RSS Feed   

  • Latest News:

    Another world is possible

    • Category: News and Announcements

    Occupy May 1st- A Day Without the 99%

    April 28th, 2012 · · Events, News and Announcements Comments Off on Occupy May 1st- A Day Without the 99%

    Worldwide, May 1st is traditionally a workers day – a day of labor solidarity and a public holiday. It’s a day to celebrate and march in support of immigrant rights, worker rights, and human rights. In protest against the corruption of the worldwide marketplace, which has led to illegal foreclosures, mass unemployment, low wages, high taxes and a penalization of all those who do not own the ‘99%’ of the world’s resources, and in solidarity with the immigrant movements of Massachusetts and the world, Occupy Boston is calling for a general strike on May Day.

    On May 1st, Occupy Boston calls on the 99% to strike, skip work, walk out of school, and refrain from shopping, banking, and business for a day without the 99%.

    No work.

    Take the day off. Strike. Call out sick. Small businesses are encouraged to close for the day and join the rest of the 99% in the streets. If you must work – don’t worry – we have actions planned from 7:00am to 8:00pm.

    No school.

    Walk out of class. Occupy the universities. Kick out the administration. Participate in student strike actions or plan your own. It’s your future. Own it.

    Block the flow.

    In the early hours of May 1st, the 99% will converge on Boston’s financial district for a full day of direct action. The “Financial District Block Party” will start at 7:00 am on the corner of Federal & Franklin Streets.

    Banks and corporations are strongly encouraged to close down for the day.

    Be the crisis.

    We ask the 99% to organize in their own neighborhoods, schools, and local centers of commerce. Communities, organizations, workplaces and families are encouraged to organize actions in whatever manner feels comfortable. Picket a “too big to fail” bank in your area. Hold a protest picnic in your town square. You are the one you’ve been waiting for!

    Everyone to the streets!

    We call upon all of the 99% to join in this day of action to demand an end to corporate rule and a shift of power to the people. No work. No school. No chores. No shopping. No banking. Let’s show the 1% that we have the power. Let’s show the world a day without the 99%.

    May Day Schedule of Actions

    Tuesday, May 1, 2012

    7:00 AM – Financial District Block Party: Meet at the intersection of Federal & Franklin Streets in downtown Boston.

    11:00 AM – Anti-Capitalist March from Copley Square to City Hall Plaza

    12:00 NOON – May Day rally at Boston City Hall Plaza / Government Center

    1:30 PM – Solidarity march from LoPresti Park in East Boston to Everett

    3:30 PM – Rally at Chelsea City Hall

    4:00 PM – March to Glendale Park, Everett

    7:00 PM – Gathering at Copley Square Park for the Death of Capitalism Street Theater Funeral Procession

    Participate as a mourner (dress in black), a celebrator (wear neon/bright colors/glow stuff) or be part of the skeleton bloc.

    8:00 PM – Death of Capitalism Street Theater Funeral Procession

    Leaves from Copley Square and travels through areas of wealth and commerce.




    Links:

    Local

    Boston May Day Coalition

    Boston 2012 May Day Actions Schedule (Facebook event page)

    May 1st March / Marcha 1ro de Mayo (Facebook event page)

    May 1st Coalition – Chelsea, Everett, East Boston (Facebook page)

    Financial District Block Party (Facebook page)

    “Death of Capitalism” Funeral Procession (Facebook event page)

    National

    Occupy May First – General Strike!

    May Day Directory: Occupy General Strike In Over 115 Cities

    Occupy Wall Street’s 6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st General Strike

    Needs of the Occupiers

    CONTACT: 617strike@gmail.com

     

    The General Assembly agrees to fund May First Coalition, InReach WG and approves changes in GA location, process and a special presentation

    April 27th, 2012 · · General Assembly, News and Announcements, Passed Resolutions Comments Off on The General Assembly agrees to fund May First Coalition, InReach WG and approves changes in GA location, process and a special presentation

    The following proposals were passed by Occupy Boston’s General Assembly on April 26, 2012:

    • That 90 minutes of General Assembly time on Saturday, May 12, 2012, should be used for a presentation to develop a common level of knowledge about the current financial crisis and what are the practical alternatives.  The presenters will be Gary Epstein, Professor of Economics at UMass Amherst, and Jim Campen, Professor of Economics at UMass Boston.
    • A $200 donation for the May First Coalition.
    • OJP proposes moving the Occupy Boston General Assembly scheduled for May 5 to the Southwest Corridor Park, location of the Wake Up the Earth Festival. Aria will get an exact location to Facilitators and as many email lists as possible within the next two days. If WUTE is rescheduled to May 6 because of rain–pending approval by SAA–SAA will move to WUTE. GA will discuss details and a topic during the regular meetings between now and May 5.
    • The InReach Working Group proposes to purchase a 1-inch button machine with parts for 2,000 buttons ($632) and reimburse members of InReach for expenses from the Open House ($64.27).  The $397.71 that is left from the Info Tent proposal will go to this purchase, meaning an additional sum of $298.56 will be allocated.  The machine will be the 1-inch button maker purchased in November by Bil Lewis along with remaining parts from the 2000 purchased at that time.
    • To create a “consent bucket,” which is a list of proposals that can be considered to address subjects around which a broad consensus can be reached.  Proposals would be grouped together in a bucket or package.  Initially all new proposals would be introduced as items in the “consent bucket.”  There would be no discussion about the proposals themselves beyond clarifying questions.  If any member felt that any proposal or proposals required discussion, it would be pulled out of the “bucket” and considered as part of the regular proposal process.  Members of the assembly should feel comfortable in expressing reservations about any part of the “consent bucket” and request assistance from fellow members if necessary.  The remaining items in the “consent bucket” would be adopted by unanimous vote.  The “consent bucket” would be considered after announcements and before the agenda.  If adopted this proposal will be implemented immediately.

