Category Archives: We are the 99%

Why you should Occupy #IdleNoMore

Posted on by

What is #IdleNoMore?

 528891_315195325266310_238891078_n 541809_457148224334108_1446051167_n

On October 18, 2012 an ominous bill was first read in the Canadian Parliament. This bill, The Jobs and Growth Act 2012 (or Bill C-45 informally), was put together by the conservative party under direction from Prime Minister Harper. C-45 gained controversy for two reasons. First, the bill was over 450 pages long. And secondly, sections of the bill dealt with things unrelated to the actual purpose of the bill.

For example, part 4, section 8 of the bill is called “The Indian Act.” The so-called Indian Act is summarized like this: “Amends the Act to modify the voting and approval procedures in relation to proposed land designations.” “The act” it is referring to is Bill C-31. C-31 was passed in 1985 and – although not completely supported by First Nations—had been the standard to which the crown and Canada negotiated with First Nations.

Part 4 of C-45 stands to alter this regulation, ultimately taking away the right of First Nations to be involved in plans or negotiations about use of their lands. Parliament word can be the end-all-be-all. Also, Bill C-45 overhauled the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) of 1882, renaming it the Navigation Protection Act (NPA). The NWPA had mandated an extensive approval and consultation process before construction of any kind could take place in or around any water which could in principle be navigated by any kind of floating craft. This is very important to nations that still travel by waterway. But there is even more to this “alteration.”

Under the new NPA, the approval process would only be required for development around one of a very delimited list of waterways set by the Minister of Transportation. Many of the newly deregulated waterways pass through traditional First Nations land.

While the NWPA had originally been intended to facilitate actual navigation, the ubiquitousness of waterways in the Canadian wilderness has given it the effect of strong environmental legislation by presenting a significant barrier to industrial development of any kind. This was applied especially to projects such as pipelines which crossed many rivers and into indigenous territory.

The government had by this time been engaged for some years in a campaign for approval of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines Project, a proposal to build a pipeline for connecting the Athabasca tar sands with the Pacific Ocean, facilitating unprocessed bitumen exports to China. The Enbridge and Keystone XL have been widely protested. Now C-45 and P.M. Stephen Harper looked to undermine those protections, as well as many other provisions.

Many people feel this was an deliberate act of greed on behalf of the Canadian government, while also veiling an attack on First Nations. Some believe this is a “raping of our Mother Earth through legislation.” Bill C-45 passed in December 2012. The Idle No More movement has listed 10 such bills as having direct effect on First Nations.

On December 11, 2012, Chief Theresa Spence declared a hunger strike. Her hunger strike consists of a liquid diet of sips of lemon water, medicinal teas, and fish broth. These provide basic nutrients. She said, “I will die for my people.” She engaged in this hunger strike in attempts to shed light on the economic status of First Nations and her people, the Attawapiskat. Mass media has been critical of her strike. Canada is still suffering from the effects of their “Jim Crow” type laws. Effigies of First Nations people have been burned in protest of her and the Idle No More movement. (For more on this read any comment section under Idle No More news links.)

Shortly after Chief Spence began her strike, people began doing acts of direct action in solidarity. At first it took the form of flash mobs. Someone quickly coined the name Idle No More as a hashtag via Twitter. The movement grew quickly. Road blocks were formed. Marches were held. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Harper left the country. He apparently cared very little about this issue. Chief Spence released a statement saying she would continue her hunger strike until P.M. Harper met with a delegation of First Nations representatives.

After two weeks of her strike and growing direct actions, Harper proposed a meeting on January 11, 2013. Idle No More had become a social media-led movement. Immediately a call to action was released. #IdleNoMore had become a worldwide movement. #J11 came. The meeting fell through. Chief Spence continues her strike.

What does this have to do with you? You don’t live in Canada. You may not have indigenous blood.

Soon after its inception, the movement took a turn. Originally the movement was over C-45 and bills like it. Rallies and marches began to see an underlying reality. This isn’t just an indigenous issue. This is a civil, human, and environmental rights message.

