This report includes updates from Occupy sites and related efforts across the country and the globe. It includes big wins, local organizing efforts, protests/events, police activity reports and calls to action where additional support from allies/general public may be needed.
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MLK ACTIONS
Occupy Everywhere
#J15 Worldwide Candlelight Vigil for Unity
Sunday, 1/15/2012 @7:00pm in Each Time Zone Globally – Via J15global.com: On his birthday and in the spirit of Dr. King’s vision for racial and economic equality, peace, and non-violence, we are holding candlelight vigils to unite our world in a global movement for systemic change. Wherever we may be, whether in our homes, in city squares, online, Occupies, or at work, we lift a beautiful message high above the political dialogue. We light the dream of a more equitable world in our hearts. We can overcome!We gather to empower a great and global dream, a dream we have all dreamt of for thousands of years. We will sing, because freedom songs are the soul of the movement.. Together, we will make the dream a reality. Help turn this moment into a world-wide wave of light:
- Like the Facebook page and share with your friends.
- Follow @J15global on Twitter.
- Call a friend and make a plan to light a candle together.
- Organize a vigil on your block or in your town.
Occupy the Dream
Reclaim MLK Day: A Journey of Liberation from the African Burial Ground
Monday, 1/16/2012 – On MLK Day, The Occupy Movement will GATHER AT THE AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND, and in this sacred space, begin with collective contemplation, catharsis, and reflection. “We will gather at the African Burial Ground to make the statement: Wall Street is the exact site of the slave auction block, upon which our prosperity as a nation was built. Join with the 99% as we honor Martin Luther King, and RECLAIM MLK DAY: African Burial Ground, Monday, January 16th. More info athttps://www.facebook.com/
Host MLK Movement Meet-Up
Join hundreds of Americans this week who are hosting meet ups to commemorate Martin Luther King’s birthday and one of the most formative eras in American history. Too often, MLK Day gets watered down into a feel-good Hallmark Card. And even as America honors Dr. King’s birthday, his dream is being gunned down before our eyes. Join with other activists in reflecting, and committing to rebuilding the American Dream and Dr. King’s dream in 2012. RTD has created a special video and discussion guide to make it easy! Will you host a Movement Meet-up in your community? Yes, I can host a Movement Meet-up for MLK Day in my community.
Occupy Long Beach
Martin Luther King Jr. Peace and Unity Parade
Saturday, 1/14/2012 – Occupy Long Beach is a registered MLK Parade and Celebration participant. We have a vehicle followed by marchers. If you want to volunteer your vehicle or help decorate one call Jason
). For more info, go to https://www.facebook.com/
Occupy Portland
Occupy the Dream Celebration
Friday, 1/20/2012 – An Occupy the Dream celebration is slated for MLK day and on Jan 20th we are joining with Move to Amend to Occupy the Courts, affirming that corporations are NOT people and money is NOT speech. Occupy groups from all over Oregon are planning to Occupy the Oregon Legislature on February 1st, for the start of this year’s session. Affinity groups from Portland are busy planning their visit to hold our legislators accountable and working for their constituents.
Occupy Boise State
Day of Greatness
Monday, 1/16/2012 – Boise State University’s 2012 MLK Living Legacy Celebration will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with several events in January. The celebration is sponsored by the MLK Living Legacy Committee, comprising Boise State organizations, students, staff, faculty and community members. The celebration kicks off with a Jan. 16 Day of Greatness, including a march and rally and several community service projects. The community also is invited to a Jan. 23 keynote address by Tim Wise, a week of workshops presented by Dream Grant recipients, and a Jan. 25 poetry reading by Roger Bonair-Agard. All events are free and open to the public.
Occupy Chicago
Occupy the Dream! MLK Day Brunch, Teach-in, Celebration and Public Meeting
Sunday January 15th, 1130am
Occupy Chicago is gathering at Multi Kulti (1000 N Milwaukee) in the morning for brunch and a teach-in after which we will travel as a group up to the Peoples Church (see below).
Occupy Fort Lauderdale
MLK Day March
Monday, 1/16/2012
Occupy Fort Lauderdale will be marching that weekend in honor of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement.
The march will begin and end at the African American library at 11 a.m. More details athttp://occupyfortlauderdale.
