Comrades,

To hear the City tell it, the San Francisco Police Department has “reformed”, and they spend a lot of money telling it, apparently. This past week, DSA SF member and District 5 supervisor Dean Preston held a hearing on copaganda, revealing just how the City talks about SFPD, and how much of that money comes from public funds — our funds.

We learned that there are no rules or guidelines to follow when it comes to the City talking about the SFPD. We learned that a 17-person team costing the City $3 million all work on press and communications for SFPD. We learned that the City and SFPD will say anything to make us think that the SFPD protects us from chaos and violence.

Copaganda can’t hide what’s in plain view — SFPD all too often is the chaos and violence, in the service of the capitalist class. That won’t stop the City — and the mayor’s office — from trying. In the same week as Supervisor Preston’s hearing on copaganda, Mayor Breed appointed none other than the former Director of Strategic Communications for the SFPD, Matt Dorsey, as District 6 supervisor.

This is all while SFPD claimed to be “understaffed” but yet had enough to arrest nearly a dozen CCSF faculty members last Thursday evening for protesting layoffs and class cuts due to a budget deficit.

We echo Supervisor Preston’s calls for firm communications policies and procedures within the City and SFPD. But, that won’t be enough. Join us as we struggle to bring an end to the system the police defend; there’s lots of work to be done to strengthen our communities against capital. This month, you can help us get a tax on the ballot that would force owners of vacant housing — housing that could and should go to our unhoused neighbors — to pay up. We’ve also got a chapter meeting coming up ahead of our chapter convention in June, where we’ll set our course for the next year. We hope you’ll be part of it.

Solidarity,

DSA SF Comms Committee

Events

🌹 Wednesday, 5/11 (6:30 p.m.): DSA SF May regular chapter meeting (Zoom or in person at 518 Valencia)

🌹 Thursday, 5/12 (7:30 p.m.):  Intro to Democratic Socialism Session Two: The History (part 1) (Zoom or in person at the DSA SF office on 1916 McAllister St)

🌹 Saturday, 5/14 (12:00 p.m.): Empty Homes Tax Mobilization (in person at Duboce Park, corner of Steiner and Duboce)

🌹 Saturday, 5/14 (12:00 p.m.): Nakba Day Rally and Mobilization (in person at the intersection of 16th and Valencia)

🌹 Saturday, 5/21 (12:00 p.m.): Chapter pre-convention meeting (Zoom)

🌹 Sunday, 5/22 (12:00 p.m.): Empty Homes Tax Mobilization and BBQ (in person at Golden Gate Park, corner of Stanyan and Haight)


For more events, click here.

DSA SF shows up to support our CCSF educators!

DSA SF showed up last week to support AFT Local 2121 in their struggle against the City, with educators fighting the City to save City College of San Francisco jobs. Once again, the cops showed which side they were on, showing up in force and arresting and citing nearly a dozen faculty members during the action.

Announcements

Keep the Empty Homes Tax signature drive rolling!

We’re keeping the Empty Homes Tax signature drive rolling! There are less than two months left to gather signatures for the Empty Homes Tax – join us for another signature gathering mobilization on Saturday, May 14, from 12:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m. at Duboce Park on the corner of Steiner and Duboce. Come out and do your part to help make sure this gets on the November ballot! No signature gathering experience necessary! We will train you, provide all materials necessary, and give you a location for gathering.

And, be sure to mark Sunday, May 22 on your calendars – we’ll once again be collecting signatures, followed by a BBQ, starting at Golden Gate Park at 12:00 p.m. at the corner of Stanyan and Haight. In the event of rain, we’ll meet at the DSA SF office at 1916 McAllister, instead. Come help get this measure on the ballot, then spend some quality time with comrades!

If you would like to volunteer to help us put on the BBQ, you can reach out to the Electoral Board on the DSA SF slack or email them at electoralboard@dsasf.org. People with cars to help transport materials and people to help run the grills are needed!

Our May regular chapter meeting is tomorrow night!

Take care of chapter business tomorrow night! Lots to discuss as we head toward our chapter convention next month – make sure you’re a part of the conversation! The meeting will be accessible both on Zoom and in person at 518 Valencia. If you are planning to attend in person, please note that masks will be mandatory. The meeting will get underway tomorrow, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. Register for the Zoom meeting here!

Join us this Saturday, May 14 for Nakba Day

Join us this Saturday, May 14 at 12:00 pm at the intersection of 16th and Valencia St. to commemorate 74 years of the ongoing Nakba. The Israeli occupation continues to bulldoze homes, displace families, attack holy sites, bomb Gaza, terrorize, and murder Palestinians across all of Occupied Palestine. On this day, we will honor the continued resistance of Palestinians against settler-colonial violence and ethnic cleansing. We call on everyone to join us in honoring their struggle for liberation and return!

Apply to be part of the SF Civil Grand Jury!

Every year, each county in California convenes a Civil Grand Jury to investigate local city and county government. In contrast to a criminal Grand Jury, the SF Civil Grand Jury comprises 19 ordinary residents who research and investigate any topics of their choosing related to local government, then release reports with recommendations on how to improve City government. City and county officials are required to make themselves available for interview if the Civil Grand Jury requests it, and City departments are required to respond to recommendations by the Civil Grand Jury.

If you’re interested in the details of how City government works and want to help make it function better – and like conducting interviews and deep dives on documents and records – this opportunity may be for you! The only requirements for the SF Civil Grand Jury are that you are a U.S. Citizen, and that you have been a resident of SF for one year. The time requirements are generally around 10 hours per week, but anybody who is interested in doing more research and investigation can put more time in if they would like. Finally, Civil Grand Jury service is paid and fulfills requirements like normal jury service — a maximum of $75/week is paid depending on days worked on investigations.

The deadline for application is May 13, and anybody who is interested in applying can find the application form, as well as more information, here.

Reading Groups

Learn about the history of Democratic Socialism!

The second session of the Intro to Democratic Socialism series will cover the history of the movement, from the “utopians” — Fourier, Owen, et al, to the “scientifics” — Marx, Engels, and the International Workingmen’s Association. This session will be held this Thursday, May 12 from 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the DSA SF office on 1916 McAllister. You can also register via Zoom here.