Again, I can't tell you all how much I appreciate the kindness and patience you all have. One of the reasons why I feel I have to continue this page, regardless of how busy I become, is the cost of college. Applying for Graduate School is extremely difficult for someone who has the financial constraints that I do. If you are poor, Grad School can seem unattainable, and for some, it is. If I didn't have my mother willing to make a few sacrifices to help me out, I wouldn't even be able to apply. I am also already in major debt from my current undergraduate career, and I know that Grad School will just add to it. Regardless, to be successful, I have to go.
Here is your news for today:
-- Today is International Human Rights Day.
-- Occupy Providence is rallying today in support of the homeless population. Michael McCarthy, a local Occupier, said "Just look around. There are people here who will not have a place to sleep this winter." They are asking for legislature to be passed to stop social services from being cut. Shelters in Rhode Island already operate over capacity on a regular basis.
-- Orlando is full of Occupiers as the state-wide conference moves in. Police and the city are upset that so many people have showed up, yet no permits have been requested or issued. They say that groups of this size usually request them, but as long as the Occupiers don't stop traffic, they can stay out in front of city hall.
-- Occupy Oakland had a press conference concerning the December 12th Port Blockade. The move is being called "Wall Street on the Waterfront" and many other Occupy groups are participating, including Seattle, Portland, Tacoma, LA, and several more. You can watch the video of the conference here: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/09/18702267.php
-- Occupy Phoenix was hit with a midnight raid, resulting in six arrests and the loss of all their furniture and most of their canopies. They were left with only one canopy, although before the raid they had been allowed to have canopies. Police are citing a law against "urban camping."
-- NYU is offering two classes on Occupy Wall Street next semester. The courses are "Why Occupy Wall Street? The History and Politics of Debt and finance," and a graduate seminar.
-- Occupy Asheville may be having issues soon, as the city is working on passing an ordinance against the occupiers concerning camping. In other Asheville news, a police officer has been demoted due to comments he made on his Facebook wall concerning the movement. One of his comments was "Some people just need a hug... around the neck... with a rope."
-- Occupy Seattle cleaned up yesterday, while planning what to do next. The College Board was pleased with the progress, because protesters went so far as to put straw on the ground and clean up even trash that wasn't theirs.
-- Vancouver unions are coming out against shutting down the port on Monday. Police say they will be watching the action to pull out anarchists who infiltrate the group. They say that these people sneak into the groups and attack what they see as symbols of capitalism.
-- Occupy Honolulu might have a major setback now. The Mayor just signed a bill into law that is receiving a ton of criticism, as it not only targets Occupiers, but also the homeless. The law allows police to confiscate belongings that are left on public property for a certain amount of time.
-- Conservative Republicans who say that the Occupy movement is a Democrat co-opted movement have their foots in their mouths. Occupiers have been banned from the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. The Mayor of the city is also working on removing the Occupy Charlotte encampment totally.
-- Occupy Boston was raided around 5 a.m. this morning, resulting in almost 50 arrests. Hundreds of police surrounded the encampment, taking down all tents and making the arrests in less than an hour. Police were not wearing riot gear, and while many protesters sat down and linked arms, multiple Mainstream Media stations are reporting that no violence occurred. Some protesters were handcuffed, and then said they changed their minds and wanted to leave. Apparently police released these individuals without incident. The Mayor cited public health and safety as the reason for the raid.
That's all I have for today. I hope you are doing well. As for me, I have a 30 page paper due in 48 hours. Time to get to work. :)
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, o other information, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thank you!
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