Updates 2/29/12

Hello everyone.


Time is short today. Apparently the massive storms that rolled through here did some damage, but I haven't been out yet to see.



On to the news:


-- Occupy Portland (Oregon) has a huge march and civil disobedience planned for today. They have not released exact plans on what route they are taking, but say they will protest corporations with "peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience." Police are expecting a march similar to one in November, in which several Occupiers were arrested.



-- Occupy Dame Street (Ireland) has been asked to vacate their Occupation spot, a plaza outside a bank, before St. Patrick's Day. In a letter delivered to the Occupiers, officials asked that Occupiers cooperate and provide assistance in the removal. Occupiers say that while they recognize the importance of the letter and it's request, they do not plan to leave any time soon.




-- OWS has a massive day of action set for today, with nearly 70 cities nationwide taking part in some form of protest. The move comes during a time when Occupiers are making a tough decision. A non-profit group, called the Movement Resource Group, has come out in support of Occupy, with the founders of Ben & Jerry's at the helm. They want to donate roughly a million dollars to Occupy functions, but the group would have to submit proposals for funding for these events. OWS members are torn over the decision.




-- Occupiers in Austin have a little something to be proud of. Inspired by the movement, the city of Austin is fielding a proposal that would involve looking into banking practices, to see if it would be more effective and cost-efficient to move the city resources to a credit union. The city says this was directly inspired by the Occupy Austin movement. The proposal is expected to pass.




-- European and South American police have arrested roughly 25 people, in what Interpol called "Operation Unmask." The 25 people are thought to be members of Anonymous, the hacktivist group. Among those arrested is a 16 year old girl. Interpol's website, as well as those belonging to the arresting officer's departments, immediately went down after the arrests went public, with Anonymous confirming that they hacked the site.



***Solidarity***


To contact me, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/28/12

Hello everyone.


I'm short on time today, so we're just going to do a few bigger stories today.


-- Occupy London was evicted last night, with at least 20 Occupiers being arrested as the Occupation was cleared. Bailiffs threw belongings into trucks and trash bins as police looked on, but no violence occurred, according to officers. The group says they will continue to meet at the cathedral, even if they won't be camping there anymore. One man watching the eviction was the former Canon Chancellor of St. Paul's. He had resigned in solidarity with protesters and called the eviction a "terrible sight."


-- Two police officers were injured in a clash between a pro-white protest group and the counter-protest group of Occupy Oakland. According to several Corporate Media sites (with the exact same story, mind you, word for word...), Occupiers arrived and began throwing bottles, cans, and rocks at the group, leading to police involvement. The two injured officers were hit with thrown objects. Both were treated at a local hospital, one has been released so far.


-- Occupy Boise can breathe a little easier, for now. The judge ruled that their tents could stay, as long as no sleeping, cooking, or other camping-related activities occurred. The judge signed a temporary restraining order against the new law passed last week that would have removed them from the property. He said the Occupier's protest qualify as "protected free speech." The injunction will last until an evidentiary hearing takes place, and one has not yet been scheduled.


***Solidarity***


To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/27/12

Hello everyone.


You get to be treated to another rant at the bottom of this update, concerning several unrelated articles with a recurring theme.



News!



-- (un)Occupy Albuquerque had four arrests yesterday as they attempted to re-Occupy Yale Park. One woman sat down on the grass and began reading, so they picked her up and arrested her. As they were putting her in the car, a man who was standing nearby placed his hand on the car. The officers then arrested him as well. The rest of the group marched to the police station to protest the arrests before continuing the march downtown.



-- Sarasota Police arrested their first Occupier yesterday, a disabled veteran who was writing a slogan in chalk on the sidewalk. An officer arrived at the park while the Iraq War vet was writing a slogan against ALEC (the American Legislation Exchange Council,) and told him to leave the park. When the veteran asked why, the police officer took the man's cane and held it in front of his face, telling him again to leave. When the man reached for his cane, the officer arrested him, charging him with trespass, resisting arrest, obstructing pedestrian traffic, and tampering with public property. The ACLU is looking into the event.



-- Occupy Tacoma peacefully cleaned up their encampment yesterday. Police kept watch over the Occupiers from a distance, but did not move in. The long-running Occupy group is looking for another place to set up their Occupation.



Now here's some fun stuff. This is news/rant. Enjoy.


Go read this article before you start on the next paragraph. I have a point, I promise.

http://kdvr.com/2012/02/26/5-arrested-in-anti-police-protest-downtown/


What did you see there? Just a story about some protesters, right? Not so much. Apparently these protesters have nothing to do with the Occupy movement, and I've had several sources confirm this for me. Now look at the last line of the article again... "not DIRECTLY associated with the Occupy Denver movement." This is a shining example of the Corporate Media trying to get into our heads. See, they aren't saying that the movement isn't associated with these violent (and, may I say it, kinda disgusting for what they threw) protesters. They're not DIRECTLY associated. Wordplay... It's all meant to make you bring the connections together yourself. Innuendo and whatnot. Geez it pisses me off.


Another part of this rant, on a similar note of disparagement, is what happened at the University of New Mexico. I reported a small bit on this last week, but not much was known at that time. Now more is known, and videos are all over youtube. Here's one for you to look at before you continue reading, so you understand what was going on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaYIYa54CSA


Ok. Short video, yeah? Not too bad. Here's what some of the CM and contributors have to say about it:

--- "Those who disagreed in this alleged failure of the Arab Spring could have simply stayed home and avoided the sponsored event. Or, if they desired the protest so much, they could have protested outside of the building where the event was being held. However, they instead chose to use their much coveted "freedom" to disrupt the speech."
(from http://news.yahoo.com/occupy-protesters-seek-silence-disagreement-225200654.html )


--- Just the title of this one says it all. http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2012/02/protesters_to_blame_for_clash_at_israel_lecture


Here's a quote from the speaker herself. The link behind it is her letter concerning the events.

--- "The “occupiers” accomplished their loud and dramatic confrontation, then they had the audacity to file a police report for assault by the older gentlemen, but no one has been charged so far."

(from http://frontpagemag.com/2012/02/27/unm-occupiers-war-on-free-speech/)


What the fuck? Doesn't anyone have anything to say against the people that attacked these kids? There is a big difference between yelling out a chant or opinion, and shoving someone over a bunch of chairs...

Well, here's a few neutral and positive ones:


--- From the Director of the Peace Studies Program, calling for an apology in an article: http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2012/02/violence_at_nonviolent_protest_merits_apology


--- A neutral one from the Atlantic Wire: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/02/students-physically-attacked-interrupting-israel-talk-new-mexico/49120/


Trust me, there are a lot more negative ones than positive. This is what gets me angry. It seems that most people believe that if you call out your opinion at a time they don't believe you should, they also think you should be able to have your ass beat by the people who don't want to hear you. What is wrong with people? No. That is not okay. NOT OKAY, DAMMIT. You do NOT have the right to put your hands on someone just because they are saying something you disagree with! I don't care who you are!


Anyway, this is another example of the CM angling. They are fighting to make Occupiers look like horrible people who get what they deserve.


.......Come on, Karma.


***Solidarity***



Sorry if my thoughts seem a little jumbled. I'm on a bit of medication for my head-cold. Decongestants make your brain act funny. I am feeling LOADS better though!

To contact me, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/26/12

Hello everyone.


I'm a bit late this morning. Sorry about that.


On to the news!


-- In a funny turn of events, Rick Santorum has attacked Mitt Romney again. This time, however, he's doing so by accusing the other Republican candidate of being an "Occupy Wall Street adherent." Meanwhile, Romney is criticizing Santorum for his flip-flop voting record concerning "No Child Left Behind." Apparently Santorum is fundamentally against the program, but voted 'yes' on it. It's just the newest attack in a string of verbal fights between the two.



-- A rally and march will be held at Union Square in NYC at 4 p.m. on the 28th. The rally is a "Call for Mass Action Against the Suppression of the Occupy Movement," and concerns "stop and frisk" laws and coordinated evictions. The Occupiers will be joined by several prominent community members, including church leaders, ACLU attorneys, and musicians.



-- Google Plus has apparently been unblocked by the Chinese government, leading to a swarm of Chinese visitors commenting on President Obama's profile page. The mass visitors, some calling themselves "Occupy Obama," have been largely satirical and political. Most of the comments are in Chinese, which has caused complaints from Americans who visit. (Oh, get over youselves. English isn't the only language in the world, you pompous draggles.)



