Following last night’s state-ordered temporary dismantling of Camp Charlie, Occupy MBTA will be returning to the State House today to reoccupy and continue our fight for a public transit system that works for the entire 99% of Massachusetts.
Please join us at the Parkman Bandstand on the Common at 5:00 PM, when we’ll march back to the State House in full force to reclaim Camp Charlie and to demonstrate that stifling our free speech and our right to assembly will only make us stronger. We’ll be rebuilding camp, planning for the final 4 days of this occupation, and showing that our community will not be that easily discouraged. If you’d like to show your solidarity with the Occupiers who were evicted last night by spending the night tonight, then please by all means bring your own sleeping bag!
Also, don’t miss these great Camp Charlie actions and events taking place tomorrow (April 11):
8:00 AM — Greet the Commuters
We’ll be at Park Street Station with banners and flyers to greet morning T commuters and engage them in conversation about the Occupy MBTA campaign and the larger fight for transit justice. Meet at Camp Charlie at 8:00 AM — if you’re not already there from the night before!
NOON — Screen Printing
The Occupy Boston Screen Print Guild will be holding a public screen printing workshop. Bring anything that you’d like to have printed — t-shirts, fabric, bags, etc — and join in on the fun!
4:00 PM — Ride the Rails
Come Ride the Rails with us to spread the word to Boston’s subway riders about Camp Charlie, the Occupy MBTA campaign, and the broader Occupy Boston community. We’ll be meeting at Camp Charlie at 4:00 PM for a brief training, after which we’ll be setting out in teams to connect with Boston’s rush-hour commuters and recruit them for the movement through speaking, leafleting, and distributing copies of the Boston Occupier. Let’s seize the unique opportunity to engage thousands of T commuters about the issues that could immediately impact them — the cuts, hikes, and layoffs — as well as the deeper issues that they raise for us all. See you there!
Please note: Ride the Rails will meet every day at 4:00 PM at Camp Charlie until the occupation has run its course.
6:00 PM — Crash Course on The MBTA Budget Crisis
Over the years, the MBTA’s financial viability has been wrecked by Big Dig debt, forward funding, and interest rate swaps ($26 million owed annually to Wall Street banks). The MBTA now possesses a total debt load of $5.2 billion and counting. How did the MBTA get into this position? What are the current proposals on the table? And how does this occupation fit into this plan? Come join us to find out!