Governments the world over are continually, blatantly, showing their real interest. It is in their pockets. Using Indian lands without consent is bad enough. Add the fact that it is obviously being done for the gain of a few, so they can make money excavating, pumping, and transporting harmful substances. One of the last hopes in blocking such pipelines is the First Nations. Now, Canada can bypass them.

This sort of action sets a precedent to other governments the world over. Not only are direct actions in solidarity but they now allow people a stage for their testimonies of injustice. (Police brutality, economic justice, civil rights, clean energy, etc.)

The next #IdleNoMore Global Day Of Action is January 28, 2013, not long from today. A solidarity event is scheduled from 12pm to 5pm in between the museums in downtown Raleigh. We plan to show our solidarity with #EnbridgeNoMore and to bring attention to the proposed mining of uranium in Virginia. Studies show mining will effect the waterways of North Carolina heavily. A short amount of research shows that NC stands to profit from lifting the current uranium mining ban in the state.

Sound familiar?

For the aboriginal tribes of Virginia and North Carolina, this movement gives us a voice we haven’t had before. YOUR VOICE CAN BE HEARD! The land is our Mother. She is/can/will be perpetually sold off and poisoned for profit. We can stop this. This is our time to talk about institutionalized racism. Lack of Federal Recognition. Acquisition of Indian land. Poverty. Lies.

#IdleNoMore press releases always say some form of this: THIS IS NOT JUST AN INDIAN THING! IT IS A HUMAN THING!

 

For more information on #IdleNoMore:

https://www.facebook.com/IdleNoMoreCommunity?fref=ts

http://idlenomore.ca/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idle_No_More

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23IdleNoMore&src=typd

Why do I occupy? Well, I wish I had a simple answer. Pt. 1

Posted on by

You must have forgotten.

By Charles Hancock

About fourteen months ago I brought myself downtown to participate in a rally with Occupy Raleigh for the October 15th Global Day of Action. I had been paying attention to the events in Egypt and Tunisia as close as possible from U.S. soil. This had been recalled as the catalyst for the Occupy movement. From the beginning of the rally, even until today I am asked one question over and over again. Why do you Occupy?

I answered this question on the 15th. I stood before a statue of a man named Zebulon Vance. After some had given their reasons, I found myself scrambling to organize my thoughts. My name was called by the facilitator. He read my name off a crinkled envelope, before shoving it back into his pocket. I spoke about my personal experiences that I felt were unfair. Things I was angry about. Things that I felt I could blame on a corrupt system.

As the first few weeks passed, this inquiry happened on a daily basis. I was asked by people on their way to and fro. I was asked by cops. The press asked my on a few occasions. Late at night, I was asked by drunk college students stumbling out of bars. They would make their way to the sidewalk. Some attempted to pick fights. Some seemed genuinely interested. Others may not even remember their visit. In reflection, I find this interesting.

A common plot line in literature and television is one of the weary soul. Often the protagonist is facing a moral question. Unable to make sense of the situation, they find themselves at a ‘low point’. Drunk, homeless, beaten up, depressed, or something like the such. Then they confide in someone. Most of the time it is one of three types of people. Friend, family, or clergy. Not every visitor fit the profile, obviously. But I am sure that a few of them did.

What answers were given? What reasons had I given? As time went along, more and more of the ‘occupiers’ became willing to speak to the public. The question was asked of me less and less.

Recently, I began giving this some extensive thought. Why do I Occupy? In the process of trying to find the answer to this question, many things have had to occur. First, I had to reflect on my life experiences. Second, after reflection, I had to evaluate why those experiences had an impact on me. Third, I weighed the impact of those experiences with the impact of things happening around me. For instance; How had my parents financial situation effected my view on poverty, wages, etc. Then I felt I needed to find the root of the emotion. There would be my answer.

I am angry. I am frustrated. I am sad. I am today. I was on October 15th 2011. Looking back, I was way before that. Without boring you with too many details, I would like to answer the question again.

Why do I ‘occupy’?

