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UpdatesWe Stand in Solidarity with the ILWUThe International Socialist Organization stands in solidarity with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 10 and its stop work action on April 4th. The day of action called for “no business as usual,” and the ILWU heeded that call to its fullest extent by shutting down the ports. Their employers' group, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) is now suing the union for this act of solidarity with workers in Wisconsin. We oppose any retaliatory action by the PMA against our longshore brothers and sisters. We fully endorse the Committee to Defend ILWU Local 10. Bay Area ISO on Break Until JanuaryThe Bay Area ISO will be on break until the first week of January, 2011. Check back then for activism updates. Happy holidays! Let's Discuss the Communist Manifesto
History's most important political document Since it was first written in 1848, the Manifesto has been translated into more languages than any other modern text. It has been banned, censored, burned, and declared "dead." But year after year, the text only grows more influential not only because it continues to describe the current world but also because it is a guide for a revolutionary action to get rid of the system that oppresses us all: capitalism. Meetings:
For more information, email iso@norcalsocialism.org or call 415-320-7416. Fight the Right - Bay Area Tour
The ISO presents Alan Maass, editor of the SocialistWorker.org & author of The Case for Socialism, speaking on The Right Turn in U.S. Politics: How it happened... and what we can do to stop it. Since Obama took office on a strong mandate for progressive reform, we have seen the steady growth of the Right as the Democrats have failed to deliver in the midst of a deepening economic crisis. The Tea Party, once considered a fringe element, has enlivened far right politics, particularly through vicious campaigns of racism against Muslims and immigrants. The Republican Party, which was reeling from a massive electoral defeat just two years ago, has regrouped and retaken the House of Representatives this month. At the same time, however, polls show a majority in this country support a range of progressive causes like legal equality for LGBT people and taxing the rich to pay for social programs. How can these things exist side by side? How can we explain what just happened in the elections? Why did US politics take a right turn? How can we organize to fight the Right and build an independent left in the US? Meetings:
Antiwar Protest the Day of Afghanistan Surge
In the coming weeks, Barack Obama will announce that he will send more troops to Afghanistan to continue an imperialist war that has already killed tens of thousands of Afghans, if not more. We must oppose this surge in violence and call for the exact opposite: an end to the occupation and troops home now! On the day that Obama announces his surge, we will protest in the streets. Code PINK, World Can't Wait, and other activists will meet outside the military recruiting station in Berkeley (map) at 3:30pm. From there, people will march to the downtown Berkeley BART station, and then rally at Powell Street BART in San Francisco (map) at 5:00pm. For updates, please check bayareacodepink.org. Northern California International Socialist Organization Monthly Newsletter: AugustDear Friends, It was great to see so many of you at West Coast Socialism 2009 in San Francisco. Over 900 people attended the conference, surpassing our expectations by almost 50%! (See video and audio links below) Socialist ideas and organization are finding a receptive audience all over the country. We are preparing for a busy fall when we will be helping organize the LGBT national march in Washington, D.C. October 11 (http://equalityacrossamerica.org/), fighting state budget cuts in public education, health care and social services, and raising the alarm about the intensifying war in Afghanistan and the Gaza blockade, among many other activities. We need you and you need us! Whether you attended the conference or not, now is the time to get in touch with the ISO branch nearest you. We’re holding a special meeting in San Francisco on August 22 for everyone who’s close enough to drive about How the Russian Revolution Was Won. Everyone is invited to attend, but we are especially interested in hearing from you if you’re considering joining the ISO or would like to participate in a study group to find out if the ISO is right for you. If you’d like to start a branch of the ISO in your city or town, or invite an ISO member to give a public speech (whether or not you're interested in joining), please let us know and we’ll help you get going. Contact us at iso@norcalsocialism.org. The case of Jesús Gutiérrez
Jesús Gutiérrez is a worker at UC Berkeley and member of AFSCME 3299. Two days before May Day, Jesús went to his job in a dining center at the University of California-Berkeley. But he never made it back home that night. Jesús' manager called him into the office during his shift to go over his summer schedule. There, two UCPD detectives arrested him for identity theft. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted, unnecessarily and illegally. The charge of identity theft leveled by the campus police is a common form of intimidation used against immigrants, designed to convince detainees to accept voluntary deportation rather than be sent to prison for an extended sentence. (Related Story: Why is Jesús Gutiérrez in Jail?) Currently Jesús is being held at Santa Rita Jail. UPDATE: Jésus' court hearing has been postponed. Please check back here soon for more information — we will post information on his court hearing as soon as it is available. Call UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau at 510-642-7464 and tell him that UCB should be a sanctuary campus, where all students and workers feel safe and respected; and UC should respect AFSCME's contract, which says that the University must contact the union before contacting Immigration. (Download the flier announcing the call-in.) Please join the Facebook group and download and pass out the fact sheet on Jesús' case. ACTION ALERT: Palestine solidarity activists targeted, arrested by police. Call and email to demand their release!