-- Oakland's Saturday march happened yesterday, this time in support of the cousin of Oscar Grant, the man who was fatally shot by a police officer in 2009. That officer was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The cousin, Tony Jones, was shot in the back last Sunday night by police.



-- Occupy Louisville is dealing with their first arrests since their Occupation began. Five protesters were arrested last night as they demonstrated against unfair lending practices at a bank. Occupiers say the arrests were unprovoked, as they were being non-violent and peaceful. Police say that the five tried to rush the door of the bank. A video of the arrests clearly show police conversing with protesters, telling them to shut their mouths and "If we want something, we'll ask for it." Charges range from disorderly conduct to assault on a police officer.



This is an interesting article concerning Andrew Breitbart and his rant at Occupiers for being 'pro-rape.' He is accusing Occupiers of "Hiding" rape allegations to keep the movement from looking bad. Turns out, he's doing the exact same thing. Hypocritical much? Read on to find out what's actually going on with his "star reporter," and what he's doing about it. (Hint: not much.)

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Does-Breitbart-s-Rape-Rant-by-Gustav-Wynn-120224-405.html?show=votes



***Solidarity***


To contact me, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/25/12

Hello everyone.


I greatly appreciate your patience with me this past week. I'm still sick, but a visit to the doctor helped me out a bunch. It turns out I have a vicious cold that settled in my sinuses, upping my temperature to over 102 degrees at one point. It's amazing to me that I can feel "healthy as a horse" when I have walking pneumonia, but give me a cold and I feel like I'm dying. Funny how things work like that sometimes.


The Corporate Media seems to be making an attempt to ignore the Occupy Movement. It's getting more and more difficult to find information on what's going on out there. I'm not going to give up, of course, but it bothers me a bit that cover-ups are so blatantly obvious. It gets frustrating.


On to the news.


-- Officer Pike, the now infamous police officer who sprayed UC Davis students with military grade pepper spray, is going on trial along with several school officials. The ACLU is representing the students who were sprayed, saying that the officers were obviously improperly trained and unsupervised. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday.



-- February 29th will be a big day in Pittsburgh, as Occupiers team up with Pittsburghers for Public Transport, along with other demonstrators. They are holding a rally to call attention to the Port Authority's 35% service reduction in public transportation, a move that would not only eliminate 600 transit jobs, but also strand nearly 45,000 riders. Protesters say that if the Governor would fix tax loopholes and lift caps on franchise taxes, transit spending could be increased enough to fix the problem. The rally starts at noon on the 29th, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.



-- Occupy Bernal, in the Bay Area, is taking their protest to the top, so to speak. Occupiers plan to set up camp outside the home of Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf today. They say they will hand deliver an eviction notice to his home, and hold a mock foreclosure auction of the property. They are demanding that Stumpf meet with foreclosure victims and place an immediate moratorium on foreclosure proceedings. Occupiers say that over 80 homeowners in the area are facing foreclosure from Wells Fargo.



-- Occupy London is awaiting eviction, which they believe may happen sometime this weekend. More than 100 tents still remain at St. Paul's Cathedral, minus the kitchen, library, and information tent. Those were removed to prevent their destruction. Even after eviction, Occupiers say they will return each Saturday to hold their General Assembly.



-- Occupy Charlotte has asked a judge to remove a city ordinance preventing camping on city grounds, saying that tents are an expressive and symbolic form of free speech, showing the disparity and inequality of those in the 99%. The City Attorney, fighting against the Occupiers, cited cases across the country in which tents were not declared to be free speech, and says the ordinance is not just against Occupy, but anyone who attempts to camp there. The judge is expected to review the statements over the weekend.



-- In Chicago, workers are celebrating along with Occupiers as the energy company set to immediately close had a change of heart. Occupiers and workers alike remained in the building in a massive sit-in for 11 hours before the company postponed the closure 90 days. They are now working on alternatives to closure.



-- Occupy Boise has to wait to get the final decision from the judge in charge of the eviction law case. The judge told attorneys for both sides that he will rule on the case on Monday. The law signed by the Governor makes it illegal to camp on state-managed land, but it could also allow the seizure of Occupier's private property without a court hearing. Though the bill was signed last week, most of the Occupiers remain.



-- An attempt to mic check at an Israel Alliance meeting at the University of New Mexico campus turned violent on Thursday when those in attendance attacked the people interrupting. The group of people who mic checked (unknown if they are Occupiers) were there to question the speaker's "fear-mongering and her unqualified support for Israel." Audience members attacked a woman, pulling her hair, and shoved another protester across three rows of seats. Not much more is known about this incident at this time.

Links! Interesting ones! Yay!


Occupy Rochester sent out a letter to Amtrak and the Mayor, concerning the possible eviction of the "railroad encampment." Read the letter here:

http://rochester.indymedia.org/node/11431



Part 1 of a two part article on the infiltration of Occupy movements by outsiders in an attempt to destroy the movement, and what can be done about it.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/infiltration_to_disrupt_divide_and_misdirect_20120224/



***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/24/12

Hello everyone.

My fever spiked to 102.5 yesterday, and has settled back down to around 100 this morning. Also fun: My cats apparently decided they wanted to sleep with us, so they tore a hole in the bottom of our box-spring and climbed up inside it to sleep.



On to the news:



-- My good friends over at Occupy Tacoma were given eviction notices yesterday, telling them they have to be out by Sunday. The notices cite 2nd degree criminal trespassing and littering. While Occupiers are clearing out many of the items present, many of them say they are staying to defend the park and their Constitutional rights.



-- The Nashville Senate has voted 20-10 to remove Occupiers from the plaza. Senators say that some sort of warning must be in place before an eviction, such as a week or ten days. The bill's supporters argued that the plaza is public land, and must be open for public use. Opponents of the bill argued that it is too broad, and could be used against duck blinds or camp stoves at state parks.



Ok, I just made a doctor's appt. for less than an hour from now, so I have to be quick. Sorry.



-- Occupiers in Chicago worked in solidarity with the United Electrical Worker's Union yesterday, occupying a Chicago window factory set to close. The factory closure would result in the loss of about 50 jobs.


-- CabinCr3w, an offshoot of Anonymous, has gone after Los Angeles law enforcement again. This time they not only posted personal information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers, but also nude photos one one officer that they claimed to have found in her inbox. They also claim to have found images of pedophilia in one officer's emails.


-- Some members of Congress and the Corporate Media recently received suspicious letters, in which an unknown powder was found, along with threats of biological attacks. The FBI is looking into the letters, as they seem to have included some of the main demands of OWS, saying that they demanded "an end to corporate money and lobbying in U.S. politics, an end to corporate personhood." You can read a short article about this here. It's actually a pretty interesting read.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/rtd-opinion/2012/feb/24/tdopin01-occupy-terrorism-ar-1711311/




***Solidarity***

To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Sick- 2/23/12

Hey everyone,

Sorry, but no news today. I've been sick for a week now and it just keeps getting worse.


Thanks for understanding.

Updates 2/22/12

Hello everyone.

I'm running a bit behind, so we're going to have a link day.



-- Occupy Boise is working the federal angle in their eviction case.

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2012/feb/21/occupy-boise-files-federal-court-challenge-stop-eviction-hearing-set-fri/




-- The Occupy Philadelphia member running for Congress is facing some opposition in the form of a court date. His opponent says he doesn't have the right to run.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/02/allyson-schwartz-contests-occupy-candidates-bid-115109.html



-- A man in California is beaten to death after Berkeley Police say that they were too "busy" with the Occupy movement to respond to the call about a strange trespasser.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/21/peter-cukor-killed-berkeley-occupy-oakland_n_1291667.html?ref=mostpopular



-- Judges in the UK unanimously agreed NOT to hear the Occupy appeal.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/22/uk-britain-occupy-appeal-idUSLNE81L01420120222



-- Here's an opinion piece against Occupy Oakland, charging them with a sort of manipulation of the system.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120222/A_OPINION/202220312/-1/NEWSMAP




-- Two important links to great websites:

www.occupymetv.org -- Occupy Maine's TV show.


www.occupytv.org -- Great Occupy Website.


***Solidarity***

To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/21/12

Hello everyone.


