The Occupy Puppet Theater has really taken off, and today Occupy The Stage participated in a Charivari against Austerity. The Puppet Theater was involved along with our latest "banker" puppet who printed his own money and denied several bystanders the opportunity to open an account. Creative Props included a birdcage stuffed with spray-painted orange dolls that represented the prison-industrial complex and over-crowded jails and some "Evict the Rich" punching balloons, along with creative signs and hand-made instruments. This action was part of "Solidarity Against Austerity" planned in conjunction with The Gulf Coast People's Convention. Many of us were "arrested" by one of our own, who was dressed as Federal Reserve Security and blew a whistle. 
Below is some footage of our creative expression. In this clip, small affair avoids being "arrested" in an encounter with the "Federal Reserve security" officer who deemed her guilty of "resisting" everything. 
Here is the footage of the banker puppet refusing to allow someone to open an account at our own Federal Reserve where we printed "money." 
We thank everyone who came out today and contributed to such an exciting demonstration. Occupy The Stage members look forward to performing more street theater and puppet shows.
Expect Us.
Four People were arrested today, in New Orleans, for protesting a meeting of the American Petroleum Institute. They are being charged with criminal trespassing, despite there being no signs stating that they were not allowed, the meeting was public, when asked to leave they complied. A Louisiana state police officer manhandled several people inside and blocked their vehicle outside, keeping them from leaving, before finally identifying himself as a police officer. Donations for bond and legal fees can be made through: https://www.wepay.com/donations/ots-jail-support Livestreams of the arrests can be found here: http://bambuser.com/v/3150179 http://bambuser.com/v/3150191 http://bambuser.com/v/3150220
 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!
Join OTS & Occupy NOLA when Obama Visits NOLA to "Occupy The Vote"
On Wednesday President Obama will visit the French Quarter to attend a campaign fundraiser Reception For the Obama Victory Fund (OVF) at the House of Blues. The National Urban League Conference is billing Obama's visit as as “Occupy the Vote.” This suggests that the Occupy Movement is supporting a fundraiser for a holder of public office who has been the fervent supporter of a trillion dollar plus bailout of the banking giants at the expense of everyone else. Nothing could be further from the truth! Here is what Occupy NOLA will be requesting from the President on his July 25th visit to New Orleans. - Withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan now!
- Issue an executive order preventing LA Governor Jindal and company from gutting medicaid and public hospital funding
- Stop the demolition of The Iberville Housing Development
- Create jobs for All
- Mass, direct-government employment program, now!
- Put all New Orleans teachers fired after Katrina back to work now! No more scabs for America's teachers
- End government support of for-profit education.
- Institute a Federal Public Works Program paid for by big oil companies including Shell and BP to clean up the Gulf of Mexico and restore the infrastructure of the Gulf.
Give President Obama a 99% UnWelcome: Meet 2pm Wednesday. June 25th to Chalkupy The Amphitheater across from Jackson Square (near the corner of Decatur and St. Ann). Bring chalk, signs, pots and pans, chants, friends, and, most importantly, yourself. Image Gallery - Occupy These Flyers If You Need Inspiration To Make Signs!
Obama Wants to "Occupy The Vote" in NOLA!President Obama will be coming to New Orleans to "Occupy The Vote" for the 2012 National Urban League Conference and will be attending a Reception For the Obama Victory Fund (OVF) at the House of Blues.The reception is at 3:30 pm Wednesday, July 25! Although the notice "“Please join President Obama for a reception with supporters like you in New Orleans” is included with the invitation, many of the NOLA 99% will not be able to afford the 250 price of a ticket. | 2pm Chalkupy!
Since we can't afford to pay $250 to voice our concerns in person at House of Blues, we'll be Chalkupying the amphitheater across from Jackson Square in the French Quarter at 2pm. We hope you'll stop by the Amphitheater, grab some chalk, and write your message to Obama, or print it on an index card we'll provide. Or, you can submit your concern HERE and we'll chalkupy it for you! 3:30 Rally & Pots and Pans March Below are some but not all of the concerns we plan to address!National Concerns
Local Concerns
- Stop the demolition of The Iberville Housing Development
- Create jobs for All
- Mass, direct-government employment program, now!
- Put all New Orleans teachers fired after Katrina back to work now! No more scabs for America's teachers
- End government support of for-profit education.
- Institute a Federal Public Works Program paid for by big oil companies including Shell and BP to clean up the Gulf of Mexico and restore the infrastructure of the Gulf.
