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.

#MiamiFL #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMiami

New York, NY – After news of an impending store closure, workers at the 63rd Street location of Hot and Crusty Bakery called for a 24-hour picket and store occupation, saying the company deliberately withheld rent payments following a hard-fought and successful unionization drive in May 2012. The company, owned by private equity partner Mark Samson, gave the Hot and Crusty Workers Association 11 days notice of eviction from the property, informing employees that August 31 would be their last day.

The union, led by a grassroots labor organization, the Laundry Workers Center and a contingent from Occupy Wall Street, students, faith and community members are occupying the workplace and holding an around-the-clock picket, demanding the company to discontinue its union-busting tactics, pay its rent immediately and continue to negotiate a fair contract with its workers. The company has used several bait-and-switch tactics during negotiations, threatening workers’ immigration status to deter their commitment to continuing the fight.

The August 31 closure will mean the loss of 23 jobs – including those of employees with as many as twelve years of employment with the company. Workers allege owners, including Mark Samson, Evangelos Gavalas and Nick Glendis, have a demonstrated history of wage and hour violations, intimidation, retaliation and harassment of workers in several of their businesses, as well as a pattern of closing down shops and opening under different aliases to avoid legal and economic liability. Workers have filed charges at the National Labor Relations Board alleging that the company is closing the 63rd Street shop to intimidate workers organizing at other Hot and Crusty locations.

Mahoma Lopez, a leader in the campaign who has worked at Hot and Crusty for over seven years said, “I want to send a message that we have to change the way immigrants are treated in this country. We have to show the bosses that we can’t be treated like animals any longer. We need to take radical action like people did in the civil rights movement, so that our voices can be heard. We are so happy to have the community here with us.”

Diego Ibanez, a member of Occupy Wall Street, emphasized the connection between Wall Street and workers, saying, “We’re sending a clear message to greedy bosses that we are watching and will not allow our people in the community to be oppressed any longer.”

#NewYorkNY #NewYork #picket #OccupyWallStreet #HotAndCrustyWorkersAssociation

Minneapolis, MN – The Minneapolis City Attorney is ramping up repression to try to stop the months-long campaign to resist the foreclosure of Alejandra and David Cruz’s family home at 4044 Cedar Avenue South. In an ominous development, at least three of the dozens of people arrested in defending the home from foreclosure are now being retroactively charged with third degree riot, obstructing legal process, disorderly conduct and presence at an unlawful assembly, in addition to their original trespass charge. The third degree riot charge alone could mean a year in jail and $3000 fine.

The protest where these specific arrests took place was on May 30 during one of the Minneapolis Police Department’s several attempts to clear out occupiers and evict the Cruz family on behalf of PNC Bank, which owns the home mortgage. That massive police operation and arrests took place less than 24 hours after Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak had tried to appear sympathetic to the anti-foreclosure movement by saying, “the City is not in the foreclosure business.”

For several months, Occupy Homes MN has mobilized hundreds of people to occupy and defend the Cruz home while building pressure nationally on PNC Bank, demanding that they negotiate to allow the Cruz family to keep their home. The Minneapolis police repeatedly returned to the home to try to dislodge the occupiers and were repeatedly rebuffed through mass civil disobedience. After the police finally succeeded in ejecting the occupiers and locking down the home, there was a mass civil disobedience action on June 21, where 13 more people were arrested, including hip hop artist Brother Ali.

According to a statement from Occupy Homes MN, “These charges are a clear and disgraceful attempt to suppress the Occupy Homes movement and ‘make an example’ of anti-foreclosure organizers who were arrested while non-violently protesting an unjust eviction. City Attorney Susan Segal, appointed by Mayor RT Rybak, has also made it a point to aggressively prosecute other political defendants, including a group arrested while protesting US Bank’s foreclosure practices last fall … This attempt to silence and stifle anti-foreclosure organizing will not deter us from fighting for our homes, our families, our neighbors, and our futures.”

