You're invited! Calling all musicians, buskers, artists, circus clowns, flag corps, mimes, puppeteers, regular folks, irregular folks, cats, dogs, baboons, dancers, lovers of music, Every-Damned-Body!

Sunday, May 5th at 6pm, we will show our support for all the good folks that make New Orleans great!

The Free The Music parade will bring free music to the streets of the Jazz Fest neighborhood to raise awareness about the city's ridiculous crackdown on live music venues and musicians.

You don't need to buy a ticket.

You don't need a corporate sponsor.

Just come out Sunday, May 5, 6pm and be ready to play music and dance in the streets.

Costumes encouraged.

The Bywater Rising Protest/ Second Line in support of live music venues, musicians, buskers, artists, DJs was great. We decided we wouldn't stop there.

RSVP on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/232432533555103/

NOTE: This has nothing to do with Jon Bon Jovi.

The second week of Justice Fest will last from Thursday, May 2 - Sunday, May 5.

2013 Celebrate justice and music at the location formerly known as the Sacred Shrine of Jon Bon Jovi.

Justice is not dead. Lady Justice has merely been taken hostage. And when there is no justice, there will be no peace.

We do not support the fact that Shell Oil is a corporate sponsor of Jazz Fest. We love NOLA music and culture but not Shell Oil.

We do not support Mayor Landrieu’s crackdown on live music venues, musicians, buskers, artists, and performers. We will resist the ridiculous citations residents living near Jazz Fest have received for having Yard Sales or "transient vending."

We do not forget Guadalupe.

And we hate Clean Zones!

We welcome you to bring info related to Social Justice Issues to this location during Jazz Fest.

In addition to Free Aqua Net Hairspray, the shrine will offer information about different Social Justice issues in New Orleans.

Please feel free to stop by during festival hours and be ready for some creative demonstrations.

Justice Fest Events - You can RSVP on the individual Facebook event pages if you like!

We might add more events or have spontaneous events. Some activities are ongoing, so stop by any time during Jazz Fest.

___________________________________________________________________
Friday May 3 DIY Stencil Party 2:00pm until 8:00pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/374830725968708/

Let's stencil! We have some great stencils and spray paint and will stencil anything you bring! Or, bring your own stencils and we can swap designs.

Want to learn how to make stencils? Have stencil skills to share? The more the merrier! We have spray paint! If you can, bring your own exacto blade!

___________________________________________________________________

Saturday May 4 9:00 to 11 pm
Let’s send 100 postcards to political prisoners - Mail to the Jail

https://www.facebook.com/events/158326777669320/

Let's get 100 postcards to send to political prisoners. Bring an original handmade postcard (handmade is ideal, but if you want to bring one you didn't make, that's okay), or come and make a postcard at Justice Fest.

We'd love to get a photo gallery of all the postcards and then mail them to political prisoners.

We'll have addresses and info on political prisoners so you can learn about their different circumstances, but check out Op Pen Pal http://oppenpal.wordpress.com/mailing-list/  and Mail to the Jail if you have a specific political prisoner you know you'd like to write to. http://mailtothejail.org/ 

We'll also have fun prizes for original hand made postcards!

You can just drop off your postcard on the way to Jazz Fest, or spend some time making postcards and learning about different political prisoners!

We'll be showing short films about various prisoners on the porch!
____________________________________________________________________________

May 4 - May 5 Chalk Party
https://www.facebook.com/events/543195785731834/

Let's make the sidewalks and streets around the Jazz Fest area beautiful before Sunday's Free The Music Parade!

Feel free to stop by Justice Fest for chalk ideas and some chalk, or just get out there and CHALK THE WORLD!

__________________________________________________________________________

May 5 Sunday - Face Painting Party 2pm - 5:30pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/118444485020416/

Come get your face painted in time to march in the Free The Music Parade! HERE: https://www.facebook.com/events/232432533555103/

We have face paint, and if you have your own face painting kit and skills, feel free to come by, set up, and accept donations.

