Activism
Thousands March in San Francisco to Support Palestine
The San Francisco march appeared as a vast sea of red, black, white, and green, as protesters waved Palestinian flags in those colors that had been provided by organizers.


Protestors wave flags and signs in support of Palestine and against the Israeli occupation in San Francisco’s Dolores Park on May 15. Photo by Zack Haber.

Abdul (left) and Rami (center), stand at a protest in San Francisco’s Dolores Park to support Palestinians and against the Israeli occupation on May 15. Photo by Zack Haber.
On Saturday, thousands gathered in San Francisco’s Mission District at 2:00 p.m. to march in support of Palestine and against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.
“It gives me hope that people are waking up who didn’t know about this issue, including people who used to be Zionists, but just can’t find it defensible anymore,” said San Francisco resident Saif Haddad as he stood on a trash can gazing out into a densely packed marching crowd that covered more than four city blocks.
Haddad told The Oakland Post that his grandmother was forced from her homeland in Palestine in 1948. Since then, she has not been allowed to return. Haddad himself has never been able to visit the land where his ancestors once lived.
The march was organized in part in response to the state of Israel’s recent attacks on Palestine. On Monday following the march, Democracy Now! reported that over a two-week period ending on Sunday, Israeli attacks killed over 200 Palestinians including over 50 children, injured over 1,300 and left over 40,000 Palestinians homeless.
The march also responded to the history of Israeli occupation by occurring on Nakba Day, an annual day of commemoration for Palestinians marking the day after the British government formally declared the end of its mandate to recognize the state of Palestine, recognizing Israel in its place on May 14, 1948. Beginning in 1949, Palestinians have commemorated Nakba Day every May 15th with remembrance and protest.
“For my family, Nakba is about why we are here and not our homeland,” said Rami, a Palestinian teenager living in San Ramon who attended the march. Rami’s grandparents were originally displaced from their home in 1948, then bounced back and forth between Lebanon and different parts of Palestine before moving to the United States in the late 1960s.
Rami said that the march was one of the happiest things he had ever been a part of and that he’d not seen so much awareness for Palestine since he was born. He also noted broad national and international support. An article appearing in Buzz Feed News documented other pro-Palestine protests on May 15 in Paris, Tokyo, Madrid, Wash., D.C., Canada, Ireland, Mexico, and London, where organizers say about 100,000 supporters showed up. In Los Angeles, thousands showed up to a march to free Palestine in the Westwood neighborhood, where they stalled traffic.
The San Francisco march appeared as a vast sea of red, black, white, and green, as protesters waved Palestinian flags in those colors that had been provided by organizers. Before the march started, about 50 Palestinians and supporters painted a giant circular street mural on Valencia Street that Palestinian artist Chris Gazaleh had sketched out. It included symbols supporting Palestine such as women wearing keffiyeh scarves, red poppy, and the Palestinian flag with the words “we will return” in Arabic and English.
While many Palestinians came to the march, the crowd was diverse and supporters from many different backgrounds joined them. A young Palestinian child held a sign that read “SAVE THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE” while a Jewish man from Berkeley in his late 60s carried a sign that read “SON OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS AGAINST ISRAEL’S RACIST OCCUPATION.” An indigenous person held a sign that read “NATIVES 4 PALESTINE.”
The march was loud. Drummers and organizers lead chants and the crowd yelled in response. A few were in Arabic, one of which, according to a Palestinian protestor, translated to “with our life, with our blood, we will sacrifice for Palestine.”
Most chants were in English, including one where protestors yelled “not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes.” This chant referred to the $3.8 billion that the United States has been sending to Israel every year since 2016, which has continued under President Joe Biden, who recently approved $735 million in weapons sales to Israel. One marcher held a sign which read “Stop US Aid to Apartheid Israel.”
After marching for about two miles in the Mission District, the protestors entered Dolores Park. There, members of the local anti-Zionist groups spoke.
Monadel Harzallah, a Palestinian member of the United States Palestinian Community Network, said “We have no illusions about the US administration here. It doesn’t matter if they disagree with racist Trump, they are following his footsteps when it comes to Israel.”
Continuing, Harzallah accused Biden of not having the courage to reverse any of Trump’s policies in relation to Israel.
Allison Tanner, a Baptist pastor from Oakland and a member of Friends of Sabeel North America, a Christian group seeking peace in Palestine through an end to the U.S.-supported Israeli occupation, said, “We know that Christian Zionists are wielding their power in Washington to help fund and provide political cover for Israel’s war crimes. We are here to decry the evils that they are doing in the name of Christianity and to commit ourselves to challenging Christian Zionism in all its ugly forms.”
Liza Mamedov, of the Jewish anti-Zionist activist group Jewish Voice for Peace, said “The state of Israel has always required, at every step, the forced displacement, racist oppression, fascist surveilling, occupation and apartheid; in one word: genocide against the Palestinian people. As colonized people living under brutalized occupation and siege, Palestinians are overwhelmingly justified in resisting their oppressors by any and all means necessary.”
Members of The Palestinian Youth Movement and Black Alliance for Peace also spoke. The protest started winding down around 6:00 p.m., when Palestinians and supporters left Dolores Park. Hours later though, small groups of people, most of whom appeared to be teenagers or in their 20s, could still be seen driving around the Mission District, honking horns and cheering as they waved Palestinian flags.
Activism
Over 500 Join Interfaith Rally in Solidarity with Los Angeles Resistance to Trump Invasion
Over 500 people attended the Tuesday evening rally in Oakland, which was held simultaneously with a prayer vigil in Los Angeles, where rabbis, pastors, Muslim faith leaders, and indigenous spiritual leaders gathered to pray and speak out about the federal government’s abuses of power.

