#hail2profit

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Towards a Black November at the University of Pittsburgh

We demand a world without police so we can create a world for each other, so we might be able to gather and grow with one another in a less alienating way.

“We occupy in hopes that all students can feel empowered to organize and resist autonomously; in hopes that one day we will occupy the entire University, and finally set it free.”

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****full description posted in event**** Last year on November 17th, students, workers and community members marched together in the streets of Oakland...

Last year on November 17th, shortly after Trump’s election, around fifty students, workers and community members marched together in the streets of Oakland to demand an end to student debt and protest Trump’s election. Together, the group entered and exited Towers Lobby to give a few speeches and sing a song. The group was met by Pitt Police officers who brutally beat, injured and arrested multiple students right outside of their dorms. Many of our friends sustained physical injuries, emotional trauma, and two of them spent the night in jail. Shortly after this incident, Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner released a statement regarding the protest which condoned the acts of the police officers and condemned the student protestors. Since last November, student’s demands for a more just University have routinely been ignored. Our voices have been silenced, student debt has grown, workers are still making poverty wages, and the police are more antagonistic toward student protestors than ever before.

We refuse to let our stories of this day be silenced and replaced by the blatant lies from the University administration. On the one year anniversary of this event, we will gather once again to demand an end to student debt, the rise of fascism on our campus and unfair wages for workers. But this time we must also demand that the Pitt Police be disarmed. We will walk out of class to demonstrate that our classes can not be as important as the safety of our friends and demanding a more just campus and world. We will walk out of class to show that our we can not be educated in an institution that silences the people who make it up. We invite everyone – all the people that make this university our place for learning and growing – to join in this walk out and together we will share a space for our collective visions for making this university a just & safe space that belongs to the people that make it up.

We recognize that the struggle to disarm campus police at the University of Pittsburgh is linked with the necessity of disarming the campus police that murdered queer activist Scout Shultz on Georgia Tech’s campus. We recognize that the policing on our campus is part of the same policing, but in no way equal to or as devastating as the policing that terrorizes and murders innocent people of color every year. We understand that the presence of police on our campus upholds an atmosphere that continuously disregards student safety and is an extension of the violent policing throughout the city of Pittsburgh.

Come out to commemorate this day, and demand that the University disarms campus police & meet the demands of students:

1. That all student workers should be paid a minimum, living wage of $15 an hour. 2. That the University freezes tuition hikes and advocates for federal cancellation of student debt and free tuition. 3. That the University vocally endorses a grad student union. 4.That the University immediately stops spending money, time and resources on union busting tactics, and creating intimidating environments that prevent workers from having free choice 5. That the University divests its financial holdings in fossil fuels. 6. That the University takes a firm stance against private prisons. Any investments or connections between private prison corporations and the University of Pittsburgh should be made transparent, and terminated. 7. That the University declares itself a sanctuary campus and actively works to create spaces where students feel safe. 8. That gender neutral bathrooms are accessible in every campus building. 9. That the University promises a real commitment to diversifying the student body (in class, race, gender/sexuality), investing in cultural organizations, rather than merely advertising itself as diverse institution. 10. That the University prioritizes and provides affordable housing and living for all student tenants (mental health, food security, health insurance) 11. That the University sustainably invests in the interests of the Pittsburgh community, rather than its own interests, or those of the board of trustees. 12. That all campus cops are disarmed and that city cops are banned from campus. 13. That the University commits to increased transparency in its investments, and that students, faculty, staff and alumni know exactly where Pitt’s money is going. 14. That the University commits to switching to renewable energy. 15. That Chancellor Gallagher takes a 10 percent paycut to hike employee pay and a pay cap enforced on all highly paid positions (admin, coaches).

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DON'T LET THEM ORIENT YOUUU!! Come out to some back to school events next week !;) Hit us up if you want to help run any events or if you want to run your own event! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday - Tabling // all day // various locations Tuesday - Free Lunch and Zine reading // Schenley Plaza // 11:30 - 1:00 Wednsday - Student Debt Info // Schenley Plaza 11:30 - 1:00 Plants and Herbs // Schenely Plaza // 3:00 - 4:00 THursday: Share Fair // Schenley Plaza // 3:00 Friday: Radical Tour of Oakland // Cathy // 1:00 Night Shade Potluck // Frazier Fields // 5:00

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#PghRising - Week of Action!

Exciting shit's going down this week, including three massive actions! Please let us know if there there's an event that is not listed that you would like us to promote through our Facebook, our blog, our Twitter, and through flyers or email.

