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We are the 99 percent

#TakeTheSpring - Today in Chicago, Minneapolis, Philly and Beyond

Posted 11 years ago on April 7, 2012, 1:45 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

chicago spring

Occupations across the country are taking action today; here are a few exciting events to follow!

The #ChicagoSpring Begins

chicago spring

Occupy Chicago is hosting a day packed with community events and demonstrations throughout the city. Dubbed the beggining of the Chicago Spring by local organizers, today will be a celebration of the upcoming spring of resistance worldwide! Smaller neighborhood events will be happening throughout the day, with a 1pm Central Time gathering at LaSalle and Jackson and march to Butler Field at Grant Park for an evening of workshops, panel discussions, and more. For the full list of all the impressive actions and endorsers for today´s events in Chicago, see http://chicagospring.org/ or the Occupied Chicago Tribune and follow @OccupyChicago on Twitter.

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#OccupyElBarrio rally outside a federal correctional facility, one of many of today´s #ChicagoSpring actions

Occupy Philly Moves In to Independence Mall

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Occupy Philly tents next to a plaque commemorating the First Amendment

On their six month anniversary since Occupying next to City Hall, Occupy Philadelphia and homeless supporters from Camp Liberty gathered yesterday to protest an outrageous city policy that criminalizes poverty and homelessness by banning feeding of the hungry in public places or serving meals in parks. Afterward, Occupiers set up a new camp on Independence Mall, near the famous Liberty Bell that draws thousands of visitors. Park rangers have agreed not to evict them as long as they stay awake and adhere to a long list of arbitrary rules - for example, Occupiers must leave their tents open at all times so rangers can see inside.

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Occupiers in Philly link arms at last night´s march against criminalizing feeding the hungry

The Twin Cities Re-Occupy Today

Today, Occupy Minneapolis has big plans as well:

At noon on April 7th, members of Occupy Minneapolis will set up encampments at Peavey Plaza and Loring Park. The sites will become the new homes of the local branch of the movement and the official move in, tents and all, will begin at 12pm on Saturday. The date is also the 6-month anniversary of the initial occupation of Government Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. Organizers hope that having multiple spaces will offer many benefits and boldly reinforce the desire to one day occupy all available spaces within the city.

Reoccupy Minneapolis organizer Sam Richards said, “We are calling for everyone to bring their families, friends and tents, and together we can usher in the American Spring in our city.” Occupy Minneapolis has significant momentum coming out of a winter filled with training for organizers and the formation of a number of action oriented groups. Richards hopes that the new spaces will help facilitate dialogue between the growing network of groups that are working diligently.

“Over the winter, we’ve had many successes, engaging in anti-foreclosure struggles and organizing towards a mass day of action on May 1st, as well as plenty of other exciting actions and projects,” said Ben Egerman, another organizer, adding, “But this is just the beginning. We hope the lessons learned since last October have allowed us to form an approach that will create a strong community and platform for people to demand social and economic justice.”

Update: During a celebratory march, police attacked marchers and charged with horses into the crowd. At least eight arrests have been reported.

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And So Much More!

In New York City, an active Occupy community is continuing to grow in spite of constant police harassment, arrests, and nightly evictions at Occupy Union Square in midtown. Meanwhile, in the financial district, Occupy Wall Street celebrated another #SpringTraining action yesterday in preparation for a massive show of solidarity on May Day, May 1st. At the conclusion of last night´s action, Occupiers read aloud a court case citing their legal right to sleep on the sidewalk. Occupiers in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York and other cities continue nightly camp-outs in front of branches of Bank of America and other ¨too big to fail¨ institutions in protest of their policies which leave millions of homes empty and millions of people without homes. Meanwhile, Occupy Boston continues to hold Camp Charlie on the State House Steps in defense of public transportation.

Also today, more Occupiers are once again standing with communities and survivors of racist and police violence to march in solidarity with Trayvon Martin, Rekia Boyd, Shaima Alawadi and all others in the latest wave of Million Hoodie and Million Hijab marches. In DC, the march will begin at Malcom X/Meridian Hill Park. (Follow live!) In Oakland, Occupiers will leave after the weekly barbecue.

This year will be a spring to remember - and it has already begun!

11 Comments

11 Comments


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[-] 3 points by Odin (583) 11 years ago

WOW...I love the photo of the First Amendment Monument..with the tents in the background. That is so... POWERFUL... My hat is off to you Occupy Philly! Way to go! :) :)

[-] 1 points by wgm2111 (2) from New York, NY 11 years ago

Yes. Awesome shot of your peaceful assembly. Are you intending to petition the government for a redress of grievances?

Thank you!

[-] 0 points by Odin (583) 11 years ago

I live about half way between two dynamic OWS movements...NYC and Philly.... on the Shore, and I chose to join OWSNY because of the many ties I have with NYC. This is not a parochial, or a selfish movement..rather it is one of love for your fellow human beings and the injustices we all are victims of...beyond any divisions...city, state, country, etc. It is truly a world-wide struggle. Anyway Occupy Philly deserves tons of credit for all they do for this cause...and this picture of the First Amendment Memorial with the Occupy tents in the background is CLASSIC!

