[S-C] Update! World Enviornment Day Environmental Justice Protest and Night of Culture and Celebration SATURDAY JUNE 4TH!

[Bradley Angel]

As politicians and government officials meet in San Francisco for the United
Nations World Environment Day events, 

Greenaction is bringing together over 60 grassroots environmental justice,
social justice and environmental groups for a 

COMMUNITY RALLY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2005 at 11
a.m..

 

The rally will take place directly across from San Francisco City Hall, in
Civic Center Plaza, Polk and McAllister Streets (near Civic Center BART and
Muni).  Urban, rural, desert and Indigenous groups are uniting for this
historic event.

 

The rally will draw attention to the community struggle to close the
polluting and unnecessary PG&E Hunters Point power plant, and to similar
environmental injustices impacting communities far and wide.

 

NIGHT OF CULTURE AND CELEBRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE:

AT 7 P.M. please join Greenaction and community groups in a Night of Culture
and Celebration of Environmental Justice, featuring traditional Mohave Bird
Singers and dancers from the Colorado River Indian Tribes, Aztec Dancers,
Malcolm X Polynesian Dancers and the Huntersview Children's Choir.  

 

The Night of Culture and Celebration will take place at St. Boniface Church,
133 Golden Gate Avenue, between Leavenworth and Jones, San Francisco (near
Civic Center BART/Muni).  Donation $5-$100, no one turned away for lack of
funds.  This event is also a celebration of Greenaction's 8th year!

 

Please visit our website for updates and action alerts
http://www.greenaction.org <http://www.greenaction.org/> 

 

The following is a great story written by Marie Harrison, Bayview Hunters
Point community leader and Greenaction community organizer, and appeared in
the Bayview Newspaper:

 

Bayview gears up for World Environment Day 

by Marie Harrison 

As a week of activities for United Nations World Environment Day approaches,
Bayview Hunters Point continues its fight for environmental justice. In the
midst of feel-good, look-good events at posh venues like the Metreon Theater
in San Francisco, grassroots organizations and residents are gearing up for
the largest environmental justice rally in San Francisco's history. 

Planned for the front steps of San Francisco City Hall on Saturday, June 4,
at 11 a.m., the rally is sponsored by 48 groups so far, with more signing on
daily. It's entitled "From Bayview Hunters Point to Communities around the
World." 

We should feel tremendous pride that organizations from across the United
States will be standing in solidarity with our struggles against the PG&E
Hunters Point Power Plant and other polluters that foul our air, water and
soil. We need to put those folks on the endangered species list - as they
have for many residents in our community. 

Mayors from as far away as Kabul, Afghanistan; Rome, Italy; and Mtale, Sri
Lanka, will be joining dozens of U.S. mayors to sign the Urban Environmental
Accords. Over the next several years, signatory cities will be implementing
the agreement, which include initiatives on energy issues, recycling, urban
planning, transportation, toxics reduction and clean water. 

Each day during the week beginning June 1 will have a different theme,
including pure food, water and air; recycling, green building and smart
growth; transportation; renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate
change; and the development and maintenance of open space in the city. 

So is there anything wrong with the picture of hundreds of mayors wandering
around in the Presidio, Embarcadero and Muir Woods, attending film galas,
luncheons and cocktail parties and munching on Japanese sushi? Mayors will
even be attending an "Urban Planet Concert and Festival" on the Polo Fields
in Golden Gate Park. Cool, huh? 

Where is the real San Francisco at in this picture? The only thing I might
be able to afford on the itinerary is the walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
(This may change if the San Francisco Transportation Authority decides to
charge a fee for biking or walking across the bridge!) Are you with me on
this? 

This is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on the real San Francisco
and its people. We aren't the ones that will be swilling champagne cocktails
while people in the southeast section of town are choking on noxious fumes
from polluters. 

We must turn the whole community out to make a clear statement: This is the
real face of environmental justice and urban renewal! Change needs to happen
in all the Bayview Hunters Points of the world - before we join the party. 

We aren't asking for wine and roses, just clean air and water and a safe
place for our children to grow. This isn't about the rich and the powerful,
but about the rest of us who struggle every day of our lives just to take a
decent breath of air. 

San Francisco could be the real face of environmental justice. Remember the
Wizard of Oz? Perhaps what our City needs are the same things as the Lion,
Scarecrow and Tin Man: courage, a brain and a heart. 

It's about time our leaders stopped being so timid and self serving. Here
they are, showing off our beautiful city and bragging about their
environmental credentials while they cower in the corner and claim that the
PG&E Hunters Point Power Plant should continue to operate to give the City
added reliability! 

If they only had a brain they would realize that this dirty, broken down
plant is only hurting the community, not helping the City. If they had
courage, they would stop passing the buck to the California Independent
Systems Operator and close this plant. And finally, if they only had a
heart, they would stop trying to site new fossil fuel power plants in
southeast San Francisco and at the same time close walk-in clinics for the
poor. 

I hope you will also join Greenaction and other residents from Bayview
Hunters Point for a celebration of the struggles and victories for
Environmental Justice that will be held at St. Boniface Church, 133 Golden
Gate Ave. between Leavenworth and Jones, after the rally at 7 p.m. on
Saturday evening. An amazing lineup of entertainment, including our own
Malcolm X Polynesian Dancers and the Huntersview Youth Choir will headline
the event! It will be a fun evening with raffles, food and cultural
presentations by the Mohave Bird Singers, Aztec Dancers and community
environmental justice leaders. Proceeds will go to fund the struggle to
close the PG&E Hunters Point Power Plant. 

This is about us - so come support both of these events and bring your
family and friends. Let's show the mayors real empowerment and have fun at
the same time! 



 

 

 

 

 

 

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