Occupy Democracy Resources

Andrew Breitbart has it all Wrong with the film Occupy Unmasked

2012-02-11T16:10:00.002-05:00

As I watched the trailer of 'Occupy Unmasked', the first thing that struck me is that they don't know (or are pretending not to know) the difference between Occupy and Black Bloc. This is very deceptive and I believe deliberately so.

Occupy Unmasked - Official Movie Trailer - Citizens United Productions from Citizens United on Vimeo.

Occupy is an idea who's time has come. Involved in the movement are people of all backgrounds standing together in solidarity because they want change, they want a better America. They want corporate influence out of politics, they want accountability from those that destroyed our economy and caused millions of Americans to suffer. They are a diverse group, they are the 99%, therefore they can't be defined by absolute goals, however, they do have many common goals. Occupy uses direct democracy as a tool among the people. Everyone has an equal voice.

Black Bloc is a method of protesting, it's been around a long time and its not representative of the Occupy movement.

Occupy Protesters

Hundreds of Occupy protesters march in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011.

(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Black Bloc

Black Bloc at April 12, 2003 anti-war demonstration in Washington DC,

Occupy DC and Their Tent of Dreams as They Face No Camping Restriction [VIDEO]

2012-01-31T03:34:00.008-05:00

Videos from Monday, January 30th 2011.

Text from OCCUPY DC FACES ‘NO CAMPING’ RESTRICTION

January 30th, 2012–The Occupation of DC has been given orders by the National Park Services to remove all camping implements from Freedom Plaza and McPherson square, the two areas of Washington D.C. Inhabited by members of the Occupy Wall St. movement.

Protesters at both camps have refused orders to remove camping, bedding and cooking supplies. In response to the increase in police presence, protesters at McPherson Square drapped a blue tarp over a statue of General James B. McPherson, creating a makeshift tent-like structure. Demonstrators have refused to remove the tarp, despite police orders.

The term “tent of dreams” was trending on Twitter Monday morning as images of the tarp’s interior circulated around the Web. Occupy DC protesters shout slogans after erecting a huge tent over the statue of U.S. Civil War Maj. Gen. James Birdseye McPherson. "Let us sleep so we can dream".

View more images:

JEWEL SAMAD - AFP/GETTY IMAGES

You need sleep to dream. Occupy DC, faced with a noon police action banning sleeping at the park, created a massive "Tent of Dreams" to illustrate inclusiveness for all people to voice their concerns in the public commons. It surpassed our hopes and demonstrated that creative play and art can make the impossible dream a living reality. Power to the People!

In the face of eviction, Occupy D.C. dreams on

By Alexandra Petri SOURCE

McPherson Square —"Let us sleep so we can dream!"

On Monday at noon, Occupy D.C.ers at McPherson Square dreamed big. At the center of the square, the statue of General McPherson was dressed in a giant blue tarpaulin skirt labeled “Tent of Dreams.” It was a carnival atmosphere. Beastie Boys blasted. They even had signs.

"I’m dreaming of... no institutional genocide."

"I'm dreaming of... taxing banks and corporations."

"I'm dreaming of… universal healthcare."

"I'm dreaming of... a world without sexism."

"I'm dreaming of... gift economies."

Like most of my dreams, the dream tent itself was full of men in beards shouting slogans about money in politics. It is the sort of dream that you have if you eat too many anchovies before going to bed.

"We are the 99 percent! Evict us and we multiply! Occupy will never die!"

The Dream Bonanza that unfolded Monday epitomized both the movement’s inability to launch itself as a coherent political force and the factors that have enabled it to retain some public sympathy.

“We are unstoppable! Another world is possible!”

Possible, maybe. Feasible? Desirable? Different questions.

“Show me what democracy looks like!” someone yells. “This is what democracy looks like!”

Well, then democracy could use a shave.

The trouble with Occupy D.C.’s human microphone system is that you can be halfway into a sentence before you notice that it has gone terribly wrong. "We've been told,” the crowd yells dutifully, “that we can only exercise First Amendment rights in certain places in certain limited ways! I'm pretty sure the entire United States is supposed to apply to the Constitution. I want my First Amendment rights back!"

Some dreams are more lucid than others.

"I have a master's degree!" yelled another. "Student debt is a form of indentured servitude! I am here to end that slavery!"

"I am here because I think it is wrong that speech is considered to be money… I think it is wrong that corporations are considered to be people. People are people. This is speech."

'I am here because we have a broken food system! A food system that prepares you to be sick by the time you are fifty or even younger! So you are a slave... to pharmaceutical companies!"

