MTC Report #3 Radio Podcast @Youtube - Occupy Natl Gathering
https://www.youtube.com/...
Occupy National Gathering @Interoccupy.net
http://interoccupy.net/...
Once again the corporate media is boycotting the occupy movement by denying it any significant news coverage.
Despite the fact that another national occupy conference has been organized for August 21st through the 25th in Kalamazoo, Michigan, if you get your information only from the commercial media networks, you would never know that the legacy of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations still lives on in small communities and major cities from California to Maine.
Why are the occupiers holding their conference in Kalamazoo?
The organizers say its a perfect place to discuss economic austerity and social injustice. Many municipalities in Michigan are currently being governed by financial managers due to the threat of widespread bankruptcies. Economic austerity measures have been instituted all across the Midwestern United States.
To counter the usual media boycott, here are a few examples of how the occupy movement has been active in the US: Occupy Tuscaloosa activists have been helping with tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma and a website has been set up to raise money for those who have been now made homeless by the storms.
The occupy Sandy relief efforts continue in New York and New Jersey, and Occupy Vermont has organized a community gathering to address the NSA's PRISM surveillance program. Occupy medical in Eugene, Oregon has received referrals from the Veterans Administration hospital and from the county for their free medical services offered by volunteer medics.
All across the nation occupy movement participants are demonstrating against fracking, the XL Keystone pipeline, coal trains, home foreclosures, student debt and the verdict in the George Zimmerman case, to name just a few of the causes that OWS has inspired.
Along with all this activity in the US, occupy groups in other nations around the world, along with activists involved with the Indignados, Idle No More and other pro democracy movements are taking people power to the parks and into the streets to protest injustice and economic austerity measures.
Major mass protests are currently taking place in Brazil, Turkey, and of course in Egypt. The civil war still rages in Syria and many demonstrations have been held in other nations across the planet where a significant portion of the population has been trying to bring about change and promote social justice. Last month 20 Occupy Toronto activists were arrested during a sit in at an Enbridge corporation oil terminal construction site in Hamilton.
That is the context in which the Occupy groups have decided together for the second year to convene a national gathering in another attempt to share information and resources. Not a typical political movement, the occupy affiliated folks are a very diverse bunch of individuals with a long list of issues and concerns. It has definitely maintained its non-hierarchical structure. There are still no recognized "leaders" in the movement and the names and faces have changed over the last two years.
As the occupy groups were transforming themselves into a myriad of different campaigns and protests, the so-called "mainstream" media forgot about Occupy Wall Street and the sit-ins in the parks. The political pundits have moved on to other topics and news stories and the politicians are still not listening, but the activists still march, organize and volunteer to serve their communities, educate themselves and promote alternative culture. Whatever the media tells you, remember that a lot of very dedicated and hard working people are still out there doing their best to make the world a better, healthier and more peaceful place to live.
Occupy National Gathering @Truthout
http://truth-out.org/...