FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Occupy New Orleans General Assembly Officially Separates from the Occupy Isaac Relief Distribution Network

The Occupy New Orleans General Assembly convened at 3:00 pm on September 8, 2012.

The General Assembly reached unanimous consensus to officially separate itself from the Occupy Isaac Disaster Relief Distribution Network.

Occupy NOLA feels it is important for The Occupy Movement to maintain its own politically-focused identity and allow experienced disaster relief organizations to assist those affected by Hurricane Isaac. The General Assembly therefore welcomes participation from disaster relief groups that allow Occupy NOLA to maintain its autonomy. If members of Occupy NOLA or its working groups choose to network/volunteer with any disaster relief organizations, that should not be interpreted as an endorsement by the Occupy New Orleans General Assembly.

Occupy NOLA stands in solidarity with The Occupy Wall Street Movement and The 99% Declaration and will continue to relentlessly pursue transforming government through peaceful protest. Occupy New Orleans is currently organizing its Other Campaign, working with A People’s Convention to form an alternative to the corrupt, two party system campaigns. Its members will continue demands including banking reform, student loan debt refinancing, creation of jobs, affordable healthcare and housing for all, and the end of private funding of political campaigns.

The Occupy New Orleans General Assembly requests that its name, as well as the name and address of the Occupy The Stage warehouse, be removed from all existing InterOccupy – Occupy Isaac Hub pages (http://interoccupy.net/occupyisaac/) email distribution lists, social networking sites, and future press releases.

Moreover, The Occupy NOLA General Assembly requests that “occupy-nola-donation-fund” be removed from the following WePay donation link url (https://www.wepay.com/donations/occupy-nola-donation-fund-for-hurricane-isaac) to avoid confusing those who wish to donate to “Occupy Isaac Relief Distribution Network Donation Fund for Hurricane Isaac.” Until “occupy-nola-donation-fund” can removed from this donations link, Occupy NOLA requests that anyone promoting it clarify Occupy NOLA’s disassociation with Occupy Isaac Relief Distribution Network. Neither The Occupy NOLA General Assembly nor any of its members were consulted or allowed to reach consensus when this donation site was created.

Our intention is not to create a rift with InterOccupy or the Occupy groups who have so generously volunteered their resources, but to maintain our political stance in solidarity with the current direction of the greater Occupy Movement.

In Solidarity,

The Occupy New Orleans General Assembly

Occupy The Stage in New Orleans is hosting a Community BBQ today September 3 at 7pm.  So many people in New Orleans still do not have power due to Isaac!

All are invited for FREE Labor Day food.

Come join Occupy The Stage for a Post Isaac BBQ Potluck and a live show!

BBQ/ Potluck will start at 7 PM, and we will be doing everything we can to share food with people who have been suffering due to Isaac. Currently we are working with InterOccupy and volunteers who are helping us gather resources. If you want to bring anything to throw on the grill, you are welcome to. If you are hungry, please come and eat!

People can come at 5 if they want to bring food to cook, or come at 7 to eat.

Music starts at 9 with Willow, Followed by Sweet Street Symphony at 10 and The Reverend Spooky LeStange and her Billion Dollar Baby Dolls!

Thank you InterOccupy and Occupy Isaac for helping us make this happen through your relief donations!

2735 c Toulouse Street New Orleans, LA (Toulouse and Broad)

RSVP to our Facebook Event

To donate to Occupy The Stage (in case we need to get more food) people can go HERE

We really want to provide as much food as we can for the New Orleans community!

There will be a Occupy Isaac Disaster Relief meeting at Occupy The Stage at 5pm tonight (Sunday) to coordinate with InterOccupy and other activist groups.

InterOccupy has reached out to us and started Occupy Isaac Relief Distribution Network to do some wonderful networking with the following groups to provide disaster relief to Louisiana residents affected by Hurricane Isaac:
Common Ground Clinic
Common Ground Relief
Interoccupy Hub.
Food Not Bombs
Occupy Birmingham
Occupy Mississippi
Occupy Tuscaloosa
PortLight
Community Kitchen
Unmetneed.org



According to InterOccupy,

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.

