OUR DEMANDS

Action Principles

• Advance the leadership of young black people and other young people of color in your action planning, choice of spokespeople, and your continued work.
  
  
• Use this moment as an opportunity to address systemic racism, not just the struggle in Ferguson.  Connect the fate of Mike Brown with the fate of millions of Black young people everywhere.  Elevate local incidents of police violence known to people in your community.
  
  
• Use the hash tag  #shutitdown in all social media attached to your action.
  
  
• Encourage everyone to join our national text network. Text "HANDSUP" to 90975. This is very important.  If you have a mass action this may be the best way to collect a list.  In the future we will be able to send texts to people based on their zip code.  We will try to send region specific texts in the future.
  
  
• If possible, design your action to be intense, direct, and sustained.  We don't want this to be a blip, or spasm.  We want a meaningful conversation to be sparked.
  
  
• If possible, develop a creative action.  Be imaginative and think outside the box.
  
  
• If possible, do an action at the DOJ or another federal building.  If those places are not available find a location that will resonate with people in your community.

Click http://fergusonaction.com/ for more information!

LGBTQ+ MUST CARE!

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail

In solidarity with The National Day of Protest this Wednesday October 22, please join the LGBTQ+ community for a conversation on why we should care about Ferguson.

LGBTQ+ & Black Oppression: Why We Should All Care About Ferguson
Location: Black Space, 2847 Cherokee St, St Louis, MO 63118
Time: 6-8pm

Contributors:
Ashley Yates with Millennial Activists United
http://millennialau.tumblr.com/

Ashton Rome with Socialist Alternative
http://www.socialistalternative.org/

Ed Reggi with ShowMeNoHate
http://www.showmenohate.com/ 

“One very tangible way it [Ferguson] affects the Queer Community is in the issue of intersectionality. LGBTQAIP people are not just white. This community is unique in that we are made up of an incredibly diverse group of people. According to polling done in 2012, 33% of LGBT people are people of color. Those of us who are not people of color tend to forget that there are LGBTQAIP people in every different culture, race, and class. We are looked to as the community of acceptance, and we constantly demanding equality. But equality is not a reality if it is only being granted to one group of people. We cannot ignore the injustices happening around us while we demand the freedom to live our lives peacefully. These issues are linked. They are not isolated from each other. Stories like CeCe McDonald’s illustrate where homophobia and transphobia meet racism and prove that the attitudes perpetuating racism are often held by the same people displaying hatred for the Queer Community.”

- An excerpt from Anthony Doubek’s reaction to Ferguson. Read full story:
http://boxersandbinders.com/2014/08/why-the-queer-community-should-care-about-ferguson-mo.html

Read background on CeCe McDonald:
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-transgender-crucible-20140730

UNIVERSITY CITY PULLS A 'FAST ONE' ON THE PUBLIC

In a sudden turn, for yet another strange move made by the University City elected officials, Mayor Shelley Welsch and the Council members -- decide to disregard the public's opinion and ignore their own words.

On Monday May 23, University City Council met inside City Hall and (for the second time) postponed a vote on Bill 9112, also known as "no interfering with / or standing on the sidewalks" law. The public who attended were (again) disappointed at the Council's decision to reschedule their vote; however, many residents just accepting the new date of Monday June 13 at 6:30pm.

In a bizarre move, the Mayor and the Council have "secretly" and with little notice given to the public, have decided to hold a Special Session on Monday June 6 at 6:00pm.

The thin agenda lists only 3 items to be covered:

1. Bill 9112 - An ordinance amending Chapter 9.08 of University City Municipal Code, relating to offenses against public peace and decency, by enacting therein a new section to be known as "Section 9.08.042 obstructing or interfering with use of sidewalks and streets", and providing a penalty.

2. Budget Memo

3. Council Rules and Order of Procedure

The Special Session notice was posted on the bulletin board located in the basement of City Hall, which according to City's Charter, meets the minimum requirements when calling for a "Special Session." Unfortunately, even though it's completely legal for the Mayor and Council to throw together such a quick meeting; it does not seem transparent or in good faith. Again, in their own words spoken on May 23, the Council postponed the vote and all further discussion of Bill 9112 to the next scheduled City Council Meeting on Monday June 13 at 6:30pm.

ShowMeNoHate's founder Ed Reggi demands to know why the sudden change?

He believes it serves one purpose and one purpose only--to deceive the good people of University City by passing a law that has been deemed Unconstitutional by the ACLU of Eastern Missouri and Fairness Campaign in Louisville, Kentucky.

"To trick the public, by passing this extremely controversial Bill; and to pass it behind the backs of the media and the public, is very sad. Their actions are disappointing. An it continues to show that Mayor Welsh and her Council, are not honest lawmakers," said Reggi on Sunday evening shortly after he got an email about the special meeting.

Reggi is calling for accountability. He wants the public to ask the entire University City Council the following questions:

• Why can't Bill 9112 wait one more week to be heard in front of the public, as scheduled?
• Why call for the "Special Session" on June 6 at 6pm in the Emergency Operations Center and not the 5th floor of City Hall?
• Why not post information about the June 6 "Special Session" on the official University City website?
• Why are the Police Chief and City Manager refusing to fully explain why Bill 9112 is needed over the enforcement of current University City laws. Ordinances which include criminalizing: theft, panhandling, harassment, unlawful assembly, noise, disturbing the peace, and failure to comply with an officer?

Mayor

Shelley Welsch

Mayor@ucitymo.org

314- 505-8606

Ward 1 Council Members
Terry Crow

terry@cttlaw.net

crow@cttlaw.net

314-918-0045, ext 2

Stephen Kraft

kraftstephene@gmail.com

314-863-1136

Ward 2 Council Members
Michael Glickert

lmglickert@yahoo.com

314-863-1812

Lynn Ricci

ricci.ucity@gmail.com

314-725-9090

Ward 3 Council Members
Byron Price

pricebyron@hotmail.com

314-726-2953

Arthur Sharp

qforlifeasj@att.net

314-721-5954