FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Together We Rose! Occupy’s Third National Gathering
Last week in Sacramento, the Occupy movement came together for reflection, learning, planning, sharing—and yes, marching! Despite drought and heat of 100°+, Occupiers from up and down the West Coast, as well as other areas of the country (and a few from elsewhere on the globe) shared 5 days of activism and discussion.
Tonight is the DeBrief call where we discuss what worked well this year, what didn’t, and what could be done better next time Occupy does something like this.
Register for the call here.
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/events/ngwg2014-planning-call-2014-08-13/
Watch the GAs and more on these stream channels:
Fri. GA
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/9447130/events/3237961/videos/58115702
Sat. GA
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/9447130/events/3240599/videos/58188745
Sun. GA
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/50915909
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/50921119
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/50877420
Here is some of the exciting news to come out of the GAs and other interactions at NatGat2014:
2014 OCCUPY NATIONAL GATHERING STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE PRESS RELEASE
http://interoccupy.net/blog/2014-occupy-national-gathering-statement-of-solidarity-with-palestine/
OCCUPY NATIONAL GATHERING STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/occupy-national-gathering-statement-of-solidarity-with-palestine/
D’andre Teeter, stopmassincarceration, brought a proposal for NatGat attendees to endorse the Month of Non-Violent Resistance Against Mass incarceration, which was passed July 31.
“Occupy has distinguished itself as being one of the great moments in recent history of the United States when people came together from all walks of life, different races, different creeds, different political positions and all came together around something that was absolutely urgent and necessary.
In that spirit, I am really calling on people to take up this month of mass resistance vs. mass inc that can bring together many many people –a big tent, a big occupy tent, where occupy can actually rejuvenate its energy and reach out to many people in the press community that we have not reached out to before.”
D’andre Teeter.
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/9447130/events/3240599/videos/58188745 c. 25:00-26:40
THE 2014 OCCUPY NATIONAL GATHERING ENDORSES A MONTH [OCTOBER] OF NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE AGAINST MASS INCARCERATION
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/the-2014-occupy-national-gathering-endorses-a-month-october-of-non-violent-resistance-against-mass-incarceration/
A CALL FOR A MONTH OF RESISTANCE TO MASS INCARCERATION, POLICE TERROR, REPRESSION AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF A GENERATION!
For 2 generations, Black and Latina/Latino youth in the U.S. have been shipped off to prison in numbers never before seen anywhere in the world at any time. More than 2 million people, of all nationalities languish in prison — ten times the number 50 years ago. The U.S. has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s prison population! More than 60% of those in U.S. prisons are Black or Latina/o. 32% of Black men between the ages of 20 and 29 are in prison or on parole or probation on any given day. More than 80,000 people in prison are held in solitary confinement.
The Stop Mass Incarceration Network
http://www.stopmassincarceration.net/
A working group of folks from around the country has continued the work started by the 2011 Demands and Objectives survey results of Occupy LA, to help solidify our unity, declare our non-violence, summarize what we want, and grow our movement. Please stay tuned for upcoming conference calls if you would like to be involved in this work.
Please help advance this proposal and work by signing the Petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/voice-to-the-voiceless-solidarity-declaration
VOICE TO THE VOICELESS SOLIDARITY DECLARATION
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/voice-to-the-voiceless-solidarity-declaration/
Voice to the Voiceless Solidarity Declaration Discussion on Loomio
https://www.loomio.org/d/MkEsWlP0/voice-to-the-voiceless-solidarity-declaration
Katherine Dawn, visiting from Australia, and advocating for an International Gathering in counterpoint to the G20 meeting in Brisbane, Australia, in November 2014, wrote a piece on her reflections:
AN AUSSIE’S REFLECTIONS ON OCCUPY NATGAT 2014 AND WHERE TO FROM HERE
http://interoccupy.net/natgat2014/an-aussies-reflections-on-occupy-natgat-2014-and-where-to-from-here/
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/50923305 c.18:40
