The following letter was sent via email from the Occupy D.C. movement.
Dear Friends,
We want to begin by expressing our solidarity and concern for the occupations in Los Angeles and Philadelphia which were recently cleared, as well as for New York and other occupations that have been cleared out. Our hearts and thoughts are with those brave people who were injured and arrested trying to hold their occupations.
We became concerned this past week when the Park Service came through Freedom Plaza with notices. They had warned us previously that this would be a first step towards eviction. On Tuesday , Jefferson Morley of Salon.com spoke to the Park Service and was told that eviction is not imminent, but we remain on the alert.
We are doing our best to keep Freedom Plaza a clean and safe place so that we can continue our activities there as long as possible. It feels like holding Freedom Plaza in the heart of the nation's capital is important. New people are coming daily. We welcome all who can, to join us, even if it is just for a few days. There is a lot of work to do.
The sense of community on Freedom Plaza is strong. After two very wet and cold days, we came together last Thursday and prepared a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner that built our community even stronger.
On Black Friday we traveled to a local mall to give gifts to the employees to show solidarity with them. We also did a "mic check' for the shoppers to remind them that holidays are really about family, friends and community.
We continued to pressure the Congress for its lousy economic policies, protesting at both the Senate and House when the "supercommittee" failed. This builds on our efforts to put forward real solutions to the economic crisis the country faces with The 99%'s Deficit Proposal: How to create jobs, reduce the wealth divide and control spending. The New Priorities Network , made up of scores of organizations is now promoting the plan.
On Saturday a group of Buddhist monks performed a ceremony for compassion on the plaza. We participated in a global day of action for the medical professionals in Bahrain who are in jail for providing treatment to protesters. Then we held a community discussion in Freedom Plaza on the values and vision of this movement and how we make them manifest.
This week we did a whistle blower action to encourage civil servants to report violations of law and ethics.
We invite you to join us for these actions and discussions. Check the calendar and daily schedule to find out what is happening. On December 6 , we will light our 25 foot tall 100% post-consumer recycled plastic Christmas tree. We will light our tree at the same time that Congress lights theirs.
We are working on creating structures that will get us through the winter. We want to thank George Ripley for loaning a 20 foot diameter yurt. We want to thank all of you who have brought us warm clothing and blankets. As our community grows, our expenses for food and supplies grow too. We need your continued support in order to continue to meet the needs of people on Freedom Plaza. Please donate now.
We are building towards the National Occupation ofWashington, DC (NOW DC) starting on March 30th . It will consist of 2 weeks of actions, teach-ins and workshops. Please visit the Facebook page, spread the word and we will provide more details as we have them.
Thank you for your continued support . Please visit us at Freedom Plaza.
In peace and solidarity,
Occupy Washington, DC at Freedom Plaza/October2011
Copyright - 2011 October 2011 , All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
October 2011
PO Box 102011
Washington , DC 20001