By Post Staff
n response to last week’s “invasion” of Los Angeles by armed and masked federal agents, East Bay faith leaders and community members, joined by Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, held an Interfaith vigil Tuesday evening at Oakland’s Fruitvale Plaza in support of Los Angeles residents and immigrant communities across the country.
Over 500 people attended the Tuesday evening rally in Oakland, which was held simultaneously with a prayer vigil in Los Angeles, where rabbis, pastors, Muslim faith leaders, and indigenous spiritual leaders gathered to pray and speak out about the federal government’s abuses of power.
Earlier on the same day, hundreds of protesters at San Francisco and Concord immigration courts shut down the courts after masked, plainclothes federal ICE agents detained people seeking asylum attending their court hearings.
“Too many families in Los Angeles torn apart by this invasion still do not have access to a lawyer — and that’s not an accident. We, the people, the community, are here to say, ‘Enough!’ We must keep organizing and demand that ICE and our government respect the rights of all people and uphold the principle of due process,” said Andrés Pomart with Trabajadores Unidos Workers United.
“We know that when we organize, we win. That’s why our communities – Black, Brown, and working-class – are coming together to support each other in solidarity. Together, as immigrant communities and as a united working class, we will not be divided nor intimidated nor live in fear,” Pomart said.
“Immigrant communities — yes, our immigrant communities — are the heartbeat of Oakland, enriching our neighborhoods with diverse cultures, languages and experience, and deserve the quality of life that every human being deserves. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. “Your city remains committed to protecting our immigrant neighbors,” said Mayor Lee.
“When Trump’s armed goons come for our families and communities, when they trample on our shared values of freedom and opportunity, when they make a mockery of our rights to due process, we are called to step up for our neighbors,” said Supervisor Bas. “This is not just an immigration story. It’s a story about who we are — and how we respond when our neighbors are under attack and when the president of the United States abuses his powers. When they come for one of us, they come for all of us.”
Said Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, the Oakland teachers’ union president, “It is time for us to say, ‘Not in our city.’ We will stop, we will block, we will drive out ICE. We will protect our classrooms. We will protect our streets. We will protect our homes. Together, we rise for the dignity of our families and our right to live without fear.”
“I feel that the president and the current administration is grossly overstepping and abusing their power,” Rabbi Chai Levy, speaking to KQED. “I feel that, as a religious person, communities of faith need to show up and stand in solidarity with immigrants who are threatened and afraid. “It’s important to show up as people of conscience and morality and say that we’re against what our government is doing.”
The vigil was hosted by Bay Resistance, and co-sponsoring organizations included the Alameda Labor Council, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Faith in Action East Bay, Restore Oakland, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland Rising, Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy, SEIU Local 1021, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), SEIU United Service Workers West, Jewish Voice for Peace Bay Area, Jobs with Justice San Francisco, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Urban Peace Movement, and Trabajadores Unidos Workers United.
Activism
Oak Temple Hill Hosts Interfaith Leaders from Across the Bay Area
Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.