_________________________________________________________________________

Free The Music Parade 6- 8pm May 5
https://www.facebook.com/events/232432533555103/

Calling all musicians, buskers, artists, circus clowns, flag corps, dancers, lovers of music!

Free The Music parade will bring free music to the streets of the Jazz Fest neighborhood.

You don't need to buy a ticket.

You don't need a corporate sponsor.

Just come out Sunday, May 5, 6pm and be ready to play music and dance in the streets.

Costumes encouraged.

The Bywater Rising Protest/ Second Line in support of live music venues, musicians, buskers, artists, DJs was great. We decided we wouldn't stop there.

DISCLAIMER
NOTE: These events are not sponsored by Shell Oil or Jon Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi, or in any way connected to them except some of them will be taking place at a location that holds the remnants of a Shrine devoted to Jon Bon Jovi that small affair made years ago.

Free Bradley Manning! Solidarity Chalkupy and Jail Mail NOLA 2pm  Fortier Park 

This Saturday, February 23rd, will mark the 1,000th day in prison without trial for US Army PFC Bradley Manning, accused of releasing classified military documents to Wikileaks. 

If you’re in New Orleans, you can join Occupy NOLA and show solidarity with Bradley Manning! Meet in Fortier Park around 2pm to go on a Chalkupy excursion to chalk messages in support of Manning on sidewalks. Paper, envelopes, and stamps will be provided to write letters to Manning.

If it rains, the time might be delayed, so but we’ll post the information here and from our Twitter @OccupyNOLA2013.

Bring water, signs, a snack, sidewalk chalk, but most importantly yourself.

Email info@occupyneworleans.us for details or follow @OccupyNOLA2013 on Twitter.

If you can’t make it, you can sign Daniel Ellsberg’s petition to free Bradley Manning.

You can write to Bradley at the following address, but be sure to read the details about what he is allowed to receive:

Commander, HHC USAG
Attn: PFC Bradley Manning
239 Sheridan Ave, Bldg 417
JBM-HH, VA 22211

We had the pleasure of spending a few days with Radical Resistance Tour when they stopped in New Orleans over the summer.

The Radical Resistance Tour is an autonomous project by a group of Occupy Wall Street organizers.

Learn more about them HERE!

We thank them for the lovely job they did editing their footage of Occupy The Stage! Please consider supporting their work!

CopBlock has announced the 2nd Annual Chalk the Police National Day of Action & Chalking Contest!

October 1 also happens to be the Birthday of Marijuana Prohibition.


#ExpectUs #ChalkThePolice

From CopBlock:

Attention all chalkers, organizers, and lovers of artful dissent! It’s that time of year again to open up the buckets of chalk and find the nearest location of state repression (aka police stations, courthouses, jails) or other public property such as sidewalks, parks or public plazas at the 2nd Annual Chalk the Police Day.

During the 1st Annual Chalk the Police Day (link: http://www.copblock.org/8710/chalk-the-police-day-a-huge-success/), we had videos and photos from small groups and large groups of chalkers in cities such as Phoenix (link: http://youtu.be/pFIP5mpcwqU ) and Keene, NH (link: http://youtu.be/TD0DjUmcHoo).

Over the past year, many chalkers have been arrested, detained, harassed and jailed by authorities across this country (link: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/08/war-chalk-arrests). From the Chalking 8 (link: http://www.copblock.org/7411/chalk/) to the Chalk Walk Police Riots in LA (link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/5th-spring-downtown-la-chalk-protest_n_1670194.html), chalking continues to be seen as a threat to status quo and despite the temporary nature of chalk, police and local authorities continue to crack down on our right to free expression.

We must not remain silent! We have the right to chalk and the right to hold our local police accountable for their actions. If you agree, please organize a chalking event in your area on Monday, October 1st. Please feel free to make this event your own and bring signs, fliers, maybe some music and snacks - and of course, lots of chalk to share with your local chalking group. We encourage organizers to host their event on the date of action, Monday October 1st but recognize that some individuals or groups may want to host an event the weekend before due to time or weather constraints.

If you use facebook, please create an event and invite your friends! Also, please RSVP to this Facebook event for the National Chalk the Police Day. We will also try to list all the events here.

