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Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters,

We the free peoples of the world stand before the crossroads of humanity's future. To continue down the same path would mean our certain annihilation. The only other paths seem as though they simply have yet to be blazed, and that's where we come in.
The knowledge that things are fundamentally wrong in our society is prevalent in almost every rational mind. What's lacking is a clear directive for a replacement to our very flawed system. This lack of direction, or perceived lack of direction, has been our greatest hinderance. The media has skewed the public perception of what The Occupy Movement represents.

I see this movement as the global adhesive by which all other groups of disgruntled citizens come together. We are the all inclusive. We are the 99%.

We have made great progress networking nationally and indeed globally. This progress must continue. We must be willing to overlook the internal strife as well as each other's small transgressions and understand that the job we have set out to do is of far greater importance than any of of us.

We are here to save the world, and only a fool would think that a quick or easy job.

If there are only seven degrees of separation between us, then all we have to do is networking and outreaching, and we will reach the entire world. Right now, people everywhere are turning off the news and are seeking alternatives for their information for this reason: when you can't trust everyone you know, you must put your faith in strangers.

Be that alternative source. When you hear someone griping about our social ills,  get in on the conversation. You will find that you get a lot of positive feedback. You will also get a lot of new contacts. Our support base is everywhere; it's in the faces you see everyday. As I stated, there are but a few who don't realize shit has to change. We must be the ones who get everyone involved, and by involved, I mean start simple. All a preson really needs to back you is their John Hancock. That is the foot in the door. Once they see the light, they will at that point want to get physically involved, planning, working, networking.

Keep them busy. If someone has left this movement it's because they felt they were no longer useful.

Build community projects. Once your group has proprietary sense over physical space and projects, the momentum will grow exponentially.

Lastly, but of most importance, we must at this point give birth to the new global citizens party. Now is the time. We have the network. The people are ready.

Thank you and good luck.


 
 
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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

June 18, 2012
OccupyNOLA
Occupy The Stage

From Tuesday, June 19 to Thursday, June 21, Occupy New Orleans (Occupy NOLA) will be hosting Occupy groups from across the nation in preparation for the Occupy National Gathering.

The Occupy movement will convene at the Occupy National Gathering in the vicinity of Philadelphia’s Independence Mall from June 30th to July 4th for a week of direct actions, movement building and the creation of a vision for a democratic future. Members of Occupy NOLA will be attending.

Activists from Occupy groups across the country are traveling to this first Occupy National Gathering in Philadelphia as the Occupy Caravan sweeps America with its "This Land is Our Land" road tour. The Occupy Caravan will be stopping in New Orleans on June 19 - 21 en route.

The Occupy NOLA General Assembly endorsed The Occupy National Gathering on May 12, 2012, and formed a working group to coordinate with the Occupy Caravan on May 15.


The Central and Southern Occupy Caravan routes have met up and are expected to arrive in New Orleans on Tuesday, June 19.  This journey will carry the economic message of the 99% through the Heartland to the nation’s seats of power, educating and entertaining communities in the spirit of justice, fairness and accountability. Speakers, musicians and entertainers will perform in this immersive, economic civil rights action for friends and families in cities everywhere.

Occupy The Stage, a working group of Occupy NOLA, will be hosting the Caravan travelers. A film crew from City Projects will be documenting Occupy NOLA and the Occupy Caravan as part of Race 2012, a PBS election special about race and politics in the 2012 election and beyond.

Events of interest include:
June 19:  Occupy NOLA General Assembly meets at 7:00 pm at Occupy The Stage - 2735C Toulouse Street. The Playback Theatre Troupe will lead off the GA with an interactive performance.


June 20: Occupy NOLA and Occupy Caravan travelers will celebrate with an afternoon of performances and a "Rebel Without A Cause" march at 2pm (exact location to be announced). This march will encompass the diverse issues of social and economic justice Occupy NOLA members have supported since the 99% Occupy Wall Street Movement began including:

·      Irresponsible financial practices by corporations and banks

·      The student the student debt burden

·      The housing foreclosure crisis

·      The right to assemble

·      Funding cuts to education

·      The New Orleans Downtown Development District's plans to radically reduce the presence of African-Americans on Canal Street and the need for a secure place for Canal Street vendors to operate

·      Police brutality and the deaths of Wendell Allen and Justin Sipp at the hands of NOPD and dismissal of NOPD Chief Serpas

·      Human and marine losses suffered as a result of the BP oil disaster

·      Full disclosure by the U.S. government, BP and NALCO, the company that manufactures Corexit, as to how much Corexit has actually been in the Gulf of Mexico

·      Fair and affordable housing for working class people

At 10pm, Occupy The Stage will host Midsummer Night's Burlesque a night of performances at 2735 C Toulouse Street. Acts will include Ben Joseph and The Lay-Lows and burlesque troupe Rv. Spooky LeStrange and Her Billion Dollar Baby Dolls.