I occupy because of love. Because, from an early age I was taught about the worth of a soul. I was told that everyone has value. That everyone can be free and happy. They just have to want it. I occupy because I stand against the tyranny of those whom oppress. Oppression halts the freedom and happiness of others. I believe in the power of the human spirit. I do so, because I have seen that power. I have felt it. The spirit has no race or color.

I occupy because I love. I love my brothers and sister. White, black, lesbian, gay, trans-gender, Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian. I love them whether, rich or poor. Sick, in pain, republican, democrat, socialist, anarchist or otherwise. I may not agree with you all the time, but I love you.

I occupy because I love the Earth. I love blue skies. Deep breathes, small streams, mountains, and beaches. I enjoy being in nature. It is where I feel balance. I believe that Mother Earth is our lifeline. She should be respected. We should live for her, not her for us.

And that is the basis of why I ‘occupy’. It is the core. It is why I drag myself to meetings. It is why I attend General Assemblies. It is why I do direct actions. What better reason is there?

Now, I understand that not everyone feels the same. Most people, I feel are still overcome by anger. That is justified. I believe anger is part of the process. Others have become complacent. This, on the other hand, I can not justify. Change. Real, positive, change, takes work. Spread the message. Talk to people. Make proposals. Participate in actions. Do something. IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. It may not have a world changing effect, but you will feel hope again.

I am reminded of a story that I was told as a child. If I could give one example of how I feel, right now. It would be this allegory.

One day a indigenous man was walking in the woods. He was gathering berries from the bushes. He was mapping the tracts of deer. And locating things needed for his village. As he walked he heard the sound of work. He followed the noise to a clearing. In the center of the field was a large pile of dirt and a giant hole.

The native man approached the hole and found a white man lying in dirt at the bottom of the hole. The native man said, “Nice hole.” The white man was looking at a rock. It seemed he had not heard the native. The man said again, “Nice hole.” The white man looked up and shouted, “I am busy.”

The native introduced himself, “I am Rises Like Sun, of the Monacan.” He sat down at the edge of the hole and ate some of the berries he had picked. The white man threw the rock out of the hole and climbed out. He began sifting through the dirt he had exhumed. Every thing he found in the dirt he paced in various piles. Rocks. Worms. Roots. Bugs.

The native man asked, “Who are you?” The white man turned around. He tossed his head back and puffed out his chest, “ I am Gregory McMillen, of England. I am a renowned archaeologist and anthropologist. I have studied the oldest sites in Africa, China, and Brittan. I have helped to prove that ‘white men’ were once uncivilized, heathen, savages, like you Indians here in America. I am studying this site so we can answer two questions. What is the purpose of the Earth? If and How are all living organisms related?”

The Monacan man stood. He picked up his things and laughed. Mr. McMillen lifted his eyes from an earthworm. Noticing that the man was leaving and hearing his laughter, McMillen yelled, “Why are you laughing?” The Monacan stopped and turned, “You must have forgotten.”

Call on Raleigh City Council to Support Repeal of Citizens United

Posted on by

**This speech was delivered to the Raleigh City Council by a member of The Raleigh Action Collective (TRAC) on June 5. TRAC is asking you to please lobby the city council to vote in favor of this resolution at their June 19 meeting: citycouncilors@raleighnc.gov. The mayor’s number is 919-847-2299. The city council office number is: 919-996-3000.

___

Hello, I am a representative of the Raleigh coalition against Citizens United. We are asking the Raleigh City Council to defend democracy by calling for a stop to unlimited and anonymous political campaign donations.

The 2010 Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court ruling has practically eliminated our fundamental notion of a government of, for and by the people. This isn’t a partisan issue. Most Americans agree the justices made a grave error in unleashing unlimited election spending by powerful private entities.

Polls show that 79 percent[1],[2] of registered voters across the political spectrum support overturning Citizens United and making clear that corporations do not have the same rights as people. Also, 66 percent[3] of the nation’s small business owners believe Citizens United hurts small companies.

