Hello everyone.
I appreciate your patience with me. I've been driving for two days now, and I am just exhausted. I'm finally home, but I'm taking a much needed rest. Updates will start again tomorrow. Thanks. :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Updates 12/29/11
Hello everyone.
It seems the news is back to "normal," if you consider normal to be arresting protesters and raiding encampments.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Oakland's new encampment on the west side of town was raided last night, with 14 people being cited and one arrested for trespassing. Dozens of tents were torn down after the property owner asked police to clear the area. Corporate Media is reporting that no one knows how long the encampment had been up, as it was hidden behind a fence.
-- 4 Occupiers were arrested last night in Bellingham when police in riot gear raided the park. 3 people were arrested for trespassing, and 1 more was arrested for disorderly conduct. Roughly 40 people wee in the park at the start of the raid. The Mayor says he agrees with many of the demands of protesters, but complaints of damage were too much.
-- Occupy Tuscon held a food drive right next to another one yesterday, with the other food drive ran by the man who got them ousted from the park. McClusky, the man running the second drive, is happy he got the Occupiers removed, calling them smelly and dirty hippies who need to get jobs at McDonalds, Burger King, or the military. You can read all about this pretentious bastard here, and yes, that is my personal bias coming out: http://www.kold.com/story/16407251/occupy-tucson-holds-food-drive-on-downtown-sidewalk
-- Ten people were arrested in Iowa yesterday, at both the Romney headquarters and at Wells Fargo bank. 7 were arrested for refusing to leave Romney's headquarters, and were cited with trespassing, while 3 more were arrested for the same thing at a Wells Fargo branch, after they snuck in before the doors were locked. Protesters are upset that both Romney and Wells Fargo are not disclosing campaign funding information.
-- At least 4 people were arrested in a third raid on the Occupy Phoenix encampment. They were cited with "urban camping," which is part of the city law codes. Police moved in around 11 p.m., but with only four arrests, this seems to be the least amount in all 3 raids. The first had 38.
-- On December 22, a Marine Corps Veteran was cited for carrying an American Flag during a protest in San Diego. The police say the flag's pole was not within the allowed dimensions of the city's obscure municipal code, and that they could tell just by looking at it.
-- The Auckland City Council is attempting to gain a court order, allowing them to throw Occupiers who defy orders to leave the park in prison. The judge ruled that the proposal was "draconian," and that the legality of imprisonment for unnamed protesters is questionable. She also said that prison should only be used as a last resort, and that since no judges would be on the bench until after the new year, she will not rule on it now. Another court date is set for mid-January.
Here's an interesting read for everyone. Apparently Anonymous has posted a "guide" for people who are caught up in, or about to be part of, a "violent revolution," according to biggovernment.com. You can read the article about it here, complete with links to the actual guide: http://biggovernment.com/driehl/2011/12/29/occupy-linked-hacker-group-anonymous-releases-survival-guide-for-violent-revolution/
That's all I have for today, everyone.
***Solidarity***
I'm still looking for volunteers for my research project or book. Anonymity will be granted if you wish, and all names will be changed. I will be posting more info on it as I work out what I'm looking for.
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, information, or to be part of the research, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
It seems the news is back to "normal," if you consider normal to be arresting protesters and raiding encampments.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Oakland's new encampment on the west side of town was raided last night, with 14 people being cited and one arrested for trespassing. Dozens of tents were torn down after the property owner asked police to clear the area. Corporate Media is reporting that no one knows how long the encampment had been up, as it was hidden behind a fence.
-- 4 Occupiers were arrested last night in Bellingham when police in riot gear raided the park. 3 people were arrested for trespassing, and 1 more was arrested for disorderly conduct. Roughly 40 people wee in the park at the start of the raid. The Mayor says he agrees with many of the demands of protesters, but complaints of damage were too much.
-- Occupy Tuscon held a food drive right next to another one yesterday, with the other food drive ran by the man who got them ousted from the park. McClusky, the man running the second drive, is happy he got the Occupiers removed, calling them smelly and dirty hippies who need to get jobs at McDonalds, Burger King, or the military. You can read all about this pretentious bastard here, and yes, that is my personal bias coming out: http://www.kold.com/story/16407251/occupy-tucson-holds-food-drive-on-downtown-sidewalk
-- Ten people were arrested in Iowa yesterday, at both the Romney headquarters and at Wells Fargo bank. 7 were arrested for refusing to leave Romney's headquarters, and were cited with trespassing, while 3 more were arrested for the same thing at a Wells Fargo branch, after they snuck in before the doors were locked. Protesters are upset that both Romney and Wells Fargo are not disclosing campaign funding information.
-- At least 4 people were arrested in a third raid on the Occupy Phoenix encampment. They were cited with "urban camping," which is part of the city law codes. Police moved in around 11 p.m., but with only four arrests, this seems to be the least amount in all 3 raids. The first had 38.
-- On December 22, a Marine Corps Veteran was cited for carrying an American Flag during a protest in San Diego. The police say the flag's pole was not within the allowed dimensions of the city's obscure municipal code, and that they could tell just by looking at it.
-- The Auckland City Council is attempting to gain a court order, allowing them to throw Occupiers who defy orders to leave the park in prison. The judge ruled that the proposal was "draconian," and that the legality of imprisonment for unnamed protesters is questionable. She also said that prison should only be used as a last resort, and that since no judges would be on the bench until after the new year, she will not rule on it now. Another court date is set for mid-January.
Here's an interesting read for everyone. Apparently Anonymous has posted a "guide" for people who are caught up in, or about to be part of, a "violent revolution," according to biggovernment.com. You can read the article about it here, complete with links to the actual guide: http://biggovernment.com/driehl/2011/12/29/occupy-linked-hacker-group-anonymous-releases-survival-guide-for-violent-revolution/
That's all I have for today, everyone.
***Solidarity***
I'm still looking for volunteers for my research project or book. Anonymity will be granted if you wish, and all names will be changed. I will be posting more info on it as I work out what I'm looking for.
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, information, or to be part of the research, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Updates 12/28/11
Good morning everyone.
The new year is quickly approaching, and it feels like this past one has just flown by. It seems that as the tax season approaches, much of the Corporate Media is talking about the "worth" of the Occupy movement. There are a few reports saying that the top 25 supporters of the movement total 4 Billion dollars. To me, this is a mind trick. To calculate the actual worth of something, you need to take profit minus costs, which means that you can't just add up how much everyone has without taking away what everyone owes. For example, I'm roughly $300,000.00 in debt from health issues and the like. I bet they aren't taking that out of the equation...
Anyway, here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Plymouth (UK) has moved their encampment back into the park, after they were evicted from an old JobCentre building by the landlord. Rough storms are expected to move into the area soon, and protesters are working on what they will do next.
-- Occupy Tuscon, fresh from being disheartened by a judge's ruling for their eviction, are having a food drive and march today. People and pet food will be accepted for the food drive. Occupiers are then heading over to a park for a march for Postal Service workers, as their facility is being threatened with closure, which would cause the loss of roughly 400 union jobs.
-- The Rose Bowl Parade will have a lot more security this year, as several Occupy movements have said they will be at the planned protest of the event. A Bearcat armored vehicle will be deployed, as well as a helicopter or two. Occupiers will be joined by Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan, and will be holding signs from the sidewalk until the end of the parade, at which time they will form a human float and walk behind it. Protesters say the amount of police presence is unnecessary, as they will be completely nonviolent.
-- Occupy Louisville has been given until January 2nd to remove their tents, and they are not happy about it. Protesters are working to file for a temporary injunction against the city, to stop them from evicting them. Louisville officials say that they will grant the Occupiers a new permit, but it will be one that only allows protest during daylight hours, and no tents will be allowed.
-- Oakland has a new Occupy encampment, this time in the west part of town. Occupiers moved into a vacant lot on Tuesday, renaming it the "Cypress Triangle," and more than a dozen tents have already been set up. No word yet on police action, but past encampments have quickly met their demise at the orders of Mayor Jean Quan.
-- The last DC hunger striker is continuing his fast, three weeks in. He says his brain is still working, which makes him feel good, and recent tests showed his kidneys are still functioning properly. His sister, an ICU nurse, is flying in to be with him, as he may need to go into the hospital soon. He, along with the rest of Occupy DC, is fighting for voting and other rights in Congress for the District of Columbia.
-- Also in DC, police were called in to remove another wooden structure from the park last night. This time, no arrests were made, as no one claimed ownership of the 12 foot tall building before it was removed.
-- Huntington city officials gave a first reading of a new possible ordinance in the city yesterday evening, upsetting many members of Occupy Huntington. The new ordinance, should it pass, would not stop protesting, but it would "address other people's rights to access public property," says the city council.
-- Occupy Santa Fe may be moving on soon, but not at the orders of police. Members of the movement say they are concerned with the amount of drinking and drugs, and that some addicts have been threatening the safety of the Occupiers. They say they are worried about the potential for violence, and that those who have left already will not be returning.
-- Occupy Bellingham was given a deadline of this morning to vacate their encampment or be evicted, but there is so far no word on police activity. The Mayor says that even though he agrees with many of the issues brought forth by Occupiers, he has received many complaints from businesses and residents about the encampment.
-- According to McAfee, the huge internet security company, Homeland Security should be paying close attention to Occupiers. The internet security firm says that it is very likely that Occupiers and Anonymous will join forces to strike out at transportation computers and other vulnerable systems. To read more about their predictions and what they believe should be done to counteract these issues, look here: http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111228_8727.php?oref=topnews
That's all the news I have for today, everyone. I am considering doing some independent academic research on the Occupy movement, and possibly using this to publish in an academic journal or book. If you would like to be part of this, and wouldn't mind giving me opinions and possibly answering some surveys or other interviews, please email me at the address below and let me know. I greatly appreciate your help!
