Occupy Wall Street reunion in south Florida calls for solidarity
Miami, FL – More than 30 south Florida activists gathered April 13 at the Margaret Pace Park. Occupy Miami, part of the Occupy Wall Street movement, organized a reunion for Occupiers and invited other local organizers to take part in discussions. The Occupy movement inspired many to join the fight for justice and many Miami Occupiers continue to organize.
Members of Broward and Miami-Dade Green Party, People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR), Veterans for Peace, Progressive Democrats of America-Miami, Reclaim Your Power and Equality and Amnesty International participated in discussions summing up the past couple of years. Local activists are looking forward too, with upcoming plans to celebrate May Day – International Workers’ Day.
Palestine solidarity organizers are planning a commemoration of Al-Nakba, “the catastrophe,” when millions of Palestinians were violently forced to leave their homes in historic Palestine on May 15, 1948. Arab-American women’s leader Rasmea Odeh will be a focus of the May 15 event. Odeh is the target of political repression and is going to court in Detroit on June 10. A nationwide solidarity campaign at www.StopFBI.net is building up to support Odeh.
The Occupy Wall Street movement experienced repression at the hands of the U.S. government and the Occupy Miami reunion called for people to stand in solidarity with activists like Rasmea Odeh who are being targeted.
Pamela Maldonado, lead organizer with POWIR said, “We as activists experience repression, but we also practice solidarity that protects our movements. When we come together to fight we have a bigger impact. Together we are stronger.”
People spoke of ways to support each other’s work and strengthen the fight for justice. The spirited collaboration of the community helps to solidify the movement going forward.