Special to the Post
Interfaith leaders from the Bay Area participated in a panel discussion at the annual meeting of communication leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held on Temple Hill in Oakland on May 31. Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.
Chambers, said he is thankful for the leadership and support of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints’ global ministry, which recently worked with the interfaith congregations of ICAC to help Yasjmine Oeveraas a homeless Norwegian mother and her family find shelter and access to government services.
Oeveraas told the story of how she was assisted by ICAC to the Oakland Post. “I’m a Norwegian citizen who escaped an abusive marriage with nowhere to go. We’ve been homeless in Florida since January 2024. Recently, we came to California for my son’s passport, but my plan to drive for Uber fell through, leaving us homeless again. Through 2-1-1, I was connected to Rev. Ken Chambers, pastor of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County, and his car park program, which changed our lives. We spent about a week-and-a-half living in our car before being blessed with a trailer. After four years of uncertainty and 18 months of homelessness, this program has given us stability and hope again.
“Now, both my son and I have the opportunity to continue our education. I’m pursuing cyber analytics, something I couldn’t do while living in the car. My son can also complete his education, which is a huge relief. This program has given us the space to focus and regain our dignity. I am working harder than ever to reach my goals and give back to others in need.”
Richard Kopf, communication director for The Church of Jesus Christ in the Bay Area stated: “As followers of Jesus Christ, we embrace interfaith cooperation and are united in our efforts to show God’s love for all of his children.”
Activism
Learning Life’s Lessons
Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband. He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

“California’s three-strike laws gave me 2 life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.”
By Richard Johnson
I have written this book in hopes of being able to help others from not traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery. At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose for my son; it became something that any and everyone could utilize on their separate journeys through life challenges that we encounter. The book helped me put my thoughts, reasoning, perceptions, and views on display, while opening doors that, for the most part, were closed. The book can be purchased via Amazon. Learning life lessons.
About the Author
By Post staff
Richard “Razor” Johnson, 74, is a man whose life journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom, redemption, and an unshakable commitment to guiding the next generation. Once sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, he was released through what he calls nothing short of divine intervention. His time behind bars, particularly in Pelican Bay State Prison, gave him a new raw and unfiltered understanding of life’s hardest truths.
With the realization that time is precious and the future is shaped by the lessons we learn, Richard writes with urgency and purpose. His book—a 300-page labor of love—is dedicated to young men who may not have a father to teach them the meaning of life’s most important words. Through definitions filled with wisdom, experience, and deep personal insight, he offers direction to those who find themselves lost, just as he once was.
Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband. He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.
His words are not just lessons; they are a call to action. He hopes that by investing in young minds with wisdom and insight, they will be better equipped to navigate life’s trials, learn from their mistakes, and find their path to success. Richard “Razor” Johnson writes not just to be heard, but to help – because he knows firsthand that sometimes guidance can make all the difference.
Post publishers Paul and Gay Cobb visited Johnson in San Quentin and attended his graduation while he was in prison. He became a columnist with the Post News Group and has continued his advocacy for the formerly incarcerated by urging them to “give something back”. Johnson says he will be speaking at prisons, colleges, and media outlets to help organize voter registration and community service projects.
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