Today 2/22

Report from Pittsburgh's Wage Review Committee - Livable City for All? "Dr. Shook is a member of the city's Wage Review Committee, which most recently met with members of city council in late January to discuss the findings of a report the Wage Review Committee released in December 2015. The report, which can be found in its entirety online contains the testimonies of over 170 low wage workers, mainly hospital and service workers, and community members, including healthcare experts and economists."

9pm // Cathedral of Learning 332 [ https://www.facebook.com/events/549309145229370/ ]

Big Idea, Little Fundraiser Week 3! Help us launch The Little Idea as part of the Bloomcraft project. Read more, spread the word, and give if you can to our Indiegogo campaign: http://igg.me/at/LittleIdea 

Today! 7-9pm - Tesla Coloring Book, Reading/Coloring Party [ https://www.facebook.com/events/846133858830900/ ] 

Saturday, 02/27, 11am-3pm - Brunch [ https://www.facebook.com/events/232172203781855/ ] Monday, 02/29, 6-9pm - Open Mic for the People [ https://www.facebook.com/events/568306086650768/ ]

Full list of events available HERE

Girls Rock! Open Mic Pittsburgh "We're excited to announce the Girls Rock! Pittsburgh's open mic night series! Our stage is open to any self-identified girl wanting to share a song, poetry, spoken word, etc in a supportive, safe, and fun environment...This is a recurring event on the 4th Monday of every month. Please come out and support these brave young artists!" 6pm // Union Project // 801 N Negley Ave [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1517359731916838/ ]

Tuesday 2/23

Flyer campus to promote the 'March for Bernie' "Come help 'Burghers for Bernie' flyer the pitt campus for an even bigger turnout for the 'March for Bernie'! We'll have the flyers and tape, just show up and plaster campus." 3:15pm // William Pitt Union (Meet out front on fifth ave side) Tuesday: [ https://www.facebook.com/events/998559576903370/ ] Thursday: [ https://www.facebook.com/events/915758575212264/ ]

Wednesday 2/24

The Role of Turkey in the Imperialist Intervention in Syria "We will take a detailed look into the role that has been played by Turkey, a NATO member and a US ally, in the imperialist attempt to overthrow The government of Syria. We will also discuss Turkey's relation and policies towards other forces in the region including the Kurdish and Palestinian movements. Speaker Tayfun Gol, a native of Turkey, is a leading member of the Pittsburgh branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation." 6 pm // East Liberty Branch Carnegie Library // 130 South Whitfield St [ https://www.facebook.com/events/987322084675376/ ]

Stories from the Margins "Stories from the Margin will be an interactive discussion surrounding the relationship between women and men. We will examine the effects of patriarchy, misogyny and sexism in our society and explore the intricacies as it pertains to, but not defined by violence. This event looks to celebrate the power and strength of Black Women. We will also discuss current topics such as the recent violent crimes against women and define the essence of Black Girl Magic. Performances of poetry and excerpts of Black literature to ignite dialogue."

"The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman, the most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman." - Malcom X

Limited Space, so RSVP! [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1968915466666281/ ]

The Spaces Between: a project about the rest of us , Zine Tour - Pgh Stop Day 1 "All too often as anarchists in the U.S. we look to places like Oakland or New York for clues of how to get it done. The problem with this being that most of us don’t live in anarchist-disney world, where anything is possible and everything is flammable, and we couldn’t afford the rents in Oakland anyway...

This tour features friends from Denver, Colorado and Richmond, Virginia coming to your town to talk about what it looks like for anarchists outside those spaces with longstanding institutional Left bases... Sharing our experiences of building, failing, rebuilding, fucking it up and sometimes winning, we hope to strike up conversations in your towns with your friends. Let’s talk community defense work, anti-police struggles, combating gentrification warfare, how not to let the liberals get us down and more."  7-9pm // The Big Idea Cooperative // 4812 Liberty Avenue [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1715222805380704/ ]

Thursday 2/25

Divestment Celebratory Luncheon "Join the Fossil Free Pitt Coalition, their friends, and allies as the celebrate their unprecedented meeting with the University of Pittsburgh's Board of Trustees Student Affairs Committee. Wear your orange squares or favorite orange shirt! Pizza will be provided." 12pm // William Pitt Union 510 [ https://www.facebook.com/events/540400899472643/ ]

The Spaces Between - Day 2, Pitt's Campus "Sharing our experiences of building, failing, rebuilding, fucking it up and sometimes winning, we hope to strike up conversations in your towns with your friends." 2-4pm Room 548 // William Pitt Union // Suggested $5 for touring organizers/authors! [ https://www.facebook.com/events/399107573593311/ ]