Monday Afternoon Update:
1. As of 8PM, Sunday 3/22 the following people have been released from jail - Murad Abuh Hamdieh, Lily Haskell, Nadeen Elshorafa and Mohammed Ibrahim! They are all safely home with their family and community. 2. We have indication that up to two more people will likely be released by later Sunday night. 3. There has been incredible out-pouring of financial support that will likely allow us to bail everyone out within the next 24 hours. Critical Next Steps 1. A growing group of people have come together to work on this defense and there have been a lot of progress made in the areas of media, communications and legal strategy. If you are interested in being a part of any of this work please email maherah1218@yahoo.com. 2. There have been calls to various individuals in the Arab and Palestinian community asking questions about the events surrounding the arrests, these calls have come from the media, people representing various organizations and political groups. Those of us working on the defense would like to encourage anyone who was an eye witness to the events NOT to speak to anyone at this time. Please contact Chris at (510) 206-6646 if you have any questions at all about how to deal with these calls or to provide information that will help our friends successful defeat these false charges. It is critical that our communications to all sources reflect the overall legal and communications strategy in order to best serve the the needs of those who have been arrested. Information that is provided without the coordination of the legal and communications teams could seriously affect the safety of those who have been arrested. 3. Please direct your questions to the following point people around the areas that they are coodinating: Fundraising Media and Communications Legal Support 4. Please continue to keep those donations coming!! We need to urgently raise money for the legal defense, so send all contributions to Maherah Silmi at 1333 Gough Street, Apt. 1F, San Francisco, Ca 94109 At the March 21st demonstration against the occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine, San Francisco police unlawfully arrested at least 5 Palestine solidarity activists. Those activists remain in jail at this moment. Please take several minutes to defend these activists against blatant police repression. Additional calls to action will follow, so please check back. IMMEDIATE ACTION ALERT Hi my name is ____________________________ I am calling about the arrests of Mustafa Albouyha These individuals were wrongfully arrested while participating in a legal, peaceful march yesterday. We are demanding that the charges be dropped immediately and that they be released to their families. Make your call immediately to all of the following SFPD Public Affairs SF District Attorney Bureau of Investigation: (415) 553-1030 Public Inquiries: Mayor Gavin Newsom If you find out any update about these arrests during your call please let us know by calling (510) 534-7933. Additional calls for action are to follow. Forward Widely Coming soon: homepage of the Bay Area International Socialist OrganizationHi folks! This page had previously been set up for the Northern California Socialism Conference, which took place December 6th and 7th at City College in San Francisco. Thanks to all of you who came out and made the conference a huge success! In the coming weeks, this site will re-launch as the home of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) in the Bay Area. Check back shortly after the New Year for updates on our plans, as well as mobilizations against the war and Proposition 8. Until then, consider checking out Socialist Worker, the newspaper of the ISO, at http://www.socialistworker.org 
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