Updates 11/9/11

Good morning everyone.

I'm very tired. I have been working hard on my classwork, and this blog for Occupy. Now we have a major strike at our university, and I must honestly say that I am so very tired. I hope that this ends soon here, so I can go back to feeling sane. Anyway, I will continue to do what I feel is necessary, even if it does mean I don't get as much sleep. Please forgive the rant, I'm simply getting fed up with not having the health and energy required to deal with such situations. I leave for Chicago Thursday night/Friday morning.

Here are your updates for today:

-- Occupy Richmond is moving to Monroe Park.

-- Occupy Wall Street performed a General Assembly on Education, while on the steps of the New York City Department of Education. The Schools Chancellor was invited to attend the meeting, but he declined.

-- Raleigh City Council has voted not to allow Occupy Raleigh to camp outside City Hall. The Mayor-Elect is working to help the protesters find suitable private property downtown. The city cited health and sanitation concerns.

-- Occupy Atlantic City marched recently, while chanting "Atlantic City, Vegas, Reno; Wall Street is the real casino!"

-- Occupy Boston is now seeing its own arrests come in, ranging from disorderly conduct to larceny. The larceny charge occurred when a man walked off with a police bicycle during a march.

-- Occupy Portland is being griped at again. Crime rates in the area surrounding the encampment have risen sharply, according to police. Occupiers are saying it is unfair to paint their encampment negatively, when the majority of people being arrested for crimes in the area are not part of the movement.

-- Occupy London (Ontario) was dismantled by Canadian police last night. No violence occurred during the take-down.

-- The Oakland mayor is trying to encourage protesters to work with the city on safety concerns. A direct quote from her written statement: "Oakland has demonstrated its support for the 99%. Now is the time for the encampment to show its support for Oakland." (Editor's Opinion: Tear gas, rubber bullets, flash-bangs, and TWO injured veterans... Could you possibly show your support over there? *points anywhere else*)

-- A drug overdose at Occupy Toronto is making waves. A large tent in the center of the complex housed protesters who often disregarded rules, said other Occupiers, who later dismantled the large tent and held a meeting on safety and protocol.

-- Occupy Atlanta is working with other Georgia Occupy movements to train them for their own movements. This comes with other news from Atlanta, where an editorial is talking about two major rival gangs, the Bloods and Crips, setting aside their differences to join the movement.

-- Dick Cheney has visited San Francisco, and Occupiers there are marching to demand his arrest.

-- Occupy San Diego's numbers are dwindling, but not because people are going home. Occupiers are speaking out about unconstitutional arrests, saying police are picking people off, one by one. The city has an ordinance making it illegal to place any private object on city land.

-- Occupy Denver has responded to the Mayor's insistence they choose a leader. They have elected Shelby, a 3 year old Border Collie, because she represents the "heart, warmth, and an appreciation for the group over personal ambition that Occupy Denver members feel are sorely lacking in the leaders some of them have voted for."

-- 7 People were arrested at Occupy Houston last night. They were violating a city ordinance against structures in parks. Occupy Houston says its not leaving anytime soon.

-- A Superior Court Judge has ordered that police return the belongings of Occupy Trenton protesters. Last month, police raided the Occupy camp, and took anything that was not in someone's immediate possession.

-- A 53 year old man has been found dead in a tent at Occupy New Orleans. He seemed to have been dead for at least two days, and his body showed no signs of trauma. His death is still unclassified.

-- Occupy Melbourne is in Federal Court today, challenging its eviction, and the methods used leading up to and during it.

-- A group of Occupy protesters is about to embark on a long journey. Occupiers from Occupy Wall Street will set off on Wednesday, heading towards Washington DC at a rate of roughly 20 miles a day. The 300 mile march will pass through Baltimore and Philly, finally ending at the nation's capital. The will be holding nightly GA's in the smaller towns that they camp in, allowing locals to see first hand what the Occupy movement is all about.

That's all I have for today, everyone.

***Solidarity***

As always, if you have any comments, corrections, or extra information, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com