"I'm here because before we were here there were homeless people sleeping in this park and whether or not we continue to occupy, they have nowhere to go!"

The awakening is coming. Move the dreamers, and they wake right up.

Occupy D.C., like many brave experiments, is mostly precipitate at this point. Four months ago, in October, the movement was not condensed, but that was to be expected. Give it time, and it might go places. "No one person speaks for the movement," Occupy proudly declared. "We are the 99 percent!"

It hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s entrenched. And it remains as multifarious as ever. It’s a big dream tent. And there’s room for everyone inside.

“Occupy D.C.," the group yelled, from the preamble to the group's declaration, "is an open community of diverse individuals, facing different forms of oppression and impacted by economic exploitation to differing degrees, but united by a shared vision of equality for the common good.”

January 28th Day Of Action To Occupy Empty Buildings [VIDEO]

2012-01-28T05:44:00.003-05:00

At 1pm on January 28th, people working in solidarity with the Occupy movement will participate in a day of action that includes a march and the opening of a predetermined abandoned building for a dance party and food-share. This event will coincide with a similar event in Oakland, and other solidarity actions around the country. The march will begin at Stevens Square Park in Minneapolis.

In an environment in which property is cut up and manipulated by those with money and power, we are forced to recognize that our homes are not ours and our community centers are not either.

People are struggling. People are being thrown out of their homes, they cannot pay the rent, and are forced to compete with, rather than provide for, their neighbors. People are gasping for air under this stifling system driven by the profit motive and the militant defense of property over people.

Given the circumstances, it is necessary to empower individuals and communities to break down the physical and social borders which are responsible for the current paradigm. By assembling and standing in solidarity with one another, this community will occupy an unused and decaying building for just this day to demonstrate that people have the power to reclaim and liberate spaces.

The idea of reclaiming and liberating space has taken root. It is happening in the community gardens of Detroit, the bottom up rebuilding projects of post-Katrina New Orleans, the recent public square occupations around the world, and by people finding shelter and community in vacant structures everywhere. As in all of these places, the power exists within the people of Minneapolis to create positive and joyous action out of abandonment and dis-empowerment. SOURCE PHOTO

Advocates want homeless to occupy city’s 3,500 vacant buildings

January 26, 2012 10:00AM SOURCE

While the city’s tumbling vacancy rate grabs the headlines, there are still enough completely empty buildings in the five boroughs to house the city’s entire 40,000-person homeless shelter count, according to a report to be released by advocacy group Picture the Homeless and the Center for Community Planning & Development at Hunter College.

Citing the report, the New York Daily News reported that more than 3,500 abandoned buildings, which could house hundreds of thousands of people, dot the city, while an additional 2,400 vacant lots are scattered across the boroughs. They could better serve as community gardens, according to the report.

Many of the vacant building and lots are located in Harlem, the South Bronx, East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Far Rockaway.

Picture the Homless is urging the city to use taxpayer dollars to spruce up those buildings for homeless New Yorkers, rather than spend it on homeless shelters. The city has already launched a similar program that places low-income families in foreclosed homes.

But officials pointed it out that the city can not control privately held buildings, and argued that it has already financed the preservation of more than 83,000 units since Mayor Bloomberg made it a priority in 2004. [NYDN]

Occupy the Super Bowl

2012-01-28T03:13:00.002-05:00

Join Occupy Indianapolis, Indy OWS, Unions from all over the region and people from Occupations all over the country at the Indiana Statehouse Building and Occupy the Super Bowl!

There are actions going on From Jan 27, to Feb 5, all week and weekends and the Statehouse is where you'll be able to get involved with all of it. Come out, bring friends, bring energy, bring signs and most importantly bring your voice. The attention of the world will be on Indianapolis and the world will hear us.

Occupy the Super Bowl is a platform for groups to launch their own rallies and actions, if you have a plan bring it to Indy, don't talk about it here.

We will be on the steps on the east side of the Indiana Statehouse Building which is located on the north west corner of Capital St. and Washington St. Downtown Indianapolis.

Tell the State Senate: No Right to Work For Less!

Now that the House has passed their version of a “right to work for less” bill, the fight for middle class Hoosiers moves on to the Senate. There’s a key Senate hearing Monday on the bill, and Indiana elected officials need to hear from us now more than ever.

Extremist politicians are pushing this divisive “right to work” legislation as payback to CEOs and special interest groups, using ads funded by secret donors. This rush to pass a “right to work” bill is meant to end collective bargaining in Indiana, which could result in lower wages, benefits and retirement security.

