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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Please note: The http://occupyhouston.org/ calendar link was down for a while, but the sidebar version is now apparently working again. If you have information about the Occupation which is not getting input to the main site in a timely fashion, please write a comment or email me (ThinkwingRadio@msn.com) and I’ll consider posting it on this blog. FYI, I do not necessarily support every action reported here to the same degree or at all, but I report. – Mike
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Major Upcoming Events, (More info below the jump):
- Field Organizing Teach In 12/18 at 5PM
- Bailing Out Our Occupiers
- Dec 18- International Migrants Day March
News & Announcements (More info below the jump):
- Assistance Needed in Providing Bail Payment (Update)
- Port Action Arrests update 12/14/11
- Pictures of 12-12 Port of Houston Action
- Calendar Of Upcoming Events <– Seems to be working again. Yay!
- Meeting Minutes 12/11
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7PM, Dec 18th (Sunday) Tranquility Park, 400 Rusk
By consensus of Wednesday’s GA, the normal agenda of Sunday’s GA will be superseded so that a community consensus might be reached on on the days and times to hold future GAs. Under consideration will be such topics as: altering the frequency of GAs a week, altering the start time of GAs, what events might be scheduled in the time slots that had previously been dedicated for GAs, and how to promote participation in any such newly scheduled events.
Everyone’s input is needed if we’re going to craft a schedule that best addresses the varied & hectic logistical needs of OccupyHouston, and I thus urge everyone to attend if possible. If your schedule had made GAs a challenge to attend, we need you at this GA.
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OH Mobile Occupation Work Group will be hosting the first in a series of sessions on Field Organizing this Sunday, Dec 18 at 5pm in the downtown branch of the Houston Public Library at 500 McKinney St, room # TBD. Learn about what community organizing is, the various methods of outreach and start organizing your neighborhood soon.
If you are an experienced organizer who would like to contribute to this or future sessions, please email us at heightscp@gmail.com) and be sure to put MOBILE OCC in the subject line.
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Current Status: Of those needing bail from Occupy Houston, only one remaining individual, Matt Stewart, needs someone to stand as his Guarantor. Please contact Benjamin Franklin @ 412-223-7279 for more details
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Dec 18- International Migrants Day March
Join Occupy Houston on International Migrants Day, and stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the international struggle for equality.
Sunday Dec 18th -Meet @ 2 pm, Chimney Rock and Bellaire -March to an undisclosed location
We will be protesting against racial profiling, detention and deportation of immigrants, and the prison industrial complex.
Join the international struggle for justice!!
Please print out this flyer and distribute!! Bring a stack by Tranquility too, if you can:
international migrants day march flyer
See you Sunday!
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Update: Thanks to the generosity of 3 Houston Occupiers (whom I neglected to ask if they wanted their names published), and Laura Elizabeth Moonchilde Stewart (San Francisco), we have solved our cashflow issue. Now we need people to volunteer to actually stand as the Guarantor of the bond for our Arrestees.
You are placing yourself in some financial risk, but these are dedicated Occupiers, and so I’d say you have at least a 99% chance of them making their court dates. You need to have no outstanding warrants yourself (or the cops will just arrest you), & the Bondsman will demand someone with a stable, pay-stub-producing employment or government benefit.
Again, please contact Benjamin Franklin @ 412)223-7279 or VeryLoudBen@gmail.com
While using funds from the Wepay account to pay the bonds of those arrested during the Dec 12th Port Action was approved at Tuesday’s emergency GA, due to Wepay’s procedures, there is a delay of at least one business day before these funds will be accessible. Thus, we need individuals with cash on hand who are able to float the bond payment on a short-term basis so that we may quickly free our imprisoned Occupiers who are awaiting bond.
This can be a collective effort, but it needs to take place as quickly as possible to be of maximum benefit. Anyone interested in contributing towards helping with this cashflow dilemma should contact Benjamin Franklin 412)223-7279 or (less usefully) VeryLoudBen@gmail.com
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Arrest update: Two more people were freed last night and arrived safely at Tranquility. Occupy Austin is reporting their 8 people are all free and accounted for. O-Houston’s pro bono Legal team has been working on the many details for all the arrestees. Kudo’s to them for their faithful efforts. This arrest incident involved a number of protesters from all over the state and there are both misdemeanor and felony charges involved, so it’s a bit more complicated than usual. We are expecting those remaining, who have misdemeanor charges, to be released this morning. Those who have felony charges each have a lawyer from NLG assigned to work their case.