Donations for legal defense of the people arrested defending the Cruz home can be made here: https://www.wepay.com/occupyhomesmn More information on the fight to defend the Cruz home:

#MinneapolisMN #Foreclosures #HousingStruggles #OccupyWallStreet #InjusticeSystem #OccupyHomesMN

Winston-Salem, NC – On June 6, over a dozen activists of Occupy Winston-Salem and the community gathered outside Forsyth Medical Center to protest against the mass layoff of 289 workers by Novant Health, Inc. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, Novant Health employs over 25,000 workers, operating 13 different hospitals, from North Carolina all the way to Georgia.

Picketing between Silas Creek Parkway and Hawthorne Road, the solidarity was very high as hundreds of passersby honked in support, with either a wave or fist outside their windows, while thousands more were at least able to get a glimpse of Occupy’s resistance against job cuts. Some of those who honked in solidarity were employees of Forsyth Medical Center, including an ambulance truck.

Debra Demske, member of Occupy Winston-Salem, said, “One woman who drove by on Wednesday shouted out her car window that she was laid off after 27 years. If the company is acting with integrity, why does it need to have every employee escorted by security to the door?”

Tony Ndege of Occupy Winston-Salem states, “Novant brought in extra private security staff from Charlotte to show their newly laid-off employees the door like criminals. Novant Health, just like any other big business, is primarily concerned about the next quarter and presenting growth figures for its board. The bottom dollar is the bottom line for Novant, not loyalty to its workers or its customers.”

The reason for these job cuts, according to Novant, is the national mandate by ‘Obamacare’ to lower health care costs. However, in the month of April of 2011 alone, Novant accumulated a net income of $1 million. In 2010 they made $158 million, and another $197 million the year before that. By the end of 2011 their revenue had risen to $3.43 billion, leaving everyone to question where all this money is going and why almost 300 workers have to suffer as a result by having their jobs slashed.

Of the 289 workers to be laid off by Novant, 82 are of managing positions, while the remaining 207 are staff. In response, Novant claims that 10-15% of those laid off will be relocated, but in lower positions with less pay, such as clinical and patient care.

“The management of Novant,” said Debra Demske, “does not have the best interests of Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, or North Carolina in mind when making management decisions if this is the kind of decisions they make. The actions of Novant management clearly indicate that the compensation of the Novant management team is the number one consideration of cost-saving decisions for the company.”

Demske continues, “And what about the effect on the local community that they are supposed to be supporting with their tax-free status? What about adjacent losses? How many Novant jobs equal one cashier job at a local market? Those 289 jobs were not the only job losses, but there is no entity that will study the impact of these job losses because the companies that control the research also control the jobs.”

#WinstonSalemNC #Healthcare #jobCuts #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyWinstonSalem #NovantHealth

“We might be depressed or we might be celebrating June 5, but regardless, we're going out there June 6 to let everyone know this recall is one battle within a much larger conflict against the 1% and we're gonna keep on fighting,” stated Occupy Milwaukee activist Daniel Ginsberg.

Support for this idea is spreading widely in a state that has been engulfed in a battle to save unions and to fight off cuts to the poor since Republican Governor Scott Walker took office in 2011. Immediately after taking office, Walker attacked union rights to collectively bargain, rolled back laws on workplace discrimination, imposed over $1 billion in cuts to education and opened new fronts on the war against workers, the Black and Latino communities and women.

Endorsers of Keep it in the Streets include the Amalgamated Transit Union 998, AFSCME 82, the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, Welfare Warriors, Students for a Democratic Society and many more who have been on the front lines of the battle against Gov. Walker since the winter 2011 Madison uprising, when hundreds of thousands descended on the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Gov. Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett are virtually tied in the polls, even though Walker outspent the Democratic gubernatorial candidate by millions. Walker is backed by billionaires who want to turn Wisconsin into a ‘right to work’ state, as was seen on a conversation caught on video between Walker and billionaire Diane Hendricks. Tom Barrett, with his own big money backers, is primarily depending on working people from all over the state, who have already launched a mass successful mobilization to force the recall election.