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, information, or are interested in taking part in my research, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thank you all so much.
The new year is quickly approaching, and it feels like this past one has just flown by. It seems that as the tax season approaches, much of the Corporate Media is talking about the "worth" of the Occupy movement. There are a few reports saying that the top 25 supporters of the movement total 4 Billion dollars. To me, this is a mind trick. To calculate the actual worth of something, you need to take profit minus costs, which means that you can't just add up how much everyone has without taking away what everyone owes. For example, I'm roughly $300,000.00 in debt from health issues and the like. I bet they aren't taking that out of the equation...
Anyway, here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Plymouth (UK) has moved their encampment back into the park, after they were evicted from an old JobCentre building by the landlord. Rough storms are expected to move into the area soon, and protesters are working on what they will do next.
-- Occupy Tuscon, fresh from being disheartened by a judge's ruling for their eviction, are having a food drive and march today. People and pet food will be accepted for the food drive. Occupiers are then heading over to a park for a march for Postal Service workers, as their facility is being threatened with closure, which would cause the loss of roughly 400 union jobs.
-- The Rose Bowl Parade will have a lot more security this year, as several Occupy movements have said they will be at the planned protest of the event. A Bearcat armored vehicle will be deployed, as well as a helicopter or two. Occupiers will be joined by Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan, and will be holding signs from the sidewalk until the end of the parade, at which time they will form a human float and walk behind it. Protesters say the amount of police presence is unnecessary, as they will be completely nonviolent.
-- Occupy Louisville has been given until January 2nd to remove their tents, and they are not happy about it. Protesters are working to file for a temporary injunction against the city, to stop them from evicting them. Louisville officials say that they will grant the Occupiers a new permit, but it will be one that only allows protest during daylight hours, and no tents will be allowed.
-- Oakland has a new Occupy encampment, this time in the west part of town. Occupiers moved into a vacant lot on Tuesday, renaming it the "Cypress Triangle," and more than a dozen tents have already been set up. No word yet on police action, but past encampments have quickly met their demise at the orders of Mayor Jean Quan.
-- The last DC hunger striker is continuing his fast, three weeks in. He says his brain is still working, which makes him feel good, and recent tests showed his kidneys are still functioning properly. His sister, an ICU nurse, is flying in to be with him, as he may need to go into the hospital soon. He, along with the rest of Occupy DC, is fighting for voting and other rights in Congress for the District of Columbia.
-- Also in DC, police were called in to remove another wooden structure from the park last night. This time, no arrests were made, as no one claimed ownership of the 12 foot tall building before it was removed.
-- Huntington city officials gave a first reading of a new possible ordinance in the city yesterday evening, upsetting many members of Occupy Huntington. The new ordinance, should it pass, would not stop protesting, but it would "address other people's rights to access public property," says the city council.
-- Occupy Santa Fe may be moving on soon, but not at the orders of police. Members of the movement say they are concerned with the amount of drinking and drugs, and that some addicts have been threatening the safety of the Occupiers. They say they are worried about the potential for violence, and that those who have left already will not be returning.
-- Occupy Bellingham was given a deadline of this morning to vacate their encampment or be evicted, but there is so far no word on police activity. The Mayor says that even though he agrees with many of the issues brought forth by Occupiers, he has received many complaints from businesses and residents about the encampment.
-- According to McAfee, the huge internet security company, Homeland Security should be paying close attention to Occupiers. The internet security firm says that it is very likely that Occupiers and Anonymous will join forces to strike out at transportation computers and other vulnerable systems. To read more about their predictions and what they believe should be done to counteract these issues, look here: http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111228_8727.php?oref=topnews
That's all the news I have for today, everyone. I am considering doing some independent academic research on the Occupy movement, and possibly using this to publish in an academic journal or book. If you would like to be part of this, and wouldn't mind giving me opinions and possibly answering some surveys or other interviews, please email me at the address below and let me know. I greatly appreciate your help!
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, information, or are interested in taking part in my research, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thank you all so much.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Updates 12/27/11
Hello everyone.
Happy Kwanzaa!
I'd like to thank Tom for emailing me, and pointing out something I didn't consider in the past. The mainstream media, while still technically mainstream because it's almost all we have, should really have a different name. Corporate Media is what we are dealing with now, so I am going to start referring to them as such. If you see CorpMedia or CM, please know I am referring to one of the many "MSM" media outlets that are now owned by multiple corporations. Thanks, Tom!
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Philly is getting ready for New Year's, with a huge dance party. If you live in the Philly area, and want to join the party, look up their Facebook page. The party will be held at Fake House. If you need directions, they offer their email on the page. Go have fun!
-- Penn State and Houston will be playing each other in Dallas soon, and it's going to be an interesting site. When the teams arrive at the park, they're going to be greeted by none other than the despicable Westboro Baptist Church. Facing off with both the "Church" and the players will be another group of protesters-Occupy Dallas.
-- Occupy Jacksonville is suing the city, saying that protester's free speech rights were taken away when the city threatened to remove their signs. The city had given them until today to remove the items, but they instead decided on litigation.
-- Four Occupiers were arrested in Eugene, after protesters moved to the lawn of a city councilor's house and set up tents. The councilor said he was awakened by protesters ringing his doorbell and yelling late at night. Occupiers were protesting his voting against the Occupy Eugene encampment.
-- Smaller Occupy movements across the country are doing well with making change, surprising many CM news outlets with their successes. Several movements have staved off foreclosures for people's homes, working to stop banks from taking them, and eventually banks have moved to work with the homeowners instead of against them.
Read this. Voter suppression makes me mad. http://www.thenation.com/blog/165356/iowa-gop-seeks-suppress-occupys-uncommitted-caucus-voting
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Happy Kwanzaa!
I'd like to thank Tom for emailing me, and pointing out something I didn't consider in the past. The mainstream media, while still technically mainstream because it's almost all we have, should really have a different name. Corporate Media is what we are dealing with now, so I am going to start referring to them as such. If you see CorpMedia or CM, please know I am referring to one of the many "MSM" media outlets that are now owned by multiple corporations. Thanks, Tom!
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Philly is getting ready for New Year's, with a huge dance party. If you live in the Philly area, and want to join the party, look up their Facebook page. The party will be held at Fake House. If you need directions, they offer their email on the page. Go have fun!
-- Penn State and Houston will be playing each other in Dallas soon, and it's going to be an interesting site. When the teams arrive at the park, they're going to be greeted by none other than the despicable Westboro Baptist Church. Facing off with both the "Church" and the players will be another group of protesters-Occupy Dallas.
-- Occupy Jacksonville is suing the city, saying that protester's free speech rights were taken away when the city threatened to remove their signs. The city had given them until today to remove the items, but they instead decided on litigation.
-- Four Occupiers were arrested in Eugene, after protesters moved to the lawn of a city councilor's house and set up tents. The councilor said he was awakened by protesters ringing his doorbell and yelling late at night. Occupiers were protesting his voting against the Occupy Eugene encampment.
-- Smaller Occupy movements across the country are doing well with making change, surprising many CM news outlets with their successes. Several movements have staved off foreclosures for people's homes, working to stop banks from taking them, and eventually banks have moved to work with the homeowners instead of against them.
Read this. Voter suppression makes me mad. http://www.thenation.com/blog/165356/iowa-gop-seeks-suppress-occupys-uncommitted-caucus-voting
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Updates 12/26/11
Good morning everyone!
As you can see, I'm slowly working back to my old schedule. News is probably going to be interesting again for a little while, as Mainstream media certainly does like to get hooked on one topic and stay there. First it was "OMG Occupiers Black Friday Thanksgiving Blah Blah." Now it's going to be "OMG Occupiers Christmas Blah blah." Right now, I'm thinking "OMG Occupiers I'm COLD!" I'm sitting outside in 30 degree weather typing this with no gloves. No worries, though. I'm on my mom's back porch. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- Rt Reverend Richard Chartres, the third most senior cleric of the Church of England, dropped by the Occupy London encampment to spread good cheer and well wishes yesterday. Delivering a large box of chocolates to Occupiers enjoying their Christmas dinner, he had a few suggestions. While he has asked the protesters to leave, he also asked that there be a way for them to leave a lasting legacy behind so people know what they know why the encampment was there. Suggestions included erecting a tent inside the church, where people could visit for more information, or even a homeless shelter for those who need it.
-- Occupy Wall Street headed over to Zucotti Park to celebrate Christmas, but were "grinched" out by police, who would not allow food to enter the park. Refusing to allow law enforcement to dampen their spirits, protesters instead lined the sidewalks to get their food from the potluck. Plenty of high spirits and music abounded, with children dancing and playing instruments as well. One Occupier said the OWS really catches the true giving spirit of Christmas, which is why she wanted her children to be involved.
-- An Astrologer is predicting the fate of the Occupy movement in Oakland, using the the date of October 10 as its "birthday." She is also looking at Mayor Quan's charts for any intersections. Both birth dates are Libra, and the astrologer says that the charts are interwoven with each other. She says the movement will not die down or go quiet, but that we all need to work together, and many challenges lie ahead. (Kind of a fun story, but is it really news, MSM?)
-- A man claiming to be an Occupier was arrested yesterday in Columbia (SC). He was arrested for public urination after he left a puddle next to the Veteran's Monument in the park. Occupiers say they do not know him, and police believe he may be a homeless man claiming affiliation.
-- As I previously reported, Occupy Berkeley's encampment was raided last Thursday by police. Video and personal accounts abound concerning possible police brutality during the raid, but now there is a twist. With the Berkeley government on vacation for the holiday's, police are claiming they did NOT raid the camp. They are denying involvement in the Occupier's eviction, saying they simply asked protesters to leave, and they did. Even though there is video of tents being thrown into trucks, people being arrested, and a random projectile weapon, police are saying no force was used. (OH COME ON. SERIOUSLY WTF.)