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a conservative, recently noted that Citizens United increases the importance of cash in contested elections and allows non-voters to usurp voters to influence election outcomes.[4] This year, Republican Senator John McCain said: “I condemn the United States Supreme Court for their naivety in the Citizens United decision, which is an outrage.”[5]

So far in the current election cycle, super PACs have spent more than $100 million[6], more than double the amount spent to this point in the 2008 election, and about seven times more than this point in the 2004 election. A small number of Super PACs are expected to spend a total of $1 billion dollars to influence the 2012 election.[7]

Supporting the concept of “Money as Speech” allowed one North Carolinian, via three organizations he controls, to spend more than $2 million to influence NC legislative races in 2010. In the six races where the candidate he backed lost, he spent an average of $23,000 per seat. In the 21 races where the candidate he backed won, he spent an average of $90,452 per seat.[8] So a four-fold increase in spending is correlated with victory. Is that democracy?

This resolution has a lot of support across our State. In May, the North Carolina attorney general joined 21 other states in saying that Citizens United should not have the power to strike down state anti-corruption laws.[9] Leaders in Asheville, Franklin, Highlands, Bryson City, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Orange County and Durham have decided that passing a resolution opposing Citizens United is in the best interest of their constituents.

Local organizations that endorse this resolution are: The League of Women Voters of NC, Triangle Move to Amend, NC Justice Center, NC Voters for Clean Elections, Common Cause NC, Democracy NC, NC State AFL-CIO, Triangle Jobs with Justice, Triangle Labor Council, 350.org, Public Citizen, and The Raleigh Action Collective.

The resolution we’ve drafted concludes with this statement:

  1. Only human beings are people and endowed with constitutional rights, not corporations, unions, or any other type of organization, and
  2. Since the Constitution is meant to protect the rights of all individuals equally regardless of wealth, regulating excessive and/or anonymous spending in political campaigns is not equivalent to limiting political speech, and is necessary to preserve equitable and transparent democracy.

Dozens of people attended the June 5 city council meeting and stood up in support of the resolution. Some of these people have helped collect our 424 petition signatures from people who live or work in Raleigh; others have helped raise awareness in other ways.

In closing, we ask the Raleigh City Council to support this resolution because we believe that it is a threat to democracy to allow private interests to outweigh the rights of ordinary citizens by using concentrated wealth to disproportionately influence candidate selection, election outcomes and, ultimately, public policy decisions. Thank you.

**Please ask Raleigh city councilors to vote in favor of this local resolution against Citizens United. Click here to send a single email to the mayor and all council members. If you are a Raleigh resident, enter your address on this page to find your district’s elected council member, then find his/her individual email addresses at the bottom of this page. Be sure to include your home address on the email so that they know you are their constituent!

The mayor’s number is 919-847-2299. The city council office number is: 919-996-3000.

[9] http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-22-states-join-campaign-finance-fight-063148340.html

Open Letter to Raleigh Mayor, City Council: Defend ‘We the People’

Posted on by

**If you would like to support this local resolution against Citizens United, click here to send a single email to the mayor and all council members to ask them to defend democracy by supporting this resolution. If you live in Raleigh, enter your address on this page to find out who your district’s elected council member is, then find his/her individual email addresses at the bottom of this page. Also, plan to attend the city council meeting on Tuesday, June 5 at 7:00pm.

Opposition to Citizens United is overwhelming among voters across party lines, Miller Center/Univ of Virginia - http://bit.ly/LxQSMg

Dear Mayor McFarlane and Raleigh City Council Members,

I am writing to ask you to support a Raleigh city council resolution against the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court ruling. I represent a growing group of Raleigh residents and organizations who value the tenants of fair democracy and oppose excessive and sometimes anonymous spending by Super PACs and corporations to swing elections in their favor.

This is a citizens-based movement to regain control over elections and policy making. We’ve been running a petition drive on the streets of Raleigh and have collected over 250 signatures, which I can deliver to you in person. The online petition is nearing 100 additional signatures (sign it here).

In North Carolina alone, local government leaders in Asheville, Franklin, Highlands, Bryson City, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Orange County and Durham have decided that passing a resolution against corporate personhood is in the best interest of their constituents. The resolution is in progress in many other NC municipalities.