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After being held in Orleans Parrish Prison for making a speech from Wednesday at 1 am until early Tuesday morning, founding member of Occupy The Stage was transferred to East Baton Rouge where he was finally released around 8:30 pm Central Time. Members of OTS met him at the gate.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2012 Occupy The Stage founder, Justin Warren was held at Orleans Parish Prison from June 20 - June 26 and transferred to Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a warrant he didn't know existed. His bond in Eastern Baton Rouge for charges of disturbing the peace and resisting arrest totaled 1,000. Justin Warren has a voice that can carry and be heard over the din of city streets. His key voice at assemblies and protests in the occupy community has demonstrated his dedication as an advocate of freedom of speech. The charges he is facing are for allegedly disturbing the peace on the steps of the capitol building in Baton Rouge. On the 12th of March, he was in Baton Rouge with Occupy The Stage, Occupy NOLA and Occupy Baton Rouge for the opening of the 2012 session of the Louisiana Legislature that included a protest against budget cuts in education. He was making a speech when an officer approached him and attempted to silence him. He continued exercising his First Amendment rights and was then approached by several officers who attempted to grab him from behind. However, he slipped out of his jacket and left the steps of the State Capitol. After he departed, Officer Holman (badge # 6071) said on camera that Justin was no longer disturbing the peace and would not be arrested. (see min 1:40 here: http://youtu.be/86OSs6YmM8s) When questioned as to why Louisiana State Police were interfering with Justin's First Amendment rights, Officer Holman replied that he was speaking without a permit. Apparently, The Tea Party had scheduled a separate event in the same area, and they were not approached by the police because they had obtained said permit. The New Orleans protesters did not have a permit, nor did they need one according to The Bill of Rights. Occupy movements across the country continue to battle relentless attacks on free speech and assembly, which are assured to all citizens by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. The warrant and the ensuing transfer to Baton Rouge are obviously a ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money. No citizen should need a permit to exercise freedom of speech in the State of Louisiana. Public spaces, including the steps of the capitol building, are protest points where free speech has been exercised for decades. Justin Warren was released after spending 6 days in Orleans Parish Prison and 1 day in Eastern Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He needs to be compensated for his loss of income while being held for no justifiable reason. In Solidarity, Occupy NOLA
Occupy NOLA Direct Action Working Group Approves Jail Support for Founding Member of Occupy The Stage
On June 23, The Occupy NOLA 99% Direct Action Working Group voted 12 - 0 to support Occupy The Stage in accepting donations for Jail Support for Justin Warren via WePay. The donation link is available here: https://www.wepay.com/donations/188968 This Jail Support account has been endorsed by the following Occupy NOLA working groups and individuals: - 99% Direct Action Working Group
- Occupy The Stage
- C3/Hands Off Iberville
- Occupod
- Socialist Alternative
- Digital Media Working Group
- Occupy Politics Working Group
- Emergency Committee to Stop Gulf Oil Disaster
- Andy Washington
The founding member of Occupy The Stage was arrested 06/20/2012 while Occupy The Stage was hosting the Occupy Caravan. Justin Warren was house-sitting for a friend in the neighborhood and went a few blocks up the street to feed the cat. He was next seen in the back of an NOPD car as it passed the OTS warehouse. Occupy The Stage held an emergency meeting with the members of Occupy Caravan the night of Justin's arrest and unanimously agreed to begin collecting Jail Support funds. At the time of his arrest Justin was playing a lead role in helping organize the New Orleans stop of the national Occupy the Caravan. He is currently being held without bond because of a warrant issued by the Louisiana State Police for Disturbing the Peace and Resisting Arrest on March 12. He was not arrested that day and was unaware of the warrant. He is facing extradition/transfer to East Baton Rouge and has been waiting to appear before the magistrate. The Occupy The Stage Working Group borrowed $500.00 for Jail Support to pay the lawyer from the Occupy NOLA Legal Team, but he has still not released due to the Baton Rouge charges. If bond is set in Baton Rouge, OTS would like to be prepared with funds. They will also be traveling to Baton Rouge. Justin Warren is a Master Carpenter who works at least 60 hours a week and will have missed a full week of work if/when he is taken to Baton Rouge and released by sometime Tuesday. The Occupy The Stage Warehouse hosts Occupy NOLA General Assemblies, activist "Teach-Ins," a community kitchen, a community library, a bike repair shop, and a digital media station. He typically uses his wages to pay the lease on the warehouse, the utilities including Wireless Internet that is used during Occupy NOLA General Assemblies, to pay for his own livestreaming service which he has used to record members of Occupy NOLA who have performed at OTS, to contribute to the community kitchen, to print and circulate materials about the Occupy Movement, and to support other occupations. He has at times paid musicians who perform at the FREE shows Occupy The Stage welcomes the community to attend. He was planning to attend the Occupy National Gathering and had spent most of the money he'd earned prior to arrest preparing for the Occupy Caravan, which stayed at OTS for 2 nights. The Occupy The Stage website has been updated with info about the Baton Rouge warrant, a copy of the speech he was reading, and more videos of March 12. You can also see the photographs section to get a sense of the amount of work that this warehouse has produced - banners, protest signs, tentmonsters, educational materials, and more. Sincerely, The 99% Occupy NOLA Direct Action Working Group
Friends in another Occupy worked very hard on this.