An overwhelming majority of Hoosiers are opposed to politicians ramming through a “right to work” bill. Key Indiana Senators need to hear from you today.

CLICK HERE

Pass the Return to Prudent Banking Act and Restore Glass-Steagall

2012-01-15T22:17:00.006-05:00

Why This Is Important

H.R. 1489: Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2011 Sponsor: Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D-OH9]

This bill will: " ... repeal certain provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and revive the separation between commercial banking and the securities business, in the manner provided in the Banking Act of 1933, the so-called "Glass-Steagall Act", and for other purposes."

This bill is currently in the House Committee on Financial Services. We must urge committee members to bring this bill to the floor for a vote well before the elections in November. It would be beneficial if this became a campaign issue as it might stand a better chance of making it out of committee and eventually passing.

This petition targets committee members as well as the President and your representatives in the House and the Senate. They will receive an email from you as soon as you sign. You may edit the letter according to your needs.

There are a number of co-sponsors for this bill, (scroll down to see them). One of which is Rep. Dennis Kucinich, most of us trust his judgment on such matters.

The following summary was written by the Congressional Research Service, a well-respected nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress. READ FULL TEXT

4/12/2011--Introduced.
Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) to prohibit an insured depository institution from being an affiliate of any broker or dealer, investment adviser, investment company, or any other person or entity engaged principally in the issue, flotation, underwriting, public sale, or distribution of stocks, bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities. Prohibits officers, directors and employees of securities firms from simultaneous service on the boards of depository institutions, except in specified circumstances. Requires any such individual serving as an officer, director, employee, or other institution-affiliated party of any insured depository institution to terminate such service as soon as practicable after enactment of this Act. Requires an insured depository institution to wind-down in an orderly manner and terminate any affiliation prohibited by this Act. Amends the Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall Act) to expand its prohibition against the transaction of banking activities by securities firms. Declares that Congress ratifies the interpretation by the Supreme Court of specified statutory language in the case of Investment Company Institute v. Camp ( ICI vs. Camp) regarding permissible activities of banks and securities firms. Declares that the reasoning of the Court in that case shall continue to apply to the limitations placed upon security affiliations under the FDIA as enacted by this Act. Prohibits a federal banking agency or federal court from issuing an interpretation regarding such security affiliations that is narrower than that of Court in ICI vs. Camp. Makes technical and conforming changes to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Revised Statutes of the United States, and specified federal law. Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Comptroller of the Currency, or another appropriate federal banking agency to report to Congress a detailed description of the basis for its decision each time it makes a determination or grants an extension concerning an affiliation between insured depository institutions and investment banks or securities firms.

Also sign the petitions at:

CO-SPONSORS
Rep. Rodney Alexander [R, LA-5]
Rep. Tammy Baldwin [D, WI-2]
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett [R, MD-6]
Rep. Michael Capuano [D, MA-8]
Del. Donna Christensen [D, VI-0]
Rep. William Clay [D, MO-1]
Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14]
Rep. Danny Davis [D, IL-7]
Rep. Peter DeFazio [D, OR-4]
Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D, CT-3]
Rep. Michael Doyle [D, PA-14]
Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
Rep. Jesse Jackson [D, IL-2]
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18]
Rep. Walter Jones [R, NC-3]
Rep. Dennis Kucinich [D, OH-10]
Rep. Barbara Lee [D, CA-9]
Rep. John Lewis [D, GA-5]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D, CA-16]
Rep. James McDermott [D, WA-7]
Rep. Michael Michaud [D, ME-2]
Rep. George Miller [D, CA-7]
Rep. James Moran [D, VA-8]
Rep. John Olver [D, MA-1]
Rep. Frank Pallone [D, NJ-6]
Rep. Donald Payne [D, NJ-10]
Rep. Collin Peterson [D, MN-7]
Rep. Charles Rangel [D, NY-15]
Rep. Timothy Ryan [D, OH-17]
Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D, CA-47]
Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
Rep. Louise Slaughter [D, NY-28]
Rep. Fortney Stark [D, CA-13]
Rep. Bennie Thompson [D, MS-2]
Rep. John Tierney [D, MA-6]
Rep. Edolphus Towns [D, NY-10]
Rep. Peter Visclosky [D, IN-1]
Rep. Maxine Waters [D, CA-35]
Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]
Rep. Daniel Lipinski [D, IL-3]
Rep. Al Green [D, TX-9]
Rep. Henry Johnson [D, GA-4]
Rep. John Yarmuth [D, KY-3]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D, MN-5]
Rep. Yvette Clarke [D, NY-11]
Rep. Betty Sutton [D, OH-13]
Rep. Peter Welch [D, VT-0]
Rep. Mike Coffman [R, CO-6]
Rep. Larry Kissell [D, NC-8]
Rep. Chellie Pingree [D, ME-1]
Rep. Kurt Schrader [D, OR-5]
Rep. Marcia Fudge [D, OH-11]
Rep. John Garamendi [D, CA-10]
Rep. Frederica Wilson [D, FL-17]
Rep. Hansen Clarke [D, MI-13]
Rep. David Cicilline [D, RI-1]

