| The movement to #DefundThePolice continues to gain momentum day by day in Oakland. Our people are ready to take charge and create a new Oakland that reflects the priorities and needs of our communities made most vulnerable by decades of institutionalized racism. We’re seeing more and more people participate at every level of organizing – from protests on the streets to city council and school board meetings – to demand our city leaders create an Oakland that is safe and free from police terror, for everyone. Another Oakland is possible. Just last Tuesday, we saw an amazing turnout of more than 600 community members at the city council meeting, with more than 150 people sharing their public comments on defunding OPD and prioritizing community programs and services. Let’s keep that momentum going. On Tuesday, June 30th, the Oakland City Council will be voting on the mid-cycle budget and the future wellbeing of our communities. Earlier today, Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas announced a follow-up proposal to her original proposal which seeks to divert even more funding from the OPD budget for community services. The new proposal would commit the reallocation of at least $25 million from the police budget for this budget cycle FY 2020-21 and the commitment to develop a plan that would reduce the OPD budget by 50% for the next two-year budget cycle FY 2021-23. We support Nikki’s proposal, as an initial start to our long-term plan to defund OPD, but we still need the rest of our city leaders to jump on board. |
| We need people to show up this Tuesday, June 23rd at 12PM – 7PM and show their support for a budget that meets the needs and priorities of our communities – more funding for city services and wellness programs for our communities. TO JOIN BY VIDEO: To observe the meeting by video conference, please click on this link at 12:00 pm: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86191306486 TO JOIN BY PHONE: To listen to the meeting by phone, please call this number at the noticed meeting time: (669) 900-6833, Webinar ID: 861 9130 6486 (If asked for a participant ID or code, press #) |
| To make public comment: ALL PUBLIC COMMENT ON ACTION ITEMS WILL BE TAKEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING UNDER ITEM 1 OF THE AGENDA, so please login at 12 pm to put yourself on the queue to speak. Once you’ve placed yourself in the queue to speak, the City Clerk will call your name or phone number when it’s your turn to speak. You will need to unmute yourself to speak when you are called. At the beginning of your comment, please note that you are speaking on agenda item #2 (FY2020-21 Midcycle Budget Amendments). You will be given a limited time to speak (most likely 1 minute). If you can’t make it, please drop an e-comment by clicking here. Please note that eComment submission closes five (5) minutes before posted meeting time. |
| Our partners at Ella Baker Center and Decarcerate Alameda County have been organizing with Peralta Community College District (PCCD) students, faculty and staff to demand an end to PCCD’s $4.1 million contract with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Students have reported being harassed by deputies on campus, making it an unsafe learning environment for Black and Brown students. The Peralta Board of Trustees will be meeting tomorrow, June 23rd at 6PM. Join us and our partners to urge PCCD to implement community-minded campus safety measures by developing transparent guidelines and processes that include students, faculty, and staff input in shaping a culture of public safety and wellness. Drop a public comment on June 23rd at 6PM by clicking here. To see all the demands and to sign on to the petition, please click here. |
| Our Defund The Police coalition partner, Black Organizing Project, has been working tirelessly with parents, students and teachers to eliminate Oakland School Police Department (OSPD) and cancel contracts with OPD and other law enforcement agencies in OUSD. This Wednesday, June 24th at 4:00PM, the Oakland Unified School District Board will be meeting to vote on the George Floyd Resolution to eliminate school police. Join us in urging the school board to pass the resolution with no amendments. Our Black and Brown students deserve to feel safe in their learning environments. Our children and youth deserve adequately funded education and after school programs, counselors and other faculty that will help prepare them for a bright future. This is just the first step to dismantling the school to prison pipeline. We hope you will continue to show up with us, for Black children and for Black lives. We’re not free until we’re ALL free. |