Do you need extra motivation to chalk? This year there is a fun contest with prizes in each of the categories!

Categories:

Best Mural/Chalk Art Design - For the chalk artists who love to draw and can create great murals.

Best Chalk Saying/Slogan – Can’t draw but have a way with words? This category is for you!

Best Location – Chalk the jails? Chalk the steps of city hall? Is there any interesting public property to chalk in your area? We’ll be giving a prize for best location.

The best entry in each category will get $66 worth of items from Cop Block's store (link: http://copblock.org/store). Also, the winner of the Best Mural/Chalk Art Design will receive a Box of Eternity Art High Quality Sidewalk Chalk (you pick up to 35 of your favorite colors!) (link: http://www.eternityarts.com/street-painting-chalk-art/street-painting-supplies/basic-street-chalk/)

Judges: There will be a three “judge” panel with one person each from the East (Kate Ager), Midwest (Melissa Hill), and West Coast (Allan Eaton) that will review the photographs of the chalk and rank them.

How to Enter: Please send all photographs of chalking (or short videos) to copblock@gmail.com or post them as a comment to this Facebook Event.

All entries will need to be submitted before 11:59pm CST Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 for this contest to allow the judges time to view the pictures and video. To be fair, please only submit chalkings that were created between Friday, Sept. 28th – October 2nd for the October 1st Chalk the Police event. The winners will be announced on Friday, October 5th.

You can arrest the chalker but you can’t stop the chalk!

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

  #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 

Get your sidewalk chalk ready!

The Occupy NOLA Direct Action Working Group met August 2 and has declared August 9 a Day of Chalkupy in response to Occupy Los Angeles’ #A9 Call for Global Day of Action – Chalkupy the World

We will meet at 11:am at Duncan Plaza and chalk the city! Meet us there, meet up with us, or Chalkupy your neighborhood and send us pictures! We'll have a route  and details soon!

"On August 9th, Occupy Los Angeles calls for you to fill your squares and take your streets and sidewalks with chalk. Call to all people everywhere to show that dissent is as simple as writing your grievances on the sidewalk, as accessible as hopscotch in the streets- reclaiming public space and engaging in public dialogue and expression. Join us (if you're close enough) for a day of solidarity and fun to celebrate the human spirit and chalk for our collective liberation. Together we will remake the art of public life in our alley ways, on the doorsteps of banks whose only allegiance is to profit, and in the streets built by our labor.  In solidarity, regardless of all nations and borders, we will engage in willful public expression against political repression."

They ask that you SUBMIT CHALK PHOTOS HERE: http://chalkitout.tumblr.com/

You can also share your photographs on the Chalkupy Facebook page!

The Fresh Juice Party has a wonderful Chalkupy gallery for inspiration!

This is a creative way to show solidarity while exercising your first amendment rights.


#ChalkTheWorld #ChalkAllTheThings #OpChalk #ChalkIsNotACrime #Chalkupy

On July 25 in New Orleans, we Chalkupied the Amphitheater near Jackson Square with messages to President Obama, whose  $250 Victory Reception  was nearby.  

We had to wait for the torrential downpour to stop before chalking, but we learned that chalk looks brighter when the pavers are wet.

The French Market Security and Manager told Occupy NOLA Chalk is "graffiti" and a felony, threatened to have everyone arrested if they didn't clean up the Chalkupy, and then had their employees clean up the Chalkupy.

Here is the video the livestreamer took of security telling Occupy The Stage chalk is graffiti. 
http://bambuser.com/v/2854777

Thank you to everyone who came out in the rain and supported this action!

As Occupy The Stage and Occupy NOLA headed to Jackson Square to Chalkupy their concerns to President Obama, ominous gray clouds unleashed torrents of rain on The French Quarter.  Obama's reception at House of Blues wasn't going to start until 3:30 pm, so most Occupiers waited under an awning holding newly handmade signs.  However, one brave Anonymous protester stopped traffic on Decatur Street with his Stop NDAA sign and Guy Fawkes mask.