Occupy Norfolk weekly update

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Occupy Norfolk and friends,

Just checking in with a few upcoming things:
1) This Monday night, at 7pm, we will vote at the General Assembly concerning a proposal to change the day and time of GA. We may also discuss a location change although this will not be voted on. Please come out and attend to make your voice heard.
2) The organizational team will meet this Tuesday night, at 7pm, at Dave Potvin’s house.  We will discuss a lot of proposals for changes to the structure of Occupy Norfolk as well as codify a lot of existing practices.  Please consider coming to pitch your ideas. The more that contribute the more likely we will have a result that will satisfy all.
3) Occupy Virginia Beach will have a General Assembly this Tuesday night, at 7pm, at Jobi’s Pizza.
4)  Food not Bombs will be doing their weekly Sunday action tomorrow at the Park Place Baptist Church. They will prepare vegan meals and give out food to people who are in need of a meal. We went a few Sundays ago and it was really a blast.
5) Catholic Workers will be holding their monthly vigil this Tuesday night at 5pm, in downtown Norfolk.  The Local Involvement Team will be attending to represent Occupy Norfolk and send our regards to the Catholic Workers.
6) Direct Action has been planned on March 17th by our Direct Action Team.  We will meet at 1pm at Commercial Park on March 17th to protest both the enactment of the National Defense Act as well as the currently discussed Enemy Expatriation Act (not yet passed into legislation).  We will have street theatre, a march, a rally, speakers, and other activities in the works.  We hope to work closely with other Occupations in the area as well as other groups concerned about the threats to our civil liberties.
Very best to everyone and I hope to see you all soon.

Update on F29!

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Shut Down the Corporations will begin at 4pm, NOT 3pm, this Wednesday. This should -make it easier for people to arrive. If you are arriving late call the Occuphone (757-298-6787).  We will march down Main Street, up St. Paul’s, and back down Monticello to the Park, with signs, banners, and information.   Hope to see you all then.

P.S. We will specifically protest business that use ALEC and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce to aid their unfair practices.  Coca-Cola, Comcast, McDonalds, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Norfolk Southern, etc.  Bring appropriate literature and information.

More upcoming events

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1) Local Engagement Team will be meeting at an event tomorrow evening, Tuesday, February 28th.  They will be at the Unitarian Church on Yarmouth Street in downtown Norfolk from 6pm-945pm to assist in giving out dinners to those in need and possibly volunteering time overnight to help keep the church open for shelter.  Recent experiences at Hampton Roads Citizen Alliance, Food Not Bombs, and Virginia Organizing were fantastic.  Come out and join us as we make more great friends and learn a little more about what is needed locally!

2) Organizational meeting tomorrow, February 28th, at 7pm, at Dave Potvin’s house.  Please come armed with ideas as to how to handle things like communication between GAs, how to resolve disputes, how manage our media and represent the group, etc.

3)  Also, this Wednesday, February 29th, we will meet at Commercial Park in downtown Norfolk.  We will meet at 3pm and there will a march and pickets at banks and corporations that use the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce to distort the legal system to their advantage.  Call the Occuphone (757-298-6787) if you are running late and you can find us on Main, Granby or Monticello. Bring signs related to the economy, lobbyists, banks, corporations, Occupy Wall Street, etc., as wall flags, banners, art, etc.  Also, information on the Chamber of Commerce, lobbyists, loopholes, etc. would be excellent to distribute.

4)  We will be screening “The Corporation” in the Pearce Hospitality Suite of the Batten Center at Virginia Wesleyan.  We will screen this must-see and Occupy related documentary as well as do a Q&A on the Occupy movement.  Come out and support us for a good time and lively discussion!

5) Continue to lend us thoughts on General Assemblies.  We will propose to change them to Tuesdays at either 6pm or 730 pm.  That final vote will be held next Monday, March 5th, at 7pm, at the Waterside mall food court in downtown Norfolk.  Also, please consider alternative locations and how else we can make them more accessible.