Increase in Spending and Number of Super PACS, 2010-2012, OpenSecrets.org

Similar resolutions against Citizens United have been approved by state lawmakers in Rhode Island, Vermont, New Mexico and Hawaii, and one is pending before the Massachusetts Legislature. In May, it was announced that 22 states (including North Carolina) and the District of Columbia are joining Montana’s challenge of the Citizens United ruling – an effort that has gained bi-partisan support from Senators John McCain (R-Ariz) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) (see the news story here).

On May 23, two NC Senators announced that they will present a resolution against Citizens United to the NCGA (see the announcement here).

Source: Campaign Finance Institute

Local groups that have already signed on in support of this effort include Triangle Move to Amend, NC Voters for Clean Elections, 350.org, and The Raleigh Action Collective, a grassroots organization rooted in the Occupy movement. Additional local organizations publicly opposing Citizens United include the NC State AFL-CIO, NC NAACP, the Raleigh-Wake Move On Council, Common Cause, and Democracy NC, along with hundreds of citizens that have turned out at recent actions against Citizens United.

I have sent to you a draft resolution that is based on resolutions that have passed in other municipalities and the feedback we received from one of the Raleigh council members. I am writing to ask you for your feedback on the draft and to request that you take the necessary steps to promptly advance this resolution after hearing about the broad community support for it at the city council meeting on Tuesday, June 5. We will be requesting a spot on the agenda to bring this matter to your attention in person and mobilizing community members to attend the June 5 council meeting to show their support for the resolution.

Not an even playing field, OpenSecrets.org

I am glad the Raleigh city council took steps to publicly oppose the anti-equality Amendment One and to express concern over the potential dangers of fracking in North Carolina. I sincerely hope that Raleigh leaders can also support this growing national movement to defend democracy from corruption and preserve the Constitutional rights of ordinary citizens. Below, I have included some links to research I have done on this issue for your perusal.

I and others belonging to the Raleigh coalition against Citizens United would be happy to meet with you in person to further discuss this resolution and the path to getting it passed.

Respectfully,
Stacie Borrello
A Member of The Raleigh Action Collective and local organizer on the Citizens United issue

**If you would like to support this local resolution against Citizens United, click here to send a single email to the mayor and all council members to speak your mind on this issue. If you live in Raleigh, enter your address on this page to find out who your district’s elected council member is, then find his/her individual email addresses at the bottom of this page. Also, plan to attend the city council meeting on Tuesday, June 5 at 7:00pm.

On TRAC NC Fair Unites More Than a Dozen Groups in Outreach Event

Posted on by

June 2 ‘Community Engagement Fair’ Aims to Advance Social & Economic Justice in North Carolina

RALEIGH, NC, May 28, 2012 — The current political and economic environment, with its focus on extremist social agendas and profiteering over people, is a threat to human dignity. To raise awareness of the interconnected challenges NC communities face and promote change, a local group has organized the first On TRAC NC Community Engagement Fair, to be held Saturday, June 2, from 11:00am – 3:00pm.

The event, which will be held on the North Carolina Legislative Building Lawn (16 West Jones Street) and across the street at the Bi-Centennial Mall, will unite a diverse range of community groups fighting to reestablish citizen control over policy making and bring about a resurgence of justice for the people of North Carolina.

“We see this as a unique opportunity to engage with the community alongside other activist and advocacy groups,” says Stacie Borrello, a member of The Raleigh Action Collective (TRAC) and one of the event organizers. “We invite community members to use the fair as a way to plug in and help get NC back ‘ON TRAC,’ by participating in the call for economic justice, social equality, environmental protection, workers’ rights, and increased civic engagement.”

Participating groups include NC Justice Center, Occupy Raleigh Outreach, Triangle Jobs with Justice, NC State AFL-CIO, Progress NC, Croatan Earth First, Democracy NC, Food Not Bombs, The Green Party, Raleigh-Wake Move On Council, Raging Grannies, Internationalist Prison Books Collective and others. Information tables, speeches on a wide range of justice issues, performances, and art displays are planned. The event is free and open to the public.

Who: The Raleigh Action Collective (TRAC) is hosting, with collaboration from other participating organizations. TRAC is an offshoot of the Occupy Movement focused on spurring legislative change.

