Dinas Blog

Featured on Thumbtack's website

2011-09-18T08:22:00.001-07:00

Check it out folks I am now being featured on Thumbtack's website.
http://www.thumbtack.com/ca/fremont/photographer/

Interview Shane McAffee General Manager of the GVRD

2011-05-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Glen Cove: The Other Side of the Story. Part 1

2011-05-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been covering the scene in Vallejo over theOccupation and possible desecration or development of Native American burialgrounds. I responded to a call out on Indybay.org’s email list. I was all over itbecause I personally believe that once Columbus set foot on this land NativeAmericans began losing everything including their lives.
I jumped on the opportunity to stick-up for my most favorite group of people’s.However; after visiting the site, driving through the local neighborhood etc.,I quickly realized there has to be another side to the story. It is right onthe Carquinez Strait, and is nestled between hills. It is heaven on earth. Native American’s used that land and the areawas home to many tribes including the Patwin and the Rumsey Band of WintunIndians.

So I starteddigging deeper and at the same time the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD)hired the public relations firm Perry Communications. I made contact with them, and gotsome additional information, which urged me to dig deeper. I quickly discoveredthat the GVRD had been developing this plan for the last 6-7 years throughhearings, permitting processes etc. Throughout the process they have solicitedhelp from professionals. Historically Vallejo has broadcasted their financialplight so it has become common knowledge that they are financially devastated.They cut back every service that would have benefited the community. Howeverthe money gained for the development of Glen Cove came from grants and “parkdedication fees.”

As the dateof the start of the planned development arrived, Native American groupsmobilized the community and thus began the occupation of Glen Cove. The NativeAmerican group involved is SSP&RIT or Sacred Sites Protection & Rightsof Indigenous Tribes. The Vallejo Intertribal Council was involved in thebeginning because they simply wanted to promote their mission of “working toreintroduce Native American culture and education to those assimilated to urbanareas from their original place of birth.” More information about the VIC canbe found here: www.vallejointertribalcouncil.org. They cannotget politically involved with the occupation of Glen Cove because they are anon-profit.

It is important that I mention it isNative American practice to protect Native American sites at all costs, whichmeans no cameras, no visitors etc. They are kept secret.

However the alleged desecration ofNative American burial grounds was imminent, so the community was called toaction. I visited the site three times. I was honored to be in the presence ofWounded Knee DeOcampo and Corrina Gould, and was honored to be able visit andwalk the site at Glen Cove. Some of the plants at that site are phenomenal, andI was even able to catch a striped bass. I did also notice the non-indigenousplants, or trees, and the mansion with a swastika painted on it, a grave, andsome stairs that seemed over-run by poison. I also quickly realized that if Iwere disabled and lived in the near-by homes I would NOT be able to enjoy thatlittle piece of heaven.

After watching the stories pile uponline about the possible desecration of Native American burial grounds, Iquickly realized that they were mostly one-sided. No one was mentioning theother side of the story.

Thefact of the matter is that the Greater Vallejo Recreation District has beenplanning the development of Glen Cove for the last 6-7 years. The GVRD are thecurrent owners of the land.
Throughout the lengthy process the GVRD sought the help from professionalsabout how to deal with the culturally sensitive habitat and how to make sureall is preserved and left as-is.
Some of those professionals or professional organizations include theCalifornia Native American Heritage Commission, the Vallejo IntertribalCouncil, and an individual by the name of Kesner C. Flores. It has beendetermined by the Native American Heritage Commission that he is the mostlikely descendant of the Patwin Tribe, and Glen Cove has been deemed Patwinterritory; therefore he is the person who will be “consulted about theproject.” It is worth mentioning thatCalifornia State Law, specifically the California Environmental Quality Actstates that the GVRD does NOT have to seek input from Native Americans, and nordoes any other State law. However they did. At one point K. Flores sent aletter to the Cortina Indian Rancheria, the Rumsey Rancheria and the NativeAmerican Heritage Commission requesting that they adhere to the practice of NOTpublicly announcing the site as a burial ground and making public maps,studies, research, or site designation numbers. He says “those matters are to be keptconfidential.” Once again I muststate it is Native American practice to NOT make public the locations of NativeAmerican sites. The reason for that is to prevent pot robbers, graverobbers, or vandals from going to the sites and stealing, unearthing, ordefacing archaeological finds. At the same time I must also mention it is Statelaw that says no one can legally interfere with the free expression or exerciseof Native American religion. In that same law, which is Public Resource codeSection 5097.9-5097.991 states that the Native American Heritage Commission arethe ones’ to consult. And that entity is mentioned in the process numeroustimes.

