An exuberant crowd of close to 2,000 filled MLK Jr Park  today for a
rally in support of KPFA staff.  In addition to speeches by  Staff
members Larry Bensky, Dennis Bernstein and C.S. Song, the afternoon
events featured poet June Jordan, Utah Phillips, Holly Near, the Amandla
Poets, Wavt Gravy, Dan Chumley of the SF Mime Troupe, Hip Hop DJ Davy D,
Barbara Lubin, of the Middle East Children's Alliance, who has become a
major player in behalf of the staff, and many others.  Other staff members
mingled with the crowd.  At the end, a call was made for a picket of
Pacifica during the upcoming station fundraiser which will begin March 13.

The Coalition for a democratic Pacifica paricipated in tabling with the
staff on Thursday and Friday for Salmon Rushdie and Howard Zinn,
respectively, at an excellent but not well attended event on Saturday, in
which Take Back KPFA's Maria Gilardin joined Dennis Bernstein and National
Board Pete Bramson and former Pacifica President Peter Franck to a panel
discussion on the Pacifica/KPFA situation.  I will be sending a tape down
South to be transscribed.

All in all we passed out 1000 coalition flyers, 300 copies of A Pacifica
Chronology by Lyn, updated by me, 300 copies of Alex Cockurn's Nation
column and 200 copies of the Counterounch article, The Neutering of
Pacifica.

A large public meeting has been scheduled by the coalition for June 1.
Before that I anticipate a mailing will go out to bring in reps of Bay
Area progressive groups.  Although there are many folks who are against
having a fund drive, or who have made suggestions for an escrow fund or
conditional pledges, there is a feeling that only by being united behind
the staff at this time will we have a chance to win.  In other words,
people who wish that the decision might have gone the other way, have
elected not to drive a wedge into what has become a united struggle. The
staff promises a most unusual fund drive.

Jeff

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Subject:         PACIFICA UPDATE - HUGE RALLY IN BERKELEY DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY
Date sent:       Mon, 10 May 1999 01:01:40 -0500

PACIFICA UPDATE - HUGE RALLY IN BERKELEY DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY

A three hour rally filled downtown Berkeley's Provo Park late Sunday
afternoon, as more than two thousand people gathered to support
KPFA's demands to rehire Nicole Sawaya and Larry Bensky, and an
immediate investigative mediation of the dispute.

The rally featured music by Latino, folk song, and world beat/rap
groups, and speeches from KPFA staff urging the crowd to continue
contacting Pacifica board members about the crisis their actions
have caused.

KPFA staff especially want people to contact Pacifica Board Chair
Mary Frances Berry and urge her to come to Berkeley IMMEDIATELY
for discussions with the staff, local advisory board, and the
community about the situation.

Further, people were urged to contact Berry and executive director
Lynn Chadwick and demand that their promise to provide COMPLETE
accountability of Pacifica revenue and expenses, as promised
by Berry in her on-air appearance on KPFA last Wednesday.
(Pacifica now offers - for a fee - copies of the very generalized
form 990's which all non-profit organizations must file.  To order
a copy, see http://www.pacifica.org/board/docs/financ90.html

In addition, please contact Chadwick and Berry and ask what has
happened with Chadwick's job review (her six months were up May 1).

In summary:

      Please contact Mary Frances Berry
                     mfberry@sas.upenn.edu
                     or (202) 337-0382

             and     Lynn Chadwick
                     lynnchad@aol.com
                     or (510) 848-6767 x 202

CC'S to board executive committee and other members would be appreciated

     David Acosta, Vice Chair - KPFT:  cpadga@aol.com
     June Makela at-large member:  junemakela@aol.com
     Roberta Brooks (resigned):  Roberta.Brooks@mail.house.gov
     Ken Ford - WPFW:  kford@nahb.com
     Frank Millspaugh - WBAI: fmillspa@aol.com
     Bob Farrell - KPFK:  rfarrell@kamber.com
     William Lucy - at large member:  wlucy@igc.apc.org
     Michael Palmer - KPFT:  mpalmer@cbrichardellis.com

and DEMAND 1)  Mary Frances Berry's IMMEDIATE appearance in Berkeley
               for discussions about the situation;

           2) Complete and detailed accounts of revenue and expenses
               for the Pacifica Foundation, including all money spent on
               travel, consultants, and legal fees, as promised by Dr.
               Berry in her 5/5 radio appearance with Chadwick.

           3) An IMMEDIATE job review of Lynn Chadwick, as called for
              in Pacifica personnel policies, including input from
              staff, local management, and advisory boards.

BERRY AND CHADWICK ARE SAYING THAT PROTEST HAS DIED DOWN...THAT KPFA
STAFF AND SUPPORTERS ARE QUIETING DOWN...LET THEM KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T
TRUE...RIGHT NOW!

NOTE: An extensive report on the crisis and its origins appears in this
week's East Bay Express, the widest-read publication in the Berkeley area.
 If there is someone you know...especially in Washington, New York,
Houston, or Los Angeles...who doesn't understand what's happened at
KPFA...please forward this article to them!
http://savepacifica.cjb.net/0507_Express.htm

(P.S. There are two or three people working on e-mail and web
site updatesfor Savepacifica...PLEASE UNDERSTAND that we read everything
you send...and share it among the staff and local board...but we cannot
begin to respond individually...we have received over 8,000 communications
so far...it's overwhelming..and growing.  Keep it up!!!!)