What: On TRAC NC Fair, a joint outreach and education event for more than a dozen community organizations.

When: Saturday, June 2, 11:00am – 3:00pm. Speeches from 11:40am – 12:30pm and 1:40pm – 2:30pm. Performances from 12:45pm – 1:30pm.

Where: Bi-Centennial Mall and Lawn of NC Legislature, 16 W Jones St., Raleigh.

Why: Inform the community on social and economic justice issues, engage new activists/volunteers, and unite a diverse range of groups in one event to strengthen alliances among groups representing the 99%.

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/380963868609738/

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TRAC_NC

Email: OnTRACNC AT GMAIL DOT COM

 

Lady Liberty Stolen from Occupy Raleigh: Irony Not Lost on Occupiers

Posted on by

By: Roger Ehrlich

A 20 foot pop-art “Leaning Lady Liberty” statue, which had become one of the symbols of Occupy Raleigh and was a familiar site to downtown Raleigh motorists, was stolen from the corner of Edenton and West Streets between Friday, May 18 afternoon and early Saturday, May 19 morning.

“The statue belonged to all of us,” said Occupy supporter Roger Ehrlich, who helped create it, “I know people loved it, and not just the occupiers. They would lean out their car windows to take pictures, a local artist painted a picture of her standing in front of the tents. Now it’s been stolen, just like people’s Constitutional Rights and economic security have been stolen.”

The statue showed civilians attempting to resurrect a leaning Statue of Liberty in a formation reminiscent of another iconic image, the statue of U.S. Marines planting a flag at Iwo Jima. It was featured in a recent News 14 story about the closing of the resource center. The owner of the property said the statue could stay at least through the end of May.

Citizens have erected a sign where the “Leaning Lady Liberty” used to stand and distributed handbills with her image in the hopes that the community can help get her back.

Two harassing phone calls received at 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. Monday, May 21 by an Occupy Raleigh participant suggest that the statue may have been stolen by opponents of the movement.

“A lot of people are disturbed with what’s been happening with financial fraud, the wars, and how corporate money rules,” said Ehrlich, “but people have different ideas about what should be done. We’ve gotten some opposition from people who claim to be patriots, and with recent events like veterans in Chicago returning their medals to protest the wars and fraud I know emotions are running high. We don’t know who took it, but I’d like to ask those people, ‘do they hate the dissent that has spread liberty throughout the world? Do they hate freedom?”

Raleigh supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement began by occupying space at the State Capitol last fall, but their claims of the right to 24 hour public assembly and speech at the square fell on deaf ears and they were forced to move temporarily to the private but visible location downtown. When occupiers shut down the resource center where the statue stood, they vowed to redirect their energy into other efforts such as instituting new limits on corporate political influence and holding those guilty of financial crimes accountable.

Contact: Rachel Powell (337) 580-4559
Roger Ehrlich (919) 696-5995

Local Coalition against Citizens United Gains Traction

Posted on by

Corporations are not people, and money is not free speech. This is why we’re working with community members and groups aligned with our cause to fight against the hugely unpopular Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision.

The Raleigh Action Collective (TRAC) co-hosted an April 25 Community Forum on Repealing Citizens United with the NC Voters for Clean Elections (NCVCE) to build a coalition of local people and organizations supporting action against the disastrous Supreme Court decision that broke down all barriers to corporate-owned elections. (Private spending in the current campaign cycle now tops $90 million, more than double historical amounts.)

We gather because we know that Corporations are not People, and that allowing them to use their wealth to control election outcomes is not democracy

About two dozen people participated in the April 25 forum, bringing new avenues of collaboration, ideas and action plans to the table. Representatives from 350.org, the Green Party, NC Peace Action, and Triangle Move to Amend attended, along with others supporting fair and transparent elections.

The coalition’s key goal is to ask the Raleigh City Council and the NC General Assembly to pass resolutions against corporate personhood. A draft resolution can be found here. This resolution asks city councilors and legislators to defend democracy by calling for an end to corporate “personhood” and anonymous and unlimited campaign contributions.