TheGreater Vallejo Recreation District plans to fully carry out the development ofGlen Cove into a park. They have plans to put in bathrooms and a parking lot,both of which will be built on fill near the current street. They plan to preservethe remains or archaeological treasures and to preserve the natural features ofthe park. The plan includes fixing the stairs leading to the water, dealing withthe graffiti laden mansion in a way that will NOT disturb any possible remains,making the trails accessible for the people with disabilities, creating acultural resource area and finally getting rid of all invasive plants species.

Ipersonally hope the construction and development does not disrupt, kill ordestroy Newt’s and their habitats. And I hope the herbicide that will be usedwill not run-off into the water and kill the fish. The restrooms, and parkinglot will be built near the existing road, and the picnic tables will beinstalled along the waterfront.

Thereis one other important thing to recall, it appears that someone has recentlybeen buried near the waterfront at Glen Cove and I have heard no one mentionhow that will be dealt with.

TheGVRD has hired the public relations firm Perry Communications Group, Inc. Theirwebsite is http://perrycom.com/

Othervaluable websites are: http://www.vallejointertribalcouncil.org/index.html
                                                   http://www.nahc.ca.gov/
                                                   http://www.glencovenaturearea.org
                                                    http://protectglencove.org/about/about-ssprit/
                                                   http://www.indybay.org/

Been covering the Occupation of Glen Cove California

2011-05-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have been covering the situation in Glen Cove California. I have posted pictures stories and videos on two sites. Indybay.org and CNN's iReport site.

"Native Americans, activists and supporters are now occupying Glen Cove to stop the Desecration of Native American Burial Grounds."
The links to two postings in Indybay.org are here:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/04/16/18677307.php
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/05/01/18678583.php

I also posted pictures and a write-up on CNN's iReport site, http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-591740

Published and selling a book.

2011-04-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

I published another book on Blurb. This one is about the Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial and is dedicated to those who made sacrifices from the explosion and subsequent mutiny. It is for sale. All proceeds will go to the prevention of homelessness for a former Navy sailor.

Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial by Dina Boyer | Make Your Own Book

Currently working on a project with the Music@Menlo School

2011-03-14T09:37:00.001-07:00

Current project: Recorded presentations and performances and will edit into a 5 minute video.

A portfolio of my work.

2011-03-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Photojournalism Portfolio by Photography by Dina Boyer | Make Your Own Book

Covered Egyptian Solidarity Protest in San Francisco.

2011-02-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

People gathered in San Francisco's UN plaza to show solidarity for the Egyptian Protests.

Visited and photographed the Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial

2011-02-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

On December7 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and as a result the US militarybecame involved in WW2. This mobilizedthe US military thus opening up the apprenticeship branch to blacks for thefirst time. Feeling patriotic, they enlisted by the hundreds. Additionallythere were no jobs and the military at that time was the best opportunity forthem to work and secure a future. They thought their enlistment would actuallymake America a better country for blacks. Some were drafted; and after bootcamp in the Great Lakes many were sent to Port Chicago California.

Port Chicagowas the busiest and largest ammo magazine in the United States. High explosivesarrived by trains day and night and it was believed that the most rigid safetyguidelines were used at all times. Anywhere from 30/30 rifle cartridges, blockbuster bombs aka 2000 pounders, torpedoes, and depth charges were loaded ontoLiberty and Victory ships and sent to the Pacific.

However, onJuly 17^th 1944 at approximately 10:08pm a metallic ring and crashingtimber were heard. 5-7 seconds later a minor explosion occurred, which set-offa chain reaction that ignited a cargo hold of 4,600 tons of ammunition on theLiberty ship S.S. E. A. Bryan. The detonation of that ship caused an explosionso large that it could be seen and heard 48 miles away. And according to UCBerkeley’s seismograph the explosion measured 3.4 on the Richter scale. Thefireball was 3 miles in diameter and sent parts of the ships 12,000 feet intothe air. Pilots flying over it at that time reported seeing chunks of metal thesize of suitcases fly past them. The explosion knocked another ship the SSQuinault Victory 500 yards away from the dock on a 200 foot column of water andturned it upside down. A fire barge and a US Coast Guard fire boat were alsodestroyed in the explosion.