Occupy and General Assembly Hand Gestures

2012-01-15T02:10:00.003-05:00

Description: Hold your hands up, palm open, and fan your fingers back and forth.

Meaning: You agree with the proposal or like what you are hearing.

Description: Hold your hand downward and fan your fingers back and forth.

Meaning: You disagree with the proposal or dislike what you are hearing.

Description: Hold your hand flat and fan your fingers up and down.

Meaning: You’re taking a neutral stance on the proposal.

Description: Curl your hand and fingers into a letter-C shape.

Meaning: You either have or need clarifying information.

Description: Raise your index finger up.

Meaning: You have information pertinent to the discussion (not for opinions).

Description: Make a triangular shape with your hand by joining your index fingers and thumbs.

Meaning: Telling the group the process by which discussions are held is not being followed.

Description: Cross your arms in front of your chest to form an X.

Meaning: You have very strong moral or ethical reservations about the proposal and will consider leaving the group if it passes.

The above information comes from: OWS New York General Assembly

Click here to download the PDF

Occupy Together Field Manual Wiki

2012-01-15T01:42:00.003-05:00

Wiki filled with information to do with Occupying.
Occupy Together Field Manual

Common Working Groups

Hard Infrastructure

Soft Infrastructure

Establish a Daily Schedule

Set up Donations

Police/Protester Etiquette: A Body Language Protocol.

Combative Body Language Will Lead to Arrest

Other Resources

Who Is To Blame for the Current State of the Economy?

2012-01-14T23:50:00.002-05:00

The following comes from OWS Research:

In the survey, we asked: “Who do you think is mostly to blame for the current state of the nation’s economy?” and we gave respondents a number of choices including the option of adding their own reason(s). This graph presents the responses from everyone that answered the 4th wave of our survey conducted between November 15-17. Close to 4,420 persons answered this question.

United to Remedy Citizens United Court Ruling

2012-01-14T16:27:00.012-05:00

The Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. FEC has focused America's attention on the dangerous influence of corporate power in our democracy and the urgency of taking all necessary measures to undo that influence, including amending the Constitution.

Generations of Americans have amended the Constitution over the years to ensure that "We the People" means all the people, not just the privileged few. The Citizens United case, which opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate spending to influence elections at all levels of government, has brought home the importance of amending the Constitution to ensure that "We the People" does not mean we the corporations.

We believe that America works best when our government is of, by and for the people. Although we have differences in scope and tactics, all of us are united in the understanding that the Court's decision in Citizens United must be remedied by amending the Constitution in order to restore the democratic promise of America. Please visit UNITED FOR THE PEOPLE

Protest Citizens United on its January Anniversary

Take Action Now

Resolutions

Each of our organizations has put together recommended language for resolutions in support of a constitutional amendment that can be acted on at the local and state levels. We offer a sampling below. A list of local, state and federal resolutions passed or introduced is available here.

Sample resolutions

Free Speech for People
Move to Amend (for City Councils and Organizations)
Move to Amend (for ballot initiatives)
People For the American Way
Common Cause
Public Citizen

People For the American Way	Public Citizen	Free Speech For People	Move to Amend
Common Cause	Center For Media and Democracy	Progressive Democrats of America	Alliance For Democracy
Democracy Unlimited	Liberty Tree	Program on Corporations Law & Democracy	Communications Workers of America
The Other 98%	MoveOn.org	350.org	A New Way Forward
African American Ministers in Action	Backbone Campaign	California Church Impact	Campaign for America's Future
Campus Progress	Center for Corporate Policy	Center for Environmental Health	Center for Health, Environment & Justice
Center for Science in the Public Interest	Code Pink	Coffee Party USA	Consumer Action
Consumer Watchdog	Corporate Accountability International	Demos	Earthworks
Friends of the Earth	Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)	Global Community Monitor	Grassroots Recycling Network
Greenpeace	Hip Hop Caucus	IATP	Indiana Alliance for Democracy
Institute for Policy Studies Global Economy Project	Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns	National Women's Health Network	Oil Change International
OMB Watch	Pesticide Action Network North America	Rainforest Action Network	Rebuild the Dream
RootsAction	Sacramento for Democracy	Story of Stuff	Sum of Us
The New Bottom Line	United Republic	U.S. PIRG	VPIRG
We the People Campaign	Wisconsin Wave, A project of the Liberty Tree Foundation	Wolf-PAC	Working Families Party

