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    Martin Luther King Occupied: An Occupy Boston Community Gathering to Explore the Radical Legacy of Dr. King

    January 14th, 2012 · · Events, News and Announcements, Press Releases 6 comments

    On Monday, January 16, 2012 at 6:00 PM, the Occupy Boston People of Color Working Group will host Occupy Boston’s weekly Community Gathering at Arlington St. Church, 351 Bolyston Street in Boston. This MLK Day gathering will encourage participants to think about what Occupy Boston and the public can learn from the ideas, campaigns, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


    “People of Color are disproportionately affected by the rule of the top 1%, in everything from housing, jobs, education, health, and prison incarceration,” said Brian Kwoba, an organizer of the event and a member of the People of Color Working Group of Occupy Boston.  “That is why issues of race and racism must be taken seriously by the Occupy movement. The People of Color Working Group is excited to be hosting a community gathering on MLK Day to project more of our culture, our voices, and our stories into the forefront of the movement.”

    Speakers include, Kwame Somburu, who helped to organize mass protests in the 1960’s and Harlem’s Freedom Now Party. The gathering will also feature a reading of excerpts from MLK’s beyond Vietnam speech, musical performances from Earthdrum Council, a presentation on the State of the Dream from by United for a Fair Economy, slam poets, a teach in on the 3-Strikes Bill, and a ‘fishbowl’ discussion with People of Color from Occupy Boston, and the Optimus of the Foundation Movement.

    Occupy Boston’s Community Gatherings are held every Monday evening and are open to the public. The intention of these Community Gatherings is to build and strengthen the Occupy Boston community through ongoing dialogues, presentations, workshops, and facilitated conversations, in order to build a resilient, widespread and inclusive social movement.

    This event is free and all are welcome to attend. For more information about this event, please email occupybostonmedia@gmail.com or visit https://www.occupyboston.org

    Join the Fight Against Foreclosures!

    January 12th, 2012 · · Events 3 comments

    There are two upcoming foreclosure actions that need our support!

    Anti-foreclosure canvassing in Everett

    Saturday, 10-2 p.m. at Dunkin Donuts, 524 Broadway

    This Saturday members from Occupy Boston will join City Life / Vida Urbana (CLVU) to canvass in Everett, going door-to-door of houses up for auction to offer tenants support defending their homes. Canvassing is a crucial step in home defense. The goal is to speak to residents BEFORE the bank attempts to take control of the building – before they can be intimidated and pressured into leaving – to let them know their rights and options, and offer support of they want it. It’s a chance to work directly with tenants and offer support to people who have been targeted by improper banking practices.

    We’ll be meeting at the Dunkin Donuts, 524 Broadway in Everett, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you need a ride or if you can provide one or need more information about canvassing, please contact katie@occupyboston.org or call 410-967-5207.

    Occupy our Homes: Auction Protest this Tuesday!

    1:30pm at 11 Russell Pl, Everett

    On Tuesday, OB will join CLVU and the North Side Tenants Association to protest a home auction in Everett. Bring your signs and come prepared to make some noise! Banks hate bad publicity. So when banks show up at a property where owners have brought along a crowd, it’s frequently possible to stop or postpone the sale. Home auction actions are loud, but disciplined – the point is to be visible, to support the homeowners, and to let investors know that they (and we) are not going anywhere!

    Last year there were 230 foreclosures in the City of Boston – many of which could have been prevented if banks had been persuaded to negotiate with tenants or sold at real value to a local lender. Let’s go and show our support in numbers!    PLEASE NOTE: Auction protests are a little fluid and details may change at the last minute. Please email Katie Gradowski (katie@occupyboston.org) to be kept up to date on final details.

    City Life/Vida Urbana is a 38-year-old bilingual, community organization whose mission is to fight for racial, social and economic justice and gender equality by building working class power through direct action, coalition building, education and advocacy.   Since 2008, they have led a Post-Foreclosure Eviction Defense campaign, which has been successful at keeping hundreds of Boston residents in their homes since the beginning of the foreclosure crisis.  Occupy Boston has supported, and will continue to support City Life’s direct action efforts to help keep Boston residents in their homes For more details about City Life’s amazing work, visit www.clvu.org.

    Occupy the Hood’s Call To Action To Be Rescheduled

    January 12th, 2012 · · Events, News and Announcements 4 comments

    Sorry for the Short Notice – We have learned that the meeting at the State House has been cancelled for today. We will keep you updated when it is rescheduled.

