Thank you InterOccupy for this wonderful networking. The Common Ground Clinic does need help. We are sincerely grateful to you and to them.


NEW ORLEANS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH SUPPLIES DUE TO HURRICANE ISAAC

It has been communicated that local organizations in New Orleans have been ravaged by budget cuts and will not see money from the FEMA and the FEDS till Tuesday/ Wednesday. The Common Ground Clinic in particular will need ice to keep insulin/other meds cool till then, medical supplies, and potable water. This list will only increase as Isaac sits on the city with rain & wind gusts. This city was left behind after Katrina and Occupy folks as well as local groups are trying to organize a distribution network to get supplies to NOLA prior to the release of FEMA money.

THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS FROM: Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Jackson, MS, and Houston to drive.

IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE EMAIL INFO@INTEROCCUPY.NET

http://interoccupy.net/blog/new-orleans-needs-volunteers-to-help-with-supplies-due-to-hurricane-isaac/

You can reach Common Ground on their Facebook page - they are updating it.

Hello All,

Occupy The Stage warehouse did not flood. Below are some Friday resources for food, water, and medical needs. We love you and stay safe.

~ Occupy The Stage

Friday Common Ground Health Clinic Update

All,

All of our providers are back in the office so we are open to seeing patients today. We are operating on a skeleton support crew, but making it work.   We don't normally see patients on Friday so we are taking walk ins. If you live or work in the area please spread the word.

--
Meshawn Tarver
Executive Director
Common Ground Health Clinic
1400 Teche Street
New Orleans, LA 70114 Clinic: 504-361-9800 Office: 504-365-8800 Cell: 504-717-7329 fax: 504-368-9836

Friday Emergency Food Co-op at Buffa's!

EMERGENCY FOOD CO-OP
OK, folks, you have food, but no electricity. We have people to feed and hardly any food left!
Let's use your food to feed people instead of throwing it out!


Here is how our emergency food co-op works:

IF YOU HAVE FOOD THAT NEEDS TO GET USED:

1). Bring it in.

2). Tell us how much you want for yourself or your family, and our cooks will cook it for you.

3). You give our server some cash for our cook (and they will see our cooks get ALL of it.)

4). We will share what's left with others.


IF YOU HAVE NO FOOD TO SHARE:

1). Find out what we have. Be patient. It's crowded and the list will always be changing.

2). Tell the server what you want.

3). Give the server some cash for the cook. They will make sure the cook gets ALL of it.


Locations of Emergency #POD sites for #NOLA #Ice #MRE #H20 Emergency Point of Distribution (POD) sites 

The National Guard has opened three emergency Point of Distribution (POD) sites where citizens can pick up critical supplies including ice, water, and MREs in New Orleans East, Lower Ninth Ward and on the West Bank.:

•         5501 Read Blvd in New Orleans East near Methodist Hospital
•         2730 Vespasian Blvd on the West Bank
•         700 Poland Ave., the Port of Embarkation in the Bywater

Sites are open 6am to 8pm, or when it is too dark to distribute supplies, until further notice. Sites will distribute water, ice, and MREs.  They will not distribute tarps.

From http://new.nola.gov/ready

All PODs are open until 8 pm tonight for MREs, ice and water. In District C there's a pod at 4400 Dauphine at the Naval Support Facility East Bank and at Skelly Rupp Park in Algiers (2200 Vespasian Blvd near Shirley Drive off of General DeGaulle). They will be open tomorrow from 6 pm - 8 pm.