Attention Watch Commander:
We encourage any officer who does not wish to be included in any legal consequences and or subpoenas that result from the action to which you have been deployed to stand down and retreat NOW.
We, The People of this assembly hereby address the agencies and officers deployed to remove our assemblage from this public space with a declaration of intent to prosecute excessive use of force and unethical deployment of police in the following statement to their command:
The deployment of police intimidation, riot police and use of force-based practices for the dispersion or arrest of this assemblage of freely associated persons for the purposes of expression of grievances for redress is unlawful in the following manners:
Under Title 28 United States Code Section 1343(a)(3) and USC Title 42 Section 1983; Including such rights as described in the first, fourth, fifth, and fourteenth amendments to the United States Constitution and or any relevant rights as described under the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights as ratified by the United States of America and her allies.
1. It is unlawful for a police officer or agency to proceed with escalation of force against passive protesters offering no resistance, no threat to officer safety, no threat to civilians or any other justification for any use of force beyond the simplest arrest procedures.
2. It is unlawful for police agencies or personnel to proceed with such arrest protocols as to prevent members of this assemblage from leaving the area of their own volition to avoid arrest.
3. It is unlawful for police officers or agencies to proceed in such a manner as to force members of this assemblage into a public byway or into any other inherently unlawful place of assembly in order to justify arrest.
4. It is unlawful for any police officer or agency through the use of intimidation, protocols, procedures or escalation of force to endanger, injure, prevent access to emergency medical services, fire and rescue services or otherwise risk the life, limb, property or safety of any member of this assemblage or any peaceful bystander.
5. It is unlawful for any police officer or agency to force the inclusion of any member of this assemblage, member of the press, peaceful bystander or other person not choosing to remain after the declaration of intent to arrest through the use of any previously mentioned tactic, protocol or technique.
6. a. Escalation of force is defined as the clear and present need to overpower an uncooperative, combative or otherwise dangerous suspect through the minimum use of force necessary to safely detain, arrest or subdue.
b. Without the presence of felony assault, assault with intent to kill, assault with a deadly weapon, endangerment of civilians, attempt to flee in a manner which creates any previously mentioned condition or a clear physical superiority on the part of the suspect it is unlawful to use pepper spray, batons, Tasers, physical assault of any kind and or any other "less than lethal" or lethal method which may cause physical harm to the suspect.
7. a. Any unlawful escalation of force described in this statement will be considered a violation of human rights on the part of the officers and or agencies responsible for the acts.
b. Any such actions under color of law resulting in injury, harm or death will be considered felony assault, attempted murder, manslaughter or other applicable felonious charge and are to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
c. The actions, protocols and the procedures deemed directly related under Title 28 United States Code Section 1343(a)(3), Title 42 Section 1983, Including such rights as described in the first, fourth, fifth, and fourteenth amendments to the United States Constitution and or any relevant rights as described under the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights as ratified by the United States of America and her allies or any other applicable State or local statute.
8. Any violations of the aforestated or any other human rights or guarantees under any law on the part of this agency or it's affiliates will be recorded, publicized and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Unlawful use of force for the purposes of dispersing, quelling and silencing of The People will no longer be tolerated or go unpunished.
9. You may proceed with your arrests of such members of this assemblage as choose to remain to be arrested in a lawfully decreed manner under the direction and supervision of such judiciary and or representatives as can prove beyond shadow of doubt that we are an illegal assembly.
In Peaceful Solidarity,
The People assembled under the auspice of Occupy.
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