Hello everyone.
On the last day of January, it is going to be over 60 degrees here. Isn't that odd? We've got lots to talk about today, so let's get to it!
Here's the news:
-- More news is coming out of Oakland. Yesterday, Mayor Jean Quan said that she will be contacting the "leaders" of the Occupy movement to ask them to condemn the violence displayed by Occupy Oakland. Just the day before, she had said that the violence was caused by a fringe group. (Swinging opinions much?) Fox News has also started a Corporate Media trend of calling the demonstration the "Oakland Riots," and other media branches are following suit. (Nice to know they're staying objective.)
-- Occupy Austin has started a petition to stop the city from power washing City Hall three times a week. Right now, the city washes the building on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., leading Occupiers to have to wake up, pack their belongings and come back later to sleep on wet ground. The protesters say this isn't just about saving water, as they believe this is a tactic to break them down. (Tactic or not, for a state that uses up to 80% of their limited freshwater supplies to water lawns and power wash buildings, I'd say they need to cut down a bit.)
-- Occupy DC remains in place in full force, tents and all. Protesters braced for an eviction as rumors flew yesterday, but so far, no police actions have been taken. The Park Service says the tents will be allowed to remain, as long as one side remains open so they can see inside. A tarp has been draped over a statue of Civil War General James B. McPherson, and has been named the "Tent of Dreams."
-- The city of Chapel Hill will not be bringing in or allowing an outside investigation of the events that took place in November. Police had used riot gear and assault rifles in their raid of an abandoned car shop that had been taken over by Occupiers. Chapel Hill city council members conducted an internal investigation, saying that the force used was appropriate. They will not allow an independent investigation because they believe it would have any advantages over their own, and may even lead people to withhold information due to the public nature, causing more charges to be laid. (So basically, "We don't want someone else to look, because if they find something we didn't, we'll have to charge people, and that would make us look bad." Ugh.)
-- Occupy San Diego attempted to make a citizen's arrest yesterday, charging the Mayor with embezzlement stemming from the unapproved name change of the Qualcomm stadium in December. According to public record, taxpayers lost money when the Mayor approved the changes without the approval of the City Council. Qualcomm had asked the Mayor to change the stadium name to "Snapdragon" Stadium, to promote their new line of cell phones, paying the city only $1000 to cover the extra staff needed. Qualcomm reportedly made over $125,000 in the exchange. Occupiers say they are presenting the information to the D.A., and if she doesn't take action, they will go to the State's Attorney.
-- A teenager has been arrested for the murder of his foster parents, and police believe that the family troubles had worsened because the boy was spending too much time at the Oakland Occupy movement. The 15 year old allegedly strangled the two, and put them in the car with blankets on top of them, before setting the car ablaze in an attempt to cover things up. Police say that he reportedly killed them directly after an argument concerning the time he spent at Occupy.
-- Occupy Minneapolis is showing its face again. Occupiers moved into an abandoned church for about 45 minutes on Saturday, before police arrived and told them to vacate the premises or be arrested. Occupiers say they moved into the building to show that people "have the power to reclaim and liberate" spaces. Police boarded up the doors as soon as the protesters left.
-- Occupy Charlotte has been raided twice within 24 hours. The first raid, yesterday afternoon, ended with at least seven people arrested as protesters locked legs and sat down to prevent their removal. They were pulled apart by officers and arrested for delaying and obstructing an officer. The second raid occurred this morning, as police shined spotlights on sleeping Occupiers, demanding that the leave immediately. No arrests were made in the second eviction. Occupiers will be in court today, protesting the new law that they say violates their free speech and assembly rights.
-- Occupy London is outraged due to the actions of a bailiff on Monday night. The bailiff, who had apparently been involved in a fight with Occupiers, got in his car and drove through them, with one man clinging to the hood for roughly 50 yards before falling off. Police did nothing to stop this action, and Occupiers are publicly asking them why they did not move to protect the citizens. You can read the article and watch the video here: http://rt.com/news/occupy-london-eviction-police-091/
***Solidarity***
To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Updates 1/30/12
Hello everyone.
Is there anything more fitting for my 100th post than for me to say "Sorry this is short, I have class this morning, and want to get a 100 on my assignment that is due?"
Didn't think so. :)
I've decided I'm going to let my personality show a little more in my postings, so you all can get to know me as well as the news. So, without further ado...
Here's the news!
-- Yesterday a man with Occupy DC was arrested by police, after he told police to get out of his tent, then ripped down the flyer they had put up. He followed police around, ripping fliers down behind them, causing police to turn on him. While 3 police officers wrestled him to the ground, one pulled out a taser and shocked him, causing cries of "Police brutality!" Protesters say that with 3 officers on him, using the taser was excessive.
-- Also in DC, there is a noon deadline today to implement the ban on overnight camping. (Does that even make any sense?) Many Occupiers say they won't leave, leading to authorities to worry abbout the confrontational mood in the occupation site.
-- Occupy Charlotte has been given a warning to leave the lawn of City Hall, or be evicted. Officers have not given the protesters a time when they will be removed, but Occupiers believe it will be sooner than later. When police read the warning to the Occupiers, many of them argued that the tents were used for shelter, rather than camping, as the ban says. Officers declined that reasoning, saying all tents but the information booth must be removed.
-- Protesters in Des Moines refused to leave the Capitol grounds, leading to the arrests of roughly ten Occupiers. They had moved onto the grounds only yesterday, after vacating Stewart Park. The grounds close at 11 p.m., and about 15 minutes later, police began arresting those who remained.
Here's one for the "police overreaction" department:
-- Two Occupiers were arrested yesterday in Tampa, after blocking the street for a protest. Police arrived and everyone moved to the sidewalk, walking down the road. Police then asked a women to get on the sidewalk, but she refused, leading to her arrest. Afterwards, a man approached the officers with his fist clenched. Feeling threatened, officers arrested him for "assault of a law enforcement officer." (Are you freaking kidding me?!)
-- The numbers of arrests from the Oakland incident just keep rising. Now it has been reported that over 400 were arrested on Saturday.
***Solidarity***
To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Is there anything more fitting for my 100th post than for me to say "Sorry this is short, I have class this morning, and want to get a 100 on my assignment that is due?"
Didn't think so. :)
I've decided I'm going to let my personality show a little more in my postings, so you all can get to know me as well as the news. So, without further ado...
Here's the news!
-- Yesterday a man with Occupy DC was arrested by police, after he told police to get out of his tent, then ripped down the flyer they had put up. He followed police around, ripping fliers down behind them, causing police to turn on him. While 3 police officers wrestled him to the ground, one pulled out a taser and shocked him, causing cries of "Police brutality!" Protesters say that with 3 officers on him, using the taser was excessive.
-- Also in DC, there is a noon deadline today to implement the ban on overnight camping. (Does that even make any sense?) Many Occupiers say they won't leave, leading to authorities to worry abbout the confrontational mood in the occupation site.
-- Occupy Charlotte has been given a warning to leave the lawn of City Hall, or be evicted. Officers have not given the protesters a time when they will be removed, but Occupiers believe it will be sooner than later. When police read the warning to the Occupiers, many of them argued that the tents were used for shelter, rather than camping, as the ban says. Officers declined that reasoning, saying all tents but the information booth must be removed.
-- Protesters in Des Moines refused to leave the Capitol grounds, leading to the arrests of roughly ten Occupiers. They had moved onto the grounds only yesterday, after vacating Stewart Park. The grounds close at 11 p.m., and about 15 minutes later, police began arresting those who remained.
Here's one for the "police overreaction" department:
-- Two Occupiers were arrested yesterday in Tampa, after blocking the street for a protest. Police arrived and everyone moved to the sidewalk, walking down the road. Police then asked a women to get on the sidewalk, but she refused, leading to her arrest. Afterwards, a man approached the officers with his fist clenched. Feeling threatened, officers arrested him for "assault of a law enforcement officer." (Are you freaking kidding me?!)
-- The numbers of arrests from the Oakland incident just keep rising. Now it has been reported that over 400 were arrested on Saturday.
***Solidarity***
To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Updates 1/29/12 (99th post)
Hello everyone, and welcome to my 99th post.
As I'm sure most of you are aware, Occupy Oakland marched to occupy a building yesterday, and were met with brutal force from police. I watched live as stream after stream cropped up from Occupiers, with many being arrested and handing off their equipment to someone nearby, before it could be confiscated by police. Over 300 people were arrested last night. Tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, and bean bag guns were all used to subdue protesters. Police say that protesters were throwing rocks, bottles, and flaming debris at them. At one point, hundreds of police had surrounded about 200 Occupiers in what they called a "kettle," near the YMCA building. While people stuck inside chanted "Let us disperse," and "This is a hostage situation," police arrested them one by one, and led them onto buses to be taken away. The Ustream channel journalist Spencer from OakFoSho was invited into an apartment, where he filmed the event from above, and protesters yelled their names to him for the National Lawyer's Guild. Police could be heard discussing the protesters who were handcuffed and sitting on the ground as "bodies to be processed," leading to the anger of many who heard them.
Meanwhile, protesters who hadn't been corralled into the "kettle" had made their way to City Hall, where a small group of protesters broke into the building. This "fringe group," as the Mayor described it, dragged an American flag outside the building where they proceeded to burn it. Police say that while inside, demonstrators destroyed an electrical box and some artwork, including a recycled exhibit made by children. By the time police made it to City Hall, most of the protesters had fled. Police blocked off the building, arresting those that came too near. Several known journalists were arrested in the scuffles of both locations. It is not known how many injuries were sustained by Occupiers or police, but several ambulances were seen carrying protesters away. At one point during the stream, it was mentioned that the police had intentionally broken a man's leg, but this is still unconfirmed. I'm sure much more news is to come on this, as well as out of Oakland in general.
-----------------
As Occupy DC considers leaving their encampment due to new enforcement of rules, they certainly aren't allowing any disappointments to affect their protesting. Occupiers lined up at the 99th Alfalfa Club dinner, a formal event involving many dignitaries, including President Obama. As each person was assisted in passing the Occupiers by police, the protesters tossed chants, jeers, and plenty of glitter. Occupiers were still there when the dignitaries left, allowing them to go with more chants and jeers.
-----------------
The Occupy Movement is one especially near and dear to me, and since this is my 99th post, I will tell you why I call myself one of the 99%.
My name is Kitty, and I'm 25 years old. I have a little brother who is 23, and he probably won't be around much longer. See, my brother has Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy, an incurable muscle-wasting disease. He hasn't walked since he was 12. When we were growing up, my little brother needed 24 hour care, meaning that my mom couldn't work. She did try on occasion, but it never worked out. Something would go wrong, and she would have to quit her job to take care of him again. I grew up on welfare, partially as a result of that, and partially because my father refused to pay child support. When I turned 18, I graduated from high school, started at the local community college, and got a job. Then I got another job. Paying to take care of yourself and your family is hard, and I also partially supported the man I was dating at the time. Now, I have been very sickly my whole life. I missed, on average, 46 days of school a year, and we didn't know why. I was just always sick. In 2007, right around Christmastime, I was working a great job at a state-run facility for people with disabilities. My fiance (who had been my boyfriend,) quit his job and left me to pay the car payment, insurance, his mortgage, and all other expenses for the home. I did this, because I felt I had to. Then, at Christmas, I got sick. Really sick. I had no idea what was wrong with me, and had to go to the hospital twice. My second time at the hospital, they gave me terrifying news. "Your kidneys are failing," they said, "and we don't know why." It turned out that I am allergic to NSAIDs, aka Advil, Aleve, etc. I had been given two shots of an NSAID pain reliever for a kidney infection on my first visit. They were sure I would need a transplant or that I would die. My kidneys were functioning at 7%. Amazingly, I began to get well on my own in about two weeks, but I will never forget that type of pain. Fast forward to 3 weeks later, and I'm out of the hospital, but still recovering. My job lets me try to continue, but it is obvious that they wanted to let me go, and as soon as they could, they did. The health insurance I had as a newer employee didn't cover my expenses. I was jobless, with $4000 in bills due every month, and $250,000 in medical debt. Trying to save myself, I whipped out the credit cards. "Only until I get a job, then I'll pay them off." I couldn't find a job. Not for over a year. I lost my truck, his house, and racked up a massive amount of debt. I'm still in it. I wasn't irresponsible. I lived within my means.
It is not right or fair that one major unexpected illness can flip your life upside down forever. I am in college now, with a ton of help from the government. I'm racking up even more debt with my student loans, but I hope that these loans will help me eventually pay off my other debts.
I'm scared. I'm poor. I'm sick.
And I am the 99%.
***Solidarity***
That's all for today. There are a few smaller stories available, but most of them are reports on stories I have previously mentioned. If you have any big news, drop me a line a elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com.
As I'm sure most of you are aware, Occupy Oakland marched to occupy a building yesterday, and were met with brutal force from police. I watched live as stream after stream cropped up from Occupiers, with many being arrested and handing off their equipment to someone nearby, before it could be confiscated by police. Over 300 people were arrested last night. Tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, and bean bag guns were all used to subdue protesters. Police say that protesters were throwing rocks, bottles, and flaming debris at them. At one point, hundreds of police had surrounded about 200 Occupiers in what they called a "kettle," near the YMCA building. While people stuck inside chanted "Let us disperse," and "This is a hostage situation," police arrested them one by one, and led them onto buses to be taken away. The Ustream channel journalist Spencer from OakFoSho was invited into an apartment, where he filmed the event from above, and protesters yelled their names to him for the National Lawyer's Guild. Police could be heard discussing the protesters who were handcuffed and sitting on the ground as "bodies to be processed," leading to the anger of many who heard them.
Meanwhile, protesters who hadn't been corralled into the "kettle" had made their way to City Hall, where a small group of protesters broke into the building. This "fringe group," as the Mayor described it, dragged an American flag outside the building where they proceeded to burn it. Police say that while inside, demonstrators destroyed an electrical box and some artwork, including a recycled exhibit made by children. By the time police made it to City Hall, most of the protesters had fled. Police blocked off the building, arresting those that came too near. Several known journalists were arrested in the scuffles of both locations. It is not known how many injuries were sustained by Occupiers or police, but several ambulances were seen carrying protesters away. At one point during the stream, it was mentioned that the police had intentionally broken a man's leg, but this is still unconfirmed. I'm sure much more news is to come on this, as well as out of Oakland in general.
-----------------
As Occupy DC considers leaving their encampment due to new enforcement of rules, they certainly aren't allowing any disappointments to affect their protesting. Occupiers lined up at the 99th Alfalfa Club dinner, a formal event involving many dignitaries, including President Obama. As each person was assisted in passing the Occupiers by police, the protesters tossed chants, jeers, and plenty of glitter. Occupiers were still there when the dignitaries left, allowing them to go with more chants and jeers.
-----------------
The Occupy Movement is one especially near and dear to me, and since this is my 99th post, I will tell you why I call myself one of the 99%.
My name is Kitty, and I'm 25 years old. I have a little brother who is 23, and he probably won't be around much longer. See, my brother has Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy, an incurable muscle-wasting disease. He hasn't walked since he was 12. When we were growing up, my little brother needed 24 hour care, meaning that my mom couldn't work. She did try on occasion, but it never worked out. Something would go wrong, and she would have to quit her job to take care of him again. I grew up on welfare, partially as a result of that, and partially because my father refused to pay child support. When I turned 18, I graduated from high school, started at the local community college, and got a job. Then I got another job. Paying to take care of yourself and your family is hard, and I also partially supported the man I was dating at the time. Now, I have been very sickly my whole life. I missed, on average, 46 days of school a year, and we didn't know why. I was just always sick. In 2007, right around Christmastime, I was working a great job at a state-run facility for people with disabilities. My fiance (who had been my boyfriend,) quit his job and left me to pay the car payment, insurance, his mortgage, and all other expenses for the home. I did this, because I felt I had to. Then, at Christmas, I got sick. Really sick. I had no idea what was wrong with me, and had to go to the hospital twice. My second time at the hospital, they gave me terrifying news. "Your kidneys are failing," they said, "and we don't know why." It turned out that I am allergic to NSAIDs, aka Advil, Aleve, etc. I had been given two shots of an NSAID pain reliever for a kidney infection on my first visit. They were sure I would need a transplant or that I would die. My kidneys were functioning at 7%. Amazingly, I began to get well on my own in about two weeks, but I will never forget that type of pain. Fast forward to 3 weeks later, and I'm out of the hospital, but still recovering. My job lets me try to continue, but it is obvious that they wanted to let me go, and as soon as they could, they did. The health insurance I had as a newer employee didn't cover my expenses. I was jobless, with $4000 in bills due every month, and $250,000 in medical debt. Trying to save myself, I whipped out the credit cards. "Only until I get a job, then I'll pay them off." I couldn't find a job. Not for over a year. I lost my truck, his house, and racked up a massive amount of debt. I'm still in it. I wasn't irresponsible. I lived within my means.
It is not right or fair that one major unexpected illness can flip your life upside down forever. I am in college now, with a ton of help from the government. I'm racking up even more debt with my student loans, but I hope that these loans will help me eventually pay off my other debts.
I'm scared. I'm poor. I'm sick.
And I am the 99%.
***Solidarity***
That's all for today. There are a few smaller stories available, but most of them are reports on stories I have previously mentioned. If you have any big news, drop me a line a elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Updates 1/28/12
Hello everyone.
I have few choice words to say today. You'll see my comments interspersed with the articles, and also a rant about "Adbusters and Occupiers" at the end.
Here's the news:
-- Occupy Atlanta marched on Chase Bank yesterday, demanding that a foreclosed home be given back to the original owner, a mother. Chase Bank is reportedly charging roughly $400,000 for the home, which is worth about $100,000. Atlanta police "had to evacuate a person" from the bank, after the protest reportedly became heated. (The photo shown accompanying the article is a young man, handcuffed, being led away, with the caption reading that someone had to be "evacuated.")