Please visit UNITED FOR THE PEOPLE

Get Involved With Move To Amend

2012-01-10T18:56:00.002-05:00

As we head into the most expensive election in the history of the world, now is the time to get involved. While corporations are pouring millions of dollars into the Presidential campaign, volunteers across the country are pouring countless hours into the movement to demand real democracy in the United States and counter the corporate takeover of our government.

They may have the money, but if we all put our shoulders to the wheel, we have the people!

Here are some of the ways to join the Move(ment) to Amend:

100 cities (and counting) are holding rallies to participate in Occupy the Courts - a one-day protest at federal courthouses across the United States - including the US Supreme Court. Please watch and then share our video call to action and join an Occupy the Courts action near you on Friday, January 20, 2012.

Move to Amend's goal is to have 50 Towns and Cities with our resolution on the ballot in November 2012. Our City Council resolutions are already sweeping the nation - Los Angeles (CA), Albany (NY), Duluth (MN), New York City (NY), Chapel Hill (NC), Pueblo (CO) (and more!) but to take this movement to the next level we need millions of people to take a stand against Corporate Constitutional Rights in 2012, and the way to do that is to place this issue right in front of the American people as they head to the polls to cast their ballot for President.
➤➤ Join us tonight (Tuesday) at 4pm Pacific (5pm Mountain/6pm Central/7pm Eastern) for a webinar on how how to get a Move to Amend resolution on your local ballot. Click the link to register or learn more.
Move to Amend and several partner organizations were featured on the Dylan Ratigan show yesterday to highlight organizing house parties that are taking place across the country. Join friends and neighbors in your community who are getting organized to take action.
Move to Amend is the only national organization working on this issue that invites direct participation by the grassroots through local chapters. Click here to see if there is a local Move to Amend Affiliate in your community or to learn about how to get one started if not.

We need you now. 2012 will be a pivotal year in the fight to determine if our government will be of the people, by the people, for the people -- or if it will be of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations. Don't sit this one out.

Please join us!
Ben Manski, David Cobb, George Friday, Jerome Scott, Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, Laura Bonham, Lisa Graves, and Nancy Price
Move to Amend Executive Committee

Corporate Personhood Worse, Ending It Easier, Than You Think

2012-01-10T14:14:00.000-05:00

Corporate Personhood Worse, Ending It Easier, Than You Think

By davidswanson SOURCE

Don't take it from me. Take it from the book being published today that will mainstream the movement to end corporate personhood: "Corporations Are Not People: Why They Have More Rights Than You Do, And What You Can Do About It," by Jeff Clements with foreword by Bill Moyers.

Clements traces the development of the legal doctrine of corporate personhood back long before the Supreme Court'sCitizens United decision two years ago this month, in particular to President Richard Nixon's appointment of Lewis Powell to the Supreme Court in 1972. Led by Powell's radical new conception of corporate rights, Clements shows, the court began striking down laws that protected living breathing persons' rights in areas including the environment, tobacco, public health, food, drugs, financial regulation, and elections. READ MORE

Citizens United Backlash Picks Up Official Support From Occupy Wall Street New York Chapter

2012-01-07T13:50:00.001-05:00

Efforts to amend the Constitution to declare that corporations are not people and money is not speech gained support in two notable New York forums this week. The New York City General Assembly of the Occupy Wall Street movement on Tuesday officially called for a constitutional amendment to overturn a controversial Supreme Court decision from 2010 . On Wednesday, a similar resolution passed the New York City Council.

Such an amendment would reverse not only the Supreme Court's 2010 opinion in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which held that corporations have the constitutional right to spend unlimited sums of money to influence elections, but also its seminal 1976 decision in Buckley v. Valeo, which first established that money constituted speech for First Amendment purposes. READ MORE

Sign the Petitions

Learn More

National Call To Action by Occupy Portland to Shut Down the Corporations

2012-01-06T15:47:00.004-05:00

via Occupy Portland & Portland Action Lab:

"Occupy Portland calls for a day of non-violent direct action to reclaim our voices and challenge our society’s obsession with profit and greed by shutting down the corporations. We are rejecting a society that does not allow us control of our future. We will reclaim our ability to shape our world in a democratic, cooperative, just and sustainable direction.
We call on the Occupy Movement and everyone seeking freedom and justice to join us in this day of action.