-- Occupy Nashville's encampment had a bit of drama yesterday when a fight broke out in the encampment yesterday, involving two women. One woman was pregnant, and as the fight started, Occupiers attempted to break it up. Concerned over the action unfolding, a news camera man called 911 for help. The pregnant woman was taken to the hospital to be checked out, and police say charges may be filed. Aside from the one fight, Occupy Nashville had a beautiful Christmas Day, with plenty of food and music to be enjoyed by all present.
Apparently Anonymous belongs to Occupy now, if you listen to the mainstream media...
-- An American thinktank that holds millions of credit card numbers, as well as plenty of other forms of information, was hacked by Anonymous yesterday. Anonymous claims to have stolen credit card numbers and emails, with no statement of what they will be used for. Already, consumers have been calling in to say they have unauthorized purchases on their accounts. (The mainstream media is trying to link this to Occupy, saying that this is just dragging the movement down into the criminal world.)
That's all for today, everyone. I hope your holiday was a pleasant one.
***Solidarity***
If you have ny questions, comments, corrections, or other info, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
As you can see, I'm slowly working back to my old schedule. News is probably going to be interesting again for a little while, as Mainstream media certainly does like to get hooked on one topic and stay there. First it was "OMG Occupiers Black Friday Thanksgiving Blah Blah." Now it's going to be "OMG Occupiers Christmas Blah blah." Right now, I'm thinking "OMG Occupiers I'm COLD!" I'm sitting outside in 30 degree weather typing this with no gloves. No worries, though. I'm on my mom's back porch. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- Rt Reverend Richard Chartres, the third most senior cleric of the Church of England, dropped by the Occupy London encampment to spread good cheer and well wishes yesterday. Delivering a large box of chocolates to Occupiers enjoying their Christmas dinner, he had a few suggestions. While he has asked the protesters to leave, he also asked that there be a way for them to leave a lasting legacy behind so people know what they know why the encampment was there. Suggestions included erecting a tent inside the church, where people could visit for more information, or even a homeless shelter for those who need it.
-- Occupy Wall Street headed over to Zucotti Park to celebrate Christmas, but were "grinched" out by police, who would not allow food to enter the park. Refusing to allow law enforcement to dampen their spirits, protesters instead lined the sidewalks to get their food from the potluck. Plenty of high spirits and music abounded, with children dancing and playing instruments as well. One Occupier said the OWS really catches the true giving spirit of Christmas, which is why she wanted her children to be involved.
-- An Astrologer is predicting the fate of the Occupy movement in Oakland, using the the date of October 10 as its "birthday." She is also looking at Mayor Quan's charts for any intersections. Both birth dates are Libra, and the astrologer says that the charts are interwoven with each other. She says the movement will not die down or go quiet, but that we all need to work together, and many challenges lie ahead. (Kind of a fun story, but is it really news, MSM?)
-- A man claiming to be an Occupier was arrested yesterday in Columbia (SC). He was arrested for public urination after he left a puddle next to the Veteran's Monument in the park. Occupiers say they do not know him, and police believe he may be a homeless man claiming affiliation.
-- As I previously reported, Occupy Berkeley's encampment was raided last Thursday by police. Video and personal accounts abound concerning possible police brutality during the raid, but now there is a twist. With the Berkeley government on vacation for the holiday's, police are claiming they did NOT raid the camp. They are denying involvement in the Occupier's eviction, saying they simply asked protesters to leave, and they did. Even though there is video of tents being thrown into trucks, people being arrested, and a random projectile weapon, police are saying no force was used. (OH COME ON. SERIOUSLY WTF.)
-- Occupy Nashville's encampment had a bit of drama yesterday when a fight broke out in the encampment yesterday, involving two women. One woman was pregnant, and as the fight started, Occupiers attempted to break it up. Concerned over the action unfolding, a news camera man called 911 for help. The pregnant woman was taken to the hospital to be checked out, and police say charges may be filed. Aside from the one fight, Occupy Nashville had a beautiful Christmas Day, with plenty of food and music to be enjoyed by all present.
Apparently Anonymous belongs to Occupy now, if you listen to the mainstream media...
-- An American thinktank that holds millions of credit card numbers, as well as plenty of other forms of information, was hacked by Anonymous yesterday. Anonymous claims to have stolen credit card numbers and emails, with no statement of what they will be used for. Already, consumers have been calling in to say they have unauthorized purchases on their accounts. (The mainstream media is trying to link this to Occupy, saying that this is just dragging the movement down into the criminal world.)
That's all for today, everyone. I hope your holiday was a pleasant one.
***Solidarity***
If you have ny questions, comments, corrections, or other info, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Updates 12/25/11
Hello everyone,
Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, and Happy Hanukkah!
There really isn't much news today, aside from the obligatory news stories about Occupiers staying at the encampments over the holidays, and how surprised that makes everyone.
For actual news, we've only got a few things.
-- The Occupy Eugene encampment has mostly been vacated since an eviction was ordered, due to the death of a man in a fight. Police are saying that out-of-towners have been flocking to the area, starting fights, climbing trees, and arguing with officers.
-- Occupy Tuscon has lost their court battle, and will not be allowed back into the park. A judge has ruled that Occupiers did not prove that the city ordinance was invalid, so a temporary restraining order would not be given.
-- Occupy LA may find themselves owing a bit of money, if the City Attorney's office gets their way. The City Attorney may be filing a civil suit against the Occupiers in order to recoup the costs of the movement. The latest numbers are roughly 2.3 million dollars, and the Mainstream media is reporting that the city is not sure where the money would come from if they did sue.
I hope your holiday if going well, whatever you do to celebrate.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other info, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, and Happy Hanukkah!
There really isn't much news today, aside from the obligatory news stories about Occupiers staying at the encampments over the holidays, and how surprised that makes everyone.
For actual news, we've only got a few things.
-- The Occupy Eugene encampment has mostly been vacated since an eviction was ordered, due to the death of a man in a fight. Police are saying that out-of-towners have been flocking to the area, starting fights, climbing trees, and arguing with officers.
-- Occupy Tuscon has lost their court battle, and will not be allowed back into the park. A judge has ruled that Occupiers did not prove that the city ordinance was invalid, so a temporary restraining order would not be given.
-- Occupy LA may find themselves owing a bit of money, if the City Attorney's office gets their way. The City Attorney may be filing a civil suit against the Occupiers in order to recoup the costs of the movement. The latest numbers are roughly 2.3 million dollars, and the Mainstream media is reporting that the city is not sure where the money would come from if they did sue.
I hope your holiday if going well, whatever you do to celebrate.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other info, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Updates 12/24/11
Hello everyone.
My apologies for missing yesterday. I was both ill and suffered from a lack of motivation. The town I'm stuck in will do that to you. Anyway...
Here's the news for today:
-- The man taken to the hospital from the Occupy Eugene encampment has passed away. Occupiers held a candlelight vigil for the man, named Rick Youngblood, as well as other victims of street violence.
-- Michele Bachmann was interrupted again by Occupiers, this time in Iowa City. Roughly 25 Occupy Iowa City protesters mic checked Bachmann, speaking out against her stance of gay rights, taxes, and health care, among other things. Christmas music was used to try and drown out the protesters, but they were still heard loud and clear, telling Bachmann that no one wants her there, and to just go. Police did show up, but no one was arrested.
-- After a judge ruled that protesters statewide could no longer camp on statehouse grounds, Occupy Columbia left, but not without leaving something for South Carolina's Governor. They left a tent for Governor Haley, decorated festively with red and green garland, outside the Governor's home. They sang carols while they placed it.
-- Occupy Berkeley was evicted on Thursday, with Occupiers claiming the police were swift with violence and destruction. An interview with one of Occupy Berkeley's security guards, who is a US Army vet, gives a chilling and eye-opening view of what happened. You can read the interview on Consortium News, here: http://consortiumnews.com/2011/12/23/police-close-berkeleys-occupy-camp/
-- Police were called to the Occupy DC encampment on Thursday for a report of a man assaulting a woman. Upon their arrival, the woman pointed out the man she said attacked her and her friends. The man refused to show ID to police, then fought back when they tried to put him in a police car. He apparently kicked one officer in the groin so hard that the officer vomited on scene and required emergency care, as well as injuring the vertebrae of another officer. They had to use a stun gun on the man at one point, as he bent the police car's door off its frame by kicking it, while screaming slurs at police.
-- Occupy Albany had a huge skirmish with police on Thursday as well. Believing they had an agreement to keep their "info tent" as long as no one slept there, the Occupiers had left it standing. Police and city workers arrived to remove it, angering protesters who then carried it away to City Hall, where they began to have a general assembly. As police again arrived to remove the tent, a tug of war ensued, with police pepper-spraying the crowd and dismantling the tent. While many protesters had red faces and tears in their eyes, police claimed that only two people were sprayed for becoming overly aggressive, by an officer on horseback. (*wide, sweeping spray leaving multiple people in pain* "Oh, I only got 2 of ya, right?")
-- Occupy London will be able to remain at their encampment until after New Year's, as the judge decided to delay the case until January 11th, rather than make a decision based on what he saw during his tour this week.
-- Here's an interesting article concerning Occupy Boston, the BPD, and Twitter. Apparently the Boston Police are trying to subpoena information concerning Twitter users in pursuance of a "criminal investigation. You can read about this oddity here: http://boingboing.net/2011/12/24/boston-pds-bizarre-occupy-su.html
That's all I have time for today. I'm going to go sit with my little brother for a while. For those of you who are unaware, he's terminally ill with Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy. I need to spend as much time with him as I can. :)
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
My apologies for missing yesterday. I was both ill and suffered from a lack of motivation. The town I'm stuck in will do that to you. Anyway...
