Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Washington Times
Volume 2 Jan./Feb. 2012 Issue 1
(Coulter Loeb)
disappointed and had to content themselves with conversations with congressional staffers, people still expressed their belief in the importance of showing up and having a physical presence. A sampling of protesters told us who they wanted to talk to, what they wanted to say, and how they felt about J17 (see full story on page 6). Occupy Congress activities were just part of a busy week of protests including Occupy the Dream marches to the Federal Reserve Building to commemorate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday (see coverage on page 3). This was followed by two days of anti-corporate protests on Jan. 20 and 21 to mark the two-year anniversary of the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court.
By Karina Stenquist
By Andrew Breiner
in enough to know anybody out here is having any problems, he said, and Obamas here because the moneys here. I think hes addicted. From the start, police kept the elite well away from the general public. Roadblocks of snowplows and metal barricades gave attendees at least a blocks distance from any common people. But Occupy DC already had people inside. Five occupiers had spent the day posing as hotel guests. They took the opportunity to scatter envelopes containing the Occupy DC declaration throughout the hotel, drop a banner reading WE ARE THE 99% / City by city, Block by block, and get out undetected. Meanwhile, the crowd outside took over the main road entrance to the hotel on K St near 16th St. Continued on 3
THE OCCUPIED
Washington Times
Volume 2 Jan./Feb. 2012 Issue 1
Contents ~
NPS cracks down after Issa hearing..........................1 99% crash 99th Alfalfa Club gala.................................1 DC actions take national focus in 2012.......................1 Editorial.......................................................................2 Occupy the Dream takes up Kings mission and demands action......................................3 Kucinich talks shop with protesters...........................3 McPherson Square montage....................................4-5 Occupy Congress personal stories.............................6 An open letter to occupiers everywhere Amanda, Occupy Eaton Cindy, Occupy Greensboro McPherson Square personal stories.............................7 Drew Kathryn Amal Hillary ACTA out!....................................................................8
As we go to press for the first time this year, we no longer having a substantial presence in McPherson Square. Rumors of Occupy DCs demise, however, are severely exaggerated. On February 4, when National Park Service personnel came to inspect our temporary home, occupiers were compliant. Yet officers proceeded to remove the majority of tents from the space, without issuing a court-mandated, mandatory 24-hours notice. For the most part, Occupy DC has so far been spared the heinous treatment received by those with similar grievances in Oakland, Boston, New York, Davis, or Berkeley. Yet the batons, tasers, mounted officers, and plexiglass shields that have been wielded against us still clearly demonstrate the increasing militarization of law enforcement across the board. Mainstream media coverage has focused on violent confrontation, neglecting much-needed, considered debate of the issues Occupy emphasises and seeks to redress. In contrast, our coverage remains calm and resolute. We know that, no matter a publications editorial line, the images distill the story: This is what state oppression looks like. On February 5 we, supporters of Occupy DC new and old, returned en masse. We did not go to reoccupy the public space, although that idea continues to be discussed. We went to do what we do best: to talk, to listen, to share ideas and make plans for the future. The clock ticked over two hours before everyone already involved in active social justice oriented organising had chance to speak. Announcement and invitations to get involved covered a free learning collective, a faith outreach group, student solidarity, foreclosure and eviction resistance, criminal injustice response, homeless advocacy, radical media production, and many more. We know what our readers have seen and heard elsewhere: The Occupy movement is aimless and feckless. In September, when camps started setting up across the US, that was the easy headline, the comfortable, ubiquitous lie. Now, the powers that be are struggling to keep up the pretense. Because the undeniable truth is that we are actively shifting political discourse towards addressing social inequality and injustice.
Editorial ~
We are agitating for change, by marching up to the doors of Congress and demanding an audience with our representatives. We are building links with likeminded activists across the nation, and linking up with local, like-minded organizations. We turning new heads every day, and those who catch a glimpse are starting to ask questions, too. Our aims could not be more clear: we stand against the corrupt financial institutions and decaying economic systems that exploit the many to profit the few. We fight against an entrenched two-party system that compromises citizens voices in exchange for moneytary gain. We also fight in solidarity against the rise of the industrial-prison complex; in support of affordable public housing initiatives; for medical care for those most in need, forgotten and cast aside; to support veterans and active servicemembers; for voting rights for D.C.s 600,000 unrepresented inhabitants; and for a culture shift away from the persistent patriarchal and racist structures that divide and suppress us. In this issue we tell the story of our eviction from McPherson Sq. but we linger on our successes as a movement. We do so not to mourn what has passed, but to remind us of how much more we can achieve.
