US Economic Policy: What’s in Store for the 99% (Saturday Nov. 9th)
How are the billionaires multiplying and making profits world-wide, and on whose backs? What’s behind this so-called “recovery”? What can we expect in the near future – is the economy rushing toward a deeper crisis? To change the world we first have to understand it. Come hear Jack Rasmus tell it like it is. There […]
The Climate Emergency: The Future Is In Our Hands (Saturday, September 28)
The Yellow Vests Movement – “We Want to Live, Not Just Survive!” (Baltimore; August 3, 2019)
The Yellow Vests Movement – “We Want to Live, Not Just Survive!” Saturday, August 3, 2019, 3:00 PMAuditorium, University of Maryland School of Social Work525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore The yellow vests movement began in France in November 2018, following the government’s decision to raise the fuel tax. It existed mainly outside the major urban […]
The French Yellow Vests Movement (July 25, 7 PM)
Thursday, July 25th, 7pmBerkeley City College (Auditorium) 2050 Center St, Berkeley Since November of 2018 there have been weekly protests, sometimes involving hundreds of thousands of people, from students to housewives to workers to retirees, angry at the high cost of living and the government’s policies. Come and hear a presentation by Camille Chauchat, a […]
Can We Feed the World Without Destroying It? (April 13, 7PM)
Saturday April 13th, 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm) South Berkeley Senior Center 2939 Ellis St, Berkeley Eric Holt-Gimenez is an educator, author, researcher, activist and Executive Director of Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy. His talk will focus on the global system that causes injustice, hunger, poverty and environmental degradation. He will also describe […]
Tolerance?! (March 16, 7PM)
Flyer as PDF Facebook Event Page Tolerance?! Saturday, March 16th, 7PM(Doors open at 6:30PM)South Berkeley Senior Center2939 Ellis St, Berkeley What happens when Rosie the Riveter meets #MeToo? Tolerance?! is a one-woman show written and performed by Kathleen Denny. It is a true and funny account of her years as a machinist and mechanic in […]
The Fight For Quality Education (Feb. 9, 7pm)
The Fight For Quality Education Saturday, February 9, 7PM (Doors open at 6:30PM) South Berkeley Senior Center 2939 Ellis St, Berkeley Public education has been under attack for decades. But last year some things began to change. Teachers in West Virginia went on strike and were joined by school cooks, secretaries, janitors, and bus drivers. […]
The Yellow Vest Movement: A Report Back From France (Jan. 25, 6:30pm)
The Yellow Vest Movement A Report Back From France Friday, January 25, 6:30PM Berkeley City College, room 55 (basement level) 2050 Center St, Berkeley Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets all over France in what began as a protest against a fuel-tax increase but has spread into a movement against the […]
Peter Phillips: Giants – The Global Power Elite (November 11)
link to video of presentation Inside the 1% Transnational Ruling Class Sunday, November 11, 7PM(Doors open at 6:30PM)South Berkeley Senior Center2939 Ellis St., Berkeley Eight men have as much wealth as half of the world’s population (more that 3.5 billion people). The personal wealth of Jeff Bezos, the head of Amazon, is $165 billion. The […]
Lessons from the 1960’s (Friday, Oct. 19, 6:30pm, Berkeley)
Be Realistic, Demand the Impossible! Lessons from the 1960s Friday, October 19th at 6:30pm Berkeley City College, Room 51 2050 Center St., Berkeley (near Downtown Berkeley BART) A panel of international activists discussing lessons from the 1960s: George Katsiaficas: A student of Herbert Marcuse, he is the author of The Global Imagination of 1968: Revolution […]
Revolutionary University Fall 2018 (Oct 12-14)
Tools for Changing Society Welcome to three days of presentations and discussions aimed at helping us understand our current conditions and the problems that are created by this system of capitalism. Our goal is to not only examine the challenges we face, but to go beyond that by discussing the kind of organizing that’s necessary […]
Revolutionary Socialists and Elections: What Is to Be Done? (Aug. 25, Left Coast Forum, Los Angeles,
Join us at the Left Coast Forum in Los Angeles The campaign of Bernie Sanders opened up the perspective that candidates could openly call themselves socialists and have some success in the elections. This has raised some important questions for those who view themselves as socialists. How do socialists approach elections? Do we embrace elections […]
Social Movements in France (Saturday, July 21, 11am, Oakland, CA)
For the past few months, there have been ongoing strikes of workers from rail and other industries, major demonstrations and university occupations protesting the attacks of President Macron’s government. Come to a presentation and discussion over Skype with activists from the Fraction L’Etincelle of the NPA (New Anti- Capitalist Party). Saturday, July 21, 11am Niebyl […]