There has been a theft by the 1% of our democratic ability to shape and form the society in which we live and our society is steered toward the destructive pursuit of consumption, profit and greed at the expense of all else.

We call on people to target corporations that are part of the American Legislative Exchange Council which is a prime example of the way corporations buy off legislators and craft legislation that serves the interests of corporations and not people. They used it to create the anti-labor legislation in Wisconsin and the racist bill SB 1070 in Arizona among so many others. They use ALEC to spread these corporate laws around the country.

In doing this we begin to recreate our democracy. In doing this we begin to create a society that is organized to meet human needs and sustain life.

On February 29th, we will reclaim our future from the 1%. We will shut down the corporations and recreate our democracy.

Join us! Leap into action! Reclaim our future! Shut down the corporations!

*This action received unanimous consensus from the Portland General Assembly on Sunday January 1st, 2012."

Details About Occupy Congress and Artwork

2012-01-05T18:45:00.008-05:00

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE STREAMS

Event Details

Date & Time of Event
January 17, 2012
Begins 9AM

Location of Event
United States Capitol Building, Washington, DC 20016

OCCUPY CONGRESS WEBSITE

Transportation

Ride Buzz – Ride sharing finder
Mega Bus – Low cost travel service that has a stop in DC. Currently giving away 200,000 free trips with a coupon code.
Occupy Bus – Grassroots bus sharing effort
Road2Congress – Greyhound bus group traveling from the west coast through the southern states. Check their schedule and see if they are coming through your town.

Details by region

For people who live in the immediate Philly to D.C. corridor (Philly, Wilmington, Baltimore, or nearby towns): If you’re in need of a FREE ride-share with other protestors to D.C. OR if you can offer a FREE ride-share to D.C. please do the following: First, list yourself on our Ride Buzz page above. Second, if you have not gotten any response by January 15th, please send an e-mail with your town/city name to OccupyCongressJ17@gmail.com and we may be able to pick you up. Otherwise, please come by bus which is extremely cheap.

For people who live in NY/NJ and NEW ENGLAND: The best way to get to DC is by bus, which is very cheap. We have confirmation of many, many people coming from NYC and Boston. If you live in or near Hartford, CT, they are trying to plan a solidarity event at the state capitol. The same may happen in Providence, RI, too. If you live in the New Haven, CT area, there are only a limited number of seats left on the Occupy Bus, so reserve now.

For people who live on the WEST COAST: There are groups of protestors coming to DC via bus. If you live in the L.A. or San Diego region, there’s a large group going on the Road2Congress.com. There are also plans in L.A. for a solidarity event at Congressman Becerra’s Office, and in Oakland at the City Council. Oregon is also planning solidarity events. Most people from the Pacific Northwest who are coming to DC are coming by flight.

For people who live in the SOUTHEAST and SOUTH-CENTRAL: In most cases, the best way to get to DC is by bus. We have multiple groups coming to D.C. from all different parts of Florida, including Miami. Get in touch with your local occupation to see if they have people going. For those who live in Tennessee, there is a planned protest at the state capitol. For those who live in Texas, there may be a solidarity action in Austin. For those who live in New Mexico, there will be a protest in Albuquerque. For those living in NC, SC, GA and VA, many people from here are busing to D.C.

For people who live in the PLAINS or MIDWEST: We encourage you to bus in. We are trying to organize solidarity events with Occupy Caucuses in Des Moines, Iowa and events in Chicago, IL, and Pierre, SD. Madison, WI may also have a solidarity event, too.

For CANADIANS and EUROPEANS: In Canada, we have buses available from Montreal, Quebec. There are solidarity protests happening at the Canadian Parliament on the days preceding #J17. In Europe, we have plans for a solidarity event in Oslo, Norway on #J17, and a major sister event in Spain shortly after #J17. Solidarity protests in London, likely, too.

For ANYONE not mentioned above: Please act in solidarity wherever you are. We have gotten solidarity support from Tahrir Square in Egypt, and from across the world. If you want to come to D.C. but can’t afford to, you can set up a We Pay account and we will Tweet out for supporters to help fund you.

