For those who maintain the occupation at night and all day: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” ~ John Milton (1608 – 1674) from Sonnet XIX.
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The OccupyHouston site had problems last night, limiting my ability to extract information for you here. It appears to be back up now.
Sadly, Michael Moore (aka @MMFlint) has so far been unable to appear at OccupyHouston, in spite of tentative promises that this might be possible.
Well, perhaps another time. What we do, we do for our city, state and country, anyway.
OccupyHouston’s next big scheduled even will take place on 11/11/11 – DAY OF SOLIDARITY. More details below the jump.
Also below the jump, updates on the latest posted GA minutes (11/3/11) and some other agenda details.
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Stand with Occupy Houston and the 99% on 11/11/11 for a peaceful student walkout and celebration of global resistance at Tranquility Park!
We call on University of Houston students to meet in front of the library building at 11:00am. At 11:30am we march to Tranquility Park in downtown Houston for a day of solidarity and celebration of global protest movements. The festivities start at 2:00pm in the park!
From 2:00pm to 5:00pm we’re holding discussion circles in the park. All topics are up for chat, but we plan to discuss:
- health care
- the homeless
- taking care of our veterans
- spirituality in collective movements
- occupation ideology
Don’t limit yourself to these! Tighten your thinking caps and lets talk about the issues that drive our movement. At 5:00pm we’ll open it up and celebrate art and poetry. We’ll have an open mic, so come on out and rap, sing, or perform. Get creative! This goes on until it ends, folks. We’re going to do this one right.
Don’t worry if you’re not at U of H. 11/11/11 is a national day of solidarity, and we welcome everyone! We are the 99% and we are finally making our voices heard!
If you have a question or comment specifically about the content on this page, copy and paste this article’s URL and click ‘Add a New Topic’ in the forum. Thank you. ___________________________________________________ SUMMARY OF UPCOMING AGENDAS:
General Assembly Minutes – November 3, 2011 7:20pm
Approximately 25 in attendance.
Facilitators: Benjamin
Stack Coordinator: None
Stackers: Jeremiah
Timer: Jonathan
Scribe: Jeremy
Moderator: John
Volunteer Group Announcements:
Sustainability: Sean – This far bin used to have some seeds. Those seeds have been ruined by dancing standing and placing food on top of. All food that needs to be composted needs to be put in the compost bin. I have someone that is trying to get some alternators for us and using them with bikes.
Political Action Work Group: Joe – went to the polls today with others and held signs. There was a lot of talk. Come join us tomorrow 7:00-7:00 1475 west gray. Occupying the Polls.
Food: Vanessa – Cleanliness is important in all areas, the only person needing to be cleaning after you, is you. If you use any dishes wash them!!
Warehouse: Scott B. – Pass
Security: JJ – We have had a problem with theft, it’s already known. It has been taken care of, I want to apologize for last night we had a temporary chance of rain, and we are not to post tents, and I did to help others, I want you to know I don’t want to set a negative example, we need volunteers for night shift.
Personal Announcements:
Jamin – Today me and a few others met with HPD, and during that meeting there were some concerns raised, primarily urinating and defecating in inappropriate areas. There are two porta potties behind city hall annex. Also when it comes to sign making refrain from obscenities. When it comes to our home signs, it is legal for us to make those signs, but illegal for drivers to honk. Don’t get them in trouble. Also, police are here to protect when they come up don’t go up to them in a mob fashion. This may seem hostile. We don’t want that, and so far we have had zero arrests in occupy houston. Info: Mayor Parker has said that eight people have been arrested. Most of the defecating and urinating has been taking place in the parking areas under the street, there are camera’s watching be mindful.
Carlos: Top Texas Organizing Project, open endorse for us to go to DC in December 5-9th. They were not authorized to do that. Only top members can go to DC $5 membership fee, today was the last day. Going to try to get an extension on that. It’s to occupy dc in protest of corporate corruption of the government.
Dustin – My self Jamin and Burke, had a meeting with CID, they wanted to point out that we have an issue with urinating in the garage beneath us. Please tell people to stop. Info brought up from Jamin earlier. Divestment March 9:00am here.
Proposals:
Jeremiah: Michael Moore will be at a book store at 7:30pm. Does anyone have first hand info that he will be here for the divestment march. occupyhouston.org and facebook say that Michael Moore will be there. I propose that we don’t confirm an appearance by Michael Moore until we have first hand confirmation he will be here by midnight. PASSED Point of Info: Lief : Michael Moore responded to a message I sent him. he sent a direct message saying yes he would be here. He unfollowed me, and didn’t say what time he would be here.