Volunteers have collected more than 300 signatures from the community, between the online and the pen and paper petition. Please sign and share: http://www.change.org/petitions/raleigh-city-council-don-t-stand-for-corporate-control-of-our-elections.

Highlights of the Community Forum included:

  • Hearing from the broad community base that supports overturning Citizens United and increasing coordination.
  • Organizing attendees to lobby city councilors in their districts.
  • Discussing the draft resolution and ways to continue building support in the community.
  • Reviewing the work that other cities and town in North Carolina have done to pass resolutions opposing corporate personhood.
  • Introducing a “lobby day” on May 23 to coordinate support for the anti-corporate personhood bill that will be introduced soon in the NC General Assembly.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this productive Community Forum. We will continue to work together to reduce corporate influence over politics until our goals are achieved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stay in touch with The Raleigh Action Collective on Facebook and Twitter.

To volunteer for this effort or sign on to the Raleigh coalition against Citizens United, join a regular TRAC meeting, or contact us: OnTracNC AT gmail.com, 919-996-9208.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE: The Durham anti-corporate personhood organizers will be petitioning the Durham city council on Thursday, May 10 at 1 pm at Durham City Hall, 101 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC 27701, in the Council’s Committee room on the second floor. Attend if you can and bring your friends. A strong showing will tell the council that this is an important issue for Durham. The presentation will be brief; it likely will be over by 1:15pm.

Read more on Citizens United:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/opinion/when-other-voices-are-drowned-out.html?_r=1

http://www.democracycorps.com/strategy/2012/01/two-years-after-citizens-united-voters-fed-up-with-money-in-politics/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/citizens-united-amendment-grassroots-movement_n_1435369.html

 

 

 

Earth Day Picnic at Fletcher Park

Posted on by

***THIS EVENT WILL BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO THE NON-PICNIC FRIENDLY WEATHER.

“When we contemplate the whole globe as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted with continents and islands, flying through space with other stars all singing and shining together as one, the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty.” John Muir

Perhaps nowhere is the degradation brought on by corporate rule more obvious than in the manner that all of nature, including ourselves, can be wasted in the name of profit. Join Occupy Raleigh as we celebrate John Muir’s 174 birthday on April 22. We will gather at Fletcher Park (802 Clay St.) in downtown Raleigh at 4 pm for a potluck picnic, with drumming, speeches, and entertainment. Earth Day is a time to consider how the many strands of our movement all coalesce around the goal to occupy our planet in a mindful, just, and peaceful way.

Many of us are aware of the different paths we now follow leading to ecocide–climate change, soil erosion, genetically modified organisms, loss of aquifers, the sixth wave of species extinction. We must not let this complex web of destruction stun us into silence or immobilize us with terror. Our collective wisdom and strength enables us to confront the dangers we face. On Earth Day let us celebrate all we have accomplished this year and strategize how we might continue our struggle to green the planet.

After the festivities at the park, we will carry out another large scale occupation. Details provided at the picnic.

By: Jeff L.

RSVP here: http://www.facebook.com/events/309535952451730/

You Cannot Evict an Idea whose Time Has Come

Posted on by

Starting on April 15, Occupy Raleigh community members return to the Capitol Sidewalk for regular demonstrations against economic injustice

Speech delivered by Josh Harris at #A15 “Take Back the Sidewalk” Action

“You cannot evict an idea whose time has come.”

Solidarity brothers and sisters! Today we gather in solidarity with those now Occupying the Sidewalks of Wall Street and many other cities across the country. Day and night they bravely remind those who ruthlessly pursue profit of the human costs of greed. Those who, according to Greg Smith – former executive of Goldman Sachs – in his resignation letter published in the NY Times, refer to their own hedge fund clients as “muppets.”

Muppets!

We have also gathered to commemorate the history of Occupy Raleigh’s demonstration for political and economic justice.

Six months ago, nearly a thousand of our friends and neighbors gathered on a beautiful day on this public square to voice a collective frustration with failed leadership and failing institutions. Bank bailouts, Citizens United, and endless lip service from politicians led many to declare no confidence in the party system.

