic racism.”

The ILWU statement concludes, “As we stop work on Juneteenth, we do so in honor of our African American brothers and sisters and in recognition of the fact that we still have much to achieve as a society in order to carry out the promise of freedom in this country. On Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to that promise.”

#SanFranciscoCA #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #InternationalLongshoreWarehouseUnionILWU #Strikes #Juneteenth #workStoppage

San Francisco, CA – On July 22, more than 300 people packed the street in front of the Philippine consulate in San Francisco. Chants of “People power now!” and “No justice, no peace! Stop the killings in the Philippines!” rang out as protestors called for the ousting of Philippine President Duterte, who has killed thousands in his so-called ‘war on drugs.’ The occasion was the “Peoples’ SONA” on the occasion of the official State of the Nation Address given by the Philippine president each year.

Speakers from the BAYAN/Anakbayan of San Francisco, Migrante, and other organizations including the Arab Resource and Organizing Committee and the National Lawyers Guild spoke out against the Duterte and U.S. military aid to his regime. Included in the program was a professor from San Francisco State University, Reverends Sadie Stone and Michael Yoshi, and former elected official Rodel Rodis.

People waved flags reading “Oust Duterte” and “Stop the killing in the Philippines” along with banners representing PAWIS, MIGRANTE, Gabriella, BAYAN, and Anakbayan. In a daring action, activists hung a huge banner saying “Oust Duterte, stop the killing in the Philippines” above the door of the Philippine Consulate.

The Hip-hop artist Bambu fired up the crowd and ended by saying “Take it beyond social media – take it to the streets – that is how change is made!” to the roaring approval of the crowd.

After the action at the Philippine Consulate, the protest moved two blocks to Union Square, where it ended with organizers taking a group photo. The protest was organized by Malaya, and was one of eight protests in cities across the United States including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon; Houston and Washington, DC.

#SanFranciscoCA #OppressedNationalities #Philippines #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #AsianNationalities #ANAKBAYAN #RodrigoDuterte #Migrante

On April 6, students at San Francisco State University (SFSU) protested the Israeli mayor of occupied Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, who came to speak on campus. For nearly five months, the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) was under investigation by the SFSU administration after the protest. SFSU released the investigator’s report on Sept. 1.

Fight Back! interviewed Laila Zeytouna from the General Union of Palestinian Students about Palestine solidarity in the student movement, political repression by university administrations, and the SFSU investigation against GUPS.

Fight Back!: Why did students protest the campus speaking event of Israeli mayor Nir Barkat? Why should the student movement engage in this type of direct action to end U.S. support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine, instead of engaging in dialogue with pro-Israel groups or working with university administrations?

Laila Zeytouna: We protested Nir Barkat because of his role as an Israeli politician working within a system that aims to ethnically cleanse and oppress Palestinians. Nir Barkat promotes racist, pro-war policies and he is the mayor of occupied Jerusalem, where Palestinians who live in the West Bank cannot enter without applying for permits from the Israeli military. This blocks their right to pray in sacred holy sites, to obtain necessities like food and medicine, see their families, and have a right to a historical city that has so much value to Palestinians. Mayor Barkat also urges Israelis to arm themselves against Palestinians. Why would the administration welcome such a man to speak on campus? With that being said, we should not dialogue with figures like him, because Barkat is a direct contributor to the occupation – he is a part of the terrorization of our people and land. At the end of the day, there is nothing we can say to each other to make the situation better, until there is a complete end to the occupation.

Fight Back!: After the action, how did the SFSU administration and pro-Israel organizations react?

Zeytouna: The very next day after the action, President Leslie Wong sent an email to the entire student body condemning the protest and announcing that an investigation will be launched. The pro-Israel organizations were furious and published articles right away. A lot of them were lies, saying we were threatening Jewish students, calling for their death, and singled out GUPS when there were numerous student organizations participating. We were not there to protest the Jewish students; we were protesting a horrible Israeli politician.

Canary Mission, a McCarthyist blacklist site, singled out two Palestinian women as the leaders of the protest and many of the people who attended. SFSU administration reached out to the people who got listed on Canary Mission and offered help through the University Police Department and counseling services. But the most important thing the administration could have done to protect the students targeted with harassment would have been to publicly denounce the false accusations. They did not do this, instead, Wong’s statement condemning our protest before any of the facts were investigated, made us more vulnerable to backlash.

Fight Back!: Do you think this follows a pattern of university repression against student protests for Palestinian rights across the country?

