Following the enormous #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd protest on Saturday, May 30, the Peoples Power Assembly has called for another march, demanding justice for all victims of racist police terror and the disbanding of the Baltimore City Police Department. The demonstration will also call for amnesty and the release of all arrested protestors, as it is everyone’s democratic right to protest injustice. 

• WHAT: March and caravan demonstration to protest racist murder, to demand the disbanding of the Baltimore City Police Department, and for amnesty for protesters

• WHEN: Monday June 1, 2020; 6pm

• WHERE: The march and caravan will begin in Douglas Homes at 247 N. Dallas Street and end at the Baltimore City Police headquarters at 601 E. Fayette Street.
  
  
• WHO: Peoples Power Assembly and allies
  

Facebook event here

Marlyn Barnes would have been 32 years old this Thursday if he hadn’t died in Harford County Jail

Let’s show his family and all prisoners still locked up that we care.

Join the Prisoners Solidarity Caravan

PLEASE SIGN UP AND SHARE 

Marlyn Barnes would have been 32 years old this Thursday, if he had not died in custody at the Harford County Detention Center.   The jail claims he committed suicide, but his family has not gotten the answers they need from the authorities and they continue to fight for truth and justice in his case.  The number of suicide deaths at Harford County are alarming, just this past month another prisoner allegedly died as a result of suicide. 

Marlyn’s family and the Peoples Power Assembly and Prisoners Solidarity Committee have continued to press for answers and in the midst of this pandemic and to amplify the demands of prisoners locked up Maryland jails who have demanded PPE, adequate showers, soap, hand sanitizer and much more.  

We have joined the national movement in demanding #FreeThemAll.

You can help by joining the Thursday, May 14, car caravan at 4 pm from the Harriet Tubman Solidarity Center, to the local City Jail Complex and then to Marlyn Barnes’ neighborhood in West Baltimore.  We will then participate in a 32 minute caravan to represent how old Barnes would be if he was alive today.

Let’s show his family and the prisoners still locked up that we care.  SIGN UP AND SHARE WITH FRIENDS.  This is important; even if you can’t actually physically participate, it helps to share, post to Facebook, twitter, Instagram, to increase awareness and build support.

We will also have signs calling for Justice for Ahmaud Arbery!

If you can drive or come – here are the instructions:

Gather and stage ourselves at 20th and N. Charles Streets, Baltimore, MD 21218 at 4 pm to decorate cars and get signs.  Wear your mask or scarf and physical distance; please be safe.  

We will  have a lead car, proceed and leave no later than 4:45 pm, and drive with our lights on similar to a funeral procession.   

It’s helpful if you are able to fill out the google form: CLICK HERE FOR FORM

Thank you so much on behalf of the Barnes family.

Stay safe and huge distancing hug from the Peoples Power Assembly

Peoples Power Assembly Condemns Blue Angels and Thunderbirds Fly Over

Our front line workers whether they are nurses, nursing assistants, doctors, hospital janitorial staff or warehouse, grocery, farm, food processing, sanitation, or postal workers need personal protective equipment, full paid sick leave, hazard pay, and safe working conditions–not a $60,000 an hour salute .

People are suffering in Baltimore.  Food insecurity is a reality for families and individuals; unemployment insurance payments have yet to be processed, and teachers and children do not yet have the necessary resources and tools for remote learning.  

The problems of the homeless remain unsolved. Jails and detention centers are steadily becoming death camps.  Immigrant and migrant workers have been effectively shut out of even meager benefits.

It has also been pointed out that the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flight pattern focuses on the white wealthy areas of Baltimore and disregards the Black community.

The close to trillion dollar Pentagon budget has siphoned off badly needed funds for our cities and towns.  This pandemic underscores more than ever the need for global solidarity not war and racism, including sanctions which starve and hold people hostage.  

Trump, send that money to our heroes!

Housing Authority Blocks Elderly & Disabled from Receiving Food

Today Mon, March 30th at 12 pm the Housing Authority of Baltimore City staff members  denied the Franciscan Center and other food pantries from delivering essential groceries to families and senior citizens living in Baltimore’s Douglas Homes public housing development.

Wednesday Thursday and Friday of last week HUD Resident Advisory Board Delegate for Douglas Homes, Reverend Annie Chambers coordinated with several food pantries, including Living Classrooms, the Power House, The Free Farm, and the Franciscan Center to deliver groceries to seniors, the disabled, mothers of newborns, and other Douglas Homes residents that are unable to make it to a grocery store. Food was also distributed to those who cannot afford groceries, as no one was turned away. These groceries include, bread, milk, diapers, infant formula, fresh produce, canned goods, and more.

Today an incident occurred around 12 pm. Several housing authority staff members assembled on the corner of Bond and Orleans street in Douglas Homes. They would not let the Franciscan Center deliver to food to the residents of Douglas Homes. The Housing Authority’s Cheryl Harrison Jackson said that giving away food on Housing Authority property violates Housing Authority rules. Food already delivered was instructed to be thorwn away by Ms. Harrison but the Housing Authority Staff members under her refused to comply.

The director of the Franciscan Center arrived to clarify that their center is an approved food pantry that is allowed by Baltimore City to distribute meals and food during this crisis. The Housing Authority Staff still denied him access to Douglas Home and said they will not allow them or other pantries to make food deliveries even during this crisis.

The Director of The Franciscan Center said “My understanding is that the Housing Authority is saying that you can’t give out food in a public housing setting. Our food consists of bagged lunches, and vegetables and that’s what we’re trying to give out.” The Franciscan Center is one of the many community locations designated by Baltimore City to provide food during this crisis.