Many will speak on June 6 before the protest heads downtown and into the banking district. The core unifying demands will be: Repeal Act 10 – hands off unions and collective bargaining; no cuts to education or Badger Care; restore the Equal Pay Act – we demand an end to workplace discrimination; tax the 1% – hold the banksters and the 1% accountable for their economic crisis; and stop the cuts to working and oppressed people.

The Keep it in the Streets protest will start at 5:00 p.m., June 6 at Pere Marquette Park.

For more information: www.occupymilwaukee.org

#MilwaukeeWI #GovernorScottWalker #rightToWork #OccupyMilwaukee #OccupyWallStreet

Winston-Salem, NC – On April 16, local residents and members of Occupy Winston-Salem held a demonstration at the U.S. Post Office in the Waughtown area. Protesters demanded that the only post office in the community not be closed down.

Across the country, hundreds of U.S. post offices are on a closure list, based upon the amount of revenue they generate. For the Waughtown area, which is known to be one of the most diverse, predominantly working class communities in Winston-Salem, the closure of the one and only post office would be a major setback.

Local passersby honked to express solidarity as they drove past, while others stopped and greeted protesters as they were coming and going from the post office during the day. Shouting could be heard from Pleasant Street to Waughtown Street: “U-S-P-S should not pay for Wall Street’s mess!” – a financial mess that postal workers are organizing against nationwide.

Amanda Porter-Cox of Occupy Winston-Salem spoke out against the closing, “If that post office is closed, it will impact the daily life of all those residents living in that area. Since it is located in a poorer part of town, it is particularly vulnerable. The other implication that will come up is that the 1% is taking over public services, making them private and taking rights away. We cannot allow this to happen.”

Justin Flores, organizer and Director of Programs for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), also joined the demonstration, angry about what the 1% are trying to force upon the residents of Waughtown. “While farm workers often lack basic human rights,” he said, “our union understands that only by sticking together will we be able to win against those who seek to put profits over people, so I was excited to be there with the good folks in Winston Salem in support of the postal workers and their union.”

Flores continues, “I think this type of work is not only crucial to build the power to push back the Republican efforts to end public mail service, but also to educate and organize our communities about the serious problems that come along with privatization and slashes to federal, state, and local budgets. Whether it is education, mail service or public safety, conservatives are looking for ways to turn everything into a for-profit business, which often fails to account for the importance of these services for many communities. Without good public mail service, the for-profit industry will have no reason to keep good, low cost service in many neighborhoods. Only by engaging our neighbors and families will we build enough political power to not only fight back against the threats to public services, but keep fighting to improve them.”

#WinstonSalemNC #TaxTheRich #postOffice #postalWorkers #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyWinstonSalem

Minneapolis, MN – About 100 rallied in front of City Hall here, April 9, and then occupied the office of Mayor R.T. Rybak, demanding a public meeting with the mayor in response to the April 7 police attack on occupiers. Initially, representatives of the mayor’s office threatened arrests. After about an hour of chanting and mic checks in the office reception area, Mayor Rybak agreed to an April 10 meeting.

On April 7, Occupy Minneapolis attempted to reoccupy downtown’s Peavey Plaza. The Minneapolis Police Department attacked protesters, arresting 12. Some participants were injured, including a reporter from a local TV station, whose camera was smashed.

#MinneapolisMN #PoliceBrutality #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMinneapolis #MayorRTRybak

Chicago, IL – 1000 people took to the streets in an unpermitted march from the Chicago Board of Trade Building at Jackson and LaSalle and over to Grant Park for the April 7 Spring to Action by Occupy Chicago.

People chanted, “We are the 99%!” and “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!” to passersby in Chicago’s downtown Loop.

At Grant Park, there were several workshops around the field, including direct action, political economy and gearing up for NATO’s arrival in Chicago.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke at a workshop on jobs, housing, health and education. With his famous cadence, “Keep hope alive,” Jackson talked about the need for social services and jobs at home as opposed to war abroad. “On May 20, we will occupy for our future!” exclaimed Jackson, referring to the opening day of the NATO protest in Chicago. Jackson urged people to join the march organized by the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda at noon that day.