All 320 menon duty were killed instantly and 202 of them were African American. Another390 were wounded by falling debris. That explosion accounted for 15% of allAfrican American losses during WW2. It was the largest explosion to ever occuron US soil. Remember Hawaii was not a US State at that time.

The Mutiny

The scenewas quickly cleaned up by the Army Seabees, and less than a month later thesurvivors were ordered back to Mare Island Naval Facility to once again beginloading munitions. However; most of the men refused, thus starting one of themost racist military trials in US History. The men who refused were actually afraidof another explosion because they lacked proper training, equipment andleadership. So they were incarcerated on a barge tied to a pier. 200 men hadagreed to get back to work, but were also jailed in the brig instead of loadingmuntions. And the 50 who did not agree were actually charged with mutiny. Theywere ultimately thrown in the brig and most got at least 8 years, and some got15 years in the brig. However the Navydid institute some changes which included desegregation of the military, and whiteenlisted were then also required to load munitions. Most of the AfricanAmerican men who were incarcerated in the brig were never exonerated. They werealso never recognized for their bravery.

The PortChicago Munitions disaster, and subsequent mutiny was the genesis of the civilrights movement in the United States.

I also uploaded this piece to Behance.com.

I also created a blog about that memorial.

Covered another breaking news event "Pedestrian killed by bus in Palo Alto"

2011-01-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

On December 3oth 2010 at approx. 10:30am a pedestrian was in the cross walk, on University Ave, but was fatally injured by a public transportation bus. The pedestrian had the right away and was walking during the green light, but the bus driver took a left and did not see the person. The driver of the bus says sun glare obscured her view, and she seemed very distraught and was taken away by medics.

Covered another spot news event.

2010-12-28T11:25:00.000-08:00

At approx. 10:30 am on December 27th a car ran off the road and collided into a tree on FootHill Expressway in Palo Alto. Menlo Park and Palo Alto fire responded to the scene. Two people suffered non-life threatening injuries and one had to be extracted. Traffic was blocked between Page Mill Rds and Arastradero. I submitted pics to KGO's uReport site and they ended up using one of my pics in their write up about that accident.
Please >>>click here<<< to see that piece. Although in it they mention another car, and at the scene there was no info that indicated another vehicle had been involved. I also uploaded pics to my free Flickr Gallery.
At that scene I applied journalistic integrity and did NOT photograph the crash victims.

A Self-Realization Moment

2010-12-25T17:18:00.000-08:00

Part of my expertise and talent is getting myself to the scene in a manner that cannot be duplicated by other photographers. Photojournalism has many aspects and one of those is getting yourself into the scene and into the action while getting breath taking photos safely and efficiently. I have talent in that area. This past year proved that. Simply by checking out my work you will see proof that I have a unique way of getting into the action and I have unique angles. If given the opportunity I will stand out from the rest. Check out my website for links to my work. www.dinaboyer.com

Photographed the December 20 Lunar Eclipse.

2010-12-23T22:38:00.000-08:00

Lunar Eclipse captured in California using a Canon Rebel XTi

On December 20, 2010 there was a Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse started approximately 9pm and continued until past 12 am. I photographed the Lunar Eclipse.

San Franciscans rally behind fired Santa!

2010-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Santa John Toomey was doing what he did for the last 20 years, Being Santa at Macy's; however because of one bad joke he was quickly fired. And San Franciscans rallied behind the Santa and he then appeared on Jay Leno and even got a new gig at Lefty O'Douls in San Francisco. He was paraded past Macy's, on December 10th in an old fire truck and when he arrived at his new outpost the crowd went wild.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Posted an iReport about him >>>>here<<<<

Covered the San Francisco Giants Victory Parade and Celebration.

