[Featured image: 2AM, election night – Pitt students and local youth burn a MAGA hat as hundreds of students and community members take the streets of Oakland]
Here’s this week’s rundown of ways to connect with the liberation movement in Pittsburgh!
Please let us know if there there’s an event that is not listed that you would like us to promote through our Facebook, our blog, our Twitter, and through flyers or email.
Tuesday – 1.31
Remembering Bruce Kelley Jr.
One year ago to this day, Port Authority police took the life of Bruce Kelley Jr. The Distirct attorney ruled it justified. Port Authority of Allegheny County placed the officers back on duty with zero accountability!
Join us IN WILKINSBURG at the Gazebo on Wood Street as we support the family of Bruce Kelley Jr. as they remember his life and continue to fight for justice. As we know, by watching Jordan Miles’ case just end after six years, this can be a long process. Let’s give them our support on thier journey for justice and brave the weather to retrace his last steps with them.
APA, along with many other groups and activist are committed to seeking justice for Bruce Kelley Jr. and will be relaunching our campaign to end the use of police dogs to attack people, demand adequate disability-led training and systems for police interacting with people with disabiities, inclusive hiring practices and promotions based on officers being community minded and culturally familiar opposed to the number of arrests made. We demand transparency and an accountability system that the people can trust!
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/1792513101073682/ ]
Wednesday – 2.1
Building a Local Movement for Human Rights & Racial Justice
Strategies for Building a Local Movement for Human Rights and Racial Justice.One Smithfield St. Downtown PGH (Health & Human Services building)
This gathering provides space for continuing conversations begun at the Summit Against Racism and developing plans for our shared work for human rights and racial justice over the coming year–including: the metropolitan area tenants/renters union organizing, immigrant rights and sanctuary, women’s rights and the new Cities for CEDAW ordinance, and police accountability.
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/1333451666715707/ ]
Join a social justice movement: Alliance for Police Accountability
Join us for our first Monthly Public Meeting of 2017! We will outline our programs and campaigns for 2017:
* Our campaign to defend the Woodland Hills High School Student who was charged with wiretapping (see here: https://www.change.org/p/petition-to-charge-and-fire-woodland-hills-principal-not-the-student)
* Our campaign against the Police Secrecy Bill (see here:http://apapgh.org/2017/01/20/call-to-action-stop-the-police-secrecy-bill-hb-1538/)
* Our campaign to end the use of police dogs to attack people
* Our campaign to improve police training for interacting with mentally ill individuals
* Our Activism is Love program for youth
* Our Know Your Rights program
Learn about how you can support us, and join the movement for criminal justice reconstruction!
FOOD AND CHILDCARE AVAILABLE!
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/1820884568132247/ ]
A Live Conversation with Edward Snowden
*THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.
Join Pitt Program Council for a live interactive conversation with NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden. Snowden will be speaking directly to Pitt students from Russia. This conversation will not be streamed or available anywhere else.
In addition to a lecture, Snowden will be answering Pitt student’s questions.
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/593655240830287/ ]
Thursday – 2.2
Fundraiser for Community Self Defense Training Program
We are fundraising for a community-lead self defense training program for antifa POC, queer, women, immigrants, and all the marginalized communities in PGH.
Trainers will be volunteering to teach and locations are set up. They will be instructing Muay Thai, Krav Maga, and practical defense tactics in street fighting.
We are trying to raise a minimum of $400 for the basics to assist purchasing gym mats and other equipment to facilitate this program, however if we can raise more anything over $600 will go towards the legal defense fund for Pittsburghers arrested during J20.
☾NeoNoir – dark 80s with DJ Erica Scary☽
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/1838029059801770/ ]
Planned Parenthood GRABS BACK!
Tell your legislators to keep their hands off of reproductive rights at this post card printing and writing event.
Join PPWP–Planned Parenthood of Western PA and AIR: Artists Image Resource for a unique postcard writing experience.
When: February 2, 2017 from 5-8:00 pm
Where: AIR 518 Foreland Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Cost: $5.00 per person includes 10 silkscreen postcards printed by hand and designed by local artists and activists.
$15 T-shirt printing and $10 poster printing will be available using a variety of screens currently on hand.
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/1858495371097168/ ]
Friday – 2.3
Benefit Show for Center for Economic Research and Social Change
Join the International Socialist Organization – Pittsburgh as we enjoy live music with musicians Mike Miller (Endless Mike & the Beagle Club), Dylan Rooke & Red Coal, Benefits, and Bryan McQuaid to raise funds for an essential non-profit organization called the Center for Economic Research and Social Change (CERSC)!
Must be 21 or older to enter the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern with a valid ID.
Suggested donation is $10.
More bands TBA!
CERSC is responsible in building the left-wing book publisher Haymarket Books, the audio archive WeAreMany.org and the annual Socialism conference in Chicago, to name a few projects. The goals of these projects is to help organize a strong political Left to bring about social, political and economic change for a just and equitable society by providing tools and education for activists! These tools are essential for the upcoming struggle against a racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-immigrant Trump administration!
