Occupy Preparing for a Busy Week

Scott Galindez, Reader Supported News

15 January 12

he holidays are over, students are returning to campus, and the Occupy movement has regrouped. Occupiers from around the country already came to Washington DC for the Guantanamo protests, and are sticking around for next week's busy agenda.

On Monday, while most Americans enjoy the day off in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, the Occupy movement will see the participation of African-American churches and civil rights leaders as they "Occupy the Dream," with protests at the Federal Reserve in 10 cities. Occupy the Dream is led by Dr. Ben Chavis, the former Director of the NAACP; celebrity Russell Simmons; and Dr. Jamal Bryant, pastor of the Empowerment Temple in Baltimore. The events are also endorsed by the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Occupy Wall Street has also endorsed the movement, and called for candlelight vigils on Sunday at 7 pm around the country. Fore more information go to: http://www.occupydream.org.

On Tuesday, "Occupy Congress" will begin on the National Mall in Washington DC. Many expect Occupiers from around the country to stay through the week to participate in another event on Friday called "Occupy the Court."

Occupy Congress will test the movement's desire to reform the system. Many argue that the system is too corrupt change from within; others believe that the first step is to get money out of politics. Occupy Wall Street recently endorsed Move to Amend's campaign for a constitutional amendment declaring that corporations are not people and money is not speech.

Move to Amend is sponsoring the January 20th Occupy the Court event. For more information go to: http://www.movetoamend.org/.

Occupy Congress was originally called Occupy DC, also known as Occupy K Street. There is a lot of talk that several thousand people will be participating from around the country. For more information go to: http://www.occupyyourcongress.info/.

These events show a movement that is alive and well.

The next big push in Washington will be in the spring, when Occupy Washington DC launches the National Occupation of Washington (NOW). They have established two houses in the DC area dedicated to organizing for what they are calling the American Spring. The events will start on March 30th.

A few days later, April 4th - 7th, Occupy the Dream will be back in DC for a massive mobilization.

Anyone who thinks the Occupy movement is dead will be proven wrong this week, and again in the spring.

Scott Galindez attended Syracuse University, where he first became politically active. The writings of El Salvador's slain archbishop Oscar Romero and the on-campus South Africa divestment movement converted him from a Reagan supporter to an activist for Peace and Justice. Over the years he has been influenced by the likes of Philip Berrigan, William Thomas, Mitch Snyder, Don White, Lisa Fithian, and Paul Wellstone. Scott met Marc Ash while organizing counterinaugural events after George W. Bush's first stolen election. Scott will be spending a year covering the presidential election from Iowa.

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