Zeytouna: Of course it does. As soon as we criticize Israel for their disgusting treatment towards Palestinians, our ‘freedom of speech’ is suddenly taken away. It is no secret that universities receive enormous funding from Zionist donors and institutions. SFSU tries to pride itself as being a haven of social justice and student activism, but their actions speak louder when the administration launches an investigation on students for protesting a politician. We have murals on our campus projecting Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez and Edward Said. The university’s attempt to silence us goes against everything these leaders fought for.

Fight Back!: What were the findings of the investigation conducted against your organization, and is it a student victory?

Zeytouna: The investigation confirmed that our protest was aimed at the mayor and his policies and not Jewish students. The report was not a perfect one. For example, it did not include the longtime repression against Palestinian students who organize on campus nor the harassment we endured as a result. It also included many irrelevant comments from people who disagreed with the form of our protest, telling us that dialogue would be more productive, even though this has no bearing whatsoever on whether policy violations occurred. But overall, the report is a victory because the facts demonstrate clearly that we did not target Jewish students, but that our protest was political. Zionists constantly try to victimize themselves and say that us protesting Israel is anti-Semitic and hateful. This is a complete distortion of our views and a distraction from the policy issues we are raising. We want human rights and justice for the Palestinian people – how is that anti-Semitic? At the end of the day, we find it a student victory for all Palestinian and pro-Palestine students at universities across the country who also face endless Zionist and university backlash. Truth shows us that justice stands with those who struggle.

#SanFranciscoCA #SanCranciscoCA #Palestine #MiddleEast #PeoplesStruggles #Israel

On April 6, students at San Francisco State University (SFSU) protested the Israeli mayor of occupied Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, who came to speak on campus. For nearly five months, the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) was under investigation by the SFSU administration after the protest. SFSU released the investigator’s report on Sept. 1.

Fight Back! interviewed Laila Zeytouna from the General Union of Palestinian Students about Palestine solidarity in the student movement, political repression by university administrations, and the SFSU investigation against GUPS.

Fight Back!: Why did students protest the campus speaking event of Israeli mayor Nir Barkat? Why should the student movement engage in this type of direct action to end U.S. support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine, instead of engaging in dialogue with pro-Israel groups or working with university administrations?

Laila Zeytouna: We protested Nir Barkat because of his role as an Israeli politician working within a system that aims to ethnically cleanse and oppress Palestinians. Nir Barkat promotes racist, pro-war policies and he is the mayor of occupied Jerusalem, where Palestinians who live in the West Bank cannot enter without applying for permits from the Israeli military. This blocks their right to pray in sacred holy sites, to obtain necessities like food and medicine, see their families, and have a right to a historical city that has so much value to Palestinians. Mayor Barkat also urges Israelis to arm themselves against Palestinians. Why would the administration welcome such a man to speak on campus? With that being said, we should not dialogue with figures like him, because Barkat is a direct contributor to the occupation – he is a part of the terrorization of our people and land. At the end of the day, there is nothing we can say to each other to make the situation better, until there is a complete end to the occupation.

Fight Back!: After the action, how did the SFSU administration and pro-Israel organizations react?

Zeytouna: The very next day after the action, President Leslie Wong sent an email to the entire student body condemning the protest and announcing that an investigation will be launched. The pro-Israel organizations were furious and published articles right away. A lot of them were lies, saying we were threatening Jewish students, calling for their death, and singled out GUPS when there were numerous student organizations participating. We were not there to protest the Jewish students; we were protesting a horrible Israeli politician.

Canary Mission, a McCarthyist blacklist site, singled out two Palestinian women as the leaders of the protest and many of the people who attended. SFSU administration reached out to the people who got listed on Canary Mission and offered help through the University Police Department and counseling services. But the most important thing the administration could have done to protect the students targeted with harassment would have been to publicly denounce the false accusations. They did not do this, instead, Wong’s statement condemning our protest before any of the facts were investigated, made us more vulnerable to backlash.

Fight Back!: Do you think this follows a pattern of university repression against student protests for Palestinian rights across the country?

Zeytouna: Of course it does. As soon as we criticize Israel for their disgusting treatment towards Palestinians, our ‘freedom of speech’ is suddenly taken away. It is no secret that universities receive enormous funding from Zionist donors and institutions. SFSU tries to pride itself as being a haven of social justice and student activism, but their actions speak louder when the administration launches an investigation on students for protesting a politician. We have murals on our campus projecting Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez and Edward Said. The university’s attempt to silence us goes against everything these leaders fought for.

Fight Back!: What were the findings of the investigation conducted against your organization, and is it a student victory?