-- Anonymous has released more information on their Stratfor Intelligence leak, providing intel that shows the group had been spying on the Occupy movement. Stratfor had apparently been working with Texas law enforcement to infiltrate the movement. You can read the full article here:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/01/27/18705751.php
-- Occupy Jacksonville isn't going anywhere. The city council is unhappy with the movement being in place, and has apparently been trying to find ways to oust them since their arrival. Occupiers believe that one councilman in particular is behind the removal attempts, Councilman Don Redman. They say he is extremely condescending. Occupy Jacksonville has filed suit against the city for limiting their rights to expression, but they hope to settle out of court.
-- Occupy DC has been given until Monday to stop camping. While the Park District will allow them to continue a 24 hour vigil, they must remove all tents or face citations. The Park Service has basically been forced into enforcing the "no camping" rules by several members of Congress and the city mayor.
This one comes with a little rant:
-- A man dressed as Lady Gaga was arrested in Park City, UT, for allegedly hitting a car with his sign during an Occupy protest last Sunday, which was the first day of the Sundance Film Festival. The police had apparently asked the man to stay out of the road before. Upon the arrival of police, they found that the man claimed a car had intentionally hit him while yelling for him to "get a job." The people in the car said that they had slowed down, and that the man hit the car with his sign. Police saw a dent in the bumper with paint that apparently matched the sign the man was holding, and took him into custody. (BULLSHIT. I CALL BULLSHIT. I study Forensics, and there is NO SUCH FIELD TEST that would allow them to confirm the paint would match. For all the police know, she could have hit a garbage can earlier that was the same color, and just blamed it on the man!! This is WRONG. I can't say whether he did or did not hit the car with his sign, but the FACTS are that they CANNOT prove he did just by looking at the paint!" There are thousands upon thousands of paint pigments out there. Just because one is the same color does NOT mean it's the same thing! GRRR!!!)
On to my final rant:
It seems that many Occupiers are getting upset with the fact that Adbusters is telling people to go and join Occupy Chicago in the protest of the G8 and NATO forums. I've even seen some people saying they won't go now, simply because the Adbusters group said to. Well, I've got a little bite for you guys. If you don't want to go because ONE GROUP out of DOZENS says you should, you may not be in this group for the right reasons. The media likes to portray Adbusters as "the beginning of Occupy," and "the group who started it all." But the real question is this: Why in the hell does it matter? They're a group! I don't care! I was planning on going myself, without anyone telling me I should. If you were too, then GO ANYWAY! The media already portrays us however they want, and they're probably going to continue doing so for quite some time. For Cripes sake, don't act like you're in high school. "I wanted to go to this concert, but then my mom said I should, so now I'm not going cuz I like to rebel." Doesn't that sound silly? If you can, get your butt to the G8 and NATO summit. Not because Adbusters said so. Not because I say so. Not even because Occupy Chicago says so. Do it because YOU have something to say, and YOU deserve to be heard, dammit! WE deserve to be heard!
***Solidarity***
To contact me, comment or email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
I have few choice words to say today. You'll see my comments interspersed with the articles, and also a rant about "Adbusters and Occupiers" at the end.
Here's the news:
-- Occupy Atlanta marched on Chase Bank yesterday, demanding that a foreclosed home be given back to the original owner, a mother. Chase Bank is reportedly charging roughly $400,000 for the home, which is worth about $100,000. Atlanta police "had to evacuate a person" from the bank, after the protest reportedly became heated. (The photo shown accompanying the article is a young man, handcuffed, being led away, with the caption reading that someone had to be "evacuated.")
-- Anonymous has released more information on their Stratfor Intelligence leak, providing intel that shows the group had been spying on the Occupy movement. Stratfor had apparently been working with Texas law enforcement to infiltrate the movement. You can read the full article here:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/01/27/18705751.php
-- Occupy Jacksonville isn't going anywhere. The city council is unhappy with the movement being in place, and has apparently been trying to find ways to oust them since their arrival. Occupiers believe that one councilman in particular is behind the removal attempts, Councilman Don Redman. They say he is extremely condescending. Occupy Jacksonville has filed suit against the city for limiting their rights to expression, but they hope to settle out of court.
-- Occupy DC has been given until Monday to stop camping. While the Park District will allow them to continue a 24 hour vigil, they must remove all tents or face citations. The Park Service has basically been forced into enforcing the "no camping" rules by several members of Congress and the city mayor.
This one comes with a little rant:
-- A man dressed as Lady Gaga was arrested in Park City, UT, for allegedly hitting a car with his sign during an Occupy protest last Sunday, which was the first day of the Sundance Film Festival. The police had apparently asked the man to stay out of the road before. Upon the arrival of police, they found that the man claimed a car had intentionally hit him while yelling for him to "get a job." The people in the car said that they had slowed down, and that the man hit the car with his sign. Police saw a dent in the bumper with paint that apparently matched the sign the man was holding, and took him into custody. (BULLSHIT. I CALL BULLSHIT. I study Forensics, and there is NO SUCH FIELD TEST that would allow them to confirm the paint would match. For all the police know, she could have hit a garbage can earlier that was the same color, and just blamed it on the man!! This is WRONG. I can't say whether he did or did not hit the car with his sign, but the FACTS are that they CANNOT prove he did just by looking at the paint!" There are thousands upon thousands of paint pigments out there. Just because one is the same color does NOT mean it's the same thing! GRRR!!!)
On to my final rant:
It seems that many Occupiers are getting upset with the fact that Adbusters is telling people to go and join Occupy Chicago in the protest of the G8 and NATO forums. I've even seen some people saying they won't go now, simply because the Adbusters group said to. Well, I've got a little bite for you guys. If you don't want to go because ONE GROUP out of DOZENS says you should, you may not be in this group for the right reasons. The media likes to portray Adbusters as "the beginning of Occupy," and "the group who started it all." But the real question is this: Why in the hell does it matter? They're a group! I don't care! I was planning on going myself, without anyone telling me I should. If you were too, then GO ANYWAY! The media already portrays us however they want, and they're probably going to continue doing so for quite some time. For Cripes sake, don't act like you're in high school. "I wanted to go to this concert, but then my mom said I should, so now I'm not going cuz I like to rebel." Doesn't that sound silly? If you can, get your butt to the G8 and NATO summit. Not because Adbusters said so. Not because I say so. Not even because Occupy Chicago says so. Do it because YOU have something to say, and YOU deserve to be heard, dammit! WE deserve to be heard!
***Solidarity***
To contact me, comment or email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Updates 1/27/12
Hello everyone.
It's nice to see you all. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- Multiple calls are going out to Occupy Chicago for the G8 and NATO summits in May. This may be the largest Occupation to date, with a possible 50,000 people in attendance. Occupy Chicago has no permanent Occupation spot, and protesters who attend may find themselves subject to the new, stricter rules being enforced by that mayor. Occupy Chicago is calling for the month long occupation as part of the Chicago Spring.
-- I reported a few days ago that several Occupiers had been shot with paintballs at the UC Regents meeting at the Riverside campus. It turns out that information was incorrect. The projectiles being shot at students were actually "pepper balls," which can cause burning and pain. Apparently the UC police still favor the peppery side of policing.
-- Occupy Albany may owe a bit of money soon. The city is asking for a state court to review their case, but also for Occupiers to pay the city's legal fees. The city of Albany is saying the was no reason to move the case to federal court, which means the protesters should pay.
-- Somewhere between 25 and 40 OWS Occupiers were arrested for interrupting a foreclosure auction in New York yesterday. The protesters, who apparently numbered around 80, stood up and burst into song, delaying the auction. Only one of the six properties on the auction block was sold.
-- Occupy Des Moines is on the move. Protesters have been occupying Stewart Square for quite some time now, but their permit runs up early next week. Rather than fighting a mayor who they say showed much goodwill to them, they will be heading back to the State Capitol building, where they had originally set up for three days before being evicted by the governor. The mayor had then offered them Stewart Square. The Occupiers are unsure of how the governor will handle the move.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
If you want to contact me, please do o at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
It's nice to see you all. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- Multiple calls are going out to Occupy Chicago for the G8 and NATO summits in May. This may be the largest Occupation to date, with a possible 50,000 people in attendance. Occupy Chicago has no permanent Occupation spot, and protesters who attend may find themselves subject to the new, stricter rules being enforced by that mayor. Occupy Chicago is calling for the month long occupation as part of the Chicago Spring.
-- I reported a few days ago that several Occupiers had been shot with paintballs at the UC Regents meeting at the Riverside campus. It turns out that information was incorrect. The projectiles being shot at students were actually "pepper balls," which can cause burning and pain. Apparently the UC police still favor the peppery side of policing.
-- Occupy Albany may owe a bit of money soon. The city is asking for a state court to review their case, but also for Occupiers to pay the city's legal fees. The city of Albany is saying the was no reason to move the case to federal court, which means the protesters should pay.
-- Somewhere between 25 and 40 OWS Occupiers were arrested for interrupting a foreclosure auction in New York yesterday. The protesters, who apparently numbered around 80, stood up and burst into song, delaying the auction. Only one of the six properties on the auction block was sold.
-- Occupy Des Moines is on the move. Protesters have been occupying Stewart Square for quite some time now, but their permit runs up early next week. Rather than fighting a mayor who they say showed much goodwill to them, they will be heading back to the State Capitol building, where they had originally set up for three days before being evicted by the governor. The mayor had then offered them Stewart Square. The Occupiers are unsure of how the governor will handle the move.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
If you want to contact me, please do o at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Updates 1/26/12
Hello everyone.
I'm starting to feel much better lately. My cough has lessened quite a bit, and the headaches are less frequent. Yay!
On to the news:
-- Reporters Without Borders released their yearly Press Freedom Index Wednesday, showing that the US had dropped a huge 27 spots to 47th place in freedom of the press. The summary of the report described the large loss of press freedom as directly resultant of the many journalists arrested while covering the Occupy Movement. At several points during the movement's actions police have been targeting reporters, arresting even those from the most well-known news agencies.
-- Occupy Portland held a demonstration yesterday evening, in support of the Egyptian Revolution. Four people were arrested, with charges of disorderly conduct or interfering with police. As the rally marched around the city, police presence grew until the officers outnumbered the protesters. Police were heard yelling at demonstrators to stay on the sidewalks, and at one point, several officers were knocked down by an accidental surge of the crowd. There were no injuries.
-- A US Bank located in the UC Davis student center has shut its doors repeatedly for the past few weeks, thanks to a blockade by roughly 40 students. The protesters simply sit down outside the doors of the bank, blocking anyone from entering. While the University has a ten year contract with the bank, there are rumors beginning to fly that it may shut down entirely soon. The students say they won't go until the bank does.
-- Occupy Oakland is planning to take over a vacant building as its new headquarters, warning police that any attempt to prevent this will result in more blockades. They are working on choosing a building, with several in mind, all of which are either public buildings or buildings vacated by their bank or investor owners due to greed, corruption, or incompetence. Police say they are just watching for the moment, but that protesters need to keep the law in mind.
-- Occupy Auckland was raided early Thursday morning by as many as 60 police and 30 security officers. Over a dozen protesters were arrested for breaching the peace, breaching trespass orders, and willful damage and assault. Occupiers say they have been treated worse than dogs, with the City Council's Chief Executive making a show out of delivering the trespass order personally. After the eviction, many protesters came back for a meeting, obviously upset. Many carried signs, and some tore down the fence that had been surrounding the area. They are planning a large march this weekend.
A few interesting articles to indulge in:
This article from the Huffington Post describes what we've all known- cities really are working together to kick out Occupy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/occupy-wall-street-us-conference-of-mayors_n_1232080.html
Here's a rather eye-opening view of the random charges Occupiers have been slapped with for protesting.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/01/weirdest-things-occupy-protesters-get-arrested/47863/
***Solidarity***
If you would like to get in touch, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
I'm starting to feel much better lately. My cough has lessened quite a bit, and the headaches are less frequent. Yay!
On to the news:
-- Reporters Without Borders released their yearly Press Freedom Index Wednesday, showing that the US had dropped a huge 27 spots to 47th place in freedom of the press. The summary of the report described the large loss of press freedom as directly resultant of the many journalists arrested while covering the Occupy Movement. At several points during the movement's actions police have been targeting reporters, arresting even those from the most well-known news agencies.
-- Occupy Portland held a demonstration yesterday evening, in support of the Egyptian Revolution. Four people were arrested, with charges of disorderly conduct or interfering with police. As the rally marched around the city, police presence grew until the officers outnumbered the protesters. Police were heard yelling at demonstrators to stay on the sidewalks, and at one point, several officers were knocked down by an accidental surge of the crowd. There were no injuries.
-- A US Bank located in the UC Davis student center has shut its doors repeatedly for the past few weeks, thanks to a blockade by roughly 40 students. The protesters simply sit down outside the doors of the bank, blocking anyone from entering. While the University has a ten year contract with the bank, there are rumors beginning to fly that it may shut down entirely soon. The students say they won't go until the bank does.
-- Occupy Oakland is planning to take over a vacant building as its new headquarters, warning police that any attempt to prevent this will result in more blockades. They are working on choosing a building, with several in mind, all of which are either public buildings or buildings vacated by their bank or investor owners due to greed, corruption, or incompetence. Police say they are just watching for the moment, but that protesters need to keep the law in mind.
-- Occupy Auckland was raided early Thursday morning by as many as 60 police and 30 security officers. Over a dozen protesters were arrested for breaching the peace, breaching trespass orders, and willful damage and assault. Occupiers say they have been treated worse than dogs, with the City Council's Chief Executive making a show out of delivering the trespass order personally. After the eviction, many protesters came back for a meeting, obviously upset. Many carried signs, and some tore down the fence that had been surrounding the area. They are planning a large march this weekend.
A few interesting articles to indulge in:
This article from the Huffington Post describes what we've all known- cities really are working together to kick out Occupy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/occupy-wall-street-us-conference-of-mayors_n_1232080.html
Here's a rather eye-opening view of the random charges Occupiers have been slapped with for protesting.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/01/weirdest-things-occupy-protesters-get-arrested/47863/
***Solidarity***
If you would like to get in touch, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Updates 1/25/12
Hello everyone.
I hate winter.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Auckland's encampments have been reduced from four to one as the Auckland City Council continues their efforts to evict and arrest Occupiers at the parks and plazas. The council will be back in court on February 2nd, once again pushing for the ability to arrest all remaining protesters. Previously, they've confiscated and destroyed the tents and belongings of dozens of Occupiers. The council says the demonstrators are ruining the parks for everyone else, and that $65,000 in damage has been done to the grass and surrounding areas. (If you spend $65,000 on grass, I'm pretty sure I know where some of your financial issues are coming from. Priorities, anyone?)
-- Several Corporate News entities are reporting on "OWS's first Congressional Candidate," 29 year old Nathan Kleinman of Philly. Kleinman has experience in the political realm, and is collecting signatures to run against the Democratic incumbent on an autonomous platform. He says he plans to stay involved with Occupy no matter what happens.
-- Occupy Providence has reached a deal with the city, ending their 24 hour Occupation of Burnside Park. The city has agreed that in exchange for protesters leaving the park at night, a day center will be opened for the homeless population, allowing those without homes a place to go during the cold winter days. While many protesters are happy with the arrangement, others are disappointed in "giving up their one bargaining chip so easily."
-- A Wells Fargo Bank in Utah got quite a wake-up call when Occupy Park City stormed in through the doors on Monday, chanting loudly and dancing. The bank officials called police as soon as protesters entered, leading police to ask them to leave. The Occupiers peacefully complied, with no arrests or citations.
-- The encampment of Occupy Lexington was found empty yesterday, leading to police cleaning up the area with the help of a few Occupiers who stopped by. One person was supposed to be at the Occupation at all times, and it is unclear where the person from this time had gone. The Mayor did not know about the cleanup, and said the city supports the right to protest. Occupiers will be allowed to return at any time, as long as they do not block the sidewalks.
-- Occupy UC Davis has taken over an unused building on campus, moving into the space after a rally yesterday afternoon. Occupiers say the building will be the Center of Operations for the movement, replacing the tents previously used outside. The University is not acting yet, saying they are monitoring the situation with the University's best interests in mind. They have left the utilities for the building on.
-- 3 more Occupiers were arrested for protesting the GAIM hedge fund conference in Boca Raton yesterday, just one day after three others had locked themselves together and laid in the street. Two of the most recent three arrests were for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, while the last protester's charges have not yet been released. The Occupiers called for an end to the investments in private prisons.
-- Lawmakers are saying that Occupiers in DC will soon be facing citations for camping, but no full scale eviction is planned. The Park Service is being forced into compliance with rules stating that people cannot sleep onsite, although they are allowed to be present 24 hours a day. Some of the lawmakers are concerned that the Park Service is "bowing to pressure from the Obama administration by allowing the protesters to remain." (Seems to me they're being forced to bow to your political beliefs instead, huh? Because that's so much better, ya damn hypocrites.)
-- In the State of the Union address last night, President Obama announced a federal investigation on Wall Street. A quote from the speech reads “I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis. This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans.”
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
I hate winter.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Auckland's encampments have been reduced from four to one as the Auckland City Council continues their efforts to evict and arrest Occupiers at the parks and plazas. The council will be back in court on February 2nd, once again pushing for the ability to arrest all remaining protesters. Previously, they've confiscated and destroyed the tents and belongings of dozens of Occupiers. The council says the demonstrators are ruining the parks for everyone else, and that $65,000 in damage has been done to the grass and surrounding areas. (If you spend $65,000 on grass, I'm pretty sure I know where some of your financial issues are coming from. Priorities, anyone?)
-- Several Corporate News entities are reporting on "OWS's first Congressional Candidate," 29 year old Nathan Kleinman of Philly. Kleinman has experience in the political realm, and is collecting signatures to run against the Democratic incumbent on an autonomous platform. He says he plans to stay involved with Occupy no matter what happens.
