News Blawg

Occupy Detroit now planned for Friday

October 11, 2011
By

Over 1,000 people gathered together Monday night at the Spirit of Hope Church in Detroit for Occupy Detroit’s first general assembly meeting.

Area activists voted to move the protest to Friday, Oct. 14, at Grand Circus Park.

Friday’s general assembly meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the Spirit of Detroit statue at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Woodward at the foot of Jefferson.

At 6 p.m. activists will participate in a sidewalk march through the financial district to Grand Circus Park, where they plan to stay. Voters chose Grand Circus Park for its public transit, accessible parking, bathroom access, and prime location to be seen and heard.

Occupy Detroit organizers moved the Monday meeting outside after exceeding the church’s capacity of 300.

Although the group identifies with no leader, Occupy Detroit organizers were standing by to arrange subcommittees in charge of tasks such as fundraising, supplies and medical stations.

“We’re bringing activists together from all different areas,” said Scott Purdy, an Occupy Detroit organizer. “Some from racial equality groups, some from civil rights groups, some from welfare reform groups. This Occupy Wall Street movement has gotten so much national attention that it has brought all these groups together.”

More than 3,000 people have used the Occupy Detroit Facebook page to indicate that they plan to attend the rally.

“This movement is open to everyone,” said Writer Bush, an Occupy Detroit organizer. “If you have concerns and want to represent your community, now is the time to join us.”

  • Donald Jones

    Please show up to counter protest these little children having temper tantrums.  There are serious problems in our society and we need grownups to have serious dialogue. We do not need mentally weak individuals creating diversions.  

    The entire economic meltdown was started by the collapse of the subprime market, a creation of our government to let the working poor own homes whether they could afford it or not.  Instead of doing away with Fannie and Freddie when the market collapsed, the Pelosi-led congress decided to prop it up by increasing the number of loans the government insured.  Banks would never have given subprime loans without government insurance, because they never could have bundled them and sold them.  For the banks, Fannie and Freddie became a slot machine that always paid out.

    If these protesters had two collective brain cells, they would be protesting government buildings and politicians.

    Do not let them bring their childish venting and non-sense here.  Be there to counter protest on behalf of reason and logic.

  • Nickg112

    The only thing that I have heard these “Occupy” people say is give us more at the expense of someone else. I want, I need! I see issues with our Government and Politicians. I just do not see anything that the “Occupy” movement can contribute to fix these issues. I think that as people come to their senses and the media gets bored, this movement will go away.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevin-Oconnor/1253989250 Kevin O’connor

    eat me…is what I would say if I was childish.

  • Brians Trust

    As Nickg112 pointed out, the “Occupy” people have no vision of what it takes for economic success. They have lists of demands but no solutions to the problems.  “Free Healthcare for everyone” is on their list.  Exactly how is the cost of that going to be covered?  Socialized medicine has a history of failure around the globe, so why would we want to go down that path?  Please have the media continue to cover them (and the President backing them) as they whine about how their situation is unjust and it’s time to storm the “rich people’s homes”.  It’s really too bad that their studies of underwater basket weaving / Klingon / Theater just isn’t finding them a job and they now have to pay back those student loans…..  The weather on Friday is calling for 61 degrees and rain.  Let’s see how many show up for their cause and how many decide it’s safer, warmer and downright cozy on their parent’s couch.

  • Joeymagnums

    Death to traitors

  • Pingback: The Rust Belt is Occupied | Rust Wire

  • Anonymous

    This is friggin awesome!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    How will the cost be covered? Glad you asked, because YOU are going to pay for it!

  • Anonymous

    Yes, death to 99% of Americans who are not billionaires. What a wonderful thought. Then, the richest 1% would become the 100%. Now, there’s a great idea.

    @8144e774351524bb0510f54f270b02f6:disqus , the people whom you wish to die and to whom you refer as traitors are American citizens who are exercising their Constitutional right to free speech, something you would know nothing about. And we can assume you’ll take it really well when someone wishes you dead next time you advocate for your 2nd Amendment rights. Oh, I don’t suppose you’d know anything about that, either.

  • Freedom Ain’t Free

    Hey Joeymagnums,

    Where is your love for the constitution when people you disagree with are protected by it? Hypocritical SOB!