POSTERS

Click on the image thumbnails to see larger versions.
To add images to this gallery, upload them into “Poster_Images” on this page:
http://www.occupyyourcongress.info/wp-admin/admin.php?page=nggallery-add-gallery
May require administrative privileges. Contact the mailing list if you need help.
[Show as slideshow]

Occupy Wall Street Changes the Conversation in American Politics

2012-01-05T13:34:00.010-05:00

Below is an excerpt from an article written by The Huffington Post's editor-in-chief, Arianna Huffington as it appears on the Chicago Tribune website.

In 2012, Americans will go to the polls and vote for who they want to represent them in Washington. But, as 2011 showed, the real political momentum is not to be found in Washington. Our institutions have let us down, not only by failing to prevent the biggest financial crisis since the Depression, but also by only producing suboptimal solutions at best to the multiple problems we're facing.

In fact, the crisis itself was more of a symptom than a cause. The trends had been in motion for decades: the decline of the middle class, growing inequality and downward mobility. But, in 2011, with the credibility of our political system in tatters, something happened. People said "enough," and decided to take matters into their own hands. Time magazine captured the moment by making the protester its Person of the Year for 2011. READ MORE

Photo: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Great New Occupy Congress Poster

2012-01-04T08:27:00.002-05:00

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE STREAMS

Creator: Pat F
Origin: McPherson Square, Washington, D.C.
Site: http://www.occupydc.org

Download: 11"x17"

25 Best Occupy Photos Of 2011

2011-12-31T21:04:00.000-05:00

25 Best Occupy Photos Of 2011

by dan cox at Anondora

I am only posting a few of my favorites out of the 25, to see the additional photos CLICK HERE.

7 of the Nastiest Scams from Wall Street Banksters

2011-12-29T13:06:00.000-05:00

"This year - we've seen well over 5,000 American patriots hauled away in handcuffs for peaceably protesting against the high crimes on Wall Street. Meanwhile - not one bankster has gone to jail for those very same crimes. So - in the hopes that some of these banksters will be held accountable for their crimes NEXT year - we're going to recap tonight exactly what these guys are guilty of - and how they did such remarkable damage to our nation. To help us with that list - Dave Johnson joins Thom from the Campaign for America's Future."

The Questions Ron Paul Supporters Don't Want You To Ask

2011-12-29T00:16:00.001-05:00

From Huffington Post:

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Some 20 protesters interrupted the start of a Ron Paul event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds just as the GOP candidate and Texas Representative began to speak, at about 7:30 p.m. local time.

"Ron Paul, why do you hate gays," Heaven Ryan, 16, shouted. "Why do you hate the 99 percent?"

Ryan, her mother, Heather, 39, and a man in his 20s shouted from a prepared script until their words were drowned out by the crowd of about 750, some of whom menacingly surrounded the protesters and then hustled them out.

"Freedom of speech, ain't it wonderful?" Paul said.

The protesters continued to yell near the back of the room, while a few Paul supporters stood to yell back. A staffer stood between them, asking Paul's supporters to ignore the group and remain calm. John Kurr, a 49-year-old Paul supporter, tried to reason with the Occupy group, saying the candidate is for the 99 percent.

"He's not for the corporate people, he's for the little guy," Kurr told HuffPost. "He's for everybody. He's not for Wall Street."

Some Occupy protesters agreed. As Kurr spoke to the group, one woman said she supports Paul. Another protester, 28-year-old Des Moines resident Clarke Davidson, told HuffPost he also likes Paul, but wanted to stand in solidarity with his fellow Occupiers.

Later in the event, Davidson ran toward the front of the auditorium waving a sign that said "End the Fed" and started a chant of the same.

Earlier, when Heaven was being rushed out of the auditorium, HuffPost asked her for her script. She handed it over with a wan smile.

Here is what she had shouted:

"Ron Paul
You say you want to repeal Roe v Wade.
What makes you think the state has the right to control a woman's reproductive decisions?
You say you want every child to have a chance to live. How will those children eat when you eliminate essential programs like WIC and food assistance?
Where will those children live when you eliminate subsidized housing?
How will those children receive healthcare when you eliminate Medicaid?
How will those children get an education when you eliminate student aid?
Mr. Paul, you do not care about the children of the 99 percent. You do not care about the rights of women. You are a servant of the Patriarchy. You are a servant of the 1 percent."

Occupy Congress and Occupy DC Permits Submitted

2011-12-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

Protesters have applied for a permit to protest on the National Mall Jan. 17, 2012. Purpose of proposed activity: "Peaceful 1st Amendment demonstrations including holding signs and group speaking."