Carlos: We have GA 3 (mondays, wednesdays and fridays (these are changeable)) times a week and the other four days we use that time for work groups and meetings\teach-ins. Amended: We have GA 3 (monday wednesday and friday) days a week at 7pm and the other 4 days either at 4pm or 8pm. BLOCKED a. I feel that we are moving away from the process given to us by wall street. b. we haven’t even started implementing as a whole the use of a mic check. answer: a.it’s a fluid process, opens the door to have more work groups. b. Mic check is for hearing purposes in large groups. Artem: I personally feel the GA has lost substance over time, we could use this time in a more direct manor. We could spend a few days a week sharing info like we do at GA.
Joe: Gloves for cold weather cost $1 who needs gloves. Who needs a beanie, who needs a phone. Proposal: To spend Occupy Houston money to buy gloves, cell phones, and minor items someone may need. $35+tax for gloves and $35+tax for beanies. Blocks: we shouldn’t have to spend money, we can get that for donations by putting up stuff on the website. Block: I will bring gloves and beanies back before I leave. There may be something more necessary. WITHDRAWN
Opinions:
Erick: when we get rigid in our process it becomes exclusive. This is a growth something not set in stone. I think we need to keep in mind the depth of the relationships we are trying to make here, if you are not willing to sacrifice for one individual, you wont do it for the group. That is what they want us to set, apathy for each other. I love you guys and glad to see you here.
Jamin: The point of the mic check and the peoples mic is so everyone can hear you no matter if you think your voice is loud enough or not. The point is to project our voices as far as possible so everyone can hear otherwise you are being inconsiderate.
Carlos: The reason I stayed tonight is I am pissed off. I get reports that there’s censorship on facebook and website from reliable sources. Reports there is fighting and alcohol, theft, discrimination. We are to unify and stand strong. They are taking a list and seeing what we are doing, so when they come against us they can use that list against us. When you see things like that happening, call it out! I am angry! >:( Act like the 99% be unified. There is a reason these protests throughout history don’t work, they all lack unification. Stay unified, be a movement. I <3 you guys!
John: Clean sweep! getting mired down on the process is something you should address with them personally. People make mistakes, please let us know, try to work toward congruency rather than anything else. There are a lot of things with opinions, but with congruency we can solve anything.
Trey: First of all I would like to piggy back on the comment that was made earlier about our GA process, and give back group on my point of information. Yesterday I became aware of a few differences between our process and Austin’s while attending it. First they have two different hand signals that I feel would be beneficial to everyone. C for clarifying questions. I am not on the facilitation team nor am I always available, get active about that sign. (makes a sign) Also this is a sign they use for requests on extensions of time once time is called. I would like to point out that yesterday a young man requested if GA was okay with him making mods to the GA process.
Evan: I am tired of seeing partisans crap all over the place. Lots of re-elect signs from politicians. One of the reasons I am here is because my government is failing me. I don’t want to sit here and listen to Jo Jones take over. Politicians suck, cool people, but in general politicians suck. This isn’t their venue, this is our venue. They are not on my side.
George: I would like to assemble a team that is focusing purely on education so we can break all these artificial barriers between us.
Clay: Pick up with what Evan was addressing. Party politics is stupid and jacked. We don’t know how to be a community. It’s a learning process and a discovery process. There are universal aspects to being human, if we don’t align ourselves with those we cannot have a community. We have to make this about something much bigger than ourselves and our personal agendas, which are inappropriate to apply. If we just focus on our commonality, then our differences should fall aside. We are trying to organize within diversity, and organize ourselves in ways that work.
Evan: Also, I know yesterday, there was a candle light vigil in solidarity with scott olson. What happened to him. He got shot in the head with a rubber bullet by a cop. They are oppressors, not our friends. I am not taking any points of information. Just because the cops here are being nice, how can you protest against them and also work with them at the same time. That just doesn’t make any sense to me.
