Dear Bay Area Friends of Critical Resistance (CR),
This past fall has remained busy for CR’s Oakland chapter. We’ve been fighting for liberation locally across CA through prison closure, across the country with prisoner solidarity, and across the world for global resistance.
As part of the CURB Prison Closure campaign, we’ve been working to build a broad coalition to demand 10 prison closures by 2025. In particular, CR has been working hard to build energy with Bay Area workers – we’ve put on several workshops drawing the links between the fight for organized labor and prison closure.
The most recent workshop was a partnership with UPTE members and was a great success – we had 20+ folks attend with representation from 4 different Bay Area unions. if your organization or union wants to support the prison closure campaign more, definitely reach out and let us know!
For prisoner solidarity, we’ve been hosting biweekly in-person mail nights and rolled out our new distributed mail platform. We’ve revamped the process and are now able to support more folks plugging in, both in-person and remote. Our new tool also allows us to maintain an updated library of resources to send inside to our comrades and increase the quality of responses we’re sending inside. Many thanks to the 30+ volunteers who have patiently supported the rollout of this new process. We’ve also been supporting the prison closure campaign through this work, communicating about the campaign with folks in prisons across California and sending in various reports, news articles, and campaign updates to make sure there is continuous conversation about campaign demands.
All the while, the Bay Area has been throwing down hard for global liberation struggles! As part of our movement building work, CR members in the Bay Area have supported different Palestinian liberation mobilizations and events, from co-sponsoring Freed Palestinian Women Prisoners Speak Out; to hosting Abolition Means No More War – FREE PALESTINE NOW! with Haymarket Books, AROC, Jewish Voice for Peace, INCITE! and Angela Davis; delaying a US military ship at the Port of Oakland from delivering weapons to Israel; shutting down the Bay Bridge to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire; and more.
The Bay Area also mobilized hard last month for No to APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation), opposing neoliberal policies that exacerbate inequality and exploitation, and CR Oakland put on a workshop at the No to APEC People’s Counter Summit.
And just last Friday on December 15, we were joined by a beautiful group of volunteers and community members at Understory Oakland for our annual prisoner solidarity mailing, where we wrote postcards and messages of solidarity to our loved ones inside prisons, jails, and detention centers, talked about the most recent issue of The Abolitionist newspaper, the work to drop the charges against the Bay Bridge 78, updates in the fight for prison closure across the state and more.
Thank you to everyone who turned out with us on a Friday night!
Your support is crucial to sustaining CR Oakland’s work to build with movement partners and community members, strategize with imprisoned organizers, and achieve campaign wins and prison closures. We are grateful for your past support and ask that you consider making a donation to help us continue this important work. CR Oakland has a goal of raising $3,000 during this year-end season. Will you contribute to CR Oakland this December to keep our work going strong in the new year and beyond?
To donate to CR Oakland, go here. We invite you to become a monthly sustainer for the chapter, too! Make sure to select “Apply My Donation To – Oakland”.
The struggle continues this week & beyond. Check out the action alerts and announcements below. We have a call for court support and phone / email zaps to defend the Bay Bridge 78 (protestors arrested at the ceasefire action on the bridge), and an action to demand more prisons be selected for closure in CA.
Thank you for your continued support of our work, and we hope to see you at an upcoming mobilization or mail night!
In struggle,
Critical Resistance Oakland
Action Alerts & More Announcements
All Week, December 18-22: Hands Off the Bay Bridge 78 & PACK THE COURT!
- Last month, while President Biden was hosting cocktail parties in San Francisco, hundreds of people shut down the Bay Bridge to demand an immediate ceasefire, an end to US military aid to Israel, and a Free Palestine. Now, 78 protestors are facing charges for their civil disobedience. Arraignments are taking place from Monday, December 18 to Friday, December 22.
- We’re packing the court Monday through Friday for the #BayBridge78. Show up outside 850 Bryant in San Francisco at 8:30am each day, and we’ll head into the courthouse together to show DA Jenkins: the Bay rises with Palestine, Drop the Charges NOW!
Wednesday, December 20 from 10am-12pm: Join CR’s Power Hour &Tell DA Jenkins to DROP THE CHARGES against the Bay Bridge 78 NOW!
- For the week of arraignments (12/18-12/22) for the Bay Bridge 78, we need as many Bay Area residents as possible telling San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins: Drop the charges against the Bay Bridge 78 NOW!
- Join CR Oakland from 10am-12pm on Wednesday, December 20 for two power hours as we flood the DA’s phone and email.
Take Digital Action to #CloseCAPrisons TODAY!
- Call and email Governor Newsom urging him to commit to naming at least five more state prisons for closure between now and the January proposed 2024-25 California state budget.As our state faces a staggering $68 billion budget deficit, the closure of additional prisons not only makes fiscal sense but also aligns with a transformative approach to California’s problems.
- Announcing five forthcoming closures will demonstrate Governor Newsom’s dedication to a responsible budget and substantive shift away from an over-reliance on incarceration. Let’s close out the year strong! Prison closure is a key step towards building a healthier, safer, and greener California for us all! Use this toolkit here.