As the corporate media continues to take its cues from private interests, The Occupied Washington Times works to provide a platform for marginalized voices. We need a broad base of support to fulfill this primary aim. We invite community organizations and individual contributors to submit news items, opinion pieces, photographs, and action updates. We also hope that you will visit our website, where we regularly publish news, opinion and in-depth analysis pieces. All print content will also be published online. Finally, you can also contribute towards The Occupied Washington Times by helping us cover our printing costs. We are a volunteer-run paper that does not rely on advertising revenue, and without the support we have already received from readers like you, this would not have been possible.
Editors ~
Jillian Blazek Andrew Breiner Natalie Camou (Photography) Michael Carbone Benjamin Daniels Michael Goldman Siobhan McGuirk Karina Stenquist
Contact ~
submissions@occupydc.org
Printing ~
Doyle Printing & Offset 5206 46th Avenue Hyattsville, MD 3000 copies
places outside of the camp. Some occupiers from both McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza stayed at Luther Place Memorial Church. Some refused to leave the park altogether and continued to hold a vigil using the remaining tents. The occupiers plan to maintain a presence at McPherson Square. Plans have been discussed at the General Assembly to begin less picket and camp oriented protests. Many feel the need to focus on more outreach-oriented actions, such as fighting against the foreclosure of houses in communities in and around the DC area. On top of this, plans for better communication between different occupies, which would allow for larger coordinated actions to happen effectively, will also be discussed in future General Assemblies.
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owt.occupydc.org
(Pablo.Raw)
By Karina Stenquist
In at least 13 cities across the country on Jan. 16, lo2. Absolute security on Pell grants to create a globcal branches of Occupy the Dream marched on offices of ally competitive generation of educated young the Federal Reserve to honor the legacy of Martin Luther people. King Jr.s campaign for economic justice. In Washington, 3. An immediate moratorium on home foreclosures. D.C., a group of around 100 activists from a variety of Af4. $100 billion fund to be used for job training, entrerican-American organizations as well as the black church preneurial investment, and jobs rebuilding Americommunity gathered in front of the Fed to demand a can infrastructure. more humane national economic policy. Bryant also laid out a plan to have a series of rolling Instead of using the money for communities, theyre monthly actions, starting with a Love your community spending it on themselves, said Samuel Washington, action on Feb. 14. Similar to Bank Transfer Day on Nov. 47, from Laurel, Md., criticizing the consistently large 5, organizers are asking people to close accounts with bonuses doled out by many financial sector institutions. large banks and reinvest in community banks and credit For many, the Federal Reserve symbolizes the control of unions. private financial interests over the economy. In addition to a shared economic message, there is also Like many others, Washington came with his church, common tactical ground between Occupy the Dream and The Church of the Lords Harvest. Though he had worked the main Occupy movement. Occupying public space, a as a truck driver and done some organizing with his union central tactic used throughout the wave of recent ecoin the past, Washington said he was relatively new to po- nomic justice protests, pays homage to Dr. King Jr.s litical action of this type. methods of resistance. Washingtons pastor, Bishop Steven Smith, says hes been actively involved since the beginning of the foreclosure crisis. The on-going crisis has hit the African American community particularly hard, forcing several black churches to face foreclosures in recent years. Were going wherever we can to get attention, said Smith, explaining why tapping into the energy of the Occupy movement is crucial in his view. We all have the same concern, the same issues. Across the nation, the Occupy movement has been criticized for being predominantly white, even though non-white communities have suffered disproportionately from the economic crisis. Protesters messages echo the King demonstrations. (Rick Reinhard) Heres the disconnect, said Dr. Jamal Bryant, pastor at the Empowerment Temple in One of his last acts was to occupy Washington, D.C. Baltimore and main speaker at the days events, The is- and to build tents on the Mall, said Smith, referring to sue Occupy is raising is not new to black people. So we the Poor Peoples Campaign that King was working on at looked at Occupy and said What took you so long? the time of his assassination. He also pointed out a disconnect in terms of tactics. The campaign included a march on the capital and the The African American community is used to having a erecting of a tent city on the national mall to commemvisible enemy, said Bryant. You know, we march until morate Kings Ressurection City from 44 years ago. the Whites Only signs come down since Occupy re- Though Kings death struck a blow to the campaigns fused to have a leader or spokesperson it was hard to un- energy, the campaign did go forward. Resurrection City derstand what theyre after. lasted nearly six weeks despite rain and mud, and called Shamar Thomas, the marine sergeant whose rant di- for an economic bill of rights. rected at New York police officers went viral on YouTube, Smith praised Kings legacy of confrontation, and said said a culture of police harassment also deterred African- he wanted to bring young people out not just for a day of Americans. service but a day of activism. [Black] people feel that if they go to jail with their white Organizers repeatedly asserted that the days action in counterparts that they will bear the brunt of the brutality, front of the Fed was merely the beginning. explained Thomas. That theyll [end up with] the assault This is just an awareness piece, said Farajii Muhamcharges. mad, 32, a community organizer from Baltimore. The What Occupy the Dream is after was clearly defined. At real work, he said, would be done on the ground. And the rally, organizers unveiled a concise list of demands while he agreed that the African American community and a plan for moving forward. has faced economic struggle before, he also found a silver The four demands were explained as follows: lining in the crisis. 1. Campaign finance reform: We want politicians, Sometimes tragedy plays a dual role it can hurt, but not puppets. it can unite people.