#ChicagoIL #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyChicago #NATOG8Summit

John Kraintz from Safe Ground gave a rousing talk that linked the struggle of the homeless to the many instances of police repression of the Occupy movement. He pointed out that the local ordinances against camping and loitering are used to repress people in two ways. One is that police forcibly, sometimes violently, dismantle Occupy encampments around the country. The other is they aim squarely at removing homeless people who survive and live by building community in public space. Kraintz went on to explain, “There is no reason to even have an anti-camping law because there are 55,000 vacant buildings in Sacramento and maybe 10,000 homeless.”

Bob Saunders from Occupy Foreclosures called on participants to never forget that the current housing crisis “is a crime perpetrated by the top Wall Street banks.” Saunders also called for a permanent moratorium on foreclosures.

Eileen Schnitger of the Women’s Health Specialists made it clear that “we don’t just support the Occupy movement. We are a part of the Occupy movement.” That theme of unity with Occupy was repeated in the talks from many of the panelists. Speakers also expressed a sense of urgency for Occupy to make a show of force in Sacramento this spring.

Occupy Sacramento announced that it will soon call for a follow-up meeting to discuss the development of demands and a campaign to win them.

#SacramentoCA #OccupyWallStreet #OccupySacramento

Ocupa, movilizaciones y protestas

Los manifestantes acamparon en el parque y se plantaron allí por 59 días. El apoyo hacia la protesta incrementó rápidamente y se expandió a lo largo del país y a nivel mundial. Semanas después, algunas mil ciudades tenían sus protestas de Ocupar. En ciudades pequeñas y grandes de los EEUU se generaron movimientos de Ocupar, incluyendo Chicago, Fort Worth, Los Ángeles, Minneapolis, Oakland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Tampa, y Winston-Salem.

Muchos de los manifestantes que acamparon de tiempo completo en los lugares ocupados son estudiantes anglosajones provenientes de clase media u obrera, pero también hay desempleados y/o indigentes. Sin embargo, centenares y miles más se unen con los Ocupantes para participar en protestas durante el día y en los fines de semana, especialmente cuando se movilizan los sindicatos. Las movilizaciones sindicales han cambiado la composición del movimiento de Ocupar dramáticamente, como se puede ver en Nueva York o Chicago, dado que miles de africano-americanas y puertorriqueñas, chicanas y otras nacionalidades se tomaron las calles y los parques públicos. La solidaridad y el aprecio aumentan mientras se desarrolla el proceso de protestar unidos.

El lema: “somos el 99%”, surgió de las protestas y capturó el sentimiento en torno a la causa de la crisis económica. Las y los indignados incluyen una amplia gama de personas que están siendo castigadas por el deterioro económico – estudiantes, profesionales, personas con empresas pequeñas, trabajadores, desempleados y también indigentes-. El lema esclarece la necesidad de que la gente se levante para enfrentar al gobierno y al sistema económico que sostienen los beneficios del pequeño grupo acaudalado.

Represión del movimiento en todo el país

Las protestas del Movimiento Ocupar que están surgiendo en ciudad tras ciudad han sido enfrentadas con violencia y represión policial. Tan sólo en Nueva York la policía lanzó gases de pimienta y golpeó a manifestantes y a espectadores en más de cien ocasiones. Videos publicados muestran cómo la policía ha arrestando a personas por el simple hecho de grabar con video la reacción de la policía frente a las protestas.

En la ciudad de Oakland, California, el motín lanzó gases lacrimógenos a la multitud para remover el campamento de los Ocupantes indignada/os. Uno de los cilindros de los gases lacrimógenos fue disparado directamente al manifestante Scott Olsen y le causó una grave herida en la cabeza, dejándolo inconsciente. Su cráneo sufrió fracturas y estuvo hospitalizado por varias semanas. Olsen, un veterano de la guerra en Iraq, tuvo dificultad para hablar después del incidente. Otro indignado, ex miembro de la Marina, y veterano de la guerra en Iraq, Kayven Sabeghi, sufrió lesiones en el brazo después de ser golpeado por la policía.

