Yearly Archives: 2011

Community, Solidarity, Protest: March to help defend the free speech rights of the occupy protesters!

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This afternoon, October 21, 2011, Occupy Eugene will vacate the downtown park blocks as planned, allowing Saturday Market to operate without interference, and then march to a new occupation site. Occupy Eugene is asking community members to meet at the present occupation site at the corner of 8th & Oak Street at 5 p.m. in order to march in solidarity with them to the new site.

On Thursday afternoon, in a seemingly-sudden departure from their previously cooperative stance, City Manager John Ruiz and Eugene Police told Occupy Eugene that protesters will be cited for ANY camping at ANY location in the city. Police have threatened a “no tolerance” stance should Occupy Eugene set up in another location. The no tolerance policy includes possible arrests.

Negotiations are ongoing with the City Manager and Police, but as this is being written the no tolerance stance still stands. Mayor Kitty Piercy, in response to a flood of concerns regarding the no tolerance stance, took to Facebook to reassure anxious citizens and Occupy Eugene supporters: “Solutions are possible. Patience, please.”

All individuals and union members are invited to stand with us and march. Unions already contacted include: Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF), SEIU Local 503, and a broad range of other unions via the Eugene Springfield Solidarity Network (ESSN).

Tour of Shame

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Tour of Shame Protest of the BanksTo supplement protests of Bank of America, Occupy Eugene is calling a march from the occupation site (8th and Oak) through downtown. Stops will be made outside of all the infamous banks, bringing attention to the handouts, greed, corruption and cynical political lobbying within the financial industry that has become the status quo.

Occupy Eugene invites the community down to the occupation site for lunch prior to the march, as well as a concert upon returning to the occupation site. We encourage those that cannot make the march (and others) to attend the ongoing (by SEIU Local 503, ESSN/Jobs with Justice & Eugene-IWW), weekly Bank of America protests at 3:30pm, 201 E 11th Ave.

WHEN: Thursday, October 20, 2011 12:00 PM.

WHERE: Occupation Site: 8th and Oak St., Eugene, OR

OE facebook invitation.
Bank of America Protest facebook invitation.

 

Committee Points of Contact for Financial Requests

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Attention all Committees:

Please send contact information for who your primary and secondary point of contact for the finance committee will be to oec_finance [at] lists.riseup.net. As discussed at a previous GA, these will be the people that will be the point of contact between your committee and the finance committee for the handling of all financial requests.

Occupy Eugene March in Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street a Success

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Occupy Eugene marchers gathered at Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza at 8th and Oak at 2 p.m. today, and began our peaceful march across the Ferry Street bridge and back at 4 p.m. Eugene Police estimated 2,000 marchers, the largest march in Eugene’s history [Edit: we’re told the 2006 anti-war march was larger, apps. 4000]. Because our march was so long, for a few minutes we filled the pedestrian crosswalks on both sides of the Ferry Street Bridge as passing drivers honked their support.

At 5 p.m. our occupy location of the Park Blocks (at 8th Avenue between W. Park Street and E. Park Street, at the Park Blocks near the fountain) was announced, and at 7:30 we held a General Assembly meeting in the Park Blocks, where we came to consensus to adopt the St. Paul Principles. As of 12:15 a.m. on Sunday, between 150 and 200 people remained at the Park Blocks.

General Assembly meetings will be held daily at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Please follow us by joining us at the Park Blocks or watching our livestream, YouTube page or Twitter feed.

Our committees have considered this issue thoroughly and will be discussing various ways we can work with, and not interfere, with Saturday Market. Keep an eye on the website for more information.

police officer and marcher clasp hands

Police officer and marcher clasp hands. Photo by Tracy Sydor.

police officer and marcher shake hands

police officer and marcher shake hands. Photo by Tracy Sydor.

 

 

The Occupation Begins!

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The occupation will be at the Park Blocks in downtown Eugene, where the Saturday Market is on 8th and Oak.

Watch livestream here

Day of Rage Against Wall Street

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“The people have grown weary of their corporate shackles, the greed of Wall Street having left them with nothing to lose, but their chains. From Cairo to Iran, London to Tunisia and Syria to Greece, this is our day of rage.”          —Anonymous

Occupy Eugene’s big day is almost upon us. Tomorrow, October 15, 2011, Occupy Eugene will gather in solidarity with the nationwide Occupy movement to protest corporate greed and the politicians who enable it. Occupy Eugene will march through the streets to proudly display our support of a movement that has shaken up an entire country, brought national attention to urgent issues that affect everyday people, and provided a new sense of hope to countless Americans. We will demonstrate to our entire community that true democracy is still alive and well.