    New Info: Legislative Conference Committee Cancels Meeting on 3-Strikes Bills in Massachusetts

    According to State House News today, “Although a House-Senate committee tasked with negotiating a compromise on sweeping crime and sentencing legislation is scheduled to resume
    talks Thursday, the three House members of the panel have no intention of showing up.”

    In the meantime: On January 27th there will be a Strategic Public Discussion on 3-Strikes Bills in Massachusetts from 5:30pm-8:30. Doors Open at 5pm at the Peoples Baptist Church (Tremon St.)

    Background on 3-Strikes Bill Community Action:

    On Saturday, January 7th, Occupy the Hood held a Town Hall to discuss the Habitual Offender (aka “Three Strikes”) legislation currently being debated in both houses of the Massachusetts State Congress. Different versions of the bill have been proposed in either house, with the Senate bill passing unanimously and the House bill passing 142-12. However, though the bill disproportionately affects communities of color, ethnic neighborhoods have come out strongly against the bill, with eight of the nine minority members of the Massachusetts House voting against the bill. The Town Hall meeting included an in-depth analysis of the bill and the injustices it would enable, focusing around the potential life-long detention of low-level offenders and the sizable influence of private prison lobbies in the crafting and supporting of the bill. The meeting included both white and minority legislators from who had voted against the bill in the House.

    For more information click here.


    Speak Out at the State House Against Foreclosures and Evictions

    January 10th, 2012 · · Events, News and Announcements Comments Off on Speak Out at the State House Against Foreclosures and Evictions
    Stand up against unnecessary evictions and foreclosures at this rally organized by Mass Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL) and National Lawyers Guild.

    Wednesday, January 11th                              
    Noon – Speak-out for Justice at State House
    1pm – Hearing, State House, Rm B-1

    Legislative Hearing: 4 important bills written by those of us fighting Massachusetts Foreclosures!
    • Stop unnecessary evictions: The banks should have to let former home-owners pay rent unless they have a reason to evict
    •  Mandatory mediation before foreclosure: Banks should have to provide someone authorized to negotiate with homeowners.
    • Judicial review: Victims of predatory home loans should have their day in court before foreclosure.
    • Banks should prove ownership before eviction: Give Housing Court power to make banks prove they own the property legally before eviction.
    44,100 Massachusetts foreclosures since 2007 = 88,000 households threatened. Our state economy loses $4 billion every month! Time to say ENOUGH!
    Please attend and support! For more information visit http://maapl.info/actionalerts.html

     

    Occupy Boston Digs In For a Winter Full of Actions and Action Planning

    January 6th, 2012 · · Events, Press Releases One comment
    On Monday, January 9, 2012 at 6:00 PM, the Occupy Boston Direct Action Working Group will host Occupy Boston’s weekly Community Gathering at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 138 Tremont Street in Boston. The evening will introduce attendees to the basics of nonviolent direct action, an essential component of the growing Occupy movement’s activist strategy.


    Occupy Boston’s Community Gatherings are held every Monday evening and are open to the public. The intention of these Community Gatherings is to build and strengthen the Occupy Boston community through ongoing dialogues, presentations, workshops, and facilitated conversations, in order to build a resilient, wide-spread and inclusive social movement.

     
    While some might expect Occupy Boston to hibernate during the winter, this event will demonstrate that the spirit of nonviolent direct action continues to burn brightly.  Even in the cold, Occupy Boston has engaged in a number of creative and effective actions, including joining this weekend with dozens of Northeast Occupy groups to Occupy the New Hampshire Primary.
     
    At Monday’s Community Gathering, participants will learn about a number of concepts that belong to a rich tradition of activism of which Occupy Boston is proud to be a part of.  Topics covered will include what constitutes an action, basic direct action techniques, and the importance of “security culture” in communities whose members engage in sensitive activities.  
     

    Participants will also learn about the “affinity group” model for activist organization. Attendees will see first hand how successful affinity groups are as close-knit as families, and they will be given the knowledge and encouragement they need to start forming their own affinity groups.  Quality time, training, and small-scale actions will strengthen the bonds between us, and those bonds will empower us to speak truth to power louder than ever come spring. We are the 99%, and creative nonviolent direct action will help ensure that our voices are heard.

    This event is free and all are welcome to attend. For more information about this event, please email occupybostonmedia@gmail.com or visit https://www.occupyboston.org

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