Saturday, May 12, 7pm, Berkeley
Join us at our next Speak Out Now Forum: The Bay Area: For The 1% or for Us? For decades the San Francisco Bay Area was a home for working class families, radicals, musicians, poets and artists of all sorts. Now, it’s the tech capital of the world, boasting of millionaires and billionaires and the […]
Friday, May 4, 7pm Berkeley, CA
Archive That, Comrade! The Legacy of 1968 and the Politics of Remembrance A Talk by Phil Cohen How is the past remembered? How do archives and commemorations of historical events rewrite history? How is historical revisionism and false memory used today? And what could be a model for archiving history that can build on people’s […]
Sunday, April 15, Oakland, Lake Merritt Amphitheater
Join us for a March and Rally to Say: NO! To U.S. Wars at Home and Abroad! Sunday, April 15th 11AM-12:30PM RALLY Lake Merritt Amphitheater – 12th st. & 4th Ave (at 12:30pm there is a march to Oscar Grant Plaza – near 14th & Broadway for a 1:30pm main rally) Look for the Speak […]
Time’s Up: Saying No to Sexual Violence and Capitalism (Baltimore: March 22, 6pm)
Join us for a Speak Out Now Forum in Baltimore, MD The #MeToo movement has made it clear: sexual violence in our society is widespread. As more and more women have shared their stories, they have exposed a sick society that is rooted in exploitation, hierarchy, and violence. The movement also reminds us that […]
Join us at: March For Our Lives (Saturday March 24 in Oakland and San Francisco)
.pdf flyer download Please join us at both March For Our Lives rallies in the Bay Area. We will be attending rallies in Oakland and San Francisco. Look for our Speak Out Now booth and table, and march with us in San Francisco (there is no march in Oakland – only a rally) March for […]
The Watsonville Canning Strike – Peter Shapiro (March 17th, 7pm, Berkeley)
Presentation by Peter Shapiro Labor activist and author of the book “Song of the Stubborn One Thousand” Followed by discussion Thirty years ago, Watsonville, California was the “frozen food capital of the world.” In September 1985, 1000 mostly Mexican women workers at the town’s largest plant were forced out on strike when the owner tried […]
Palestine and Revolution in the Middle East (February 17, 6pm, Baltimore)
The Palestinian people have struggled for decades for self-determination, human rights, and an end to the everyday violence of occupation. Israel, a colonial settler-state founded on Palestinian land, is the direct cause of the conflict. The horror of the European Holocaust does not justify the oppression of the Palestinian people. Israel consistently violates so-called international […]
Report from Palestine: Nabi Saleh – A History of Resistance (February 10th 7pm, Berkeley CA)
Nabi Saleh is a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank of Palestine. It is the home of Nariman and Ahed Tamimi, prisoners of the Israeli state, arrested and jailed for protesting Israeli soldiers in their own village. Nabi Saleh has a long history of resistance. Come hear a video talk by Palestinians from Nabi Saleh […]
Baltimore – December 13, 2017: Fight Fossil Fuel Shipments Through Baltimore and Chesapeake Bay
Fight explosive oil trains in Baltimore! Stop the new liquefied fracked gas export terminal at Cove Point! While it’s crucial to organize to stop climate change globally, we also face immediate environmental threats from the fossil fuel industry in Baltimore and other parts of Maryland. Join the discussion on what to do short-term and long-term […]
Speak Out Now at Howard Zinn Bookfair
Self-Management and Revolution: A Dialogue Between Revolutionary Perspectives Self-activity and self-organization of the working class are values that are shared by revolutionaries who may have different reference points from Marxism to Anarchism. Sometimes these differences hide the potential for multiple currents to collaborate in revolutionary action even though they may be guided by the shared […]
Speak Out Now MEET UP (10/22/17)
Want to know more about socialism? Curious about Speak Out Now and the work we do? Wondering how to organize with people around you? THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! We’ll have a short presentation, followed by discussion and time to answer any questions. Refreshments and light snacks will be provided. Sunday, October 22nd at 6:00pm At […]
Revolutionary University Fall 2017 (10/13-15/2017)
October 13-15 South Berkeley Senior Center 2939 Ellis St, Berkeley Friday 10/13 6:30pm-9:00pm Whose Streets? A showing of the documentary film capturing the movement in Ferguson, Missouri in response to police repression and how the experience transformed the activists involved in the movement (103 min) Followed by a discussion. Saturday 10/14 10:30am-12:30pm A History […]