By Benjamin Daniels
The headline event of Occupy Congress on January 17 was not so much direct action as direct conversation, and with the people who occupy the Capitol every day: congressmen and their staff. A group of protesters spoke to Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), one of the Occupy movements most vocal supporters in Congress. The group, which included both Occupy DC members and others from out-of-town, sat down with Rep. Kucinich towards the end of J17 in his office on Capitol Hill. The congressman offered words of praise for the movements accomplishments so far, but argued a need for maturity going forward. The Tea Party didnt get any attention around here until it had an agenda. You guys have got a lot of attention even without one, Kucinich told the assembled protesters, but in the spring, come back with specific demands. Cecilia, an Occupy Congress organizer, had been looking forward to the Kucinich meeting. I agree we need to make demands as part of a long term strategy, she said after the conversation was over. It will take more time than the Tea Party, because of how we operate, but I think we will get there. As winter has drawn in, the McPherson Square camp has been less active than in the fall. This is especially evident after dark, even when the nightly General Assembly convenes at 6:00pm. The holiday season also brought a lull in visible actions, as many occupiers returned to their homes from this notoriously non-native city. Despite the temporary drop in McPherson Squares resident population, planning continued for the string of actions planned for the week of January 17. They included Martin Luther King Day events, the anniversary of the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision, and protests against corporate personhood.
Alfalfa Club
We were able to put our biggest group where we knew theyd be entering, said Drew Veysey, one of the organizers of the action. We thought it was going to be a car entrance, but it turned out they actually had to walk through that barricade. It was a lucky break for occupiers, who brought water balloons and a bucket of glitter to the party. Occupiers hurled both at the expensive-looking people in tuxedos and gowns who waited for police to open the metal barricades and let them pass. Senator Joseph Lieberman drew a personal barrage, and emerged from the crowd with wet patches of glitter stuck to his jacket and a look of outrage. With the Alfalfa Club all inside, the group outside turned into its own party. The speaker system blasted Public Enemy and a dance party broke out. About a dozen men and women took the opportunity to go topless, seeming to ignore the winter nights chill that had others in hats and gloves. Tiffany, from Washington, stood on the outskirts of by Mike Flugennock
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the crowd taking photos. It seems like good energy. Im excited to be here, she said. Soon after, hearing that there was another entrance letting cars into the hotel, the crowd marched up to the intersection of 16th St and M St, finding police on horses, but no barricades blocking their way. Occupiers made several attempts to rush through the police line and on to the hotel, but were pushed back each time. Then, mounted police charged on the occupiers, using their horses to frighten and push people back, clearing the intersection. That done, the march returned to the original location, to await those leaving the party. Wagner was happy with the days events, he said. This is the way we apply pressure. This is the way we change things.
You cant e
Occupied: The Supreme Court steps have been officially off-limits to protesters since the Vietnam War. (W. L. Pierce)
On January 17, protesters from around the country travelled to the nations capital. They sought to Occupy Congress on the first day of its new session. This is a sampling of their stories and reactions.
(Coulter Loeb)
Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!, The people, united, can never be defeated!, and Whose streets? Our streets!, I had a deep feeling of ownership in the process of freedom. Swarming to the top of the steps of the Supreme Court was powerful for all of us. Whose court? Our court! We then walked to the facade of the Newseum where the text of the First Amendment was carved and read it aloud. Occupiers at Freedom Plaza lined up along the wall to take pictures, and cheer us on. It was a full-on parade. Puppets joined us, weaving around and passing over us. Magic. We arrived at the White House and people surged up to the fence. We watched and waited then the march took off back to the Capitol. I was grateful for the police escort that permitted the organic flow and kept an outer ring of safety. The next day I woke up realizing that had been one of the most exciting, powerful times in my life. When I tell friends about it, they sense my excitement and thank me for being there representing them. I am grateful for all of the participants and to Occupy DC for amazing facilitators.