Louisiana Locations Providing Supplies (ice, water, MRE's, varies by location) -
Jefferson Parish
Alario Center, 2000 Segnette Blvd., Westwego
Butch Duhe Playground, 1710 10th St., Kenner
Harahan City Hall, 6437 Jefferson Hwy., Harahan
Helen Cox High School, 2200 Lapalco Blvd, Harvey
First Parish Court, 920 David Dr., Metairie
FOR LAFITTE RESIDENTS ONLY: Lafitte Town Hall, 2654 Jean Lafitte Boulevard, Lafitte
FOR GRAND ISLE RESIDENTS ONLY: Grand Isle Fire Department, 2757 LA Hwy 1, Grand Isle
Orleans Parish
5501 Read Blvd in New Orleans East near the intersection of Read and Lake Forrest Blvd;·
2730 Vespasian Blvd on the West Bank
700 Poland Avenue in the Bywater
St. John the Baptist Parish
East St. John Elementary, 400 Ory Drive, LaPlace
Emily C. Watkins, 938 LA Hwy 628, LaPlace
Fifth Ward Elementary, 158 Panther Drive, Reserve
Garyville/Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet
240 LA Hwy 54, Mount Airy
Leon Godchaux School, 1880 Hwy 44, Reserve
St. John the Baptist Courthouse, 2393 Hwy 18, Edgard

When: Tuesday, August 28 7pm

Where: Occupy The Stage 2735 C Toulouse Street, New Orleans, LA

Activists from Less Wall More Street will be visiting New Orleans August 28- 30.

Occupy The Stage invites the 99% to join activists Jen Waller and Tom Hintze for brainstorming and training as part of “Less Wall, More Street: From Mass Arrests of OWS to Mass Incarceration” – a national campaign to raise awareness and build solidarity around issues of state targeting and social control.

This training will address the scope of the growing problem of political repression directed at the 99 percent. Jen Waller and Tom Hintze’s brainstorming and training session is part of “Less Wall, More Street: From Mass Arrests of OWS to Mass Incarceration” – a national campaign to raise awareness and build solidarity around issues of state targeting and social control. These two OWS activists have been driving across the country doing legal solidarity trainings and working to raise awareness and build solidarity around issues of state targeting and social control.  Please check out their website Less Wall More Street to learn more about how they are Building Solidarity to Fight Repression from Coast to Coast.

“Less Wall, More Street” seeks to build alliances between new activists who are just recently experiencing repression, more experienced activists who have long been subject to it and members of targeted and oppressed communities – to share experiences, build understanding and work in solidarity together.

After the arrest of more than 7,000 members of Occupy Movement engaging in peaceful acts of dissent, many of which are supposedly protected by the law of the land, state sanctioned repression remains a reality of life for the 99% in the United States.

Jen and Tom will also point out things that 99 percenters can to more effectively resist repression here. That political repression is a real and serious problem for 99 percenters in New Orleans is clear enough. Under the general direction of the local Homeland Security leadership, New Orleans police have arrested scores of 99 percenters for engaging in peaceful dissent in recent years. Targets of these arrests include members of the local public housing movement, Krewe of Eris revelers, anti austerity protesters at UNO, supporters of the Avery Alexander Occupy Encampment, and an organizer of Occupy the Stage. The time is long overdue for 99 percenters to give the problem of political repression in the US that it deserves.

Come to this free and timely discussion concerning a grim political reality in Barrack Obama’s America. This event is free and open to all.

Note: This training will occur during the regularly scheduled GA. The G.A. will meet after the training.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL MIKE AT 504-587-0080 or RSVP to this  Facebook Event.

Throughout history, signs and symbols have played an integral part in communication among revolutionaries, activists, and so-called "hooligans."

For years I've been fascinated by Hoboglyphs, or images hobos drew to communicate information about specific locations. Hobos were known to utilize a series of small glyphs in an effort of solidarity to warn and support other travelers.  Often scrawled hastily (and sometimes with chalk)  on gates or telephone poles, the Hobo Signs would let other hobos know if work was available in a particular town, if police tolerated hobos, or if an area was safe to camp in.  These symbols were also used to covertly share information about available resources. The Hobo Code could add a small element of safety when traveling to new places.