-- Occupy Providence has reached a deal with the city, ending their 24 hour Occupation of Burnside Park. The city has agreed that in exchange for protesters leaving the park at night, a day center will be opened for the homeless population, allowing those without homes a place to go during the cold winter days. While many protesters are happy with the arrangement, others are disappointed in "giving up their one bargaining chip so easily."
-- A Wells Fargo Bank in Utah got quite a wake-up call when Occupy Park City stormed in through the doors on Monday, chanting loudly and dancing. The bank officials called police as soon as protesters entered, leading police to ask them to leave. The Occupiers peacefully complied, with no arrests or citations.
-- The encampment of Occupy Lexington was found empty yesterday, leading to police cleaning up the area with the help of a few Occupiers who stopped by. One person was supposed to be at the Occupation at all times, and it is unclear where the person from this time had gone. The Mayor did not know about the cleanup, and said the city supports the right to protest. Occupiers will be allowed to return at any time, as long as they do not block the sidewalks.
-- Occupy UC Davis has taken over an unused building on campus, moving into the space after a rally yesterday afternoon. Occupiers say the building will be the Center of Operations for the movement, replacing the tents previously used outside. The University is not acting yet, saying they are monitoring the situation with the University's best interests in mind. They have left the utilities for the building on.
-- 3 more Occupiers were arrested for protesting the GAIM hedge fund conference in Boca Raton yesterday, just one day after three others had locked themselves together and laid in the street. Two of the most recent three arrests were for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, while the last protester's charges have not yet been released. The Occupiers called for an end to the investments in private prisons.
-- Lawmakers are saying that Occupiers in DC will soon be facing citations for camping, but no full scale eviction is planned. The Park Service is being forced into compliance with rules stating that people cannot sleep onsite, although they are allowed to be present 24 hours a day. Some of the lawmakers are concerned that the Park Service is "bowing to pressure from the Obama administration by allowing the protesters to remain." (Seems to me they're being forced to bow to your political beliefs instead, huh? Because that's so much better, ya damn hypocrites.)
-- In the State of the Union address last night, President Obama announced a federal investigation on Wall Street. A quote from the speech reads “I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis. This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans.”
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Updates 1/24/12
Hello everyone.
Here's the news for today:
-- Even as many critics say that the Occupy movement is dwindling and sputtering, new Occupations are springing up. Some new movements include UMass Boston and University of Denver, among others.
-- 3 Occupiers from Occupy Miami and Occupy West Palm Beach were arrested in Boca Raton after they lay in the roadway during rush hour traffic. The demonstrators were protesting against a hedge fund industry conference that was being held nearby. While other protesters were present, they were no taken into custody. The 3 arrested Occupiers had locked themselves together, blocking traffice for at least a half hour before police could separate and detain them.
-- Occupy Wall Street attorneys have dropped their case against the owners of Zuccotti Park, saying that they no longer need to proceed since the officials have removed the barricades and stopped searching park visitors. While the rules are still in effect about no camping, many Occupiers are okay with the lawsuit being dropped, hailing it as a victory of unlimited access to the park.
-- In the first official probe of its kind, Congress is opening a major investigation into Occupy DC, asking why protesters have been allowed to say in the park for so long. There is a ban on camping in the parks, but the National Park Service declared the Occupation a "24 hour vigil," thus skirting around the ban. Critics are slamming the investigation as "purely political." One of the members of the subcommittee performing the probe is Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican. He is questioning the Obama administration for allowing protesters to stay, saying that it may be for political gain on the administration's part.
-- Santorum has been glitter bombed again, this time by two men from Occupy Tampa. Santorum was scheduled to give a speech to roughly 400 people in a cramped American Legion hall when the Occupiers tossed glitter at him, chanting that he is a homophobe. The men were tackled and carried off the property, where they were issued trespass warnings banning them from ever returning. (The best quote from this article? "A campaign staffer said it is not the first time this has happened at a Santorum event.")
-- Two members of the Walkupy group are in trouble again. They were arrested yesterday morning after being approached by Madison County Sheriff's Officers, who had received a report of a "traffic obstruction." The officer asked for identification, and the two refused to show it, citing that the officer had no probable cause. They were subsequently arrested and released late last night.
-- The UC Regent's meeting was a little crazy. I reported a bit on it yesterday, but this article explains the events more in depth. Have a look.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/165800/occupy-riverside-student-injured-police
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Here's the news for today:
-- Even as many critics say that the Occupy movement is dwindling and sputtering, new Occupations are springing up. Some new movements include UMass Boston and University of Denver, among others.
-- 3 Occupiers from Occupy Miami and Occupy West Palm Beach were arrested in Boca Raton after they lay in the roadway during rush hour traffic. The demonstrators were protesting against a hedge fund industry conference that was being held nearby. While other protesters were present, they were no taken into custody. The 3 arrested Occupiers had locked themselves together, blocking traffice for at least a half hour before police could separate and detain them.
-- Occupy Wall Street attorneys have dropped their case against the owners of Zuccotti Park, saying that they no longer need to proceed since the officials have removed the barricades and stopped searching park visitors. While the rules are still in effect about no camping, many Occupiers are okay with the lawsuit being dropped, hailing it as a victory of unlimited access to the park.
-- In the first official probe of its kind, Congress is opening a major investigation into Occupy DC, asking why protesters have been allowed to say in the park for so long. There is a ban on camping in the parks, but the National Park Service declared the Occupation a "24 hour vigil," thus skirting around the ban. Critics are slamming the investigation as "purely political." One of the members of the subcommittee performing the probe is Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican. He is questioning the Obama administration for allowing protesters to stay, saying that it may be for political gain on the administration's part.
-- Santorum has been glitter bombed again, this time by two men from Occupy Tampa. Santorum was scheduled to give a speech to roughly 400 people in a cramped American Legion hall when the Occupiers tossed glitter at him, chanting that he is a homophobe. The men were tackled and carried off the property, where they were issued trespass warnings banning them from ever returning. (The best quote from this article? "A campaign staffer said it is not the first time this has happened at a Santorum event.")
-- Two members of the Walkupy group are in trouble again. They were arrested yesterday morning after being approached by Madison County Sheriff's Officers, who had received a report of a "traffic obstruction." The officer asked for identification, and the two refused to show it, citing that the officer had no probable cause. They were subsequently arrested and released late last night.
-- The UC Regent's meeting was a little crazy. I reported a bit on it yesterday, but this article explains the events more in depth. Have a look.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/165800/occupy-riverside-student-injured-police
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Updates 1/23/12
Hello everyone.
I just finished reading a book called "The Book Thief" last night. If you haven't read it, you should seriously consider doing so.
Here's the news for today:
-- Rick Santorum got an unwelcome surprise when he was signing autographs yesterday, as Occupy Charleston blasted him with glitter. The protesters, who were then led out of the room, chanted "Stop the Hate" and "Bigot," among other chants accusing him of being a hatemonger who hates gays. (Which he is.)
-- Early this morning, Occupy Auckland was raided, leading to the destruction of most of their tents and 3 arrests. An investigation has already launched concerning the conduct of several officers who were photographed wearing the same identification number, rather than their own specific tag numbers. The 3 or 4 officers, who protesters say were acting much more violent than others, were all wearing the ID tag Z557.
-- The Attorney General in DC is up in arms. He is fuming over a 2010 decision by the DC City Council to disallow the fatal trapping of urban wildlife, including rats. He said the animals must be captured alive and transported elsewhere, but it turns up that he is incorrect. The law has an exemption for rats, but the Attorney General made no distinction between rats and other animals. (Sounds to me like someone needs to study up on laws again.)
-- Occupy Raleigh celebrated their 100th day of protest with a march, leading to the arrest of 2 Occupiers. The two men were standing in the street, and ignored repeated requests by police to move. They were arrested for blocking traffic. One of the men was also charged with resisting, delaying, or obstructing law enforcement.
That's all for today, everyone.
***Solidarity***
Send me news from your Occupation at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
I just finished reading a book called "The Book Thief" last night. If you haven't read it, you should seriously consider doing so.
Here's the news for today:
-- Rick Santorum got an unwelcome surprise when he was signing autographs yesterday, as Occupy Charleston blasted him with glitter. The protesters, who were then led out of the room, chanted "Stop the Hate" and "Bigot," among other chants accusing him of being a hatemonger who hates gays. (Which he is.)
-- Early this morning, Occupy Auckland was raided, leading to the destruction of most of their tents and 3 arrests. An investigation has already launched concerning the conduct of several officers who were photographed wearing the same identification number, rather than their own specific tag numbers. The 3 or 4 officers, who protesters say were acting much more violent than others, were all wearing the ID tag Z557.
-- The Attorney General in DC is up in arms. He is fuming over a 2010 decision by the DC City Council to disallow the fatal trapping of urban wildlife, including rats. He said the animals must be captured alive and transported elsewhere, but it turns up that he is incorrect. The law has an exemption for rats, but the Attorney General made no distinction between rats and other animals. (Sounds to me like someone needs to study up on laws again.)
-- Occupy Raleigh celebrated their 100th day of protest with a march, leading to the arrest of 2 Occupiers. The two men were standing in the street, and ignored repeated requests by police to move. They were arrested for blocking traffic. One of the men was also charged with resisting, delaying, or obstructing law enforcement.
That's all for today, everyone.
***Solidarity***
Send me news from your Occupation at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Updates 1/22/12
Hello everyone.
The news is light today. I got my first ever nosebleed writing it. I think I need a humidifier or something.
Here's the news:
-- Occupy London has vacated the Barbican building, less than 24 hours after they occupied it. Occupiers were contacted by employees of the Berkeley Homes company, who had recently been hired to complete renovations on the building. The employees, who contacted Occupy London individually, were concerned about their job security. Rather than possibly risk their jobs, Occupiers vacated the spot, wishing the employees well, and saying that they trust Berkeley Homes will "make adequate provision for affordable housing."
-- The final tally for arrests in the San Francisco protest on Friday has come to 23. 19 were arrested in the daytime, but 4 more were arrested that night. One of the 4 had been arrested earlier while attempting to get into an empty hotel The other three later got into the building and made it to the roof, where they allegedly began throwing bibles at the police. Police used pepper spray and batons to subdue the protesters, and two officers were apparently injured. One officer was hit in the chest with a brick, while the other hurt his hand.
Sorry, I know it's short. Not much out there today.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
The news is light today. I got my first ever nosebleed writing it. I think I need a humidifier or something.
Here's the news:
-- Occupy London has vacated the Barbican building, less than 24 hours after they occupied it. Occupiers were contacted by employees of the Berkeley Homes company, who had recently been hired to complete renovations on the building. The employees, who contacted Occupy London individually, were concerned about their job security. Rather than possibly risk their jobs, Occupiers vacated the spot, wishing the employees well, and saying that they trust Berkeley Homes will "make adequate provision for affordable housing."
-- The final tally for arrests in the San Francisco protest on Friday has come to 23. 19 were arrested in the daytime, but 4 more were arrested that night. One of the 4 had been arrested earlier while attempting to get into an empty hotel The other three later got into the building and made it to the roof, where they allegedly began throwing bibles at the police. Police used pepper spray and batons to subdue the protesters, and two officers were apparently injured. One officer was hit in the chest with a brick, while the other hurt his hand.
Sorry, I know it's short. Not much out there today.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Updates 1/21/12
Hello everyone.
Thank you for your patience with me. I understand that sometimes I may miss news stories when I have to skip a day, but I try to report as well as I can. Hopefully my visit to the doctor will prevent any severe future illness, but for now, I feel like crap. Flu shots do that sometimes, but as someone who has caught pneumonia every year since high school, it's rather important for me to pay attention to my health.
On to the news!
-- Occupy the Courts is in full swing, as groups around the country move in on their local courthouses to protest. A least a dozen were arrested with Occupy DC, as they sang and chanted on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, where it is apparently illegal to protest.
-- Occupy SF also had multiple arrests, with some reports saying that over 20 protesters were detained for blocking the doors of several banks yesterday. Pepper spray was used, and many of the Occupiers were arrested for trespassing. At least one was arrested for grabbing an officer's baton. Some had chained themselves to the banks' entryways.
-- In Portland (OR), Occupiers protested at the Pioneer Courthouse Square yesterday, opening mocking Supreme Court judges and calling for a Constitutional amendment against the Citizen's United ruling. Several people showed up dressed as the judges, wearing banners with large corporate logos on them. No arrests were made, but an altercation led to several protesters being removed.
-- Occupy Cross Creek (GA) has been rallying together all week at the Cross Creek High School. Students are tired of violence from gangs and bullying, and are banding together to spread the word. The students hope their message against violence and bullying will spread much farther than their own school. They incorporated themed dress-up days, as well as several protests.
-- Occupy LA joined up with UC students to protest the Regent's meeting on Thursday, when apparently things got a little out of control. Students were moving barricades to attempt to block police, and at least one protester was shot with rubber bullets. You can watch the footage here:
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/01/video_uc_students_occupy_la_protesters_shot_rubber_bullets_regents_meeting.php
-- Mayor Jean Quan got a warm welcome in DC on Thursday when roughly a dozen protesters surrounded her cab and chanted "Shame" at the visiting mayor. Quan's hotel had been the site of demonstrators for several days, looking for the disgraced mayor. Quan shielded her face while Occupiers chanted, and police arrived to clear the way for the cab to leave. You can watch the video here:
http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2012/01/20/video-occupy-protesters-find-jean-quan-in-d-c/
-- Occupy London has moved to a new building again, as they fight to appeal the ruling for their eviction. They have moved into the nine-story Roman House building, which previously housed businesses from the financial district. They say they will remain there until the City of London Corporation releases all the details of their cash accounts.
-- Occupy Bristol has been served with eviction papers from the city and Bristol County Court. Occupiers are not planning on leaving anytime soon, saying they believe the best course of action is resistance. They are being accused of trespass.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Thank you for your patience with me. I understand that sometimes I may miss news stories when I have to skip a day, but I try to report as well as I can. Hopefully my visit to the doctor will prevent any severe future illness, but for now, I feel like crap. Flu shots do that sometimes, but as someone who has caught pneumonia every year since high school, it's rather important for me to pay attention to my health.
On to the news!
-- Occupy the Courts is in full swing, as groups around the country move in on their local courthouses to protest. A least a dozen were arrested with Occupy DC, as they sang and chanted on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, where it is apparently illegal to protest.
-- Occupy SF also had multiple arrests, with some reports saying that over 20 protesters were detained for blocking the doors of several banks yesterday. Pepper spray was used, and many of the Occupiers were arrested for trespassing. At least one was arrested for grabbing an officer's baton. Some had chained themselves to the banks' entryways.
-- In Portland (OR), Occupiers protested at the Pioneer Courthouse Square yesterday, opening mocking Supreme Court judges and calling for a Constitutional amendment against the Citizen's United ruling. Several people showed up dressed as the judges, wearing banners with large corporate logos on them. No arrests were made, but an altercation led to several protesters being removed.
-- Occupy Cross Creek (GA) has been rallying together all week at the Cross Creek High School. Students are tired of violence from gangs and bullying, and are banding together to spread the word. The students hope their message against violence and bullying will spread much farther than their own school. They incorporated themed dress-up days, as well as several protests.
-- Occupy LA joined up with UC students to protest the Regent's meeting on Thursday, when apparently things got a little out of control. Students were moving barricades to attempt to block police, and at least one protester was shot with rubber bullets. You can watch the footage here:
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/01/video_uc_students_occupy_la_protesters_shot_rubber_bullets_regents_meeting.php
-- Mayor Jean Quan got a warm welcome in DC on Thursday when roughly a dozen protesters surrounded her cab and chanted "Shame" at the visiting mayor. Quan's hotel had been the site of demonstrators for several days, looking for the disgraced mayor. Quan shielded her face while Occupiers chanted, and police arrived to clear the way for the cab to leave. You can watch the video here:
http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2012/01/20/video-occupy-protesters-find-jean-quan-in-d-c/
-- Occupy London has moved to a new building again, as they fight to appeal the ruling for their eviction. They have moved into the nine-story Roman House building, which previously housed businesses from the financial district. They say they will remain there until the City of London Corporation releases all the details of their cash accounts.
-- Occupy Bristol has been served with eviction papers from the city and Bristol County Court. Occupiers are not planning on leaving anytime soon, saying they believe the best course of action is resistance. They are being accused of trespass.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Friday, January 20, 2012
No updates today.
Sorry everyone. I've got a day packed full of classes and a doctor's appointment that I'm about to be late for. I'll pick it up again tomorrow.
Oh, and wow at Anonymous for going after the FBI and the DoJ.
Oh, and wow at Anonymous for going after the FBI and the DoJ.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Updates 1/19/12
Hello everyone.
Things are moving right along in school, meaning that I feel like I'm losing my mind already. Oh well. I'll get things done. I always manage somehow. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- Los Angeles is turning to an unconventional plan to attempt to save the city money. Occupiers arrested for low level misdemeanors can have all charges dropped of they pay over $350 to a private company for a class to educate them on the "limits of the First Amendment." The city is considering expanding the class to involve anti-war demonstrators and students who are angry at tuition hikes. The Chief Deputy City Attorney says that it will save the city the costs of court cases, and that "The First Amendment is not absolute."
-- Tennessee state lawmakers are at it again, attempting to pass legislation that gets around the Federal Court injunction that stops them from evicting Occupiers from Legislative Plaza in Nashville. Two Republican lawmakers introduced the bill, which would make it a misdemeanor to "maintain living quarters on publicly owned property that is not designated or permitted for residential use." Other clauses in the bill include outlawing "use or assembly on publicly owned property" if they find that it "pose(s) a health hazard or threat to the safety or welfare of another person using, assembling upon, or employed to work upon that property." Not only would police be allowed to remove violators, but protesters would also be liable for any property damage.