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/462995664088244/ ]
Fill Out a Postcard with the Nasty Women of Pittsburgh
Come to 5801 on Friday February 3 to fill out postcards that we will mail to Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey. FREE postcards will be provided, just come voice your thoughts about the issues you care about whether it’s LGBTQIA rights, ending gender-based violence, reproductive rights and women’s health, worker’s rights, civil rights, immigrant rights, religious freedom, environmental justice or anything else. We will be hand delivering these postcards to the senators Pittsburgh offices.
Join your fellow Nasty Women of Pittsburgh in our effort to do 10 ACTIONS in 100 DAYS. This campaign was created by the Women’s March on Washington. Learn more about this campaign here: https://www.womensmarch.com/ Like our page on Facebook to get involved in future Actions: https://www.facebook.com/NastyWomenofPgh
THE FIRST ACTION
Write a postcard to your Senators about what matters most to you – and how you’re going to continue to fight for it in the days, weeks and months ahead. If you need some inspiration, check out the Women’s March Unity Principles and #WhyIMarch hashtag.
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/362257264161128/ ]
Saturday – 2.4
Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Training for Women
This is a NVCD training for Women. This will be a training for beginners. It will cover:
Introduction– why NVCD Why now? What does this mean?
*** what we learned at Standing Rock.
& why vanessa opened this space
–nonviolence with experiential exercises on nonviolence, principles of nonviolence (Dr. King),
–inner tension, four step process when confronted with violent disagreement,
–hassle lines,
–periodic debriefing,
–practical scenario with role play,
–q& a
— next steps
*** we endeavor to convene more than one Training. this isn’t perfect, it won’t be perfect, but it will happen with grace, intention, love, and within the spirit of human community.
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/694912854002590/ ]
Protest Uber in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh stands in Solidarity with Muslims, Immigrants, and our sisters and brothers in the Labor Movement. In the wake of the immoral and illegal Executive Order issued by President Trump to ban immigrants and refugees from Muslim nations, Uber chose to flagrantly disregard the NYC taxi strike, and offer discounted rides to the airport instead. Their CEO also sits on Trump’s economic advisory committee.
Uber has repeatedly defied municipal, state, and national laws meant to protect the public interest. Across the globe, the company has fought any attempt to hold it to account to basic standards of safety and liability regulations, labor rights, environmental sustainability, data transparency, and compliance with civil rights laws such as the Americans With Disabilities Act.
In Pittsburgh, our Mayor has been working with Uber to steer our City government into a public-private partnership to test autonomous vehicles without an open, thorough assessment of needs and the potential impacts on our public safety, transportation systems, and economy. Our Mayor Peduto even offered unprecented access to Uber of our public assets in preparation for the Smart Cities application. Uber has failed to involve Four Mile Run residents in the planning of the autonomous vehicle shuttle loop that would bisect their Hazelwood community. Finally, Uber’s development of autonomous vehicles with no commitment to a just transition for workers will displace hundreds of thousands of workers across our economy.*
—-
OUR DEMANDS: To hold corporations like Uber to account for furthering a racist and xenophobic national agenda. #boycottUber #deleteUber#nobannowall #cabsnotscabs #1u
To call on our city government to halt public-private partnerships with corporations that have such a despicable track record. Our public resources should remain with the public!
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/1671698213127544/ ]
US Imperialism and Central America
Pittsburgh Anti-Imperialist League
Join us for a talk on the role of US imperialism in Central America, in conjuction with the Mexican government, and its effects on the displacement of people. Our speaker Brenda Solkéz of the ANSWER Coalition has travelled to the region in 2015 to document Central American immigrans’ lives while crossing through Mexico. During her visit, Brenda spent 6 weeks with Central American immigrants in a shelter in Mexico and in Honduras where she followed the work of a human rights activist documenting disappreances of Honduran immigrants while crossing throught México.
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/1167470480030831/ ]
Sunday – 2.5
Let us know and we’ll help spread the word!
News
The national movement for the establishment of Sanctuary Universities responds to President-elect Donald J. Trump’s intention to deport up to three million (goo.gl/zCCXcU) undocumented persons from the United States, abolish the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and establish a national registry for the surveillance of Muslim persons. Following the November 8 election, university and K-12 campuses around the country report threats directed against people of color, trans* people, disabled people, indigenous people, queer people, and all people without the privilege of U.S. citizenship; the appearance of swastikas and other hateful imagery on school property; and bullying of Muslim, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ youth. And peaceful demonstrators on Pitt’s Oakland campus have experienced violence at the hands of University police.