Drew, Occupy DC
I occupy because I am concerned about climate change. The science is settled and there is precious little time for us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We already have low-carbon technology, and enough popular support exists to make a rapid and orderly transition to renewable energy. Standing in the way, however, is the most powerful lobbying industry in the history of humankind: oil. Corporate power over the government and our lives will doom us to a very difficult century full of the ferocious climate change-induced disasters. Indeed, the ruinous effects long predicted by climate scientists are already beginning to manifest. To counter this, we created a beautiful base to try to take on this corporate power. But how does the phrase go? All good things must come to an end? With overwhelming force, Barack Obamas Park Police put an end to the first occupation of McPherson Square. Large tracts of the park were bulldozed, leaving a mixture of mud and horse shit in their wake. How Occupy DC will remake the space is still an open question, at the moment. Tactically, the Occupy movement is about far more than just camping in a park. But setting up camp in symbolically important areas of major cities is a very good tactic. We will keep standing up to the 1%, and keep fighting corporate control over the government. The Occupy movement will keep going until our grievances are addressed. I will keep protesting because I believe we have no other choice but to change our government and our economy in a way to avert catastrophic climate change.
Hillary, Occupy DC
Cutting libraries in a recession is like cutting hospitals in a plague. - Eleanor Crumblehulme The DC Peoples Library began in the first days of Occupy DC as little more than a handful of radical pamphlets on the back of bike trailer. A couple of occupiers were stationed on a bench with a sign reading, ask an anarchist, a precursor to the radical reference service now available in-person and online through the library. Within the first two weeks, a small shelf of donated books had appeared. By the time Occupy DC was raided, the once-tiny library had become one of the camps most vibrant and well-established service tents. It had amassed nearly 2000 donated books from contemporary politics and history to classics, comics and a kids section as well as numerous periodicals, pamphlets, and other ephemera, including the flyer archive and activist-oriented resources like the safer spaces binder. A sign at the entrance to the library reminds visitors that knowledge = power. The loan policy assures that books are available for any and all to borrow, or even keep. This ensures that the library avoids re-inscribing social patterns that deny traditionally marginalized people access to educational resources, while opposing promotion of private ownership. It does, however, keep reference copies of particularly popular books and papers that are quick to be taken. It is also creating a virtual catalogue for historical purposes through Library Thing, an online cataloging tool.
=========================================================================== ACTA out! --------------------------------------------------------------------------Occupy groups across the United States have joined the protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Yet few Americans are aware of another policy proposal, also known by its four-lettered acronym, that threatens to increase censorship of the internet on an international scale. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) treaty has already been signed by the U.S., along with 22 European Union members. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, ACTA is a response to the proliferation of counterfeit and pirated goods [posing] considerable challenges for legitimate trade and the sustainable development of the world economy. Critics of ACTA have outlined a number of provisions in the treaty that they believe will damage citizens privacy and freedom of expression. The treaty may require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to police their users and deny service based on the downloading or uploading of copyrighted material. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an online digital rights advocacy group, opposes the treaty on the basis that it was negotiated in secret. While certain companies and organizations, including the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), were allowed to view copies of the treaty beforehand, it was not released into the public domain. According to CNET.com, disclosure requests were denied by both the Bush and Obama administrations, which both claimed it would damage national security. Yet according to CNNs Fortune Tech website, before Barack Obama used executive powers to approve U.S. participation in the voluntary treaty, over 75 law professors addressed a letter to the President, urging him not to sign it. In Poland, thousands have taken to the streets to protest the treaty. Members of the Ruch Palikota party even wore paper cut-outs of the iconic Guy Fawkes mask during a parliamentary session to demonstrate their opposition to the treaty. In the U.S. public response has been muted. Entertainment industry lobbyists, however, have been pushing ACTA for months. In 2011, Chris Dodd, a lobbyist for MPAA, which backed both SOPA and PIPA, claimed that ACTA is an important step forward in strengthening international cooperation and enforcement for intellectual property rights. Dodd, a former senator from Connecticut, has fallen under intense scrutiny recently following comments he made on Fox News. He stated that Hollywood is watching very carefully whos going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. He added, I would caution people dont make the assumption that because the quote Hollywood community has been historically supportive of Democrats, which they have, dont make the false assumptions this year that because we did it in the past, we will do it again this year. Dodd immediately faced backlash on the blogosphere, where he was accused of blatantly blackmailing politicians. Many believe Dodds statements imply that Hollywood money would only continue to be donated to Democratic candidates, if they supported the copyright enforcement desired by the MPAA. Now, a number of prominent internet companies are considering a boycott of Hollywood for continuously lobbying on behalf of anti-piracy bills such as SOPA, PIPA, and ACTA. OpenSecrets.org claim that the MPAA has already paid $180,000 to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP lobbying firm, whose partners and senior advisors are among the 30 most powerful lobbyists in Washington, according to the First Street Research Group. Online activists are also calling for a month-long protest of Hollywood in March. They are asking Occupy movements to participate and publicize a boycott of movies, music, and theatre tickets in response to Chris Dodds statements on Fox News. The event has been named Black March, and its impact will rely on consumer action. --------------------------------------------------------------------------by @DBCOOPA ===================================================================================