Readers Correspond on the Occupy Movement
The following are correspondences we received from several readers:
Occupy Cleveland, which has occupied a portion of Public Square in downtown, got word of an eviction on the west side of the city, so about a dozen tents went up at Beth Sommerer's house. Beth with two young children was due to be evicted from her home. At the last moment, she made a plea to the protesters of Occupy Cleveland. Soon afterward, Occupy Cleveland pitched about 12 in the yard, vowing not to move unless she was allowed to stay in her home. On November 14, a local court gave in and gave a 30-day stay on the eviction order. The Occupy group said they were taking their message of corporate greed and income inequality into neighborhoods to stop evictions and foreclosures. One Occupier said, "There are so many who get foreclosure notices and they lose hope. We are telling them they don't need to lose hope." Another battle to reoccupy a house that a Black woman was evicted from is planned by Occupy Cleveland and Occupy the Hood Cleveland.
On Saturday, November 12, 85 youth and students marched through downtown Cleveland, chanting "We are the 99%," stopping at all the major banks, exposing what they do, doing street theater to expose the banks and then putting an "eviction" sign on each bank door.
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I have been watching news coverage of Occupy Portland.
Protesters marched toward a major bridge to stop traffic and as police blocked their way some protesters broke through. As they were being arrested the march took a pedestrian bridge and made it to the Wells Fargo bank. Ten protesters made it inside. The police moved in and started arresting them as protesters outside chanted "Let them go" and "Shut it down." Wells Fargo had to lock their doors.
Marchers headed to other banks and found Chase bank locked. As cheers went up an American flag was taken down and raised upside down.
Mainstream media were comparing marchers' tactics to the civil rights movement taking over lunch counters and the movements of the '60s.
Right now the march is breaking into sections heading to banks in other parts of the city.
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They even came down on the little encampment that was in Dallas, and that was after the city told protesters they could stay! And, for the most part, it was kept out of the news. I only heard about it from 90.1, KERA, the public radio station. It happened on Tuesday or Wednesday. I heard from a friend it was happening on Tuesday, but the radio station said Wednesday. The police raided many of the Occupiers in many cities all at the same time. What a coincidence?!?!