11953351_1484133831888624_3627064921536344254_oUrban Shield is a regional, national and global weapons expo and SWAT training that takes place in the Bay Area. It brings together law enforcement agencies and first responders from across the country and world – including from the apartheid state of Israel – in order for them to learn how to better repress, criminalize, and militarize our communities. Urban Shield was created by Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern in 2007, and has been held in Alameda County every year since.

How it happens

Alameda County receives federal funding from the Department of Homeland Security to host Urban Shield. The federal program is called the Urban Areas Security Initiative, and is just one of the many disastrous law enforcement programs that claim to fight terrorism.

The county claims that because it is in a budget shortfall, hosting Urban Shield is necessary to provide training for “public safety.” However, we know this is merely an excuse to expand the power of policing. Militarized trainings, warfare technology, and repressive tactics are the opposite of  “public safety training.”

Urban Shield 2016

This year, the Urban Shield weapons expo will take place from September 9th to 12th at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, with militarized police trainings to be held all over the Bay Area. Visit our Get Involved page to learn about how to join our fight against Urban Shield this year.