-- Occupy Chicago will be dealing with new regulations come the G8 and NATO summits in May. The Mayor has new ordinances in play, restricting the hours that public protesting can be performed, and hiking up fines for resisting arrest and obstructing police. In protesting the new regulations, Occupy Chicago was joined by several groups, including Coalition Against NATO/G8 Agenda of War and Poverty and several union groups.
-- Occupiers at St. Paul's Cathedral have been told to leave, but it's not likely they will do so without a fight. The Justice ruled in favor of the London Corporation, saying that the encampment is a "public nuisance," and that any of the points the Corporation made during the trial would have been enough to win the case on its own. Attorneys for Occupy London have said they will fight the ruling all the way to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
-- Occupy Syracuse was evicted early this morning, leading to 7 protesters choosing to be peacefully arrested. The Occupiers were ordered to evacuate the camp after the city became concerned with fire hazards in the form of propane tanks and space heaters. The 7 arrested were cited for illegally erecting a tent in a public space. Loaders and compactor trucks were used to remove (destroy) the tents and gear remaining.
-- Boise lawmakers are also trying to pass legislation that would allow them to evict the Occupiers near the Old Ada County Courthouse. The bill would outlaw camping on state property near the Capitol. Occupy Boise is discussing further action, including possibly moving their Occupation, while preparing for a raid.
-- Occupy San Francisco is moving forward with plans to disrupt the Financial District on Friday, with over 2 dozen events planned, and Occupiers coming from as far away as DC. They will be picketing at multiple financial institutions on the second anniversary of the Citizen's United Supreme Court Decision. A rally is also planned at noon at the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Just across the bay, Occupy Oakland will also be having rallies and protests.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
If you have questions, comments, corrections, or other info, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Things are moving right along in school, meaning that I feel like I'm losing my mind already. Oh well. I'll get things done. I always manage somehow. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- Los Angeles is turning to an unconventional plan to attempt to save the city money. Occupiers arrested for low level misdemeanors can have all charges dropped of they pay over $350 to a private company for a class to educate them on the "limits of the First Amendment." The city is considering expanding the class to involve anti-war demonstrators and students who are angry at tuition hikes. The Chief Deputy City Attorney says that it will save the city the costs of court cases, and that "The First Amendment is not absolute."
-- Tennessee state lawmakers are at it again, attempting to pass legislation that gets around the Federal Court injunction that stops them from evicting Occupiers from Legislative Plaza in Nashville. Two Republican lawmakers introduced the bill, which would make it a misdemeanor to "maintain living quarters on publicly owned property that is not designated or permitted for residential use." Other clauses in the bill include outlawing "use or assembly on publicly owned property" if they find that it "pose(s) a health hazard or threat to the safety or welfare of another person using, assembling upon, or employed to work upon that property." Not only would police be allowed to remove violators, but protesters would also be liable for any property damage.
-- Occupy Chicago will be dealing with new regulations come the G8 and NATO summits in May. The Mayor has new ordinances in play, restricting the hours that public protesting can be performed, and hiking up fines for resisting arrest and obstructing police. In protesting the new regulations, Occupy Chicago was joined by several groups, including Coalition Against NATO/G8 Agenda of War and Poverty and several union groups.
-- Occupiers at St. Paul's Cathedral have been told to leave, but it's not likely they will do so without a fight. The Justice ruled in favor of the London Corporation, saying that the encampment is a "public nuisance," and that any of the points the Corporation made during the trial would have been enough to win the case on its own. Attorneys for Occupy London have said they will fight the ruling all the way to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
-- Occupy Syracuse was evicted early this morning, leading to 7 protesters choosing to be peacefully arrested. The Occupiers were ordered to evacuate the camp after the city became concerned with fire hazards in the form of propane tanks and space heaters. The 7 arrested were cited for illegally erecting a tent in a public space. Loaders and compactor trucks were used to remove (destroy) the tents and gear remaining.
-- Boise lawmakers are also trying to pass legislation that would allow them to evict the Occupiers near the Old Ada County Courthouse. The bill would outlaw camping on state property near the Capitol. Occupy Boise is discussing further action, including possibly moving their Occupation, while preparing for a raid.
-- Occupy San Francisco is moving forward with plans to disrupt the Financial District on Friday, with over 2 dozen events planned, and Occupiers coming from as far away as DC. They will be picketing at multiple financial institutions on the second anniversary of the Citizen's United Supreme Court Decision. A rally is also planned at noon at the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Just across the bay, Occupy Oakland will also be having rallies and protests.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
If you have questions, comments, corrections, or other info, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Updates 1/18/12
Today is Blackout Day to protest SOPA and PIPA.
While I certainly cannot block out Blogger, I can tell you the truth.
Which is that my news comes from a variety of sources-- including a LOT of Corporate Media sites.
If SOPA and PIPA pass, my blog could be shut down if I told you that administrators from Harvard removed the last of the Occupy Harvard encampment yesterday while citing safety concerns, because the end of the news article says: Copyright © 2011, The Harvard Crimson, Inc.
If SOPA and PIPA pass, I could be fined for telling you that it is likely we will see many more charges of "lynching" in the future, and that prosecutors have up to a year to charge you with the felony, because of this: © 2012 msnbc.com
If SOPA and PIPA pass, I could be arrested for telling you that roughly 1500 Occupiers were outside the White House last night, with 4 arrests for unknown reasons, as well as a person climbing the fence and lobbing a smoke bomb into the yard, leading to the evacuation of the White House, because of this: © 1996-2012 The Washington Post
Think about it.
While I certainly cannot block out Blogger, I can tell you the truth.
Which is that my news comes from a variety of sources-- including a LOT of Corporate Media sites.
If SOPA and PIPA pass, my blog could be shut down if I told you that administrators from Harvard removed the last of the Occupy Harvard encampment yesterday while citing safety concerns, because the end of the news article says: Copyright © 2011, The Harvard Crimson, Inc.
If SOPA and PIPA pass, I could be fined for telling you that it is likely we will see many more charges of "lynching" in the future, and that prosecutors have up to a year to charge you with the felony, because of this: © 2012 msnbc.com
If SOPA and PIPA pass, I could be arrested for telling you that roughly 1500 Occupiers were outside the White House last night, with 4 arrests for unknown reasons, as well as a person climbing the fence and lobbing a smoke bomb into the yard, leading to the evacuation of the White House, because of this: © 1996-2012 The Washington Post
Think about it.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Updates 1/17/12
Hello everyone.
Police departments in several cities, including Portland and Oakland, are saying that crime increased during the Occupy encampments, and decreased after their removal. Being that study a lot of crime, it leads me to wonder if they are taking all factors into account. For example, crime may have increased during the encampment's occupation time, but did they factor in that police were mostly focused on the Movement, allowing criminals to perform more crime with less fear of getting caught? Did they factor in the increased police presence in the city after they raided the encampment that may cause crime to decrease? I highly doubt it. Anyway...
Here's the news for today:
-- 6 members of Occupy Baltimore were arrested yesterday, as they set up a classroom on property set aside for a proposed juvenile detention center. Occupiers were protesting the use of funds to build the juvenile prison, saying it should instead be used on education. Police in riot gear and state troopers removed the Occupiers, arresting the six for trespassing on private property.
-- OWS has two marches yesterday, with one group marching from the African Burial Ground in NYC to the Federal Reserve, while singing and chanting. The other smaller group protested at a Bank of America, leading to the arrest of 4 protesters for trespassing.
-- This Friday is the 2 year anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, and Occupiers are not letting it pass quietly. Over 80 courthouses will have protests concerning the removal of the decision by way of a Constitutional Amendment, with people from all sides of the political spectrum agreeing the decision should be overturned.
That's all I have time for today everyone. Got to catch the bus for the first day of my last semester as an undergraduate. Wish me luck!
***Solidarity***
To contact me, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Police departments in several cities, including Portland and Oakland, are saying that crime increased during the Occupy encampments, and decreased after their removal. Being that study a lot of crime, it leads me to wonder if they are taking all factors into account. For example, crime may have increased during the encampment's occupation time, but did they factor in that police were mostly focused on the Movement, allowing criminals to perform more crime with less fear of getting caught? Did they factor in the increased police presence in the city after they raided the encampment that may cause crime to decrease? I highly doubt it. Anyway...
Here's the news for today:
-- 6 members of Occupy Baltimore were arrested yesterday, as they set up a classroom on property set aside for a proposed juvenile detention center. Occupiers were protesting the use of funds to build the juvenile prison, saying it should instead be used on education. Police in riot gear and state troopers removed the Occupiers, arresting the six for trespassing on private property.
-- OWS has two marches yesterday, with one group marching from the African Burial Ground in NYC to the Federal Reserve, while singing and chanting. The other smaller group protested at a Bank of America, leading to the arrest of 4 protesters for trespassing.
-- This Friday is the 2 year anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, and Occupiers are not letting it pass quietly. Over 80 courthouses will have protests concerning the removal of the decision by way of a Constitutional Amendment, with people from all sides of the political spectrum agreeing the decision should be overturned.
That's all I have time for today everyone. Got to catch the bus for the first day of my last semester as an undergraduate. Wish me luck!
***Solidarity***
To contact me, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Updates 1/16/12
Hello everyone.
It's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday today. Occupiers are marching, politicians are volunteering, and I'm sitting home grumbling about not getting mail today. (That's a joke. I am sitting home, but I'm not very grumbly today. I'm just anxious, because school starts tomorrow.)
Ok, maybe I am a bit grumbly, but that's because the news is difficult to find today. Once the Corporate Media gets on a kick, they just don't quit.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Nigeria is claiming a small victory today, as the President says he will be lowering fuel prices to appease the protesters. When the fuel subsidy was removed earlier this month, fuel prices weren't the only cost that increased. Food and transportation costs skyrocketed, leaving many without a way to eat. Protesters have been in the streets for weeks now, with rolling strikes and violent outbursts shutting down cities.
-- Occupy DC has passed a resolution asking for a Constitutional Amendment removing corporate personhood. With Occupy Congress approaching quickly this Friday, Occupiers plan on asking the DC City Council to pass a similar resolution.
-- Occupy Davos (Switzerland) is fighting the bitter cold in a brilliant way. Activists from around the world are invited to join the Occupiers at their igloo encampment, where they will become Occupy WEF (the World Economic Forum). As well as having multiple igloos, the Occupiers also have a few heated tepees and a kitchen.
-- An Occupy LA protester was arrested on charges of "lynching" on Thursday, leading legal advice to come to his defense. "Lynching" is described as using riot action to remove someone from police custody. Attorneys are saying the charges are trumped up, because there is no evidence that anyone was removed from custody, or that 2 or more people used riot action towards police.
-- Occupiers traveling to Occupy Congress from San Diego were left stranded in Amarillo, TX, when a Greyhound bus driver demanded "All you Occupy people, off my bus!" The Amarillo 13, as they became known, have their own account of what happened, and it seems that the Corporate Media is agreeing with the events listed. You can read all about this here:
http://obrag.org/?p=52673&cpage=1
----
SuziQ2 and Progressive4u over at Occupystream have asked me to add this in. Please have a look, and do what you can to help out!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HwvJ-f7SJsNEv595AvvnYTrP_J9L9ICuPQ4w8PlvQsE/edit?pli=1
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
It's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday today. Occupiers are marching, politicians are volunteering, and I'm sitting home grumbling about not getting mail today. (That's a joke. I am sitting home, but I'm not very grumbly today. I'm just anxious, because school starts tomorrow.)
Ok, maybe I am a bit grumbly, but that's because the news is difficult to find today. Once the Corporate Media gets on a kick, they just don't quit.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Nigeria is claiming a small victory today, as the President says he will be lowering fuel prices to appease the protesters. When the fuel subsidy was removed earlier this month, fuel prices weren't the only cost that increased. Food and transportation costs skyrocketed, leaving many without a way to eat. Protesters have been in the streets for weeks now, with rolling strikes and violent outbursts shutting down cities.
-- Occupy DC has passed a resolution asking for a Constitutional Amendment removing corporate personhood. With Occupy Congress approaching quickly this Friday, Occupiers plan on asking the DC City Council to pass a similar resolution.
-- Occupy Davos (Switzerland) is fighting the bitter cold in a brilliant way. Activists from around the world are invited to join the Occupiers at their igloo encampment, where they will become Occupy WEF (the World Economic Forum). As well as having multiple igloos, the Occupiers also have a few heated tepees and a kitchen.
-- An Occupy LA protester was arrested on charges of "lynching" on Thursday, leading legal advice to come to his defense. "Lynching" is described as using riot action to remove someone from police custody. Attorneys are saying the charges are trumped up, because there is no evidence that anyone was removed from custody, or that 2 or more people used riot action towards police.
-- Occupiers traveling to Occupy Congress from San Diego were left stranded in Amarillo, TX, when a Greyhound bus driver demanded "All you Occupy people, off my bus!" The Amarillo 13, as they became known, have their own account of what happened, and it seems that the Corporate Media is agreeing with the events listed. You can read all about this here:
http://obrag.org/?p=52673&cpage=1
----
SuziQ2 and Progressive4u over at Occupystream have asked me to add this in. Please have a look, and do what you can to help out!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HwvJ-f7SJsNEv595AvvnYTrP_J9L9ICuPQ4w8PlvQsE/edit?pli=1
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Updates 1/15/12
Hello everyone.
This week, I start up classes again, and I'm taking quite the hefty load. Please bear with me, as it may take me a little while to get into a rhythm with posting and making it to classes on time. If I don't make it in the morning, I'll probably post around 2 or 3 in the afternoon.
Also, I'd like to thank Tom for his letter of encouragement. You all don't know how much it means to me when you take the time to write me. Sometimes this blog is tiring, and I see so many bad things that make me upset. It's letters like Tom's that give me the energy I need to keep writing for you.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Movements around the country are planning events for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. OWS is having a candlelight vigil, as are many other cities, including Reno, Venice, and Riverside. Protesters are honoring the memory of King's constant battle for peace and equality.
-- Occupy SF had 4 arrests yesterday when a group of protesters from Occupy SF Housing climbed onto the roof of a Wells Fargo building. The Occupiers held up a large banner, and called for a moratorium on all home evictions and foreclosures. Protesters walked down a fire engine ladder, where they were cited and later released.
-- A large group of Christians, many with the group Ekklesia, have said they will resist the eviction of Occupy London from St. Paul's Cathedral, if they attempt to remove the Occupiers. The group says they will surround the protesters with a massive prayer ring. People who are interested in joining the prayer ring have signed an online petition, saying they offer their "solidarity with people of all religions and none who are resisting economic injustice with active nonviolence." Twitter is exploding with the hashtag #Mark1115, Mark's Gospel section in which Jesus drives out those who are selling and buying in the temple, and overturns the tables of the moneychangers. You can read more about this at Ekklesia's web site, here:
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16075
-- Occupy Oakland had 2 arrests at a peaceful march last night, rallying against police. Roughly 125 protesters marched, in what they are saying will be a weekly anti-police gathering on Saturday nights. One person was arrested for pushing a dumpster into the street to use as a barricade. As he was being detained, another Occupier interfered, leading to their arrest as well.
-- Occupy Seattle marched yesterday night as well, calling for the resignation of the Seattle Police Chief. The Justice Department found that Seattle Police routinely used illegal and excessive force against civilians. The city has promised a complete change.
THIS MAKES ME WANT TO SMACK SOMEONE. HARD.
http://obrag.org/?p=52601&cpage=1
SERIOUSLY.
**EDIT** SuziQ2 and Progressive4u over at Occupystream have asked me to add this in. Please have a look, and do what you can to help out!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HwvJ-f7SJsNEv595AvvnYTrP_J9L9ICuPQ4w8PlvQsE/edit?pli=1
***Solidarity***
To contact me for any reason, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
This week, I start up classes again, and I'm taking quite the hefty load. Please bear with me, as it may take me a little while to get into a rhythm with posting and making it to classes on time. If I don't make it in the morning, I'll probably post around 2 or 3 in the afternoon.
Also, I'd like to thank Tom for his letter of encouragement. You all don't know how much it means to me when you take the time to write me. Sometimes this blog is tiring, and I see so many bad things that make me upset. It's letters like Tom's that give me the energy I need to keep writing for you.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Movements around the country are planning events for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. OWS is having a candlelight vigil, as are many other cities, including Reno, Venice, and Riverside. Protesters are honoring the memory of King's constant battle for peace and equality.
-- Occupy SF had 4 arrests yesterday when a group of protesters from Occupy SF Housing climbed onto the roof of a Wells Fargo building. The Occupiers held up a large banner, and called for a moratorium on all home evictions and foreclosures. Protesters walked down a fire engine ladder, where they were cited and later released.
-- A large group of Christians, many with the group Ekklesia, have said they will resist the eviction of Occupy London from St. Paul's Cathedral, if they attempt to remove the Occupiers. The group says they will surround the protesters with a massive prayer ring. People who are interested in joining the prayer ring have signed an online petition, saying they offer their "solidarity with people of all religions and none who are resisting economic injustice with active nonviolence." Twitter is exploding with the hashtag #Mark1115, Mark's Gospel section in which Jesus drives out those who are selling and buying in the temple, and overturns the tables of the moneychangers. You can read more about this at Ekklesia's web site, here:
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16075
-- Occupy Oakland had 2 arrests at a peaceful march last night, rallying against police. Roughly 125 protesters marched, in what they are saying will be a weekly anti-police gathering on Saturday nights. One person was arrested for pushing a dumpster into the street to use as a barricade. As he was being detained, another Occupier interfered, leading to their arrest as well.
-- Occupy Seattle marched yesterday night as well, calling for the resignation of the Seattle Police Chief. The Justice Department found that Seattle Police routinely used illegal and excessive force against civilians. The city has promised a complete change.
