FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
What’s next for the Occupy movement in Oregon?
News release Contacts: Dean Edwards (503) 581-8560, dedwards@igc.org
Kirk Leonard (503) 391-6735, kirkleon@spiritone.com
People from around the state will
converge on Oregon’s capitol steps (Saturday, Jan. 21) to protest the second anniversary of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission. “ Are corporations people?” asked Sean Gillespie, an event planner from Salem. “That 2011 Supreme Court decision grants further personal rights to corporations and equates money to free speech. Neither is healthy for our democracy,” he said.
Rally & March at the Capitol - flyer
Democrats, Republicans, Independents
and Libertarians struggle with the consequences of this trend towards unlimited cash flowing into political coffers. Those individuals, (the “99 Percent”) are represented by local and statewide organizations, that will take part wrestling the American Dream back from the “1 percent” who now control politics and the government.
Another event organizer, Kirk Leonard, continued, “Oregon’s Occupy actions will converge at the Capitol, Jan. 21, to protest this situation and call for amending the Constitution to correct it.” Groups from all over Oregon will be there.
The rally begins at 11:45 a.m. with music from Eugene’s SolSeed, followed by speakers, including Erin Madden, a public interest environmental attorney from Portland. A downtown march will follow, at 1 p.m., and a state-wide general assembly for Oregon’s Occupy movements will begin after 3 p.m. “The state meeting will continue the process of establishing integrated communications among the various Occupy efforts in Oregon, a step towards a unified Occupy Oregon General Assembly,” Leonard said.
“The so-called Supply Side Economics have failed us,” Gillespie added. “As a career retail sales person, I’ve seen immense suffering in the past few years. Not only has my income suffered, I’ve witnessed countless customers of mine doing without essentials simply because they were losing their jobs and their homes.”
“We are through being fooled!” he added. “The Occupy movement has jumpstarted the next level of engagement…in Wisconsin, Ohio, New York, Oregon and many other states. The people will eventually prevail, and the rally on Jan 21 is the next step.”