Friday 2/26 - #PghRising

East Liberty Community Rally

"As we look around we see more and more of our Small Black Businesses closing their doors. Investors put restrictions and limitations on us. Furthermore we are being pushed out by increase rent cost and the actions of Corporate Funders. If we want our rights to be respected then we need to speak up, stand up I need each and everyone of you to take a stand. Lets take action!!! Lets protect the land that our ancestors worked so hard for us to have..." 1pm // East Liberty Penn & Highland [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1719623494938135/ ]

2016 United Students Against Sweatshops Conference! "The 2016 National Conference is a unique chance to gather with hundreds of students committed to taking back our universities and demanding respect for workers and affordable quality education for all." [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1511368329169216/ ]

MARCH TO TAKE BACK OUR UNIVERSITY

“Join us as we march to take back our university and demand that Pitt treats its students, workers and community with respect. Here at Pitt, our university burdens students with massive amounts of debt, chips away at the job security of faculty, and pays its student and campus workers poverty wages. As we highlight struggles intertwined with our university's corporate greed, we are launching the campaign $15 for Pitt. We demand $15 for all campus and student workers - how are we expected to pay off our ballooning student debt and get by in one of the most "livable" cities in the country? It is time that we stand up and fight back against a system that values its profits over the education and well-being of its students!" 3:30pm // Cathedral of Learning [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1548493418794320/ ]

Saturday 2/27

Pittsburgh March for Bernie March from the Cathedral of Learning to Downtown for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. 10am // Cathedral of Learning [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1686429291633110/ ]

Pittsburgh Anarchist Speaker Series, Spring 2016

"Join members of The Base as they share their stories of anarchist interventions against the police in New York City. They will be discussing anarchist ways of opposing the police, participation in broader social movements against police brutality, and anarchist-specific projects against the institution of policing. Presentation will be followed by discussion.

The Base is an anarchist social center in Bushwick, Brooklyn that is committed to the dissemination of revolutionary left and anarchist ideas and organizing. They seek to create community councils to displace the dominant political forces in New York, and they work to disempower, disarm, and disband the NYPD.

The series will explore the institution of policing as the armed and repressive force of the state and white supremacy. Our goal is to reject the reformist arguments championed by "progressive" and professional activists. We argue in favor of abolishing the police and the liberal capitalist state-form as a whole. Live communism, spread anarchy!"

2-4pm // Cathedral of Learning Room 232 [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1013590485380004/ ]

Throwing Down to Win Ground: Unofficial party of USAS 2016 Two houses, one block. Ask around for the addresses.

The Bakery - 10pm Rave against the dying of the light - EDM, games and good vibes or some shit! // Down Launder - 8pm (no punk time) Show + Open Mic, taking donations for the legal defense fund for an upcoming action and some badass ecowarriors. Denzell - guerilla rock against the reptilians [ https://denzell.bandcamp.com/ ] Opposite Day - pitt party rock [ https://www.facebook.com/oppositedayband/?fref=ts ] Kai - militant rhymes [ https://soundcloud.com/pangkai/books-of-war ] Regicide - pgh anarcho-punk // Jagoffs (sexists, racists, homophobes, transphobes, etc) not welcome.

[ https://www.facebook.com/events/749491488483787/ ]

Democracy Spring "Come join Democracy Spring in the fight for political equality as we prepare for the largest act of nonviolent civil disobedience in a generation! Theres a lot of work to be done before the sit-ins this March if were going to end political inequality! We need your help! Join us this Saturday in room 213 of the cathedral of learning in Oakland at 2pm to learn more, get trained up, and get involved! Contact Nick Hagan [email protected] for more information. This movement is going to be huge! Don't miss your chance to be a part of it and make a difference!"

Sunday 2/21

University of Pittsburgh Human Rights Conference Update: registration is now closed [ https://www.facebook.com/events/1100366259988113/ ]

News + Report-Backs #PghRising, Fossil Free Pitt, The Slightest Crack

#PghRising from Oakland to Liberty Big week ahead of us! Please use and follow the hashtags #PghRising, throw down at an action, or find some friends and organize your own shenanigans!

Fossil Free Pitt is building momentum Read more about our University's investment of over $26 million in ecological destruction HERE and find out how you can support the students fighting back HERE!

Pitt Against Debt released their new zine, The Slightest Crack "We grimace each time our tuition gets just a bit higher and our debt gets just a bit steeper. But our University of Pittsburgh wouldn’t raise tuition and force us into a lifetime of debt on purpose...would it?" Read more in The Slightest Crack

PSSC is a coalition that aims to promote solidarity across campaigns and social groups. Solidarity means mutual aid, let us know how we can help!

all struggles are intersectional - none are free until all are free

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https://www.facebook.com/events/1548493418794320/