West Oakland rally reiterates community opposition to coal terminal

A Community Rally organized by Rev. Ken Chambers of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County was held on Saturday July 22, in the parking lot of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church where Rev. Chambers is pastor. Residents, community organizers, and many stalwarts of the long fight to keep coal out of Oakland turned out for a free lunch, music, and new banners created by the incomparable David Solnit.

Three current Oakland City Council members spoke — Carroll Fife, Janani Ramachandran, and Dan Kalb — but were careful not to address the question of coal due to the ongoing lawsuit between developers and the City (see Courtroom Diary for the latest on the ongoing trial); instead they spoke about ways the City can and should support the health, safety, and security of the West Oakland community. Former Mayor Jean Quan also addressed the crowd, as did representatives of Youth vs. Apocalypse, the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP), the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, the IBU/International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), and No Coal in Oakland.

Signatures were gathered on an open letter to would-be coal developers Phil Tagami and Vikas Tandon demanding they drop their lawsuit and their plans to ship coal through Oakland’s waterfront. And quite a few Keep Coal Out of Oakland yard signs and window signs were distributed … watch for them to sprout in your neighborhood (and let us know if you want one for your yard or window!).

Here are some photos from the rally…and from the house at 18th & Brush (at the exit from Hwy 980) where David Solnit and friends mounted two ginormous banners after the rally:

 

See additional coverage in The Mercury News.

Photo credits: David Solnit, Steve Masover

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