En la ciudad de Fort Worth, Tejas, las y los indignados fueron multados por razones varias, desde el hecho de estacionarse en medidores expirados en la calle hasta por dormir en lugares públicos. Un caso notorio grabado en video muestra cuando un oficial de la policía le quita a un manifestante una bandera estadounidense que cargaba y le pega por detrás con el palo antes de golpearle la cara. El policía dijo que la bandera lo había rozado al pasar. Esto terminó en el arresto del manifestante.

En Chicago, Illinois, más de 300 manifestantes fueron arrestados en una sola semana por intentar establecer un campamento. En Minneapolis, Minnesota, la policía incautó cada carpa encontrada además de llevarse alimentos, mantas y demás pertenencias. En Winston-Salem, la policía intentó detener un foro del pueblo y además robó una bandera del grupo. Más tarde, mientras los participantes estaban reunidos en la grama del ayuntamiento, la policía cerró la reunión, que había sido aprobada por la alcaldía. Un indignado fue arrestado por responder verbalmente a la policía.

Más que el clima invernal, la represión policial ha puesto fin a campamentos permanentes del movimiento Ocupar en la mayoría de ciudades. Tan sólo un pequeño número sigue en pie como en Madison, Wisconsin, y en Albany, Nueva York. En la ciudad de Albany el jefe de la policía se niega a utilizar recursos de la ciudad para sacar a manifestantes del los parques. No obstante, tres rondas de arrestos masivos y limpiezas en los parques fueron organizadas al nivel nacional con la colaboración de Homeland Security, el FBI y las autoridades locales.

La policía cerró el campamento de Oakland el 25 de octubre del 2011. Sin embargo, el movimiento de Ocupar Oakland reconstruyó el campamento al siguiente día. Posteriormente, el 2 de noviembre, Ocupar Oakland convocó a una huelga general, incluyendo el paro de uno de los puertos más activos en EEUU. Fue renombrado como una “masiva jornada de acción” y tuvo el apoyo de muchos sindicatos locales y concejales laborales, y, más importante, de Longshore International y Sindicato de Bodegas (Warehouse Union). La acción masiva también logró cerrar algunas partes del centro de la ciudad y decenas de miles de personas se tomaron las calles. No hay manera de saber cuántos miles más de personas se quedaron en casa en vez de asistir a sus empleos para mostrar su solidaridad. El nuevo campamento de Ocupar Oakland permaneció activo hasta que la policía lo cerró nuevamente el 14 de noviembre.

El 1% acumula, el 99% se moviliza

El 12 de diciembre, el movimiento Ocupar tomó la idea de cerrar los puertos y la expandió por toda la costa occidental. Puertos de Oakland; Seattle y Longview, en Washington; Portland, Oregón y Houston, en Tejas, fueron cerrados parcialmente o completamente durante segmentos del día. Aunque algunos dirigentes sindicales se oponían al cierre masivo de los puertos, muchos sindicalistas apoyaron y participaron en los cierres.

Ocupar el Campus es una tendencia en desarrollo, después de que manifestantes universitarios fueron golpeados con bastones en la Universidad de Berkeley de California (UC), lo que provocó que más de 3.000 estudiantes, profesores y trabajadores protestaran en el Campus. Luego en UC Davis, un infame oficial de policía roció con gas pimienta a estudiantes que estaban sentados unidos de brazos en un acto de desobediencia civil. Esto indignó a estudiantes, padres y otras personas en todo el país, en forma similar a lo que sucedió con los golpes recibidos por los manifestantes de los derechos civiles hace 50 años. Más de 5.000 personas se organizaron en UC Davis para exigir que el policía sea acusado de un delito y que Linda Katehi renunciara a su cargo como rectora. Con los estudiantes regresando al campus se están gestando reuniones y planes sobre cómo continuar con el movimiento Ocupar.

El movimiento continúa...