I am trying to type with a cat on my lap. She won't leave me alone, probably because I've been running a mid-grade fever for at least 5 straight days. She either knows I'm sick, or likes that I'm warm. With cats, who can tell?



I'd like to thank TedMart for this correction.

-- In yesterday's news, I incorrectly listed the site address for Occupy Maine's television show. It is www.occupymetv.org. CORRECTION(again) It DOES need the ME in the address. :) You MUST type the www. part for the site to load as well.


On to the rest of the news:


-- Occupy Maine is seeking to drop its lawsuit against the city of Portland. They say that the energy and resources that would be used in pursuing a lawsuit would be much better spent in service to the community. The group has a few rallies planned, and is also setting up an organization to protect Lincoln Park. The park was the occupation's location for 133 days.


-- Occupy URI (Univ. of Rhode Island) is a recent offshoot of OWS, and they're getting bigger. Students and faculty alike have joined the new Occupy group, and are now planning protests. The group is planning on erecting a tent on the campus quad. They've had several organizational meetings so far, and have a teach-in and rally planned for later this month.



I'm going to tell you these next two stories, then I'm going to give you my opinion. Hope that's okay with you. :)



-- Occupiers in NYC met yesterday in Harlem to protest America's racist prison system. They chanted for an encompassing change to the system, dubbing it the "new Jim Crow." They called out racial disparities in almost every branch of law enforcement, from the prisons to immigration to stop-and-frisks. Some demanded complete eradication of the system, while others want a complete reform to move towards rehabilitation.


-- Occupy Oakland also participated in a day of solidarity with prisoners yesterday, protesting outside of the San Quentin prison. They were there in support of prisoners on hunger strikes against solitary confinement and other human rights issues. One Corporate Media outlet claimed that over 700 protesters were in attendance. Police banned parking along the roads leading to the prison, forcing some protesters to walk over a mile to the prison.



And now for my rant.


The prison system in our country is messed up. In Illinois alone, prisons are dangerously over capacity, and yet our governor is interested in closing down some of the state facilities. (We don't know until Wednesday which facilities he wants to close.) In Texas, a man is in prison for LIFE for less than $300 stolen. He had written two bad checks, and neglected to fix an air conditioner that he was paid to repair by his neighbor. Does he deserve to be punished? Of course he does. Does he deserve life imprisonment, as placed on him by the three strike's law? Are you kidding me? No. No no no. That is outrageous. He even took Texas to the Supreme Court for this, decrying it as cruel and unusual punishment (which I believe it most certainly is.) He was told that Texas has the right to implement their Three Strike's Law, which means he will be in prison for the rest of his life. He didn't physically hurt anyone. He wrote a bad check, didn't fix an air conditioner, and wrote another bad check. That's not heinous, that's just stupid. I guess we're giving people life in prison now for stupidity.

I'll give you a few interesting facts.

#1. Racial minorities are disproportionately imprisoned. In 2007, there were 48% Whites, 28% Blacks, and 17% Latinos and Hispanics incarcerated. But Kitty, you say, there are more whites than minorities combined! Yes, there is. But look at these numbers-- 64% White, 13% Black, 15% Latino or Hispanic. Know what that is? Our population. See anything out of place?

#2. Stop and Frisks disproportionately affect minorities. From "Criminal Procedure," a textbook from Joel Samaha: "Black and Latino men living in poor urban neighborhoods, or who happen to be in White neighborhoods, experience stops and frisks far more frequently than Whites. Even poor Whites living in the same poor neighborhoods as Blacks and Latinos experience fewer stops and frisks."

#3. Several prisoners have DIED on hunger strikes protesting the horrible conditions in prison, and the news doesn't talk about it.

#4. Women's prisons are just as bad, if not worse, than men's prisons. There are less women's prisons available, so they are often overcrowded. They are given the same treatment as men, regardless of the different needs women have, and declared "equal." Many times they have less guards available, so they are given less time outside and more time confined to their cells.

#5. An overwhelming number of people incarcerated were convicted of drug crimes, under the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs was actually meant to target drug manufacturers and traffickers. Instead, the vast majority of people arrested in its time have been low-level users.

#6. Poor people are disproportionately a part of the system. As a result of a lack of resources, many cannot afford their own defense counsel or bail. The plea deal system was originally meant to speed things up by allowing guilty parties to bypass the juror system. It was meant to save time and money. Instead, it is often used by poor people, innocent or guilty, who will take whatever punishment is doled out in order to get back to their families as soon as possible. Many of them do not understand how parole and probation work, and end up back in prison because they are unable to pay court costs and fines, or find employment.

#7. Discretionary laws are meant to be a good thing. They are what gets you out of a ticket when an officer writes you a warning instead. However, discretionary laws also offer officers the ability to tell a group of White teens vandalizing a building to go home, then drive across town and arrest a group of Black teens for the same offense. (It happens.)




Does this sound like a good system to you? Because it certainly doesn't to me.

I'm NOT saying that all police officers, judges, attorneys, etc. are bad people, racists, or evil. I don't believe that for a second. What I am saying is that this does happen. It happens often. We don't talk about it. We're too afraid of race. We're too afraid of the system. Many people say "They made their bed, now they need to lie in it." Well, the truth is that lying in that bed does NOT teach you not to do it again! There are many reformative systems that actually work. Punishment systems, and prisons (all of which have some sort of gang hierarchy,) are not good methods of teaching. Let me ask you something.

If you are a poor, uneducated minority, and you are arrested for some crime, you serve your time and get out. When you get out, you are thrown back into the same situation you were previously. You can get some education in prison, but not nearly enough. So you get out of prison, and you are still poor and uneducated. Don't you think that if our system focused on showing someone how to do better, they might actually do better? Our prison systems now basically say "This is what you get for being bad. Now don't be bad, or you'll be back here." I can't even explain this thoroughly because it just drives me crazy. What kind of deterrent is that for someone who has nothing? It's not.


***Solidarity***

If you want to discuss this further with me, or contact me for any other reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/20/12

Hello everyone.


It's Monday... Which means there isn't much for news. I've got a few stories and a few interesting articles for you.

Here you go:


-- Occupy Maine may not have an encampment anymore, but that doesn't mean they've gone underground. Occupiers have been hard at work producing a television show at a community access television studio. You can watch the show at their website, occupymetv.org.


-- Occupy New Haven has been asked to leave the green, their place of Occupation since mid-October. Two city meetings have recently been held to discuss the group's presence, and how it may be blocking others from using the park. Protesters have said they are more than willing to work with the city around the events planned, but that they will not be leaving until major social and political change is brought about.


-- Occupy Raleigh is looking for a new home, and quickly. The landlord of the space they are in will be evicting protesters by Feb. 29 because of liability issues. His insurance company will not cover the protesters with liability insurance, and will not cover him if they do not buy renter's insurance. Occupiers say they understand the frustration. They are currently paying $400 a month in rent, and are having difficulty coming up with the money.


-- Occupy Chicago protested the closing of the Jane Addams Hull House yesterday, a move which left roughly 300 people unemployed and hundreds of families without support. The Occupiers held a march and a vigil, demonstrating their mourning for the loss of such an important support system.


Via La Pergola has been evicted, only two days after Occupy Pisa set up again. You can read what's happened, past and present, here:

http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=2012021912422530



The Center for Research on Globalization has released the last of a four part series explaining Occupy. This one concerns why everyone should Occupy the Corporate Media. The other parts include discussions of U.S. War Crimes, Economics, and "Why Occupy?". You can read all these here:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=29378



Alternet has released an interesting article, titled "4 Signs the American Spring May Be Coming to Chicago." Read it here:

http://www.alternet.org/economy/154089/4_signs_the_american_spring_may_be_coming_to_chicago




***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/19/12

Hello everyone.

If you can guess what I'm going to say next, you win a high five!


.............I'm sick again.


Anyway, on to the news:



-- Occupy Eugene is teaming up with the ACLU to protest an exclusionary law that allows judges to temporarily ban someone from the city center if they have been accused of a crime. Not convicted, mind you, just accused. The ordinance is up for renewal in April, and the groups are fighting against it. If it does pass, it would extend the regulation to 2014.