Zeytouna: The investigation confirmed that our protest was aimed at the mayor and his policies and not Jewish students. The report was not a perfect one. For example, it did not include the longtime repression against Palestinian students who organize on campus nor the harassment we endured as a result. It also included many irrelevant comments from people who disagreed with the form of our protest, telling us that dialogue would be more productive, even though this has no bearing whatsoever on whether policy violations occurred. But overall, the report is a victory because the facts demonstrate clearly that we did not target Jewish students, but that our protest was political. Zionists constantly try to victimize themselves and say that us protesting Israel is anti-Semitic and hateful. This is a complete distortion of our views and a distraction from the policy issues we are raising. We want human rights and justice for the Palestinian people – how is that anti-Semitic? At the end of the day, we find it a student victory for all Palestinian and pro-Palestine students at universities across the country who also face endless Zionist and university backlash. Truth shows us that justice stands with those who struggle.

#SanFranciscoCA #AntiwarMovement #Palestine #PeoplesStruggles #Jerusalem #PoliticalRepression #SFSU #SanFranciscoStateUniversity #NirBarkat

“With the unwavering commitment to social justice that is central to the work of the university, SF State prepares its students to become productive, ethical, active citizens with a global perspective.” -SFSU Mission Statement

On April 6th, 2016 Nir Barkat, the mayor of occupied Jerusalem, gave a speech sponsored by Hillel San Francisco State University (SFSU) chapter titled “How is a visionary from the high-tech sector leading a diverse and scrutinized city?” The event has led to scrutiny in the blogosphere and by the SFSU administration because of the protests that ensued.

Why we protested

The protest was led by a coalition of students representing a multiplicity of communities, ethnicities, and backgrounds that stand in solidarity for the freedom of Palestine. We protested Mayor Barkat because of his role as an Israeli official, who enforces violence and occupation against our communities on a daily basis.

Providing a platform for Barkat on our campus erases the violent and brutal realities faced by Palestinians. The Israeli technological sector underpins and makes possible the Israeli military occupation, the structures of apartheid in Palestine and denying the right to return for Palestinian refugees. Technological infrastructures within Jerusalem are at the center of the destabilization of Palestinian society and contribute to the daily and entrenched forms of humiliation of indigenous Palestinians including the vast system of military checkpoints, forced dispossession and home demolitions. As ethical and active students with a global perspective, committed to social justice and anti-colonialism, we objected to the event that served in justifying and whitewashing apartheid and normalizing violations of international law. Barkat’s message and tour reinforces Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism globally. Examples of policies implemented and/or run by Barkat include:

• The Jerusalem Master Plan, an official city policy that calls the Palestinian presence in the city “a demographic threat.” The Plan implements ethnic cleansing policies with an intended 70% Jewish and 30% Palestinian demography by the year 2020.
• Calls for the raiding and demolishing of homes, shootings of gas canisters into residential areas, arrests of children, blocking off roads for Palestinians, and the building of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem.
• Revoking citizenship of Palestinian families whose family members were killed by Israeli forces in the recent Palestinian intifada or uprising, in October 2015.
• Supporting policies that forbid Palestinians from renting housing in Jerusalem and policies that oust Palestinians from Israeli Universities.
• Denial of Palestinian neighborhood access to municipal services such as waste removal, which in turn threatens public health.

As students, we are deeply disturbed that our University, which claims to advocate for social justice, is actively involved in creating safe spaces for hate speech and the promotion of international law violations by offering a stage for Barkat. It is our responsibility as student leaders for equality to act ethically and stand up against oppression wherever it may occur, including in Palestine.

Clarifications on meanings behind slogans used during protest

“Long Live the Intifada!” The term “intifada” emerges from the Palestinian anti-colonial struggle, referring to a “shaking off” of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Claims that it means the eradication of a Jewish presence in Palestine, or condones violence against Jews, are unfounded. This is not how we used it. Students participating in the protest consciously use the term within the “shaking off” framework of anti- colonial struggle. To us, intifada means the struggle for freedom, justice and equality for all people.

“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free” It envisions a liberated Arab world free from colonial and racist reigns. The statement does not condone or warrant anti-Semitism. We, social justice minded students, recognize combating anti-Semitism as central to the struggle in fighting for justice and freedom of all people. The term refers to a liberation of Palestine and centers the importance of a right of return for the near 6-million Palestinian refugees in exile.

