Here is update from Shea!
Occupy Wall St: a Briefing
Our own Tahrir Square moment is happening right now in the newly renamed “Liberty Plaza” in the Financial district in NYC.
1. What is this movement? What is going on here?
The protesters in Liberty Plaza are a heterogeneous, ambiguous group, as they were in the Cairo, Barcelona and Athens protests of 2011. Why? Because collectively we represent no political party or organization–we only share a common set of ideals:
We believe that our government has been co-opted by moneyed interests. We denounce the way big businesses and banks dominate the political and economic sphere. In short: we demand government by the people and for the people, not in the interests of corporate America and the richest 1%.
We are not limiting ourselves by affiliating with a specific movement. We comprise elements of many “progressive” social movements: the environmental movement, education reform, the food movement, the campaign finance reform movement, the fair-labor movement, and the anti-globalization movement. We believe these movements are all intricately connected, and we are now acting on that belief.
2. How will we do this?
We are using the global tactics of the Arab Spring, and of the 2011 Spain “Democracy Now” movement: first, a large-scale occupation and protest. Second, we aim to propose a series of solutions to these problems through grassroots participatory democracy based on people’s assemblies and consensus decision making.
Citizens are taking democracy to the streets, and they are not leaving any time soon. This is not a one-day protest. The occupation is scheduled to continue for the next month at least.
3. How do I get involved? How can I help?
The most effective way, as it was in Cairo, Madison and Barcelona, is to get down to Liberty St. and Broadway and join the occupation.
If you can’t do this, spread the word as far and wide as you can:
Twitter
Facebook
Official websties: occupywallst.org, nycga.org
More info/news: adbusters.org
You can also watch the occupation live, 24/7.
Please pass this email on to your friends, family, and fellow citizens!
Thank you!