For info, visit OccupyIsaac@interoccupy.net Occupy The Stage is planning to go ahead with its Community BBQ on Monday September 3.

The Occupy NOLA General Assembly has approved the Occupy The Stage Occupy NOLA Isaac Recovery Fund

Occupy The Stage is a working group of Occupy New Orleans (Occupy NOLA).

The Occupy The Stage community warehouse was suffering financially before Hurricane Isaac made landfall in New Orleans, LA on August 28. Despite this, Occupy The Stage is committed to hosting a Labor Day BBQ on September 3 at 7pm at 2735c Toulouse Street.  Live performances will follow. However, without help, Occupy The Stage’s infrastructure may come to a halt due to both losses suffered during Hurricane Isaac and the general economy.

The rent for the Occupy The Stage warehouse is 1800 a month. Utilities cost about 300 per month.

Members of Occupy The Stage have missed several days of work due to Hurricane Isaac. The warehouse lost power on Tuesday, August 28 and has been running on one generator to keep food for the community kitchen refrigerated. Power has not been restored as of September 1.

Prior to Isaac’s arrival, a number of tools from the wood-working and mechanic shop were stolen including a compressor, wrenches, and ratchets (a more complete list can be provided upon further assessment).

The Occupy The Stage Warehouse hosts regular live performances, Occupy NOLA GAs, a community kitchen, a community bike shop, a community wood-working shop, a sign/banner making station, a digital media station, and a place for local activists to meet. Teach-ins and discussions are often held at the warehouse. Occupy The Stage has hosted The Occupy Caravan, Radical Resistance Tour, New Orleans Socialist Alternative, and is expecting visitors from Less Wall More Street.

Members of Occupy The Stage typically use their wages to pay the lease on the warehouse, the utilities, to contribute to the community kitchen, to print and circulate materials about the Occupy Movement, and to support other occupations by donating to Jail Support, Livestreamers, DNC Housing and to sometimes pay musicians who perform at the FREE shows Occupy The Stage welcomes the community to attend. These shows sometimes include more prominent New Orleans bands that request a small fee as well as budding musicians who are trying out the stage for the first time.

Members of Occupy The Stage have traveled to Occupy DC, Occupy Birmingham, Occupy Charlotte, The Occupy National Gathering, and other locations and have livestreamed and live-tweeted while participating in actions. Members include Occupy NOLA’s only livestreamers @small_affair and @ots_nola.

Occupy The Stage began in Duncan Plaza when Justin Warren (founding member and master carpenter) built a stage at the encampment and musicians performed there. When The Occupy NOLA encampment was raided and Occupy NOLA was evicted from Duncan Plaza, Justin Warren secured the warehouse, installed sewer lines, and renovated the space so occupiers could have a safe space to meet and NOLA citizens could learn skills needed for employment (i.e. carpentry, mechanics, digital literacy, web design, performing). Sustaining this infrastructure is vital to the New Orleans community.

Visit www.occupythestage.net to learn more about this warehouse.
Email: occupythestagenola@gmail.com
Please feel free to contact Justin for more information at 504 400 2284 or @small_affair on Twitter.

Donations made to Occupy The Stage will go to:
1. Buy food for Labor Day BBQ which all are invited to attend as New Orleans recovers from Hurricane Isaac.
2. Pay the rent: 1800 per month
3. Pay utilities: around 300 per month (electric, phone, internet used by Occupy NOLA Digital Media Working Group and GA)
4. Purchase gas for generator
5. Install better lock on door
6. Strengthen roof
7. Replace tools stolen from Woodworking shop and Bike shop in warehouse
8. Stock community kitchen that provides free meals to occupiers, activists, and community members
9. Print flyers to promote actions and FREE performances that give local musicans an opportunity to perform before an audience
10. Livestream Isaac recovery, actions and performances
11. Assist with Isaac recovery
12. Provide a safe indoor space where traveling occupiers can meet, shower, and rest

Occupy NOLA holds General Assemblies at the OTS warehouse on Tuesdays at 7pm.

Members of this working group are employed and only ask for donations to help cover costs of warehouse and Isaac recovery materials/supplies.

Sincerely,
Occupy NOLA