Given the xenophobia that characterizes our local and national climate, we cannot have confidence in our shared institutional commitments to inclusion, integrity, freedom of expression, and diversity without at minimum concrete policy statements from the University of Pittsburgh in support of “immigrants who study, live, and work in and around our University” (as stated in a November 16 sanctuary campus letter from Pitt student leaders, viewable at goo.gl/LupvgG).
Demands:
Unless required by a warrant or other valid legal process, University of Pittsburgh officials will not cooperate with any deportation or other immigration enforcement actions directed against Pitt students. Specifically:
1. Pitt will prohibit University police and campus security from “inquiring about or recording as to an individual’s immigration status” (goo.gl/LupvgG).
2. University of Pittsburgh police officers will not cooperate with deportation or other immigration enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CPB), or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
3. The University of Pittsburgh will not allow ICE, CPB, or USCIS officials on Pitt campuses or other property.
4. The University of Pittsburgh will not share information related to immigration status about any Pitt student or employee with ICE, CPB, USCIS, or other law enforcement agencies.
5. The University of Pittsburgh will cease any use of E-Verify in student application or employee hiring procedures.
6. The Deans of Students Offices will coordinate a specific and transparent program to assist DACA students and all other students who are not U.S. citizens with any issue related to immigration or visa status, financial aid, housing, or related concerns.
7. Pitt will revise its Notice of Non Discrimination (goo.gl/IUmjjQ) and related policy statements (e.g. goo.gl/qsNOsa) to include “immigration status” as a protected category alongside “disability, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, familial status, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status or gender identity and expression.”
We, the undersigned, also affirm the statement in the November 16 letter to Chancellor Gallagher that “immigrants are not the only group who [have] found themselves targeted” by recent expressions of racism, xenophobia, heterosexism, cissexism, and misogyny on our campuses (goo.gl/LupvgG). We therefore support the Pitt United Students Against Sweatshops, Pitt Student Solidarity Coalition, Pitt Students Against Debt, and the Pitt Students for a Democratic Society’s call for additional actions Pitt can build toward, in the words of poet Muriel Rukeyser, “a world that will hold all the people.” Further, we stand in solidarity with Pitt students who demand an end to University of Pittsburgh police harassment of student activists in campus spaces.
Our University motto is Veritas et Virtus. Fidelity to these values requires that we not simply declare our campuses safe and welcoming spaces for all people. We must realize the truth of these statements through concrete action. By establishing ourselves as a Sanctuary University, we can take a significant step toward the realization of these commitments as facts in the life of the University of Pittsburgh.
Awaiting your action.
SIGN THE CALL FOR A SANCTUARY CAMPUS HERE
Airport Shutdowns Across the US!
With his first string of executive orders, Trump is leading an assault on all of us, on all fronts at once. He’s gambling that he can break our spirit and set a precedent for obedience over the years to come. In courageously filling the streets, blockading airports, and interrupting business as usual, we are setting a precedent for resistance that could ultimately enable us to block his agenda.
“Yinz Are Welcome Here!”
Click HERE to read the Post-Gazette’s coverage of the Pittsburgh airport protest.
Donate to the Pittsburgh Anti-Fascist Legal Defense Fund!
If you can, please DONATE to the legal defense of the 10 Pittsburghers arrested in DC.
We stand in unconditional solidarity with the arrested comrades.
Drop the charges! Only the State is guilty!
On January 20th 2017 Border-guards, modern day slave catchers, paramilitary, military, and armed vigilante groups converged to protect the swearing in of a new leader to the White Supremacist State known as The United States of America.
Tens of Thousands of bravehearts also converged upon our nations capital in collective defense, in resistance to oppressive everyday reality. Arm in arm, in solidarity, hundreds from our beloved Rustbelt city manifested beautiful acts of resistance and aligned themselves with fellow renegades and insurgents to strengthen vocal messages and make bold gestures of revolution.
Pittsburghers gathered in mass to protest our country that was never great and to unmake fascist America.
Efforts were made to end segregation and bring about emancipation in much the same way those who have came before us have – in the streets.
During the demonstrations many were arrested. We, the organizers of this fundraising campaign, pledge to supporter our local comrades. Regardless their perceived guilt or innocence, we have solidarity with them and their trajectory.
The confines of laws are set up against those who dare to dream and act upon another reality.
We ask you to take a moment and pause, to consider we are in this together, and that our sisters and brothers, our neighbors who grew up and live on the same streets as us, who pass over the same bridges as us, are under attack.
Contributing to this bail fund is an act of love and an attack on the proponents of a segregated society that would have us all rotting in jail cells or slaving away as subservient women and barbarish men.
We are not divided and we will not leave anybody behind. For some the thin vale of American Racism has been taken off, for others we have always known it to be true and we are glad you have joined us.
[Pictured below: Over 100 dedicated anti-fascists, including our Pittsburgh friends, kettled by armed agents of the state. “We love you, stay strong, the revolution lives on!”]
It’s Going Down!
PITTSBURGH STUDENT SOLIDARITY COALITION 