Some Of The First Occupiers To Address A Governing Body
On October 11th, at 6pm, Occupy Sacramento officially made it’s presence known to the City Council during its regularly scheduled meeting. First rallying outside, occupation supporters flooded the meeting, and many gave testimony to share their perspectives on the record. But even after opening this dialogue with our elected officials, we continue to be arrested for staying in the park after the extended hours (11pm on weekdays, midnight on weekends).
While our occupation continued to grow, organize, and evolve over the next week, Occupy Sacramento continues to have the extra daily tasks of setting up and breaking down our entire infrastructure, and taking turns spending nights in the jail three blocks away from Cesar Chavez Park. Activist hero Cindy Sheehan, of nearby Vacaville, has also joined Occupy Sacramento and was arrested alongside fellow occupiers last Saturday night (Oct 15-16, night 10).
Occupier Testimonies:
You can watch entire city council meetings, as published by the city, via their web site:
http://sacramento.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=22
October 18th, 6pm: With around 250 Occupy Sacramento participants present for the meeting, 40 citizen speakers shared their perspective with the Sacramento City Council. Here are just a few minutes worth of highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA2mgDoyk7I
Download High Quality Video: http://worldorder.wiki/video/Occupy/WWO-OccSac-Oct18-Day13-Part1-Short.divx
And in the spirit of our new experiments in direct democracy, here are highlights from every single occupier who gave testimony on the 18th:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgpxfhA3RBo
Download High Quality Video: http://worldorder.wiki/video/Occupy/WWO-OccSac-Oct18-Day13-Part1-Long.divx
Responses By Elected Officials:
Here is the uncut, unsatisfactory response given by our elected representatives. These representatives may face tough re-elections should they continue on the wrong side of history, and continue to arrest us during our nonviolent assemblies in OUR public park.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdTv2MrNjh0
Download High Quality Video: http://worldorder.wiki/video/Occupy/WWO-OccSac-Oct18-Day13-Part2.divx
Oct 18th Arrests After Second City Council Meeting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe20BFavH5o
Download High Quality Video: http://worldorder.wiki/video/Occupy/WWO-OccSac-Oct18-Night13.divx
On October 18th, Occupy Sacramento spent it’s second Tuesday night in another very disappointing Sacramento City Council meeting. During this meeting dozens of occupiers thoughtfully presented our shared positions, but this seemed to fall on largely deaf ears. Mayor Kevin Johnson did offer to expand our level of discussion, and possibly work with us on a resolution he could take to Washington DC in November.
Representatives Steve Cohn and Angelique Ashby came closest to supporting us, maybe leaning towards a compromise allowing us to keep only our primary infrastructure tents and key volunteers overnight. While this pledge for enhanced collaboration could be positive, no one on the council defended our right to fully occupy Cesar Chavez Park and camp there 24/7. Citizens who remain at the park past its hours will continue to be arrested for being at a place of riot.
This limit and persecution on our right to assembly during this time of potential revolution is completely unacceptable…so we the people will continue to be peacefully arrested in OUR park.
In our current corporatocracy, you too, are likely part of the 99%. Please join us in this experiment in 21st century democracy!