Occupy Eugene will stage an “Occupy the University” rally at 12:00 p.m. this afternoon from the current occupation site at Alton Baker Park to call attention to the rising cost of education, predatory student loans, the lack of employment options for college graduates, and the crippling amounts of debt students must take on for access to the increasingly elusive “American Dream”. A rally will begin at 12:00 p.m. and the march commences at 1:00 p.m. The march will conclude at the University of Oregon, where supporters of Occupy Eugene at the University of Oregon will rally and discuss issues relevant to the Occupy movement and the University community. Details of the new location site will be announced at the staging of the march. Please spread the word about this event, and we hope to see you there.
Occupy the University March and Temporary Occupation
While Occupy Eugene remains grateful for the City Council’s gracious decision to exempt the organization from the city camping ordinance, the General Assembly voted on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning to make the move based on a combination of organizational, logistical, safety, and visibility concerns. In the days since moving to the occupation site at Alton Baker Park, it has become increasingly clear that the site is not conducive to the sense of community, solidarity, and security that was present at the Park Blocks (8th and Oak Street). It should also be noted that the site at Alton Baker Park was considered, from the start, to be a temporary solution, specifically to avoid displacing the Saturday Market’s local vendors, until a site appropriate for an indefinite occupation could be chosen by the General Assembly. That discussion is ongoing and Occupy Eugene invites community members down to the new occupation site to help choose a location.
Also, please see our editorial in October 27’s Eugene Weekly.