Now we must clinch the deal.
This is an age of great turmoil across the country, and Berkeley is no exception.
Nationally, Trump is racing to implement his authoritarian agenda to destroy democratic institutions and constitutional freedoms, make war, recreate white supremacy and a white nation, and oppress women and trans people.
His actions are so extreme that he risks losing control of Congress this November.
Berkeley’s leaders do not support Trump. Yet in this same moment, about half of the Berkeley city council are firm supporters of a system of mass surveillance and its leading vendor, the Flock Group. Local surveillance data under Flock’s control has a long record of finding its way into the hands of immigration agencies like ICE, in violation of our Sanctuary ordinances.
As on the national level, the November elections hold a distinct possibility of shifting the political balance on the Berkeley council.
This upset is in part due to intense community unhappiness with the City’s entanglement with Trump’s immigration enforcement regime.
This Summer 2026 edition of Berkeley Speaks is largely devoted to the story of the No Flock movement in Berkeley, the lessons of the May 7 partial victory at the city council, and the new round of struggle that begins this summer.
Please see these articles in this edition:
- Flock Stopped in Berkeley: A Victory—”If You Can Keep It.”
- Lesson Learned #1: How did the movement prevail over Flock? What happens next?
- Lesson Learned #2: The danger of collaborating with the feds—not just with ICE.
- Lesson Learned #3: What mass surveillance actually is, and how it Is used against community members.
The most important takeaway is this: while the outcome of the May council meeting was a mixed one, what could be described as kicking the can down the road, it was absolutely a people’s victory. This was the third Council hearing in a row where the police and their supporters on the council could not succeed in a vast expansion of mass surveillance in Berkeley.
The combination of multiple social movements coming together, the many hundreds of people who joined the campaign over the last year, and the widespread community demands to stop this back door collaboration with ICE surprised everybody, probably even the organizers.
Now here we are again, for a fourth round. On June 30, the council approved a Request for Proposal (RFP) to comply with the City’s own rules. But the scope of the police request remains the same: ALPR expansion, Pan-Tilt-Zoom fixed cameras, drones, Flock Nova investigative software, community video streams, and a Real Time Information Center. All of this is detailed in the links above.
Berkeley is in a tough position. Many on the council favor surveillance technology, claiming it will greatly reduce crime. The BPD’s favored candidate, Flock, is damaged goods due to its history of back-door collusion with ICE. Council bought a little time by rejecting the sole-source contract with Flock and moving instead to competitive bidding. But the leading competitors may be even more troubling than Flock, because they have direct contracts with immigration agencies. All this is in the context of the willingness–and power–of the federal government to grab massive amounts of personal data on all, regardless of safeguards inserted into contract language.
Council has been made fully aware of the many risks that mass surveillance brings to the city. They are determined to press forward.
The only thing that has held them back so far has been strong and consistent pressure from the community.
That is the only way we will keep the council from making a terrible decision; putting everything we’ve got into demonstrating the breadth of our opposition.
The staff and the council are speeding through this process. Staff expects to select a vendor in early September, and try for a council vote in October. If they wait until after the November 3 election, they will be dealing with a different lineup on the council, which may well reverse the 5-4 vote for mass surveillance on May 7, to a 5-4 vote against. If this feels to you like a rush job to get around the people’s will, you are probably right.
And that’s not all that is coming at us.
Much sooner, on July 14, the proposal from Council Member Kesarwani to expand BPD use of tear gas, pepper spray, smoke, police dogs, and helicopters is slated for a final vote.
On top of that, in September, the BPD’s gutted use of force policy is also expected to make it onto the Council agenda.
The delay of the Flock contract expansion was a people’s victory, thanks to the courage and hard work of so many people.
Was May 7 a movement or just a moment? Was it a flash in the pan—or the beginning of a beautiful struggle? Your participation in the next phase of the campaign against mass surveillance will decide the answer.
To engage with these campaigns, please contact Berkeley Speaks at BerkSpeak@gmail.com. Also keep an eye on our Urgent Actions page at https://berkeleyspeaks.org/berkeley-speaks-list-of-urgent-actions/
