THE OSCAR GRANT PLAZA GAZETTE
Monday, October 24, 2011 Day 15.
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DEAR OCCUPY OAKLAND . . .
We hear you, all the way here in Chicago, or rather, the smaller suburb of Highland Park, to be precise. Our Quaker group had gathered to discuss the violence being unleashed against Occupy Protesters. It was at this gathering that one of our group pulled out an email sent by her husband’s son. It was a moving piece originally published in the Oscar Grant Plaza Gazette. We hear from reporters that Occupiers do not know what they want. I listened to the beautifully articulated and powerful message conveyed in your letter and knew that though the swelling ranks of the disenfranchised in our nation may at times seem incoherent to some as they speak in so many voices of so many obstacles and injustices, that there is at the core a powerful root connecting all. The love of money has caused some to lose sight of their own humanity and the humanity of others. The Occupiers know this and stand firm demanding that we see.
We hear you, we see and we pray that when detractors step in to derail you, to pit one against another or to threaten with violence — trying to induce you to violence – that you will hold to your vision. Your peaceful, steadfast insistence is a triumph. Keep fast to your vision – “the society that we want — a society organized around the needs of everyone” We watch as you work on streets and park grounds in an effort to give birth to that vision. You have inspired a great many. We are proud of you. And though we all cannot stand — physically –with you each day, we are with you, and we will join you — physically –as we can, on a lunch hour, when our children are at school when there is a neighbor present to whom we can pass along the message. Some will write letters to newspapers, some will call mayors and police precincts, some will make sure you are fed, some will find an Occupy presence in a relatively nearby town, if only for a Sunday afternoon, so that others in all corners may see. Some will try, still, to engage with elected officials pleading that they free themselves from the influence of money that has all but destroyed our democracy. Some will listen patiently, insisting on love. Some will wonder at their own crippling worship of money. Some will quietly resolve. Some will step forward. In whatever form it may take, the nitty-gritty Love that pushes past fear, discomfort, ignorance and hatred will bring us into the light. Thank you to all who are peacefully and powerfully leading us forward … OCCUPY!
FROM A SISTER COMRADE IN OCCUPATION DOCUMENTATION
My dear occupiers,
I’m writing to you as one of the editors of The Occupation Times, a weekly print paper that sprung up a few weeks ago to serve the global occupation movement. We are, of course, entirely volunteer and are not involving money in this project.
What we’re trying to do is help occupiers feel less isolated, have them really feel that they are part of a widespread, global movement. The Occupation Times contains short (100-300 word, usually) articles on as many newsworthy events every week as we can track down and fit in the paper. Of course we cover who has been arrested or evicted, but we also cover some of the more interesting and amazing decisions that come out of general assemblies. We also run a few editorials we think will interest a good number of us.
We’re looking for help. A few types of help. First of all, we’re looking for people from different occupations who can keep us informed about what happens on the ground at their occupations and tip us off on any newsworthy events. Secondly, we’re looking for people willing to write articles (without bylines or compensation, the same as the rest of us). Also we’d love any help spreading the word, whether by word of mouth or by linking to our site or our pdfs on any relevant facebooks, websites, twitter feeds, etc.
And last but certainly not least, we’re looking for people who are willing to print and distribute The Occupation Times at their local occupations. The print-ready PDFs are on our website, but one of the beautiful things about this movement is that we’re finally hashing things out in person, in the parks, plazas, and the streets, instead of just online. Printing the paper can be accomplished with regular office printers, it is laid-out in the traditional “zine” format, to be printed on 8.5×11 paper and folded in half. (If we get requests for such, we’ll start laying it out in A4 format as well).
Here are links to pdfs of the second issue:
(Imposed for printing) http://www.occupationtimes.com/pdfs/occupationtimes-2-imposed.pdf
(And for reading online) http://www.occupationtimes.com/pdfs/occupationtimes-2-web.pdf
Thank you for occupying.
The Occupation Times
“In my own experience, I had observed that those who really wished to save the children [the world] became themselves, immediately, the target of the police.”
James Baldwin, fr The Devil Finds Work
OCCUPYOAKLAND MEDIA TENT NEEDS:
A handcart/dolly/wheelbarrow for emergency removing of large batteries and tech equipment
Wifi Hotspots prepaid
2 Go-Phones for camp calls/ emergency texts
Bicycle with high gears (Our bike is shitty with bad gears- inefficient.. Hard to keep batteries charged
Firewire cables for cameras for livestreaming
Very small generator in case of emergency
Strips of plywood 2 pallets long and maybe 2 feet wide
Noisebridge volunteers for wifi mesh, Generally increasing strength of our tech
External Hard drive to dump photos/vids on site
Ideas we have not thought of yet are very needed as well!
The Oscar Grant Plaza Gazette aims to be a voice & record of the historic Occupy Oakland movement, part of a national & international movement of resistance. Please consider writing your thoughts, reflections, opinions, and what you’ve seen — you are part of this movement & we want to get your words out there ! Please send submissions to oscargrantplazagazette@gmail.com or drop a hard copy by the information tent at Oscar Grant Plaza. We will endeavor to publish all materials received. For the purposes of collective self-defense we will reserve the right to decline to run materials which would render us legally liable.
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