"Days of our Occupy"

Spent most of the morning talking before the board of supervisors. They passed a crazy new ordinance. prohibiting

most forms of assembly and speech. We spoke passionately but their minds were made up.

We went out front to stand our ground but they never came to remove us. what happens next?Ttune in to "Days of our Occupy" tomorrow to find out.

Emergency my ass

HUMBOLDT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO CHALLENGE 1ST AMENDMENT: Emergency Community Response Necessary!!

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors plans to vote away people's constitutional right to expression and assembly at the courthouse. The so-called "emergency ordinance" is on their agenda for Tuesday March 27th and if voted for, would immediately go into effect. Join a determined movement in opposition to this attack on free speech starting Monday with a breakfast followed by music, and then a dinner at 5PM. Afterwards, feel welcome to attend the Occupy Eureka General Assembly at 6 PM. Later in the night there will be a candlelight vigil for the right to use the traditional space in front of the courthouse. If you can, stay overnight for Tuesday's action. If not, come back Tuesday morning! The Tuesday Board of Supervisors' meeting begins at 9AM and must be greeted by a presence of community opposition. Be there at 8AM to declare that such attacks on civil liberties will not be tolerated. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Now is the time to stand up, before standing up is outlawed. According to this proposed ordinance, no group (Women in Black, Labor Unions, Vets for Peace, CopWatch, Church Groups, Political Parties, etc) would be allowed to hang their banners, flags or signs. No one would be allowed to put up a temporary wind or rain break. No one would be allowed to put up a temporary stage ("self-standing structure"). No candlelight vigils past 9:30pm. No sharing food. No one could stake a sign or flag in the grass or planter. Would large groups gathered at the courthouse be considered "interfering with the flow of pedestrians"? What if a group wanted to protest on the grass? Would that be considered "damaging the vegetation"? Would putting your purse or backpack or literature down on the bench or ground be considered "illegally storing personal property"? Link to proposed "Emergency Ordinance": http://www.box.com/s/0ad55ec4376441ebbcc9 All Out on Monday and Tuesday to PREVENT this dangerous and repressive law from being passed! Monday, March 26th: Breakfast starts 7:30pm Protest Music All Day Dinner at 5:00pm Occupy Eureka General Assembly at 6:00pm Candlelight Vigil at 9:00pm (going until morning) Tuesday, March 27th: Gather BIG before Board of Supervisors meeting 8:00am Fill Board of Supes Meeting 9:00am All groups and individuals bring your signs, megaphones, instruments, candles!

Saturday Shark

The first amendment forum went great. Lots of people and some good speakers. 150 plus people and I got a pretty good ovation when I spoke. Hope it translates into some action and more participation.

After the storm

The storm was an angry Ruby that threw the table over and scattered the occupy to the winds. We rebuilt and enjoyed the first full day of spring.

A day in the life

The day begins like most, pain in my hips when I roll over. I fire up the worlds slowest coffee pot and begin to take some pills. I fire up the computer and scan the news and Emails. A republican said something crazy, the president signed another law restricting civil rights while grinning like an idiot and the Warriors lost.

This morning I am working on some remarks for the board of supervisors meeting. An anti occupy ordinance is on the agenda, an emergency ordinance this time. Health and safety is the excuse but the desire to make us go away is the motivation.
I print up what I have and drive down to the courthouse. When I hit I and 6th I get that little twinge, will the occupy still be there or was it carted away in the night? Finding it still there I gather my stuff and occupy.

I chat with folks as they enter the court house. Wave to the drivers as the go by. Some smile some return my peace sign or wave. A few shoot me the bird and yell get a job. The homeless drift in and out, one young man with a swollen I sits down and I find that he was rolled down the block. I do a quick assessment and he seems OK. Erica is coughing and complaining of flu like symptoms so I take her to the urgent care while answering questions from the armchair occupiers that have dropped by for the board of supervisors meeting.

I return in time to head into the courthouse and sit through some hearings on rezoning before we get to our topic. 10 people speak for our cause 3 against but the supes vote to bring forward an emergency ordinance asap anyway.

After the others go it is me and Dimitri and a handful of transients back on the curb. The young man with the swollen eye has taken a turn for the worse and is no longer alert. I call him an ambulance and try to keep him awake until they arrive. I retrieve Erica and her beau of the moment, bronchitis is her Dx.

The vacation home is full of folks seeking shelter from the drizzle when I return. The armchair folks tell me once again that the transients will destroy the movement before they leave to do their more important things. I resist the urge to tell them to bite me as they go to organize another petition drive or whatever.

Okie gets drunk and begins screaming from the Occupy south location. Court workers walk by and complain about the mess, “I can't believe they moved across the street” the woman says heading to her car with a few co-workers. Some one wonders how he got some of our signs and I talk to grannie assuring her that he is the same as the day before and the day before that.

As the darkness falls the others have moved on. The transients in search of drugs and alcohol my compatriots in search of sleep and a warm place to hang. I embrace the quiet and wait for the next shift to arrive. Jack denied a spot at the mission and Chris will take the late shift, I struggle to my feet the pain in my hip flaring with each step and head home to get a meal and another pain pill. Tomorrow is another day.

Beware the Occupy of March

On the Ides of March the promised storm arrived. We put up a tarp overhead to stay a little dryer. I am even in some of these thanks to Hans.

Occupy South

Some folks brought by some free soup for a few hours. They had a stove to keep it warm and added a cool sign to the fence. They let Oklahoma out of jail but told him he could not be out in front of the court house. The solution was Occupy South on the other side of the road. That was a joke but what the fuck is a judge doing baring some one from protesting.