Occupy Asheville

02/20/2012

If the City of Asheville really wants to move forward in a good way - DROP ALL OCCUPY CHARGES NOW!

02/01/2012

The power of solidarity between Occupy and Native rights activists.

01/31/2012

OCCUPY ASHEVILLE PRESS RELEASE: January 31, 2012
occupyasheville.org

OCCUPY ASHEVILLE ANSWERS MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL WITH LETTER TO THE PEOPLE

Asheville NC – Today, Occupy Asheville issued a public statement to the people of Asheville and the Asheville City Council in response to the call for additional dialogue from Mayor Terry Bellamy and the City Council concerning Occupy Asheville’s ongoing political occupation of land in front of City Hall. This 24/7 free speech picket has become a focal point for community organizing and solidarity with those affected by the largest transfer of wealth in American history and the crisis of corporate greed and personal profiteering within Wall Street and the federal government. The statement, prepared during three separate community assemblies was consensed upon by Occupy Asheville and reads:

January 31, 2012
City Council
Asheville City Hall, 2nd Floor
70 Court Plaza
Asheville, NC 28801

Dear People of Asheville, North Carolina:

CC: Mayor Bellamy, Vice-Mayor Manheimer, and Councilmen Bothwell, Davis, Hunt, Pelly, and Smith

We the People of Occupy Asheville unite in solidarity with one another and the worldwide Occupy Wall Street movement to oppose mass injustice. We seek to broaden awareness of the problems that exist in Asheville, the United States, and the world and generate peaceful solutions to those problems.

We the People of Occupy Asheville consider the 24/7 Occupation of City Hall a valuable physical representation of the people’s natural rights to freedom of speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Additionally, the Occupation of City Hall strives to provide a secular, non-hierarchical, and empowering refuge for marginalized people in our community.

We the People of Occupy Asheville envision the City of Asheville as a model of what is good and possible in our country when members of the community and public servants collaborate for the benefit of all people. We assert our rights as free-thinking people to speak and assemble freely in the time, place, and manner of our choosing and as best serves the needs of all people. We expect that City Council, as public servants, will also uphold these universal rights.

As always, the People of Occupy Asheville will pursue further dialogue.

Sincerely,
We the People of Occupy Asheville

# # #
Since Occupy Asheville (OA) began on September 28th, as many as 40 campers have been camping overnight on public and private space around downtown Asheville in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street campers. OA currently maintains an overnight camp in front of City Hall downtown as well as regular General Assembly meetings, and active working groups at Pritchard Park and around the city. occupyasheville.org

01/30/2012

Everyone should keep an eye on Oakland...

Over 300 people were arrested in Oakland after police ordered a march of Occupy Oakland protesters to “submit” to an arrest because they were

01/25/2012

Amazing, amazing work last night everyone - and for our entire movement that has gotten us to this place with the City Council - where we have earned respect for our views and our process! Now comes the hard part. I offer my encouragement to all the working groups, our resilient occupiers, and to our Coordinating Council as we figure out what we want to do next. WE HAVE THE POWER OF CHOICE - let's use it strategically and wisely!

01/25/2012

NATIONAL OCCUPY ARTS CALL -- Occupy 2.0: The Next Phase
Wed, Jan 25th at 10pm EST/7pm PST
To register for the call, go to: http://bit.ly/x7WM1S
(You only have to register once, so if you registered for the last call, that call-in information is all you need)

FOR WHO: This call is targeted for artists and cultural workers.PURPOSE: The purpose of this call is for artists and cultural workers working in the Occupy movement to connect and collaborate with one another, share resources and ideas, and learn about the breadth of arts/culture work happening in t...

01/24/2012

OCCUPY ASHEVILLE PRESS RELEASE: January 24, 2012

EXPECT US…
The City of Asheville Can Try to Regulate Occupy Asheville Out of Existence – But We Are Not Going Away

Asheville NC – Occupy Asheville rejects in the strongest manner possible the efforts by the City of Asheville to regulate and fine the Occupy Asheville movement out of First Amendment expressive activities and occupation space in front of City Hall. Curfews, fines, permits, and ordinances are simply backdoor efforts to remove Occupy Asheville from the public eye. The token offering of creating free speech zones in the city is simply putting lipstick on a pig.

Occupy Asheville rejects free speech zones and pay-for-protest.
We believe it is the human right of every person to be able to freely assemble and speak out about the issues that are important to their health, happiness, and living conditions.

The City of Asheville is not representing the interest of its citizens.
In a city where U.S. Cellular and Wells Fargo can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to the City to get their corporate speech heard on public property and in our government, Occupy Asheville is bearing intense public scrutiny that should instead be directed towards the corporate criminals and profiteers that are destroying our communities.

Occupy Asheville is a political picket and occupation – not a camp.
The local and national conversation about Occupy has turned into a question of tents, tarps, and sanitation. The City of Asheville is directing the conversation away from the real issues. Instead of focusing on Occupy sanitation, let’s discuss the sanitation of public discourse about the real issues and what to do about them.

Occupy Asheville will continue to occupy and agitate.
Occupy Asheville is keeping the local, regional and national conversation alive about economic justice and corruption in our political and financial systems. We are a benefit to our community:
• Mobilized hundreds of people for protests of the Keystone Pipeline and corporate personhood.
• Built playgrounds and collaborated with Habitat For Humanity.
• Supported local postal workers and local jobs.
• Provided public education through workshops and skill-shares.
• Engaged local citizens about issues of diversity and disparity.
• Fed hundreds of people for free.
• Provided a space for homeless military veterans and given those without a home a new chance.
• Provided a model of government that is directly democratic and open to all.

