Updates 11/29/11

Good morning everyone.

I'd like to thank Ms. Janet for her amazingly kind encouragement and advice. It's really nice to know that people do care. :)

Here's your news for today:

-- Occupy Raleigh has had a new spot since Thanksgiving. The triangular patch of private land that they're camped on costs $400 a month rent, which is being paid by an anonymous donor. Protesters are happy to not have to deal with permits and the like from the city, but it might not stay that way long. The city is looking into zoning and code rules, saying that just because the land is an undeveloped parcel, doesn't mean that you can do anything you want on it.

-- Police were called to a committee meeting by the Rochester school district, after Occupiers and other protesters questioned the process being used to find parental representatives. The meeting was not supposed to be open to the public, so the group went into recess and called police. No arrests were made.

-- Occupy Auckland had a victory today when a judge refused to force them to move from the public square. The judge agreed that protesters were not given adequate time to prepare for the court date. Another court date is set for next week, as council members continue to seek a permanent injunction against the Occupy group.

-- A court case in Cedar Rapids is moving to a higher court. The city is fighting Occupy Cedar Rapids over a city-owned field. The city's attorney is the one who moved the case to Federal Court, saying that this represents questions of First Amendment rights, and should therefore be heard by a Federal judge. The Occupy attorney says this seems to be a delaying tactic to cancel the hearing scheduled for Monday.

-- Occupy Philly is still hanging out at the original plaza. While a police force watching them has been steadily growing, protesters are still in fairly good spirits. Police say that if they do evict from the plaza, a final warning will be given before they move in.

-- Fox News is reporting that 3 vacant homes in northern Portland (OR) were raided after they were tipped off to some squatters inside. They found that anarchists had taken over and changed the locks, and were claiming to be part of the OWS movement. Fox says that police found body armor, machetes, anarchist literature, projectiles, and other weapons.

-- Occupy Albany will no longer "provoke nightly arrests," says a local radio station. Instead, they will be focusing on state policies, including the millionaire tax set to end at the start of the new year.

-- Albuquerque police are apparently hounding protesters by handing out mugshots of some Occupiers, and the group isn't happy about it. They are filing a formal complaint against police profiling.

-- Occupy Seattle, as well as multitudes of other Occupy movements and Washington Unions descended on the Capitol yesterday. They held a teach-in, set up tents, rallied, and attempted to occupy the Capitol's rotunda. The state legislature has been having multiple issues with their deficit, and attempting to fix it. They raised taxes, but neglected to close corporate loopholes, leaving the poor to pay the bill. Now they are considering cuts in public services and education.

-- A mini-protest is occurring in San Diego. Occupiers have set up around 25 miniature tents, in a symbolic protest against police for tearing down their encampments. The tents are about two feet wide, and police say they will not cite protesters for having them up during meetings.

-- A University of California board meeting had to be moved, after protesters mic checked the board members and interrupted the meeting. Occupiers spoke out against budget cuts, as well as crackdowns on UC campuses, such as UC Davis and UC Berkeley. The meeting was being broadcast to other campuses via teleconference.

-- Occupy Denver is going to have to deal with some opposition this weekend. A conservative group, aligning itself with the Tea Party movement, has said they will hold a counter protest this Saturday. The group claims that it is not trying to fight with Occupy Denver, but that they feel the policies Occupy is trying to pass would make things worse. Many Occupiers believe the group is simply trying to latch on to the publicity given to Occupy Denver.

-- A circulating memo has Occupy DC on edge. The National Park Service issued a memo stating that police activity will be increasing due to public urination, illegal drug use, and assaults. It also states that camping is illegal in the parks, as a reminder to protesters. Some Occupiers see this as a first step towards eviction. The Park Service spokesperson says the data about drugs and assaults are based only on anecdotal evidence. (Which means they don't have any evidence but hearsay.)

-- Occupy Los Angeles is in court to stop any future evictions. Citing camp-outs for things like tickets to the Twilight movie, Black Friday shopping, and even the forced closure of a street due to over a thousand Twilight fans at the movie's premiere, Occupy LA is claiming the police are selectively enforcing the law.

-- Occupy Chicago is fighting SB 397 with all their might. The bill is set to give huge tax breaks to some of the wealthiest corporations, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and the Chicago Board of Exchange. The bill would give them a combined amount of around 100 million dollars in tax breaks.

-- The court ordered stay is ending soon in Boston- December 1st, to be exact. While the mayors says there are no current plans for eviction, he also states that he doesn't believe the group is allowing for their Occupation site to be enjoyed by the public, as it should be. Protesters are making plans and preparing for possible eviction.

-- Occupy Ithaca is now living up to its name. Protesters set up 12 tents in Dewitt Park, and say they plan on staying "indefinitely or until we win or get kicked out."

-- Protesters tried to interrupt a recruiting event by Goldman Sachs yesterday afternoon. Occupy Harvard stood outside chanting, after they were turned away from entering the event because it had already begun. One of the chants included "Goldman Sachs, you can't hide. We can see your greedy side." Other students were allowed in after the event had started, leading to an uproar among the Occupiers.

That's all I have time for today. I have an exam due in less than a half hour. Wish me luck everyone, just as I do for you.

***Solidarity***

If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thank you for your emails.