Clay: I am going to try to offer an alt perspective when dealing with the cops because they are the 99% we have to include them some how, I don’t have a solution, but an approach is that we find a way to help them realize that they’re our neighbors. For example they are of the 99% and operating in a culture that tells them otherwise, they will feel tense about this, they won’t want to embrace the rabble, that will take time. however, if we confront them on their terms we loose. We are asking them for something they don’t have they can’t give it. Empathy is not part of their job description. They are real human beings in the uniform, and that’s who we are talking to not the uniform
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Note: These Frequently Asked Questions are intended to clear up some of the common queries that we’ve had over the last few days. We will be continually adding to this page as more issues arise. Thank you. Click HERE to learn more about donating monetarily or in kind to our #Occupy Houston cause. {UPDATED & Revised 10/28/11/kr}
Occupy Houston Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs can help you as you speak with members of the public at the street level, through the press, or during organizing meetings. None of the below constitute demands. They are merely guidelines for ways to approach commonly asked questions about Occupied Houston. Occupy Houston stands in solidarity with OWS and we model our self-governing process on the one you see in action at Occupy Wall Street.
What is Occupy Houston?
Occupy Houston is, like OWS and others, an group of concerned citizens, like you and me, who come together around one organizing principle: We will not remain passive as formerly democratic institutions become the means of enforcing the will of only 1-2% of the population who control the magnitude of American wealth. Occupy Houston is an exercise in Direct Democracy. Since we can no longer trust our elected representatives to represent us rather than their large donors, we are creating a microcosm of what democracy really looks like. We do this to inspire one another to speak up. It is a reminder to our representatives and the moneyed interests that direct them: we the people still know our power. We feel we can no longer make our voices heard as we watch our votes for change usher in the same old power structure time and time again. This is the simplest, most effective democratic exercise we have left to employ, and we all must participate in order to be heard. Let the powers that be know – by physically joining in and occupying space in Tranquility Park.
What do you want: what are you protesting for/against?
We want what everybody wants: the ability to have a home, to make a livelihood, to have a family or a community, to live in a free society. We all want economic and social justice. Thus, we are protesting for the rights of the 99% – for our most basic rights as citizens, to convene, to express ourselves, and to be heard. We are unified by our sense of economic injustice, as a result of both our domestic, and foreign, policy.
Who is involved? From which communities and organizations do we come?
A diverse group of communities and organizations from a wide spectrum have come together around Occupy Houston. We are a group of autonomous individuals with no leader. We have come together as concerned individuals who want our collective voice heard. However, there is involvement by unions, student groups, and existing social justice organizations. More of them join us every day.
Finally, but crucially: This movement, nationwide & worldwide, is comprised of thousands of people who have committed themselves to nonviolence. The one thing the powers that be understand and employ incredibly effectively around the world is the power of violence. We aim to offer a different model: a model of nonviolent direct democracy.
How long do people intend to occupy?
We will stay until change happens! Until broad swaths of the American population realize that it is we, the 99% alone that can reclaim society from the domination of the 1%. Democracy has never been a spectator sport, and Americans have an obligation, particularly if we claim to love our country, to build serious and meaningful change from the bottom up.
HOW does it work?
We engage in horizontal democracy. This means that we are a non-hierarchical movement, in which everyone can take on leadership roles, every voice is equal and autonomous action is encouraged. This also means we cannot be easily defined by outside observers, and it also means that we cannot be easily hijacked by outside forces. We try as much as we can to gain consensus because we believe everyone’s experience is equally valid, every voice and opinion should be heard, and none more than any other. In order to assure that all voices are heard and to facilitate better communication in a non-hierarchical meeting, we commit to engaging in “meeting process”. It is inherently slow, requiring patience, which makes consensus very empowering. Tranquility Park provides an inspiring (and public) space for people to meet one another, discuss and organize. For more details, see http://occupyhouston.org/occhous-guide-to-general-assembly/
General Info:
WHERE is Tranquility Park?
The Houston Occupation in Tranquility Park is located in the heart of downtown, bordered by Hobby Center and City Hall and is accessible by car, Metro bus and rail.
WHEN are things happening?
All day, every day! But check out General Assembly at 7PM nightly. Many Work Groups meet at 6PM or after the GA.
WHAT can I expect when I get down there?
Something you’ve never experienced before in this way – a real democratic space. Even if you are not sure you are on-board, come check it out in person.
Who should I talk to if I want to get involved with a committee or subgroup?
Come to the welcome table or just talk to folks to get a feel for the different Work Groups’ focus and activities. There is always something in the works and ongoing. The various Work Groups’ meeting days & times are posted on the WHITE BOARD on site. Most evenings from 5PM and on, you will find clusters of Work Groups discussing plans or events. If you can’t come to the Park in person, there are many other ways to participate or show support. Stop by the Forum to learn more or offer your own ideas.
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Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig 