Milwaukee, WI – The Occupy movement and Palestine solidarity activists filled the room, Jan. 17, for the teach-in called “Occupy Wall Street, Not Palestine!”

Dallas, TX – On the evening of Jan. 15, Occupy Dallas and Occupy Now held a candlelight vigil at the Meyerson Symphony Center in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The vigil was in response to a call from Occupy Wall Street for vigils to take place across the country. The Meyerson Symphony Center was hosting its annual Black Music and Civil Rights Movement concert. Occupiers held signs reading, “Occupy Dallas honors Martin Luther King” and “Thank you.” Others held candles. Turnout was about 50 on a Sunday evening in January.

Minneapolis, MN – Organized by Occupy the Hood, about 250 people joined a Martin Luther King Day march here, Jan. 16. Marchers assembled at one of the city’s largest homeless shelters, the Salvation Army Harbor Light, and proceeded to City Hall for a rally.

On Sept. 17, 2011, a group of protesters gathered in Zuccotti Park in New York City. Their intention: to expose Wall Street greed and corporate domination over the lives of working and middle class people, the 99%. Almost immediately, police responded to the protesters with repression and pepper spray. This caused thousands of New Yorkers to flood to Zuccotti Park. Occupy Wall Street was on. Protesters camped in the park and did not leave for 59 days. Support for the protest built quickly and spread across the country and around the world. Within weeks, almost a thousand cities had Occupy protests. U.S. cities big and small had Occupations, including Chicago, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Oakland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Tampa and Winston-Salem.

Milwaukee, WI – In response to concerns from community members of the 20th Street neighborhood, north of North Avenue, a newly formed Occupy Coalition consisting of Occupy the Hood, Occupy Milwaukee, Occupy Riverwest and other groups collected trash that had been scattered throughout the streets and lawns of the community. About forty bags of trash were piled in front of an abandoned home on 20th and Meinecke with a banner reading, “Banks and politicians made this mess.”

Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people jointed a Dec. 23 picket line here, at the Obama campaign headquarters, to demand the President veto the National Defense Authorization act, which contains provisions that allow indefinite detention without trial. The protest was organized by Occupy Minneapolis and local anti-war groups.

Minneapolis, MN – About a dozen people from Occupy MN/Minneapolis interrupted a Hennepin County Commissioners Board meeting Dec. 13, demanding an end to county attacks on the Occupy movement and the People's Plaza.

Minneapolis, MN – About 100 supporters and participants of Occupy Minneapolis gathered at People’s Plaza here, Dec. 11. They hung signs advancing the demands of the 99%, using clothespins on ropes tied to plaza light poles, pounding staked signs into frozen planters and taping their messages onto poles and benches.

Oakland, CA – The Occupy movement is planning a dramatic set of blockades at West Coast ports Dec. 12.

Minneapolis, MN – El 6 de diciembre, fue un día de acción nacional a favor de aquellas familias en peligro de perder sus casas debido a la ejecución hipotecaria. Para ello más de 100 personas se congregaron frente a la casa de Bobby Hull en la 3712 Columbus Ave. Sur, Minneapolis, y anunciaron el inicio de una ocupación de su casa para garantizar que el banco US Bank no le saque de su casa.

Minneapolis, MN – On Dec. 6, a national day of action for occupying foreclosed homes, more than 100 people rallied here in front of Bobby Hull’s house at 3712 Columbus Avenue. They announced the start of an occupation of his home to prevent US Bank from kicking Hull and his family out of their home.

Minneapolis, MN – Supporters of Occupy Minneapolis rallied here Dec. 6 to protest this morning’s raid by Hennepin County Sheriff. They vowed to continue the struggle.

Chicago, IL – 125 people gathered on Dec. 3 here for the People’s Thanksgiving. Sarah Smith was one of them. “There are two anniversaries to make note of today,” Smith told the crowd. “One year ago, the FBI contacted me to tell me I was being subpoenaed to a grand jury.” Smith is one of the 24 anti-war and international solidarity activists targeted by the FBI.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

_Occupation at People’s Plaza will continue _

Minneapolis, MN – Occupy Minneapolis won a real victory, Dec. 2, when Hennepin County Sheriffs and security guards were forced to abandon their plans to remove the possessions of occupiers, including tarps, bedding, tables, chairs, signs and banners from People’s Plaza.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 400 protesters gathered on People’s Plaza here, Nov. 29, defying the anti-free speech rules imposed by county government. While state Representative Karen Clark spoke to the rally, activists set up 40 tents on the Plaza.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Los Angeles Committee to Stop FBI Repression on the mass arrests and jailing of Occupy LA protesters.

Los Angeles, CA – More than 1000 police raided the Occupy LA encampment here, Nov. 30, at about 12:30 a.m. The massive camp, comprised of more than 400 tents, was constructed on the grounds surrounding L.A. City Hall. The Los Angeles Police Department raid came at the camp from all sides, with some cops emerging from within the city hall.

On the evening of Wednesday, November 30 occupiers at Occupy Minneapolis defied the 'no tents' policy imposed by Hennepin County officials by setting up dozens of tents on People's Plaza. The tents stayed up until just after 4:00 a.m. on December 1, when county police dragged people out of the tents, then dismantled and took the tents away. Protesters then decided to set up more tents across the plaza in front of City Hall, until police dragged people out of those tents too and confiscated them, arresting two people in the process. These photos by Kim DeFranco document some of what happened on the night of Nov. 30 and morning of Dec. 1 in People's Plaza in Minneapolis.

_Second of four-part series _

Editor’s note: This is the second article of a four-article series. The first article was titled, “ Who are the one percent?” This article describes the working class, who make up most of the 99%. The next article will be about the rest of the 99% who aren’t part of the working class. The last article will talk about how the history of racism and national oppression is important to understanding what is behind the 1%-99% divide and how the 1% enriches itself while maintaining its privilege and power.