Welcome to the Summer 2026 edition of Berkeley Speaks.

Usually we cover a wide range of social issues in every edition, but this time there is one hot-button issue that we’ll cover in depth: the police department’s proposal to bring mass surveillance to Berkeley, and the community campaign to stop it.

Our editorial (“No Flock”—A People’s Victory) and lead article (Flock Stopped in Berkeley) summarize this year-long clash, and the final phase coming up this fall. Three additional articles highlight lessons to be learned from the struggle so far.

Please also see our ongoing Urgent Actions calendar. Also see Tracy Rosenberg’s regular column on “Legislation Pending in Sacramento;” time is running out in the leg calendar to affect these important bills.

Berkeley Speaks is proud to have played a journalistic role in building the campaign against the proposal to expand Berkeley’s contract with Flock. We have worked hard to make clear the issues in the complex police proposal. We’ve sent out urgent action alerts, published a regular calendar of upcoming events, interviewed key players, and done our own original research. We’ve stayed in close touch with the Sanctuary, privacy, and police accountability movements, to understand what grassroots folks are demanding.

There is not a lot of time left to stop the flood of mass surveillance, collaboration with ICE, and other elements of a police state growing in Berkeley. On Tuesday July 14 the city council will vote on lifting restrictions on “tear gas” (CS spray), pepper spray, smoke, police dogs, and police helicopters.

Very shortly, city management will publish the Request for Proposal (RFP) for companies to bid on the surveillance contract. A staff recommendation is expected in early September, and a council decision could come at any point after that.

If you want to live in a Berkeley that is not militaristic and is not at odds with dissenters, communities of color, and immigrants, this is a moment to join in with the campaign to defend the Berkeley we love.  Watch for upcoming announcements about how to get involved! 

Make Your Voice Heard

We had a pleasant surprise recently at the offices of Berkeley Speaks. We reviewed the web metrics and found that over 3,700 individuals have read the newspaper.  Not bad for a relatively new social justice periodical in a small city, with no paid staff and no ads.

To truly reflect the spirit of Berkeley, this newspaper needs more interaction with you, the reader. We can be the bulletin board for to post your events. We need your letters, whether supportive or critical, or articles you’d like us to print. Above all, we want to hear your experiences on the struggle for social justice. Contact us at BerkSpeak@gmail.com.

We hope to publish again soon, to share information about the local November election. We’re already hard at work on an update on homelessness in Berkeley. Stay tuned!