On the Administration’s Response

On April 7th, president Wong sent an email to the university titled “Civil Discourse” calling for an investigation of the protesters. Such acts criminalize anti-racist speech on campus, which voice an end to the occupation of Palestine. The attack on pro-Palestine protesters sends the message that anti-Palestinian hate speech is protected and tolerated as freedom of expression by the SFSU administration, but freedom of expression for social justice is systematically criminalized and condemned. President Wong at the Arab Cultural and Community Center in 2013 promised to break the cycle of double standards, censorship and criminalization of Arab, Muslim and Palestinian student centered activism on campus. Today, we demand that he stay true to that promise, emphasizes the safety of his students by condemning threats from 3rd party organizations and stand with the students united for social justice and a liberated Palestine.

La Lucha Sigue, The Fight Continues, Long Live International Solidarity, Free Palestine!

-SFSU students who protested Jerusalem Mayor

#SanFranciscoCA #Palestine #GeneralUnionOfPalestinianStudents #SFSU

San Francisco, CA – On Feb. 25 hundreds of students began rallying at San Francisco State University (SFSU) to defend the first and only College of Ethnic Studies (COES) in the U.S. Due to underfunding by politicians and administrators, ethnic studies is threatened with budget cuts that may close the college.

Under pressure, the University President Leslie Wong agreed to meet on Feb. 25 with SFSU students in an open forum to discuss the planned cuts. Originally the meeting was supposed to take place in a room inside the college, but due to student response, a bigger space was needed.

Hundreds of students marched from the College of Ethnic Studies towards the Seven Hills Conference Center, until they packed the building from inside to outside. Protesters met with President Wong, Provost Sue Rosser and some of the president’s cabinet with a list of ten demands to sustain and advance the College. The demands included a restoration of all pre-2007 funding, resources for faculty within the COES, a mandatory ethnic studies course for all SFSU students, and a performance review of Provost Rosser.

When the students finished the meeting on their terms, they marched out to the Malcolm X Plaza chanting, “Rise up my students! Rise up!” and “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! The budget cuts have got to go!”

Veteran activists of the 1968 Third World Student Strike that created COES gave speeches, as students representing the General Union of Palestinian Students, League of Filipino Students, Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlan (MEChA) and Student Kouncil of Intertribal Nations also participated.

The Third World Liberation Front led the 1968-69 strike, which was the longest campus strike in U.S. history. Not only did the student-led strike win the first and only College of Ethnic Studies in the U.S., it inspired the establishment of ethnic studies classes and programs at other universities throughout the country.

“The fight for Ethnic Studies is a continuation of San Francisco State’s revolutionary legacy from the Third World Liberation Front,” said Jordan Ilagan of the League of Filipino Students. “As students of SF State, it is our duty to fight for relevant, pro-people education. We should not end our actions after meeting with President Wong but continue to organize and mobilize.” Ilagen added, “We know very well that we cannot rely on the powers that be to genuinely uphold the interests of the students.”

A member of General Union of Palestinian Students said “We gave President Wong the deadline of answering our demands by the end of Black History month, Monday, Feb. 29, at 5:00 p.m. in which he responded with a letter that completely dismissed our demands. We also asked he email it to the entire student body, which he failed to do as well. He instead posted it on his website.”

President Wong’s letter stated that cuts will not occur to the College of Ethnic Studies, and promised to allot $200,000 more to the College, a temporary fix. Students mobilized on March 16 in the Quad near Malcolm X Plaza to call on the SFSU administration to once and for all agree to the demands of advancing Ethnic Studies.

The proposed cuts of 40% of the College of Ethnic Studies budget represent the systemic gutting of COES resources at SFSU over the last decade, and across campuses in the U.S. more broadly. Since the recession, ethnic studies on many campuses, such as San Jose University, are targeted for cuts.

Funding for public education is being cut and social services are increasingly privatized. On the other side, funding for wars and the militarization of police, as well as government subsidies for corporations are escalating.

Chrisley Carpio, speaking for Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said, “Instead of cutting classes, especially ethnic studies courses, foreign languages, and humanities, and instead of hiking up tuition, university administrators should ‘Chop from the Top.’ We are part of a growing student movement that wants to end the lavish bonuses and record-high salaries. Instead of cutting public education and scholarships, SDS tells politicians to stop increasing funding to U.S. wars and border militarization. We want a democratic society that starts prioritizing social spending and education. SDS says fund education, not U.S. military occupations.”

In opposition to a Supreme Court case out of Texas attacking Affirmative Action, National SDS began organizing to defend affirmative action and calling for increased enrollment of African American students and faculty. With the Education for All Campaign, SDS won equal access to college for undocumented students in Florida who were being forced to pay out-of-state tuition rates.

SDS is continuing the Education for All Campaign again with new demands to stop education cutbacks, for free tuition, to cancel student debt, and to make education accessible for working-class and African American, Chicano, Puerto Rican and other oppressed peoples.

