Category Archives: News

UPDATE:
http://yfrog.com/o0hbvqmj  Photos of Occupy the Highway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDEooyJpp4g  Video of setup and drive-by

UPDATE:
It took less than an hour for OSP to show up and inform our sign holders that they had received complaints that we were running into the interstate and obstructing traffic.  I suspect the complaint is real, but we certainly weren’t jumping into traffic.  Our safety expert helped us make sure we complied with all ODOT rules while keeping everyone a safe distance from traffic while setting up.  Eventually, OSP asked us to stop around noon, an hour before our planned finish time.

Leave a comment for Occupy the Highway in our forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Peter Bergel 503-428-4280
Occupy Salem will greet spring on Saturday, March 10 by “Occupying the Freeway.” Taking a page from the old “Burma Shave” advertising campaign of the 1920s-50s, Occupy Salem has constructed large (6’x6’) signs to hold along I-5. The signs will say:

OUR COUNTRY
IS OFF TRACK
TIME TO TAKE
OUR POWER BACK
OCCUPY occupysalemoregon.com

A team of volunteers, working in pairs, will hold the five large signs well to the right of vehicular traffic along the freeway on the northbound side between Market Street and Portland Road beginning at 10 am. [PHOTO OP]

The Burma Shave campaign was one of the most popular advertising campaigns of all time, known to practically everyone who was alive in the U.S. at that time. Occupy Salem is using the concept to remind the public that the issues which brought out demonstrators across the nation (and the world) last fall still need to be dealt with and that it will take a massive public effort to do so. Far too many crucial decisions affecting all of us are being made by a tiny elite motivated mostly by greed rather than concern for the welfare of the public or the planet. The result has been job loss, unfair trade agreements, home foreclosures, the energy crisis, unnecessary wars, crumbling infrastructure, and loss of control over our government.

Think Tank
Friday, Feb 10 @ 7pm
490 19th St NE
Salem OR, 97301

Google Map

The Think Tank is a GA-sponsored meeting to share ideas and prepare for GA.  There will be some brief group discussion, with eveyone encouraged to bring projects and ideas to work on in small groups.

From the GA

Minutes from our last GA (Feb 7, 2012)

Some recent ideas and GA input that could be discussed and worked on at the Think Tank:

Occupy Presidents Day

Feb 25, State meeting in Eugene

Earth Charter Proposal

World 5.0 – request for support

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.”

The second anniversary of the Citizens United decision on corporate personhood.  Join us on the capitol steps!

Press Release

When: January 21, 2012 at 11:45am
Where: On the Capitol steps

11:45am — Rally w/ Solseed
1:00pm — March
(after 3:00pm) — 1st Statewide General Assembly

Occupy The Corporations!
Corporations Are NOT People!
Money Is NOT Speech! Theme

Planning for Jan 21st in our forum
Planning for Jan 21st Google Groups
Facebook Event

update: added schedule, fixed FB link
update: added press release link

What can Native American culture teach us about making crucial decisions?  How can we know if our decisions are correct?

The Occupy Salem Education Committee presents a video screening and discussion.  Calvin Kecota, a wisdom keeper of the Klamath tribe, will share some reflections.  Barbara Ray and Chuck Wynns will facilitate the discussion.

Wednesday, January 4, 7:00pm
Oregon PeaceWorks Office,
104 Commercial NE, Salem

Event page on Facebook

The OSOGA is in the process of cleaning up and closing down our village in Willson park.  Our goal is to return the park to a “pre-occupy” state by 12:00pm Dec 1st when our permit expires.  Some cleanup is already underway, and a “Let’s clean the park” event is being organized on Facebook.

Can you help us pick up trash, rake, and beautify Willson Park on Wednesday, November 30 at 10:00 am?

Village cleanup plan thus far

Nov 25 – Nov 27
Starting village cleanup.  Inventory items, collect contact info, group photo with Nyla (?)

Nov 28
Meeting with parks

Nov 29
Last night for structures

Nov 30
“Fold & Hold”: Kitchen, medical, awnings, bark dust drop off.
Who will store tables and chairs, blankets/hospitality stuff

Dec 1
Permit expires at noon