PRESS RELEASE, October 26, 2011
Contact: Victoria Porell | 602-999-7312 | toriporell@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Students Call for Walkout
Boston, MA, October 26, 2011—The Occupy Boston Students Working Group has called for a city-wide walkout, rally, and march on Monday, October 31. Each campus will organize to walk out of class in time to all convene at the gazebo in Boston Commons at 1 pm. The rally in the Commons will be followed by a march to the Occupy Boston site at Dewey Square.
The walkout was called in solidarity with the wider Occupy Boston movement and specifically to highlight student’s main concerns: Fair and affordable higher education, student loans, and the corporatization of universities. These issues are at the forefront of the student’s agenda, since students are not unaffected by the wider issues highlighted at Occupy Boston, such as inequality, unemployment, and financial corruption.
To add a unique twist on the event and in celebration of Halloween, the students have decided to dress as zombie bankers. This is a
playful, but powerful, visual that will undoubtedly draw attention while also demonstrating how many participants feel about the United States’s economic outlook.
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Occupy Boston is the beginning of an ongoing discussion about reforming Wall Street and removing special interests from government. Its continuing occupation of Dewey Square—outside South Station in the heart of Boston’s Financial District—is just one of more than 120 separate Occupy encampments in cities across the nation and a symbol for “occupiers” everywhere who support real and lasting change.
33 Responses to “Students Call for Walkout”
Some were a little miffed at my previous posts on the need for communism in this country. I’ll try to tone it down a bit.
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That said, let’s make sure to keep as many young faces involved with this effort as we possibly can.
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We must be a young, energetic, bright movement. We cannot afford to squander this opportunity by seeming old or “stuck.”
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Youth is the necessary muscle that flexes in response to crisis. We are almost there.
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Keep up the good work everybody.
Now that there are thermal images of occupy Boston, wall Street and London we see that not even 10% of tents are occupied and kids are partying in hotels paid for by George Soros. We all knew this is a sissy group that candle life without government help, no way they can handle the outdoors.
Where the freaking he’ll do you get your stories? The thermal imaging spoof has already been laid bare. And where are the hotel parties paid for by soros? What are you talking about? Are you Glenn beck cos seriously your really sounding like him. Really.
In this press release this is very nicely stated. This could be the statment of purpose…
“Occupy Boston is the beginning of an ongoing discussion about reforming Wall Street and removing special interests from government. Its continuing occupation of Dewey Square—outside South Station in the heart of Boston’s Financial District—is just one of more than 120 separate Occupy encampments in cities across the nation and a symbol for “occupiers” everywhere who support real and lasting change.”
A message to radicals; I infiltrated , I have evidence of drug use, drug dealing, those with weapons and those talking about violence. My best tool has been accusing others of being a snitch or a cop. I am working for no one and will continue my ducumenting. Of this great sedition. I am turning over 2 weeks of evidence to the Boston and Worcester police, the state police and the fbi. I will continue to do so. Some of you are good eggs but a little confused and brainwashed .the hacking instruction from dave was very informative and the fbi will probably want to talk to you.
The people who will want to talk to you are wearing all white and carrying butterfly nets.
kmac, good work, keep it up. Operation infiltrate progress as planned. Remember some agents in deep cover will continue their drone alias. This will include swearing, urinating and being incoherent, “strung out” and generally cooperative. Agents will flash you the pre-agreed “sign” in order to identify themselves. DO NOT treat these agents any different. In order to successfully execute the operation the occupiers must not suspect anyone in the midst.
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good luck with that.
here is another video. from about noon the other day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMIC4DoR2Gc
Uhmm, OK . . .
the videos i release are raw. do you think the girl is right, that i should ask permission before filming people? or do you think i should shoot first and ask later? in situations like the last scene, if i had arrived earlier i might have witnessed the scene he described. had i witnessed it, would it be ethical to capture the moment and share it on youtube? its not my goal to discredit people but when situations are re-contextualized in video and provided space for retrospect, clear heroes and villains may emerge. thoughts?