2010-11-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

In November 2010 the San Francisco Giants baseball team won the World Series, so the City held a victory parade and civic celebration afterwards. The event attracted hundreds of thousands of people, and some believe it may have been a million to the streets of San Francisco to celebrate their win. It is my opinion the SF Giants has some of the best fans.
I posted pics on CNN's website.
and here http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-515096

Posted pics on CNN's iReport website

2010-10-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Posted pics of the scene outside ATT park during Game 1 of the World Series on CNN's iReport website, and they got over 10,000 hits.
Either click on the picture to the left for a link to those pics or just click >>>here<<<.

PS, Thank You CNN iReport producers.

Can pics of disasters online cause additional trauma?

2010-10-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

At some point I often wonder if any of the folks from San Bruno see pics online of that fireball and get flashbacks. Can posting the pics online cause more trauma?

That's my question to you all: If you were involved in a disaster and kept seeing the pics of it online would it cause trauma? or additional grief? The reason I'm asking is because dying by fire has got to be one of the most traumatic ways to die.

Please leave comments below.

World Homeless Day/Vacant Building Occupation

2010-10-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

On October 10, 2010 a group called the Creative Housing Liberation held a rally in San Francisco's Civic Center area to honor the first ever World Homeless Day.
While thousands of building or properties remain vacant in San Francisco, thousands of men, women, children and families still sleep or die on the streets of San Francisco.
The rally featured speakers, testimonials, music and poetry and culminated with a march to an empty building in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco.
Currently San Francisco lacks in shelter beds, and if they did have beds most shelters are not safe nor clean, and are run by people who do not seem to care about the homeless.
After arriving to the former Leslie Hotel, people toured and then occupied the empty building. The building has been empty for two years and appeared habitable.
This video features Supervisor candidates James Keys, and Glendon Hyde. Also the video features Gabriel Haaland, Lydia, Dee Allen plus many more....

Mayors like Gavin Newsom flaunt success in dealing with the homeless through programs like Care Not Cash, but yet thousands of people in San Francisco remain homeless.
And to make matters worse Mayor Gavin Newsom has put on the balllot a proposition that will make it illegal for anyone to sit or lie on the sidewalks in San Francisco between the hours of 9am and 9pm.
Anyone who feels that the homeless should not be criminalized should not vote for laws that criminalize their plights.
"I video taped the footage, wrote the voice over script, recorded the voice over and then edited the video. I then processed it for uploading to the web."

Film actress Daryl Hannah and book author David Blume promote Ethanol

2010-10-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

Film actress Daryl Hannah and book author David Blume promote the use of Ethanol.
Video made possible by EpicCenter Media Arts. Videography by Sam Gold. I edited the video, wrote the voice-over script and recorded the voice-over. Final Cut Pro was the non-linear video editing software used to edit this video.

Editing gig

2010-09-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

I edited, and uploaded this video for television host and producer Myrna Lim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z6Z1OqJM-o

Photographed some of the destruction caused by the San Bruno Fire.

2010-09-12T13:32:00.000-07:00


Devastation caused by explosion of failed gas pipe line.

A few pics of the devastation the San Bruno Fire caused. Residents are being allowed back to the homes that are still habitable. As of 9/12/2010 5 people are missing, 4 are deceased and many are still injured. According to SFGate.com "Greg Bullis, a 50-year-old nurse, his 16-year-old son, William, and his 82-year-old mother, Lavonne, were believed to be at 1690 Claremont Drive when the explosion occurred, according to Ashley Pogue, a family friend. They have not been heard from since."

Please also check out my ireport story. San Bruno Fire devastation.

I responded to the fire in San Bruno.

2010-09-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Fireball seen from Route 101 south of the San Bruno Mountain.

On Thursday September 9th, 2010 while in San Francisco covering a protest I spotted smoke in the sky. I knew it was not fog, by the color, and the way it looked in the sky. So I headed towards it, and this video shows my approach and arriving to a spot where I was literally right on top of the area where the fire was..... You'll hear explosions and the general panic that sets in when this type of disaster occurs.

Check out my raw uncut video of my experience.

Covered small plane crash in Redwood Shores, California

2010-09-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

On Thursday September 2nd at approx 11:50am a small twin engine Beech 65 Queen Air developed mechanical problems on take-off and nose dived in a small lagoon in Redwood Shores, California. They're were three on board, but only 1 body has been recovered. Rescuers said they will wait for the NTSB before taking the other bodies out of the wreckage.
One of the deceased included steel executive Robert Borrman. Witnesses state the plane was making a clattering noise before it crashed. The debris field included seats, paperwork, and communication devices. The plane crashed into the same lagoon that experienced a 48,000 gallon sewage spill in late August.

