Feature Archives

On March 18, Answer Coalition and numerous other anti-war organizations rallied and marched in San Francisco. Banners and signs demanded peace in Ukraine, abolishing NATO, the diversion of taxpayers' money to meet human needs, and the end of US aggression toward other nations. Counter demonstrators said Russians are committing genocide and Ukrainians need more weapons. March 19 was the twentieth anniversary the US invasion of Iraq.

On March 21, an extreme wind and rain "atmospheric river" smacked San Francisco as demonstrators showed up and cut up for climate justice. Elder activists portrayed our anticipated climate future with street theater in front of Wells Fargo headquarters and sang out new lyrics to tunes familiar to their generation. A coalition of environmental groups that organized the event included a new movement of people aged 60 and beyond called Third Act.

In Israel, the reascension to power of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to head an extreme Zionist government in Israel has provoked huge protests, even spreading to the Israeli military. Settler terrorism against Palestinians, while rampant before, has even more leeway under the new government. A series of protests against the occupation and moves to disempower Israeli courts have happened in San Francisco.

On February 15, activists gathered at the office of Merced County District Attorney Nicole Silveira to ask her to prosecute documented criminal animal cruelty and worker abuse at Foster Farms’ slaughterhouse in Livingston, instead of prosecuting the individuals who rescued two animals from just outside the facility. Two women are being charged with theft, with the trial set to begin March 7 at Merced County Superior Court.

The news of Chevron’s record profits and record oil and gas production in the U.S. comes as data from the Bureau of Land Management reveals that President Biden approved more oil and gas drilling permits in his first two years in office than former President Trump. Legislation is under consideration in California to establish a windfall profits cap on how much oil refiners can make in profit per gallon of gasoline.

The University of California Berkeley has the largest number of human remains of Native Americans, in violation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. UC Berkeley has the remains of at least 9,075 Native Americans that it has not made available for return. Only one percent have been offered for return, in violation of the NAGPRA law. UCB continues to hoard the remains and artifacts in its possession.

On January 7, Tyre Nichols was savagely beaten by Memphis police, dying three days later. The first Bay Area demonstrations were called in both San Francisco and Oakland upon released video on January 27. In the days since, a march was held in Oakland, an Oakland police cruiser was set on fire, and a rally was held in Menlo Park. The ILWU stopped work to demand the release of Mumia Abu-Jamal, joined by Tyre Nichols' siblings.