The Advocate

( By Owen Gent) I'm a Jew who believes in the right of Jews to self-determination in our ancestral homeland . I'm also a Jew who believes in the right of Palestinians to self-determination in their ancestral homeland . I don't see either of these two stances as contradictory but rather mutually affirming.  I reject bigoted and extremist definitions of the labels, and increasingly the various movements, surrounding this conflict. I've struggled (from my relatively privileged place in the diaspora) to support peaceful, mutual coexistence, when so many on all sides are deeply invested in a status quo they paradoxically admit is unjust and untenable. I've also struggled to connect with more people who have a shared reality of the conflict and shared values around ending it. But even after a lifetime surviving virulent antisemitism while the world burns, I have hope. A hopeless hope against hope because the only alternative would be to lay down and die. Well, fuck that....

( Photo credit here  by artist Lia Tin) As American fascism continues its steady stride across the world , I'm back again with your regular roundup of warnings and strategies. This is especially important as the Trump regime has explicitly said it will attempt to interfere with and, if possible, even cancel midterm elections in America . So, what is San Leandro doing? Well, the City Council is still fighting amongst themselves, even as they face a deadline to fill an the seat vacated by former District 2 Councilman Bryan Azevedo. The usual suspects  from among our bottom barrel roster of local leaders are out campaigning  for the chance  –  but not from the voters. No, they'll need the vote of the very City Council currently flailing in dysfunction .  That leaves it to the people, per usual, to step up to protect our democracy. So let's talk about how you can get involved right now to build a better San Leandro. Because no one else is going to do it and t...

(Addie Kitchen, grandmother of Steven Taylor, says she wants the case to go to trial. Credit: Emilie Raguso/The Berkeley Scanner) Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson is moving to dismiss the charges against former San Leandro Police Department officer Jason Fletcher for the murder of Steven Taylor. The decision follows years of delay and negligence around this case as members of local and state law enforcement rallied to prevent Fletcher from facing trial by a jury of his peers. Even as judges repeatedly   rejected  attempts to toss the case. Notably, there's also evidence of illegal collusion between current and former members of the DA's office to help Fletcher's defense, headed up by infamous attorney Michael Rains, who regularly defends police officers found to have engaged in misconduct and brutality . Whether there will ever be justice for Steven Taylor and the Taylor family is now deeply uncertain. But we do know that it's likely Fletcher wi...

(Copy of Google Maps location) On MacArthur Boulevard you'll find a row of quaint storefronts. Coffee shops, burger joints, martial arts studios, and insurance agencies. Elbowing in the middle, at # 1039, is the headquarters of the Alameda County Republican Party. How did this happen? In the belly of the East Bay, where liberal and progressive politics dominate, how did the GOP set up shop to sell American fascism ? Well, let's find out. *** The exact founding date for the Alameda County Republican Central Committee isn't public. Filings show that it was registered with the FEC on July 26, 2004. The location on 1039 MacArthur Boulevard has been its mailing address every year since. Given San Leandro's history as a redlining sundown town surrounded by a suburban wall of White Supremacy, patrolled by racist police, with cross-burnings still going on as recently as 1989 , the choice starts to make sense. The current chair of the organization is Jeanne Solnordal , who o...

If you haven't heard the news about San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, well here it is .  The Feds have charged him with three criminal violations. One count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. One count of false statements. And one count of criminal forfeiture. The charges were filed as "information" instead of an indictment, which may mean Azevedo waived his right to a grand jury and made a plea deal. The investigation predates the current regime and the lawyers that signed off on this are career prosecutors, not political appointees. They accuse Azevedo of lying to federal agents, taking bribes, and selling out the city. The scheme is allegedly related to a much larger conspiracy involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a business groups run by the Duong family. *** I've been a fan of Bryan's since 2020 when he was out doing community clean ups and running a program to help feed people during the pandemic. I voted for him for c...

(Costanoan by Pastel @  Highway 880 Marina West Exit ) I remember the exact day that the Left in San Leandro died. It was actually a Monday evening downtown at City Hall. There was a city council meeting that night and it was packed. A group of fellow local activists, and even more from outside the community, had organized a protest against the then-recent war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The protest erupted into civil disobedience that shut down the city council meeting, before ultimately descending into bigotry and violence. I know because I was there. This post has been a long time coming. Some have repeatedly asked me to share what happened. Just as many would like to pretend nothing happened that night. A few have even threatened me against ever writing about it. But I'd bet that there are also a lot of people who have absolutely no idea what happened. This isn't about spreading salacious stories for social media clout. It's about holding ourselves accountable as...