I also posted this event on my CNN iReport page.
You can also see photos about this crash on my Flickr site.

CNN producer note

dinalee heard about the crash on her police scanner and rushed to cover the story. She got to the scene about 20 minutes after the crash.

- davidw, CNN iReport producer

Video about the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto

2010-08-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

I produced this video about the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto California. I contacted the museum, set-up the shoot, wrote the voice-over script, recorded the voice-over, digitized the footage, edit the piece in Final Cut Pro in using 864x486 resolution or 16:9, and encoded it for the Internet.

Personally I do not like the video: Why?

Footage was not shot right
I was hesitant about showing many of the valuable pieces in the museum.
The narrator didn't want to be on camera, but I should have dealt with that differently
My B-roll was not very good.

This is my first bad video in years, and the video still coveys a lot of information.

Covered Fix Fell Street Action at Arco Gas Station in San Francisco.

2010-08-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

On Friday August 20th 2010 activists once again staged “spontaneous acts of resistance” at the corner of Fell and Divisadero to make the community aware that city streets in San Francisco are still unsafe for bicyclists and pedestrians. The action called "Fix Fell" was held in front of the Arco gas station, who is supplied by BP. Activists state that the owners of that station have failed to do their part to make that intersection safer. Activists are also asking the city to consider closing two entrances to that station on Fell street, and they are calling on city traffic engineers and the Dept. of Public Works to use the appropriate tools, and make city streets safe for all.
This video features Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, and Joshua Hart, who is an organizer for the Fix Fell Actions.

More information can be found at http://fixfell.wordpress.com

Was able to get a soundbite from Mayor Gavin Newsom last week.

2010-08-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Even though I was surrounded by other press, cameras and people I still managed to train my camera on Mayor Gavin Newsom on the steps of City Hall and get this soundbite.

Covered the celebration in SF when Prop 8 was ruled unconstitutional.

2010-08-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

On August 4th Judge Vaughn Walker ordered:
"Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis,the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional."
Thousands of people gathered at the corner of Castro and Market street in San Francisco and thousands of people marched to San Francisco's City Hall to thank City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Mayor Gavin Newsom.

All Lesbian and Gay people want America to know that they are too Americans and believe it or not they are a part of our society and they want equality and they do not want to be treated as second class citizens.
Many people at that event want to convey this message "Keep the Church out of State Affairs."
I posted pics on CNN's iReport website.
And posted on Flickr

I was the Cinematographer on this piece.

2010-07-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Created another video from Pro-Police Rally in Walnut Creek California

2010-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

On July 19th 2010 Bay area police and their supporters held a rally in Walnut Creek to show support for Johannes Mehserle and law enforcement. Their rally was countered by Oscar Grant supporters and other victims of police brutality.

Covered Nurses Protest at Meg Whitmans house in Atherton

2010-07-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

On Thursday July 15 over 1,000 nurses protested in front of Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's house to make a stand against her attacks on the California nurses Association.This event was a part of the California nurses forum, and since Meg Whitman was invited and didn't attend, the nurses took it to her house. Lately Whitman has stated she will take away rules that govern how nurses are assigned. Currently the ratio of nurse to patient is high and it will get higher if Meg Whitman is elected as Governor of California. Whitman has also stated on numerous television ads that she thinks the government is to big and she has plans to make it smaller, which would mean thousands of additional lay-offs during an economic depression that has lasted since Bush left the White House.

For more information please visit the California Nurses Association website at http://www.CalNurses.org

Cupertino CarPort Fire Footage

2010-07-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

Mehserle Verdict Rally Santa Cruz

2010-07-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

On July 9th people in Santa Cruz gathered at the corner of Pacific Ave and Cooper Street to show solidarity for the protesters in Oakland and express their frustration with the Mehserle verdict. The protest in Santa Cruz was peaceful and attracted tourists, locals, and, of course, the police! This rally is officially called "Rally Against Injustice & Unchecked Police Aggression & Murder."

