Smell of Protest Spreads to Miami

By Scott Galindez, Reader Supported News

16 October 11

“I Love the Smell of Protest in the Morning” - Isis Miller

n October 15th over 1,000 gathered at the Torch of Friendship in Bayside Park in Miami, Florida. The call was for a rally, to be followed by the third General Assembly in Southern Florida.

During the first General Assembly on October 1st plans were made for an occupation of Miami’s Government Center. During that meeting attended by 100 South Floridians, small groups were formed to discuss the issues that Occupy Miami should focus on. One of the report backs was by a young immigrant named Juan.

Following the meeting I interviewed Isis Miller who also gave an impassioned report back from her small group.

Those attending the first General Assembly left with a mission, they needed to grow the occupy movement, and grow it they did.

Fast forward to October 15th …The one hundred who attended the first meeting was now more than a thousand, with the momentum it was time to take the next step. Over a thousand strong, they marched to Government Center.

Once there they held their third General Assembly, this time there would be no bull horn, this time they would use the people's mic. This time on the agenda was an important question, Do we Occupy this space?

So the Occupation of Miami had begun.

Food Not Bombs arrived with food.

Tents began to appear.

Despite several rain showers spirits were high. The crowd was diverse…young and old, brown, black and white. Parents holding their babies, children playing. Some were meditating others were drumming and dancing. Everyone was sending a message that enough is enough.

It remains to be seen how long the occupation will last but one can't ignore the momentum. Even the harshest right wing critic has to admit, the occupy movement around the country has the wind at their backs. In Miami it’s a warm ocean breeze.

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.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.