Coalition Pushes Urban Shield Out of Oakland, Commits to Continue Fighting
September 8, 2014: Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Marriott in Downtown Oakland this past Friday to condemn Urban Shield and declare two major victories. Protesters made it loud and clear that Urban Shield is not welcome in Oakland; and that they refuse to see the further militarization of local police through this multi-day arms show and joint training exercise.
As the first major victory for the Stop Urban Shield Coalition, the Alameda County Sherriff's Office announced that Urban Shield will no longer be held in the Marriott. Then late on Friday, Mayor Jean Quan announced that Oakland will not be renewing Urban Shield’s contract and the arms show will not be hosted anywhere in Oakland next year. This decision is the fruit of years of organizing and a key step in the work to end Urban Shield nationally.
Urban Shield is part of a growing national and international coordination of policing and military tools and tactics, and organizers of the Coalition insist that they must work to roll this back and advance community led initiatives to provide actual safety. As Tara Tabassi of the War Resisters League said at Friday’s rally, “Urban Shield is a phenomenon spreading across the U.S. and the globe, but so are our movements.” The Coalition plans on stopping Urban Shield in 2015 and continuing to work to demilitarize communities and end racist policing. Read more . . .
Stop Urban Shield Coalition – Coordinating Committee
Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
Critical Resistance (CR)
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)
War Resisters League (WRL)
2014 Media Round-Up:
A Small Victory: Urban Shield, the Police Militarization Glorification Convention, to Leave Oakland - Daily Kos
Urban Shield: After Ferguson, police and suppliers consider fate of military-grade tactical gear - The Guardian
Buddhists Blockade Hotel to Protest Police-Military Training - Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Full List of Endorsers
All of Us or None
Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA)
Anakbayan East Bay
ANSWER Coalition-Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
Arab Youth Organization
Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
Bay Area Childcare Collective
Bay Area Labor Committee for Peace & Justice (LC4PJ)
Berkeley Copwatch
Berkeley Women in Black
Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
Catalyst Project
Causa Justa :: Just Cause
Civilian Soldier Alliance - San Francisco
Code Pink
Critical Resistance (CR)
Dignidad Rebelde
Environmentalists Against War
Freedom Archives
Gab - SF
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)
Iraq Veterans Against the War - National
Iraq Veterans Against the War - San Francisco
Jewish Voices for Peace - Bay Area
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, San Francisco Chapter
Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace
Media Alliance
Oakland Privacy Working Group
Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (QUIT)
Restore the Fourth SF
SF 99% Civil Liberties Coalition
United Roots
US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
War Resisters League
Workers World Party
Xicana Moratorium Coalition
