CAPE General Meeting 02.02.09

What Makes This Moment Historic
• Video Camera Phone
• Criminalization of youth to the point of execution
• Youtube and facebook
• International uprisings against injustice and oppression in Greece and Gaza
• Self organized youth walk-outs
• Intersection of a lot of events and hardships, timing with economy, Obama, wars, people struggling
• Solidarity and partnerships with people who usually don’t work together
• Rebellion
• Officer charged with murder within 2 weeks
• Link to race relations and politics in the US with Obama
• Anarchist presence
• Intergenerational solidarity
• State offered concessions even before we asked
• OPD imploding
• Budget crisis
• Presence of spirit in our organization

Review CAPE History
Who We Are
C.A.P.E. is a recently formed coalition of families, clergy, community groups, youth, small business owners and a wide diversity of concerned citizens. We were galvanized by the execution of Oscar Grant, III, and the abuse of all the young men on the platform that night, and the traumatization of bystanders as well. Our goal is a world without police executions, to be achieved through working for accountability and healing.

Principles of Unity
1. We come together in recognition of a long history of police abuse, which we believe is systemic and rooted in a larger system of inequality.
2. We believe we have to to rely on ourselves to enact change. It is our right and our duty to hold police accountable.
3. We come together in spirit of unity and respect for diverse backgrounds, opinions and approaches.
4. We are committed to practicing change in strategic and intentional ways, balancing reflection and action to maximize the impact of our efforts.
5. We seek to utilize the voice, will, energy of the people to hold system accountable and also to develop new models of promote healing amongst ourselves.

Demands
1. We want the immediate arrest, indictment, and prosecution of BART police officer, Johannes Mehserle for the murder of Oscar Grant III.
2. We want the release of the names and suspension of all the officers accompanying Officer Mehserle on January 1, 2009 at the Fruitvale BART shooting until a thorough and comprehensive investigation has taken place.
3. We want a public review of BART history, police policy, strategy, and philosophy to assess whether (A) BART police are really needed and (B) If needed, whether or not they need guns.
4. We want BART, in the spirit of restorative justice, to make community restitution, in part, by funding community based healing centers throughout the city for grief counseling, conflict resolution, and healing.
6. Drop the Charges against all Protesters
7. Recall the Disctrict Attorney.
8. Fire and Charge Tony Pirone.
9. Fire BART Police Chief Gary Gee.

What We Have Done
• Oakland Teachers Union passed resolution supporting youth who were arrested
• Building national and international solidarity
• 1/14 Rally and March
• 1/7 Rally and March, significant event heard around the world
• 1/19 Uhuru Movement
• 1/31 Community Speakout
• Formed Oakland Cop Watch
• 2/5 Campaign to end the death penalty
• Newspaper articles
• 1/14, 16 solidarity events around the country
• Olivet Town Hall Meetings
• Actions for Annette Garcia
• Color of Change petition
• Youth Activism in college, UC Berkeley march

Demands Already Met
• Mehserle’s murder charge
• All cops on administrative leave with pay
o We want them suspended and charged
• BART public hearings
• Dellums committed to healing centers
• 2 BART board members calling for Gee and the General Manager’s resignations
• Investigation of Anita Gail’s killing

Evaluation
Positive
• Substantial demonstrations on the streets
• People feel safer
• Community has each other’s back
• Militancy seen by young people
• Turning development of militarism into focused and strategic
• CAPE being clear on the 7th that marching would not be safe
• Media
• Strategizing for turnout
• Outreach to wider community
• Safer space on the streets
• Level of consciousness has increased with each action
• Power of January 7th event
• Message of unity

Change
• Clarity what was CAPE and what wasn’t
• Need conversation to come to shared view of action and analysis
• Sustain the movement
• Discussion about violence as a global issue
• Security should be tight
• Change summation of all action, do something early
• Not talking about kids that were abused by police on the 7th
• Mixed feelings about mandate of CAPE security
• Have plan B
• Need to reframe media’s negative coverage of rallies
• Shared analysis
• Strategy statement
• Pressure to commit acts of violence
• Outreach to oppressed communities
• Clarity on logistics and security
• Don’t diss the youth
• Lack of accountability by adults
• Lack of preparation and decision making at bail hearing
• Do evaluations sooner
• Security should not act as police
• Make sure we focus on community
• Develop focused and strategic militancy
• Reframe media so they talk about the violence of the police
• Meetings in the hood
• Points of unity

Break Out Into Working Groups

Parking Lot
• Are we explicitly nonviolent?
• What about other victims of violence?

Announcements & Upcoming Events
• On January 23rd, Annette Garcia, mother of three and a Brown Beret, was killed by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Donations to support her family can be sent to:
First National Bank of S California
Routing # - 122240751
Account # - 002126443
For more info, bbannettegarcia [at] yahoo.com
• Wed, 2/4
Intertribal Friendship House
523 E 14th Oakland
827-6719
• Fri, 2/6, 6PM
Oakland Critical Mass Bike Protest
14th & Broadway
• Fri, 2/6 & Mon, 2/9, 9AM – 2PM
Arraignments for 1/7 arrests, come out to support
661 Washington at 7th (Court House)
• Tue, 2/10, 10AM - Color of Change Petition Delivery
Rene Davidson Courthouse
1225 Fallon St, Oakland
• Tue, 2/10, 6:00 PM – Independent Public Tribunal to Investigate Grant’s Killing
Refreshments Provided
Allen Temple Baptist Church
Pastor J. Alfred Smith, Jr.
8501 International Blvd. (at 85th Ave.)
Oakland
Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, & Immigrant Rights, Fight for Equality, By Any Means Necessary (BAMN),
BAMN.com, 510-502-9072, California [at] bamn.com, ASUC-Sponsored
• Tue 2/10, 7PM - Public Hearing for Justice for Oscar Grant
Allan Temple Baptist Church
International Blvd. & 85th
• Thu, 2/12 – BART Board Meeting
• Mon, 2/16, 5:00 PM – Justice for Anita Gay Vigil
Killed by Berkeley Police Feb 16th, 2008
MLK & Ashby, Berkeley
Called by Anita Gay family
510-655-7313
• Thu, 2/26, 7PM – 9PM – Poetry In The Community Presents: Poetry Crossroads
Free Open Mic, All welcome, A place to speak and share
Berkeley City College
2050 Center St at Milvia, 5th Floor Student Lounge
• 3/14, 1PM – 3PM – Uhuru House Tribunal
Put the state on trail for crimes against the Black community
Uhuru House
7911 Macarthur Blvd., East Oakland