Search Help

How does this work?
There are many ways to search the collections of the Freedom Archives. Below is a brief guide that will help you conduct effective searches. Note, anytime you search for anything in the Freedom Archives, the first results that appear will be our digitized items. Information for items that have yet to be scanned or yet to be digitized can still be viewed, but only by clicking on the show link that will display the hidden (non-digitized) items. If you are interested in accessing these non-digitized materials, please email info@freedomarchives.org.
Exploring the Collections without the Search Bar
Under the heading Browse By Collection, you’ll notice most of the Freedom Archives’ major collections. These collections have an image as well as a short description of what you’ll find in that collection. Click on that image to instantly explore that specific collection.
Basic Searching
You can always type what you’re looking for into the search bar. Certain searches may generate hundreds of results, so sometimes it will help to use quotation marks to help narrow down your results. For instance, searching for the phrase Black Liberation will generate all of our holdings that contain the words Black and Liberation, while searching for “Black Liberation” (in quotation marks) will only generate our records that have those two words next to each other.
Advanced Searching
The Freedom Archives search site also understands Boolean search logic. Click on this link for a brief tutorial on how to use Boolean search logic. Our search function also understands “fuzzy searches.” Fuzzy searches utilize the (*) and will find matches even when users misspell words or enter in only partial words for the search. For example, searching for liber* will produce results for liberation/liberate/liberates/etc.
Keyword Searches
You’ll notice that under the heading KEYWORDS, there are a number of words, phrases or names that describe content. Sometimes these are also called “tags.” Clicking on these words is essentially the same as conducting a basic search.

Search Results

Food Not Bombs: Selective Enforcement Food Not Bombs: Selective Enforcement
Call Number: V 165Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This tape contains a collection of corporate news footage regarding Food Not Bombs and police attempts to thwart their distribution of free food in front of the San Francisco City Hall. One police officer states: "They are here to make an anarchist statement, and we aren't going to allow it." The tape also contains a collection of video evidence of police interference with Food Not Bombs food distribution and portrays the selective enforcement of food distribution laws by SFPD.
Food Not Bombs: Leafleting and Arrest Food Not Bombs: Leafleting and Arrest
Call Number: V 166Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This tape shows video footage of a Food Not Bombs activist leafleting as people go in and out of the San Francisco City Hall. Additional footage shows a Food Not Bombs activist being arrested for distributing free food. The food is confiscated by SFPD and one person's food is taken directly out of his hands.
Food Not Bombs Arrests 1993 Food Not Bombs Arrests 1993
Call Number: V 167Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
In addition to footage of Food Not Bombs activists being arrested for distributing free food, this tape also show the general SFPD harassment of "unpermitted" street vendors, and contains an interview with an officer offering an explanation for the confiscation of goods and shopping carts.
Food Not Bombs Restraining Order Food Not Bombs Restraining Order
Date: 2/4/1994Call Number: V 177Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
In this tape, Food Not Bombs activists serve a SFPD officer with a restraining order then chat it up with a “sympathetic” officer.
Food Not Bombs Violent Arrest Food Not Bombs Violent Arrest
Call Number: V 193Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This short video, used as an exhibit in a legal case, contains footage of a violent arrest of a Food Not Bombs activist.
Food Not Bombs Violent Arrest Food Not Bombs Violent Arrest
Call Number: V 195Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
SAME AS V193 This short video, used as an exhibit in a legal case, contains footage of a violent arrest of a Food Not Bombs activist.