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

US Out of El Salvador: News Montage US Out of El Salvador: News Montage
Call Number: V 172Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This tape contains a collection of corporate news footage of a demonstration against the US war on El Salvador and its support for death squads and El Salvador's terrorist regime in the late 1980s. Demonstrators battle police as they try to blockade the entrance of the Federal Building in San Francisco.
CISPES Federal Building Blockade: News Footage CISPES Federal Building Blockade: News Footage
Call Number: V 174Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Corporate news coverage of a demonstration against the US war on El Salvador at the San Francisco Federal Building shows footage of undercover SFPD officers using mace against protesters and violently arresting them. Both anchorperson and SFPD spokesperson place the blame on anarchists, referring to them as "outside agitators" and "goons."
CISPES Federal Building Blockade: News Footage II CISPES Federal Building Blockade: News Footage II
Call Number: V 192Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Footage begins 1/2 way through tape. This video contains footage of corporate news coverage of police brutality at a demonstration against the US war in El Salvador at the San Francisco Federal Building. Contains an interview with Julie Sinai of Bay Area Call to Action and various violent tactics employed by SFPD. The blame for violence is place on "anarchists." Of tangential interest is a episode of NBC nightly news previous to above footage containing stories on the bombing of Winnie Mandela's home, the Iran-Iraq War, Israeli-Soviet relations, the Dukakis presidential campaign, and US hostages in Lebanon.
Demos Against US Troops to Honduras - ACT UP/SF Demos Against US Troops to Honduras - ACT UP/SF
Date: 3/16/1988Call Number: V 430Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
News coverage of speak out in Union Square opposing US military intervention in Central America. Features interviews with members of the Nicarauga Information Center and speech by Catherine Cusick of NIC. Members of Pledge of Action occupy Coit Tower attempting to hang a banner. Due to Wind they are not able to finish the action. Protests in 1988 are documented, ranging from speak outs in Union Square, protests outside of the Armed Forces Recruitment Office, marches and police violence in downtown SF. CISPES, Pledge of Resistance, Nicarauga Information Center, and supporters of FSLN protest US troops in the Honduras. Footage of Anti-Contra Aid protestors blocking the federal building met with police violence. Pledge of Action’s peaceful march from the Castro to the Mission District in SF. Calls for an end to US intervention in Central America and funding for AIDS research. Coverage of ACT UP/SF’s direct action protest at St. Mary’s Cathedral in SF. Part of ACT UP’s “Stop the Church” campaign. Stickers stating “No More War on Women” are visible as are “bloody” hand prints on the wall.
Activision - Documents of Dissent Activision - Documents of Dissent
Date: 1/1/1990Call Number: V 482Format: VHSProducers: Lisa RudmanProgram: PCTVCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Compilation of Activism Shorts. Includes Pledge of Resistance's Coit Tower El Salvador Action in San Francisco; Stop AIDS Now or Else’s Golden Gate Bridge Action; Ladies Against Women and the Right Wing skit on abortion rights; International Women's Day 1988; and a music video documenting imperialism and resistance in the Philippines.
Campanile Action Campanile Action
Date: 5/17/1989Call Number: V 495Format: Hi-8Producers: Lisa RudmanCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Bay Area Pledge of Resistance drops banner at Campanile Tower on UC Berkeley's campus. Interviewees seek to draw attention to the UC System's stake in the US intervention in El Salvador, exposing that the ROTC at UC Berkeley helps train the Death Squads in El Salvador.
Coit Tower Action Coit Tower Action
Date: 5/15/1989Call Number: V 496Format: Hi-8Producers: Lisa RudmanCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Bay Area Pledge of Resistance occupies Coit Tower and unfurls banner in order to draw attention to the election of the ARENA party in El Salvador, the party which organized the death squads that killed thousands of El Salvadorians. Members of Pledge are carrying out this action to do the work the mass media doesn't in their coverage of El Salvador.
El Salvador Consulate Action El Salvador Consulate Action
Date: 11/16/1990Call Number: V 507Format: Hi-8Producers: Lisa RudmanCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Pledge of Resistance leads other organizations including the Bay Area Religious Task Force, Center for International Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, and Trece to occupy the El Salvador Consulate in San Francisco, commemorating the anniversary of the brutal murder of six Jesuit priests and two women. Protesters drop a banner from the consulate's balcony and occupy the front offices, calling for an end to US backed Death Squad violence in El Salvador, the overthrow of the ARENA government, and an end to US intervention in Central America. Several members of the demonstration chain themselves to the desks and chairs in the office, while other protesters demonstrate outside of the consulate.