Putting the Occupy in Occupy Oakland: squatting foreclosed buildings

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/08/MNEO1LRP7D.DTL


Now that their general strike is over, Occupy Oakland activists are looking for a new initiative to keep the momentum rolling - and their gaze is turning toward taking over foreclosed or abandoned buildings....

"It's a very important front for the Occupy movement all over this country, and if any one city can set a precedent for taking over foreclosed buildings, the idea will then quickly spread," said Adrian Dyer, an Occupy organizer. "The key is to improve what we occupy, to do it right, to set a good example."...

The challenge in seizing foreclosed buildings is how to do it in a way that attracts support, many in the 165-tent Occupy Oakland camp at Frank Ogawa Plaza agreed in meetings and interviews Monday. That means appealing to everyone from the homeless Occupy campers to the soccer moms who show up for marches.

"One idea is to contact the people who were foreclosed upon and enlist them in the effort," said Kevin Seal, an Occupy organizer. "We want to have a plan before we do anything."

:bounce: :thumbsup: :yourock:

Now where have I heard something like this before? Oh, right...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2068244&mesg_id=2068244

:-)

[Starry Messenger]

1. k&r

[KamaAina]

2. Idea: Focus on one particular neighborhood

preferably one that has problems with drug dealers operating out of empty homes, likely somewhere in East Oakland. Most any neighborhood would prefer Occupiers to drug dealers. Even the cops would, one would think...

[KamaAina]

4. Addendum: It'd be nice if there were some vacant storefronts, too

so the Occupiers could set up a food co-op, used clothing store, maybe a bike shop.

[Sirveri]

5. Why would the cops prefer that, they can get paid off by dealers.

[KamaAina]

7. You're not suggesting that Oakland police officers might possibly accept bribes?!

Why, that's un-American! :sarcasm:

That, and OPD's violent approach to the Occupation, is why I included "you would think...".

[KamaAina]

3. Meanwhile, in Atlanta...

http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/11/08/363692/occupy-atlanta-encamps-in-neighborhood-to-save-police-officers-home-from-foreclosure/

Last week, Tawanna Rorey’s husband, a police officer based in Gwinnett County, e-mailed Occupy Atlanta to explain that his home was going to be foreclosed on and his family was in danger of being evicted on Monday. So within a few hours Occupy Atlanta developed an action plan to move to Snellville, Georgia on Monday to stop the foreclosure. At least two dozen protesters encamped on the family’s lawn, to the applause of neighbors and bystanders:

Nearly two dozen protesters assembled Monday afternoon at Tawanna Rorey’s four-bedroom home in a neighborhood just south of Snellville, clogging the narrow, winding street that runs in front of the house with cars, vans and TV trucks. Many neighbors stopped to gawk at the spectacle and even honked their car horns in support of the crowd. <...> set up two tents in the front yard, draped a “This Home is Occupied” sign over the porch railing and handed out bottled water and granola bars to other members.

[one_voice]

6. K&R