The application was posted online Tuesday by applicants listed as “Occupy Congress and Occupy DC,” and with McPherson Square listed as as the applicant’s address. “Peaceful 1st Amendment demonstrations, including holding signs and group speaking”is the stated purpose. [Text Source] [Image Source]

Click to Enlarge

Hey Ho Ho Naughty Banks Have Got To Go Occupy North Pole Santacon SF 2011

2011-12-18T05:20:00.001-05:00

San Francisco’s annual SantaCon event delivered an extra occupy message this year, asking citizens to give the leading financial companies an extra hefty lump of coal. Catch the spirit of these holiday revelers and make this holiday season one to remember – move your cash from the big banks once and for all and join your local credit union.

Text from Adbuster's Blog

See photos from San Francisco Santacon 2011 on flickr

The Art and Photography Behind the TIME Person of the Year Cover - The Protester

2011-12-18T01:24:00.008-05:00

Click Photo to Enlarge

From Al Jazeera English:

From the Arab Spring to the Occupy Wall Street movement, "The Protester" has been named Time Magazine's 2011 "Person of the Year".

The annual distinction is given to the person or thing that Time believes has most influenced culture and the news during the past year, for good or for ill.

Time says the outcry for democratic politics became globalised this year and protesters made history.

Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports from Washington DC.

Before the ShotFrom the photographer:

Here is a visual timeline of images right before "the shot" that was used to illustrate Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2011 "The Protester."
I started off with a wide angle lens and wasn't really feeling the image. Once Sarah Mason put on her bandana, which was soaked in vinegar just in case the LAPD decided to use tear gas on her and her fellow protesters, I knew it would have to be a tight shot. Immediately I switched to a 70-200 zoom lens and shot about 5 frames of Sarah close up. The "one" shot stood out to me instantly and I knew no more needed to be taken.

See the other photos in the set

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

Text and Video SOURCE Freelance photographer Ted Soqui was on the scene of a Occupy LA protest at Bank of America in Downtown LA back in November, hoping to get some interesting shots.

"The light was perfect, and I saw these people standing there, and it was like, this was a great opportunity for some photography," said Soqui.

One of the young women in the crowd stood out: 25-year-old Highland resident Sarah Mason.

Soqui started snapping away as she linked arms with other protestors.

"She had confidence for that moment, and for the Occupy movement, and even though she was locked into this human chain of people, they were locked arms," said Soqui.

An image Soqui took of Mason was transformed into the cover photo of TIME Magazine's "Person of the Year" issue.

Soqui said he's thrilled, but Sarah Mason is a bit overwhelmed.

"I think she's finally getting a grasp of it," said Soqui. "It's important that world leaders will see this from the common man, to the President, to Prime Ministers. Everyone in the world will recognize the person of the year."

ABOUT THE ART

SOURCE Activist street artist Shepard Fairey, of Obama's HOPE poster fame, designed the cover image. HuffPost Arts asked Fairey some questions about the challenge of creating the emblem.

The cover depicts an anonymous protestor, serious yet sympathetic. Simultaneously representing a selection of minorities and a sweeping generality. At first glance it is easy to make assumptions about the protestor's gender, race and age, but a second look makes any sure judgment difficult. The protestor is rendered in Fairey's signature style, striking propaganda inspired minimalism with a stencil-esque youthfulness. Behind the figure is a collage of rally scenes from the Time Magazine archives, consisting of signs like "We Need Good Jobs" and "People Power, Not Ivory Tower."

What aesthetic and historical influences did you incorporate into the TIME cover image?

Time provided me with reference images to sift through and I illustrated from a photograph that I thought would be a good reference for an iconic and compelling protester who would come across as serious, but not scary. Most of the protesters are normal, idealistic, young adults, so I thought the "person next door" feel was important. I'm influenced by propaganda poster art and I try to emphasize the most powerful essence of an image and eliminate anything superfluous. My color palette has a propaganda influence as well. I like Warhol as well.

The brilliance of Fairey's image is its simultaneous evocation of the particular and the general, the individual and the archetype. On the one hand the image is a collage, just as there is no one manifesto for OWS making just one visual representation impossible. And yet in the devoted eyes of Fairey's anonymous protestor the greatest of differences lose their significance. Fairey conveys the move of a crowd putting on Guy Fawkes masks, of millions of people becoming 'the 99%.'

The image has not been entirely well-received, with LA Times critic Christopher Knight calling it "wince-inducing," "corporate," and "conventional." Yet in an interview with Time, Fairey explained his view of the protestors as "A lot of them are just regular folks who feel dissatisfied." Perhaps that is the most revolutionary part of the ongoing protests, that the protestors aren't all that conventionally revolutionary. READ MORE ...