Afterward, Occupy Raleigh organized a round-the-clock demonstration on this sidewalk lasting for over a month. Many citizens donated pizza and doughnuts, blankets gloves and jackets, and even time spent watching over our sleeping demonstrators. Our chants and marches engaged the public in a once-taboo dialogue about economic inequality that continues to this day.

But six months later, our fight far from over.

Ninety three percent of all new income gains during our so-called “recovery” STILL went to the top 1%. The 99% STILL earn $44 LESS in yearly wages than before the recovery began.

We STILL proudly proclaim that ours is the richest nation on Earth. But a small town could easily house most of its wealth. Four hundred American families STILL control more wealth than one hundred fifty million others.

Most Americans STILL paid more taxes – both in dollars and percent – than billion dollar corporations like GE, Verizon, and Boeing over the past three years.

Medical debt is STILL a major factor in more than half of all consumer bankruptcy cases and half of all residential foreclosures in America.

Even here, in my native City of Raleigh, we STILL have the 42nd widest gap between rich and poor according to PBS.

So here today, I personally invite the 99% of Raleigh, of Durham, of Chapel Hill and all surrounding areas who have been abandoned by our leaders, to join us on this sidewalk where our peaceful demonstration shall continue indefinitely.

From our public space we will send a persistent message to those in power that we have had enough. While injustice continues, so shall resistance. When leaders ignore, the people organize. When profits are priority, the People will rise.

So spread the word to all who feel unrepresented by their officials, by their managers, by their parties, by any who disguise their service of the rich as leadership of the poor…tell them about the People’s Sidewalk. Tell them that here their voice will be heard. Tell them that here people have hearts, and not shareholders.

Here we are restoring justice for all.

Josh Harris
April 15th, 2012 North Carolina State Capitol

nickwood1979@gmail.com

I’m Innocent! And no one is really surprised by the verdict.

Posted on by

Many of the people pictured here were arrested on 10/27 for NOT blocking a public sidewalk, but occupying one half of it. One of those demonstrators (a disabled woman) had her case dismissed and another, Katina, was found NOT GUILTY by jury.

I’m Innocent! And no one is really surprised by the verdict because the others arrested and myself were, in fact, not trespassing on a public sidewalk at the State Capitol building that day. We had every right to be there on October 27th protesting economic injustice, corporate greed, and the influence of corporate money in politics, and we have every right to be there any day doing the same.

The trial was held on this past Tuesday, April 10th, and took several hours. I apologize to everyone who had their court date postponed because of it. After video, photos, testimony from the arresting officers, Margaret, and myself, hours of arguments for constitutional rights, and a wild goose chase for a responsible agent who was no where to be found, I was found innocent. The main reason for the verdict of innocence was determined through a video made that day of the State Capitol police chief saying that we could stay, and that they were not trying to remove people, they only wanted to remove property.  Having us arrested for trespassing because we would not stand up in obedience with a non-existent regulation was a mistake, it is our constitutional right to be there.

The fact that I was seated in a chair on the sidewalk did not make me any different than my fellow protestors standing two feet beside me who were not arrested, it did not make me any different than Margaret seated next to me who was wearing legal identification declaring her disability around her neck, and it didn’t make me any different than the people who were sitting on the sidewalk that day either. (Marget’s case has since been dismissed, read the article here).

We will not be deterred from our purpose in raising North Carolinian’s awareness of global injustices committed by the 1%. We will continue to Occupy Raleigh every night and day maintaining a healthy disregard for all made up rules and regulations, or other efforts made to limit our freedom of speech and expression.

Thank you very much to Mr. Steven Edelstein of Edelstein & Payne for representing me and to Mr. Scott Holmes for assisting with legal counsel. We greatly appreciate the help and hard work you guys have put in to protecting civil liberties and standing up for our rights.

The remaining 10/27/11 arrests to be tried return to court on May 8th and I will be there with them that day, please join us in solidarity at the Wake County Courthouse at 9am.

We will continue to Occupy The North Carolina State Capitol until…

WHOSE CAPITOL??? OUR CAPITOL!!!

- Katina