-- Occupy Oakland held their Saturday march yesterday, peacefully marching to UC Berkeley. Occupy Cal was waiting for them in preparation for a demonstration. A Native American man burned an American flag in front of President Obama's campaign office, protesting the nation's treatment of Native Americans. Police later extinguished the fire.


-- The Occupy Koch Town protest has been relatively peaceful. The Occupiers held a march through the city yesterday, with roughly 150 people occasionally blocking intersections due to the size of the march. Police issued no citations and had no arrests, and the rally remained calm. Many passersby showed their support for the Occupiers, who were protesting the greed and environmental destruction, among other things, that the Koch brothers have shown. (I totally just misspelled that name in a bad way and had to go back and fix it. Haha!)


-- Occupy Auckland is back to irritating the city again, this time in their occupation of an empty Housing New Zealand property. The protesters are demonstrating against the evictions of residents, as many low-income properties are being demolished to make way for redevelopments. The protest began with a barbecue at the property for roughly 50 Occupiers, and is ongoing.


The IndyBay website is offering up some insight on how police have been misusing their lapel cameras. This article discusses multiple incidents of misuse during Occupy Oakland events.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/02/18/18707657.php




***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/18/12

Hello everyone.


So my doctor gave me a tentative diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, and gave me a referral to see a specialist. Now to come up with the $150 deductible and 20% co-pay. Hmm. I'm sure I'll figure something out eventually.


NEWS! :D ( or D: depending. )


-- Occupy Asheville broke up their encampment yesterday, packing their belongings and tents in anticipation of the enforcement of the City Hall park's new hours. Protesters are allowed on the property between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., according to police. A few Occupiers refused to leave, leading to the arrests of three people for civil disobedience. After the arrests, officers folded their tents and stored them in a van.


-- The faculty at UC Davis cast their votes yesterday, and rejected the vote of 'no-confidence' against the Chancellor. Final scores were 697-312 in favor of the Chancellor. Another vote was 586-408, expressing confidence in the Chancellor but condemning the use of pepper spray used against students. Faculty were given two weeks to vote, and massive debates sprung up between them concerning the issues. Many advocated for the 'no-confidence' vote, but in the end, the majority expressed their confidence.


-- My friends over at Occupy Tacoma apparently lost power supply on Wednesday night, and it is unlikely it will be turned back on. The park owner says that he did not turn off the power, but that a circuit breaker likely overloaded and tripped a breaker. He says the power will not be turned on in the park again until protesters leave, due to liability issues. The group lost power. semingly coincidentally, after a large discussion on the group's eventual inevitable eviction.


Here's a few articles to make you think and make you pissed off:


--Occupy Chicago has teamed up with a group of parents to save a school. Working together, they are attempting to stop what is called a 'turn-around.' Check it out here:

http://www.wbez.org/story/activists-parents-occupy-school-slated-turnaround-96529



-- Hot Air is a right wing website that regularly attacks Occupy movements. Read what they have to say about Occupy Albany, and who they believe the group is supporting:

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/02/17/occupy-movement-pretty-excited-about-supporting-cop-killer/



-- The American Free Press website has uncovered some startling facts about the unemployment rates in the U.S.. Read this to see why things may be bleaker than previously thought:

http://americanfreepress.net/?p=2855



***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/17/12

Hello everyone.


I'm quickly learning that top tier colleges aren't really interested in students who don't come from other top-tiered schools. I had a discussion with the head of one of the departments here, and she said that my letters were great, my work is strong, and my ethic is amazing, but the reason I'm not being accepted is the school I'm graduating from. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this school, and it would be far from tragic if I were to undertake a graduate program here. It's just a little disappointing to see so many "Admission Denied" emails. I'm still waiting for 5 responses: 2 from Harvard, 1 from Nebraska-Lincoln, 1 from Indiana U-Bloomington, and 1 from Tulane in New Orleans. Soc programs: 1 from Harvard, 1 from Neb-Lincoln. Linguistics program: Tulane, Indiana, and the other Harvard. If I am going to continue in Linguistics, I really love Tulane's program.


Speaking of graduate schools and graduations, our Chancellor here has gone completely bonkers again. With the help of a committee, she has decided to basically denounce tradition in our graduation ceremonies. It used to be that each college within the school (College of Liberal Arts, the Law School, College of Business,) all graduated separately, with graduate students and undergraduates getting their own ceremonies. Rather than continue this model, which shows that each college is important enough to warrant their own ceremony, the Chancellor has unflinchingly lumped multiple colleges together into mass ceremonies that will last upwards of four hours, compared to the previous 2-3. The College of Liberal Arts (which in an entirely different story, is looking to change its name, as apparently "liberal" is misunderstood too often,) and the College of Mass Communication and Media will be graduating together now, with graduates participating in the same ceremony. The Chancellor said she believes this will make students undecided on graduation want to go to the ceremony. I don't see how. If I was confused about attending a two hour ceremony, I certainly wouldn't be confused anymore if they changed it to a four hour one. I'd just say no. This also adds complications to the ceremonies, in that disabled or elderly family members may have difficulty staying through such an elongated event. My brother is on a battery-operated breathing machine. I wonder how he'll fair for such a long ceremony. I wouldn't even be going if he didn't want to watch me walk the stage.

They don't think things through much, do they?


Sorry for the long rant. On to the news:


-- Wichita is going to be a little busy this weekend, as hundreds of Occupiers descend on the town for "Occupy Koch Town." Wichita is the home of Koch industries, which has released a statement condemning the protest: "This protest is a politically motivated attack and an attempt to harass and demonize an American company with 50,000 U.S.-based employees -- 2,700 of those in Kansas." Marches and speeches are some of the items planned for the protest weekend.


-- Faculty members at UC Davis have plenty to say about their Chancellor, and now people are listening. Faculty members will be casting a vote on whether or not they still have confidence in the Chancellor after the attack on Occupy UC Davis. While not a binding vote to remove or retain her, the vote will show UC leaders if the faculty finds the Chancellor able to lead. They are also voting on the so-called "privatization" of the school, as the state gives less money and the University looks for other funding with rising fees and out-of-state students.


-- A group identifying themselves as "Occupy Everything" terrorized Pittsburgh for a little while last night. The group of roughly 50 people littered streets, tried to break windows, and jumped on cars. Several people were cited after police showed up, and a vacant building was checked to discover any inhabitants. Rather than finding people, they found printed notes encouraging others to find another place to stay, as the building may not be safe.


-- Occupy Harvard teamed up with Harvard employees to protest outside of Lamont Library yesterday, as the librarians prepare for cuts to staff and major renovations. They are hoping to save the jobs of the librarians, saying that student employees cannot provide the same level of service. They are also hoping to get students more involved in the decisions, by showing them how these cuts will affect them.


-- The anti-protest bill against Occupy Nashville has passed the house, leaving only a short amount of time before it will become law. Occupiers are working on a decision for what to do when the time comes for their eviction, with many already gone. Law enforcement officials say that while crime rates have increased since Occupy arrived, it is not enough to call it a spike.



That's all for today.

***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. If you've recently emailed me, but you have gotten no response, please don't be concerned. I have received and read your emails. I apologize for the lack of return emails. I've been freaking out because of exams and projects due, but rest assured I've gotten them, and I appreciate the news reports and opinions. :)

Updates 2/16/12

Hello everyone.


You ever just look at news headlines and find yourself shaking your head in disbelief. I spotted two stories today that particularly made me sigh. One is the new bill quickly passing in Oklahoma, which declares embryos to be "persons" and grants them all rights and privileges of being so. Not only could this possibly endanger the life of a woman who finds herself with a life-threatening pregnancy, but it could easily make certain forms of contraception illegal. People need to think about these things before they consider passing them. The second one that irritated me was the story of a white man walking with his black granddaughter home from the skating rink. Someone had apparently called in about a white man kidnapping a black girl, and he was roughly shoved around and arrested while the girl screamed "That's my grandpa!" He was eventually released when they called the phone numbers he gave them during the arrest, but this really gets me. Not because he is white, but because it means that we, as a society, are STILL not accepting of the fact that interracial couples exist. The same thing would have happened to a black man with his white granddaughter, and I believe it actually has.

Our society is pretty fucked up.


On to the news:


-- Former President Jimmy Carter declared his support for the Occupy movement, saying it has been "relatively successful" in opening national discussion. The former President was at a Duke University event when he gave the remarks, highlighting the success of the movement despite a lack of leadership or list of specific issues. (The media is in awe of this. Haha...) He says that Congress had been increasingly ignoring the issue of wealth disparity until the Occupiers came along.