We Are The Majority! We Must Defend Ourselves! (9/23/17)
A Speak Out Now Forum: Far right fascist groups have been growing amidst an increase in attacks on Muslims, mosques and immigrants. But we can’t afford to be scared into silence. These groups present a threat but they are small and can be stopped. We can stop these fascists by organizing in the tens of […]
OVERCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE (Baltimore: 9/23/17)
“The overwhelming majority of people on Earth want sane and compassionate policies that protect our environment.”–Carol Dansereau We have marched, we have given, we have protested, we have written, we have signed, and we have resisted, but how do we take our power back? Come join Speak Out Now for a discussion with Carol Dansereau […]
Speak Out Now MEET UP (9/8/17)
Want to know more about socialism? Curious about Speak Out Now and the work we do? Wondering how to organize with people around you? THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! We’ll have a short presentation, followed by discussion and time to answer any questions. Refreshments and light snacks will be provided. Friday, September 8th at 6:00pm At […]
Rally to Stop the Deportation of Maria and Eusebio Sanchez: Monday August 14, 12pm at Highland Hospital
Maria Sanchez, a cancer care nurse at Oakland’s Highland Hospital, mother of four children, and her husband Eusebio, are facing imminent deportation to Mexico on Tuesday, August 15, despite 23 years of working and building a family in the U.S. This is another racist attack on undocumented workers happening right in our own backyard. We […]
July 13: Laborfest film screening – “Like Lions”
Thursday, July 13th, 6pm Berkeley City College auditorium, 2050 Center St. Berkeley Comme des Lions (Like Lions) is a 2016 French documentary by Françoise Davisse. It traces the struggle of auto workers in a factory in a poor suburb of Paris against PSA (Peugeot Citroën) management’s threat to close their plant. The title comes from the […]
June 2-4: Speak Out Now at Left Forum 2017
Speak Out Now, along with a member of the group NPA (New Anti-Capitalist Party) and L’Étincelle in France, are hosting the following panels at the Left Forum, taking place in New York City on June 2 to 4. Elections Without Electoralism – Using Elections as a Voice of the Working Class SATURDAY June 3, Session […]
May 20, 2017: To Save Our Planet… Change the System! (Baltimore, MD)
The world’s environment was in a dangerous state even before the election of Donald Trump. The world’s scientific community repeatedly pointed to the coming ecological catastrophe if carbon emissions were not drastically reduced, slowing the warming of the earth’s atmosphere. The agreements signed by previous administrations were not sufficient even to begin addressing the problem. […]
May 24th: Revolution in the Summer of Love (Mat Callahan)
PM Press along with Revolutionary Workers Group presents Revolution in the Summer of Love, a talk with Mat Callahan in Berkeley, CA 50 years after the “Summer of Love,” join Mat Callahan on the California Book Tour for his new book The Explosion of Deferred Dreams: Musical Renaissance and Social Revolution in San Francisco, 1965–1975, […]
April 29, 2017: People’s Climate March (Oakland, CA)
This climate march is more important than in many previous years. The Earth is at stake due to climate change and the attacks of the Trump administration. We need to oppose those who threaten it for their own profit and greed. Saturday, April 29, 11am-5pm @ Lake Merritt Amphitheater in Oakland for more information about […]
May 1st, 2017: A Day Without Immigrants (Oakland and San Francisco)
May 1st is known throughout the world as International Workers’ Day. The day was the result of the struggle for the 8-hour workday and it started here in the US. It is a day where the working class shows who has the power in society. In 2006, it was the immigrants, largely Latinos, who gave […]
March 11, 2017: The Attack on Immigrants (David Bacon)
The Attack on Immigrants: What Trump Can and Can’t Do A Speak Out Now forum with investigative reporter and photographer David Bacon Trump and those he represents are attacking the most vulnerable members of our society – recent immigrants, especially those without documentation. This is part of a strategy to divide us in the face […]
February 11: Organizing in Hard Times – Lessons From The Anti-Poll Tax Movement In The U.K.
On January 21, millions of people showed their defiance to the new Trump regime. Could we see a movement develop that could challenge the power held by the 1%? Is it possible? Yes. But how? We can learn from past movements like the one in the United Kingdom against the poll tax in the 1980s. […]
January 28: We Need To Gather Our Forces! It’s Time to Fight Their Whole System!
