On-going attacks on Oakland & Berkeley’s unhoused violates their human rights

On-going attacks on Oakland & Berkeley’s unhoused violates their human rights

By Lynda Carson - October 25, 2019

The phony liberal politicians in Oakland and Berkeley that have turned their towns into so-called Sanctuary cities for migrants, try to portray themselves as humanitarians. Meanwhile they have a different agenda for the unhoused poor in their cities. An agenda that continues to harass, ticket, criminalize, arrest, bulldoze, and displace the cities unhoused residents from their encampments, as part of the the phony liberal politician’s gentrification schemes.

In scenes reminiscent of the bulldozer attacks on shanty towns around the world, Oakland’s Mayor Libby Shaft had the bulldozers sent in to clear out another homeless encampment of the unhoused 2 days ago.

Reportedly, city officials are calling this a two-week cleanup operation that that displaced many residents in a homeless encampment area the size of 3 football fields. Candice Elder was quoted as saying,“"No shelter beds are being offered, not even a tent. About the 10 or so folks here who are going to lose their homes that the city's going to tear down--there's nowhere for them to go.”

Democracy Now did a great story earlier today that included some wonderful interviews from a few weeks ago. The interviews took place before the attack on the massive homeless encampment took place in Oakland 2 days ago, and provides an in-depth view in regards to what has been happening in Oakland in recent days.

Additionally, on Wednesday in Berkeley, reportedly a group of 80 demonstrators and unhoused persons led by the “Where do we go?” campaign marched more than 2 miles to City Hall in an effort to start a conversation about where the unhoused should go when it’s illegal to sleep in parks or on sidewalks in Berkeley. Reportedly, the march and protest by activists and unhoused Berkeley residents occurred in response to the California Department of Transportation (a.k.a. Caltrans) actions to clear numerous homeless encampments in Berkeley.

The unhoused residents and homeless activists of Berkeley miss longtime Berkeley homeless activist Michael Diehl who was hit by a car during late September 2019 in Newark, CA. He died in the hospital as a result of his massive injuries.

In recent days during a discussion with longtime friend Lydia Gans of East Bay Food Not Bombs, we discussed how Michael Diehl (a.k.a. Mayor of Berkeley streets) became homeless when Michael had medical problems after a new director took over at BOSS, and he lost his job. Lydia told me that Michael camped out in the Berkeley hills even though he eventually found a place to reside in Newark. Lydia stated that Michael camped out in the Berkeley hills because he wanted to stay near the unhoused residents of Berkeley, and to support them as much as possible. I was honored to connect with Michael Diehl on numerous occasions through the years to speak out against bad housing policies in Oakland and Berkeley, and to support proposed housing policies that would help to protect the poor, and provide storage lockers for the homeless in Berkeley.

A memorial for Michael Diehl is being organized by Boona Cheema, former director of BOSS, for Michael Diehl that takes place in Berkeley on November 3, 2019, at the Berkeley School, located at 1310 University Avenue.

Meanwhile, homelessness encampments are being attacked in San Francisco, Bakersfield, Davis, Los Angeles, and various cities all across the nation.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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