Donations for bond and legal fees can be made through:
https://www.wepay.com/donations/ots-jail-support
Livestreams of the arrests can be found here:
http://bambuser.com/v/3150179
http://bambuser.com/v/3150191
http://bambuser.com/v/3150220
Four People were arrested today, in New Orleans, for protesting a meeting of the American Petroleum Institute. They are being charged with criminal trespassing, despite there being no signs stating that they were not allowed, the meeting was public, when asked to leave they complied. A Louisiana state police officer manhandled several people inside and blocked their vehicle outside, keeping them from leaving, before finally identifying himself as a police officer.
Donations for bond and legal fees can be made through: https://www.wepay.com/donations/ots-jail-support Livestreams of the arrests can be found here: http://bambuser.com/v/3150179 http://bambuser.com/v/3150191 http://bambuser.com/v/3150220
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Occupy NOLA is delighted that so many people attended the First People’s Convention in New Orleans on Saturday, October 27. Groups and individuals from across the Gulf Coast met and formed a network of activists to focus on our united grievances and the many issues our Gulf Coast faces.
The Gulf Coast People’s Convention tentatively approved the following motions with no objections from those in attendance: 1. To change the name of this group to The Gulf Coast People’s Convention. 2. Acceptance of the all the below stated reports, objectives, meetings and actions of all the listed groups 3. To sponsor and organize action in protest of the budget austerity measures slated for 2013 in December- December 15 Fiscal Cliff Austerity Protest (Jan 2 is when they are meeting). 4. Gulf Coast People’s Conventions to take place quarterly (that means the next one will be in February, which is when Mardi Gras (Feb 12) and the Superbowl (Feb 3) are in New Orleans, so that could be an issue). Here is the link to the livestream recording of the Convention. We heard from a few speakers about the following immediate concerns:
Groups each filled out two copies of a worksheet with the group’s theme, the potential group rep, member contact info, future meeting times and locations, objectives and demands, and potential dates for a protest. Not all possible groups had a leader to chair the group. Here are the groups and their chairs from The October 27 First People’s Convention (FPC) in NOLA. Political Reform Working Group Rep: Andy Washington Objectives/Demands: Reform of voting law(s) and others To Be Announced Meetings : 1st and 3rd Mondays of month at 2735 c Toulouse New Orleans, LA 70119 Actions : setting aside January 2013 for an action Housing Working Group Rep: Eloise Objectives/Demands: 1.Stop demolition of Iberville Housing Development 2.Government(HUD) must use section 8 to place people in housing 3.Government (HUD) must provide section 8 vouchers to everyone currently on section 8 waiting list 4.HUD replace public housing (unit for unit) demolished since Hurricane Katrina by constructing an equal number of public housing units in the same areas. 5.No cuts, fiscal cliff or otherwise, to the current HUD budget. Instead we demand that Congress raise the HUD budget HUD by 50% over the current one (2011-2012). Meetings: Third Thursday of every month at 7pm. St Jude Center, New Orleans Actions: Nov. 30th – Action planned! Press conference and protest at office of David Gilmore, 4100 Touro St. NOLA BP Disaster Aftermath Concerns Working Group Group Rep: Kimberly Objectives/Demands: 1. True longintudal studies on chemicals to detect toxins. 2. No use of dispersants if they are toxic 3. Transparent communication about what is being used 4. Cease spraying of toxic dispersants (TDs) 5. Cleaning up oil/tarballs/tarmats (that now contain high levels of Vibrio vulnificus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrio_vulnificus) Meetings: TBA (in January) Actions: Planning another summit to stop TDs to take place in January in Mississippi PAST flyering public places on threat of touching tarballs CURRENT promoting (signing petition) HR 3562 moratorium on use COREXIT Student Debt Working Group Reps: Tara Jill and Mark (since group members live along the coast there is a AL rep. and a LA rep). Objectives/Demands: 1. Student Debt Forgiveness 2. Free well-funded quality “emancipatory” public education 3. Repeal bankruptcy law which prevents those with student loans from declaring legal bankruptcy Meetings: TBA – group will join InterOcc and International Student Movement debt conference calls Actions: TBA after conference call meetings show the best strategies to take but also to likely coincide with global action days. Since there are members from Alabama and Louisiana in this group, there could be actions with state-specific demands Tar Sands Event Working Group Objectives/Demands: In seeking to shut down the KXL pipeline to work with other groups against it (i.e. Sierra Club, etc.) and promote alternative energy and energy saving devices. Meeting: Teach-in Nov. 11th 5 pm Fair Grinds Coffee shop Actions: to take part in demonstrations such as are occurring in Texas. Health Care Working Group Rep: Brad Ott He is allied with Committee to Save Southeast Louisiana Hospital http://www.saveselh.org and Advocates for Louisiana Public Health Care Objectives/Demands: 1.Single Payer health care 2.restore recent health care funding cuts 3.address defunding of public health care 4.fight privatizations 5.support special legislative session to reverse budget Meetings: Post-Election round table; Gillespie Breakfast 2nd Sat. of Nov. 10-12 noon Actions : Demonstration Nov. 1st at South East LA hospital in Mandeville 4:30 Workers’ Rights Working Group Rep - Needs a rep! (Mike Chenier has agreed to be a rep). Could not agree to objectives and which actions to sponsor/take part in. Our table comprised two people from Socialist Alternative, one person promoting workers’ cooperatives, an unaffiliated restaurant worker looking for work, an unemployed worker still retaining his Teamster membership and myself a civil servant also a member of SEIU. The varying narratives each brought to the table needed more time for each to put it out on the table in order to craft a broader point of departure for the Convention and thus we could find little consensus in order to choose actions. Mike has declined to chair this group out of the People’s Convention as he already is obliged to work with the Socialist Alternative group. This group still needs a rep. Objectives/demands: (We had to start with a declarative statement): 1. All gains for workers have come/come through struggle and the struggle must be organized 2.Organization must occur independent of the current establishments (i. e. established unions, employers, etc.) 3.The Workers Rights group of the People’s Convention respects the initiative(s) and integrity of all workers Military Industrial Complex Working Group Rep: Ben Gordon Pax Christi New Orleans meets monthly. Details at http://www.paxchristino.org/ for details. Phone: Pax Christi 504-522-3757 Objectives: 1.Defund SOA/WHINSEC 2.End wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan with ongoing peace vigil in NOLA 3. Avoid war in Iran Current Action already planned: Close SOA (School of the Americas) protest Fort Benning, Columbus GA Nov. 16th – 18th Meetings: Usually monthly but will not be held in Nov due to SOA protest. Next meeting is December 13 6:30 pm 7750 Walmsley NOLA Actions: TBD post SOA protest We are excited to unite over so many issues and support one another in solidarity. Finally, if you and your group would like to host one of the quarterly conventions, please let us all know! Occupy NOLA would be happy to travel to future conventions! If you would like to contact any of the group reps or convention organizers, please get in touch with us a [email protected] or contact Mike Howells at [email protected] 504-587-0800 OR Justin and Occupy The Stage at [email protected] 504-400-2284 Thank you so much! ~ Occupy NOLA and Occupy The Stage |
OTSOccupy the Stage is a branch of Occupy NOLA that is dedicated to artists and artisans. We are committed to the belief that the arts and skilled trades are sacred. They belong to the people and are immune to censorship, gentrification, taxation or corporate consolidation. These are the basic necessities for civilization and are considered incorruptible. Archives
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