With Trump in office the challenges we face are clear for all to see. Open acts of hatred are already unfolding around us and we know further attacks are coming. We Can’t Wait! Join us to discuss what we can do next. Saturday, January 28th at 3:00pm Niebyl Proctor Library 6501 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland PDF […]
The Incomplete, True, Authentic, and Wonderful History of Mayday (December 3rd, 3pm, UC Berkeley)
A talk by Peter Linebaugh “May Day is about affirmation, the love of life, and the start of spring, so it has to be about the beginning of the end of the capitalist system of exploitation, oppression, war, and overall misery, toil, and moil.” – Peter Linebaugh – Historian and Author of The Incomplete, True, […]
We’ve Been Sleeping Too Long: Socialist Politics and The Working Class (December 4th – Howard Zinn Book Fair)
After 2016 election, what problems and possibilities are posed for socialist politics in the working class? Is the working class still the revolutionary class in society? Can we build an independent working class organization today? December 4th, 2:45pm-3:45pm Howard Zinn Bookfair Peggy Terry Room (213) City College of SF (Mission Campus) 1125 Valencia St, San […]
Trump’s Mudslide to Victory – What Happened and Now What? (Saturday, 11/19)
[download a copy of flyer .pdf 2-up] What can we learn from this election? Was this a protest vote by part of the working class? Is it a racist backlash? We need to untangle myth and reality in order to respond to this situation. Join us for a presentation and discussion on the election from […]
A Socialist Perspective on the Environment (Saturday, October 22)
Why are we losing our fight for the Earth? And what will it take to win? To answer these urgent questions, we must understand what’s blocking our way forward: an economic system based on exploitation of the earth and of its people. We must acknowledge that many of the strategies followed by environmental groups up […]
Revolutionary University October 1 & 2 (Oakland, CA)
download .pdf of flyer [8.5 x 11 color-35mb] [8.5 x 11 b/w 2-up_15mb] All events will be held at: Niebyl-Proctor Library 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609 (Donation: $5 No one turned away for lack of funds) Tools for Changing Society Join us for two days of presentations and discussions on current world problems and […]
Syria: Revolution, Counter-revolution, and the Rise of ISIS (9/24–Brooklyn, New York)
download flyer [8.5 x 11 pdf 725kb] What began as a revolutionary movement has turned into a nightmare. Syria is torn apart by Islamist militias, most notoriously the Islamic State. Meanwhile Russian bombs rain down on civilians, while American politicians threaten to increase U.S. intervention. How did this happen? Where did ISIS come from? How […]
September 10, 7pm – Arlie Hochschild: What Drives People into the Arms of Trump?
download .pdf of flyer (b/w 8.5 x 11, single) (b/w 8.5 x 11, double)
Film Showing: The Hand That Feeds
The Hand That Feeds is a film about undocumented workers at a bakery in New York City. The workers are mistreated by managers who cut their pay, fire them at will, and enforce overall dangerous working conditions. The film tells the heroic story of this group of workers and their decision to fight back against […]
Reform vs. Revolution (June 11, 2016 – Brooklyn, NY)
download 8.5 x 11 flyer [.pdf 475kb] How Do We Build A Revolutionary Organization In The Working Class How Do We Link Contemporary Struggles and Campaigns to the Working Class We have seen responses to the violent attacks of capitalism. Resistance to police murders, ecological catastrophe, and other struggles – for the most part, these […]
Speak Out Now on the Radio: “The Idea of Revolution”
Speak Out Now on “Economic Update: The Idea of Revolution” (a radio show hosted by Richard Wolff) http://www.democracyatwork.info/eu_the_idea_of_revolution On this week’s episode of Economic Update, Prof. Wolff provides updates on Alabama convicts strike against slavery, Greece’s victimization, TTIP exposed, and taxing Yale. Interview with Joan Berezin and Kip Waldo on revolutionary change.
Speak Out Now at Left Forum in New York (May 20 to May 22 at John Jay University)
Join us at “The Left Forum” in New York City, May 20 – May 22 Session: Saturday, May 21: 10:00am to11:50am The Proletariat is Still the Revolutionary Class The exploitation and austerity imposed by capitalism is grinding people down all around the world. At the same time, struggles and protests triggered by a wide range […]
Report From Palestine: The Crisis of Occupation (March 19 – Brooklyn, NY)
download 8.5 x 11 flyer [.pdf 100kb] It has been one and a half years since Israel’s latest brutal assault on the people of the occupied territories of Palestine. Over 2,000 people including 500 children were killed in that assault. It was only the latest in a series of invasions and assaults in 2012, 2009, […]