FIGHTING FORECLOSURES
Occupy Atlanta
Fighting Church Foreclosure in MLK’s Old Neighborhood
Higher Ground Empowerment Center (HGEC) is a neighborhood church in the heart of Atlanta’s Vine City. For the past 108 years, Higher Ground Empowerment Center has been a pillar in the historic Vine City community, one of Atlanta’s most under-resourced communities. In 2008, the church suffered a major blow in the form of a disastrous tornado that ripped apart the property. In order to rebuild, the church was forced to take out a loan, one that became increasingly difficult to pay back and unrepresentative of the resale opportunities as donations and property values fell during the recession. For four years, the church attempted to refinance the loan to be more representative of the property’s value, but BB&T has not responded. The cruel irony is that not only did BB&T bank benefit from a $3.1 billion bailout from the American people in 2008, but they also spend about 5 million dollars a year on teaching positions and research on what they refer to as “the moral foundations of capitalism.” We find these morals and values suspiciously absent when the opportunity to profit off of the very people who bailed out BB&T to the tune of $3.1 billion comes about. This Occupy Atlanta held press conferences and turned up the heat and BB&T has started listening. We’ll keep you posted on this fight at is unfolds. Occupy Atlanta has set up an encampment outside the church and says they will not leave until BB&T makes a deal that works for the church.
Stand with the Higher Ground Empowerment Center church, Occupy Atlanta and other allies. Tell BB&T CEO Kelly King: Stop foreclosure on the historic Higher Ground Empowerment Center church and agree to modify their loan fairly. Sign the petition at http://act.rebuildthedream.
Occupy Long Beach
Foreclosure Press Conference w/ ACCE & Occupy San Pedro
Friday, 1/13/12, 10:30am – - Occupy Long Beach and ACCE are hosting a press conference inviting folks to join the fight for San Pedro couple, Melvina and Richard Brogan’s home. For over a year they attempted to get a modification and were continually denied by Wells Fargo despite the fact that they met all of the federal guideline qualifications. In addition to garnering spport for Melvina and Richard, Friday’s event will also promote the proposed Responsible Banking Ordinance, which would set up a reporting process for the city to consider in future bank investment
Get more info at https://www.facebook.com/
Occupy Boston
Anti-foreclosure canvassing in Everett
Saturday, 10-2 p.m. at Dunkin Donuts, 524 Broadway
This Saturday members from Occupy Boston will join City Life / Vida Urbana (CLVU) to canvass in Everett, going door-to-door of houses up for auction to offer tenants support defending their homes. Canvassing is a crucial step in home defense. The goal is to speak to residents BEFORE the bank attempts to take control of the building – before they can be intimidated and pressured into leaving – to let them know their rights and options, and offer support of they want it. It’s a chance to work directly with tenants and offer support to people who have been targeted by improper banking practices.
We’ll be meeting at the Dunkin Donuts, 524 Broadway in Everett, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you need a ride or if you can provide one or need more information about canvassing, please contact
Occupy our Homes
Auction Protest
Tuesday, 1/17/2012, 1:30pm at 11 Russell Pl, Everett
On Tuesday, OB will join CLVU and the North Side Tenants Association to protest a home auction in Everett. Bring your signs and come prepared to make some noise! Banks hate bad publicity. So when banks show up at a property where owners have brought along a crowd, it’s frequently possible to stop or postpone the sale. Home auction actions are loud, but disciplined – the point is to be visible, to support the homeowners, and to let investors know that they (and we) are not going anywhere!
Last year there were 230 foreclosures in the City of Boston – many of which could have been prevented if banks had been persuaded to negotiate with tenants or sold at real value to a local lender. Let’s go and show our support in numbers! PLEASE NOTE: Auction protests are a little fluid and details may change at the last minute. Please email Katie Gradowski () to be kept up to date on final details.
Occupy Los Angeles
Foreclosure March and Press Conference
Friday, 1/13/2012
Occupy LA will march a little more to 400 S Hope St, which is the home of Bank of New York/Mellon which is the bank that holds the titles of the foreclosed properties the group worked with last week. For more info, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/
NDAA/INDEFINITE DETENTION ACTIONS
Call to Action Against the NDAA
Tuesday, Jan. 3rd 12PM – 5PM (EST)
via NYCGA: A call has been put out to let our government know the people will not tolerate any more attacks on our rights! January 3rd will be a spontaneous show of people power in reaction to Obama’s treasonous signing of the National Defense Authorization Act. Not only does this act violate our first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth amendments, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but this Act was signed quietly this past New Years Eve violating what little trust remained between the people and their established government. We see what’s happening here, and we will not stand for it. For a schedule of the day’s events, go tohttp://occupywallst.org/
Vermonters Protest Senator Leahy for NDAA
VIDEO: http://occupyvermont.
