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.