Protesters will meet at 2 p.m. in the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza (8th & Oak) to rally. From 2-4 p.m., there will be speakers addressing the crowd and sign-making. Occupy Eugene asks that protesters bring banners and any needed supplies for the occupation. They should come prepared to occupy after the demonstration and march. Protesters are also encouraged to wear suits and masks in mockery of Wall Street. At 4 p.m., the “Day of Rage Against Wall Street March” commences.

The march route is as follows: From Freedom Plaza north to 7th St., east to High St., north to 4th St., east to EWEB, continue on bike path to E. Ferry Street Bridge sidewalk. Exit Ferry Street Bridge and follow Club Road NW in a loop, pass beneath overpass and take bike path up and across W. Ferry Street Bridge sidewalk, continue west on 6th St. along path by St. Vincent De Paul, south on Willamette crossing 6th, west on 7th St., south on Oak crossing 7th. A map of the march route can be found below. (Note: for those concerned about the safety of crossing the train tracks, we will be monitoring the trains and have the option of taking the foot bridge along Coburg road to 4th Avenue, and then continuing on the proposed route).

The march will conclude at Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza between 5:30-6 p.m. Upon returning, the occupation site will be announced and the Occupation of Eugene begins.

Occupy Eugene has been working tirelessly for the past few weeks to organize and make this event possible. The dedication and attention to detail coming from this group is nothing short of impressive, and committees ranging from First Aid to Sanitation to a Legal Team have been assembled. We hope you will join us for this groundbreaking event.

Day of Rage Against Wall Street March, Eugene OR

Day of Rage Against Wall Street March Route

Campbell Club Benefit for Occupy Eugene!

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The Campbell Club is holding a benefit show for Occupy Eugene this Friday! (10/14) 8pm-1am.

We will have live music, speakers, sign making and a good time.

The big occupation for Occupy Eugene will be the following day (Sat 10/15), so let’s all get together in solidarity for this historic moment in our country!

live music.
live information.
live revolution.

Location: The Campbell Club, 1670 Alder St.

For more information about Occupy Eugene, check out:
Website: http://occupyeugene.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/occupyeugene/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/occupyeugene

About Occupy Eugene

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Occupy Eugene is a nonviolent movement for accountability in the United States government located in Eugene, Oregon.

We will gather in solidarity with the ongoing protest in New York City, Occupy Wall Street, and the growing number of cities whose people will no longer sit back watching corporate and special interests run their government. We are citizens of the United States, and this country is ours. We will take it back.

It is no longer enough to vote and to participate in the political system because our political system has been altered drastically from its intended and proper function. Currently, we are allowed to pick from a few candidates whose campaigns are funded more and more by large organizations, corporations, and special interests. The success of their campaigns depends entirely on how the corporate mass media presents them. When our elected officials enter office they then pander to the small groups responsible for their election. Even good men and women cannot make real improvements that benefit the American people.

We are one city in a growing national movement of people who no longer feel that their government works in their best interest.

Our government is divided. We, the people, are united.

Occupy Eugene – Let’s Occupy Together
from Reid Bryant Kimball on Vimeo.

Student Solidarity Rally

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The people of Montreal, Quebec, have joined students on strike in daily demonstrations numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The strikes have been underway for more than 100 days, and seem to be expanding to other parts of Canada, along with showings of student power in Chicago, Chile, and elsewhere.

On June 11, we will take to the streets of Eugene, from 7 to 11 p.m. banging pots and pans to show our support for students in Montreal, Eugene, and around the world.

Please bring: pots or pans and safety pins – red squares will be provided and wear black on your top half and jeans or your school’s branded attire on the bottom.

Cut a square out of a piece of red fabric and wear it on your clothing or bag every day. The red square is a symbol of support for the Montreal student strikes and is quickly becoming a symbol of support for resistance movements everywhere.

Add the red square to your profile picture on Facebook or your avatar on Twitter: http://twibbon.com/join/Red-Square-2

The current model of higher education require students to go into debt that will take far longer to pay off and cost far more than they ever spend at the university. This model is destructive to society because it builds a large underclass of debtors and moves wealth away from the general population, into the hands of the few. To quote Occupy Portland, “With increases in tuition showing no signs of stopping, and the student debt bubble recently breaching the trillion dollar mark, it is high time the people rise up to condemn the profiteering of the civil right of education.”