OCCUPY UNEDITED; The 4th and final installment of our series on the Occupy Movement on the second anniversary: Video and Photos from OCCUPY NEW ORLEANS, MEMPHIS, NASHVILLE, TUCSON, D.C. AND OCCUPY CONGRESS, RALEIGH, EL PASO, TAMPA, LITTLE ROCK.

Occupy Congress, Jan. 17, 2012 ; All photos and video by the Hobo Dispatch

After waves of protest in other parts of the world, it all kicked off in the U.S. on Sept. 17, 2013 with Occupy Wall Street, which became ground zero for the movement. This final installment is just to present all our remaining photos and video footage of Occupy encampments and events.  By pure luck was able to visit all these different encampments during a cross-country road trip in Dec. 2011 when I traveled from AZ to the east coast to visit family. At the end have included a link to what I consider to be a good reflection on Occupy which appeared in The Nation. As far as my own analysis of the Occupy movement's success or failure in what it set out to do I'll stick with a friend's quote: "If you're not sitting around on a couch, and actually out there doing something, you're OCCUPYING!"
VIVA OCCUPY!



OCCUPY NOLA--I spent 2 days in New Orleans in Dec. 2011, just before the camp's eviction. Occupy NOLA was a fascinating environment as the video shows, complete with its own square dance which a  few New Orleans Saints fans joined after the game.

OCCUPY MEMPHIS,    
DEC. 2011

Video also shows the Lorraine Motel (National Civil Rights Museum), and the lone occupier Jacqueline Smith who continues her decades long vigil outside the museum.




OCCUPY NASHVILLE    
 DEC. 2011

I showed up here one evening and was given a tent site and a instant soup for supper. The following day I filmed a protest against the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court.

 OCCUPY TUCSON, Nov. 2011                                 Occupy Tucson ended up having three different encampments, three evictions, over 700 citations and arrests. Today they have an office in the Center For Global Justice and are still having general assemblies and protests.

OCCUPY D.C. AND OCCUPY CONGRESS  JAN. 2012

Our most comprehensive video of Occupy activities, showing general assemblies, human mic., etc. and the Jan. 17, 2012 OCCUPY CONGRESS which attracted several thousand occupiers from all over the country. I camped with them in the freezing cold in Freedom Plaza for 4 days.                                                                            




OCCUPY TAMPA, DEC. 2011

For months they slept on the sidewalk in downtown Tampa enduring harassment and arrests, then they set up an encampment in a private park in West Tampa.

   

    OCCUPY AUSTIN AND OCCUPY RALEIGH  
 Dec. 2011 

Occupy Austin slept on the steps of City Hall. Occupy Raleigh set up camp in a private space downtown.

OCCUPY EL PASO OCT-NOV. 2011

GOT TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME HANGING OUT HERE WHILE WORKING IN THE AREA. THEY HAD A 24 DAY PERMIT FROM CITY COUNCIL--WHEN THAT RAN OUT SEVEN WERE ARRESTED FOR CONTINUING TO OCCUPY THE PLAZA. 

Occupy Little Rock

An interesting camp beside the interstate with a geodesic dome, wood heat, solar panels, and meditation tent. A tornado alert took place the night I spent there and the Holiday Inn next door put everyone up for the night for free.

LINKS

Breaking Up With Occupy; The Nation

HOBO DISPATCH POSTS ON OCCUPY 

OCCUPY BOOT CAMP; PART 1  MAY 2012
OCCUPY BOOT CAMP; PART 2  JULY 2012
REFLECTIONS ON OCCUPY  FEB. 2013

THROWING THEIR BODIES INTO THE SPOKES OF THE DEPORTATION MACHINE; BORDER PATROL OUT OF CONTROL; SPIRITUAL PILGRIMS; OCT. 22, 1998--WHEN MEXICANS DEFEATED TEXAS

Oct. 8--Tucson Police meet non-violent protesters

You couldn't write a more dramatic movie script: Sept. 30- Thirty young undocumented immigrants, who grew up in the U.S. but returned to Mexico, known as Dreamers, literally throwing themselves into the frying pan by crossing the border into the U.S. and right into detention to argue their right to live in the U.S.  Oct. 8-Activists in Tucson, AZ surround Border Patrol and police vehicles to halt the deportation of several friends who are undocumented---they get pepper sprayed and roughed up, but they get their friends freed on bond! Oct. 11- a group of activists chain themselves to buses hauling chained immigrants to the kangaroo court known as Operation Streamline in Tucson and others lock down in front of the court---over 20 are arrested but court proceedings are cancelled for the day!  The record pace of deportation in the U.S. is no longer business as usual.

Here's an article covering the events:
ACTIVISTS SHUT DOWN OPERATION STREAMLINE FOR A DAY

     OCT.11, 2013---Activists Shut Down Operation Streamline
Here's a new one for the HOBO DISPATCH media department--filming livestream on a computer and then editing a video from that.  The quality isn't so great, but we didn't even leave the couch to cover this great action.

A YEAR WITHOUT JUSTICE FOR THE FAMILY OF JOSE ANTONIO ELENA RODRIGUEZ, KILLED BY BORDER PATROL AS HE WALKED DOWN THE STREET

We did attend this march in Nogales, Sonora, MX, and produced this video from our own footage. This is a follow-up to our Sept. 30 post and Action Alert. Please read that and take action.

SAYING NO TO ILLEGAL SEARCHES AND DETENTIONS

The Border Patrol believe they are THE LAW ABOVE AND BELOW so living near the border subjects one to regular harassment which we just come to accept as part of life like the sun rising and setting. Like a recent family vacation where an unmarked Border Patrol vehicle followed us for a half hour before finally pulling us over. The the poorly trained agent questioned us for about 15 minutes about our citizenship, where we had been and we going, how long we had spent at the lake, if we cross the border regularly, etc. When he ran out of questions he just walked away. Border Patrol agents have trouble standing down. He never said "Go ahead, have a nice day" at the end. He had no reason to pull us over. My wife even joked she almost felt sorry for him and nearly told him he could arrest her just so he would have something to show for his efforts. 

BUT PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING BACK AND REFUSING THE BORDER PATROL'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL HARASSMENT. THE VIDEOS BELOW ARE GOING VIRAL.

This video shows the courageous efforts of Jill Lix, a 26-year-old resident of the Patagonia, AZ area, who refuses to be searched and detained in this video. The Border Patrol agents are clueless! A MUST VIEW!

Here's the article about Jill!

Are You Detaining Me?

    HERE'S ANOTHER POPULAR VIDEO (OVER A MILLION HITS) OF PEOPLE STANDING  UP TO BORDER PATROL TACTICS AND ABUSE OF AUTHORITY.


     THE HOBO DISPATCH SPECIAL FEATURE SECTION

THE SPIRITUAL PILGRIMS OF SONORA, MEXICO

At this year's October fiestas in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora, I focused on filming those who walk to Magdalena as a spiritual commitment, including a large group of Tohono O'odham who walked for many days and nights.

HOW MEXICANS  DEFEATED TEXAS AND GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH IN 1998

Finally years ago I was privileged to take part in a wonderful movement against a nuclear dump in Sierra Blanca, TX, which was promoted by the state of Texas and then governor George W. Bush. The dump's location near the Rio Grande led to a large binational movement with thousands of Mexicans taking part. I produced this video for the 15th anniversary of the dump's defeat which occurred on Oct. 22, 1998.