Occupy Boston Daily Digest for 5-2-12

May 2nd, 2012 · · Daily Digest Comments Off on Occupy Boston Daily Digest for 5-2-12

Good Morning from Occupy Boston!

Stories of the Day: Thousands of activists clashed with police in New York as May Day protests spread across dozens of U.S. cities. For more including a photo essay, click here. Activists across the U.S. joined the worldwide May Day protests on Tuesday. For more, click here. One of the Occupy Boston events was a “Death of Capitalism” Funeral Procession. For video of some of the fantastic puppets, click here. For a photo essay of the Occupy Boston protests, click here. For Oakland police clashed with Occupy activists yesterday, firing tear gas canisters and flash-bang grenades at several hundred protesters at the intersection of 14th Street and Broadway near City Hall before the skirmish quickly dissipated. Read more here.There’s concern over how far and with how much immunity, police can push their sweeping powers. A recent human rights group report blamed law enforcement officers for Tasering 500 people to death over the last decade. For the brief news report, click here. The electrical shock delivered to the chest by a Taser can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden death, according to a new study. Advocacy groups like Amnesty International have argued that Tasers, the most widely used of a class of weapons known as electrical control devices, are potentially lethal and that stricter rules should govern their use. For more, click here. And the TSA’s mission creep is making the U.S. a police state. The out-of-control Transportation Security Administration is past patdowns at airports – now it’s checkpoints and roadblocks. For more, click here. And an Occupy San Diego activist was sentenced to an overly harsh 90 days in jail and stiff probation conditions that have nothing to do with his protests.  And in doing so, the judge took it upon himself to throw down the gauntlet at the feet of the Occupy movement in San Diego. For the story, click here. And three targeted Americans: a career government intelligence official, a filmmaker and a hacker. None of these U.S. citizens was charged with a crime, but they have been tracked, surveilled, detained—sometimes at gunpoint—and interrogated, with no access to a lawyer. Each remains resolute in standing up to the increasing government crackdown on dissent. For more, see The NSA is Watching You. And Know Your Rights When Encountering Law Enforcement – check out the ACLU’s handy guide here. And you may know that during the Arab Spring, Egypt shut down Internet access for the entire country. Well, it turns out our president also has that power, an Internet “kill switch.” For the CNN story, click here.

Other Occupies/Protests:  A large group of Occupy protesters has occupied a building at Turk and Gough streets in San Francisco, saying they are planning to set up a commune there. The protesters, who had gathered for a noon rally at Market and Montgomery streets downtown, marched to 888 Turk St. afterward and began entering the building shortly before 3 p.m. The building is the same site, owned by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, that was taken over by protesters on April 1. For more, click here. And in more California news: UC Davis Students and Faculty Face Prison Time for Peaceful Protest Against Bank. The pepper spraying of UC Davis students shocked the nation, but the persecution that the Davis Dozen protesters face is far worse. At the request of the UC Davis administration, District Attorney Jeff Reisig is charging the so-called Davis Dozen with 20 counts each of obstructing movement in a public place, and one count of conspiracy.  If convicted, the protesters could each face up to 11 years each in prison, and $1 million in damages.  The UC Davis administration is sending a clear message to protesters: dissent will not be tolerated. For more, click here. And 160 protests within just two months – and Canada’s student uprising continues unabated. And, with new clashes on Thursday night, the standoff over tuition fee hikes is turning increasingly violent. Centering on the country’s second largest city of Montreal, clashes resumed after talks collapsed between student leaders and authorities. For the news story, click here.

“Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope … these ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Robert F. Kennedy

Upcoming Events:

  • Lecture at MIT: THE ILLUMINATOR PROJECT: Developing Best Practices for Public Projection Interventions, MARK READ of New York University

    May 3, 2012 (Thursday)
    5pm-6pm
    Room 14E-310, MIT

    Free and open to the public, light dinner to follow

    The Illuminator is a white cargo van equipped with video and audio projection, as well as a fully stocked infoshop and mini-library. It is a tactical media tool available to the Occupy Movement, both useful and beautiful. It is a shapeshifter,  a transformer of public space which disrupts the patterns of everyday life, and embodies the social and political transformations for which the Occupy Movement continues to fight.