Here's the news for today:
-- The man taken to the hospital from the Occupy Eugene encampment has passed away. Occupiers held a candlelight vigil for the man, named Rick Youngblood, as well as other victims of street violence.
-- Michele Bachmann was interrupted again by Occupiers, this time in Iowa City. Roughly 25 Occupy Iowa City protesters mic checked Bachmann, speaking out against her stance of gay rights, taxes, and health care, among other things. Christmas music was used to try and drown out the protesters, but they were still heard loud and clear, telling Bachmann that no one wants her there, and to just go. Police did show up, but no one was arrested.
-- After a judge ruled that protesters statewide could no longer camp on statehouse grounds, Occupy Columbia left, but not without leaving something for South Carolina's Governor. They left a tent for Governor Haley, decorated festively with red and green garland, outside the Governor's home. They sang carols while they placed it.
-- Occupy Berkeley was evicted on Thursday, with Occupiers claiming the police were swift with violence and destruction. An interview with one of Occupy Berkeley's security guards, who is a US Army vet, gives a chilling and eye-opening view of what happened. You can read the interview on Consortium News, here: http://consortiumnews.com/2011/12/23/police-close-berkeleys-occupy-camp/
-- Police were called to the Occupy DC encampment on Thursday for a report of a man assaulting a woman. Upon their arrival, the woman pointed out the man she said attacked her and her friends. The man refused to show ID to police, then fought back when they tried to put him in a police car. He apparently kicked one officer in the groin so hard that the officer vomited on scene and required emergency care, as well as injuring the vertebrae of another officer. They had to use a stun gun on the man at one point, as he bent the police car's door off its frame by kicking it, while screaming slurs at police.
-- Occupy Albany had a huge skirmish with police on Thursday as well. Believing they had an agreement to keep their "info tent" as long as no one slept there, the Occupiers had left it standing. Police and city workers arrived to remove it, angering protesters who then carried it away to City Hall, where they began to have a general assembly. As police again arrived to remove the tent, a tug of war ensued, with police pepper-spraying the crowd and dismantling the tent. While many protesters had red faces and tears in their eyes, police claimed that only two people were sprayed for becoming overly aggressive, by an officer on horseback. (*wide, sweeping spray leaving multiple people in pain* "Oh, I only got 2 of ya, right?")
-- Occupy London will be able to remain at their encampment until after New Year's, as the judge decided to delay the case until January 11th, rather than make a decision based on what he saw during his tour this week.
-- Here's an interesting article concerning Occupy Boston, the BPD, and Twitter. Apparently the Boston Police are trying to subpoena information concerning Twitter users in pursuance of a "criminal investigation. You can read about this oddity here: http://boingboing.net/2011/12/24/boston-pds-bizarre-occupy-su.html
That's all I have time for today. I'm going to go sit with my little brother for a while. For those of you who are unaware, he's terminally ill with Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy. I need to spend as much time with him as I can. :)
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Updates 12/22/11
Hello everyone,
I want to let everyone know that due to some odd scheduling, updates may be sketchy in the two days leading up to New Years. Driving to the airport at 3 a.m. tends to make you a little tired. :) I will be updating on Christmas, though it may be later than usual. After New Years, I will be doing a hard reboot on my computer. Let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we? Tomorrow is Festivus, so in case I forget, Happy Festivus. :) Hanukkah is ongoing as well, so Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it.
On to the news for today:
-- Occupiers in Eugene have started leaving their encampment, after the city council voted to evict them. While no citations have been issued yet, Occupiers are split between staying and going, as many in the group are "chronically homeless."
-- Occupy Berkeley had many people leave last night in preparation for the eviction raid, but that raid never came. While police did walk through the encampment several times, only one empty tent was removed, leaving Occupiers confused as to why they chose then to take it.
-- Occupy Tuscon was raided last night, with no reports on arrests. While there has been no violence reported from Tuscon, their encampment has been unequally targeted for citations, with the police department saying they number over 700. The Occupiers are meeting at noon today to discuss further action.
-- Occupy Youngstown protested the brine injection and fracking project set to begin in Hubbard Township yesterday. The protesters say that there are too many unknown results to allow the project to continue, and that current regulations are not enough.
-- Police in Scranton have given Occupiers until noon today to remove their encampment or be evicted. Protesters say they will not disobey police orders, and are having a meeting to discuss plans for further action.
-- Occupy Auckland has lost their appeal to keep their encampment. Their time limit expires at 2:30 p.m. If Occupiers choose to stay after eviction time, officers have been granted the right to cite them for contempt of court.
-- San Francisco State University brought in police to clear out the Occupy encampment yesterday, after they told Occupiers they would not be allowed to stay during the Winter break. Most protesters left willingly, but 10 tents remained around 5 a.m. Police in riot gear showed up to clear them out, and they left peacefully.
-- A war veteran who was smoking a cigarette and talking on his cell phone was approached by Long Beach police yesterday, and told he could not smoke in the park. As he hung up his phone, police wrenched his arms behind his back, placing him in a chokehold until 30 seconds after he went unconscious. This story pisses me right off, so go read about it here: http://www.lbpost.com/news/greggorymoore/12961
-- Occupy Boston has dropped their lawsuit against the city, citing slow moving litigation as an issue with reaching their goals.
That's all the news I have for today.
***Solidarity***
If you have questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
I want to let everyone know that due to some odd scheduling, updates may be sketchy in the two days leading up to New Years. Driving to the airport at 3 a.m. tends to make you a little tired. :) I will be updating on Christmas, though it may be later than usual. After New Years, I will be doing a hard reboot on my computer. Let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we? Tomorrow is Festivus, so in case I forget, Happy Festivus. :) Hanukkah is ongoing as well, so Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it.
On to the news for today:
-- Occupiers in Eugene have started leaving their encampment, after the city council voted to evict them. While no citations have been issued yet, Occupiers are split between staying and going, as many in the group are "chronically homeless."
-- Occupy Berkeley had many people leave last night in preparation for the eviction raid, but that raid never came. While police did walk through the encampment several times, only one empty tent was removed, leaving Occupiers confused as to why they chose then to take it.
-- Occupy Tuscon was raided last night, with no reports on arrests. While there has been no violence reported from Tuscon, their encampment has been unequally targeted for citations, with the police department saying they number over 700. The Occupiers are meeting at noon today to discuss further action.
-- Occupy Youngstown protested the brine injection and fracking project set to begin in Hubbard Township yesterday. The protesters say that there are too many unknown results to allow the project to continue, and that current regulations are not enough.
-- Police in Scranton have given Occupiers until noon today to remove their encampment or be evicted. Protesters say they will not disobey police orders, and are having a meeting to discuss plans for further action.
-- Occupy Auckland has lost their appeal to keep their encampment. Their time limit expires at 2:30 p.m. If Occupiers choose to stay after eviction time, officers have been granted the right to cite them for contempt of court.
-- San Francisco State University brought in police to clear out the Occupy encampment yesterday, after they told Occupiers they would not be allowed to stay during the Winter break. Most protesters left willingly, but 10 tents remained around 5 a.m. Police in riot gear showed up to clear them out, and they left peacefully.
-- A war veteran who was smoking a cigarette and talking on his cell phone was approached by Long Beach police yesterday, and told he could not smoke in the park. As he hung up his phone, police wrenched his arms behind his back, placing him in a chokehold until 30 seconds after he went unconscious. This story pisses me right off, so go read about it here: http://www.lbpost.com/news/greggorymoore/12961
-- Occupy Boston has dropped their lawsuit against the city, citing slow moving litigation as an issue with reaching their goals.
That's all the news I have for today.
***Solidarity***
If you have questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Updates 12/21/11
Hello everyone,
I hope everyone is having a fairly stress-free holiday season so far, and if not, you should calm down a bit. :)
Here is the news for today:
-- Tim Pool, famous for his never-ending livestreams in NYC, has invested in a little something to help Occupiers who may be assaulted by police. The Occucopter, as he calls it, is a tiny helicopter controlled by an iPhone. It has a camera, and Tim has made it so the video will be livestreamed when he sends it up.
-- Occupy Eugene has an eviction in their future. City council members told police to remove the encampment, but did not say when. The city says this is a result of the fighting that broke out at the encampment on Monday.
-- The eviction of Occupy Auckland is heading to the appeals court. The group had been given 48 hours to evacuate the public square, with the eviction citing damage to the square and the breaching of bylaws.
-- Occupy Richmond has left the home of the mayor's neighbor, after he requested they do so. The neighbor had offered his land to the Occupiers to help them display their First Amendment rights, but the city issued a citation for violating zoning laws. Although he asked the protesters to leave, he did thank them for being responsible guests. Occupiers believe the zoning citation was just another form of harassment felt by the movement, and that it was unfair.
-- An amazing show of solidarity came through from China yesterday, as over 30,000 Chinese occupied a highway in protest of a new coal plant. News reports came in of at least 2 deaths in clashes with police, with several arrested, but reports are spotty.
-- Occupy DC had 7 more arrests yesterday, when protesters sat down on the sidewalk outside the White House, and refused to leave. They were demonstrating against the NDAA, and many said they would not be voting for President Obama unless he vetoed it.
That's all I have for today. Sorry about the short post; it can be difficult to focus here.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
I hope everyone is having a fairly stress-free holiday season so far, and if not, you should calm down a bit. :)
Here is the news for today:
-- Tim Pool, famous for his never-ending livestreams in NYC, has invested in a little something to help Occupiers who may be assaulted by police. The Occucopter, as he calls it, is a tiny helicopter controlled by an iPhone. It has a camera, and Tim has made it so the video will be livestreamed when he sends it up.
-- Occupy Eugene has an eviction in their future. City council members told police to remove the encampment, but did not say when. The city says this is a result of the fighting that broke out at the encampment on Monday.