The Housing Authority has made it clear that they will continue to deny drop offs from food pantries. Reverend Annie Chambers, who is coordinating the food drop offs, is vowing to do everything in her power to get these groceries to the people in need despite the Housing Authority trying to stop her. The Housing Authority has threatened to evict Rev Chambers when she attempts to distribute food tomorrow (March 31st) even though no evictions are currently allowed due to the Coronavirus Crisis.

Rev Chambers said “We’re here in public housing with no help and no support. Just for giving out food today they threatened to call the cops on us. They threatened to evict me. But I’ll be here again tomorrow to give out more food no matter what! We’re just trying to survive. People here have nothing.”

For more information call Reverend Annie Chambers at 443-768-7682 or text or call her team at 410-996-4848. Her address is 247 North Dallas Court, Baltimore, MD on the corner of Bond and Orleans Street.

National webinar to hear organizers on the front lines fighting for healthcare, against racism and repression, for workers’ rights and housing, in defense of prisoners and migrants. Learn what we can do to support our communities at this challenging time. Speakers included:*Mahtowin Munro, United American Indians of New England;* Frank Chapman, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression;* Meg Maloney, New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance;*Rasika, Baltimore Amazon warehouse worker; *Nana Gyamfi, Black Alliance for Just Immigration;* Larry Hales, In Defense of Our Lives; Adam Rice, Los Angeles Community Action Network;* Bernadette Ellorin, Spokesperson BAYAN USA;* Ron Gochez, Union del Barrio;* Rev. Annie Chambers, Peoples Power Assembly;* Fernando Figueroa, UPS worker and Teamster;* Pam Africa, MOVE Organization;* Omowale Clay, December 12th Movement; * Berta Joubert-Ceci, Puerto Rico Tribunal and Struggle-La Lucha newspaper;* Irvin McQueen, Pan African Community Action, Washington DC;* Tova Fry, Peoples Alliance (Bay Area);* Lucy Pagoada, Departamento 19 – Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular. The meeting was co-chaired by John Parker, Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice and Sharon Black, Peoples Power Assembly. Let’s build a fight-back network that can face the challenges confronting working people and oppressed communities today and in the weeks and months to come! Join and next steps go to http://www.PeoplesPowerAssembly.org

Baltimore Amazon Workers Organize Campaign in Defense of Workers Lives

Billionaire Jeff Bezos must do better for Amazon warehouse and contract workers during the corona virus crisis.  Below are five demands that local Baltimore and Maryland Amazon workers, present and past, and their supporters are demanding.  We hope you will sign our petition and circulate these demands widely to friends and neighbors. SIGN PETITION

Demand 1.

Daily screening of all workers for fever and outward signs of COVID 19.  Weekly testing for all amazon warehouse workers. Amazon workers are now categorized as essential to public service. Workers must have guaranteed safety networks in place. At any given time there are three to four thousand workers in a single building; this is not just a health risk to those individuals but to the whole community.  Workers must be informed if there is an outbreak of COVID 19 or if a worker tests positive in a timely manner..

Demand 2.

We demand that a minimum of $15.00 an hour extra added to the 15 dollar base pay as hazard pay. Amazon now pays $2.00 extra during the quarantine but the company actually paid $2.40 extra during the holiday periods which is more than they are offering during these extreme health risks. During this crisis and  dangerous conditions it’s not enough. Amazon should not be making extra profit during this pandemic using exploited labor. 

Demand 3.

Workers who are elderly, disabled and have weaker immune systems should be able to stay home with full paid sick leave until the conditions are safe for them to return. We must protect vulnerable workers. 

Demand 4.

End write-ups for failing to meet productivity rates and quotas.  Workers need to have the time to physically sanitize their work areas, wash their hands when needed, and practice safety without fear that they will be written up for working too slow.  This not only protects workers; it protects the community that receives packages.

Demand 5. 

Extend all the above demands to  contract workers at all amazon facilities. As we know all facilities have third party contracted workers who make less than $15 who do all the housekeeping and other work including deliveries.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezo has bid 10 billion dollars to fight the Covid19 pandemic. This money is by definition exploited labor. We know Amazon has never paid their fair share in taxes and have profited trillions of dollars throughout the years. They must use some of the money towards the welfare of the workers and the community.  As of this post, workers have tested positive at 8 different warehouses.

Please go to Facebook event to register:  https://www.facebook.com/events/142736710469446/

We will be live stream from Peoples Power Assembly Facebook page.

Join us on a national webinar to hear from organizers on the front lines fighting for healthcare, against racism and repression, for workers’ rights and housing, in defense of prisoners and migrants. Learn what we can do to support our communities at this challenging time.

Sat. March 28: 6-9 p.m. Eastern / 5-8 p.m. Central / 3-6 p.m. Pacific

Speakers include:
*Mahtowin Munro, United American Indians of New England
* Frank Chapman, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression
* Meg Maloney, New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance
* Adam Rice, Los Angeles Community Action Network
* Bernadette Ellorin, Spokesperson BAYAN USA
* Ron Gochez, Union del Barrio
* Rev. Annie Chambers, Baltimore Peoples Power Assembly
* Baltimore Amazon warehouse worker
* Fernando Figueroa, UPS worker and Teamster
* Pam Africa, MOVE Organization
* Omowale Clay, December 12th Movement
* Berta Joubert-Ceci, Puerto Rico Tribunal and Struggle-La Lucha newspaper
* Irvin McQueen, Pan African Community Action, Washington DC
* Terri Kay, Peoples Alliance (Bay Area)
* Lucy Pagoada, Departamento 19 – Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular
* Nana Gyamfi, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
* Larry Hales, In Defense of Our Lives
and more!

Let’s build a fight-back network that can face the challenges confronting working people and oppressed communities today and in the weeks and months to come!