This is a public space and that is why we are here. The young lady who discouraged you from filming is actually really nice. I am sorry about that. We need to agree to disagree. You need to keep filming if that is what you want to do and maybe they need to keep shaming you for it. But do not stop. As far as my experience there are public safety who drink. I was assaulted by one of them who had been drinking 8 days ago and he pulled me with mild force and then realized he wanted me in the other direction so he pushed me with mild force. You were standing in a real hot spot in the part of the video where the people were singing. People need to go there and love bomb them hippie style. These are a lot of good people there and if you are upset then probably so are others. I have been dealing with this a little. Maybe you should go there with me and film me and whoever wants to participate. Winter will wipe out probably 80% of our present problems and bring in a new social dynamic. These are just things organizations go through. Get close to these people so you are forced to be friends. You seem to be like me in that you assert that things should be open to the public and transparent. Boston is not going to be like Oakland. Early in the film the Hare Krishnas are doing their thing. Did you talk to them?
I would be there today if I wasn’t fighting a cold and I imagine the thrill seekers will do the same as conditions become less bearable.
I did not talk to the Hare Krishnas. But I am familiar with who they are and what they do. They’re likable.
Thank you for watching my video. Tweet at me @platypusrex256 and we should keep in touch. I’ll be back to camp once my sickness is gone. Maybe Monday.
One very important point we need to understand is that when we are faced with aggressive camp “authorities” is that they probably also are preventing every other would be thug from getting a foothold and it becoming like Oakland. I have used the word “thug” when upset but there are no actual thugs in Occupy Boston. Its more like security guards at a movie theatre. And I get the feeling that this is just one old guy tearing up people’s tents. Like the Barney Fife element gets a little out of control sometimes. We really should count our blessings. And all these people who are doing these authority trips with actual physical force or in a way that makes you think it has the backing of physical force probably also have this fantasy of dragging you to safety and resuscitating you during a tear gas barrage.
guy at the end is angry because the real leadership is moving in, his term as a useful idiot is over and he is angry. happening at every occupy sight. Now the leaders are facists too.talk about tools
curious. are you at sight every day?
Yip. Talk about tools. So tell us how Glenn beck explains how van jones and his friends managed to get Europe and the rest of the world to start protesting a year or more ago considering about seven people outside US even heard of van jones.
That’s cool. That’s a bit of flavor from a regular moment, among many other moments of daily life at a proto-society that is emerging amidst the tall stone monuments to the old society. Not good, not bad, but a true picture of a few moments. The holder of a video camera can portray things in whatever light they have decided to, since there is so much rich material. We’re all human. We’re all different. This is a nice little docu-moment.
Sage, yes! I think there are millions of moments people need to be having all over this world. People like myself are going to realize it, too. The movement starts in the space and spirals out. I’m not being anything but truthful. Thank you for framing that…
I believe students should be seeing the bigger picture, too!
You are being trained for jobs that don’t exist. Change education by accepting that and forcing authenticity over standardization. What do we all need? How can we use our time to begin achieving it? Academics has been dehumanized.
I am leaving academics after a successful run because I need to do more than my training will allow. I need to create my work as I survive because the institution of higher education does not have enough jobs. This is a fact.
Err.. Weird comment placing. I thought I posted a reply to Sage before and wanted a separate comment expressing this. Sorry.
Sage, I wanted to say before, you’re right on with your post. I hope the proto-society hums and spirals out into the world.
We’ve heard of van damme and Britney but van jones? Is he a footbal player or who? Is he married to a kardashian cos then we would know him.
You don’t get that these protests are bigger than US and will consume your pithy, Disney politics.
Great way to spend their tuition money. From the conversations I’ve had with students in and outside of Occupy, they can use all the education they can get. The worth of this statement is pretty much lost on me.
Also, the Zombie business is overdone and silly. It might be fun to dress up and stalk around the city, though…
That being said, the grievances are real and should not be ignored… whatever…
So college kids paying for a class are going to walk out of said Class to protest about how much the class theyre not attending costs? Have all you hippiededippiddies considered most communist countries have compulsory military service? Thanks for censoring me sunshine.