-- The eviction of Occupy Auckland is heading to the appeals court. The group had been given 48 hours to evacuate the public square, with the eviction citing damage to the square and the breaching of bylaws.
-- Occupy Richmond has left the home of the mayor's neighbor, after he requested they do so. The neighbor had offered his land to the Occupiers to help them display their First Amendment rights, but the city issued a citation for violating zoning laws. Although he asked the protesters to leave, he did thank them for being responsible guests. Occupiers believe the zoning citation was just another form of harassment felt by the movement, and that it was unfair.
-- An amazing show of solidarity came through from China yesterday, as over 30,000 Chinese occupied a highway in protest of a new coal plant. News reports came in of at least 2 deaths in clashes with police, with several arrested, but reports are spotty.
-- Occupy DC had 7 more arrests yesterday, when protesters sat down on the sidewalk outside the White House, and refused to leave. They were demonstrating against the NDAA, and many said they would not be voting for President Obama unless he vetoed it.
That's all I have for today. Sorry about the short post; it can be difficult to focus here.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Updates 12/20/11
Hello everyone,
The LA Times posted an interesting blog concerning the new Dark Knight movie, and how it seems to directly correspond to the Occupy movement. While it may be a stretch, considering that protesters don't exactly blow up football fields during games, it still makes some interesting points, and has the trailer attached. You can look it over here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/12/dark-knight-rises-trailer-nolan-batman.html
So, here is the news for today:
-- Plenty of mainstream media outlets are reporting that the Occupy Denver encampment went out in a blaze of glory last night. Apparently as police moved in to evict protesters, two Occupiers apparently began to set fire to structures, leading the fire department to have to douse the flames. Those two were arrested for arson, and two more were arrested for disobeying police orders. Several Occupiers dropped to one knee in "Tebow" style, before singing "God Bless America" and retreating.
-- Occupy Iowa had 8 arrests yesterday for trespassing, as they protested at the Iowa Democratic Party Headquarters. They are unsatisfied with measures concerning defense spending, jobless benefits, and a proposed oil pipeline. Occupiers say they did not intend to be arrested, but they wanted to attract attention to what's going on.
-- An older man was taken to the hospital from the Occupy Eugene encampment this morning, suffering from life-threatening injuries that required CPR early this morning. Police don't yet know what happened to the man, but they are assuming it was a fight of some sort.
-- Occupy Oakland may have problems if they decide on another port shutdown. Several city council members have made it clear that the cost of a port shutdown outweighs the cost of confrontation, so they will be sending in police to stop protesters the next time it happens. They say that the economic consequences of the port shutdown was roughly 4 million dollars, and that the city cannot afford for this to happen again. (Freedom of speech costs too much, apparently.)
-- Occupy DC had 11 arrests last night while marching to protest the NDAA. The protesters who were arrested had apparently gotten "too close" to the White House gates. Occupiers demanded the President Obama veto the bill.
-- Harvard had a visit from some "Occu-elves" yesterday, as Occupiers scampered around campus delivering gift-wrapped coal to the men they called the "Naughty boys of Harvard." A great little video of the deliveries accompanies the story. You can see it here: http://bostinno.com/2011/12/19/occupy-harvard-rips-administration-delivers-coal-to-the-naughty-boys-of-harvard-video/
-- Occupy London has moved into a fourth location, claiming a courthouse that has sat vacant since 1996. The Old Street Courthouse is in a prime location, and protesters will use it to stage "trials of the 1%." The currently have a case in the High Courts as well, fighting off eviction of their encampment outside St. Paul's Cathedral.
-- Police in Albany are looking for a suspect accused of assaulting an Occupy Albany member while he slept in his tent on Sunday. The man was awakened by someone entering his tent, and was kicked in the face and punched several times before the attacker fled. The victim required treatment at a local hospital. Police say they know who the attacker is, and that the assault was the result of a continuing domestic dispute.
-- Occupy Brattleboro (VT) had their encampment removed yesterday, after police found out the tents were only being used for storage or had been abandoned, during a welfare check. They say no one was staying at the encampment, and they had never formally asked Occupiers to leave. (Well... that's quite odd.)
That's all I have time for today. Tomorrow, I will be visiting my mother, and will be reporting from her town, up north. We'll be pretty close to St. Louis, in a crappy town no one knows about. :)
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
The LA Times posted an interesting blog concerning the new Dark Knight movie, and how it seems to directly correspond to the Occupy movement. While it may be a stretch, considering that protesters don't exactly blow up football fields during games, it still makes some interesting points, and has the trailer attached. You can look it over here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/12/dark-knight-rises-trailer-nolan-batman.html
So, here is the news for today:
-- Plenty of mainstream media outlets are reporting that the Occupy Denver encampment went out in a blaze of glory last night. Apparently as police moved in to evict protesters, two Occupiers apparently began to set fire to structures, leading the fire department to have to douse the flames. Those two were arrested for arson, and two more were arrested for disobeying police orders. Several Occupiers dropped to one knee in "Tebow" style, before singing "God Bless America" and retreating.
-- Occupy Iowa had 8 arrests yesterday for trespassing, as they protested at the Iowa Democratic Party Headquarters. They are unsatisfied with measures concerning defense spending, jobless benefits, and a proposed oil pipeline. Occupiers say they did not intend to be arrested, but they wanted to attract attention to what's going on.
-- An older man was taken to the hospital from the Occupy Eugene encampment this morning, suffering from life-threatening injuries that required CPR early this morning. Police don't yet know what happened to the man, but they are assuming it was a fight of some sort.
-- Occupy Oakland may have problems if they decide on another port shutdown. Several city council members have made it clear that the cost of a port shutdown outweighs the cost of confrontation, so they will be sending in police to stop protesters the next time it happens. They say that the economic consequences of the port shutdown was roughly 4 million dollars, and that the city cannot afford for this to happen again. (Freedom of speech costs too much, apparently.)
-- Occupy DC had 11 arrests last night while marching to protest the NDAA. The protesters who were arrested had apparently gotten "too close" to the White House gates. Occupiers demanded the President Obama veto the bill.
-- Harvard had a visit from some "Occu-elves" yesterday, as Occupiers scampered around campus delivering gift-wrapped coal to the men they called the "Naughty boys of Harvard." A great little video of the deliveries accompanies the story. You can see it here: http://bostinno.com/2011/12/19/occupy-harvard-rips-administration-delivers-coal-to-the-naughty-boys-of-harvard-video/
-- Occupy London has moved into a fourth location, claiming a courthouse that has sat vacant since 1996. The Old Street Courthouse is in a prime location, and protesters will use it to stage "trials of the 1%." The currently have a case in the High Courts as well, fighting off eviction of their encampment outside St. Paul's Cathedral.
-- Police in Albany are looking for a suspect accused of assaulting an Occupy Albany member while he slept in his tent on Sunday. The man was awakened by someone entering his tent, and was kicked in the face and punched several times before the attacker fled. The victim required treatment at a local hospital. Police say they know who the attacker is, and that the assault was the result of a continuing domestic dispute.
-- Occupy Brattleboro (VT) had their encampment removed yesterday, after police found out the tents were only being used for storage or had been abandoned, during a welfare check. They say no one was staying at the encampment, and they had never formally asked Occupiers to leave. (Well... that's quite odd.)
That's all I have time for today. Tomorrow, I will be visiting my mother, and will be reporting from her town, up north. We'll be pretty close to St. Louis, in a crappy town no one knows about. :)
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Updates 12/19/11
Good afternoon everyone.
I'm pretty sure the MSM (mainstream media) is doing its best NOT to cover the Occupy movement again. It's getting more difficult to find information through them, and even though they aren't my only source, it can be difficult to figure out where to look without their (shoddy) coverage. Anyway, I'll keep doing my best. I am feeling better, but now my sleep schedule is all sorts of messed up. That's why I've been posting so late recently.
Also, in case you live under a rock (kidding), the Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, has died.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy London is in the courts this week, fighting against eviction. The officials pushing for eviction claim the encampment is full of crime, and encourages drug addicts to join. They say it is unfair to worshipers who visit the cathedral. The judge will be visiting the encampment tonight to help him decide his ruling. Some protesters aren't waiting for the ruling, and are packing up and leaving.
-- A man in Portland (OR) was arrested yesterday during a rally against the NDAA, after he spit in a security guard's face. The security guard had asked them to leave the mall when a confrontation ensued, leading to the man spitting on the officer. Two others were arrested the day before for interfering with police and resisting arrest.
-- Occupy Phoenix is in front of a local hospital now. The are protesting the Sheriff's Office's treatment of a man who was being booked before having to be taken to the hospital. The Sheriff's Office said the man, Ernest Atencio, was acting violently, so after attempting restraint they used a stun gun. Ernest Atencio was then found to be unresponsive, and taken to the hospital, where he is now on life support.
-- Occupy Austin is camping out in front of a building where a school board meeting will soon be held. They are holding places in line for parents that cannot camp, so that they can be the first 30 to sign up to attend the meeting. Each protester has the name of a parent or student who will take their place in line, so they will be allowed to speak during the meeting. One issue being discussed is the possible removal of the bilingual education programming. (As a linguist, this infuriates me. Latino students already have the highest high school dropout rate of all ethnicities, so let's make it even harder on them, shall we? I just did a full research paper concerning bilingual education, and my findings lead me to believe that not only is bilingual education better than immersion programs, but it is also extremely important to the well-being and future academic success of a bilingual child. Damn, school boards, look into a little research before you make decisions that will affect the lives of thousands of children.)
-- The streets of San Diego were filled with a march to support Bradley Manning on Saturday, calling him a whistleblower who should be celebrated as a war hero, not punished. (Not Dave NC- I did receive your emails, and I agree with them. I didn't think I would be right so soon.)
