Can you dance the Occupation?
By Chris Smith/THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
As Occupy encampments in Oakland, New York and elsewhere are being forcibly dismantled, activists in Sonoma County are preparing to dance in celebration of the success of Occupy Santa Rosa.
An Occupation Dance, with music by Free Peoples and the Jug Dealers, will conclude Saturday night’s annual awards celebration of the Sonoma County Peace and Justice Center (www.peaceandjusticesonomaco.org).
“We expect quite a large contingent from Occupy Santa Rosa to attend,” said longtime activist and center supporter Barry Latham-Ponneck.
The celebration at the Sebastopol Community Center will no doubt feature much discussion of the ups and downs of the global Occupy movement. So far, the Santa Rosa protest has gone far smoother than many others, though yet to be seen is how participants in the City Hall encampment will react if they are denied one of the first-come, first-served camping permits and are told to pull up stakes.
In addition to cheering on Occupy Santa Rosa, Saturday night’s party in Sebastopol will honor several local activists and organizations.
Attila Nagy, who shot and distributed photos of Santa Rosa police officers allowing youngsters to handle firearms at a public event in South Park, will receive the Peacemaker Award.
Rick Coshnear, a Santa Rosa attorney and immigration rights activist will be given the Russ & Mary Jorgensen Courage of Commitment Award.
Community Organizaiton Awards will go to both Habitat for Humanity and Interfaith Shelter Network, and Tom Pringle will honored as an Unsung Hero for his work in Tijuana exchanging old shovels with new ones.
Just don’t expect anyone to occupy the dance floor all night. The Occupation celebration ends at 11 p.m.
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As they become “dismantled” MORE WILL TAKE THEIR PLACE…it will MULTIPLY EXPONENTIALLY…so ok, keep “dismantling”…for every tent you remove…10 will take their place.
I don’t think Attila Nagy should receive a Peacemaker Award for causing all of the drama that she did surrounding children handling unloaded firearms in the presence of police to demystify the law enforcement profession. Give her a Golden Raspberry Award for throwing a fit over nothing.
Funny… as far as I gather, Atilla is a male. We just spoke a few hours ago.
Dear Mr?@Attila the imposter – I sent the photos to the SR City Council, with a question: Why is SRPD exposing and demonstrating semiautomatic weapons, to children? The dialog began. You claim that an officer dressed in a SWAT uniform displaying SWAT weapons to children in a low income, marginalized neighborhood with people of color, will “demystify the law enforcement profession” ? Many consider it intimidation. There was a time the police were called “peace officers” (though not always peaceful) but now the police are militarized as in a police state which the US has become. Is that the kind of society you feel good about living in — in perpetual fear of each other and the police?
On this or your next occupy wall street posting I would like to offer my responces to some of the responces that I have heard from the locals regarding Occupy Wall Street. Here is what I think that this movement is really about, 1. I have been surprised how many people dont understand the concept of we are the 99% to me that means that we are the 99% of the population that makes up the majority who are not the super rich in this country , we are the ones however who have made up the income which does suppy those powers that be monitarily. 2. In regards to the banks that there are Major banks behind the banks which include the international banking systems, these Banks are the supplyers of our banks they are tied in with the Federal reserve and the Federal reserve is linked with our own government but they are not accountable to it they are alos privately owned and they loan money that they cant back up then when that money is paid back they reel in the line causing a major deficiet raising the intrests and in the long run what that they have done is to claim the money that was involved in the originally empty loan claiming thir own substance of worth for thir own instead of it being claimed within the governments hands which could then be used for us the taxpayers who actuall earned it. If we are going to make it in this country we neen to stand for something different , we need to take the federal reserve back from these mega wealthy private ownership we need our taxes cut and the money that we hve all worked for to be used for education health and minimal taxing. We need to cherish our freedom because with our current financil status we are very vulnerable in this country right now and we need to expose the plots that have taken the basic rights of freedom for health and well being not just in this country but for its ripple effects globally.
3. We need to creatively and peacefully stand up for our human rights and for what is our basic worth – bu peacefully marching and standin – just like Martian luther king and Ghandi and we need to do this to make sure that like them the voices of the people along with their hears and minds still make a difference – the way that it once did – and we need to sustain this silent voice untill we are heard understood and valadated.