A pesar de los esfuerzos y el poder del 1%, el movimiento de Ocupar está lejos de ser vencido. Las tácticas de los ocupantes han mostrado gran creatividad y variedad. En Minneapolis y en otras ciudades los ocupantes están desafiando las ejecuciones hipotecarias. En Grand Rapids, los ocupantes celebraron un juicio de prueba de la ex secretaria de Estado Condoleezza Rice por la responsabilidad de crímenes de guerra en relación con la guerra en Irak. Rice estaba presente en una cena de recaudación de fondos a sólo unos cientos de metros de distancia. Ocupantes en Salt Lake City, Utah, marcharon en solidaridad cuando Ocupar Oakland cerró los puertos. Ocupantes en Durham, Carolina del Norte; Dallas, Texas, y Champaign, Illinois, marcharon frente a sedes de bancos principales como el Chase y Wells Fargo para responsabilizarlos por la crisis económica.

En los primeros días de 2012 ya se han realizado varias movilizaciones masivas, mientras muchas ciudades se siguen movilizando en escala más pequeña. El 17 de enero miles de personas se movilizaron en la grama del Capitolio en Washington DC, en lo que llamaron “Ocupa el Congreso”, demandando el fin a las guerras imperialistas y condenando la influencia del negocio en el Capitolio. Marcharon a la Corte Suprema cantando “Dinero no es libertad de expresión”, y después a la Casa Blanca, con consignas como “Sal Obama, tenemos que hablar”, y “¿Casa de quién? Nuestra casa”.

El 28 de enero, miles de personas en Oakland se movilizaron para ocupar un edificio abandonado y convertirlo en un centro comunitario y casa para participantes en el movimiento. Movilizaciones solidarias tuvieron lugar en más de 30 ciudades, incluyendo Chicago, Nueva York y Boston. La policía local de Oakland respondió con gas lacrimógeno, granadas de aturdimiento o explosiones cegadoras, rondas de sub letales y golpes de bastón gratuitos, gastando cientos de miles de dólares para violentamente prevenir el uso comunitario de un edificio no utilizado, propiedad de la ciudad. En estas movilizaciones arrestaron a más de 400 personas. Entretanto la administración de la ciudad sigue cerrando bibliotecas públicas y escuelas, y despidiendo a empelados municipales.

El 30 de enero manifestantes en DC construyeron un campamento llamado “La carpa de sueños” en un parque central en la ciudad, cerca a la Casa Blanca. Aunque la policía local ordenó que se desocupara el parque y el Servicio Nacional de Parques ha advertido que pueden ser arrestados, los ocupantes no se han ido hasta la publicación de este artículo.

No hay ninguna manera de saber qué ocurrirá a continuación con el movimiento de Ocupar. Los medios masivos de comunicación ya casi no están cubriendo las movilizaciones, por eso muchos temen que el movimiento se está cayendo. Sin embargo, es claro que el movimiento de Ocupar representa un despertar de la conciencia y protesta en los Estados Unidos. La economía se dirige a más problemas en el 2012 y más personas están sufriendo. No podemos predecir qué forma tomará la lucha, pero con certeza podemos predecir que el 2012 será un año aún mejor para lucha que el 2011.

#UnitedStates #politicalRepression #OccupyWallStreet

13 people were arrested on the first day trying to occupy Compton Hill Reservoir Park. Police armed with batons attacked the Occupiers, causing several injuries. Protesters were initially threatened with felony charges, which were later dropped. Then on March 17, Occupy Wall Street protesters rallied against home foreclosures in front of the Wells Fargo Corporate Center, one of the big bailout banks. Unfazed by the previous day’s police violence, the protest then merged into the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Saint Louis chanting, “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!”

Much of the weekend's agenda focused on the upcoming NATO/G8 protest against war makers and bankers in Chicago. Occupy Chicago, as well as organizers from the Coalition Against NATO/G8 gave presentations about the causes of war and poverty and facilitated discussions on building for the protests across the Midwest. Cities from around the country are organizing buses to Chicago for the May 20 day of action.

“We were excited to connect with organizers from around the country that are a part of the same movement against corporate domination and war,” said Danielle Meyer of Occupy Milwaukee, “We want to coordinate Occupy further and develop plans for future connected actions throughout the Midwest.”

#StLouisMO #OccupyWallStreet #NATOG8Summit2012