On the afternoon of October 25, 2011, Mara Randle, a substitute teacher in the Oakland School District, a student in a Master of Education program, who is pursuing her teaching credential, was beaten and arrested by Oakland Police Department officers. Mara was peacefully participating in an afternoon rally to protest the eviction of Occupy Oakland from the city hall plaza earlier that day. Legal efforts to get the charges dropped have been stymied and Mara faces the prospect of a trial in mid-February. Mara is not guilty of any illegal act. Mara has never been arrested before. She will not plead guilty and is willing to go to trial to exonerate her name and reputation.

There is immediatre need, as Mara's preliminary hearing is on Friday, February 17, 2012. Please join us:

1. Sign the petition calling on the Alameda District Attorney's office to drop the charges against Mara Randle.

2. Attend the February 17, 2012 hearing at Wiley C. Manuel Courhouse, 661 Washington St., Oakland, CA.

3. Donate to Mara's defense c/o Alameda Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO.