Oakland City Council Declares May 24 Annual Judi Bari Day

First Judi Bari Day Gathering Saturday May 24, 2003, Marks 13th Anniversary of Bomb Attack

The city of Oakland, California has gone from falsely calling Judi Bari a terrorist to honoring her with her own official city day on May 24 each year. This remarkable turnaround was proclaimed May 24, 2003, by the Oakland City Council, nearly a year after a federal jury awarded Bari's estate and fellow activist Darryl Cherney $4.4 million for violations of their civil rights by Oakland Police and FBI agents. Bari and Cherney were wrongly accused of knowingly carrying explosives after a bomb exploded under Bari's car seat on May 24, 1990, as she and Cherney drove through Oakland on a musical organizing tour for Redwood Summer 1990. The official text of the Oakland City Council resolution follows below.

The First Annual Judi Bari Day of Oakland was honored with a quiet public gathering at the site of the bombing, Park Blvd. and MacArthur, in front of Oakland High School. It was the 13th anniversary of the bombing. 

In these days of the "War on Terrorism," Darryl Cherney commented, "The government can not be trusted to decide who is a terrorist and who is not in many cases." Cherney said, "There is a political agenda that the federal government follows in declaring peaceful activists to be terrorists while anti-abortion groups and the Ku Klux Klan remain unscathed. Thankfully, the City of Oakland has righted a wrong. They should do this more often, like in the case of the activists who were shot by police at the Port of Oakland during a peaceful anti-war rally. It's OK to admit you're wrong and make amends."

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OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL

RESOLUTION NO. __________ C. M. S.

INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBERS Nancy J. Nadel

Resolution to Declare May 24, 2003 as Judi Bari Day in the City of Oakland

WHEREAS, Judi Bari was a dedicated activist, who worked for many social and environmental causes, the most prominent being the protection and stewardship of California's ancient redwood forests; and

WHEREAS, examples of Judi Bari's efforts include the preservation of the Headwaters Forest in Humboldt County, the protection of the Cahto Wilderness area and the Albion River Watershed in Mendocino County, and the formation of a timber worker-environmentalist alliance; and

WHEREAS, prominent environmental activist David Brower stated on the occasion of her untimely death from cancer at the age of 47, "Judi always projected an unwavering commitment to her values and her continued urgings to affect apathy into action. We will miss her commitment and compassion, her strength, courage and conviction. We can honor her by sharing it."; and

WHEREAS, on May 24, 1990, Judi Bari was the victim of a car bombing in Oakland that nearly took her life; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the City of Oakland shall designate May 24 as Judi Bari Day and celebrate and honor the work of Judi Bari in advancing the causes of forest protection, eco-feminism, labor organizing, bridge building between environmentalists and timber workers, and civil rights for political activists; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City shall encourage its schools, civic institutions and citizens to memorialize Judi Bari's work through art, media, festivals, school assignments and other creative means.

IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, May 20, 2003

PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE

AYES-- BROOKS, BRUNNER, CHANG, NADEL, QUAN, REID, WAN AND PRESIDENT DE LA FUENTE,

NOES--

ABSENT--

ABSTENTION--

ATTEST CEDA FLOYD, City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the City of Oakland, California