THIS MAKES ME WANT TO SMACK SOMEONE. HARD.
http://obrag.org/?p=52601&cpage=1
SERIOUSLY.
**EDIT** SuziQ2 and Progressive4u over at Occupystream have asked me to add this in. Please have a look, and do what you can to help out!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HwvJ-f7SJsNEv595AvvnYTrP_J9L9ICuPQ4w8PlvQsE/edit?pli=1
***Solidarity***
To contact me for any reason, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
No updates today.
My apologies.
I am over-stressed and under-funded. My school has not sent my refund check to me yet, meaning that I will start classes with no books or supplies. I have no food in the house, and I'm very frustrated and irritable. I'm taking a day off before I throw something out a window.
I hope you can understand. Thanks.
I am over-stressed and under-funded. My school has not sent my refund check to me yet, meaning that I will start classes with no books or supplies. I have no food in the house, and I'm very frustrated and irritable. I'm taking a day off before I throw something out a window.
I hope you can understand. Thanks.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Updates 1/13/12
Hello everyone.
The Corporate Media is feigning quite a bit of surprise in Occupiers for celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. How noble of them.
Also, if you do contact me using the email at the bottom of the news, please include something about "Occupy" in the title. I get tons of spam, and I don't want to accidentally delete your communication. Thanks.
Happy Friday the 13th. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- The Mayor of the District of Columbia has written a letter to the National Park Service, asking that the Occupiers be evicted. He cites health concerns and the "growing rat population" as some of several reasons he wants them gone. He has suggested that they move to one park, rather than two, but the National Park Service has contended that the protesters have a right to be there.
-- Occupy Rochester is celebrating a small victory today. 28 Occupiers have had all charges against them dropped. A second bunch of Occupiers are set to be in court later this month for similar charges, and protesters are hoping for the same outcome.
-- University Regents from the University of California will be meeting at UC Riverside next week, and officials are scrambling to prepare for the protest. Busloads of students from other campuses are expected, and UC Police will be screening everyone with metal detectors and searching bags. Other safety measures are expected, but are not yet being made public.
-- Occupy Portland (OR) is affecting public policy. The Portland City Council passed a resolution yesterday, asking Congress to overturn the Supreme Court ruling that corporations have unlimited spending in elections. Occupiers are hailing the motion as not only a victory for them, but also for Portland and the American People.
-- Occupy Atlanta also had a victory yesterday, by helping a historic church ward off foreclosure. The church had taken out a loan for tornado repairs, but fell behind on payments once membership fell. When the church attempted to refinance, the bank said they would instead be foreclosing, leading the Pastor to reach out to Occupy Atlanta, who moved in the next day. The same day Occupiers joined the fight, the bank offered to refinance. The church firmly believes it was the Occupiers who changed the bank's mind.
-- Occupier and US Army Master Sergeant Jay Polk has been killed overseas on active duty, say his family and friends in San Diego. Polk was known as "Chef," for helping to serve 500-1000 meals a day to Occupiers in the beginning of the movement. A memorial service was held yesterday, with people remembering Polk as a "Man of Honor," and a man who "sacrificed his time and money to help others." He leaves behind his partner, Julie, and their children.
-- Protesters with Occupy Bristol are refusing to vacate a courtroom after a judge ruled that they must leave church-owned land. The court has not yet decided to remove the Occupiers, rather hanging a sign outside the room saying "This court is now closed."
-- Seven Occupiers were arrested at the FIU Art and Music Festival yesterday. They were asked to move to another lot, but they were still talking. When they stood up to go to the free forum area, they were arrested. There are several conflicting stories concerning the arrests, with some people saying Occupiers were attempting to comply by moving, and others saying they argued for nearly an hour before moving.
That's all for today, everyone.
***Solidarity***
If you need to contact me, please do so at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading and commenting.
The Corporate Media is feigning quite a bit of surprise in Occupiers for celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. How noble of them.
Also, if you do contact me using the email at the bottom of the news, please include something about "Occupy" in the title. I get tons of spam, and I don't want to accidentally delete your communication. Thanks.
Happy Friday the 13th. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- The Mayor of the District of Columbia has written a letter to the National Park Service, asking that the Occupiers be evicted. He cites health concerns and the "growing rat population" as some of several reasons he wants them gone. He has suggested that they move to one park, rather than two, but the National Park Service has contended that the protesters have a right to be there.
-- Occupy Rochester is celebrating a small victory today. 28 Occupiers have had all charges against them dropped. A second bunch of Occupiers are set to be in court later this month for similar charges, and protesters are hoping for the same outcome.
-- University Regents from the University of California will be meeting at UC Riverside next week, and officials are scrambling to prepare for the protest. Busloads of students from other campuses are expected, and UC Police will be screening everyone with metal detectors and searching bags. Other safety measures are expected, but are not yet being made public.
-- Occupy Portland (OR) is affecting public policy. The Portland City Council passed a resolution yesterday, asking Congress to overturn the Supreme Court ruling that corporations have unlimited spending in elections. Occupiers are hailing the motion as not only a victory for them, but also for Portland and the American People.
-- Occupy Atlanta also had a victory yesterday, by helping a historic church ward off foreclosure. The church had taken out a loan for tornado repairs, but fell behind on payments once membership fell. When the church attempted to refinance, the bank said they would instead be foreclosing, leading the Pastor to reach out to Occupy Atlanta, who moved in the next day. The same day Occupiers joined the fight, the bank offered to refinance. The church firmly believes it was the Occupiers who changed the bank's mind.
-- Occupier and US Army Master Sergeant Jay Polk has been killed overseas on active duty, say his family and friends in San Diego. Polk was known as "Chef," for helping to serve 500-1000 meals a day to Occupiers in the beginning of the movement. A memorial service was held yesterday, with people remembering Polk as a "Man of Honor," and a man who "sacrificed his time and money to help others." He leaves behind his partner, Julie, and their children.
-- Protesters with Occupy Bristol are refusing to vacate a courtroom after a judge ruled that they must leave church-owned land. The court has not yet decided to remove the Occupiers, rather hanging a sign outside the room saying "This court is now closed."
-- Seven Occupiers were arrested at the FIU Art and Music Festival yesterday. They were asked to move to another lot, but they were still talking. When they stood up to go to the free forum area, they were arrested. There are several conflicting stories concerning the arrests, with some people saying Occupiers were attempting to comply by moving, and others saying they argued for nearly an hour before moving.
That's all for today, everyone.
***Solidarity***
If you need to contact me, please do so at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Updates 1/12/12
Hello everyone.
I had planned on reporting the news earlier today, but my computer had other plans. I'm now starting out with a freshly wiped hard drive, so wish me luck with keeping it unharmed
Here's the news for today:
-- Yesterday, I reported on a group of squatters that had been evicted from a renovated house. Police had said that these people said they were part of Occupy, but that they did not believe they were affiliated. Well, today the Corporate Media has made that decision for them, with numerous media outlets reporting that these people are "linked to the Occupy Seattle movement." (This irritates me to no end. The police said no, but the media is ignoring them in favor of making the Occupy movement look bad. Disgusting.)
-- A man at the Occupy DC encampment was arrested for child cruelty yesterday, after his 13 month old daughter was found alone in a tent, crying, by other demonstrators. Occupiers opened the tent to find the little girl alone, wrapped her in a blanket, and called police. It took the man a half hour to approach police saying she was his child. Occupiers say he is not part of the movement, but has been seen frequently around the park in the past few weeks.
-- Two Oakland Police Officers have been punished for an incident during the General Strike late last year. An officer who had covered his name tag was suspended for 30 days, and his commanding officer, a Lieutenant, was demoted to Sergeant for not reporting the incident. During the strike, a man with a video camera asked the officer why his name was covered, and when he didn't answer, he asked the Lieutenant, who immediately walked over, talked to the officer, and removed the tape. (Personally, I find that the demotion was a bit much. The Lieutenant was not rude or brash. He walked over and removed the tape as soon as they asked him about it. Maybe a suspension, but being demoted for not reporting that? I don't know...) You can watch the video here, and decide for yourself:
http://sfist.com/2012/01/11/oakland_cops_demoted_suspended_for.php
Sorry for keeping it short today, but I have a ton of preparation to do for school next week. Plus, my wife is home after two full weeks of being gone, and I'd love to spend some time with her.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
I had planned on reporting the news earlier today, but my computer had other plans. I'm now starting out with a freshly wiped hard drive, so wish me luck with keeping it unharmed
Here's the news for today:
-- Yesterday, I reported on a group of squatters that had been evicted from a renovated house. Police had said that these people said they were part of Occupy, but that they did not believe they were affiliated. Well, today the Corporate Media has made that decision for them, with numerous media outlets reporting that these people are "linked to the Occupy Seattle movement." (This irritates me to no end. The police said no, but the media is ignoring them in favor of making the Occupy movement look bad. Disgusting.)
-- A man at the Occupy DC encampment was arrested for child cruelty yesterday, after his 13 month old daughter was found alone in a tent, crying, by other demonstrators. Occupiers opened the tent to find the little girl alone, wrapped her in a blanket, and called police. It took the man a half hour to approach police saying she was his child. Occupiers say he is not part of the movement, but has been seen frequently around the park in the past few weeks.
-- Two Oakland Police Officers have been punished for an incident during the General Strike late last year. An officer who had covered his name tag was suspended for 30 days, and his commanding officer, a Lieutenant, was demoted to Sergeant for not reporting the incident. During the strike, a man with a video camera asked the officer why his name was covered, and when he didn't answer, he asked the Lieutenant, who immediately walked over, talked to the officer, and removed the tape. (Personally, I find that the demotion was a bit much. The Lieutenant was not rude or brash. He walked over and removed the tape as soon as they asked him about it. Maybe a suspension, but being demoted for not reporting that? I don't know...) You can watch the video here, and decide for yourself:
http://sfist.com/2012/01/11/oakland_cops_demoted_suspended_for.php
Sorry for keeping it short today, but I have a ton of preparation to do for school next week. Plus, my wife is home after two full weeks of being gone, and I'd love to spend some time with her.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Updates 1/11/12
Hello everyone.
I surprisingly woke up to a phone call from my mother at noon today. I must have shut off my alarm in my sleep. Oops...
Here's the news for today:
-- The barriers that were blocking Zucotti Park are gone as of last night, after advocates with Occupy sent letters to the Department of Buildings. While Occupiers are celebrating their return to the park, many of them are concerned about what the next police action may be. Officials say they removed the barricades not because of the letter, but because they were no longer needed.
-- Also in NYC, New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez had been seen multiple times at Occupy demonstrations. He was also arrested at the Nov 15th raid, when he rushed to the park after hearing about it. As the Chairman of the Higher Education Committee, he receives a roughly $5000 stipend, and has now written to the City Council Speaker to ask permission to donate it to OWS.
-- Several squatters were evicted from a home in Seattle, which was empty due to renovations. The police had heard threats of booby traps and the like from social media, and took them very seriously. A bomb squad robot was sent in to identify what was discovered to be a harmless package. The squatters have identified themselves as Occupiers, but sheriff's deputies are downplaying any link, saying they don't know of any political affiliation. The home was returned to the owner, who will now be cleaning up graffiti before continuing renovations.
-- Occupy Rochester's permit is set to expire today, but neither side is set to make a move. The city says they need the park back by Spring, so they can perform repairs, but until then, they are not planning on any "dramatic" actions.
-- As reported yesterday, the TUSD met yesterday. They voted 4-1 to eliminate the ethnic studies program, despite impassioned pleas from students, teachers, and the one board member who voted against elimination. They say they have been backed into a corner by legislation, and until that is changed, their hands are tied. Demonstrators who were angry cried out against the move, insulting the board members. One protester had to be escorted out after an outburst. You can read the entirety of the article here:
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/011012_tusd_ethnic_studies/tusd-axes-ethnic-studies/
-- Occupy protesters in Nigeria seem to have brought the country to a standstill, with a massive strike now heading into its second day. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets, mostly peaceful in their movements, but the government is worried about signs of growing unrest. A religious battle seems to be coming as well, with the predominately Christian north and Muslim south, as angry mobs mill about. One protester was quoted, "A hungry man is an angry man."
That's all for today, everyone.
***Solidarity***
Thanks for reading. To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com.
I surprisingly woke up to a phone call from my mother at noon today. I must have shut off my alarm in my sleep. Oops...
Here's the news for today:
-- The barriers that were blocking Zucotti Park are gone as of last night, after advocates with Occupy sent letters to the Department of Buildings. While Occupiers are celebrating their return to the park, many of them are concerned about what the next police action may be. Officials say they removed the barricades not because of the letter, but because they were no longer needed.
-- Also in NYC, New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez had been seen multiple times at Occupy demonstrations. He was also arrested at the Nov 15th raid, when he rushed to the park after hearing about it. As the Chairman of the Higher Education Committee, he receives a roughly $5000 stipend, and has now written to the City Council Speaker to ask permission to donate it to OWS.
-- Several squatters were evicted from a home in Seattle, which was empty due to renovations. The police had heard threats of booby traps and the like from social media, and took them very seriously. A bomb squad robot was sent in to identify what was discovered to be a harmless package. The squatters have identified themselves as Occupiers, but sheriff's deputies are downplaying any link, saying they don't know of any political affiliation. The home was returned to the owner, who will now be cleaning up graffiti before continuing renovations.
-- Occupy Rochester's permit is set to expire today, but neither side is set to make a move. The city says they need the park back by Spring, so they can perform repairs, but until then, they are not planning on any "dramatic" actions.
-- As reported yesterday, the TUSD met yesterday. They voted 4-1 to eliminate the ethnic studies program, despite impassioned pleas from students, teachers, and the one board member who voted against elimination. They say they have been backed into a corner by legislation, and until that is changed, their hands are tied. Demonstrators who were angry cried out against the move, insulting the board members. One protester had to be escorted out after an outburst. You can read the entirety of the article here:
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/011012_tusd_ethnic_studies/tusd-axes-ethnic-studies/
-- Occupy protesters in Nigeria seem to have brought the country to a standstill, with a massive strike now heading into its second day. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets, mostly peaceful in their movements, but the government is worried about signs of growing unrest. A religious battle seems to be coming as well, with the predominately Christian north and Muslim south, as angry mobs mill about. One protester was quoted, "A hungry man is an angry man."
That's all for today, everyone.
***Solidarity***
Thanks for reading. To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Updates 1/10/12
Hello everyone!
Congratulations to my Kawfee Talk pals, Rob and Shaun, over at Occupy Tacoma! They're going to be Occupying Parenthood! You two are awesome. Much love!
Here's the news for today:
-- OWS legal groups are charging that Brookfield, the private firm that controls Zucotti Park, is violating city zoning laws by barricading the park and searching visitors. Under an agreement with the city, the park must be accessible 24 hours a day. Brookfield has an unwritten list of rules, including ones concerning what items may be brought into the park. Occupiers say these rules are inconsistent, and that they seem to vary based on what the Brookfield guards feel for the day.
-- Also in NYC, 21 Occupiers had all charges dropped against them, after they strayed from the usual route of agreeing to stay out of trouble for six months. The protesters refused to do so, saying that their charges were bogus, and when police could not remember what they were charged with, prosecutors dropped them. Attorneys for OWS hope this is a trend that will continue, as hundreds of other Occupiers are still facing charges.
-- Occupy Edinburgh is facing eviction today if they do not leave St. Andrew Square voluntarily. They are holding an emergency meeting to discuss further action, as Essential Edinburgh, the management company in charge of the city centre, considers legal moves. Occupy Edinburgh has been at the site since October. Two other Scotland Occupies are facing eviction this week as well, in Bristol and Sheffield.
-- Occupy Tuscon and UNIDOS (an anti-discrimination group) are teaming up tonight to protest the TUSD school board meeting. Last month, a judge ruled that the TUSD was violating an Arizona law with their Mexican-American Studies program, and the State Superintendent agreed, retroactively withholding funds from the TUSD for the time the program was in operation last semester. The law states that school programs cannot favor certain ethnic groups. (This is stupid. "No, you can't learn about Mexican-Americans, because apparently they don't exist in Arizona.." Wtf?!)
-- Occupy UC Davis has tents up again, and they are hoping to avoid any clashes with police. The last one still has 3 ongoing investigations. Five tents were up as of this morning, and Occupiers are expecting many more. The protesters are still asking for the resignation of the Chancellor, as well as the reform of Campus Police and no more tuition hikes.
-- Several Corporate Media outlets are discussing the apparent rat population explosion at Occupy DC. They say that health inspectors called out the camp for unsanitary conditions, and that rats have been seen running in the open at both camps. The Dept of Health will be giving their recommendations to the National Park Service after a citywide review.
-- Occupy Pittsburgh is in court today, fighting BNY Mellon on their attempted eviction. The bank owns the park that the Occupiers have been in since October, and they are saying that they usually close the park for winter, and that they did not give Occupiers permission to stay.
-- Occupy Chapel Hill protested yesterday, as the city's Town Manager gave his official endorsement to the violent actions of police during a raid. The raid in question also caused the arrest of two journalists who were attempting to document the events, but the Town Manager said he did not condone their arrests. Police had assault rifles and full riot gear, and critics have called the raid "heavy-handed." The Town Manager said that they did the best with the info they had, and that no one was injured in the raid. Occupiers say there is no excuse for police violence.
-- Here's an interesting article concerning how police tactics are changing due explicitly to the Occupy Movement. It's an interesting read, based on how police are using mutual aid by possibly training officers in a similar manner to their counterparts.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=8496786
(Let's just hope no one trains like Alameda County. I've seen those guys in action. I think some of their officers could have "brutality" as their middle name. But that's just what I've seen....)
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Congratulations to my Kawfee Talk pals, Rob and Shaun, over at Occupy Tacoma! They're going to be Occupying Parenthood! You two are awesome. Much love!