#SanFranciscoCA #PeoplesStruggles #Antiracism #EthnicStudies #EducationForAll

San Francisco, CA – On Wednesday, July 10, a hundred people rallied downtown here to protest the growing U.S. military intervention in Syria. The rally was called by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), the ANSWER Coalition, along with other anti-war organizations. The rally opened and closed with chants of “money for jobs and education, not for wars and occupation.” Speakers at the rally included representatives from UNAC, ANSWER, World Can’t Wait, Code Pink, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#SanFranciscoCA #AntiwarMovement #Syria #MiddleEast

San Francisco, CA – More than 1000 GLBTQ activists and allies rallied in the Castro District here to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on June 26 to strike down the anti-gay, homophobic Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Demonstrators also celebrated the Court’s decision to uphold a 2012 ruling by the California Supreme Court that found Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in the state, unconstitutional.

“Marriage equality was a demand. Now it’s becoming a reality,” said a 60-year-old demonstrator, who got engaged to his partner earlier in the day following the ruling.

The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that DOMA is invalid for specifically denying same-sex marriages recognized by 12 of the 50 states. DOMA was passed in 1996 by a Republican-dominated Congress and signed into law by Democrat President Bill Clinton. It effectively denied same-sex couples more than 1100 federal benefits offered to heterosexual couples, including tax deductions crucial to gay and lesbian working-class families.

After the ruling, activists marched through the heart of the Castro District with signs reading, “Prop 8 is dead!” and “Marriage equality now!” As one of the first largely gay working-class neighborhoods in the U.S., the Castro remains an important symbol in the struggle for GLBTQ equality.

California’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in a June 2008 ruling, which was overturned less than five months later by Proposition 8, commonly called Prop 8. Backed by right-wing hate groups and wealthy conservatives, Prop 8 stripped gay and lesbian couples of their rights. Following massive protests across California and a successful state Supreme Court challenge, Prop 8 reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that the California court’s decision to overturn it remained valid. This decision effectively reinstates same-sex marriage in the Golden State.

The rally paid tribute to freedom-fighters of the queer liberation struggle and international struggles against oppression. Activists chanted for South African leader Nelson Mandela, reportedly in critical condition, and several leaders on-stage reminded the demonstrators that South Africa is the only country with GLBTQ protections written into its constitution.

The rally assembled in front of a stage, where demonstrators listened to activists and other speakers talk about the Supreme Court’s ruling.

#SanFranciscoCA #Proposition8 #LGBTQRights #DefenseOfMarriageAct

San Francisco, CA – While millions of retired Americans are struggling to make ends meet and millions more working people who have been laid off don’t know how or if they can ever afford to retire, laid-off corporate executives are living in another world. Take General Electric Vice-Chairman John Krenicki, who is 50 years old and retiring at the end of 2012 because of GE’s restructuring plans. GE will be paying him $89,000 a month for the next ten years (about a million dollars a year, or $10 million total), after which he can receive GE’s executive pension. In addition, Krenicki is getting stock options and stock valued at almost $15 million, and a bonus of almost $3 million, for a total golden parachute worth almost $28 million. In exchange, Krenicki promised GE that he wouldn’t work for a competitor for three years.

While the right wing demonizes mothers and children who are struggling to make ends meet on $150 per month per person (the average benefit for Temporary Aid to Needy Family or TANF, widely known as welfare), corporate executives are literally being paid millions not to work.

But of course Krenicki is not even the worst offender. Take a look at Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Romney has released one year of tax returns which show that he has $100 million in an IRA (Individual Retirement Account). Now, how he was able to amass $100 million when the yearly limit is $5000 and Romney is 65 years old, we don’t know. We do know that three-quarters of working age adults don’t have an IRA at all and that the typical person with an IRA has only $25,000 in the account, or 1/40 of 1% of what Mitt Romney has.

In addition to his IRA, Romney has another $100 million (or more) in personal wealth and perhaps another $100 million in trust for his children. While his own retirement is more than secure (we would call it lavish), Romney is proposing to cut Social Security, either by limiting inflation protection, by raising the retirement age even more (it is already going up from age 65 to 67), or by replacing Social Security with individual investment accounts. Romney opposes raising the cap on Social Security taxes, which right now doesn’t tax any wages or salary above $110,100, and all investment income is not taxed either!

If you have had enough of the likes of John Krenicki and Mitt Romney getting more while the rest of us get less, join the protest at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida August 27-30. For more information, go to marchonthernc.com.

#SanFranciscoCA #WallStreet #welfare #Capitalism #corporateProfits #RNC2012