 

Upcoming week for Occupy Norfolk

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Just a few upcoming events with Occupy Norfolk and associated groups,

Tomorrow we will have GA at 7pm at the Waterside mall food court.  Tomorrow we will decide on a proposal for the following Monday’s GA. This will be to change the GA from Monday and Friday at 7pm to just on Tuesday, at either 6 or 730pm.  We will only finalize the proposal tomorrow.  Then we will vote on it next Monday, March 5th, at7pm.  If you can’t make GA tomorrow please send me your feedback or ideas on the meeting time and we will keep them in mind.
Also, this Tuesday night, at Dave Potvin’s house, we’d like to see a lot of people at the organizational meeting.  We are attempting to resolve key issues, such as how to coordinate things between General Assemblies, how to publicly represent the group, how to resolve internal disputes, how to provide constant and progressive support to our various working groups.  The more help that we get the better it will be and the more likely that it will quickly pass.  The meeting will be at 7pm, Tuesday, at Dave’s house.
This Thursday Dave Ferraro has put together an excellent opportunity. We will be screening “The Corporation” at Virginia Wesleyan for a group of college students who are studying social movements.  We will have a chance to speak with people afterwards and discuss Occupy.  Should be a good time and the movie is excellent, a must see for any Occupier.
Also, this Wednesday February 29th, we will hold Shut Down the Corporations in downtown Norfolk, in solidarity with Occupy Portland, Wall Street, and many others.  We will distribute information and picket outside of corporations and banks that use the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. We will specifically focus on how these chambers of commerce distort the law making process via lobbyists in the favor of business and their profits.  I won’t be able to make it but Maria Hotson is coordinating the event and you can also contact me for information.  Should be a really awesome event and one of the most central protest ideas to the Occupy movement.

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Occupy Norfolk Legal Fund Benefit

TONIGHT!!!

The trouble starts at 7:01p.m.

4416 Monarch Way, Norfolk VA – 45th Street, behind the Ted Constant Center

Featuring Dave Potvin, Jimmy Arnold and accomplices!

Suggested donation $4.99 (but please give what you can)

All donations to benefit the Occupy Norfolk Legal Offense/Defense Fund

Questions/Directions? Please call the OccuPhone 757-298-6787

Court Support 1/31/12

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Occupy Norfolk COURT SUPPORT tomorrow, Tuesday 1/31/12:

For Angela, Carmen & Tess (charges from the 11/10/11 eviction).

Norfolk General District Court, room 6 (2nd Floor)
811 City Hall Avenue, Norfolk.

Please arrive no later than 8:45 a.m. and wear ALL BLACK.

We will meet outside and travel into the courtroom together.

Thank you!

Notes from Brainstorm #2: 1/25/12

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Brainstorming #2 – 1/25/12

Introductions:

Dave Ferraro: general housekeeping & orientation with the facility, explanation of process & priorities, emphasis on not being co-opted;

Chris Butler: teambuilder & facilitator/mediator

Jon Koch: handshakes and introductions should be the standard at every Occupy function; review of hand signals; thank you to Portsmouth for giving up GA for this meeting; sketch out blueprints for future of Norfolk; throw out topics, hone energy of group; keep focus.

Through “brainstorming,” the following list of focus topics was developed:

  • Organization
  • Tax the rich
  • Get the money out of politics
  • Vote suppression
  • Jobs
  • Media corruption/acknowledge & challenge
  • The plight of the homeless
  • NDAA
  • Female inclusion
  • Virginia court reform
  • Housing foreclosure crisis
  • Credit/bank practices
  • Internet censorship
  • Citizens United
  • Promoting peace
  • Exploitation of foreign workers
  • Renewable energy/green jobs
  • Chesapeake Bay
  • Local political activism
  • Youth outreach
  • Encampment
  • Health care/insurance reform
  • Veteran outreach
  • Organizing community groups
  • Term limits on Congress
  • Keep ban on uranium mining
  • Direct outreach/networking
  • Coal plant for Wise County
  • End the Fed
  • Protect our rights (First Amendment, etc.)
  • TSA
  • Minority inclusion
  • Return to Rule of Law
  • Executive pay
  • Outsourcing
  • Immigrant rights
  • Limiting imperialism
  • Transportation/tolls/mass transit
  • Prison reform
  • Strengthening the EPA
  • Internal conflict resolution
  • Racial injustice
  • Prohibition
  • Mountaintop removal
  • Social security
  • Student debt
  • Electoral college
  • Public education
  • Anarchism
  • Government fraud & waste
  • Class struggle
  • Upcoming court appearances

*Tess objected to lack of female participation – discussion follows – issues or individuals – how to be inclusive.*

Jon: we need to concentrate on what is important, hear everyone’s voice, make sure everyone feels heard. I feel confident in this process here, can we stay with it or switch to focus on organization?