Here's the news for today:
-- OWS legal groups are charging that Brookfield, the private firm that controls Zucotti Park, is violating city zoning laws by barricading the park and searching visitors. Under an agreement with the city, the park must be accessible 24 hours a day. Brookfield has an unwritten list of rules, including ones concerning what items may be brought into the park. Occupiers say these rules are inconsistent, and that they seem to vary based on what the Brookfield guards feel for the day.
-- Also in NYC, 21 Occupiers had all charges dropped against them, after they strayed from the usual route of agreeing to stay out of trouble for six months. The protesters refused to do so, saying that their charges were bogus, and when police could not remember what they were charged with, prosecutors dropped them. Attorneys for OWS hope this is a trend that will continue, as hundreds of other Occupiers are still facing charges.
-- Occupy Edinburgh is facing eviction today if they do not leave St. Andrew Square voluntarily. They are holding an emergency meeting to discuss further action, as Essential Edinburgh, the management company in charge of the city centre, considers legal moves. Occupy Edinburgh has been at the site since October. Two other Scotland Occupies are facing eviction this week as well, in Bristol and Sheffield.
-- Occupy Tuscon and UNIDOS (an anti-discrimination group) are teaming up tonight to protest the TUSD school board meeting. Last month, a judge ruled that the TUSD was violating an Arizona law with their Mexican-American Studies program, and the State Superintendent agreed, retroactively withholding funds from the TUSD for the time the program was in operation last semester. The law states that school programs cannot favor certain ethnic groups. (This is stupid. "No, you can't learn about Mexican-Americans, because apparently they don't exist in Arizona.." Wtf?!)
-- Occupy UC Davis has tents up again, and they are hoping to avoid any clashes with police. The last one still has 3 ongoing investigations. Five tents were up as of this morning, and Occupiers are expecting many more. The protesters are still asking for the resignation of the Chancellor, as well as the reform of Campus Police and no more tuition hikes.
-- Several Corporate Media outlets are discussing the apparent rat population explosion at Occupy DC. They say that health inspectors called out the camp for unsanitary conditions, and that rats have been seen running in the open at both camps. The Dept of Health will be giving their recommendations to the National Park Service after a citywide review.
-- Occupy Pittsburgh is in court today, fighting BNY Mellon on their attempted eviction. The bank owns the park that the Occupiers have been in since October, and they are saying that they usually close the park for winter, and that they did not give Occupiers permission to stay.
-- Occupy Chapel Hill protested yesterday, as the city's Town Manager gave his official endorsement to the violent actions of police during a raid. The raid in question also caused the arrest of two journalists who were attempting to document the events, but the Town Manager said he did not condone their arrests. Police had assault rifles and full riot gear, and critics have called the raid "heavy-handed." The Town Manager said that they did the best with the info they had, and that no one was injured in the raid. Occupiers say there is no excuse for police violence.
-- Here's an interesting article concerning how police tactics are changing due explicitly to the Occupy Movement. It's an interesting read, based on how police are using mutual aid by possibly training officers in a similar manner to their counterparts.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=8496786
(Let's just hope no one trains like Alameda County. I've seen those guys in action. I think some of their officers could have "brutality" as their middle name. But that's just what I've seen....)
***Solidarity***
To contact me, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Updates 1/9/12
Hello everyone.
Wading through all the political drama is tedious. This guy says this, that guy said that... blah blah blah. Liars, Crooks, Thieves. And they call us Gypsies bad. (I come from a Romani heritage.)
Anyway, on to the news:
-- Occupy Albany has certainly not given up their occupation, even after they were forced to vacate their encampment a little while ago. The group has rented a small office storefront in downtown Albany, where the Occupiers meet to discuss plans and events. They have several demonstrations planned for later this month, and say they won't be quitting anytime soon---they have a six month lease.
-- Several Occupiers was arrested in Eureka last night, just the day after nine others were cited for illegally camping on courthouse grounds. Four of last night's arrests were for illegal camping. One man was arrested with several charges, after police say he took down the American and California flags in order to put up his own handmade cardboard one. Police say that he also stepped on the American flag in the process of affixing his own to the pole. They began to arrest him on suspicion of trespassing, when police say he began to violently resist, telling them they had no authority over him.
-- At a Mitt Romney rally in New Hampshire last night, Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, was there to give his backing to the candidate. When Occupiers began to ask questions and heckle both men, Christie referred to one of the protesters as "sweetheart," clearing showing he was irritated with her employment questions. He then turned her complaints into an Obama-bashing session, claiming the woman was so blinded by anger at the President that she can't see Romney would provide jobs.
-- Occupy Atlanta is rallying at noon today at the Georgia State Capitol building. They want the state to end the death penalty, citing concerns with the Troy Davis execution last year, in which many of the people who claimed he performed the murder of Savannah police officer had recanted their testimony, while others said he was not the man there. Occupy Atlanta had previously renamed Woodruff Park after Davis.
-- Police and authorities in D.C. are irritable with protesters, because they won't file for certain permits. Occupy Congress is coming to D.C. January 17th, and they are expecting one of the largest turnouts so far. Local and federal authorities are asking that Occupiers file for 4 permits, concerning gathering in the park, marching in the street, gathering outside the Capitol building, and a bus drop-off point. Occupy D.C. has already received the permit for the Capitol building, and have applied for the bus one, but they will not be applying for the other two.
-- Occupy Nigeria has had two young men killed by police. Thousands of people were protesting at the Government House in Kano, when police began to fire into the crowd to subdue protesters who had been trying to gain entry. A fifteen year old boy was killed in the gunfire, and when his body was returned to Lagos, protesters there engaged police, leading to a second youth being shot and killed by officers.
Sad...
Here are some articles you may find interesting as well.
-- The Australian has published an article discussing the salary cuts many Wall Street bankers may be facing this year, with some reports of up to half their salary of last year. You can read this here, if you're interested:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wall-street-journal/wall-street-banker-salaries-to-shrink-to-lowest-in-years/story-fnay3ubk-1226240080214
-- Alternet.com has posted an article describing Newt Gingrich's latest adventures in New Hampshire, complete with Occupiers drawing reporters to the bigger story outside---them. If you'd like to read about him trying to dodge his own race-based comments, as well as him getting irritable at a person asking simple questions, look here:
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/760109/gingrich,_defending_race-tinged_food_stamp_comments,_is_dogged_by_occupy_protesters/
***Solidarity***
To contact me for any reason, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Wading through all the political drama is tedious. This guy says this, that guy said that... blah blah blah. Liars, Crooks, Thieves. And they call us Gypsies bad. (I come from a Romani heritage.)
Anyway, on to the news:
-- Occupy Albany has certainly not given up their occupation, even after they were forced to vacate their encampment a little while ago. The group has rented a small office storefront in downtown Albany, where the Occupiers meet to discuss plans and events. They have several demonstrations planned for later this month, and say they won't be quitting anytime soon---they have a six month lease.
-- Several Occupiers was arrested in Eureka last night, just the day after nine others were cited for illegally camping on courthouse grounds. Four of last night's arrests were for illegal camping. One man was arrested with several charges, after police say he took down the American and California flags in order to put up his own handmade cardboard one. Police say that he also stepped on the American flag in the process of affixing his own to the pole. They began to arrest him on suspicion of trespassing, when police say he began to violently resist, telling them they had no authority over him.
-- At a Mitt Romney rally in New Hampshire last night, Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, was there to give his backing to the candidate. When Occupiers began to ask questions and heckle both men, Christie referred to one of the protesters as "sweetheart," clearing showing he was irritated with her employment questions. He then turned her complaints into an Obama-bashing session, claiming the woman was so blinded by anger at the President that she can't see Romney would provide jobs.
-- Occupy Atlanta is rallying at noon today at the Georgia State Capitol building. They want the state to end the death penalty, citing concerns with the Troy Davis execution last year, in which many of the people who claimed he performed the murder of Savannah police officer had recanted their testimony, while others said he was not the man there. Occupy Atlanta had previously renamed Woodruff Park after Davis.
-- Police and authorities in D.C. are irritable with protesters, because they won't file for certain permits. Occupy Congress is coming to D.C. January 17th, and they are expecting one of the largest turnouts so far. Local and federal authorities are asking that Occupiers file for 4 permits, concerning gathering in the park, marching in the street, gathering outside the Capitol building, and a bus drop-off point. Occupy D.C. has already received the permit for the Capitol building, and have applied for the bus one, but they will not be applying for the other two.
-- Occupy Nigeria has had two young men killed by police. Thousands of people were protesting at the Government House in Kano, when police began to fire into the crowd to subdue protesters who had been trying to gain entry. A fifteen year old boy was killed in the gunfire, and when his body was returned to Lagos, protesters there engaged police, leading to a second youth being shot and killed by officers.
Sad...
Here are some articles you may find interesting as well.
-- The Australian has published an article discussing the salary cuts many Wall Street bankers may be facing this year, with some reports of up to half their salary of last year. You can read this here, if you're interested:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wall-street-journal/wall-street-banker-salaries-to-shrink-to-lowest-in-years/story-fnay3ubk-1226240080214
-- Alternet.com has posted an article describing Newt Gingrich's latest adventures in New Hampshire, complete with Occupiers drawing reporters to the bigger story outside---them. If you'd like to read about him trying to dodge his own race-based comments, as well as him getting irritable at a person asking simple questions, look here:
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/760109/gingrich,_defending_race-tinged_food_stamp_comments,_is_dogged_by_occupy_protesters/
***Solidarity***
To contact me for any reason, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Updates 1/8/12
Hello everyone.
I really appreciate the kindness and encouragement I get in your letters. Sometimes I run myself ragged trying to do this news blog for you all, but I know that some people count on me, so I won't quit.
The linguists have spoken, by the way, as the American Dialect Society has chosen "Occupy" as 2011's word of the year. (Yay linguists!)
On to today's news:
-- Over 200 people symbolically took back the park they were evicted from in Albany yesterday, in a bid to remind everyone that while Occupy Albany may not be in the park, they're certainly still around. Occupy Albany is still fighting the city in court over tents, so some protesters set up small ones, while others wore theirs. They started with a general assembly, and then were escorted by police during a march, finally returning to the park for a candlelight vigil.
-- An article by indybay.org is bringing Sacramento's ugly and illegal process to light. The article claims that Occupiers who had their charges dismissed are being found guilty without trial, using "administrative penalties" to do so. You can read the whole story here:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/01/07/18704356.php
-- Occupy Oakland had 6 arrests yesterday, as they marched to protest the continuing mistreatment of Occupiers by police. Some straggling protesters hung back, painting anarchy symbols on media vans and breaking windows in local shops and police cars before being chased down. The 6 arrested had several charges, including vandalism, assaulting police, resisting arrest, and one (idiot) was carrying a quarter stick of dynamite, so he was charged with possession of an explosive device. The peaceful marchers were then penned up in a corner by police, who declared them to be in unlawful assembly, leading to the protesters decision to leave.
-- Here's something you won't find in the Corporate media-- Occupy Princeton mic checked a JP Morgan-Chase Treasury Services info session yesterday, in their first direct action. They accused JP Morgan-Chase of several unethical practices, and said they don't support a campus culture that ignores the crooked dealings of Wall Street. You can watch the video here:
http://www.thenation.com/blog/165072/jp-morgan-mic-checked-princeton
Be sure to watch to the end, as the stunned representative tries to convince people to stay and listen.
-- 2 Walkupy protesters were arrested yesterday in Charlotte, NC, when they refused to move down the sidewalk after being asked by police to do so. The two, Garth Kiser and Sarah Lynn Handyside, were arrested for second-degree trespassing. Handyside is from Anchorage, AK, and Kiser is from Murphysboro, IL. Both are still in jail under a $500 bond.
That's all I have for today.
***Solidarity**
Thanks for reading. If you have comments, corrections, questions, or other info, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com.
I really appreciate the kindness and encouragement I get in your letters. Sometimes I run myself ragged trying to do this news blog for you all, but I know that some people count on me, so I won't quit.
The linguists have spoken, by the way, as the American Dialect Society has chosen "Occupy" as 2011's word of the year. (Yay linguists!)
On to today's news:
-- Over 200 people symbolically took back the park they were evicted from in Albany yesterday, in a bid to remind everyone that while Occupy Albany may not be in the park, they're certainly still around. Occupy Albany is still fighting the city in court over tents, so some protesters set up small ones, while others wore theirs. They started with a general assembly, and then were escorted by police during a march, finally returning to the park for a candlelight vigil.
-- An article by indybay.org is bringing Sacramento's ugly and illegal process to light. The article claims that Occupiers who had their charges dismissed are being found guilty without trial, using "administrative penalties" to do so. You can read the whole story here:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/01/07/18704356.php
-- Occupy Oakland had 6 arrests yesterday, as they marched to protest the continuing mistreatment of Occupiers by police. Some straggling protesters hung back, painting anarchy symbols on media vans and breaking windows in local shops and police cars before being chased down. The 6 arrested had several charges, including vandalism, assaulting police, resisting arrest, and one (idiot) was carrying a quarter stick of dynamite, so he was charged with possession of an explosive device. The peaceful marchers were then penned up in a corner by police, who declared them to be in unlawful assembly, leading to the protesters decision to leave.
-- Here's something you won't find in the Corporate media-- Occupy Princeton mic checked a JP Morgan-Chase Treasury Services info session yesterday, in their first direct action. They accused JP Morgan-Chase of several unethical practices, and said they don't support a campus culture that ignores the crooked dealings of Wall Street. You can watch the video here:
http://www.thenation.com/blog/165072/jp-morgan-mic-checked-princeton
Be sure to watch to the end, as the stunned representative tries to convince people to stay and listen.
-- 2 Walkupy protesters were arrested yesterday in Charlotte, NC, when they refused to move down the sidewalk after being asked by police to do so. The two, Garth Kiser and Sarah Lynn Handyside, were arrested for second-degree trespassing. Handyside is from Anchorage, AK, and Kiser is from Murphysboro, IL. Both are still in jail under a $500 bond.
That's all I have for today.
***Solidarity**
Thanks for reading. If you have comments, corrections, questions, or other info, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Updates 1/7/12
Hello everyone.
I know many of you have said you enjoy my insight on certain subjects, so for those of you that do, there is a bit of a rant at the end of today's news, involving a news story about one very outspoken young woman.
Here's the news for today:
-- Mitt Romney was mic checked during a spaghetti dinner in New Hampshire last night, with Occupiers chanting "Romney says he creates jobs, but as the CEO of Bain Capital, Romney made millions from bankrupting companies and laying off workers!" The Occupiers were then led outside, where some people in attendance stopped to ask them about the company.
-- Occupy Des Moines has been given a January 31st eviction notice from city administrators, but they are concerned they may be evicted at a sooner date. The Occupiers did not break city rules, or cause trouble, so they are wondering why the opinion of city officials has changed. They say that even when they are evicted, the Occupy movement will not end.
-- Occupy Boulder prepared for an eviction last night due to new park rules, which state that parks are now closed after 11 p.m. to the public. They started a dance party at 11:01 p.m., eventually leading to the arrival of two police officers. The officers said that while they would not be ticketing for park rules, they would ticket for noise violations if they were called out repeatedly. It is not known when or if police will begin to enforce the new park rules.
-- After the city of Portland (Maine) filed a response to Occupy Maine's lawsuit, saying that camping is not a form of free speech, Occupiers are cleaning up their encampment area as they wait for a decision. The protesters had one of the first encampments to spring up with the movement, and they are hoping to be the last to leave.
-- Occupy Scranton has vacated the Courthouse Square, at least temporarily. The group's agreement with the city has expired, leading to Occupiers assist the police in the removal of their information booth. While their booth is gone, the Occupiers are not, with a fundraising concert planned for next Friday, 7 p.m., at the Vintage Theater.
That's all for the news section today.
(Warning: Author's rant, colorful language may be included.)
Now we have something... interesting. To fully understand what I'm going on about, you should read this news story, along with its accompanying emails:
http://nyulocal.com/on-campus/2012/01/06/nyu-student-weaves-elaborate-email-drama-beefs-with-administration-over-ows-and-student-ethics/
So. What do you think? Here sits a young woman, an NYU student. She is angry at her teacher for forcing her to visit Zucotti Park, to do ethnographic research. She is angry at a graduate assistant for not calling on her in class, and for treating her differently. She is angry at the department, the Dean, and the President for not taking her seriously. She is angry at the school for sending a mental health professional to check on her. This young woman is angry.
She gets angry at the school sending a mental health professional to check on her, calling it "using the mental health card," yet she repeatedly refers to Occupiers as "paranoid schizophrenics." She also calls them "rapists," "predators," and other interesting terms of endearment. She feared for her safety when she visited the encampment, calling into attention how "attractive" her companions were, and how they wouldn't be able to fend off an attacker. In broad daylight. With cameras.
This woman has problems. She's quite hypocritical, for one. She also doesn't seem to understand what she's going to school for. She says the professor is trying to remove her free speech because her opinions are not welcome. Well, if I could talk to this young woman, I'd have a few things to say....
Dear Sara,
I study linguistics, forensics, and sociology. And I have a little bit of news for you. One of the points of sociological research, nay, ANY research, is to understand that YOU HAVE A BIAS. Everyone does. Yes, you do. You may not believe it, but anyone can assure you that it is there, and in your case, it is strong. The reason your teacher doesn't want your opinions is because your class IS NOT ABOUT YOU OR YOUR OPINIONS, you half-wit. Research is about working PAST your opinions, and seeing what actually is happening. (Emphasis is to allow my writing to be similar to hers, to increase understanding.)
