KPFA - Law & Disorder w/ Cat Brooks

On today’s show, we spend the hour diving into the Oakland election cycle, the money and players that bought a new political landscape and what it means for the “most progressive city” in the country, with Ali Winston is an independent reporter covering criminal justice, privacy, and surveillance. Along with Darwin BondGraham, he’s the co-author of The Riders Come Out At Night: Brutality, Corruption and Cover-Up in Oakland (Atria Books, 2023), a history of policing in Oakland. You can read more of his work at bleeding-edge.ghost.io

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This week, our Resistance in Residence artist is Leigh Rondon-Davis (they/them), a performer, dramaturg, director, and producer; in addition to their creative work, Leigh is on staff as part of the shared leadership team of the Crowded Fire Theater in San Francisco, as the Leader of Artistic Curation & Marketing, where they are also a Resident Artist. Additionally, they are an Artistic Company Member at Shotgun Players, Casting Director with the Casting Collective, and Producing Director with The Forum Collective. Leigh has had the immense pleasure of working at dozens of local companies, including A.C.T., Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Curran, Magic Theatre and others. For more on their work, check out https://www.crowdedfire.org/leigh-rondon-davis/

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Last week, the Jailhouse Lawyer Initiative convened a conference called Flashlights: Jailhouse Lawyers, Legal Empowerment and Building a Just World Together,” a historic convening of jailhouse lawyers in dialogue with justice allies that “illuminates the power and promise of legal empowerment to advance justice from the inside out.” We’re joined by Jhody Polk, the founder of the Jailhouse Lawyer Initiative which is currently housed at the Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at NYU School of Law.

Who are jailhouse lawyers? Jailhouse lawyers are incarcerated individuals who generally have no formal legal training, but teach themselves the law to advocate for themselves and the rights of their peers. They conduct legal writing, research, and analysis on a host of legal issues from civil rights actions to habeas corpus petitions, administrative grievances, parole/probation, and family law matters, among others. Because of their justice work, these advocates are often retaliated against and silenced by the very institutions they attempt to hold to account. They continue to toil without recognition of their personal growth and rehabilitation, without their names being attached to the legal victories they fought for, and without connection to others doing the work or those standing in solidarity with them on the outside. JLI believes that breaking the cycle of incarceration requires building bridges between inside and out communities. Jailhouse lawyers are an essential part of reforming and abolishing the broken carceral system, and are seen as incarcerated advocates who are THE bridge builders.

The Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative can be reached at:

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Tonight, Oct 23 is the Oakland premiere of the The Strike documentary about the Pelican Bay hunger strikes against solitary confinement, a historic coordinated effort and the largest hunger strike in US history, told by those who lived it. It’ll be tonight Wednesday Oct 23 at 6pm at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland. For more information, visit thestrikefilm.com.

We’re joined by co-directors and producers Lucas Guilkey and JoeBill Muñoz. Dolores Canales, one of the film protagonist, is founder of CA Families Against Solitary Confinement, organizer on behalf of her son who was in solitary confinement during the hunger strikes Jack Morris is one of the film’s protagonists, he spent over 30 years in solitary confinement, and participated in the hunger strikes.

For more information, visit thestrikefilm.com.

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On today’s show, we discuss the intensification of Israel’s siege on northern Gaza, plans for resettlement, continued backing by the US, and expansion of its assault on Lebanon. We’re joined by Rami Khouri, a Distinguished Public Policy Fellow at the American University of Beirut, and a journalist and author with 50 years of experience covering the Middle East. Among many things, we discuss his latest piece in Al-Jazeera “What Sinwar’s death reveals about war and peacemaking in Palestine.”

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October 22 is National Stop Police Terror Day, and across the country Stop Cop Nation actions are taking place to resist the carceral state. We dive into the nitty gritty of Abolition with someone whose been on the frontlines of abolitionist efforts for many years. Our guest is Andrea J Ritchie, whose latest book is No More Police – the Case for Abolition, which she co-authored along with Mariame Kaba.

Follow Andrea J Ritchie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dreanyc123

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The post The Case for Abolition w/ Andrea J Ritchie [rebroadcast] appeared first on KPFA.

We begin today’s Palestine Post with Rami Khoury, Distinguished Public Policy Fellow at the American University of Beirut, and a journalist and author with 50 years of experience covering the Middle East.

Rosita, an Indigenous Mapuche woman and registered nurse of 13 years joins us to discuss the ongoing anti-genocide campaign led by faculty and staff at UCSF.

Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) at UCSF have drafted an open letter to UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood alleging the administration has taken numerous repressive actions against faculty and staff who oppose the institution’s complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinian people.

Access that letter here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/join-us-in-solidarity-against-ucsf-repression/

Among FSJP’s demands is the reinstatement of Denise Caramagno, a therapist who they allege was fired for defending her colleague who spoke out against the genocide of Palestinians and harmful impacts of Zionism in medical institutions.

Here is their petition to reinstate Denise Caramagno:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/reinstate-denise-caramagno-former-ucsf-care-director/

Here’s the petition for Professor Herald:

The post Palestine Post w/ Rami Khoury + Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine @ UCSF appeared first on KPFA.

We’re joined by Queer Black Troublemaker, Black Feminist Love Evangelist and aspirational cousin to all sentient beings Alexis Pauline Gumbs. She is the author of several works of poetry and of Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Animals, which won a Whiting Writers’ Award in 2022. She lives in Durham, North Carolina. We’re discussing her latest book, Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde.

Alexis Pauline Gumbs is in the Bay Area this week.

See the various events listed below:

https://events.berkeley.edu/events/event/270794-reading-of-survival-is-a-promise-the-eternal-life

https://www.eastsideartsalliance.org/calendar/litanies-a-ritual-reading-for-audre-lorde

https://www.eastsideartsalliance.org/calendar/sister-hold-on-reclaiming-third-world-lesbian-imaginaries-organized-by-bay-area-lesbian-archive-n6cg7

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On today’s show, we’re joined by organizers Wassim Hage of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, and Rami Ibrahim of Palestinian Youth Movement to discuss the various direct actions locals have taken in protest of Israel’s expanding war in the Middle East.

We’re also joined by Cheryl Rivera, a Brooklyn- based writer and editor of Lux Magazine who works on the New York War Crimes project.

Learn more about that campaign here: https://newyorkwarcrimes.com/

Two of the three officers involved in the killing of Mario Gonzalez recently had their manslaughter charges dropped on a technicality. Judge Scott Patton ruled on Monday that the District Attorney failed to file arrest warrants against the two officers, James Fisher and Cameron Leahy, within the three-year statute of limitations.

Jerry Gonzalez, brother of Mario Gonzalez and Edith Arenales, mother of Mario Gonzalez join us to speak about the case against the third officer, Eric McKinley. The next hearing is set to take place tomorrow.

Gonzalez’s family and supporters are packing the court and rallying outside the Alameda County Superior Courthouse tomorrow—Friday, October 11 at 8 AM, 661 Washington St, Oakland, CA 94607.

The post Residents Take Action Against Local Institutions Supporting Israel; Two of Three Officers Involved in Mario Gonzalez Killing Avoid Prosecution appeared first on KPFA.

Christopher Robé, professor in film and media studies at Florida Atlantic University discusses his book Abolishing Surveillance: Digital Media Activism and State Repression.

This week’s Resistance in Residence artists are Gabriele Christian and Chibueze Crouch who make up the performance duo OysterKnife.

You can learn more about them on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_oysterknife_/

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