BATTLING CORPORATE GREED
Occupy Portland
Proposed Day of Action: Shut Down Corporations
Occupy Portland is calling for a day of non-violent direct action to reclaim our voices and challenge our society’s obsession with profit and greed by shutting down the corporations. The group calls on the Occupy Movement and everyone seeking freedom and justice to join together in this day of action. “On February 29th, we will reclaim our future from the 1%. We will shut down the corporations and recreate our democracy. Join us! Leap into action! Reclaim our future! Shut down the corporations!”
Occupy Baltimore
Picketline at Bmore Convention Center
Thursday, January 19, 2012 – 4:30pm – “Since Centerplate took over food service operations at the Baltimore Convention Center (almost two years ago), workers have had: 5% – 16% wage cuts and No health insurance.
Help them fight to restore their wages and win decent raises & affordable health insurance in their new Union Contract! Tell Centerplate that Baltimore deserves better!” Where: 1 W Pratt St (corner of Charles + Pratt)
Occupy in the News
Re-Occupy Wall Street — RT |
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| Nick Kristof on Occupy and the rise of citizen journalism — Tech … By Mathew Ingram Many traditional journalists see “citizen journalism” as a negative thing, an untrustworthy source of information that diminishes their role as gatekeepers of the news — but New York Times foreign correspondent and author Nick Kristof says that … GigaOM |
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| Web Chat Brings Tea Party and Occupy Movement Together By Alex Fitzpatrick NBCpolitics.com is bringing together Tea Partiers and Occupiers for a live web chat. Mashable » US & World |
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| Rivals’ Attacks on Romney’s Corporate Record Display Occupy Wall … By ( The New Hampshire primary brought fewer than 50 percent of voters to the polls. The candidates are “addressing issues that aren. Democracy Now! |
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| Occupy AIPAC to take on AIPAC’s legions in ‘business attire’ By Allison Deger Occupy AIPAC announces dates for Washington D.C. summit protest the Israel lobby group. Mondoweiss |
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| Ydanis Rodriguez Seeks to Donate Stipend to Occupy Wall Street … By By KATE TAYLOR Ydanis Rodriguez, a City Council member from northern Manhattan, has asked for permission to donate a $5000 stipend to the Occupy Wall Street movement. City Room |
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| Occupy Chicago Protests Obama: Group Plans To Picket President’s … By The Huffington Post News Editors President Barack Obama won’t be getting an entirely warm welcome during his visit to his home city of Chicago Wednesday; members of the Occupy Wall Street movement have announced plans to picket a fundraising event and concert at the … The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com |
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| John Wellington Ennis: Get Ready to Occupy Sundance By John Wellington Ennis Occupy Sundance will be a chance to watch movies covering the range of topics that have fed theOccupy movement. Going into a pivotal election year, these are issues that can’t wait to submit to Sundance next year and hope to make the cut … The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com |
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| Tim Mohin: Occupy From the Inside By Tim Mohin Should companies have any role in protecting people and the planet? High profile cases of corporate misconduct mask the less sexy, but no less important, cases of companies choosing to do the right things right. The Huffington Post Full Blog Feed |
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| Mavs Have Stowaways Occupy The Bench In Detroit « CBS Dallas … By jeffburkett A couple of beer-swilling guys with beards sat on the Dallas Mavericks’ bench at Detroit Pistons game Tuesday night. CBS Dallas / Fort Worth |
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| Health officials concerned about rats at Occupy DC sites – latimes.com By Richard Simon Occupy DC has survived the police, the cold and Darrell Issa. But now, they’re facing a potentially tough foe: rats. Nation Now |
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| Occupy Wall Street Is Looking To Employ A Member Of The … By Ben Walsh Know any good accountants with a penchant for protest? Clusterstock |
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| Occupy Wall Street Protesters Return To Zuccotti Park After … By Jesse By sunrise Wednesday, though, they were down to just a handful remaining in the park. CBS New York |
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| Occupy Wall Street Joins Occupy The Dream: Is It Cooptation, or … By Glen Ford The Democratic Party may have entered the Occupy Wall Street movement through the “Black door,” in the form of Occupy The Dream, the Black ministers’ group led by former NAACP chief and Million Man March national director Dr. Benjamin … Black Agenda Report |
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| Barricades removed from Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Park | McClatchy Barricades surrounding the park in lower Manhattan where the Occupy Wall Street movement was born were removed Tuesday, with considerable less commotion than when they were erected, enabling anti-greed protesters to easily return. mcclatchydc.com: Latest headlines |