-- Many of the Occupiers previously arrested in Chicago were in court on Wednesday, with attorneys claiming the arrests were simply a "practice run" for how things will be handled at the G8 and NATO summits in May. The judge in charge of proceedings was especially confused as to why protesters were held for hours by police in October before given bonds and released, something that usually only happens for criminal cases. When prosecutors couldn't answer his questions about the bonds, the judge told them to figure it out and come back Thursday with the answers.


-- Occupy LA morphed into Occupy 90210 for the night, to protest a $38,500 a plate dinner held by President Obama in the Beverly Hills area. The President is raising funds for his campaign, and had yet to stop in the Hollywood area for fundraising from rich celebrities. Occupiers protested in a nearby park, while also raising money for a foodstamp program that allows people to double their money at farmer's markets.



That's all for today. Sorry it's so short.


***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/15/12

Hello everyone.


I had an interesting discussion yesterday. I somehow got dragged into a conversation on religion, and I had a man tell me that being gay or gender-queer is a result of giving up on higher goals and not wanting to set the bar higher for yourself. I've heard a ton of arguments about these things, some of which I can respect and some of which I find stupid, but that one really took the cake. Really? I don't even know what to say to that. Apparently finding Jesus is all gays or gender-queer individuals need to become straight and live their lives to their full potential. Wow. I felt like I was listening to an infomercial for those ex-gay camps... You know... The ones that don't work?


Anyway, on to the news:


-- Rick Santorum is topping the news again for his amazing ability to be so backwards it's almost funny. After three Occupiers were arrested during his Monday speech in Tacoma, he decided to tell his audience that Occupy represents "True Intolerance." He then used the Prop 8 case in California to "further his point," saying that the court case had painted everyone who disagreed as a hater or bigot, when it was really the Occupiers being irrational and intolerant of other's beliefs. (Oy... There's a reason this guy's last name has a totally new definition.)


-- Anonymous has taken responsibility for the attack on Combined Systems, a Mercer firm whose company has been supplying tear gas canisters to the Egyptian government. New stories have shown the canister, which clearly state "Made in the U.S.A.," being used against protesters. Amnesty International has called on the firm to stop delivery to Egypt, but they didn't move fast enough to quell Anonymous. The hacktivist group took down their website, releasing important documents and private employee information to the public. They've threatened to attack any firm who helps Combined Systems get their system back up.


-- Roughly half of the tents that used to be in the plaza in Nashville are gone, as Occupiers debate what to do if the new law passes. Many have packed up and left, while others say they will be staying no matter what the new law does. Some are discussing keeping a 24 hour vigil in shifts, so there would always be an occupation but no one would be "camping," as that would be banned if the new law passes.


-- Occupy Wall Street took advantage of the romantic holiday yesterday to break up with Bank of America. Protesters wrote cards declaring the break-up in several forms before taking them to the bank. Many of the cards read things like "It's not you, it's me... Just kidding, it is you." and "I'm not falling for 'phase out' again."


-- "Meet me in St. Louis" is taking on a new meaning for Occupiers in the Midwest. A regional conference will be held in the city on March 15th, under the Gateway Arch. Occupy movements from at least 7 states are expected to attend, with some coming from as far away as Wisconsin and Oklahoma. The regional conference will be working on opening discussion between the 13 larger groups and numerous smaller groups in attendance, as well as opening dialogue on how to best hold and participate in events.


-- Occupy Asheville was served with an eviction notice yesterday, declaring that Occupiers must leave by Friday. New restrictions are going into effect as the city council decided to add the parcel of land Occupiers have been staying on to park property, making it illegal to camp overnight and imposing a curfew. In a last ditch effort to appease protesters, the city council declared that they will support an amendment to the Constitution against Corporate Personhood, but many Occupiers say this is not enough.


-- Occupy Newark was evicted early this morning in a swift raid executed by police and firefighters just after midnight. Police told protesters that without a permit, they were breaking curfew. Occupiers left the park area, but jeered at officers as they loaded up belongings into a city truck. No arrests were made.



***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading. I really do appreciate it.

Updates 2/14/12

Hello everyone.

Yesterday, news was hard to come by. Which means, of course, that today's news is huge. I want to thank the few people that send me emails on occasion to thank me for the news. I really do appreciate your readership. It means so much.


Let's get to it:



-- Occupy London's eviction case is now being heard in England's Appeals Courts. This will likely delay the actual eviction of Occupiers from St. Paul's, as the City of London has said they will wait for all appeals to run their course before moving forward. Occupy attorneys are arguing that the original judge simply rubber-stamped the case with what the City of London wanted, without exploring alternatives or considering the rights of protesters. The City of London is calling for dismissal, saying the original case was open-and-shut.


-- Occupy Tacoma clashed with Rick Santorum yesterday, after he traveled to Washington state to protest the same-sex marriage bill signed into law that day. Two Occupiers were apparently arrested according to Twitter reports, with one being tased. Santorum argued with a student and compared gay marriage to polygamy in his appearance. Occupiers chanted throughout his speech.


-- Police arrested multiple squatters in Portland (OR) who they claim are a part of "a larger movement related to Occupy Portland and anarchist groups." They claim the squatters had lists of empty homes, and had plans written up to victimize an elderly bankrupt lady. They say that "Occupy literature" was strewn about the home, whose actual owner had been hospitalized beforehand.


-- Occupy Atlanta protested AT&T on Monday, after the announcement of multiple layoffs from the company. The mass protest led to the arrest of 12 Occupiers for criminal trespass, but protesters say they won't be leaving the company alone until it rescinds plans to lay off between 500-700 employees. Occupiers set up camp on public property outside the giant corporation, but it is not clear yet if the campsite is "legal" or not


-- Occupy Harvard seems to be pissing off administrators again. Despite being told they could lose their library privileges indefinitely, Occupiers remain staunchly set in the library's cafe, where they have been since at least Friday. The students are protesting multiple items, including a reduction in library staff and the coerced early retirement of certain faculty.


-- Remember the group of women pepper sprayed in NYC back in September? You should, because they've filed suit against the city. They are claiming the the city did not properly train their police officers, resulting in the women being sprayed for nothing more than standing on a sidewalk. The offending officer was docked ten days of vacation time for his transgression. The attorney's for the women say they waited so long to file a lawsuit in order to give the city ample time to finish their reports and follow up, but that not enough was done.


-- Occupy Iowa City has received a detailed letter from the city, explaining that the city will not be renewing their permit for continued park presence. The letter says that increased police activity, concerns for health and safety, and other items, such as the approach of spring, has made it so that they will not being allowing protesters to continue their Occupation. The group's current permit expires at the end of the month.


-- The retired Philly Police Captain who was arrested in uniform at OWS is back on the streets again, still in uniform. He says that while police commissioners may not like what he is wearing or doing, it is not illegal. He has been spotted protesting in Philadelphia at the Comcast headquarters, where he supported both protests occurring at the time. One was against corporate greed, while the other was presenting a petition signed by over 23,000 people to ask the media giant to carry the channel Al-Jazeera English.


That's all for today!


***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com.

Updates 2/13/12

Hello everyone.

We're supposed to get up to two inches of snow today and tomorrow. I know that's not much, but we've had such a mild winter. Usually snow doesn't show up around where I am, just massive amounts of ice. It's dangerous and gross. It's gross because I'm super clumsy, and end up falling in the nastiness at least 3 times every winter. Ewww...


Anyway, the news is fairly quiet today, so I'm doing a "link day." That means today you get to see some of the interesting stories that I find, many of which don't make it into the news due to a lack of time on my part. Here you go:


-- The Breitbart freak-out has apparently gone viral, and this article shows what some people are saying about it. It's pretty funny. If you haven't seen him going off yet, they even include a transcript.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/02/web-talking-about-andrew-breitbarts-occupy-DC-freakout/48598/



-- Occupy Harvard is working to unite local Occupy and minority groups. See how here.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/2/13/occupy-boston-student-movements/



-- Occupy London is still fighting the courts, but they're also working on their education.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/13/occupy-london-moves-into-school_n_1272580.html?just_reloaded=1



-- This isn't really an article, so much as it is Sarah Palin getting interrupted by Occupiers.

http://therealnews.com/t2/component/hwdvideoshare/?task=viewvideo&video_id=72994



-- The retired police officer from Philly, arrested for protesting, hits the streets again.

