Category: News and Announcements

OccuNation: Occupy Boston’s Homegrown Documentary

January 28th, 2012 · David Lehnert · Multimedia/Art, News and Announcements Comments Off

Two of our very own occupiers, Mike Hipson and David Lehnert, have been working on a feature-length documentary film about the Occupy Movement. Mike, a member of our community wellness team, and David, a member of our media team, have both lived at the Dewey Square Encampment and have been great assets to our community.

The movie is called OccuNation, and principal photography will be going on until the Summer. Mike and David will be travelling the country filming local occupations across the United States, from big cities like Boston and New York to small town America, exploring themes like localism and social justice activism.

It’s a huge project to undertake, and the OccuNation team just launched their project on Kickstarter, the same fundraising site that the Boston Occupier received its financing from. If you would like to learn more about OccuNation visit the website here, and if you would like to contribute to the project, click here.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could contribute to this amazing project, but if not, that’s okay! We’d love it if you followed us on Twitter, liked us on Facebook, and check out our website every now and then!

January 30: March against Underwater Mortgages!

January 27th, 2012 · kgradowski · News and Announcements 4 comments

with City Life/Vida Urbana, Chelsea Collaborative, Occupy Wall Street, and Mass Uniting.

Monday, January 30, NOON to 1:30 pm

Meet at JP Morgan Chase (50 Rowes Wharf), continue past Fannie Mae, and end at Bank of America (100 Federal Place)

BRING YOUR SWIMWEAR! Participants are encouraged to bring flippers, goggles, swimsuits, snorkels — or just wear something blue! Details at http://www.facebook.com/events/317533048289164/

25% of mortgages nationally are underwater. This means that the amount owed on the mortgage exceeds the value of the house. In this situation a homeowner can make years of payments without ever owning anything. Wall Street Banks profited off of (and promoted) a housing bubble that left millions with underwater loans, then received trillions in taxpayer bailouts. Still they want to keep homeowners on the hook for wildly inflated prices and evict families who can actually afford their homes at real value.

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Other anti-foreclosure actions this weekend

Saturday, January 28, 10-2 p.m.
Anti-foreclosure Canvassing in Revere
145 Broadway, Revere, MA 21510

This weekend Occupy Boston will team up with the North Side Bank Tenants Association for an outreach canvass in Revere, going door-to-door to homes facing foreclosure to connect residents with a wider network of people in Boston fighting to keep their homes. Please join us! We have a long list, and need all the help we can get! IF YOU NEED A RIDE OR CAN PROVIDE ONE, email katie@occupyboston.org, or call 410-967-5207. to RSVP, go to http://www.facebook.com/events/194607813971825/

Sunday, January 29, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Organizer Training with City Life / Vida Urbana

284 Amory Street, 1st Floor, Jamaica PlainOver the past four years, City Life / Vida Urbana and the Northside BTA has launched a successful anti-foreclosure campaign in Boston, combining direct action, legal assistance and alternative financing to pressure banks to accept rent from former homeowners and renegotiate underwater loans down to their real market value. This Sunday, there will be an open meeting with OB and OWS to discuss organizing within home defense campaigns – an informal gathering to talk about tactics and strategies, basebulding, and how to reach out to the wider community,.

We will also be making puppets and props in preparation for Monday’s rally! All are welcome – we hope you can make it out! Training is at 1 p.m. – puppets and props will kick off around 2 p.m. RSVPs are appreciated but not required – email katie@occupyboston.org for more details, or visit http://on.fb.me/xWiAAk

Occupy UMass Boston Students are handed eviction notice!

January 26th, 2012 · Matthew J Shochat · News and Announcements 2 comments

On January 26th, 2012, immediately following a General Assembly, Occupy UMass Boston students and supporters were handed a notice from the Administration. The text of the document reads as follows:

January 26, 2011

Dear Occupy Umass Boston Students:

The University of Massachusetts Boston values its tradition of providing a forum for diverse opinions and free speech. This includes the rights of our students to demonstrate peacefully on campus and to raise awareness about various issues. We believe your uninterrupted public demonstration over the past four days has reflected the university’s commitment to our student rights.

At the same time, the university has a responsiblity to provide and maintain a safe and orderly learning and working enviroment in which these freedoms can be exercised by all. Our campus has developed a number of guidelines over time aimed at providing all student and community groups wuith the opportunity to advocate for their ideas and objectives in a manner that is equitable and respectful to others.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that, as of today, the university will require to comply with all campus policies and procedures adhered to by other UMass Boston students. In particular:

UMass Boston students will be allowed in the Campus Center during normal hours of operation, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., only (no one will be permitted to stay overnight).
Because there is limited space in the Campus Center, you will be allotted a space to continue your demonstration similar in size and location to other student organizations.
Activities outside these basic guidelines may be conducted in the area reserved for public demonstrations (on the lawn between the HarborWalk and University Drive near the entrance of the campus).

Our campus values encourage each of us to respect different perspectives and to strive for open and honest discussions. It is our sincere hope that you continue to express your ideals aimed at improving this university and society at large, and we look forward to engaging with you in an open and civil dialogue to address your concerns.

Winston Langley, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Patrick Day, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

We encourage indivividuals to contact the Provost and Chancellor. Their contact information is located below:

To contact Winston Langley:

Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
617.287.5600
winston.langley@umb.edu or provost@umb.edu

To contact Patrick Day:

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Patrick.Day@umb.edu
617-287-5800

Occupy UMass Boston Students and supporters will be holding an Emergency General Assembly at 9:30 pm this event in lieu of the eviction at 11 pm. We encourage the attendance of individuals of these events in solidarity with the Occupy UMass Boston encampment.

Discussion TONIGHT on Occupy Boston’s 2012 Participatory Budget

January 26th, 2012 · eli · News and Announcements Comments Off

Join us tonight at our General Assembly for a special presentation from the Financial Accountability Working Group about the state of Occupy Boston’s finances and how we might develop a truly participatory budget for 2012.

Where: Emmanuel Church (15 Newbury St., Boston, MA)
When: Thursday, January 26th, 7:00-8:30PM

Check out and share the flyer:

01-24-2012 #BostonGA Live Blog

January 24th, 2012 · eli · News and Announcements Comments Off

#BostonGA 01-24-2012

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