Posted on 10/06/2011 6:09:22 AM PDT by BBell
A group of protesters calling themselves "Occupy New Orleans" will march across the city today before setting up an "encampment" at Duncan Plaza across from City Hall where some say they plan to live for months. Inspired by the "Occupy Wall Street" protests, which began in New York City three weeks ago and have since spread to at least 80 other cities, the group is demonstrating against what it sees as the disproportionate power wielded by corporations and the rich.
"I feel that corporate money in politics has completely removed the voice of the people," said David Ludman, 32, who plans to participate in the protest today. "This is the first step at moving towards dealing with that problem."
The march will begin at noon at Tulane Avenue and Broad Street and end at Lafayette Square, outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New Orleans. The locations were chosen "to highlight the continuing crisis of the prison industrial complex" and the "corrupt financial institutions that have caused so many to suffer," according to a statement released Tuesday by the group.
Taking its cues from the New York protest, Occupy New Orleans makes all its decisions through "general assembly," a series of votes that aims to reflect the views of everyone involved. The process can be lengthy -- simply selecting the march's route took three hours for the group of about 100 to decide.
That's one reason the group has not made a list of concrete goals, though it intends to in the upcoming weeks, said participant Michael Martin, 25. The movement also has no leader or spokesperson -- each member is allowed one vote. The resultant lack of a coherent message has drawn skepticism even from would-be sympathizers.
Organizers of the New Orleans protest say they expect hundreds to participate; the group
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Can they turn off the pumps in that part of town?
There is supposed to be a hippy fest in Houston today also.
There is no rain in the forecast and the weather here is relatively nice this nice of year.
the second nice was supposed to be time.
I just heard that we’ll have protests here in Springfield, Mo. this Sunday...at the local BofA branch. WTF? The bank’s closed on Sundays. Nitwits and tools. Whattaya gonna do?
So a bunch of rabble and aimless drifters (grifters?) will be milling about Lafayette Square...Unless they’ve got some pretty clever signs, they’ll hardly be noticed.
I heard something was going on in Dayton, OH but never heard anything else about it. Must not have been a very well-attended protest.
The major union in this area, the UAW, doesn’t have many members left since all the automotive work left the area.
Perhaps the UAW retirees who have had their pensions and health care cut, should join in the fun.
I expect the NO ;protests’ will have a decidedly chocolate apperance, right? Will Willy Ray Nagin be participating?
A young man who works with my husband is planning on going to one of these things in Connecticut,
His reason for going - he wasn’t born in time for Woodstock and wants a similar experience.
But "hope and change" was good enough in 2008.
Next protest: Occupy Pearl Street(Boulder)
What has New Orleans done to them?
Seriously, what is the point?
You mean the mosquitoes are only as big as robins rather than the size of hawks?
“;^)
My brother has lived in N.O. for almost 7 years. He withstood Katrina and came back to repair his house and get on with life. Since he was 18, he has worked in the food industry (his first job was making pizzas at Pizza Hut the summer after he graduated high school). All through his college years, he worked in restaurants and ended up in management by the time he graduated from Purdue. He has a passion for the industry.
In the last two years, he started a restaurant (deli/bakery type place) on and has worked pretty much seven days a week to get to where he is. He has a nice 100-year-old house that he has put a lot of time and money into. He pays out the wazoo for flood insurance (which he does because he loves where he lives and understands that’s one of the hazards of living in N.O.) He’s 35 and has no medical insurance, but he pays for any of his medical stuff out of pocket because he is relatively healthy.
I think of people like him and our younger half-brother (who taught at a Catholic high school for four years and recently joined the Navy at 29 years old—went to undergrad school on an almost total scholarship and worked to pay for his master’s degree while in school). Then I thank my lucky stars that our parents taught us all right, because if I knew either one of them was joining these protests, I’d be driving down to open up a can of you-know-what on them. (I’m still their big sister, after all, LOL)
Just how are these people going to eat?
Does the city have to provide portapotties?
I honestly think that all those in league with Obama are fomenting and encouraging this “movement.” AND...as someone who remembers the protests of the 60’s....these participants seem utterly foolish and silly in comparison.
I wanna occupy St. Martin or Barbados.
Who do I contact in the unions so I can ‘represent’?
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