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/33873-10lfoccupy&Itemid=1



--This article gives a short explanation of recent happenings in Greece.

http://www.eurasiareview.com/07022012-greece-riot-police-clash-with-anti-austerity-protesters/



-- A Russian journalist explains why he believes the Occupy Movement is "fizzling out."

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/13/65975105.html



I hope these are as interesting to you as they are to me. :)


***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/12/12

Hello everyone.


Looks like I won't be heading out to Berkeley. I've received letters from Indiana Bloomington and Berkeley saying they will not accept me as a graduate student in Sociology. I did receive an acceptance letter from the school I go to now, in Sociology. I'm very excited about that. The Sociology program here is great, and every instructor and grad student I've met thus far is intelligent, friendly, and very helpful. I'm still waiting for 6 more responses from other schools as well, including UMass Amherst, Tulane (love Tulane), Nebraska, 2 from Harvard, and a second app from Indiana Bloomington in Linguistics. We'll see how it goes!

Also, I need to buy a humidifier so I can stop bleeding from the mouth every time I smile. It's unpleasant. (Yes, I'm well hydrated, but it's so dry in here that I have to refill my pets' water bowl every HOUR because it's evaporating so much. Crazy, huh?)


On to the important stuff! :)


-- Two were arrested in an Occupy Oakland march last night. An officer had pulled someone over on suspicion of driving under the influence when a group of Occupiers came over to confront the officer. Other officers approached to make sure the first one was safe, and most of the crowd left. However, one woman kicked an officer, leading to her arrest for battery on a peace officer and obstructing arrest. A man tried to pull her away from police, so he was arrested for attempting to unlawfully intervene. (Please don't kick the police. It doesn't end well. Also, if I am marching with you and see you attempt to kick someone, I'm going to yell at you. If you still kick them, don't expect me to save your ass. Don't kick people. It's not polite.)



-- Occupy Pittsburgh teamed up with the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare yesterday to protest the lack of available affordable healthcare. The group called out the actions of the two largest health insurance providers in Pittsburgh, UPMC and Highmark. One protester remarked that they were uncomfortable living in a world where people can die simply because they cannot afford health insurance. (I agree.)



-- Occupy Nashville is apparently considering their next steps, as lawmakers push a bill through that would make it illegal to camp on public ground without prior authorization. Protesters are discussing multiple options, like moving to state-owned or private land. Worries are heightened with this new law, as it adds plenty of fines and jail-time to anyone arrested for breaking it.



-- In a fantastic display of power, the Westboro Baptist Church... didn't show up. (Yeah...) The church was set to picket the funeral of two boys whose father had killed them after losing custody. They were apparently picketing to show the state of Washington what they believe happens as a result of being 'gay-lovers.' A radio host offered them an interview if they would leave the family in peace, and they jumped at the chance for publicity. Occupy Seattle and Occupy Tacoma were set to take them on. (WBC does that... If they know they will have lots of opposition, they'll bolt. Or they'll come and try to sue the pants off of everyone.)



(This next one is written from my viewpoint...)

-- Occupiers made quite a few people angry by protesting CPAC, but none so much as Andrew Breitbart. The squawk-box conservative (I refuse to call him a talking head, that's too nice) lost his shit at Occupiers, screaming "BEEEHAAAAAVEE YOURSEEEELVESSS!" repeatedly at Occupiers as they stared at him like the crazy person he is. He then began to scream at them to "Stop raping people," before he went back into the "Behave yourselves" rant. He also called Occupiers "filthy, filthy, filthy, raping freaks." I laughed hysterically at his rant, which was not really a rant, as it was pretty much the same 2 words. Occupiers chanted back at him, "Racist, sexist, anti-gay, right wing bigots, go away." You have got to see this.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/02/occupiers_berat.php



-- Also at CPAC, police were apparently at it again with threatening and arresting journalists. While police wrestled with protesters, journalists moved a little closer to try and get shots of the action. Several were shoved back and threatened with arrest if they did not comply. One woman, a CPAC blogger, was arrested for "assault on a police officer," but police would not explain further what had happened.



-- Don't think for a minute that Occupiers are only targeting conservatives. Occupy Denver mustered through the cold yesterday to protest at the annual Jefferson Jackson dinner held by the Colorado Democratic Party. Police presence was high and shuttles were diverted, but no arrests were made.



-- California Democrats also got to hear from several Occupy groups yesterday, as protesters chanted and marched outside the annual California Democrats Convention. Many Occupiers came in on busses to meet with delegates, hold signs, and pass out buttons. They were there for a multitude of reasons, including protests of the NDAA, income inequality, and millions spent on political campaigning. Security personnel watched Occupiers closely, but they eventually marched away without incident.



***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/11/12

Hello everyone.


I'm sick again. :(


Here's the news for today:



-- Occupy San Francisco took to the streets last night, blocking traffic, invading a mall, and generally frustrating police. As the Occupiers marched, some moved construction barriers in front of police, causing officers to move the barriers in order to keep following. Afterwards, they headed to the mall and chanted until they were thrown out.



-- 8 Atlanta Occupiers were arrested yesterday for protesting a foreclosure at a bank. The demonstrators are expected to be charged with criminal trespass and obstruction of law enforcement officials. They were continuing their foreclosure fight against Chase Bank.



-- Occupy DC protested CPAC yesterday, with police blocking them from entering even the driveway. Multiple "characters" were in attendance to protest the conservative meeting. You can read all about this event here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/10/cpac-occupy-dc_n_1269236.html?ref=mostpopular


Here's a few articles that pissed me off. You should have a look.

Titled "Occupy Wall Street: RIP" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-mclaughlin/occupy-wall-street-media_b_1242559.html


This one is just irritating. From biggoverment.com.

http://biggovernment.com/jgriffith/2012/02/10/breaking-occupy-cpac-protestors-paid-60-per-head-brain-freeze-over-simple-question/


***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/10/12

Hello everyone.


Here's your news for today:


-- UC Riverside is making headlines again, as Occupiers remain on campus despite Chancellor White's orders to remove their tents and stop camping overnight. The tents have been up since January 18th, which was the start of the UC Regents two-day meeting at the campus. The campus Spokesperson said the campus is not set up to handle overnight visitors, but the Occupiers say they are being responsible and clean.


-- An Oakland Occupier has been arrested for violating a court's stay away order. Police saw him walking in the square and recognized him as one of the 12 ordered to steer clear. They arrested him for contempt of court. He will likely face fines and/or jail time for disobeying the order.


-- The bank-owned park in Pittsburgh is officially empty and fenced off. The bank says it has planned "extensive repairs" for the park. Thursday night, police swept through the park looking for anything suspicious, as an online threat indicated a bomb may have been left behind by retreating Occupiers. Officers found nothing of concern.


-- Occupy Portland (Maine) is once again awaiting eviction. At least 6 tents were still standing in the park when the deadline passed this morning. Portland's Occupation is one of the longest running encampments, and they are working on deciding whether to pursue a lawsuit against the city. A city spokesperson says that the situation will be addressed if it becomes clear the Occupiers will not leave.


-- Two protesters with Occupy LA were arrested for unknown reasons on Thursday after the protest against foreclosure proceedings became "unruly." The protest was outside a state building where a news conference was occurring in celebration of the state's share of a settlement concerning banks and foreclosures. Police say that some protesters became "unruly" and began trying to get into the building.


-- Roughly 2,000 protesters swarmed a Department of Education meeting in New York yesterday, fighting to save schools with the help of the Teacher's Union, which had bussed the Occupiers in. The meeting was disrupted several times, with the union and Occupiers alike decrying the Board, which has never turned down a school closure. The Independent Budget Office has released a report showing that many of the schools closed typically served low-income students and students with special needs. 23 schools are set to be closed, and even with the massive protest, it is unlikely that the Board will change its mind.


***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/9/12

Hello everyone.

Sometimes writing can be difficult, especially when you have to consider the past to do so. This is especially true if your life has been changed by events that are not so happy memories now.