Valid point
CHART OF THE DAY: Is College Education The Next Bubble Set To Burst?
http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-tuition-home-prices-cpi-2010-7
“Note that the housing bubble resulted from about a 4-time increase in home prices between 1978 and 2006, and college tuition has now increased by more than twice that amount since 1978 – it’s gone up by more than a factor of ten times. The college tuition bubble makes the housing price bubble seem pretty lame by comparison. ”
http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2010/06/higher-education-bubble-its-about-to.html
“Disproportional inflation” refers to inflation in a particular economic sector that is substantially greater than inflation in general costs of living. This kind of inflation for medical costs in recent decades is well known. However, that of college tuition and fees exceeds that of medical costs.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_tuition_in_United_States
The three industries that are heavily government controlled and socialize are housing, medical care and college. All three have become more expensive far beyond the general rate of inflation. Communism doesn’t work.
They have only become that way as a result of free market forces. Coincidentally or maybe not they account for a fair amount of your GDP. Like about half. It pays wall st to have a sick society that over pays for it’s education and housing. It only benefits wall st. It screws everyone else. Have a think about it.
No one is asking for communism LOL – but extreme capitalism that is leading to extreme greed is no good either…
Losif, I asked in another blog if you can watch this documentary, since you are such a Ron Paul supporter and fan of complete deregulation (whenever you have the time). I am curious what you think.
http://vimeo.com/25142692
“The film is described … as being about “the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption”
I am a firm believer that with everything in life the truth lays somewhere in the middle so I treat my politics the same way. I don’t believe in extreme views in politics, religion or anything for that matter. It leads to no good!
I am proud of the young people who want to finally get active. I hope the colleges and high schools in the area empty out and join the protest. I was at the mass arrest October 10th (I’m in VFP)and the occupants were incredible. There is hope in this generation.
No one’s restricting anyone from getting involved. That includes students, minorities, Bible students, atheists, fetishists and earth mothers. This student walk out business is just stupid and terribly irresponsible for Occupy to sponsor. There are better ways of showing support for education such as arranging to go to schools to address the student body, do a detailed Q and A, and take the time to educate people. This just shows that Occupy has a limited imagination, a very primitive sense of entitlement, and is really just stuck in 60s activism.
on October 31st, 2011 at 12:46 am #
[…] planned walkout, which has been organized by the Occupy Boston Students Working Group, is meant to show solidarity with the Occupy Boston movement and to highlight students’ concerns […]
I spoke with a visiting alumnus at BU this weekend who had heard about Occupy Boston and was stunned that more students at BU were not participating. She said that were they facing these things in the 70s, they’d have shut the place down (and did, if you know your history), particularly over the Bank of America presence on campus. I don’t see what the problem with being “stuck in 60s activism” is, although fetishizing nonviolence is problematic, too. Egypt’s revolution was not as peaceful as western MSM would like everyone to believe. They fought to defend area they took from the state and stood up to law enforcement until they won. This can be a nonviolent moment only if it is allowed to happen.
There has been so much slander of the movement and divisiveness from non-participants that shows incredible privilege, ignorance and reliance on outside sources for information rather than first-hand experience. No, the movement’s not perfect, but let’s not romanticize every political movement that came before it, because those were not perfect, either. Students need to participate in this movement because it is us and our families who have some of the highest debt in the country with absolutely no recourse, declining post-educational job opportunities and an increasingly narrow range of options. People with a BA these days who don’t have connections, the ability to exploit themselves in unpaid internships or plans to continue their educations are faced with insurmountable debt and little chance of paying it off.
Most of my peers are looking forward to jobs, if they’re lucky enough to find them, where they’re competing with high school students or people who do not have degrees for jobs that pay minimum-wage. In the world of young twenty-somethings, working in retail with a degree is a reality, not hyperbole. We’re overqualified for most jobs, under-experienced for others and too desperate for wages to be picky about the kind of jobs we take or for which we apply. It’s an exploitative culture that young people have to navigate and our post-grad futures are looking bleaker and bleaker. Don’t shun the walk-out because police think it’s a safety issue (seriously, that’s the best they can do?). Go and stand up for yourselves. It’s about time.