  • Mardy

    Wouldn’t a counter protest be illogical and unreasonable?  As a Detroiter, I resent the allocation of public safety resources that the “Occupy” diversion organizers are imposing upon Detroit’s taxpayers.  We need every dime we have to rebuild our great city.  Being there in the inevitable confusion at Grand Circus Park will not help.   In fact, the fewer people who show up the better. 

    As for addressing whatever it is that we believe ails politicians, elected officials, and government bureaucracies, the best tools are still an informed citizenry, the ballot box, and law enforcement. 

  • Annon

    I’m not a child. I’m 30 years old. I cannot marry or adopt. I’m treated as second class citizen. I have student loans I cannot afford to pay.  I am the 99%.

    And Donald, please refrain from attacking organizers who clearly are doing more than you are- instead of bullying on the internet.

    Maybe you should learn from these “kids” and grow up yourself, get informed- and realize you’re part of the 99% we’re fighting for.

  • Cromulent

    Maybe you shouldn’t have taken those loans out. Why should taxpayers pay for your mistake? Should we buy you a Lexus too while we’re at it?

  • Cromulent

    Looking forward to Occupy Detroit. Will there be any defecating on police cars like at OWS?

  • Aeonlightyear

    Does anyone think this protest will last all weekend?

  • BobS

    Mr Jones, you’re absolutely correct that we have serious problems in our society and we do in fact need serious people to help solve them- not, however, “mentally weak” people like yourself who demonstrate their lazy thinking by trying to distill the financial debacle we’re still experiencing into a partisan political narrative.
    Sir, if you had “two… brain cells” of your own you’d understand (like most of the Occupiers intuitively do) that the serious problems we’re experiencing extend back at least three decades and across several Democratic and Republican administrations/congresses which have served as lapdogs for the Wall Street bloodsuckers who’ve orchestrated the deregulation and financialization of the American economy. In other words, they ARE protesting the government and politicians, moron.
    I’ll be sure to wave when I walk by the two or three of you as you “counter protest” in support of the too-big-to-fail bank’s license to rape the American people.

  • BobS

    Sir, please be more specific about the failures of socialized medicine, particularly as they relate to both cost and outcomes (as measured by the WHO). It would also help if you were to be more specific as to exactly what you mean by socialized medicine, inasmuch as health care systems differ significantly from country to country (one of the things that makes it so easy  to argue this issue with folks like you is the studied ignorance of the subject you all seem to share).
    And given what you consider the “history of failure” of socialized medicine, does that in fact mean you advocate abolishing one of the few 100% socialized medicine systems that exists, the United States Veterans Health Administration?
    By the way, I won’t be on my “parent’s couch” Friday. Myself AND my parents will be at Grand Circus Park, while our son/grandson will be Occupying Flagstaff, Arizona.

  • Csmith

    They have more in common with the Tea Party when it comes to their thoughts on crony capitalism.  The Tea Party is againest that as well.  But I am certain they have hate for the Tea Party, the Tea Party just isn’t cool, Hollywood doesn’t support it and the media doesn’t either.  Isn’t it kind of odd that the President and the media are supporting this so called movement?  I hear a lot of complaints about debt, yes everyone took the hit on homes and jobs, but what pray tell is the point of these protests?  What answers do they have?  Marxism never worked out and it won’t work today because life isn’t fair and nobody can make it that way.  There will always be the people that take advantage of the system no matter how you attempt to make it fraud proof.  For every government handout to a legitimate individual there are ten in line behind them to take it fraudulantly.  Who pays for it?  The same people that have always paid, those who are doing the right thing and being personally responsible, they always pay for those who do not. 

  • Doc d20

    Nope.  Probably a rain out, and then back to Occupy Mom’s Basement.

  • Doc d20

    Your post is right on the money.  It’s a giant gripe session, and anybody with a beef against “the system” is showing up.  Walk through Zucotti Park and you’ll see everything from “Jews own America!” to “Where’s *MY* bail-out?” to “Free Mumia!”  There are definitely overlapping interests between Tea Partiers and the Flea-baggers.  Established government would be in for a tough 2012 election if the two groups united and acted on the common, truly universal interests.

  • Shoveinb

    I am so glad such an intelligent conservative with a heart of passion feels the need to share his immaturity.