Posts Tagged ‘San Francisco’
San Francisco agrees to suspend policy of deporting youth
2:07 pm By la Macha · Immigration · Comments Off
21 Oct 2009Vivir Latino reported earlier about the San Francisco protest against the deportation of immigrant youth without due process. Well, it turns out that the protests actually resulted in good things happening!
via Democracy Now!
San Francisco Halts Ordering Police to Report Suspected Undocumented Youths
In California, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted to end a policy that orders police officers to contact immigration agents whenever they arrest a youth who they suspect is an undocumented immigrant. Critics say the law had led to the deportation of innocent youths and deterred immigrants from reporting crimes.
It’s just like Bill Moyers said about grassroots organizers. The powers that be know the power of mass base of power. The Republicans know the power of a mass base of power–that’s why they’re always ridiculing “community organizers.”
One person at a time may take a long time–but it works. Congratulations to the campaign in San Francisco–and to the rest of of us–COURAGE!
Latinos the Target of Kidnappings in San Francisco
11:05 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Cities|crime|Immigration|San Francisco|society · Comments Off
5 Jun 2009
Some disturbing news out of San Francisco. In the city’s Mission District, Latino neighborhood par excellence, Latinos are reportedly being forced into cars and kidnapped. SFist has the frightening story:
Mission Loc@l reports that there have been three documented cases this month of Latinos being forced into a vehicle with the intent of mugging them, while walking in isolated parts of the Mission late at night. Police speculate that day laborers might be the target both because they carry cash and are often undocumented and are afraid to go to the police for fear of being deported.The most recent attack occurred on Friday around 1 a.m., in which a 27-year-old Latino male was picked up near 20th and Bryant streets. He refused to give the assailant’s money, was hit over the head with a blunt object, and dropped off at 25th and Vermont Streets. Instead of going to the police, the victim went to San Francisco General Hospital, where a staff member then reported it to the police. Luckily, his injuries were not life-threatening.
Assailants are reportedly also using tasers to attack victims and steal their valuables. What pathetic excuse for a person preys on vulnerable people too afraid to report the crime to police? I’d like to know.
Via / SFist
San Francisco Saves 185 Youths from Deportation, Critics Rage
11:42 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · California|Controversia|Immigration|Politics|San Francisco|society|youth · 3 Comments
3 Apr 2009
The effects, both good and bad, of San Francisco‘s policy of being a “sanctuary city” for undocumented immigrants are emerging, one year to date after it was instated. The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
As many as 185 undocumented youths held on felony criminal charges in San Francisco were shielded from deportation between 2005 and last summer, when the controversial policy came to light, according to juvenile probation statistics obtained by The Chronicle.City officials had previously said they had no way of telling how many youths had benefited from the policy. But a new preliminary report prepared by the Juvenile Probation Department at the request of Supervisor David Campos shows the number is much higher than previously suspected.
The report shows that between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28 of this year, 252 undocumented youths had cases in the juvenile probation system.
As you might expect, this data is not making some of the mayor’s enemies happy, and his opponents maintain that in its attempt to protect undocumented immigrants, San Francisco is instead harbouring drug dealers and other criminals. The Chronicle reports that 88% of the 180 were from Honduras and 83% were arrested on drug-related offenses, leading some to suspect a link to Honduran drug-related organizations.
Read more…
Prop 8 Vigils Across California
12:22 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Activism|California|Cities|GLBT|Justice|Politics|San Francisco|society|States · 1 Comment
5 Mar 2009
“When all else fails, pray!” is what comes to mind upon reading about the multiple candlelight vigils that were held throughout my state on the eve of the hearing that will make or break California’s most discriminatory law against LGBT citizens. Last night San Franciscans, like Californians in other cities big and small, held vigils and marched. What else can you do at this point? The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
The crowd, bundled against the chill, carried signs reading, “We All Deserve the Freedom To Marry,” and “Down with Prop. 8!” as they marched along Market Street. The peaceful protest stretched for two city blocks past stopped Muni street cars while police held back traffic at the intersections.The group made their way to City Hall, where a pianist and singer entertained the crowd with love songs. Some of the participants planned to camp out in the Civic Center Plaza to be there for the hearing.
It will be shown on a JumboTron for those who don’t have access to viewing rooms set up in the San Francisco Public Library.
Will the great State of California overturn what has been called “the will of the people”? Or will it let thousands of gay families remain together? I am pessimistic, but we’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is reportedly all booked up…the media is just clamoring to get his take. Check out an interview with Mayor Newsom and hear his thoughts after the jump.
Read more…
Bush Street Becomes Obama Street
10:27 am By Maegan La Mala · Activism|Cities|Funny|Obama inauguration|Politics|San Francisco · Comments Off
29 Jan 2009
Bush Street in San Francisco is one of my favorite thoroughfares — in spite of the name. In this, the dawn of the Obama age and the end of the Bush era, a few concerned San Franciscans thought it only fitting to change the name of that street to reflect our current political reality:
The San Francisco-based organization Concerned Republicans Assaulting Posterity (C.R.A.P.) is claiming full and complete responsibility for the street sign changing of Bush Street to Obama Street the morning of Tuesday, January 20. A small but mighty group of about 40 fairly intelligent individuals joined together Monday evening and distributed the signs amongst C.R.A.P. members and loyalists in an unusual moment of solidarity with Barack Obama supporters.The group began changing the signs shortly after midnight. “Even though at first we thought Bush Street was named for our beloved Bush family, we realized that wasn’t true after we did some reading,” said one shirtless and bearded group member, who called himself Molotov II. “We wanted to show people that even we and our world renown organization, vehement supporters of the Republican party — we believe 92 percent of all Democrats are dirty — we are all still Americans, just like Mexico said on 9/11.