     

    Occupy Boston to Give $ to Occupy Cape Cod and Occupy JP

    April 22nd, 2012 · · News and Announcements Comments Off on Occupy Boston to Give $ to Occupy Cape Cod and Occupy JP

    These proposals passed General Assembly on April, 21, 2012.

    •  Give Occupy Cape Cod $1,000 to use as they wish directed towards their May 13th and May 20th actions.

    •  Occupy Jamaica Plain requests funding, $312.00, to pay for a one-quarter page advertisement in the Jamaica Plain Gazette, to promote our participation in “Wake Up The Earth Day,” May 5, 2012.  Jamaica Plain is a community with many activists and many progressive organizations, and Wake Up The Earth Day has been an extremely popular, well attended event in the past 30 years.  We are planning an information table, children’s activities, and a small parade float built with the help of the kids on the theme of “Imagine a Neighborhood You’d like to Live In.”  We believe our involvement in this event will be an excellent opportunity to spread the word about who Occupy and Occupy JP are, what we do, and to recruit new members.

    Occupy Boston Artists to Host Night of Conversation & Action Featuring Artist Steve Lambert

    April 22nd, 2012 · · News and Announcements Comments Off on Occupy Boston Artists to Host Night of Conversation & Action Featuring Artist Steve Lambert

    Steve Lambert’s Capitalism Works for Me True/False, currently being shown at various locations in Boston

    Lambert at Occupy Boston in October with one of the many signs he made with Josh Luke

    On April 28, 2012 from 5:00PM to 10:00PM, artists from Occupy Boston will host a gathering with artist and cultural provocateur Steve Lambert. Taking place at Samsøn (450 Harrison Avenue), this event will be an opportunity for Lambert and the greater Occupy community to connect over questions of messaging, humor, culture jamming, and creative activism as the movement heads into the coming seasons. Following the discussion, we will screen the film The Yes Men Fix the World.

    Lambert’s work includes The New York Times Special Edition produced with the Yes Men and many other groups in 2008 and distributed in cities across the US carrying headlines such as “Iraq War Ends,” “Maximum Wage Law Passed” and “All Public Universities to Be Free.” More recently, Lambert’s gigantic, sign/scoreboard Capitalism Works For Me,True/False is touring the country posing a personal question its viewers can vote on.

    The Present Group writes of Lambert’s work, “These bits of provocation get people thinking (and talking) about how they act, what they believe, how they imagine the world around them, and how they imagine it could be.” With the School for Creative Activism, Lambert has taught workshops that infuse creative tactics with traditional community organizing and civic engagement.

    Lambert, along with painter Josh Luke, produced signs for many of the tents in the Dewey Square occupation in October 2010. Intending to produce change, he’s given simple advice for how to do more than “raise awareness” while maintaining a positive attitude. Join us on the 28th as we recharge our creative batteries and rehash the radical. Spring is upon us. There is difficult and enjoyable work to be done, absurd futures to dream up, and important questions to ask ourselves in the next stages of the Occupation. We think art and creative action should play a significant role in the shapes, forms, and modes of communication and performance employed in these next steps.

    OB Joins With National Lawyers Guild in Congratulating the Legal Working Group

    April 20th, 2012 · · General Assembly, News and Announcements, Passed Resolutions Comments Off on OB Joins With National Lawyers Guild in Congratulating the Legal Working Group

    The following proposal, brought by Kendra Moyer on her own behalf and on that of Urszula Mazny-Latos, was passed by the General Assembly of Occupy Boston on April 19, 2012:

    The National Lawyers Guild Annual Guild Gala is a fundraiser that brings in a large portion of their annual budget. This year the NLG is honoring the Occupy Boston Legal Working Group  and the NLG Mass Defense Committee with the Legal Worker Award. As part of their fundraiser they sell ads in their gala program book that are messages to the honorees. I am proposing that Occupy Boston send a message of congratulations on a quarter page of the program for a donation of $250.00. The donation goes to the work that NLG does fighting for civil rights and social justice, including the defense fund. I am working for NLG at a 15% commission for funds raised. Any amount raised by me for the NLG Annual Guild Gala fundraiser will be returned to the Occupy Boston General Fund.

    Contact us

    Occupy Boston Media <Media@occupyboston.org> • <Info@occupyboston.org> • @Occupy_Boston