-- Occupy Fort Lauderdale is moving to protest the foreclosure of a home that houses a family of seven. Wells Fargo Bank is looking to serve their final eviction notice to the family, but not without some controversy. Apparently, the family has the money to pay the overdue charges, but the bank is refusing to take the money. Instead, they are going to take the home.
Author's rant- How is this even legal? This is why we shouldn't have banks or money in politics. I owe a debt. I have money to pay the debt. You won't take the money. HOW IS THIS MY FAULT? I cannot stand to watch this sort of stupidity take place. I know why Wells Fargo won't take the money. It's simple really. The homeowner has already paid a large amount of the debt off, meaning that Wells Fargo has received lots of money. Therefore, if they take the house, they get to keep all that money that they made, while they can sell the house again, and make more money off the next person who buys it. It's a freaking scheme, and it should be completely illegal. I have a proposition. How about for all foreclosures, we make the banks pay the homeowners back what they've paid in, minus the amount for repairs (which of course should be judged by a non-party contractor) and possible rent costs. So if a bank charges you $1000 a month for your mortgage payment, and you've paid in for twenty months, you've paid $20,000. Say the contractor judges $2000 for repairs. Ok, so there is $18,000 left. Now reasonable rent for said home is around $500 a month, for twenty months, which equals $10,000. So the bank should have to pay the homeowner back $8,000. Let's call it a "You're a frickin jerk and now you have to pay for it" law. :) Yes, I know this probably wouldn't ever work, but isn't it a nice thought? Banks would be a lot less willing to swipe someone's home out from under them if they had to pay them to do it.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
I'm pretty sure the MSM (mainstream media) is doing its best NOT to cover the Occupy movement again. It's getting more difficult to find information through them, and even though they aren't my only source, it can be difficult to figure out where to look without their (shoddy) coverage. Anyway, I'll keep doing my best. I am feeling better, but now my sleep schedule is all sorts of messed up. That's why I've been posting so late recently.
Also, in case you live under a rock (kidding), the Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, has died.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy London is in the courts this week, fighting against eviction. The officials pushing for eviction claim the encampment is full of crime, and encourages drug addicts to join. They say it is unfair to worshipers who visit the cathedral. The judge will be visiting the encampment tonight to help him decide his ruling. Some protesters aren't waiting for the ruling, and are packing up and leaving.
-- A man in Portland (OR) was arrested yesterday during a rally against the NDAA, after he spit in a security guard's face. The security guard had asked them to leave the mall when a confrontation ensued, leading to the man spitting on the officer. Two others were arrested the day before for interfering with police and resisting arrest.
-- Occupy Phoenix is in front of a local hospital now. The are protesting the Sheriff's Office's treatment of a man who was being booked before having to be taken to the hospital. The Sheriff's Office said the man, Ernest Atencio, was acting violently, so after attempting restraint they used a stun gun. Ernest Atencio was then found to be unresponsive, and taken to the hospital, where he is now on life support.
-- Occupy Austin is camping out in front of a building where a school board meeting will soon be held. They are holding places in line for parents that cannot camp, so that they can be the first 30 to sign up to attend the meeting. Each protester has the name of a parent or student who will take their place in line, so they will be allowed to speak during the meeting. One issue being discussed is the possible removal of the bilingual education programming. (As a linguist, this infuriates me. Latino students already have the highest high school dropout rate of all ethnicities, so let's make it even harder on them, shall we? I just did a full research paper concerning bilingual education, and my findings lead me to believe that not only is bilingual education better than immersion programs, but it is also extremely important to the well-being and future academic success of a bilingual child. Damn, school boards, look into a little research before you make decisions that will affect the lives of thousands of children.)
-- The streets of San Diego were filled with a march to support Bradley Manning on Saturday, calling him a whistleblower who should be celebrated as a war hero, not punished. (Not Dave NC- I did receive your emails, and I agree with them. I didn't think I would be right so soon.)
-- Occupy Fort Lauderdale is moving to protest the foreclosure of a home that houses a family of seven. Wells Fargo Bank is looking to serve their final eviction notice to the family, but not without some controversy. Apparently, the family has the money to pay the overdue charges, but the bank is refusing to take the money. Instead, they are going to take the home.
Author's rant- How is this even legal? This is why we shouldn't have banks or money in politics. I owe a debt. I have money to pay the debt. You won't take the money. HOW IS THIS MY FAULT? I cannot stand to watch this sort of stupidity take place. I know why Wells Fargo won't take the money. It's simple really. The homeowner has already paid a large amount of the debt off, meaning that Wells Fargo has received lots of money. Therefore, if they take the house, they get to keep all that money that they made, while they can sell the house again, and make more money off the next person who buys it. It's a freaking scheme, and it should be completely illegal. I have a proposition. How about for all foreclosures, we make the banks pay the homeowners back what they've paid in, minus the amount for repairs (which of course should be judged by a non-party contractor) and possible rent costs. So if a bank charges you $1000 a month for your mortgage payment, and you've paid in for twenty months, you've paid $20,000. Say the contractor judges $2000 for repairs. Ok, so there is $18,000 left. Now reasonable rent for said home is around $500 a month, for twenty months, which equals $10,000. So the bank should have to pay the homeowner back $8,000. Let's call it a "You're a frickin jerk and now you have to pay for it" law. :) Yes, I know this probably wouldn't ever work, but isn't it a nice thought? Banks would be a lot less willing to swipe someone's home out from under them if they had to pay them to do it.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Updates 12/18/11
Good afternoon everyone.
There isn't much news today. Sorry about that, but let's just call it "news light" or "news for those on a budget." :)
Here you go:
-- A group of women is traveling around malls in San Diego, singing carols to shoppers. The group, called "Women Occupy San Diego," describe themselves as middle class and middle aged. Their carols warn people of the perils of corporations, and so far they have received much support.
The big news today is:
-- Around 50 members of Occupy Wall Street were arrested yesterday when they attempted to gain a new encampment at the Trinity Church. Protesters scaled the fence with a ladder, or used the ladder to lift the fence so they could go underneath it. Hundreds of others marched nearby, and police tackled protesters in the crowd, arresting some of them for unknown reasons. Among those arrested at the Church lot were several religious leaders, including a Father, a Priest, and a Bishop. They say that they believe the church should open its lot to those who need it, and that not doing so goes against the teachings of Jesus.
I told you the news was short. But in reality, sometimes that may be a good thing. A lack of news may mean that the mainstream media is ignoring what is going on, or it may mean that most Occupiers were left in peace for a night, to gather and share thoughts and plans. Let's hope it is the latter.
***Solidarity***
If you have questions, comments, corrections, or information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Updates 12/17/11
Good afternoon everyone,
I slept in a bit, and my head isn't nearly as bad today. Yay!
I got a great email this morning from Tom up in Minnesota. It's a little long, but definitely worth a read.
Here it is:
"Hello: This blog is a much needed service. Thank you, and good luck with your exams.
I live in a small town in rural Minnesota. For my first Occupy, I decided to Occupy Franchise Agreement.
One of America's best kept secrets lies with the city franchise agreement with cable/telco cartel. Title 47 Ch 5 SubCh V-A Part II Section 531 Cable Channels For Public, Educational, or Governmental Use.
PEG stands for Public, Education, Government local access television station. In return for running cable to customers, city receives franchise fees, which must include PEG equipment, facilities and assistance in creating television shows to be broadcast over cable channels.
Cable/telco cartel dictates franchise terms. Communities like mine want franchise fees, but are unwilling to fight for a studio for Public to create content for the Public aspect of PEG channel legislation.
I won the battle, and the cable cartel in central Minnesota waived their franchise agreement to permit access by residents to make use of a studio far away. Hey, it's a beginning, right?
Occupy My World (my local Occupy movement) now has initiated an outreach campaign to reach those who can watch local access tv channel, but don't know how to use the Internet. Nice, eh?
An important aspect of this effort, is the need to move all content to www.archive.org repository. This protects all works under a Public Domain license, and at the same time, is mirrored by the Great Library of Alexandria, available to the world for generations to come. One URL that won't change, regardless of what corporate America tries to do.
Anyone interested in discussing strategy to open up their local access tv channel to Occupy movement, feel free to email me."What a great idea! If you want to speak with Tom, email me and I will get you in touch with him. So, here's your news for today:
-- Bradley Manning was finally in court yesterday, and many Occupy supporters traveled long distances to rally for him. Yesterday marked the beginning of his likely 8 day trial. If Manning is convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
-- Occupy Olympia was evicted twice yesterday, once from their encampment, and once from a nearby building.
-- Occupy Louisville is essentially being evicted on January 1st. While the city has agreed to grant them a permit, they will only do so with the added stipulation of "no tents allowed." For Louisville, this is difficult, since they have a working kitchen tent, security tent, and media tent. The Homeless Coalition in town is unhappy with the new addition as well, as the Occupiers have been happily helping the homeless population from Day 1.
-- UC Riverside has released the results of a California Occupy study. They found that there are over 150 Occupy camps in CA, and that they are equally distributed throughout the whole state. Next up in the study will be examining the voting patterns of cities that have Occupiers.
-- Occupy Oakland had 3 arrests after a standoff with police yesterday afternoon. Protesters brought in "overnight lodging items," which are prohibited from the park. After the standoff, police removed the items and arrested the 3, on charges of refusing to show ID, and obstructing police.
-- Also in Oakland, it seems the Mayor can't take the heat. Mayor Quan is disabling her public Facebook page, saying that it is too much for her and her staff to handle, with all the negative comments and personal attacks.
I know this was short, but that's all I have for today. I tend to get a little irritable when Bradley Manning is brought up... It affects my concentration and mood. *sigh* Our government sucks.