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| Fewer Are Donating, But Occupy Wall Street’s Not Worried – National … By Adam Martin Donations to Occupy Wall Street have nearly dried up, and even as it’s spent the majority of money it’s raised, an accounting volunteer said there are no fundraising plans aside from just going about the business of being Occupy Wall Street. The Atlantic Wire |
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| Occupy Wall Street Rapes: How Many More Victims? – Big … By Lee Stranahan While the media and Democratic establishment continue to laud the #Occupy movement, they ignore the reality of what is going on on the ground — Occupy Wall Street is an extremely small, fractured and ineffective social experiment that is … Big Government |
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| Occupy Chapel Hill-Carrboro, 2.0 | Triangulator By Jason Y. Lee The band of people that descended upon and dismantled Occupy Chapel Hill was friendly, and also a bit sentimental. About a dozen Occupiers showed up Tuesday afternoon to remove the tents, tarps, and random detritus that had sat with … Independent Weekly |
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| Evolution of anarchy to order. Occupy DC | Vlad Tepes By Eeyore THe occupy movement does have one interesting aspect to it at least. For me, it is watching anarchy evolve into rational systems for natural reasons. Imagine an area which declared itself to be anarchist and allowed to be so. Soon, people … Vlad Tepes |
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| The Resurrection Of Occupy Wall Street By Matthew White It has been a much different news week than originally anticipated, following the sudden and tragic death of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce. That. New Jersey 101.5 |
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| WATCH LIVE: Tea party and Occupy members debate | The Raw Story By David Edwards Occupy Wall Street protesters matching up. Image via AFP. … MSNBC’s Richard Lui moderates a live discussion with members of both the Occupy movement and tea party affiliated groups. Watch this live video from MSNBC, broadcast Jan. … The Raw Story |
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| Time to Shut Down Occupy DC: Infant Found Alone in Tent | Verum … By John Part of Occupy Portland’s camp has been removed: Police in Portland, Ore., cleared an encampment and arrested nine Occupy Portland protesters early Tuesday as Tennessee officials agreed to end curfew arrests. The (Portland) Oregonian … Verum Serum |
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| Occupy Movement Converges on Capitol for “Occupy Congress … By Media Team (Washington, D.C.) – Occupy Congress will take place on January 17, 2012, beginning at 9 a.m. at the West Front Lawn of the United States Capitol. Occupy Congress is expected to be one of the largest rallies of the Occupy movement to date … Occupy DC |
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| Occupy | Pittsburgh | BNY Mellon Bank | The Daily Caller By David Martosko Pittsburgh bank: We let ‘Occupy’ use park because we were ‘frightened’ | Activists’ lawyer: ‘They don’t have the absolute right to do what they want with their property’ The Daily Caller |
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| 5 January Days of Occupy-Related Action, 5 Activist Networks … By Jim Cook After the social movement boom of the Occupy movement in the fall of 2011, followed by a police crackdown with thousands of arrests, there is motion afoot to pump new energy into the progressive movement by gathering activists together in … Irregular Times |
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| Occupy’s Major Message Misfire: Banks, Not Ports | Longshore … By ILWU Coast Longshore Division When Occupy Wall Street protesters target banks and corporations, they have a more effective message than when they target ports that employ blue-collar workers, says this author. ‘Demonstrations should unite, not split the movement. … Longshore & Shipping News |
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| Man charged after baby found in McPherson Square tent | Emily … By Emily Babay A man is facing child cruelty charges after his 13-month-old child was found alone in a tent in theOccupy D.C. camp at McPherson Square. Occupy members told authorities that a baby was alone in a tent at about 10 a.m. Wednesday, said … Examiner RSS |
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| Let’s ‘occupy’ America’s energy revolution | The Examiner | Op Eds … By Steve Maley Energy security in the United States may be an achievable goal for the first time in nearly 40 years. Credit largely goes to the shale boom; its epicenters are in places like Texas, Pennsylvania and North Dakota, not Washington, D.C.. Examiner Op Eds RSS |
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| Occupy the Blog! (for 1/11/2012) | MyFDL By dakine01 On Jan 4, members of Occupy Erie went to the City Council meeting, to again ask that they permit us some sort of shelter in the Square. As you may be aware, we have been raided and had equipment confiscated at least seven times since … dakine01′s myFDL diary |
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| Occupy DC camps persist as rally planned next week – KTIV News 4 … Demonstrators like Bieber have found a new home in D.C., where organizers expect a protest Tuesday on Capitol Hill – dubbed Occupy Congress – to draw thousands of people and bring renewed attention to the movement in Washington and … KTIV – National News |
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| Occupy OC Village Moves: Thanks, Irvine, and Hello Fullerton … By Greg Diamond And, just like that, it’s over. Peacefully. Without a single act of civil disobedience, without a single arrest for. Orange Juice |