If I were the Dean of your college, I believe I would discipline you, especially with your continued harassment of your instructor. By saying things like "they're only a spousal hire," "I'm gonna tell my Facebook friends," and "I'll go public if you don't fire her!!!!" you are essentially harassing, THREATENING, and defaming your teacher! You repeatedly said "I'm not threatening, I made it clear that I'm not threatening, I'm only telling the truth!" When you say "If you don't X, I'm going to X," it's still a threat, regardless of if you say, "Oh, and that isn't a threat." There are proper channels to go through, which you were given. You were also given an alternative assignment, after which you decided to go to Zucotti Park anyway, which leads me to believe that you simply wanted something to whine about. Not to mention the fact that you didn't even complete the alternative assignment, or the original one, even though you had the ability to after your visit.
Sara,
You have issues.
Sincerely,
Kitty
What the hell is wrong with this woman? I can't even put into words how ridiculous this whole thing is. I'm pretty sure she's in the wrong damn field. People are trying to defend her by saying "She shouldn't have to do something that scares her, or makes her fear for her life!" They're also saying the instructor shouldn't have the right to make students do studies off campus. THIS IS COLLEGE, PEOPLE. You aren't 12 years old, needing permission from Mommy to go on a fricking field trip!
Anyway... She had multiple options:
#1. Withdraw from the course- she felt like her voice wasn't being heard by her instructor anyway, and she disagreed with the required assignment. This would have been my likely course of action.
#2. File a grievance- she said she did, but the school administrators found her claims to be unwarranted.
#3. Take an incomplete- if she couldn't finish her assignments, this would be a normal course of action for many students.
#4. Do the original assignment- the instructor even said that she could do the assignment "her way," meaning that she could voice her opinions throughout as long as she did it.
#5. Do the alternative assignment- if she didn't want to do #1, #3, or #4, this is the LOGICAL course of action... which she did not do.
Good grief. I think I'm done. I'm totally flabbergasted. What the hell is wrong with people?!
***Solidarity***
If you need to contact me, you can do so at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. I enjoy hearing from you!
I know many of you have said you enjoy my insight on certain subjects, so for those of you that do, there is a bit of a rant at the end of today's news, involving a news story about one very outspoken young woman.
Here's the news for today:
-- Mitt Romney was mic checked during a spaghetti dinner in New Hampshire last night, with Occupiers chanting "Romney says he creates jobs, but as the CEO of Bain Capital, Romney made millions from bankrupting companies and laying off workers!" The Occupiers were then led outside, where some people in attendance stopped to ask them about the company.
-- Occupy Des Moines has been given a January 31st eviction notice from city administrators, but they are concerned they may be evicted at a sooner date. The Occupiers did not break city rules, or cause trouble, so they are wondering why the opinion of city officials has changed. They say that even when they are evicted, the Occupy movement will not end.
-- Occupy Boulder prepared for an eviction last night due to new park rules, which state that parks are now closed after 11 p.m. to the public. They started a dance party at 11:01 p.m., eventually leading to the arrival of two police officers. The officers said that while they would not be ticketing for park rules, they would ticket for noise violations if they were called out repeatedly. It is not known when or if police will begin to enforce the new park rules.
-- After the city of Portland (Maine) filed a response to Occupy Maine's lawsuit, saying that camping is not a form of free speech, Occupiers are cleaning up their encampment area as they wait for a decision. The protesters had one of the first encampments to spring up with the movement, and they are hoping to be the last to leave.
-- Occupy Scranton has vacated the Courthouse Square, at least temporarily. The group's agreement with the city has expired, leading to Occupiers assist the police in the removal of their information booth. While their booth is gone, the Occupiers are not, with a fundraising concert planned for next Friday, 7 p.m., at the Vintage Theater.
That's all for the news section today.
(Warning: Author's rant, colorful language may be included.)
Now we have something... interesting. To fully understand what I'm going on about, you should read this news story, along with its accompanying emails:
http://nyulocal.com/on-campus/2012/01/06/nyu-student-weaves-elaborate-email-drama-beefs-with-administration-over-ows-and-student-ethics/
So. What do you think? Here sits a young woman, an NYU student. She is angry at her teacher for forcing her to visit Zucotti Park, to do ethnographic research. She is angry at a graduate assistant for not calling on her in class, and for treating her differently. She is angry at the department, the Dean, and the President for not taking her seriously. She is angry at the school for sending a mental health professional to check on her. This young woman is angry.
She gets angry at the school sending a mental health professional to check on her, calling it "using the mental health card," yet she repeatedly refers to Occupiers as "paranoid schizophrenics." She also calls them "rapists," "predators," and other interesting terms of endearment. She feared for her safety when she visited the encampment, calling into attention how "attractive" her companions were, and how they wouldn't be able to fend off an attacker. In broad daylight. With cameras.
This woman has problems. She's quite hypocritical, for one. She also doesn't seem to understand what she's going to school for. She says the professor is trying to remove her free speech because her opinions are not welcome. Well, if I could talk to this young woman, I'd have a few things to say....
Dear Sara,
I study linguistics, forensics, and sociology. And I have a little bit of news for you. One of the points of sociological research, nay, ANY research, is to understand that YOU HAVE A BIAS. Everyone does. Yes, you do. You may not believe it, but anyone can assure you that it is there, and in your case, it is strong. The reason your teacher doesn't want your opinions is because your class IS NOT ABOUT YOU OR YOUR OPINIONS, you half-wit. Research is about working PAST your opinions, and seeing what actually is happening. (Emphasis is to allow my writing to be similar to hers, to increase understanding.)
If I were the Dean of your college, I believe I would discipline you, especially with your continued harassment of your instructor. By saying things like "they're only a spousal hire," "I'm gonna tell my Facebook friends," and "I'll go public if you don't fire her!!!!" you are essentially harassing, THREATENING, and defaming your teacher! You repeatedly said "I'm not threatening, I made it clear that I'm not threatening, I'm only telling the truth!" When you say "If you don't X, I'm going to X," it's still a threat, regardless of if you say, "Oh, and that isn't a threat." There are proper channels to go through, which you were given. You were also given an alternative assignment, after which you decided to go to Zucotti Park anyway, which leads me to believe that you simply wanted something to whine about. Not to mention the fact that you didn't even complete the alternative assignment, or the original one, even though you had the ability to after your visit.
Sara,
You have issues.
Sincerely,
Kitty
What the hell is wrong with this woman? I can't even put into words how ridiculous this whole thing is. I'm pretty sure she's in the wrong damn field. People are trying to defend her by saying "She shouldn't have to do something that scares her, or makes her fear for her life!" They're also saying the instructor shouldn't have the right to make students do studies off campus. THIS IS COLLEGE, PEOPLE. You aren't 12 years old, needing permission from Mommy to go on a fricking field trip!
Anyway... She had multiple options:
#1. Withdraw from the course- she felt like her voice wasn't being heard by her instructor anyway, and she disagreed with the required assignment. This would have been my likely course of action.
#2. File a grievance- she said she did, but the school administrators found her claims to be unwarranted.
#3. Take an incomplete- if she couldn't finish her assignments, this would be a normal course of action for many students.
#4. Do the original assignment- the instructor even said that she could do the assignment "her way," meaning that she could voice her opinions throughout as long as she did it.
#5. Do the alternative assignment- if she didn't want to do #1, #3, or #4, this is the LOGICAL course of action... which she did not do.
Good grief. I think I'm done. I'm totally flabbergasted. What the hell is wrong with people?!
***Solidarity***
If you need to contact me, you can do so at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. I enjoy hearing from you!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Updates 1/6/12
Hello everyone.
Hella hella Occupy.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Bloomington has been given a short extension on their eviction, moving the time from yesterday to noon today. Occupiers have been peacefully removing tents since this morning, and say they are unsure of where they will go.
-- A judge has dismissed dozens of citations against Occupy Tuscon members, saying that the city would likely be unable to prove that signs showing park hours were consistently posted. 85 were dismissed, while over a hundred protesters still have to fight 700 citations.
-- Occupy Petaluma (CA) is holding a Critical Mass Bike Event on January 6th, with cyclists holding a protest on wheels as they head from Petaluma to Santa Rosa. All are welcome to join the event, which is titled "Pedal for Justice." They will be joining the January 6th Santa Rosa march to the downtown Wells Fargo bank.
-- Two Occupiers were arrested in Oakland yesterday, as they rallied at City Hall. They wanted to visit Mayor Jean Quan's office in an attempt to protest Wednesday night's arrests, but City Hall was locked due to the inability to "accommodate a large group," said police. The two arrested reportedly were beating on side doors and yelling at police. Occupiers say they are tired of getting harassed by officers and the city, and the National Lawyer's Guild agrees.
-- Also in Oakland, a well known protester may be facing life imprisonment due to California's Three Strikes Law. Khali, the name the man often goes by, had originally served roughly 15 years in prison, but was turning his life around and distributing food to the needy. He was arrested for a dispute about a blanket, which apparently violated his probation, leading him to serve time again. His attorney says that while he was in jail, he was refused his psychiatric medications, which may have led to him getting into an altercation with a peace officer. (This three strikes bull really makes me upset.) You can read the rest in the article here:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/92510/archives/2012/01/05/occupy-oakland-activist-may-face-three-strikes
(I'm going to go tear out my hair at the injustices of our system now.)
-- A man has been taken into custody for allegedly starting a bonfire in front of Austin's City Hall yesterday. The fire was on concrete in front of the building, and a passerby called police around 3 a.m. to alert them. Occupiers were sleeping nearby, but no one was aware of the fire until police arrived. The man, whose name is not released yet, has been charged with criminal mischief.
-- Occupy San Francisco held a protest yesterday in front of a Bank of America branch. The group of senior citizens, many in wheelchairs, protested the bank's foreclosure practices, demanding they stop foreclosing on homes in the area.
-- Occupy London will be leaving the courthouse they occupied in December near the end of this month. The courthouse owners took the Occupiers to court about the occupation, leading to protesters agreeing to vacate the building in a few weeks. Both Occupiers and the building's owners are happy with the agreement.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
If you need to contact me, you can do so at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Hella hella Occupy.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Bloomington has been given a short extension on their eviction, moving the time from yesterday to noon today. Occupiers have been peacefully removing tents since this morning, and say they are unsure of where they will go.
-- A judge has dismissed dozens of citations against Occupy Tuscon members, saying that the city would likely be unable to prove that signs showing park hours were consistently posted. 85 were dismissed, while over a hundred protesters still have to fight 700 citations.
-- Occupy Petaluma (CA) is holding a Critical Mass Bike Event on January 6th, with cyclists holding a protest on wheels as they head from Petaluma to Santa Rosa. All are welcome to join the event, which is titled "Pedal for Justice." They will be joining the January 6th Santa Rosa march to the downtown Wells Fargo bank.
-- Two Occupiers were arrested in Oakland yesterday, as they rallied at City Hall. They wanted to visit Mayor Jean Quan's office in an attempt to protest Wednesday night's arrests, but City Hall was locked due to the inability to "accommodate a large group," said police. The two arrested reportedly were beating on side doors and yelling at police. Occupiers say they are tired of getting harassed by officers and the city, and the National Lawyer's Guild agrees.
-- Also in Oakland, a well known protester may be facing life imprisonment due to California's Three Strikes Law. Khali, the name the man often goes by, had originally served roughly 15 years in prison, but was turning his life around and distributing food to the needy. He was arrested for a dispute about a blanket, which apparently violated his probation, leading him to serve time again. His attorney says that while he was in jail, he was refused his psychiatric medications, which may have led to him getting into an altercation with a peace officer. (This three strikes bull really makes me upset.) You can read the rest in the article here:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/92510/archives/2012/01/05/occupy-oakland-activist-may-face-three-strikes
(I'm going to go tear out my hair at the injustices of our system now.)
-- A man has been taken into custody for allegedly starting a bonfire in front of Austin's City Hall yesterday. The fire was on concrete in front of the building, and a passerby called police around 3 a.m. to alert them. Occupiers were sleeping nearby, but no one was aware of the fire until police arrived. The man, whose name is not released yet, has been charged with criminal mischief.
-- Occupy San Francisco held a protest yesterday in front of a Bank of America branch. The group of senior citizens, many in wheelchairs, protested the bank's foreclosure practices, demanding they stop foreclosing on homes in the area.
-- Occupy London will be leaving the courthouse they occupied in December near the end of this month. The courthouse owners took the Occupiers to court about the occupation, leading to protesters agreeing to vacate the building in a few weeks. Both Occupiers and the building's owners are happy with the agreement.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
If you need to contact me, you can do so at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Updates 1/5/12
Hello everyone.
Mostly quiet on the Occupy front, but I do have a few things for you.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Bloomington is being evicted, after officials gave them until noon today to take their belongings and vacate. Protesters are upset, and many say they are staying. Just recently police began to show up and arrest people. Previously the encampment had been calm.
-- Around a dozen people were arrested for demonstrating in front of city hall last night in Oakland. Police arrived in full riot gear to disperse the protesters, with the action coming two days after the tepee's permit had been revoked.
-- Apparently Occupy protests have spread to Nigeria, and they are sweeping the nation. You can read an article about it from the Huffpost here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-bociurkiw/nigeria-occupy-protests_b_1183907.html
-- Portland (OR) is having a bit of financial difficulty, which they are blaming on Occupy. According to the mayor, Occupy has cost them so much money that the city cannot afford to host the Republican Presidential debate, as previously planned. The mayor is asking the Republicans to help the city by moving the debate.
-- Occupy Boulder is getting ready to deal with the same curfew problems as Occupy Denver. The city of Boulder is passing an ordinance that closes all parks at 11 p.m., and city officials are citing health and safety concerns as the reason for the ordinance.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, info, or want to join the research, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Mostly quiet on the Occupy front, but I do have a few things for you.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy Bloomington is being evicted, after officials gave them until noon today to take their belongings and vacate. Protesters are upset, and many say they are staying. Just recently police began to show up and arrest people. Previously the encampment had been calm.
-- Around a dozen people were arrested for demonstrating in front of city hall last night in Oakland. Police arrived in full riot gear to disperse the protesters, with the action coming two days after the tepee's permit had been revoked.
-- Apparently Occupy protests have spread to Nigeria, and they are sweeping the nation. You can read an article about it from the Huffpost here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-bociurkiw/nigeria-occupy-protests_b_1183907.html
-- Portland (OR) is having a bit of financial difficulty, which they are blaming on Occupy. According to the mayor, Occupy has cost them so much money that the city cannot afford to host the Republican Presidential debate, as previously planned. The mayor is asking the Republicans to help the city by moving the debate.
-- Occupy Boulder is getting ready to deal with the same curfew problems as Occupy Denver. The city of Boulder is passing an ordinance that closes all parks at 11 p.m., and city officials are citing health and safety concerns as the reason for the ordinance.
That's all for today.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, info, or want to join the research, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Updates 1/4/12
Hello everyone.
The update on me: I feel like blech. Moving on...
Here's the news for today:
-- A city council committee in Asheville has rejected a ban on camping in their city, instead opting to ask protesters to minimize tent numbers, provide sanitation, and get permits for each person camping. The entire council will vote on the move later this week.
-- Occupy Wellington has ignored an eviction notice saying they needed to vacate the park by 4 p.m. today. Protesters instead wrote a letter to the city council, accusing them of twisting the laws in their favor. The council is calling the Occupy movement a "campground," and have been passing rules and regulations concerning camping.
-- Occupy Rochester's permit deadline in January 11th, and they are asking the city for a renewal. The city does not yet know if they will renew the permit, but the Mayor said he is happy with Occupiers keeping up their end of the bargain so far.
-- A San Diego company seems to be quite happy with the Occupy movement, but not because of their demands or desires. LRAD Corporation makes the sonic noise LRAD devices, and they say business has been booming since the movement began. While many question the safety of such a device, the vice-president of the company says he is "very confident" that LRAD does not cause permanent damage.
-- Occupy Wall Street performed a flash mob yesterday during rush hour at Grand Central Station, leading to the arrest of three Occupiers, and two more being issued summons. The Occupiers were protesting the "treasonous" signing of the NDAA by President Obama. They performed "black bagging" during the protest, which means placing black bags over the heads of other demonstrators, reminiscent of Abu Ghraib.
-- Also out at Occupy Wall Street, or rather in the GlobalRevolution.tv studio, more arrests took place yesterday. Footage cut away from the OWS movement at Grand Central to show arguing at the studio for GlobalRev, and later on, police arrived to arrest people there. They left a sign on the building door saying that the space was "imminently perilous to life." No one is really sure why they were arrested. Read the article here for yourself: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/01/occupy-wall-streets-livestream-operators-arrested/46921/
That's all I have for today everyone.
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, info, or to join the research, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
The update on me: I feel like blech. Moving on...
Here's the news for today:
-- A city council committee in Asheville has rejected a ban on camping in their city, instead opting to ask protesters to minimize tent numbers, provide sanitation, and get permits for each person camping. The entire council will vote on the move later this week.
-- Occupy Wellington has ignored an eviction notice saying they needed to vacate the park by 4 p.m. today. Protesters instead wrote a letter to the city council, accusing them of twisting the laws in their favor. The council is calling the Occupy movement a "campground," and have been passing rules and regulations concerning camping.
-- Occupy Rochester's permit deadline in January 11th, and they are asking the city for a renewal. The city does not yet know if they will renew the permit, but the Mayor said he is happy with Occupiers keeping up their end of the bargain so far.
-- A San Diego company seems to be quite happy with the Occupy movement, but not because of their demands or desires. LRAD Corporation makes the sonic noise LRAD devices, and they say business has been booming since the movement began. While many question the safety of such a device, the vice-president of the company says he is "very confident" that LRAD does not cause permanent damage.
-- Occupy Wall Street performed a flash mob yesterday during rush hour at Grand Central Station, leading to the arrest of three Occupiers, and two more being issued summons. The Occupiers were protesting the "treasonous" signing of the NDAA by President Obama. They performed "black bagging" during the protest, which means placing black bags over the heads of other demonstrators, reminiscent of Abu Ghraib.