On to the news:


-- Occupiers are once again facing off against the Westboro Baptist "Church." This Saturday is the funeral for two young boys who were killed in an explosion set by their father, during a supervised visit. Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket the funeral in Tacoma, WA, to "remind" the Governor that the boys "died because of her rebellion," a reference to the same-sex marriage bill making its way through legislature in the state. But WBC won't be without opponents, as both Occupy Tacoma and Occupy Seattle will surround the church to protect mourners from the WBC picket. (As someone who once joined a counter-protest against WBC at a fallen soldier's funeral, I wish the best to all at Occupy Tacoma and Seattle.)


-- Occupy Pittsburgh has left their encampment voluntarily, two days after an eviction notice was declared. Protesters announced they were leaving, offering remarks that they believe the Sheriff may support their cause due to lack of action against them. The Sheriff asked to hold off on commenting until another day. Occupiers then marched downtown. While they are leaving the park, Occupiers say they will continue to protest in other ways.


-- While the Idaho senate did vote to implement an immediate camping ban on state-managed land, they also added a stipulation to the bill, giving Occupiers 90 days to claim their belongings should they be confiscated. Senate leaders say doing so will preserve the Occupiers' Constitutional private-property rights. The bill will now head back to the House to be re-voted upon.


-- Occupy Newark has been given an eviction notice of 9 p.m. tonight, surprising many protesters with the quickness of the action. Many thought they would have a few extra days. Occupiers in Newark have generally been supported by officials in the city, being granted permission to stay after legislators and even the mayor visited, often staying the night or bringing coffee and donuts. Electricity soon became a concern for city officials when they noted that Occupiers were "stealing" power from the city and local residents. Occupiers offered to pay for the electricity, but the offer was shunned, souring the relationship they had with the mayor. The peaceful Occupation is hoping for an extension.


That's all for today.


***Solidarity***


If you have news or anything else you'd like to share, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/8/12

Hello everyone.


Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional. Yay! :)


Here's the news:


-- After loads of protesters shouted them down at the meeting, Oakland city council members have backed off on a resolution that would have told police to stop being lenient on Occupiers. Two council members expressed disgust at Occupiers, saying they show no respect with their shouts. While most of the attendees were opposed to the resolution, some present wanted it to pass to protect the ports.


-- Occupy Pittsburgh has few people remaining, even while waiting for eviction, says post-gazette.com. According to the website, police are waiting to evict until it is a time that would work best for authorities. While some protesters are staying, many say they will not risk arrest, and would rather continue to Occupy elsewhere.


-- Tennessee lawmakers are pushing a bill through, and it could imprison Occupiers for up to a year if passed. The bill is a ban on unauthorized camping on public grounds. Lawmakers have expressed concern about some of the lewd or criminal behavior displayed at the camp. Attorneys for Occupy Nashville have previously asked police to arrest those who break the law, instead finding that authorities have been ignoring their requests and diminishing law enforcement presence.


-- Occupy Jacksonville is dealing with an angry councilman again. Don Redman is the same city council member who has, on numerous occasions, attempted to get the Occupiers evicted or arrested. Now he is showing up at their encampment. Redman put out a table and listened to Rush Limbaugh, saying he was "meeting constituents." He handed protesters religious pamphlets and papaers on services for the homeless, stating that he believes the group needs them. He argued with protesters a few times before heading home. Redman says this is not the only time protesters will be seeing him around.


-- CPAC, aka the Conservative Political Action Conference, is set to begin on Thursday in DC, and Occupiers are not about to let it go without a hitch. Occupy DC plans to protest the "imperialistic ideologies" of the right-wing party, with a "racist, sexist, patriarchal, and exploitative" agenda, according to the Occupy movement's website. Several unions will be joining the Occupiers in protests, which have been declared non-violent, but several right-wing websites have claimed to discover violent plans from Occupiers.


-- A new report has been released, showing the police departments just might be inflating their Occupy costs a little. An attorney for Occupy Phoenix took the time to break down all the costs the Phoenix PD said are associated with the movement, and found roughly $160,000 unaccounted for. You can read more about the report here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/02/08/prweb9168446.DTL



***Solidarity***

To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/7/12

Hello everyone.


The news is short again. There's just not much reporting going on, and many of the things that are being discussed in the Corporate Media bracket are days or weeks old.


In personal news, I just got my first acceptance letter to a grad school!!! :D


Here's what I've got for you today:


-- Authorities in Washington DC have changed their story a bit. Originally, they claimed that a protester had thrown a brick at an officer, hitting him in the eye and possibly causing serious damage during one of the DC evictions. Now authorities are saying the object thrown was actually a liquid filled bottle, and that the protester may not have been intentionally aiming at anyone. The officer who was hit must wait for swelling to subside before the amount of damage is known. The protester resisted arrest afterwards, according to police, and they had to subdue him with a taser.


-- The Oakland City Council may be pushing to force officials, including the mayor, city administrator, and police, to crack down on protesters for breaking rules about blocking streets and holding rallies without permits. They voted on it last night, but results have not yet been made public. The council says police have been to lenient in letting small infractions slide, which they say is unfair to other groups who do file for the permits. The resolution was voted upon previously and failed to make it through.


-- Roughly 175 Occupiers marched through Portland (OR) last night, with 10 being arrested after a small group of protesters broke off from the larger group and began causing damage. Several vehicles were vandalized, and a glass door to a restaurant was broken. Many of the arrests were for disorderly conduct or interfering with police. Occupiers not with the smaller group decried the damage, saying they were upset that the other protesters would do such things.


That's all for today. I hope you are all doing well.


***Solidarity***


If you have news, or wish to contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/6/12

Hello everyone.


The news is fairly quiet today again.


-- Occupy Eugene has set up a tent again, this time offering free medical care every Sunday to those who need it. The tent is staffed by volunteer doctors and medical assistants, who say they realized during the Occupation how many people weren't getting proper health care. They offer treatments and preventative medicine.


-- Occupy Oakland is holding a "Day of Action" today, demonstrating against police and filing into courtrooms to watch the hearings in which their lawyers will be offering evidence of unlawful arrests. Every news channel is abuzz about Oakland's recent flag-burning, which is the second in two weeks.


-- Tents and belongings are being packed up in Pittsburgh, as Occupiers prepare for their eviction deadline today. The protesters say there will likely be a large crowd of people come noon, the eviction time, but that all will be non-violent to maintain a peaceful presence.


-- Roosevelt University in Chicago is now offering a course on the Occupy movement, a political science class titled "Occupy Everywhere." The course includes lectures from those involved in the movement, as well as requirements to read the Occupy newspapers and attend General Assemblies held at the movement's meeting place.


-- The second Occupy DC encampment at Freedom Plaza was invaded by police yesterday afternoon. Maintenance workers removed tents they believed did not meet the ban's requirements, packing up belongings in bags while police waited just outside the park. The number arrested on Saturday has jumped from 7 to 11, but protesters remained peaceful Sunday, and no arrests were recorded.


That's all for today. I said it was short, yeah?


***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/5/12

Hello everyone.


This is such an odd winter.


Here's the news:


-- Occupy Oakland marched yesterday, with this weekend only slightly resembling the past one. Occupiers marched toward police headquarters, only to be diverted into the city by a line of police. Occupiers marched and chanted for nearly two hours before ending up where they began the march. No one was arrested.


-- Occupy Austin regrouped on the steps of City Hall, two days after they were evicted. The protesters held a general assembly before police arrived to acate the plaza at the new closing time of 10 p.m., and Occupiers left without incident.


Occupy Honolulu has been targeted again by police, and they certainly aren't happy about it. You can read the article here:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/138708769.html


Occupy DC dealt with a day long eviction yesterday. While I did report on the initial move-in of police yesterday, there is more to the story, including three more arrests. Read about it here:

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/246881/news/world/seven-arrested-as-police-move-in-on-occupy-dc



***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.

Updates 2/4/12

Hello everyone.


We all knew it was coming. With Occupy DC being investigated by several congressmen to find out why they were still allowed to stay, we all knew it was only a matter of time before they forced their rules on the park service. And of course, they did. Early this morning dozens of police swept into McPherson Square, arresting four and tearing down tarps and tents. They said "It's not an eviction," as they threw away blankets and sleeping bags, sometimes taking tents that had nothing inside, the "vigil tents" that Occupiers are allowed to have. Occupiers made an agreement to remove the tarp, collapsing the "tent of dreams." They were surprised at the sheer number of police, as well as the fact that they brought mounted officers and a paddy wagon. I wish I was surprised at that. The four arrested were refusing to leave the central area of the park so the personnel dressed in Haz-Mat suits could clean.