As far as petitioning our government for "redress of grievances," I can't help, but laugh... at that.....been there...done that. The sea change that is needed will only come about with a ground-swell of support from recalcitrant people out in the streets, and in the parks who are willing to risk arrest for peaceful civil disobedience. So that our country will once again be one of honor, and where the rule of law is applied equally despite your corrupt political connections, ie. The big bankers who caused immeasurable harm to so many people, and where our government answers to the will of the people. We will not be asking for change..., rather we will be demanding it. The political system is far too polluted to be changed from within at this point. Most of us here know that. Thank You.

I gotta ask, what building...with the steeple is that in the background. I know that I should know, but I don't.

[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 11 years ago

"Morning Has Broken" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ESHjYat9rk and Spring Has Sprung so .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErQHc9N2O08 !

RESISTANCE IS FERTILE !!

GO OCCUPY !!!

ad astra ...

[-] 2 points by ShubeLMorgan2 (1088) from New York, NY 11 years ago

Hats off to the brave indefatigable fighters of the Occupy movement.

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[-] 2 points by jimevanhoe1 (55) 11 years ago

Stop the Monopolies there absolutely killing our "Freedom of Speech" there destroying Our form of capitalism.,the monopolies of the GOP & Democrats, Microsoft, Halliburton, Boeing, P&G, GE, Walmart and Goldman-Sachs............all of these monopolies must be split up for good.

[-] 2 points by jimevanhoe1 (55) 11 years ago

To Solve this Country's Problems "Finance to Government!" new And that is and must be to Clean out Washington DC from the TOP, out go the Republicans and Democats. Once there all gone a NEW financial system must be put into place that simply works, from the top down and the bottom up. Example: When you design a product to solve a need whether it is for NASA or Johnson & Johnson, you design a product based upon what works, you can't have failures in the system or the entire system of Health or Aerospace fails. So why is it the Republicans and the Democrats are not working on a NEW financial system. Well first just watch C-span for just one day, you'll learn why the Democrats and Republicans are failing from the top down and the bottom up. The absolute way to change this to Clean them All Out ............ take them all down ...... Example: If you have a failing roof on your house you can no longer just patch it, it calls for an entire new roof. Well our system of government has failed totally and completely. From and by the failures of the House, Senate and the Presidency...top down bottom up.

The new financial system can be in place within just 6 months, that is how easy it is to fix, but that means, Goldman-Sachs to Microsoft have to be divided up, split apart, for absolute power has corrupted absolutely and failed. Investment Companies become only investment companies, banks are now only banks, monopolies are eliminated starting with Microsoft, GE, P&G. More than 500 companies will be split up, their monopolies taken away, opening up competition, creating new management positions by the thousands, from the CEO to marketing and sales, distribution, shipping. Monopolies such as Walmart, Oil Companies, GE, Boeing, Halliburton and 100% Microsoft, there split. Then the political monopoly of the Democrat Party and the GOP must be ended once and for all. Voters in all 50 states and the Territories must have the US Constitutional Freedom of "freedom of speech", but if their voices can't be heard because of the monopoly of power by the GOP & the Democrats, Ladies and Gentlemen, we no longer live in a True Democracy, we no longer have "Freedom of Speech!" Monopolies are killing Our form of Capitalism!

JAMES P. EVANHOE

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[-] 1 points by jimevanhoe1 (55) 11 years ago

Occupy this: The Elections are only 7 months away. It is time to start the largest Voter Registration Drive in American History. We can register 4 million new voters by November, it will be the Change we were promised by Obama and never got. So we do it ourselves. This will be the way we have to do things for the foreseeable future, Register Millions.

It is time to Vote them ALL out of Washington DC, and at your own State level, stop Public Corruption even at your local level.

Huge failures by the Democrats must be met with Their Complete Exit From Power. Even when they had total control with Obama, Reid and Pelosi they failed to lead. Time for them all to go.

The GOP in the House and Senate they will be removed as well!

Until government and the politicians learn to protect and maintain honest and moral governance for the Good of "We the People" Our Nation and not corporate and Wall Street greed.....they ALL must go.

Failure by the GOP and the Democrats deserves to see them ALL removed.

Get everyone you know and those you just met to register to VOTE. We can and will change America. There are 2 million working with Occupy now Each one of us must get 3 more to register Voter.

Change is going to come, but the only way we are going to do that is to throw the bums out for good.

Romney = Obama & Obama = Romney they are both owed lock stock and barrel by Wall Street so we must throw out everyone in the Senate and the House, every 2 - 4 yrs until they get it Right..and that means Respecting and working for "WE the People"........as of today they have done more to destroy this Country. James P. Evanhoe

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[-] 1 points by PetadeAztlan (113) from Sacramento, CA 11 years ago

Praise the Lord and Bless the New Spring. We had s small discussion revolving around Women's Rights today at Cesar Chavez Plaza Park here in Sacramento, sponsored I believe by @OccupySacto ~The struggle goes on. Spring break is over! @Peta_de_Aztlan

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[-] 2 points by unity100 (6) 11 years ago

hahaha . revenues. does your revenue calculation includes the wealth stashed in offshore banks, evaded taxes, swiss banks ? so, while all that wealth is being stashed away by 0.1% of society, you are telling us that some local issue should be solved within itself ? no . no. i see a problem here, but its not what you were trying to mean.

[-] -1 points by owslol (0) from Jersey City, NJ 11 years ago

hahaha. simple math, ows'er...wages and benefits at 623mill minus revenues of 505mill means SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO PAY for the MTBA...

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