While many modern Hobo Signs apply to situations occupiers face today, I wanted to design Hobo Symbols that specifically address the needs of occupiers. These can be interpreted as art or used in real life much like the hashtag is used on Twitter. For instance, the third image "Sleeping bags only here" is an obvious reference to #sleepfulprotest. I've tried to create images that are simple enough to be drawn quickly (hopefully via chalkupy) while being mindful that some images should be easy to interpret while others perhaps should not be too obvious.

Below are the first few. I have about ten more coming out soon, and hopefully these will be incorporated into a Comix about Tentmonster Bucky - a tentmonster who chalkupies in areas where camping bans are enforced.

Special thanks to Twitter friends @Matericia and @occupy_sxsw for your feedback and support regarding these first nine hobo symbols.

I have many more coming including GA Meets Here, Could Not Find Encampment, Police Target Livestreamers, We bang on stuff and make shit happen, Good Dumpster Diving Nearby, Human Chain Effective form of Peaceful Protest Here, Occupiers Gather Here Regularly, and a few others.

If you have an Occupy Hobo Symbol you'd like to contribute or an idea for an Occupy Hobo Symbol, please contact @small_affair via Twitter, comment on this post,  or use the Contact US link on this website!

~ small affair

Today Governor Jindal and Wisconsin Governor Walker at their $25,000 a plate fundraiser for the Louisiana GOP at Calcasieu Ball Room  in the Warehouse District of New Orleans.

We demanded the following, especially that Jindal Save Southeast Louisiana Hospital and end his School Voucher System.

• Louisiana opt in to federal Medicaid expansion.
• Keep Southeast Hospital open.
• Jindal and company restore recent funding cuts to higher education including UNO, SUNO, and Delgado budgets.
• Jindal and company restore recent funding cuts to public education and public healthcare.
• Jindal and company repeal the Louisiana Right to Work Law.
• Walker keep hands off workers’ rights to organize

Jindal was seen emerging from a vehicle but quickly ducked into the building, at which point those in the ballroom upstairs  began photographing us. When we used the People's Mic to voice our concerns and demanded Jindal's recall, those inside the ballroom drew the curtains. They obviously heard us.

It rained throughout most of this event, but the rain did stop long enough for us to Chalkupy "Recall Jindal" on the sidewalk. Authorities photographed us but did not attempt to interrupt our protest.

Sign or start your own Recall Jindal petition at Recall Bobby Jindal Dot Com

Below is the footage from today's livestream. Thanks for streaming, small affair.

~ Occupy The Stage

A Call to Action: Give Governors Jindal and Walker a 99 Percent Unwelcome to New Orleans Friday, August 17 4pm Protest against Jindal, Walker, & Austerity: 4pm Friday, August 17th.

Meet on neutral ground at Tchoupitoulas & Andrew Higgins (2 blocks from Morial Convention Center in the CBD).



WE DEMAND

• Louisiana opt in to federal Medicaid expansion.
• Keep Southeast Hospital open.
• Jindal and company restore recent funding cuts to higher education including UNO, SUNO, and Delgado budgets.
• Jindal and company restore recent funding cuts to public education and public healthcare.
• Jindal and company repeal the Louisiana Right to Work Law.
• Walker keep hands off workers’ rights to organize

Bring signs, chants, megaphones, chalk, friends, Family, and most importantly yourself.

Wherever the 1% is plotting the plunder of Louisiana’s 99%, you can bet Governor Bobby Jindal is nearby!  So it should come as no surprise that Jindal will be pimping himself out to the super-rich at Friday’s $25,000 a plate fundraiser for the Louisiana GOP at Calcasieu Ball Room  in the Warehouse District of New Orleans. Governor Jindal is the chief architect of the 1 percent’s historically unprecedented plunder of public hospitals, public healthcare, and public education in Louisiana. This plunder, unfortunately, is still underway.  Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin is a natural match for sharing the stage with Jindal.  He is the nation’s best known gubernatorial union buster. Join us to voice your demands.