All are invited to attend in a spirit of cooperation and democracy for the common good as we advocate for economic justice.

The Caravan will leave on the morning of the 21st. One of their purposes is to gather up local riders and drivers as they head East, so all members of the 99% are encouraged to gather friends and a vehicle and jump on board!



                                                                                     Occupy NOLA New Orleans, LA

                                                                          Content provided by Occupy NOLA Press




Occupy NOLA
New Orleans, LA
occupynolapress@gmail.com
occupythestagenola@gmail.com

 
 


From June 30th to July 4th, 2012, Occupy The Stage will be joining  activists and Occupy supporters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the first Occupy National Gathering.  Among many other topics, we are currently discussing what Adbusters identified as the 3 challenges the Occupy movement must overcome.

#1 challenge: Jump over the corporate media
#2 challenge: Block the co-optation of our movement
#3 challenge: Occupy the future


~ from  OWS GUT CHECK  published on May 3, 2012
Occupy The Stage would love to hear how other Occupy groups are meeting these and other challenges. Contact us!



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From Adbusters: OWS GUT CHECK









Hey occupiers: the old world has no future; their leaders have no solutions. Now everything from how we live to how we love and how the world is governed is up for grabs. Can we rise to the challenge? Let the tactical brainstorm begin.

for the wild,
Culture Jammers HQ




We'll see you at the Occupy National Gathering and look forward to participating in this national discussion. See our OTS News for updates on our ideas. Expect Us!






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Occupy National Gathering
From Occupy Wall Street: what is to be done next? by Slavoj Žižek

"In an old joke from the defunct German Democratic Republic, a German worker gets a job in Siberia. Aware of how all mail will be read by censors, he tells his friends:"Let's establish a code: if a letter you will get from me is written in ordinary blue ink, it is true; if it is written in red ink, it is false."

After a month, his friends get the first letter written in blue ink:

'Everything is wonderful here: stores are full, food is abundant, apartments are large and properly heated, movie theatres show films from the west, there are many beautiful girls ready for an affair – the only thing unavailable is red ink.'

The task today is to give the protesters red ink."

~ Slavoj Žižek
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We have red ink!
Keep in touch!

 
 
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The Occupy Caravan will be stopping in New Orleans on June 19 & 20th en route to the Occupy National Gathering in Philadelphia!

Occupy The Stage looks forward to welcoming occupiers from around the country with Civil DISCObedience and solidarity as we celebrate the longest day of the year and head out to the National Gathering.

If anyone is interested in joining the Caravan in New Orleans and traveling with it on its Southern route and then to Philadelphia, it will be leaving on Thursday morning, June 21. Check their Facebook page for updates!
The Occupy New Orleans General Assembly endorsed The Occupy National Gathering on May 12, 2012, and on May 15, Occupy NOLA formed a working group to coordinate with the Occupy Caravan.

Occupy The Stage is a large warehouse located in the middle of New Orleans with plenty of parking. MAP. This warehouse is near the center of town and has a lot of available parking and bedroll space. It is also near a bus-line that goes directly to the French Quarter and downtown area and City Park in case travelers would like some time to stretch their legs and leave their vehicles parked for free.

There are plenty of videos and photographs on our website if you would like to get an idea of what to expect.

We have WiFi, 2 Livestreamers, and one shower.  Members from OccupyNOLA are volunteering shower space for small groups.

Occupy NOLA’s General Assemblies meet at Occupy The Stage on Tuesday nights at 7 pm weekly, so there will be a GA on June 19.

Once we get a more clear idea of how many people will be arriving we will be happy to co-ordinate more specific activities for the 19th.

June 20 activities:

The OTS warehouse can be used as a convergence space if travelers wish to explore the city. We also have a community library, a gallery of our past actions, tentmonsters, and a community kitchen. There is plenty of concrete to Chalkupy in the OTS warehouse area, and we are accumulating enough chalk to draw the caravan! Those who are not up for spending the 20th exploring the city or attending other activist activities are welcome to relax at the warehouse or participate in a Solidarity Caravan Chalkupy and other revolutionary games.

There are several activities going on in New Orleans that day that various activist groups are promoting, so Occupy Caravan travelers will have no shortage of options.

Included in these actions is Occupy The Stage’s Summer Solstice Civil DISCObedience performance. On May 12, Occupy NOLA’s  Direct Action Working Group and Occupy The Stage planned a performance for June 20 to celebrate the Solstice. It will include burlesque troupe Rev. Spooky LeStrange & Her Billion Dollar Baby Dolls.

Finally, at least 3 members of Occupy The Stage will be joining the Caravan and traveling to Philadelphia! Please contact us with any questions!

We would love to answer any questions and hear what Occupy Caravan travelers would like to do in New Orleans.

In Solidarity,

Occupy The Stage / Occupy NOLA