** consensus is reached with the group present to continue on established process, to use the list developed to help determine the reorganization**

** 9a.m. 1/26/12 court appearances for Angela Barnes.**

We have immediate issues that need to be addressed. But the world will not stop to wait while we organize. We need to address these issues and move on. Following through with tonights process as originally planned. We need to soul search…and decide what is most important and focus on that tonight…”

Votes then taken to determine top 4 focus issues.

Top 4 Issues:

  1. Organization (41 votes)
  2. Court Appearances (37 votes)
  3. Citizens United/get the money out of politics (28 votes)
  4. Community/Local Involvement (30 votes)

The group then decided individually which groups to join/be the point person for. The results are as follows:

Organization: (point people: Mike Miner, Anita Cafiero & Tess Amoruso)

Ceasar, Jeremy, Dave F., Dave P., JP, Armando, Rafael, Cissy, Stu, Jimmy, Donna, Mary

Court Appearances: (point people: Joell & Donna)

Dave P., John L., & Jimmy

Local Engagement: (point people: Dave P., JP, Max, & Deb)

James M., Anita, Lisa, Corey, Cissy & Jeremy

Citizens United: (point people: Jules, Loraine)

Cissy, James M., Stu, Ann, Deb, John, Joell, & Susan

 

Each of these groups has been charged with the following:

  • Meet – whether in person or online,
  • Report back – at EVERY general assembly,
  • Propose – action, change, movement building, etc.

 

“….should be about the issues, not the individuals…”

 

Thank you to everyone who attended this brainstorming.

Thank you to Donna for note taking!!

Occupy UMass Boston – Press Release 1/23/2012

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In solidarity, we share this press release from Occupy UMass Boston:

*EMBARGOED RELEASE UNTIL: Monday, January 23th, 2012, 8:00 AM*

Contacts: OccupyUMB@gmail.com

Students Occupy the University of Massachusetts – Boston in Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street

*Monday, January 23rd, Students Occupy The Campus Center at The University of Massachusetts – Boston*

The movement that began on Wall Street on September 17 has continued for over 5 months to spread globally and brought people together to take part in direct democracy. Occupy UMass Boston moves to bring this conversation to the campus this spring semester. We seek to create an alternative to the prevailing corporate model of education that excludes students, faculty, and staff from the decision making process.

Occupy UMass Boston liberated the first floor atrium at the UMass Boston Campus Center in Boston, today Monday, January 23 at 7 a.m., to begin an ongoing protest to provide a forum where students, staff, faculty, and members of the community can come to a consensus on what concrete changes would provide quality, accessible education in Boston that is available to everyone in the 99%.

Occupy UMass Boston seizes this space in solidarity with #OccupyWallStreet, #OccupyBoston, Students Occupy Boston, as well as others across the globe, from Spain, to Egypt, Tunisia, the UK, and elsewhere, who stand in resistance against the attacks by the 1% on working people.

Occupy UMass Boston is the beginning of an ongoing discussion about the problems with America’s public higher education system and how it has become less and less accessible to communities of the poor and minorities while simultaneously increasing the dichotomy between the haves and have-nots. We recognize that this divide is destructive not just to our generation in this country but to the global community.

In UMass Boston’s original statement of purpose, presented by Chancellor John F. Ryan in 1966, it states “As urban problems mount, many of the city’s most able people flee to the suburbs and leave the oppressed (…) to struggle alone. The urban university must stand with the city, must serve and lead where the battle is.”

The problems that burden our working class are even greater today. According to UMass Boston’s October 2010 “Beginning College Survey”, 45% of UMass Boston freshmen respondents believe that “Paying for College” will be “Very Difficult”. And yet, tuition and fees are ever rising: since 2006, UMass Boston in-state tuition and fees have increased 38%, from $8,266 to $11,406, and the administration is proposing continued increases by a rate of 8% annually. This is a result of both state and federal government policies defunding public higher education and campus administration actions to convert UMass Boston into a privatized university.

During this indefinite occupation at the only public four-year university in Boston, Occupy UMass Boston will demand that our university runs on the principles of transparency, democratic decision-making, accessible public higher education, and protection for the rights of students, staff, and faculty.

“Education is a right, not a privilege.”

“Education for the 99%”

“UMass for the Working Class”

Official Website – http://occupyumb.tumblr.com/

Twitter – @OccupyUMB

Youtube – YouTube.com/OccupyUMassBoston

Ustream Live Video – http://www.ustream.tv/user/OccupyUMB