***Solidarity***
If you have questions, comments, corrections, or other information (or to get a hold of Tom), please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Updates 12/16/11
Good morning everyone.
This morning I woke up feeling a little better. I'm still mostly stuffed up, but now I have the added bonus of sneezing every two or three minutes. It's kind of funny if you really think about it. I made some homemade food for my cat today, and she sat there watching, running every time I sneezed. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- My apologies to Jon for not getting this up yesterday. Here is an article about Occupy Norfolk being denied access to their senator's office, after a representative initially agreed to meet them. http://hamptonroads.com/2011/12/4-arrested-norfolk-occupy-protest-over-military-detention
-- Occupy Nashville has had their power cut off by the Fire Marshal. The Marshal claims that the single outlet was so overloaded that it melted. Protesters offered to hire an electrician to fix the outlet, but the city padlocked it instead. Occupiers are calling for donations of car and marine batteries, and are bringing in generators.
-- The HuffPost is reporting that Occupy Wall Street is working on "Occupation 2.0" for the three month anniversary of the movement. They are planning on occupying a piece of land owned by the Trinity Church this Saturday. To read the article and watch the video, click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/16/occupy-wall-street-occupation-2_n_1153249.html
-- Occupy Eugene had a visitor yesterday, when Santa showed up to give "gifts" to the protesters. In an apparent prank by a local radio show, Santa was filmed handing out soap, job applications, and flea shampoo to the Occupiers, asking them to get a job and take showers. The radio show claims it was meant to be lighthearted humor, but several occupiers were not amused, replying that they did indeed have employment or served in the military. You can watch the video here: http://www.kval.com/news/local/Santa-crashes-Occupy-Eugene-camp-135701078.html
-- Police raided the Occupy Allentown (PA) encampment early this morning, slicing through tents and tarps with knives. (Very reminiscent of what happened to us here at Occupy Carbondale in our first week.) Around 2:30 a.m., police told them to remove their items, and then moved in around 3 a.m. to remove things themselves. Occupiers were told they would be able to collect personal belongings at a later date, but most things were thrown into a dump truck.
-- Occupy UC Berkeley, among others, visited a forum that had Mayor Jean Quan as a speaker yesterday. Every time she would speak, Occupiers would comment on her speech, interrupt her and call for a recall. George Lakoff, Professor of Cognitive Linguistics at UC Berkeley was present, and he commented that she was heckled, but that it was not that bad. (Excuse me for a moment... OMG DR. LAKOFF EEEEK! :D...... My apologies.. I am a Linguist, and he is quite the big hat in the field... *cough* Ok, moving on.)
-- Chalk is now a crime in Orlando, as an Occupier was arrested for writing on the sidewalk with it. The young man was writing "The revolution will not be televised" when he was arrested and charged with violating an ordinance that prohibits the writing or painting on sidewalks or paved streets. (Just think of all the 8 year olds they must have locked up right now for hopscotch.)
-- A police officer caught on camera shoving a protester off a row of planters back in November has been suspended... for a day. He was working an off-duty security job at the time of the incident, and as a result, he has also been banned from off-duty work for two months.
-- Occupy Harvard will be taking down their tents at some point in the next week, but their geodesic dome will remain in place. A gift from supporters at rival school MIT, the dome has been a show of solidarity and warmth, as they added tarps to make it a safe haven for protesters. Occupiers are moving into what they call Occupy Harvard 2.0.
-- Occupy Chicago is facing some troubled waters, thanks to the Mayor of the city. With the G8 and NATO conference coming in May (15-22, if you are interested), the Mayor says he is considering adding strict rules to prevent protesters from marching and camping. Occupiers have applied for permits to march, but the Mayor has yet to accept them. He is talking about adding huge fines and arrests, as well as further limiting park hours.
I graduate with my Bachelor's Degree on May 12th. You are all invited. :) I definitely want to go up to Chi-town for this. How about you?
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other info, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
No Updates today.
Sorry about this. I went out for a drink last night (which I only do about 3 times a year) and ended up standing in the rain for a while. My head cold has gotten to the point that I can't breathe through my nose, and my head is killing me. It was a bad idea to go out. I remember why I don't do that very often. I'm going back to bed for a while. Bleehhh.
News will be back tomorrow morning. Promise.
--Kitty
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Updates 12/14/11
Good morning everyone.
Hard to believe it's almost 2012. I don't know about you, but this year is moving awful fast for me.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Tulsa was told to remove their tents yesterday, after a sergeant and some back up cited an ordinance. Apparently the ordinance was against sleeping in tents, but no one was sleeping in them. When the news station KRMG later called the police department to find out what happened, they were informed that the sergeant had already gone home for the day, and that all high-ranking officers and supervisory officers had no knowledge of the event. (So the sergeant acted without any permission?)
-- UC Davis and UC Berkeley officials are under the microscope today, as legislators are holding a hearing to figure out what happened at the individual protests. UC Davis is famous for the pepper-spraying incident, in which an officer (who is now on leave) walked down a line of sitting students while sweeping a line of pepper spray into their faces at point blank range. UC Berkeley had its moment when police used batons on students and teachers alike, dragging a female professor by her hair at least ten feet, and beating US Poet Laureate Robert Haas with batons. State legislators are extremely unhappy with the way the linked colleges have handled the events.
-- A cameraman who was struck with a beanbag by police while filming has found that the officer who shot him has been reassigned during the internal investigation. According to the police's own policies, a beanbag may only be shot with a supervisor's permission, and the person shot must be transported to a hospital. The cameraman was not transported to a hospital, nor has he been spoken to about the investigation. He is suing the police department.
-- Occupy Portland was locked out of an EGT building yesterday after they went to speak with the company about their continued labor disputes with longshore workers. When protesters went to enter the building, the doors were locked, and one woman working inside flipped them of. (Professional.) When the Occupiers called the office, they were told that the company would not send a representative down to speak with them. One protester, who made his way in another way, sat down and refused to leave, but was removed by police.
--- The Port of Oakland is reporting between 4-8 million dollars lost due to the port shutdown on Monday. Truck drivers have mixed feelings about the protests. Some say they support the movements goals. Others say they don't understand, because they are the ones losing paychecks, and they are the 99% as well. For every day that truck drivers are late delivering cargo, regardless of reason, they can be charged $100.
-- Occupy NOLA lost their temporary restraining order yesterday, with a judge saying they did not properly prove their case. Earlier that morning, two police officers, under the impression that Occupiers had violated the terms of the restraining order, drove around the camp at 5 a.m. with loudspeakers, using fake Russian accents to call the protesters "Comrades," and say they had violated the order.
-- Occupy KC has banned a protester from their encampment, following revelations of his sexual impropriety. The man is facing charges of first degree rape, and has many other allegations against him by women, including stalking and harassment. Part of the statement released by Occupy KC reads "We feel that Michael's actions have revoked his ability to have any involvement, at any level, with Occupy Kansas City. Our hope is that this action coupled with the many previous actions of other activists and community members will encourage Michael to seek the help that many of us believe he needs.
Occupy Kansas City takes the safety of our community very seriously. We seek to continue to create a space for people of all colors, sexes, sexual preferences, classes and religions to assemble peacefully. Thank you for your continued support.
In solidarity,
Occupy KC"
-- Occupy Chicago is joining up with teachers to prevent the closing of several schools, and the "turnaround" of many others. The Chicago Teacher's Union is unhappy with both plans, as closing schools would simply cause children to be bused to another underfunded district, and "turnaround" includes the firing of all teachers, requiring them to reapply for their positions. The Mayor wants to increase the number of charter, or private, schools in Chicago.
-- In an interesting twist, Russia is condemning the United States for their use of force and "unjustified cruelty" against peaceful protesters. Konstantin Dolgov, Russia's foreign ministry's Human Rights envoy, clearly stated that he believes the Occupy movement's actions have been mostly peaceful, and that it is the authorities using undue violence against them.
That's all I have today. I hope everyone is doing well. I have an exam this afternoon. Wish me luck!
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other info, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks. :)
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Updates 12/13/11
Good afternoon everyone.
The temperatures here have been fluctuating again. It was fifty degrees yesterday, and today it's in the forties and raining. All that means only one thing for me- I've got a head cold again. Yuck. Anyway...
Here's the news for today:
-- An interesting article concerning truck drivers and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers' Association was sent in my Mrs. Hrabak. It explains some views of both truck drivers and the ports. You can read it here: http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2011/Dec11/121211/121211-02.shtml
-- The Daily Caller is reporting that as of December 12, Occupy movements in 94 cities have sustained 5,425 confirmed arrests.
-- Goldman Sachs is cancelling classes. The huge business usually holds recruitment and financing classes at several Ivy League schools, but have been cancelling events, even since Occupy Harvard attempted to access a recruitment meeting. They have been citing the closeness to exams and other reasons. Business Week also reports that Goldman Sachs port activities can add up to 705 million dollars a day, and that students are frustrated with their schools for trying to force them into the financial market, rather than into public service sectors.
-- Occupy OKC has lost their court case. They had filed for a temporary injunction to prevent arrests and eviction. They have a midnight curfew, but police say there is immediate plan to enforce it.
-- An Occupy Orlando protester was arrested for resisting arrest without violence and jaywalking as he crossed the street. A police officer told him to stop, and when he didn't, they tackled him to the ground. (Jaywalking is such a serious crime now.)
-- 2 arrests were reported at the Occupy Oakland port march, for blocking port traffic after being told to move. An afternoon march was led by recovering veteran Scott Olsen.
-- Occupy Pittsburgh will be in court December 22, as BNY Mellon has issued eviction notices to the group. Occupiers initially refused to sign the notice, which led to the group being granted permission to post it instead.
-- Occupy Seattle dealt with flash bangs and pepper spray when they shut down one of the Port of Seattle's terminals. Police say Occupiers were throwing things, such as sticks, and bags of bricks. One officer was apparently injured when he was struck by a bag of paint.