Covered Arco gas station shutdown in San Francisco

2010-06-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

On Friday June 11 people from the community gathered at an Arco station in San Francisco to block entrances or shut it down. This particular station was chosen because logistically where it sits bicycle riders and cars constantly clash or crash, which has become a nightmare for the community. And Arco is owned by BP.

Another BP protest in San Francisco.

2010-06-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday June 8, 2010 Seize BP, which is sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition held a protest in front of the BP offices on New Montgomery Street, to demand that the US Government Seize BP and all its assets. It is common knowledge that BP is involved in a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Other corporations that appear to be involved are Trans-Ocean and Halliburton.

With this video I simply laid-out sound, on a Timeline in an editing application, I captured using iPhones voice record, and the photos were put into the timeline and the fade transition was applied. I used the editing application AVS Video Editor.

Covered the Carnaval Parade in San Francisco.

2010-06-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

Please go to my Flickr gallery for more pics.....

Covered Memorial Day Ceremony in the San Francisco National Cemetery.

2010-06-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Covered the Memorial Day Ceremony in San Francisco's National Cemetery in the Presidio.
Check out the video I created below.

For more pictures please go to my Flickr Gallery.

Covered another event.

2010-05-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

On May 18th many local LGBT groups and people held a protest in front of the Federal building in San Francisco to rally and urge community members to contact their representatives and congress men or women and urge them to do their part and get ENDA passed.
ENDA stands for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and if enacted it would ban discrimination in the workplace when it is based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It would also make it illegal for employers, to refuse to hire or fire people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Currently it’s legal in many states in the US to discriminate against LGBT people, and right now there are no Federal laws that protect them in the workplace.
A picture story can be found here....

Covered BP protest in San Francisco

2010-05-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Covered the BP protest in San Francisco on Wednesday May 12th 2010.
On Wednesday May 12th Seize BP, which is sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition held a protest in front of the BP offices on New Montgomery Street, to demand that the US Government Seize BP and all it’s assets. It is common knowledge that BP is involved in a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Other corporations that appear to be involved are Transocean and Halliburton.

Click here for picture and video story on Indybay.org

Covered Flash Mob protest in San Francisco

2010-05-11T19:31:00.001-07:00

On Saturday May 8th 2010 LGBTQ groups and people staged a picket, protest and flash mob in San Francisco’s Union Square, and the lobby of the Grand Hyatt, to show solidarity for struggling hotel workers. Many local hotel workers in San Francisco have been working without a contract since August 2009, and are being forced to pay more for their health care etc, and many local GLBTQ folks work for those hotels. The protest which featured music and dancing was also used to declare that the local GLBT community will be boycotting many local hotels until their workers are given a fair contract and equal opportunity. San Francisco’s annual Gay Pride is approaching and many GLBT folks come to SF to celebrate, and many stay in hotels.
The local community groups that hosted the protest and flash mob are “One Struggle One Fight” www.onestruggleonefight.com and SF Pride at Work/HAVOQ www.sfprideatwork.com.FYI: LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender and Queer

Covered house fire in East Palo Alto

2010-05-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday May 5th a fire broke out in a single family home in East Palo Alto, CA. The multiple alarm wind whipped fire quickly became out of control and firefighters were forced to use breathing apparatus. No one was inside when the fire broke out.

More pics here on Flickr

Counter-Protesters at May Day March and Rally

2010-05-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 1st while a pro-immigrant rally was taking place in San Francisco's Civic Center demonstrators against illegal immigration waved their flags and signs in opposition to the rally taking place across the street. Some of the folks on the anti-illegal immigration side were immigrants themselves and were simply against anything done illegally. The presence of these demonstrators sparked anger and outrage amongst the pro-immigration side, so the scene was very tense for a few hours. The police were forced to stage themselves between the two groups. San Francisco has been labeled a Sanctuary City by pro-immigrant groups and people.

Check out published photos here....

Covered May Day March in San Francisco

2010-05-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 1st people from all walk's of life gathered in San Francisco's Mission District to protest Arizona's new immigration law. They also marched to San Francisco's Civic Center where an energetic and sometimes tense rally took place under the sun in front of City Hall.
Check out published photo's here....

Slideshow of Oscar Grant Bart action featured on KTVU's site....

2010-04-14T22:24:00.000-07:00

Photos I took at the Oscar Grant Bart Action are in a slideshow on KTVU's website called MyKTVU.