    Mark Read is an artist, activist, and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. He is perhaps best known as the creator of the “99% Bat Signal” that was projected onto the Verizon Building in New York City on November 17th, 2012. His films have been shown internationally in a variety of venues, from the Piazza de Ferrari in Genoa Italy, to the Halls of the Whitney Museum.  He is an adjunct professor of Media Studies at New York University.

    Sponsors: MIT Cool Japan research project and Comparative Media Studies.
    Contact: Prof. Ian Condry, condry@mit.edu
     
  • Occupy Boston’s General Assembly has agreed to hold the Saturday, May 5 General Assembly at the fabulous Wake Up the Earth Festival in Jamaica Plain. The Wake Up the Earth Festival is the best summer festival in Boston–it not only commemorates a major victory of the 99%–it brings together one of the most politicized and diverse neighborhoods in the city. Wake Up the Earth—WUTE–is a great opportunity to meet, greet and galvanize thousands of people while catching some rays and listening to live music. Staff the table! Help with children’s activities!
     
    10:30: Parade set up
    11:30: Parade leaves the Peace Garden
    Peace Garden, corner of School St. and Washington.
    Stony Brook T Stop, Orange line
    Here’s a map from the T to the Peace Garden: http://g.co/maps/4pcp8
     
    5:00: General Assembly, Southwest Corridor Park–in front of the Stony Brook T in the Sacred Circle–look for the OB banner.
    6:00: festival ends. 9:00–after party at Spontaneous Celebrations.
     
    The rain date for the festival is 5/6. If there is rain, then Strategic Action Assembly will meet at WUTE instead of GA. In the case of rain, GA will be cancelled on 5/5.
     
    For more information or to sign up for a table shift, contact/click:
     
     
    http://spontaneouscelebrations.org/
  • May 5 and 6: Forums on The Real Cost of Coal sponsored by the Rainforest Action Network. Speakers include: Bob Kincaid (WV) Board president, Coal River Mountain Watch; Lowell Chandler (MT) Student activist, University of Montana; Kristen Owenreay (WY) Organizer, High Country Rising Tide and The GoodMule Project. WHAT: The Real Cost Of Coal Forum-Sudbury, MAWHERE: Memorial Congregational Church; 26 Concord Rd. Sudbury,MA.WHEN: Saturday, May 5, 2pm. FACEBOOK RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/events/155182217944879/?notif_t=event_name_change. WHAT: The Real Cost of Coal Forum-Cambridge, MA. WHERE: First Parish in Cambridge,3 Church Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (near the Harvard T-stop). WHEN: Sunday, May 6, 3PM. FACEBOOK RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/events/349900668391499/?notif_t=event_name_change CONTACT: Monique, moniqueditullio@gmail.com; 508-769-2599ADMINISSION: Free and open to the public. MORE INFO: http://dirtymoney.org
  • The Occupy Boston Finance Community Work Session, scheduled to address the issues and concerns raised at the FAWG hosted 4/10/12 Community Conversation, concerning Occupy Boston’s relationship to its finances, is now confirmed for Sunday, May 6, from 1:00 to 4:00, at Hope Church, in Jamaica Plain.  FAWG invites the entire OB community to help create the financial decisions necessary, for the next phase of the movement.  Hope Church is located one block from the Green Street T Station on the Orange Line.
  • Keep Immigrant Families Together! Stop the Raids and Deportations! Prayer Vigil for Immigrant Detainees, Sunday, May 6th, 2 p.m.Suffolk County House of Correction, 20 Bradston St., BostonFor more information about the vigil, contact our Facebook page, or email SocialAction@ascboston.org. www.bostonnewsanctuary.org.

