anti-war movement – People’s Park

March 31, 2023April 28, 2023

People’s Park 54th Anniversary, music, speakers, green space gathering, Sunday, April 23, 2023, 11 AM to 7 PM

People's Park 54th Anniversary poster illustration of people gathering to celebrate the park

People’s Park 54th Anniversary
(in memory of Michael Delacour)
Sunday, April 23, 2023, 11 AM to 7 PM

Climate Event, Yukon Hannibal and Drummers, Welcome by Eddie and talk about Michael, Jordan Huez, Speakers, Hali Hammer and Randy Berge, Max Ventura, dress, and George Franklin, Marika Sage, Speakers, Moth Morgue, Speakers – Aidan Hill, Cheryl Davila, others, Driftwood Dave duo, Speakers – Alan Haber, Odile Hugonot, others, Evelie Delfino Såles Posch, Carol Denney, Speakers, Afterthought, Andrea Mallis, astrologer, FiLTHMiLK, Speakers – Russell Bates and others, Andrea Prichett group, Speakers, Jazmin, Speakers, Gurschach, Closing

11:00-12:00: Climate Event
12:00-12:30: Yukon Hannibal and Drummers
12:30-12:40: Welcome by Eddie and talk about Michael
12:40-12:55: Jordan Huez
12:55-1:10: Speakers
1:10-1:25: Evelie Delfino Såles Posch
1:25-1:35: Max Ventura, dress, and George Franklin
1:35-1:50: Marika Sage
1:50-2:05: Speakers
2:05-2:20: Moth Morgue
2:20-2:35: Speakers – Aidan Hill, Cheryl Davila, others
2:35-2:50: Driftwood Dave duo
2:50-3:05: Speakers – Alan Haber, Odile Hugonot, others
3:05-3:20: Hali Hammer and Randy Berge
3:20-3:35: Carol Denney
3:35-3:50: Speakers
3:50-4:05: Afterthought
4:05-4:15: Andrea Mallis, astrologer
4:15-4:45: FiLTHMiLK
4:45-5:00: Speakers – Russ and others
5:00-5:15: Andrea Prichett group
5:15-5:30: Speakers
5:30-6:00: Jazmin
6:00-6:15: Speakers
6:15-6:45: Gurschach
6:45-7:00: Closing

Download posters:

Poster (color) 54th Anniversary People’s Park, 2023, version 2
https://www.peoplespark.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/poster-54th-Anniversary-PeoplesPark-colorV2.jpg

Poster (black & white) 54th Anniversary People’s Park, 2023, version 2
https://www.peoplespark.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/poster-54th-Anniversary-PeoplesPark-bwV2.jpg

Please also come this related event:

Broad Community Meeting to Save the Park

We hope to see people from many organizations as we work toward long term stewardship and maintenance of the park in perpetuity. This is to build an inclusive community wide planning and working group to revitalize our park and to create a commons for all.

SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 1–4 PM
Community Meeting Room in Berkeley Central Library
2090 Kittredge Street, Berkeley, CA 94704

54th Anniversary Celebration: We are Peoples Park! Berkeley, CA
Posted by People's Park Community on Sunday, April 23, 2023

August 6, 2022September 11, 2022

For “Black” Berkeley’s Culture, The Fight For People’s Park Has A Special Meaning

by Paul Lee, historian

Those who are fighting to save People’s Park should know that it has a special meaning for “black” people, and not just those who find there a place to live safely amid nature wonders; eat free, healthy food; find clothing; get substance abuse and psychological counseling referrals; develop or rediscover the bonds of community that have always been a central part of “black” Berkeley’s culture; and help to heal their souls.

That’s because the origin of the park was memorialized in one of Marvin Gaye’s greatest hits.

As is well known, in 1967 Buffalo Springfield recorded the classic “For What It’s Worth” to make sure that the country would never forget the infamous November 1966 Sunset Strip curfew “riot,” where the Los Angeles police brutally cracked down on counterculture revelers:

‘For What It’s Worth’: Inside Buffalo Springfield’s Classic Protest Song – David Browne, Rolling Stone

Sadly, well less known is the fact that the even more infamous May 1969 National Guard-police crackdown on the young radicals who had erected and begun to develop People’s Park as a freed/free space was memorialized by Obie Benson, a member of the popular Four Tops group of Detroit’s Motown, who later gave it to his superstar colleague Marvin Gaye. This story is told here at the bottom of the page:

Detroit 67: The Year That Changed Soul, by Stuart Cosgrove, Casemate Publishers

So, the next time that you hear or sing “What’s Going On?” remember that Gaye is singing about People’s Park. Indeed, if he were alive today, he could well pose the same question to UC Berkeley and the city’s administration, and particularly to its “black” city manager!

Restoration of the Peace Pole in People’s Park in August 2022

In August 2022, the Peace Pole has been restored to People’s Park, thanks to the efforts of Berkeley community member Aurora and local Earth Church members and members of the Berkeley People’s Park community. The Peace Pole movement was started by Masahisa Goi, who made her first Peace Pole in response to the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and now has thousands of Peace Poles placed worldwide. See the Wikipedia article for a quick overview of the Peace Pole movement.

Local Earth church members have felt called to contribute to People’s Park at this crucial juncture, and have created a new Peace Pole to replace the one that was placed in the park many years ago by early park community members.

Below are photos of the new Peace Pole, placed amongst the piles of wood chips and logs that were recently dumped by UC Berkeley over large areas of the park, an act of disturbing violence, deeply insulting Berkeley’s park users and destroying the large areas of the park used for recreation by UC Berkeley students and the Berkeley community. This war-like destructive ‘bombing’ is met by the non-violent action of Berkeley community members restoring the Peace Pole, inscribed with the message “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in several languages.

Also included are several historical photos of the original Peace Pole, including it’s wonderful circular flower garden created by generous Berkeley volunteer gardeners, and a hand-carved totem pole that was under the large Redwood trees on the Northwest side of the park, and one of Nature’s own ‘Peace Poles’, a majestic flower stalk of the ‘Century Plant’ (Agave americana), a type of agave plant from arid climates.

— Greg Jalbert

People’s Park 54th Anniversary(in memory of Michael Delacour)Sunday, April 23, 2023, 11 AM to 7 PM

Broad Community Meeting to Save the Park

People’s Park 54th Anniversary
(in memory of Michael Delacour)
Sunday, April 23, 2023, 11 AM to 7 PM