As you read this, the whirring machinery of mass media is increasingly focusing the spotlight on Romney, Obama and the spectacle of elections.
A lot will be decided this November but almost none of it where the public can see. We receive an endless stream of TV commercials funded by SuperPac billionaires in lieu of a true democratic discourse. The 99% is left in the wake of campaign commercials acting as currency for both the candidates and the media charged with covering them for us.
If you want to have the greatest impact on our democracy, cast your ballot on September 17th - in the streets. Join us.
-- from the 'Your Inbox: Occupied' team
#S17: 3 Days of Education, Celebration & Resistance
Our mass mobilization on September 15 - 17 is coming up soon. And as it was when OWS first began, the most impactful way to help is to show up, do your thing and help all our voices be heard!
Below you will find a series of actions and events building up to S17 as well as planning meetings and conference calls where you could help organize the litany of S17 festivities throughout the weekend. You can also check out the Occupy Classifieds for immediate needs leading up to our one year anniversary. Have a great idea? Make it so!
Help Build the People's Wall on S17
- Wednesday, August 29th, 5pm
- Liberty Square - Zuccotti Park
- The morning of September 17th will include a gathering at the intersections immediately surrounding the New York Stock Exchange. Each intersection will feature performers and open public speak outs, followed by a mass sit-in. Join us this Wednesday, when we will talk about and practice this planned action.
Free University Planning Meeting
- Thursday, August 30th, 6pm
- CUNY Graduate Center - 365 Fifth Ave - Room 5414
- Bring ID and snacks. All are welcome. The Free University of NYC will host a week of free educational courses and events in Madison Square Park this September 18-22. Help us organize all this at our planning meeting.
S17 Affinity Spokes
- Friday, August 31st, 6pm
- Foley Square
- Come to the affinity group spokescouncil to plan actions on the birthday of Occupy Wall Street, September 17th. An affinity group is a group of friends or family. Its a group of people you trust. Its also a group that shares a political or tactical goal. 5pm: Trainings on affinity groups: learn more about how to form an affinity group. 6pm: Spokescouncil begins
Occupy Dance
- Every Saturday and Wednesday, 7pm
- The Wall Street Bull, 1 Bowling Green
- Help build momentum leading up to September 17 on join Occupy Dance in a peaceful protest at the Wall Street bull. Join us as we celebrate the iconic image of the ballerina on the bull and exercise our freedom of expression. All are welcome to join in a full ballet warm up and creative practice.
S17 Convergence Planning
- Saturday, September 1st, 2pm
- The Garibaldi Statue at Washington Square Park, 1 Washington Square
- Join us for our fourth meeting for planning convergence components for September 17th and the preceding weekend (September 15-16). Check out the schedule we've developed and look for the OWS Orientation Banner!
S17 Work Sprint
- Sunday, September 2nd, Noon - 4pm
- 33 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn
- Come join teams from across OWS as we work on all the exciting stuff that needs doing for S17: websites, volunteer coordination, calendar updates, prep for the Monday Spokes meeting and anything else. Please email [email protected] for location and further information.
S17 Coordination Meeting
- Monday, September 3rd, 6pm - 9pm
- Judson Memorial Church, Washington Square Park South
- Interested in planning or plugging in to S17 activities? Come and bring your creative juices so we can make an amazing cocktail of a weekend celebrating a new chapter of Occupy!
National Planning Call for September 17th
- Tuesday, September 4th, 7pm
- Location: Your phone
- Join occupiers nation-wide through InterOccupy as we organize for the big day. Pass on the plans from your city to date (estimate numbers interested in coming if there was free transport, solidarity actions, etc), and help us help you best plug into any available resources.
The Crushing Burden of Debt
- Tuesday, September 4th, 7pm
- McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince Street
- 76% of Americans are in serious debt. At least 1 in 7 is already being pursued by debt collectors. Median household debt in America has risen to $75,600, and much of it can never be repaid in our lifetimes. Credit was supposed to help us realize our dreams. Instead, predatory lenders are rapidly closing off the opportunities that a democracy ought to nurture. Panel members will discuss the consequences, and the possibilities for debt resistance.
Call for Artists: Submit Media for S17
- Anytime. From anywhere.
- This movement can't happen without your creativity. Please share pictures, videos, drawings, signs, posters, or anything else we can re-post online!
Administrative Announcement from our friends at NYCGA.net:
We will be starting over with new and improved events listings! If you have events on NYCGA.net they will need to be reposted after September 5th. For more details about how to make sure your awesome events are posted now and going forward, please contact [email protected] with questions.
For Text Message alerts on your cellphone about daily events, actions, and important information, sign up for the ComHub SMS blasts by texting @owscom to 23559.