-- 4 were arrested in San Diego for blocking the entrance to a port.
-- Occupiers in San Francisco marched to the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) Center to protest some of the group's actions. They cited the high rates of unemployment and homelessness in the LGBT population, and called out the HRC for abandoning Transgender people. In the past, the HRC agreed to support legislature that prevented discrimination against gays and lesbians, but neglected to fight for gender identity, making it still legal for many employers to discriminate against Transgender people.
-- Over a dozen Occupy Denver protesters were arrested at a Walmart Distribution Center. Occupiers waved signs stating that Walmart deliberately pays low wages, and that the company is hurting America. Police say no officers were injured, and one protester complained of minor injuries.
-- Occupy Houston moved to the port yesterday, and was faced with 20 arrests for laying in the street. Firefighters had to cut the protesters apart, as they had linked themselves together with PVC pipe.
-- Around 12 people were arrested in Bellingham (Washington) when Occupiers locked themselves to the railroad tracks in protest. Police used a hand saw to try to cut them apart, until they were finally given the keys.
-- Occupy Baltimore was raided last night, with no arrests. Of the 30 people camping at the park, 23 were taken to shelters. Protesters said that the police who raided the camp were the same that they had spoken with previously, and many of them seemed apologetic and unhappy about having to remove them.
*Author's (Long) Note :
One of the major factors in criticizing the Occupy movement has been the "lack of racial diversity," especially concerning African Americans, found in the encampments and meetings. And to be honest, they are right, but not for the reasons they think. The Occupy movement started when the "privileged whites" (I'll explain what I mean by that in a minute) began to feel what African American people have been feeling for decades.
As someone who studies racial stratification, and someone with eyes, I can tell you that racism is alive and well in this country. Schools that have the most African American students are likely to be the least funded, have the worst teachers, and produce students who are less likely to succeed. Is this because of the students' lack of ability? Hell no it isn't. These students have just the same amount of potential as a white or Asian student. They are not given the same opportunities.
"Privileged whites" sounds like a term that an angry minority would use, when in fact it is something we all should recognize exists. If you are Caucasian, how many of you think of yourself as white first, gender second, class third? None of you, if we're being completely honest. Part of the privilege of being white is not really realizing you have a race. The same thing happens for men. Think about it before you shrug off the explanation. When President Obama was running for office, was he "The next President of the United States?" Or was he "The first Black President of the United States?" Was McCain referred to as "The next White President?" No, he wasn't. Race came first for President Obama. When Sarah Palin was working on her campaign trail, she was referred to as "the Women's Candidate," rather than just a candidate. It happens all the time... We just don't, or choose not to, recognize it.
African Americans may support the movement, but there are several reasons they aren't likely to do so openly, or join in. First, the things we are fighting for have been denied to African Americans for years, even decades. African American neighborhoods are known as "hotspots" in the Criminology world, meaning that violence is as common as poverty. When the Occupy movement decides to start discussing the racial inequities faced by these people, and stand up against the violence that happens daily, African Americans may be more willing to join. Until then, much of the African American population is concerned with other issues, such as the safety of their families and friends.
According to a recent study, only 16% of Americans believe that discrimination is common in America today. That's an awful lot of blind people. The second reason I am bringing to the table shows a lot of discrimination against the African American population, so read on, and hopefully, you won't be part of that large number. (Not saying that I am the enlightener, just that I want you to look at these things differently, and perhaps do a little digging on your own.)
So the second reason I have (there are so many more) for African Americans not being willing to join the Occupy movement is called "conditioning." Let me ask you a question. If you are hanging out with your friends, and a police officer comes up and starts beating you and arresting you, what do you do? Most people are going to want to know why. If the officer simply tells you that a group of your kind means you are doing something illegal, what are you going to do? Continue hanging out? If you do, you're going to be arrested or attacked. Your only choice is to learn that a group of "your kind" cannot hang out without being targeted, and therefore you should not gather in large groups.
Welcome to the African American society. Not all police are like that, of course, but some are. They believe stereotypes that Black children are more likely to cause crime, and that a group of Black children needs to be broken up before they do something illegal. Differential enforcement is common as well- meaning that a group of white kids on the good side of town are likely to be taken home with a warning for the same thing a group of Black kids were arrested for. Images of African American men and women being targeted for their race are so commonplace that it's disturbing.
I am a white woman, so I have white privilege, and I am aware of it. But to be honest, if I were African American, and faced with their challenges on a daily basis, I'm not so sure that I would be willing to work with the movement either. There is a major threat of violence against an entire race of people in our nation, as well as facing poverty and violence.
I am aware that not all African American communities are like the ones I described, so please do not think I am stereotyping. Research, however, does support that most African American communities are considered "hotspots" by police, that African American schools tend to be the most poorly funded, and even that African Americans tend to refrain from gathering in large groups to prevent being targeted by police.
*End Author's long as heck note.
So, that's it for today.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information that you would like to share with me, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. I welcome criticism and arguments, as long as they are logical. :P
Monday, December 12, 2011
Urgent message from a friend.
A friend sent me this message earlier:
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-ndaa-section-1031-citizen-imprisonment-law-before-dec-13
and here:
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/explain-why-you-requested-citizens-included-ndaa-1031-imprisonment-without-trial-confirmed-c-span/Z4y2TChP
Please help spread them, there is still over 24,000 signatures needed on the white house petition by TOMORROW!!! Yea that's right he's scheduled to sign or veto this atrocious bill that would effectively shred what's left of our constitution by as early as TOMORROW!!!
You've been being warned, the time to defend our rights while we're able to exercise our rights is, undoubtedly, now."
Sign up and spread out!
Updates 12/12/11
Good afternoon everyone.
I'm starting to believe that Graduate school applications are due in December/January not to give them time to look the apps over and decide, but because they want to see how much they can make undergraduates sweat. Huge papers, final exams, and Grad school apps... Yikes. Anyway, thanks to Mrs. Hrabak for the CSPAN tip.
Here's your news for today:
-- The founders of Ben and Jerry were on CSPAN earlier today, discussing their support of OWS.
-- An Occupier at Uc Berkeley was taken into police custody yesterday. The young man had taken a vow of silence previously, and was sitting in a group when officers handcuffed him. Occupiers say that the police cited the California Welfare and Institutions Code for the detainment, which says that if police believe someone has a mental disorder, and may cause harm to themselves or others, they may be detained and placed in a mental health facility. (Wait, so now they can declare us crazy for not speaking, arrest up when we are doing nothing wrong, and shove us into a mental health facility? W.T.F.)
-- The City of Cleveland held an emergency council meeting late last week, and declared their support for the Occupy movement. You can read their Cleveland Resolution, which was sent to Congress, and President Barack Obama, here: http://www.care2.com/causes/city-of-cleveland-announces-support-for-occupy-wall-street.html
-- Occupy NOLA protested at the Mayor's home yesterday, in response to the pre-dawn eviction last Tuesday. Protesters brought a list of demands, including providing homes for the homeless, compensation for property destroyed in the raid, and dropping all charges against Occupiers.
-- Occupy Maine has decided to sue the city of Portland, claiming that their free speech rights have been violated. The lawsuit will also ask for an injunction protecting protesters from being evicted and arrested.
-- Around 100 protesters have reclaimed the People's Plaza in Minneapolis after their previous eviction. Many Occupiers have been threatened with arrest if they are found on County property again. This marks the two month anniversary of OccupyMN.
I'm sure we are all aware of the big news for today. Mainstream media is all over the West Coast Port Shutdown, but I'm not so sure it should be called that. Read on to find out why.
-- Occupy Oakland has hundreds of people at the Port of Oakland. A drizzly rain is not deterring them, and Port Officials are reporting sporadic disruptions to business.
-- Occupy Portland had a few mishaps on the way to the Port of Portland protest. 2 individuals were arrested for weapons charges, while another set of Occupiers allegedly stole a car and crashed it. Otherwise, Portland has hundred of Occupiers at the Port, and operations have been limited.
-- Occupy Seattle is at the Port of Seattle, with two different marches an a rally planned for the day. Seattle protesters are still waiting on an eviction from their college encampment as well.
-- Hundreds of Occupiers are protesting at the Port of San Diego, disrupting business operations.
-- Over 400 Occupiers are at the Port of Long Beach, marching on a company owned by Goldman Sachs. 200 of these are being threatened with arrest by police.
-- Occupy Denver is working to shut down a huge Walmart Distribution Center in support of the Port shutdowns.
-- Over 150 Occupiers are demonstrating at the Port of Hueneme. The are protesting Del Monte foods, which is owned by a company whose main specialty is leveraged buyouts, and are thought to be some of the worst of the 1% abusers.
-- Occupy Houston is moving in on the Port of Houston today, demonstrating outside of the executive offices in solidarity with the West Coast Shutdown.
-- Occupy Honolulu and Occupy Maui have gotten the thumbs up from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Union members are being told they do not have to cross the Occupy picket lines, and that they can choose to not show up for work in solidarity.
-- Occupy Vancouver is blocking the largest port in Canada, despite local unions saying they will not give their support.
**Author's Note:
Isn't it funny how the media gets so surprised when protests go on "despite the lack of support" of unions or political parties? It seems they still don't understand, or don't want to understand, that the Occupy movement isn't something that can be pushed around with money, fame, or hugs from corporations. The movements are not getting smaller, as they might think. Many individuals are like me, with the lack of a great immune system. We've had to move to indoor Occupying, but there are more of us than they know. When Spring arrives, I would be willing to bet that the movements gain double the amount of people they have now. And that's just my opinion. I watch the movements on occupystream.com by the way.
That's all I have for today. Stay warm, stay dry, stay healthy.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or other information, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
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