    1. Immigration through Faith: Faith through Immigration – Personal experiences of immigration as a moral and religious issue.
      A facilitated panel discussion exploring personal experiences of faith and immigration. This session is designed to help participants articulate and claim religious language and relevancy in a conversation dominated by secular and political messages. The panel discussion will be followed by an open period for questions and reflections.
    2. U.S. Immigration History and Your Faith:  We will look at who came and why?  What laws were enacted as barriers?  What role have people of faith played in this history?  We will also ask where we find ourselves in the story, and who belongs here?
    3. Immigrant Stories in the Struggle for Workers Rights

    To register, go to www.bostonnewsanctuary.org, or call Newell Hendricks at 617 876-5038. $10 suggested donation  

  • Occupy New England – M12 Day of Action and Regional Gathering. 9am-5:30pm, May 12: Come join Occupy groups from all around New England as we converge in Worcester for a day of action and networking! The day will have four core key components to it: getting as many Occupy groups and participants in one centralized location at the same time for a day of networking and planning, direct actions and public visibility, continued actions against corporations backing ALEC, and finally the flared up “War on Women” – discussion on women’s issues (rights, health care, etc…) Preliminary timeline of events:
    (Please note the following is a rough draft discussed by Occupy Worcester and the M12 working group. More details will be released later on, and times/actions are subject to change.)
    9 am: Begin gathering at Worcester Common
    10 am: Second New England Solidarity March
    Late morning: Direct Action (w/ CD potential)
    Midday: Occupy New England gathering. Have lunch and talk a lot to each other.
    Mid afternoon: Occupy Worcester’s Women’s Caucus event, details TBA
  • May 17 – nationally recognized transgender activist and member of Occupy Boston Gunner Scott will be honored with The Theater Offensive’s Out on the Edge award. As Executive Director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, Scott led the battle for passage of the Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Bill in November. The Transgender Equal Rights Bill, also known as An Act Relative to Gender Identity, makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity in the areas of employment, housing, public education and credit & lending.Who: Transgender activist Gunner Scott. What: The Theater Offensive honors Scott with Out on the Edge award. When: Thursday, May 17 @ 6:30 pm. Where: Hibernian Hall (184 Dudley St, Roxbury). Open to the Public: Yes (with ticket purchase)
  • Sponsored by the Howard Zinn Memorial Lecture Series: Book launch for Truth and Revolution by Michael Staudenmaier. May 22 at 6 pm at Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave, Boston. Michael Staudenmaier speaks on the Sojourner Truth Organization/STO. STO was Founded in Chicago in 1969 from the rubble of the recently crumbled SDS, the Sojourner Truth Organization (STO) brought working-class consciousness to the forefront of New Left discourse, sending radicals back into the factories and thinking through the integration of radical politics into everyday realities. Through the influence of founding members like Noel Ignatiev and Don Hamerquist, STO took a Marxist approach to the question of race and revolution, exploring the notion of “white skin privilege,” and helping to lay the groundwork for the discipline of critical race studies. Michael Staudenmaier is a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Illinois.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Event Highlight:

  • Please come to the Media Meeting: To try to help us explore how the entire community can be empowered to create its own media, we invite /urge you, the community, to continue the conversation about the future of media work at Occupy Boston at 6pm at Harriet Tubman House / South End Settlements, Corner of Columbus Ave. and Massachusetts Ave., off the Mass Ave. T Stop (Orange Line). We will discuss the best way to reallocate existing resources in a way that is equitable and consistent with OB’s values. People who want to help copy/edit, write stories, make videos, etc. should come. I’ll be there, hope to see you too!

Calendar for Wednesday, May 2, 2012

3 pm-4 pm Icarus Project WG Support Group, at the Gazebo at the Common or if there is bad weather, at City Place Food Court, in the Transportation Building

5:30 pm – 7 pm Info WG Meeting at United for a Fair Economy, 29 Winter St., 2nd Floor, Boston.