Covered Actions on BART transportation system over shooting of Oscar Grant

2010-04-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

On New Years Eve 2009, BART police officer Johannes Mehserle shot an unarmed black man, in the back while he lay on the ground, in front of other riders at the Fruitvale Bart station. This incident has angered many in the community, which has sparked riots and protests all over the San Francisco Bay Area. This shooting took place over a year ago, and so far one of the BART officer's involved has been dismissed, one is on trial in Los Angeles and the other one is still employed by the BART police. This scares many people in the community, so they take to the public transportation systems and protest and disrupt commutes, so they can make others realize that maybe killer cops should not be on the streets. This shooting has been declared a murder, and so far the shooter has not been charged. So the protests and disruptions continue.....
I made a short video about a recent protest in BART stations in downtown San Francisco on April 8, 2010.

I also uploaded pics and video to Indybay.org

Covered another event: Citywide Demonstrations over Sit/Lie Laws

2010-03-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

On Saturday March 27, 2010 actions were held all across San Francisco in hopes of educating or showing local residents that historically Sit/Lie Laws have been discriminative in nature, and are unnecessary. San Francisco had a Sit and Lie law in the late 1960's through the 70's, but was ultimately struck down because it was found to be unconstitutional. Like most laws it got abused and the police started using the law to target the gay community.

Mayor Gavin Newsom and Michela Alioto-Pier proposed the legislation in response to complaints from residents and local business', about people "sitting on the sidewalk." If it passes it will in essence criminalize the act of sitting on the sidewalk. The new proposed Sit/Lie law would not include, plazas, public parks and benches. The law will not apply to disabled folks in wheel chairs or to people who attend fairs or festivals. The law would require police to first issue a warning, but subsequent offense's could result in a fine of no less than $50 and no more than $500, or JAIL time.

Click here for an online picture story on Indybay.org.

Recorded Daniel Ellsberg at March 20th protest in San Francisco.

2010-03-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

On March 20th Daniel Ellsberg spoke at an anti-war rally and march in San Francisco, where he admitted the only way to get the Federal Government to stop funding the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is to hold a Nation wide General Strike. He also says that General Strike's were very affective in stopping the Vietnam War.
Back info: Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers in the late 1960's.
I captured a few minutes of his speech and mixed some footage from the rally and march, into this short video.

No to Proposition 16 PG&E Power Grab

2010-03-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

On March 23rd San Francisco Board of Supervisors, community groups, and local residents held a press conference on the steps of City Hall to denounce the "lies and manipulations" in Pacific Gas and Electric' mailers and television commercials over Proposition 16. Supervisors also took this time to re-iterate their commitment to Clean Power SF, which is a plan adopted in 2007 that will set San Francisco on the path to using clean renewable energy from cheaper sources.
Here is a video made from the press conference.
I shot the footage, wrote the script, recorded the voice over and posted online on various sites.
There is a feature story created from my content on Indybay.org here.

Covered the protest in San Francisco on March 20th 2010

2010-03-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday March 20th many groups, or causes held a peaceful protest in San Francisco. Hundreds of people marched through San Francisco to demand the US government get the US out of Iraq and Afghanistan and to show solidarity to Local 2 hotel workers.
Pics on CNN's iReport here...

Pics on Indybay.org here....

Covered the March 4th Day of Actions in the Bay Area.

2010-03-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

On Thursday March 4th 2010 students, teachers and parents held a one day strike to "defend public education for our children and for all future generations." A picket was held at Sather Gate at the University of California, Berkeley and a rally and march was held afterwards. Thousands of students walked out of classes, everywhere in the Bay Area. The pics are of the picket at Sather Gate at UC Berkeley, and the three mile march to Oakland's City Hall.

The picket, rally and march was very "high energy", and it consisted of students of all ages, and ethnicities.

Picture story can be found here on CNN's iReport website.

or on Indybay.org

Video about the March 4th Day of Actions.

2010-03-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

On Thursday March 4th 2010 students, teachers and parents held a one day strike to "defend public education for our children and for all future generations." This video features scenes from the picket in front of Sather Gate at UC Berkeley and the rally and march to Oakland's City Hall. It also shows the high energy rally and protest in front of San Francisco's City Hall. Thousands of students walked out of classes, everywhere in the Bay Area.