“Regardless of the City’s decision, Occupy Asheville and the Occupy movement will continue to broaden the scope of its work and push for justice and change,” said Martin Ramsey, Occupy Asheville activist. “Where unjust laws exist, it is the duty of free people to challenge them.”

Since Occupy Asheville (OA) began on September 28th, as many as 40 campers have been camping overnight on public and private space around downtown Asheville in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street campers. OA currently maintains an overnight camp in front of City Hall downtown as well as regular General Assembly meetings, and active working groups at Pritchard Park and around the city. Occupyasheville.org
# # #

01/24/2012

DON’T LET THE CITY FINE OCCUPY OUT OF EXISTENCE!
Attend Today's 5pm City Council Meeting at City Hall!
- Occupy Asheville rejects free speech zones and pay for protest
- The City is not representing the interest of its citizens
- Occupy Asheville is a political picket and occupation – not a camp.
- Occupy Asheville will continue to occupy and agitate.

01/24/2012

OCCUPY ASHEVILLE ACTION ALERT! TAKE ACTION NOW!
January 23, 2012

STOP THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE’S ANTI-OCCUPY REGULATIONS!
The City Council has proposed a complex series of regulations that would force Occupy Asheville into a costly effort to maintain its physical occupation as well as criminalize the homeless within City limits. These regulations are anti-democratic, anti-Occupy and make the streets even more unsafe for people without a home. These regulations must be stopped now, or many free speech and assembly activities within the city will face serious complications in the future.

WHAT: Attend the January 24th City Council Meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, January 24th 2012 at 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: 2nd Floor City Hall
WHO: Everyone who cares about freedom of speech and assembly, and those concerned about the well-being of those without a home.

If you CANNOT attend the meeting or wish to provide additional comment, please call and email the Asheville City Council members.

Mayor Terry Bellamy
Phone: (828) 259-5600
E-mail: [email protected]

Vice-Mayor Esther Manheimer
Phone: (828) 258-2991
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilman Cecil Bothwell
Phone: (828) 713-8840
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilman Mr. Jan Davis
Phone: (828) 253-5634
E-mail: [email protected]

Councilman Marc Hunt contact information:
Phone: (828) 273-2172
Email: [email protected]
http://www.jandavistire.com/

Councilman Chris Pelly
Phone: (828) 231-3704
Email: [email protected]

Councilman Gordon Smith
Phone: (828) 279-2551
E-mail: [email protected]

To reach all City Council members by email: [email protected]

SHARE WIDELY WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

01/24/2012

URGENT: City Council Strategy Meeting
City Ordinance & Permit Scheme to Eliminate Occupy Asheville
Tuesday 12 NOON
Firestorm Cafe
YOU NEED TO BE THERE: City Council Meeting Tuesday 5pm

01/20/2012

FRIDAY OCCUPY THE COURTS ACTION IN DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE
Occupy Asheville is Back in Action Against the Citizen’s United Ruling
Speakers include Asheville City Councilman Cecil Bothwell, Dr. Errington Thompson, Richard Fireman

WHO: Featured speakers include City Councilman Cecil Bothwell, Dr. Errington Thompson, and Richard Fireman: Occupy Asheville- the 99%, people who are concerned with the corruption of money in our elections and who believe corporations are NOT people.

WHAT: Rally, Moving Picket, Street Theatre.

WHERE: Poster making and picket begins at Pritchard Park. Procession to the Federal Building, Asheville, NC

WHEN: Friday January 20, 2012. Poster making at 4:00pm. Speakers begin at 4:30pm. At 5:00pm, a moving picket and street theatre will walk to the Federal building.

MORE: On January 21, 2010 the Supreme Court, with its ruling in Citizen's United vs Federal Elections Commission, ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to spend unlimited money to buy elections and run our government. Occupy Asheville and members of the Asheville community will come together for a Friday action in solidarity with Occupy the Courts – a targeted one day protest at federal courthouses across the United States including the Supreme Court. . On Friday, more than 130 cities and over 60 organizations are holding rallies for Occupy the Courts. We will gather signatures for a petition calling for a Constitutional amendment to strip corporations of 'personhood' protections.

"In their Citizens United decision the Supreme Court effectively viewed corporations as persons with rights to use their money as political speech,” explained Occupy Asheville activist Sonny Rawls. “Now multi-national corporations can anonymously flood the local airwaves, print media and billboards with ads full of lies and distortions about a candidate or issue local people care about – destroying the integrity of the democratic process. How can local people fight to improve their community health and living conditions when they can't possibly match the deep pockets of their anonymous opponent?"

For more information on this nationwide protest visit http://movetoamend.org/

# # #
Since Occupy Asheville (OA) began on September 28th, as many as 40 people have been occupying 24/7 on public and private space around downtown Asheville in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. OA currently maintains an overnight protest occupation in front of City Hall downtown as well as regular Coordinating Council, General Assembly, and working group meetings around the city. Occupyasheville.org

On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run our government. Human beings are people; corporations are legal fictions.

01/18/2012

DONT FORGET: Keep supporting the City Hall occupation! Visit. Participate. Be a voice. Keep the site political. Outreach to others. Sleep overnight if you can. WE CAN DO THIS!