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| Occupy The Midwest Conference | MyFDL By popyeye99 The occupy movement has had a positive effect on our politicians and they have tried to co-opt them to no avail. The PTB have tried to infiltrated Occupy with provocateurs and used gestapo tactics to suppress them. An idea can’t be stopped … Firedoglake |
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| Occupy the Courts has Fayetteville beachhead | Arkansas Blog By Max Brantley occupy lr. Now I think I’ve got it: You believe in God and people create corporations but if I have a non-government job I am not moral. I’m afraid I’ll miss the protest as I’ll be occupying my job trying to make a profit for myself. Nice poster but … Arkansas news, politics, opinion,… |
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| Crowd At NYC’s Ex-Occupy Camp Dwindles At Daylight By The Huffington Post News Editors WASHINGTON — They were let back into Zuccotti Park, but kicked out of a vacant house in Seattle. In other places, Occupy protesters are in courtrooms fighting evictions. The Huffington Post | Full News Feed |
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| Yoko Ono and Occupy Wall Street Collaborate On a Wish Tree Project By Liza Eliano Yoko Ono, a major inspiration for Occupy Wall Street you could say, lends her artistic support to the movement. Hyperallergic |
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| Renegade activist stirs debate about justice within Occupy Tucson … By Bob Plain As is the case with so many Occupations across America, there is a division within Occupy Tucson. But the split here has less to do with the reform the versus revolution debate or inter-movement class disparity as it does with a renegade … Bob Plain |
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| Occupy Brookings By Stuart Hughes National protest movement Occupy Wall Street is taking on Main Street Brookings, as students and locals band together in support of local businesses, by practicing “Cash Mobs”. Since protests began in mid-September 2011, the movement … The Collegian |
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| I cite: Manhattan DA Drops Charges Against 21 Occupy Wall Street … By Jodi The NYPD has arrested almost 2000 protesters since the Occupy Wall Street movement began, and some of those arrested have refused to go the usual route taken by demonstrators. Typically, someone arrested for disorderly conduct at a … I cite |
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| Daily Digest | Occupy Boston By Kevin Maley Other Occupies. Occupy Wall Street protesters poured into Zuccotti Park as police removed the metal barricades surrounding the park and allowed the public back in. Occupy Pittsburgh testified that if evicted, the cops will be rickrolled. … Occupy Boston |
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| End could be coming soon for Occupy Claremont – DailyBulletin.com By Wes Woods II, Staff Writer CLAREMONT – Council members have voted unanimously for an ordinance that will break up the city s Occupy encampment. News |
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| Marathon Pundit: Occupy Obama in Chicago; Big Labor AWOL … By John Ruberry Occupy Chicago said they would protest Obama’s UIC event and they followed through on their promise. Where is the change? Well I want to change it back. But where were the unions? Unlike the other major Occupy Chicago rallies I … Marathon Pundit |
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| Park Service defends handling of Occupy D.C. protest — GovExec.com By (Charles S. Clark) An ongoing clash over the National Park Serviceā€™s handling of the hundreds of Occupy D.C. protestors living in tents on McPherson Square has… GovExec.com Top News |
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| Public Enemy, Cypress Hill & More Team Up To Occupy Los … By timsanchez818 The “Occupy Skid Row” concert is being organized by Chuck D and Skid Row activist General Jeff, who also happens to be a longtime Hip-Hop producer and a former member of Rodney O & Joe Cooley. The event, which also takes place on … AllHipHop.com |
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| Indypendent – Occupy 2.0: Movement to Occupy Vacant Houses … By Sean Indypendent – Occupy 2.0: Movement to Occupy Vacant Houses Spreads BY: JAISAL NOOR | JANUARY 10, 2012 JAISAL NOOR, JOURNALIST: In New York, Occupy Wall Street is continuing to shift its focus away from occupying parks and … VOCAL |
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| Occupy Wall Street Searches For Accountant To Manage Donations By James Johnson As Occupy Wall Street continues to spread into a full fledge organization with branches throughout the United States the organization is said to be searching. The Inquisitr |
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| Occupy a Living Wage | Art21 Blog By #OccupyArt21 #LosAngeles Is it time for artists to start unionizing? Christy Roberts is one of many who thinks it is, and tells us why now is the perfect moment. Art21 Blog |
The Daily Occupation Report is compiled by Rebuild the Dream using information gathered from online news sites, Twitter, blogs and other sources of occupation-related updates. You are welcome to share this report and can download the Word document version at http://rebuildthedream.com/
If you have any questions, feedback or would like to contribute reports from your local Occupy site, please send them along with your contact information to or .
For more updates from occupations around the country, listen to the Occupation America podcast athttp://soundcloud.com/