An emergency GA was held last night to ensure OH funds are approved & available for bonds and other legal-related needs of the occupiers. We applaud all the brave occupiers who stood up, and who laid down, in order to shine a light on the tyranny of the 1% who continue to undermine our democracy on the backs of the 99%.
Our gratitude to them all for taking these risks in the service of justice and equality for all. Solidarity.
If you are so inclined, please donate funds to OH for the legal fund, go to our WePay and specify “bail” in a note there.
Thank you.
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On Monday, Dec 12th, Occupy Houston, Occupy Now, and concerned citizens from all over the state met at the entrance of the Port of Houston and SHUT IT DOWN! 19 Occupiers were arrested. Charges range from blocking a public roadway, a misdemeanor, to using a criminal instrument to block a roadway, a felony offense.
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FTPH Meeting Minutes- 12/11/2011; 1 pm Present: Amanda K, Shamus, Vera, Rico, Tre, Erick
1. Review of FTPH mission, purpose, rules, procedures. 2. Address Logistical House Needs
-Really need an alternator for bike powered generators
– Raw materials:
– Amanda W. has access info for freecycle
– Rico will be drafting raw material/ needs list for CraigsList
– Received awesome referral this week from Transition Houston to Reuse Warehouse which we can access because OH has been endorsed by Houston Peace and Justice; Urban Harvest
-Need to update contact emails on webpage because freedmenstown.org email addresses are not set up yet
– Attendees sign up to get accounts to edit freedmenstown.org website
– Internet access
– follow up with individual who initially offered to pay for our wireless
Hotspot
- some occupiers have been working on building a freedom tower
- touch base with them, stay posted on their progress and find out what materials they need to finish project
- in interim, consider paying for month to month internet access
- Shaun will research various providers, find out which ones are affordable, month-to-month
– Did not hear from contact at Amigo Wind about turning on electricity this week; Amanda will follow up
– Gas needs to be turned on
– Follow up with Shaun’s Green Irene fundraiser project to pay for Deposit
3. Open Discussion – We need to maintain a constant present at the house, especially during the hours of operation. (Monday- Sat; 9a-6 p; closed for GA; after hours as requested)
– Errands should be done with as few people as possible so as to maintain a strong presence at the house
– Do a good job of conserving resources – Be extremely conscientious in using gift cards donated to FTPH for groceries; maintain clear communication with Tranquility when purchasing food/ supplies to avoid redundancies
– Open house/ down times limited to Saturday nights – Maintain commitment to work/ productivity if you are at house – finish scraping/ sanding French doors – Gardening/food/etc—find containers for planting – Last Organic Outpost volunteer times need planning – There are still concerns, questions, and misunderstandings about FTPH at Main camp
– Continue to maintain presence at GA; re explain FTPH purpose, hours
Operation, updates during report backs
- FTPH has its own workgroup page on occupyhouston.org
- FTPH has its own project webpage at freedmenstown.org
- FTPH sends out regular updates on facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freedmenstown/
– T.C. stops by because Shamus won the adopt a voice package
– discuss main concerns Tranquility Park occupiers have raised against
FTPH
- miscommunication regarding storage of supplies
- all supplies removed from camp last week while DC occupiers were not present and camp was virtually empty were taken at the behest of Burke, and from our understanding Ben, on an emergency temporary basis to prevent the removal of supplies by HPD or outside parties. No supplies were taken with the intention of keeping them at FTPH.
- other occupiers not feeling clued in on hours, procedures; not feeling an “ownership” of project
- FTPH has maintained a presence at GA and made these things clear via announcements and report backs. Minutes should reflect this. In addition all of the information in question is easily accessible on the occupyhouston.org workgroup page, freedmenstown.org, and the facebook group page.
- T.C. brought with her a contractor whose time she will be donating to the project.
- Have contractor look at floors in bathroom and kitchen, recommendations for raw materials as follows:
- 2x8x6 sheet wolmanized wood <– FYI, Wolmanized wood should NEVER be used indoors. It’s a health hazard. – Mike
- Sheet of ¾” plywood, 4×8
- Shower kit
- Floor leveling compound
- Heavy door for increased security in utility room
- Bag of grout
- Tile (square footage TBA after measurement of bathroom, kitchen)
- ½” hardy board for kitchen floor (square footage needed TBA)
- Day rental of sander to refinish floors in living room, office
- Metal gate to enclose space directly behind house for additional storage space
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig 