Hey Folks,
Thought I'd give an update here on yesterday's Gap rally at SF State. We had a minute crowd but it didn't matter because Gap cancelled their appearance apparently because they knew we were coming. We found this out around 11:30 and by 12:00 i was gone, don't know about other people. Victory!

The Office of Student Programs and Leadership would like to have a meeting with concerned students and the career center people so we can proactively look at who is appropriate to have on campus at the career center in the future. More Victory!

The Close the GAP Vigil demanding changes in GAP labor practices and the protection of the redwood forests is under attack by the GAP Corporation via the SFPS using a law aimed at attacking San Francisco's poor.

CALL THEM NOW TO VOICE YOUR SUPPORT; TELL THEM TO LET US EXPRESS OUR FREE SPEECH, AND ALLOW US TO SLEEP
San Francisco Police Chief: 415.553.9087
GAP Corporate Safety Operations Manager: Jon Marshal 415.427.2090
GAP Corporate Operations Manager: John Haig: 650.874.5271

Wednesday, Oct 18, 2000 - Meeting with Capt. Parra of SFPD (by Mary Bull)
Jonah, Mark, Derek St. Pierre (of the Nat'l Lawyers Guild), and I met with Captain Parra for an hour yesterday, and we unanimously found him completely lacking in sincerity or good will. During the course of the meeting with him and Officer Arthur Borges, we discovered that Parra does not wish to cooperate with us or work together to resolve issues; he obviously does not find the First Amendment very compelling; and he would like us to just go away. We left disgusted and felt our time had been wasted. more...

Friday, Oct 13, 2000
We were raided by the cops AGAIN last night tearing signs off trees, looking through people's belongings and threatening us with
the consequences of sleeping on the sidewalk!  8 officers were brought in to intimidate the 3 people holding vigil at the time.

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2000
AFTER 10 DAYS, THE GAP CORPORATION IN COORDINATION WITH THE SFPD HAVE ATTACKED THE "CLOSE THE GAP VIGIL"

After 10 days of 24 hour a day vigil at the Gap Headquarters the police have moved in. Today the corporation called the police and asked them to remove the vigil based upon vagrancy laws, which essentially make it illegal to be homeless in San Francisco. For 10 days we had worked with the security to not block shipments through their front door, not block the sidewalks, and now the corporation has moved in and violated our trust and our space.

Why? THEY ARE SCARED! Now is the time to escalate. Now is the time to show our presence our strength, and to not back down to a law aimed at attacking the homeless. We will not back down. We will not be moved!

Rally will be legal, only the items, such as sleeping bags, and sleeping are being attacked!!

"At about 3 PM yesterday, SFPD officers arrived at Gap, Inc. Headquarters at 1 Harrison, San Francisco and began photographing the protest vigil site and protestors in front of the main entrance. Citing vagrancy laws, the police informed protestors that they would be arrested and their property confiscated if they did not clear out within an hour. The protestors immediately mobilized the National Lawyers Guild (they were joined by attorney Adam Arms), the media (KGO, KPFA via phone, and Dan Zoll of the San Francisco Bay Guardian), and activists from Global Exchange, Rainforest Action Network, and Save the Redwoods-Boycott the Gap Campaign. The situation was diffused when protestors removed their sleeping gear from the site and the police departed."

Our action was great! We made 400 little cards (printed on 100% post consumer) and distributed them into the pockets of the Gap, Disney and other stores in the Asheville Mall and then did the same in Wal*Mart!

It was so much fun, so worth while, so quick, so cheap, so important, that we've planned to do this every month at the least!

I am getting ready to take off to Winston-Salem for the Presidential "debates" as they call them! This is going to be a great action! I'll let you know how it goes.

Best of luck with the vigil! Olya :)

The protest was totally successful!  We had several major organizations participating, including the Green Party, University of California Santa Barbara Environmental Affairs Board, the UCSB Labor Coaltion and Earth First. The protest drew maximum attention, and completely disrupted business.  Shoppers were shouting Gap sucks and down with the Gap as the protesers marched with military precision, carrying pickets, and chanting through the entangled throngs of shoppers, outside the Paseo Nuevo Gap store.  Main Street in Santa Barbara was jammed with cars sounding thier horns and yelling declarations of support out car windows.  Pedestrians, out shopping on a beautiful sunny day with their children were absolutely outraged to hear that the Fisher's are clear cutting the Mendocino/Sonoma Wildlife Habitat, and engaged in sweat shop manufacturing world wide.  We told our story to hundreds of families,young mothers and grandparents, all holding hands over their mouths in total shock as we verbally outlined the attrocities that the Gap is engaged in worldwide. We easily influenced thousands of shoppers with the three hour demonstration, we handed out flyers explaining the action, while urging would be shoppers not to shop the Gap.  By the time the police arrived, the store was empty and the employees were standing in the lonely entrance with complete expressions of dismay.

For a moment is looked like the demonstration was over, when the police arrived to investigate all the noice and activity. We sincerely explained the reasons for our action and actually earning the sympathy of several officers who made no effort to stop the demonstration. We assured them that things would remain peaceful and they just stood by apathetically watching the festivities.  All of the officers were aware of the Gap's corrupt business practices, one policeman even offered a thumbs up as we marched in circles outside the entrance to the Gap.  We marched in unison up Main Street, waving huge signs and shouting "Gap Sucks" ending our march at popular restaurant, overflowing with people, and celebrated our victory over a late lunch.  This protest cost the Fisher's and Gap shareholders, a big time, loss of revenue, on the busiest day of the week.  A nice article is going to be printed in the local papers on the Thursday, with photographs.  We are going to start handing out flyers again on the UCSB campus and downtown Santa Barbara on Wednesday.  We promise to continue the revolt until the Fisher family ends the environmental destruction of our sacred forests, stops the human rights violations in their sweatshops.

Blessings to you and I promise another, much bigger demonstration here shortly after the elections on November seventh.  I am amazed at how much negative sentiment is already out there toward the Fisher's and the Gap chain, we all really need to keep the pressure on this these Fisher hoodlums.

Peace, Love, Action, Scott