Flier for protest is below!

Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition (OPPRC)created the event Tell City Council No New Jail, and we just now learned of it on Facebook.


Sheriff Gusman has been in secret negotiations to build another jail, in violation of the 1438 cap on beds that was passed unanimously by the City Council in January 2011. The new jail being proposed would mean a 45% increase in the number of beds and the number of people who will be locked up.

******************************

TOMORROW, August 15th at 1pm Sheriff Marlin Gusman's budget will be proposed to City Council.

******************************

JOIN US IN URGING CITY COUNCIL TO SAY NO NEW JAIL!

******************************
We must demand that the Council question the Sheriff about these backroom negotiations for a new jail and reject this effort to increase the size of the jail and the cost to the city for operations and maintenance by 45%.

******************************
PLEASE WEAR WHITE!

******************************

If you are unable to attend, please call your Councilperson (sample phone script below):

Jackie Clarkson 658- 1070
Diana Bajoie 658-1020
Ernest Charbonnet 658-1050
Stacy Head 658-1060
Susan Guidry 658-1010
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell 658-1040
Kristin Gisleson Palmer 658-1030

"I am calling because I am concerned by reports I've seen that the Mayor and the Sheriff are conducting hidden negotiations that would violate the 1438 cap on jail beds that was passed unanimously by the council in January 2011. I am asking you to publicly reject this 45% increase in the size of the jail which also means a parallel increase in the cost to the city for jail operations and maintenance."

  #A9 Call for Global Day of Action – Chalkupy the World

Most of the video with the police officer takes place while smallz' phone is beneath a contractor bag, but it's here if you want to see it: http://bambuser.com/v/2891990 

Dear Editors,


Please find our current press release attached (also below). For inquiries about interviews, press photos, or more information please email us at info@occupyneworleans.us or call 504-377-1331


Best Regards,


Occupy New Orleans General Assembly

_________________________________________________________



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Occupy NOLA will be holding a Rally for Transparency at University of New Orleans in response to the administration's decision to fire long-time key faculty members and put the University of New Orleans Press on hiatus.  As tuition and class size increase and faculty and faculty jobs are cut, any new administrative positions should be made public. Please join in our support of faculty and students.

Date: August 8, 2012
Time: 9:45 am

Location: Meet at Building 12 Earl K. Long Library

Why: Demand President Fos reveal UNO budget cuts and all administrative salaries!

Occupy NOLA demands that the University of New Orleans:

• Publicize list of budget cuts
• Publicize all administrators' salaries to show that administration is bearing its proportion of the cuts
• Stop utilization of budge cuts for political ends
• Publicize a list of all new administrative positions (including salaries) created by President Fos
• Be more open and transparent with decisions that affect the low-residency MFA program and Creative Writing Workshops
  
  

We invite you to participate!

Please see the notice on the Occupy The Stage website for details!

In Solidarity with students and teachers!


~ Occupy New Orleans General Assembly and Occupy The Stage

occupyneworleans.us

occupythestage.net

We noticed this Louisiana Bucket Brigade event and want to share it!

Next Tuesday, August 14th, the EPA will be meeting with representatives from the ExxonMobil Plant in Baton Rouge. Community Members are invited.

The meeting will focus on the recent massive Benzene spill at the ExxonMobil plant, but we plan to highlight the consistent accident problem of the industry, and this facility in particular.

The Standard Heights Community Organization will have a strong presence at this meeting, and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade will be there supporting them. Come out and join us!

The target of our direct action campaign, Mr. Steve Blume, will be present, and we intend on handing him the over 3000 letters we have gathered from individual citizens asking, demanding, and pleading with him to reduce his accident rate.

Please wear white in solidarity with the neighborhood. We are also planning on doing some banner painting with the neighborhood ahead of time so whoever is interested in that is more than welcome. Stay tuned for updates!!

Facebook Event