6 pm – 8 pm Radio WG Meeting at Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave., 5th Floor, Boston

7 pm – 9 pm Financial Accountability WG at City Place Food Court, in the Transportation Building

Please note! Meetings and their locations are subject to change. We encourage you to check the Occupy Boston Calendar for the most up-to-date information. There are events scheduled all day for the May 1 General Strike and regularly scheduled events may not be held.

Volunteer Opportunities/Announcements: 

1) Issue 7 of the Boston Occupier is out now, and we need your help distributing!!

We rely exclusively on YOU, the broader Occupy community, to get our papers out there to the 99%. So…

** We would love for you to join one of our planned outreach/distribution efforts on the T.

** ANYTIME you’re going to a progressive or Occupy-related event, try to pass out papers. These are the most effective occasions to connect sympathetic readers to our paper. Copies of the issue are stored in the OB cubicle at E5, so PLEASE remember to grab a stack.

** Get them to readers in your community. We recommend small stacks in small stacks in cafes, libraries, bookshops, laundr0mats, community centers, waiting rooms, campuses, etc. Be creative!! But we’ve found that the BEST way to get papers to readers is to hand them out face to face, combining outreach and distribution.

** If you are a part of another local-area Occupy movement, a union, or a community organization that is willing to distribute papers — let’s make it happen! You can just come by E5 (between 9 am and 7 pm most days) and grab a stack, or coordinate with us if you’re not able to do so. Send questions or suggestions about distribution to Julie O (juliettejulianna@gmail.com).

** We’re also trying to raise funds so that we can continue printing the stories of the 99%! To that end, we’ve started a subscription service. Read about it online here. I hope you’ll encourage those you know to subscribe to the paper as well!!

As always, we welcome questions, suggestions, and distribution ideas — send to juliettejulianna@gmail.com.

2)  GA locations: 

The following proposal passed the General Assembly of Occupy Boston on April 17, 2012:

Facilitation Working Group proposes the following changes to the current General Assembly schedule:

  • Tuesdays: We propose that, effective May 1st, all Tuesday GAs be held outside. We propose the Boston Common as a temporary location with the idea that location may change in the future. We will give Arlington Street Church notice that our last night using ASC space will be April 24, 2012.
  • Thursdays: We have ended our relationship with Emmanuel Church and therefore propose that all Thursday GAs be held outside effective April 19, 2012, at the Boston Common as a temporary location with the idea that location may change in the future.
  • Saturday: We propose to continue to hold GA at Community Church of Boston on Saturdays in order to ensure that at least one GA per week is held indoors. FWG is in the process of asking CCB whether it would have space available on Tuesdays. If so we would ask the GA to decide whether that one GA indoors should be on Tuesday or Saturday.
  • Community Gatherings will remain on Mondays and effective May 14, 2012, will be held at CCB.

This schedule is subject to review by the GA at any time.

Amendments:

  • FWG will seek access to the web banner and text service to ensure that any change in GA location or time will be widely communicated.

To join the Occupy Boston Community Forum email list, a general discussion list, click here! For a partial listing of Working Groups looking for volunteers, please click here! For a list of Working Groups with contact info, click here! For more information on Occupy Boston’s General Assembly, including passed resolutions, click here!  And if you’re interested in learning more about Occupy Boston and how you can participate, click here! For contact info for other Occupies in the area, click here! 

Contact Us: Want to subscribe to the Daily Digest? Click here to have it sent to your email inbox every morning! All Working Groups or Occupy Boston events that need placement in the Daily Digest, please email AnnaC@OccupyBoston.org. To view past issues of The Daily Digest, click here. And subscribe to the Occupy Boston Media Rundown, a daily listing of Occupy-related news, by contacting JohnM@OccupyBoston.org.