Check out the video after the jump for “The Making of Obama Street”. There’s also a group on Flickr for photos of the urban transition.
Long Lines for SF Immigrant I.D. Card
11:07 am By Maegan La Mala · Cities|Immigration|San Francisco · 1 Comment
16 Jan 2009
In November 2007 Maegan told you that San Francisco had followed New Haven, Connecticut’s lead in approving I.D. cards for immigrants. Today, the reality of such a move manifested itself in long lines to get the cards:
Hundreds of people stood in line for hours at San Francisco City Hall on Thursday to be among the first in the nation to receive municipal identification cards regardless of their immigration status.The cards, also available in New Haven, Conn., and being considered in other cities, have sparked fury among advocates of stricter immigration laws. They argue cities have no business declaring people residents if they are not in the country legally.
But San Francisco officials and recipients of the cards hailed the new program as a way to connect undocumented immigrants with banks, businesses and city services, such as obtaining health care and checking out library books. They also said it will encourage card holders to report crimes to the police without fear of being arrested or deported.
Alleged Police Brutality Case Rocks San Francisco Bay Area
7:27 am By Maegan La Mala · Controversia|media justice|San Francisco · Comments Off
5 Jan 2009
As New Year’s Eve revellers crammed into the trains of BART — the San Francisco Bay Area’s local rail system — at around 2 a.m. on January 1st, little did they know they would witness one of their fellow passengers be shot down by the gun of a BART police officer and not make it home to his family that morning.
22 year-old Oscar Grant of Oakland was reportedly shot and killed by an unidentified BART officer, after officers broke up a fight on the train platform:
Video footage taken by passengers, first shown by KTVU television, shows officers forcing Grant to the ground and trying to hold him down. The officer who shot Grant appears to try to put cuffs on him before drawing his weapon and firing. In the video, Grant appears to struggle with the officers, though it is unclear exactly what he was doing.Burris said a single bullet went through Grant’s lower back, hit the ground and ricocheted through his upper body. Grant died at Highland Hospital in Oakland several hours later.
Among other things, BART police are looking into the possibility that the officer who shot Grant thought he was pulling the trigger of a Taser stun gun, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
9-11 ICE Arrests in San Francisco Highlight Disregard for Nuestros Niños y Familias
2:07 pm By Maegan La Mala · children|Immigration|Justice|San Francisco · 3 Comments
15 Sep 2008
On a day when some people were remembering, the exploitation of the ideal of freedom and justice was going down full force in San Francisco. On the night of September 11, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided a San Francisco home, arrested four women and two men while agents searched for an individual who did not reside in the home, according to the city’s Immigrant Rights Commission.
Two supervisors spoke out today against the raid in San Francisco, which a sanctuary city. That status has allowed the city to refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities except in felony cases.
“As a government, we are trying to reduce fear and violence,” said Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, in whose district the raid occurred. “My primary concern is about the families and, in this instance, the young girl whose mother was taken into custody.”
Supervisor Tom Ammiano agreed, saying, “This is yet another example of how ICE operates. There is no humanity in harassing children and leaving them behind.”
School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia’s concern was for the students in his district and commented on possible parental concerns.
“A student came to school today and told teachers that immigration had taken all members of her family,” he said. “I want to assure all of our families that our schools are a safe place for a child to turn for support and we do not ask anyone’s legal status.”
San Francisco Thinks Bush is Full Of…
4:45 pm By Maegan La Mala · California|Politics|San Francisco|society · Comments Off
26 Jun 2008
In my hometown of Houston, George Bush Senior has an international airport named after him (the original name — “Intercontinental” was just fine) but in my adopted hometown of San Francisco, my fellow Friscans have come up with a particular honor for his son, Dubya. What better a place to represent the administration of George W. Bush than a sewage treatment center:
A group called the Presidential Memorial Commission has reportedly picked up more than enough signatures to put the ballot initiative to the San Francisco public in the November election.If the measure passes, it would rename the city’s Oceanside Treatment Plant as the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.
That’s not exactly a presidential library, but sponsors of the ballot measure say it’s a fitting tribute to a president who made a big mess.
It sounds like a joke but don’t mess with San Franciscans. We vote on all kinds of “crazy” measures such as a citywide gun ban and yep, they pass (though thanks to a Supreme Court decision today, that unfortunately might not last…so much for sovereignty!). Personally, I think that sewage plant is way too pretty to bear the Bush name.
Via / Fox News
Disturbing Statistic : San Francsico Has More Blacks in Jail than in the City
7:35 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Justice|race|San Francisco · Comments Off
9 May 2008
The prison industrial complex is alive and well in San Francisco and it’s using blacks as the raw material. In recent years the black population in the city of San Francisco has been decreasing, with one exception, prisons.
More than 60 percent of all prisoners are African American, according
to a survey of the city jail’s population. And of the 282 female
prisoners, 67 percent are black.
About 42 percent of the jail population is in custody for drug
offenses, the study found.
A similar study in 1996 found that half of the jail population was
African American. A 2005 study put the number at 53 percent.
In contrast, 6.7 percent of San Francisco residents are black- a number that has been in steady decline, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
What is the reason for this alarming stat? Racial profiling.
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