-- Also out at Occupy Wall Street, or rather in the GlobalRevolution.tv studio, more arrests took place yesterday. Footage cut away from the OWS movement at Grand Central to show arguing at the studio for GlobalRev, and later on, police arrived to arrest people there. They left a sign on the building door saying that the space was "imminently perilous to life." No one is really sure why they were arrested. Read the article here for yourself: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/01/occupy-wall-streets-livestream-operators-arrested/46921/
That's all I have for today everyone.
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, info, or to join the research, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Updates 1/3/12
Hello everyone.
You're probably all used to hearing this by now, but I'm sick again. This is why I'm a home-bound Occupier. My immune system left years ago.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy the Rose Parade seemingly went off without a hitch yesterday. With numbers greatly differing according to who quotes them (5000 says Occupiers, 400 says police), Occupiers carried both a banner representing the Constitution and a 70 ft. octopus made of recycled trash bags. Immediately following them was 3 full truckloads of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies in full riot gear.
-- The Chair of the Democratic National Committee has said that she will probably not be meeting with Occupiers. When an MSNBC reporter asked her if she would make the time, she replied "I just got here at 1'o'clock in the morning. I mean really." She then went on to say she doubts she will have time, but she has spoken with Occupiers in the past, and believes they are well within their rights to be frustrated. She added that although Occupiers did protest the Democrats this week, she insists that they are more frustrated with Republicans.
-- Occupy Fredericton was removed this morning, with city staff and one police officer arriving at roughly 5 yesterday morning. The mayor said he felt one officer would be sufficient, and the tents were removed without incident.
-- Occupiers interrupted a speech by Mitt Romney on Monday night, throwing him off track until his supporters began to chant against them. Romney then mused that it's great to live in a country where we can express our views, shortly before 15 Occupiers were removed from the campaign event, with 3 being arrested. (Hypocrite much?) Before they were removed, Romney said he hopes they will do the same sort of protesting when President Obama arrives. (They already did at one of his speeches, and I don't doubt they'll do it again. Geez.)
-- Occupy Binghamton dealt with an eviction of sorts last night. They parked their self-sustaining yurt in Kennedy Park, and a neighbor called police. Police told them to either move the structure, or they would. Occupiers complied, putting the yurt in storage for the night.
-- The website "biggovernment.com" is suggesting that California prevent any further Occupy violence by using the state's strict gang laws to declare Occupy Wall Street a "street gang." It would prohibit "gang members" from communicating and congregating in areas where other "gang members" are present. (Wow.)
-- Occupy Oakland may be facing another eviction, this time concerning the tepee and table they've had on the plaza for over a month. Protesters have consistently been given permits for these structures, provided they follow strict rules. Occupiers were given a notice yesterday saying that their permit was revoked immediately for not following rules. After a bit of protesting, the city has agreed to look it over again with the objections in mind.
-- Occupy Cobb is being joined by Occupy Atlanta today in an effort to protest foreclosures at the Cobb County Superior Courthouse. Foreclosure auctions are to be performed today, and Occupiers are joining forces against them. Occupy Our Homes has shown some solid progress in the past, and with over a million homes in foreclosure today, Occupiers aren't giving up.
-- The Westboro Baptist Church and Occupy Dallas went head to head yesterday. WBC was carrying signs against Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno, and Annise Parker (Houston's first openly gay mayor), while Occupy Dallas strutted their stuff against the church, shouting them out and showing their differences in many ways, including a lesbian kiss in front of the group.
-- Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro will be packing up next week, according to protesters. The movement is working on a new evolution, say Occupiers. They have a day of events planned for January 10th, and after the day is done, they will move on to other plans, including public meetings, participation in Occupy the Courts, and support of the local Human Rights Center.
That's all for today. Hope you are well.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, information, or to participate in future Occupy research, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
You're probably all used to hearing this by now, but I'm sick again. This is why I'm a home-bound Occupier. My immune system left years ago.
Here's the news for today:
-- Occupy the Rose Parade seemingly went off without a hitch yesterday. With numbers greatly differing according to who quotes them (5000 says Occupiers, 400 says police), Occupiers carried both a banner representing the Constitution and a 70 ft. octopus made of recycled trash bags. Immediately following them was 3 full truckloads of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies in full riot gear.
-- The Chair of the Democratic National Committee has said that she will probably not be meeting with Occupiers. When an MSNBC reporter asked her if she would make the time, she replied "I just got here at 1'o'clock in the morning. I mean really." She then went on to say she doubts she will have time, but she has spoken with Occupiers in the past, and believes they are well within their rights to be frustrated. She added that although Occupiers did protest the Democrats this week, she insists that they are more frustrated with Republicans.
-- Occupy Fredericton was removed this morning, with city staff and one police officer arriving at roughly 5 yesterday morning. The mayor said he felt one officer would be sufficient, and the tents were removed without incident.
-- Occupiers interrupted a speech by Mitt Romney on Monday night, throwing him off track until his supporters began to chant against them. Romney then mused that it's great to live in a country where we can express our views, shortly before 15 Occupiers were removed from the campaign event, with 3 being arrested. (Hypocrite much?) Before they were removed, Romney said he hopes they will do the same sort of protesting when President Obama arrives. (They already did at one of his speeches, and I don't doubt they'll do it again. Geez.)
-- Occupy Binghamton dealt with an eviction of sorts last night. They parked their self-sustaining yurt in Kennedy Park, and a neighbor called police. Police told them to either move the structure, or they would. Occupiers complied, putting the yurt in storage for the night.
-- The website "biggovernment.com" is suggesting that California prevent any further Occupy violence by using the state's strict gang laws to declare Occupy Wall Street a "street gang." It would prohibit "gang members" from communicating and congregating in areas where other "gang members" are present. (Wow.)
-- Occupy Oakland may be facing another eviction, this time concerning the tepee and table they've had on the plaza for over a month. Protesters have consistently been given permits for these structures, provided they follow strict rules. Occupiers were given a notice yesterday saying that their permit was revoked immediately for not following rules. After a bit of protesting, the city has agreed to look it over again with the objections in mind.
-- Occupy Cobb is being joined by Occupy Atlanta today in an effort to protest foreclosures at the Cobb County Superior Courthouse. Foreclosure auctions are to be performed today, and Occupiers are joining forces against them. Occupy Our Homes has shown some solid progress in the past, and with over a million homes in foreclosure today, Occupiers aren't giving up.
-- The Westboro Baptist Church and Occupy Dallas went head to head yesterday. WBC was carrying signs against Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno, and Annise Parker (Houston's first openly gay mayor), while Occupy Dallas strutted their stuff against the church, shouting them out and showing their differences in many ways, including a lesbian kiss in front of the group.
-- Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro will be packing up next week, according to protesters. The movement is working on a new evolution, say Occupiers. They have a day of events planned for January 10th, and after the day is done, they will move on to other plans, including public meetings, participation in Occupy the Courts, and support of the local Human Rights Center.
That's all for today. Hope you are well.
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, information, or to participate in future Occupy research, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Updates 1/2/12
Hello everyone.
I need some coffee. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- On Sunday, Occupy El Paso and Occupy Las Cruces got together to hold a protest on the Pase del Norte Bridge. The Occupiers were protesting NAFTA, saying that the agreement only adds to corporate greed. They handed out multiple fliers to passersby, choosing Sunday because it was the 19th anniversary of the agreement's passing.
-- Anonymous is taking responsibility for hacking the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association Union's website, releasing thousands of names, emails, phone numbers, and even credit card information. They say they targeted the site because California police have shown a large history of police brutality, and their next target will be New York Police Chiefs.
-- After 18 people were previously arrested in Iowa for protesting at the Republican candidate's offices, 15 more were escorted out of the Democratic ones, after they stormed into the "war room" that Democrats have been using for briefings. Occupiers were upset that they were prevented from meeting with the Democratic National Committee.
-- Hundreds of Occupiers and other people marched through Oakland's streets yesterday, in memory of the unarmed shooting of Oscar Grant on New Year's Day in 2009. Grant had a confrontation with BART officer Johannes Mehserle, leading to Grant being shot and killed. Mehserle was charged with involuntary manslaughter, and served less than a year in prison. Protesters are calling for the BART police force to disband, and for other agencies to disarm their officers.
-- The last Occupy DC hunger striker has had to give up his fast, due to kidney and other health issues. Adrian Parsons' first meal was broth and coconut water, which he said he enjoyed. He is recuperating at his girlfriend's home, after losing some 27 pounds.
-- Columbia University has announced that they will be offering a course on Occupy Wall Street through the Anthropology department. The course is very hands on, encouraging students to go and visit the Occupiers in the field.
That's all I have for today. It's not much, I know. No news is good news??
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, information, or to sign up for my future research plans, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
I need some coffee. :)
Here's the news for today:
-- On Sunday, Occupy El Paso and Occupy Las Cruces got together to hold a protest on the Pase del Norte Bridge. The Occupiers were protesting NAFTA, saying that the agreement only adds to corporate greed. They handed out multiple fliers to passersby, choosing Sunday because it was the 19th anniversary of the agreement's passing.
-- Anonymous is taking responsibility for hacking the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association Union's website, releasing thousands of names, emails, phone numbers, and even credit card information. They say they targeted the site because California police have shown a large history of police brutality, and their next target will be New York Police Chiefs.
-- After 18 people were previously arrested in Iowa for protesting at the Republican candidate's offices, 15 more were escorted out of the Democratic ones, after they stormed into the "war room" that Democrats have been using for briefings. Occupiers were upset that they were prevented from meeting with the Democratic National Committee.
-- Hundreds of Occupiers and other people marched through Oakland's streets yesterday, in memory of the unarmed shooting of Oscar Grant on New Year's Day in 2009. Grant had a confrontation with BART officer Johannes Mehserle, leading to Grant being shot and killed. Mehserle was charged with involuntary manslaughter, and served less than a year in prison. Protesters are calling for the BART police force to disband, and for other agencies to disarm their officers.
-- The last Occupy DC hunger striker has had to give up his fast, due to kidney and other health issues. Adrian Parsons' first meal was broth and coconut water, which he said he enjoyed. He is recuperating at his girlfriend's home, after losing some 27 pounds.
-- Columbia University has announced that they will be offering a course on Occupy Wall Street through the Anthropology department. The course is very hands on, encouraging students to go and visit the Occupiers in the field.
That's all I have for today. It's not much, I know. No news is good news??
***Solidarity***
If you have any questions, comments, corrections, information, or to sign up for my future research plans, please contact me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Updates 1/1/12
Hello everyone.
It's my first post of the New Year, but nothing feels much different. Aside from being startled awake last night by someone attempting to burglarize my neighbor's home by kicking the door in, anyway. Then kept awake by police wandering around with flashlights at 3 a.m. Fun times. Happy New Year.
The news is fairly short today, as most of the CorpMedia is focused on New Year festivities and the like. Also, because my cat is eating my shoe since I have run out of food and need to go get more.
On to the news:
-- 18 Occupiers were arrested on Saturday as they protested outside the Republican campaign headquarters in Iowa. The 16 adults and 2 juveniles were charged with trespassing, while Bachmann was said to have laughed off the protest, saying protesters are the "president's re-election advance team."
-- Occupy Winston-Salem is getting ready to hand a petition to the city. They feel their rights to freedom of speech and assembly are disappearing, and are asking the city to change ordinances so they would be allowed to gather. Walkupy members are also helping out in the city, as they arrived Friday in their march from Washington to Atlanta.
-- President Obama signed the NDAA into law yesterday, despite concerns he says he has with it. One of the changes pushed through is the apparent removal of the ability to detain US citizens without trial. In a statement, the President said, "My administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens. Indeed, I believe that doing so would break our most important traditions and values as a nation."
The big news for today is:
-- Occupy Wall Street stormed Zucotti Park last night, taking advantage of the lesser police force due to New Year's celebrations elsewhere in the city. Around midnight, hundreds of police arrived at the park, with pepper spray being widely used. One officer was apparently stabbed in the hand with scissors, leading to the hospitalization of the officer and the arrest of the attacker. Around 1:30 a.m., police entered the park, with around 150 protesters inside. They pushed protesters out of the park, and arrested a small number of people. A police officer repeatedly shoved a credentialed news cameraman trying to gain shots of the action in the park. A short time later, protesters began marching down the sidewalks, and police began to surround and arrest groups of marchers. While many news outlets say they cannot tally the arrest numbers, Fox News is saying that at least 68 people were detained.
My (colorful) rant:
I just love how the Corporate Media makes it sound so terrible. "Occupiers took advantage of police!" "Occupy Wall Street uses dirty tactics to get the park back, by waiting until police were busy elsewhere!" Ummm.... What the HELL do you think they do to Occupiers?! No one waits until 3 a.m. to raid a damned park unless they are using those same "dirty tactics!" They aren't waiting for permission, or for some commander to say "It's go time." No. They are waiting for people to think they have won, and go home, so they have the least amount of people to shove around and bully. Yes, I am aware that this is a much used tactic to save on police forces and potential problems. My concern is not that they use it, because if I were dealing with what I believed was a potentially riotous situation (even though we know otherwise), I would probably use it too. We all would. The point is that these bastardly news channels can't keep their damned biases out of my face, your face, everyone's faces. The worst part is the people that BELIEVE this crap! I hate to say it, but the people I've seen the worst from are Fox News viewers. Not that people who watch MSNBC or CNN or CBS don't do it, because damn right they do. But some of the Fox viewers I know would rather die than admit their pundit has a bias *gasp* or may be wrong *clutches chest, has heart attack*. Seriously people. Stop letting the damn news pundits tell you HOW to look at something. You can listen to them, and hear their opinions, but maybe you should do a little bit of fact checking before you run off spouting absolute bullshit like it's fact. This goes for politics too. Ron Paul people, I'm looking at you. FACT CHECK.
I may be back later with a post about what the new year means for me, and what it may mean for all of us. Or I may not. I don't know. I'm irritable. People shouldn't try to break into other people's homes, especially not at 3 in the morning. Guys trying to kick in my neighbor's door, go jump in a lake.
Sorry. <3
***Solidarity***
Still looking for research people, but I am appreciative of all you've sent in so far. If I haven't answered you yet, my apologies. I will be working up my information soon. If you need to contact me for any reason, my email is elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
It's my first post of the New Year, but nothing feels much different. Aside from being startled awake last night by someone attempting to burglarize my neighbor's home by kicking the door in, anyway. Then kept awake by police wandering around with flashlights at 3 a.m. Fun times. Happy New Year.
The news is fairly short today, as most of the CorpMedia is focused on New Year festivities and the like. Also, because my cat is eating my shoe since I have run out of food and need to go get more.
On to the news:
-- 18 Occupiers were arrested on Saturday as they protested outside the Republican campaign headquarters in Iowa. The 16 adults and 2 juveniles were charged with trespassing, while Bachmann was said to have laughed off the protest, saying protesters are the "president's re-election advance team."
-- Occupy Winston-Salem is getting ready to hand a petition to the city. They feel their rights to freedom of speech and assembly are disappearing, and are asking the city to change ordinances so they would be allowed to gather. Walkupy members are also helping out in the city, as they arrived Friday in their march from Washington to Atlanta.
-- President Obama signed the NDAA into law yesterday, despite concerns he says he has with it. One of the changes pushed through is the apparent removal of the ability to detain US citizens without trial. In a statement, the President said, "My administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens. Indeed, I believe that doing so would break our most important traditions and values as a nation."
The big news for today is:
-- Occupy Wall Street stormed Zucotti Park last night, taking advantage of the lesser police force due to New Year's celebrations elsewhere in the city. Around midnight, hundreds of police arrived at the park, with pepper spray being widely used. One officer was apparently stabbed in the hand with scissors, leading to the hospitalization of the officer and the arrest of the attacker. Around 1:30 a.m., police entered the park, with around 150 protesters inside. They pushed protesters out of the park, and arrested a small number of people. A police officer repeatedly shoved a credentialed news cameraman trying to gain shots of the action in the park. A short time later, protesters began marching down the sidewalks, and police began to surround and arrest groups of marchers. While many news outlets say they cannot tally the arrest numbers, Fox News is saying that at least 68 people were detained.
My (colorful) rant:
I just love how the Corporate Media makes it sound so terrible. "Occupiers took advantage of police!" "Occupy Wall Street uses dirty tactics to get the park back, by waiting until police were busy elsewhere!" Ummm.... What the HELL do you think they do to Occupiers?! No one waits until 3 a.m. to raid a damned park unless they are using those same "dirty tactics!" They aren't waiting for permission, or for some commander to say "It's go time." No. They are waiting for people to think they have won, and go home, so they have the least amount of people to shove around and bully. Yes, I am aware that this is a much used tactic to save on police forces and potential problems. My concern is not that they use it, because if I were dealing with what I believed was a potentially riotous situation (even though we know otherwise), I would probably use it too. We all would. The point is that these bastardly news channels can't keep their damned biases out of my face, your face, everyone's faces. The worst part is the people that BELIEVE this crap! I hate to say it, but the people I've seen the worst from are Fox News viewers. Not that people who watch MSNBC or CNN or CBS don't do it, because damn right they do. But some of the Fox viewers I know would rather die than admit their pundit has a bias *gasp* or may be wrong *clutches chest, has heart attack*. Seriously people. Stop letting the damn news pundits tell you HOW to look at something. You can listen to them, and hear their opinions, but maybe you should do a little bit of fact checking before you run off spouting absolute bullshit like it's fact. This goes for politics too. Ron Paul people, I'm looking at you. FACT CHECK.
I may be back later with a post about what the new year means for me, and what it may mean for all of us. Or I may not. I don't know. I'm irritable. People shouldn't try to break into other people's homes, especially not at 3 in the morning. Guys trying to kick in my neighbor's door, go jump in a lake.
Sorry. <3
***Solidarity***
Still looking for research people, but I am appreciative of all you've sent in so far. If I haven't answered you yet, my apologies. I will be working up my information soon. If you need to contact me for any reason, my email is elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
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