Oakland has another protest planned for today, in a continuance of their series of Saturday marches. They will be marching on the Oakland Police Department to file claims of abuse at the hands of police, due to the events last week. Protesters were kenneled into a corner and told they were being arrested for failure to disperse, but many Occupiers are saying there were no previous announcements. They are saying that police officers used military tactics against the unarmed protesters.


In a bit of good news, Occupy Rochester can breathe easier for the time being. Protesters reached a deal with the city, allowing them to remain in their Occupation spot until March 11. Occupiers started the conversation with the city after being harassed by police, who repeatedly asked them for identification around 2 a.m. on Thursday. The city wants them to leave after March 11 to allow the planting of grass seed. Occupiers offered to do the job for the city, but the city replied that they would rather do it themselves.


Anonymous is displaying its hacking prowess again, as the hacktivist group attacked the Boston PD website yesterday, taking it down and leaving their own message. Anonymous is apparently quite angry with how police handled the Occupy Boston movement, saying "So you get your kicks beating protesters? That's OK; we get our kicks defacing your websites - - again." While Boston PD claimed to have their "skillful technical staff" working to rectify the issue, as of 5 p.m. yesterday, the site was still redirecting to the PD's Facebook page. Also in Anonymous news, the group released an audio recording of a conversation between the FBI and the British Cybercrime Unit, intended on tracking down members of Anonymous and prosecuting them. The FBI said that the information was meant for law enforcement only, and was illegally obtained.



That's all for today, everyone.


***Solidarity***


If you'd like to contact me, please do so at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/3/12

Hello everyone.

At some point in the past week, my blog surpassed 10,000 unique pageviews! :) You guys are fantastic!


I need to address a few email issues I've been having before we can move on to the news.

First, if you email me, please, please, PLEASE write something about Occupy in the subject line. I get hundreds of spam emails a day, and sometimes your letters end up in with them. I have to sort through to find you. If you put "Occupy" in the subject line, I'll be able to pull your email out quickly, rather than hunting through one by one.

Second, please don't send me something like this: "Hey kitty I read your blog have you seen this yet *random link*." I am not going to click on that random link. I don't know who you are. I don't know which blog of mine you are reading (I have 3). I don't know what that link is, and I'm certainly not getting my computer infected by clicking on some random crap. I want to see any links you send me, so please take a few seconds to give me a little detail. If that email had read: "Hey Kitty, I read your Occupy blog. You should see what's happening in my town over in KY. The link will take you to our local news station's coverage of the event. *random link*." I am much more likely to click on that!

Third, write me! :)



On to the news:


-- Occupy Pittsburgh had been given an eviction notice, stating that they have to vacate the park by Monday. Occupy's lawyers say they are appealing the decision, in which a judge ruled that protesters have no right to take over BNY Mellon's private property.


-- Occupy Portland (Maine) has also received an eviction notice, also for Monday. Several of the protesters say they are not leaving, and lawyers are trying to gain more time before the eviction, citing concerns with the number of homeless in the group.


-- Three members of Occupy DC are on a sleep strike. They are protesting the recent enforcement of a sleeping ban at the park, and know what they are doing can be dangerously unhealthy. The three men have been awake since Monday, and say they won't be giving in anytime soon.


-- Occupy Honolulu was dismantled yesterday by city workers, with tents and belongings being tagged and loaded into storage bins. One man was arrested after he dove into a tent, cut a hole in the bottom, and ran away with it before settling down in front of a backhoe. Police moved in to remove him and allow the backhoe to return to work.


That's all I have time for today, everyone.


***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/2/12

Hello everyone.


Some Corporate Media outlets are in an uproar because of something that allegedly happened last week. Fox News originally reported that a bunch of Occupiers threw condoms on a bunch of Catholic schoolgirls at a pro-life rally. Now other media outlets are picking it up. Since it was Fox News that first reported it, I find myself simply shaking my head and sighing. Besides, if it even happened, they were wrapped, unopened condoms, not something disgusting or sinister. I just cannot personally see myself freaking out because someone threw something like that at me. "Oh, gross, a sterile, unopened, medical grade piece of latex! Ewww!" Anyway...


On to the news:


-- Occupy Oakland is back in the news again, this time with an accurate count of those arrested sitting at 409. Since police have finally released surveillance video of the protesters breaking into City Hall, they are asking people to call in if they know any of the people involved. (In an act of what I call pure hilarity, only 12 of the people arrested have been charged with anything. TWELVE. But we Occupiers are the ones wasting the city's resources. HA!)


-- Around 2 this morning, police moved in on Occupy Buffalo. The eviction of the camp came after the city and the Occupiers could not reach an agreement on the length of time Occupiers would stay. The city had proposed March 8, but Occupiers wanted the end of the month. Several people were arrested in the raid, but official numbers are not yet available.


-- Occupy Honolulu was served with an eviction notice yesterday morning, giving them 24 hours to clear out their belongings. Protesters are still welcome to remain and hold signs, but a new law makes it illegal for personal property to be on public land. This law affects not only Occupiers, but also the homeless. Any unattended property will be confiscated by police.


-- Sydney police are at it again, arresting seven protesters yesterday for occupying overnight. Two of those arrested were 15 and 17 year old girls, which the police refused to comment on. They also refused to comment on the possibility that several of those arrested were homeless.


That's all for today, everyone.


***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.

Updates 2/1/12

Hello everyone.


Happy February, aka Black History Month here in the USA, and LGBT History Month in the UK.


Here's the news:



-- Oakland officials are hoping to calm down any future protests by banning people from returning to the plaza. So far 12 people have been hit with "stay-away" orders, demanding that they remain at least 300 feet away from Frank Ogawa Plaza or face up to six month's jail time for disobeying a judge's orders. Defense attorneys say the order has nothing to do with the misdemeanors the Occupiers were charged with, and that they will be fighting the ruling.


-- Occupy DC is still holding strong, despite an unwelcome visitor to the occupation spot yesterday. An unidentified man showed up at the encampment, taking scissors to the "Tent of Dreams" while declaring "This is my city." He got through a few of the ropes holding the tent in place before he was surrounded by protesters and park employees. He was led away and driven off in a police car, unhandcuffed. The Occupiers quickly resecured the tarp.


-- In other DC news, a judge has ruled that Occupiers must be given 24 hours notice before any eviction may occur. The park service is thus far unaware of any eviction plans. The ruling would allow protesters to appeal an eviction notice in court.


-- Occupy Miami was raided yesterday, leading to at least three arrests and plenty of video. During the livestream of the event, officers in full riot gear could be seen pushing protesters down several streets, lined up and shouting "Back! Back! Back!" as they used their shields to shove people. The arrests came as police were quickly advancing on the street. One Occupier was dancing in front of police when he was hit and dragged past the advancing officers to be detained. Two others fell when police were using their shields to push, falling under the police line and being arrested. The Occupation had been served an eviction notice for that night.


-- Occupy Chicago is outraged at the behavior of a police officer, and the law that protects him. Currently, Illinois has eavesdropping laws that prohibit the recording of police. On Sunday during a march, a woman was recording the events when a police officer began to yell at her, using "sexist and verbally abusive comments." The woman was videotaping the situation, at which point the officer took her phone, erased all the video footage, and turned it off, telling her that recording police is a class 4 felony. Legislation to remove the law is heading through the system, but it is unknown if and when it will begin to take effect.


-- Tim Pool is the well-known Ustreamer in NYC, who often records the events of OWS for over 24 hours at a time. He has apparently been receiving threats from all sides, and is worried for his health. Read this article for more info:

http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10282654-cameras-no-longer-welcome-at-occupy-wall-street-attack-highlights-conflict



-- Susie Cagel is a cartoonist/journalist who is the first reporter to be arrested twice in Oakland. In this article, she gives her side of the story; what she's seen and how things have really happened. Check it out:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/occupy-oakland-after-2nd-arrest-comics-journalist-susie-cagle-shares-her-on-the-ground-experience/2012/01/30/gIQAAu7UgQ_blog.html



***Solidarity***


To contact me for any reason, please email me at elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading.