Actions and Events
OSR TARGETS THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL (ALEC) ON FEBRUARY 29
On Wednesday, February 29th, Occupy Santa Rosa members are joining the call from Occupy Portland for a “National Day of Nonviolent Direct Action” targeting large corporations who are affiliated with ALEC (American Legislative Executive Council).
According to Occupy Portland: “The American Legislative Exchange Council is a prime example of the way corporations buy off legislators and craft legislation that serves the interests of corporations and not people. They used it to create the anti-labor legislation in Wisconsin and the racist bill SB 1070 in Arizona among so many others. They use ALEC to spread these corporate laws around the country.”
Learn more about ALEC and its impact on workers’ rights, school privatization, health care, energy policy, voter rights and more at: alecexposed.org
Occupy activists in Santa Rosa are planning a creative, direct action at a location that is yet to be announced. Organizers of the event say that the target will be a member of ALEC and that the action is not intended to obstruct business, but rather to reach out to workers and customers about the harmful effects of ALEC’s legislation on the 99%, and the exploitation of workers that these large corporations profit from.
“This will not be a ‘disruptive’ action,” say Occupy organizers, “but an ‘interruptive’ one. We will interrupt the silence that typically accompanies low-wage workplaces around the world, and make visible the plight of the 99%.” Occupy organizers pledge that this action will be completely nonviolent, and will not deter business.
Those who are interested in participating in the action are encouraged to attend a meeting on Tuesday the 28th at 5pm at the Peace and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave. in Santa Rosa. The action on the 29th will take place around 3pm.
Since the end of the Occupy camp at City Hall, Occupy Santa Rosa has continued to organize in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. On January 6th, over 400 people marched against Wells Fargo. They have also sent large delegations to protests in San Francisco, and more recently, to the Day of Action for Prisoners at San Quentin.
Occupy Santa Rosa continues to hold General Assemblies four times a week at City Hall: Tuesdays at Noon, Thursdays at 6pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. In addition, roughly 20 ‘Working Groups’ continue to meet regularly, and two other “Assemblies” have been founded – one at SRJC and one in alliance with immigrants’ rights activists to continue organizing against Wells Fargo. There is also a weekly “Spokes Council,” where representatives, or “Spokes,” from the different Working Groups come together to share information, resources, and coordinate their activities.
OCCUPY SRJC CALLS FOR LOCAL EDUCATION MARCH – MARCH 1 – 2PM
In solidarity with dozens of Occupy groups, labor unions, and student organizations across the country, Occupy SRJC students will lead a rally and march from the Santa Rosa Junior College to the Rattigan State Building on Thursday, March 1st.
“We refuse to accept the dismantling of our schools and universities, while the banks and corporations make record profits,” Occupy Education’s website states. “The resources exist for high-quality education for all.”
Occupy SRJC will hold the rally at the SRJC Santa Rosa campus at 2:00 pm before marching to Santa Rosa’s state offices. Occupy Education organizers coordinated the local, statewide actions to underscore the upcoming “March in March” demonstration in Sacramento, CA. The March 5th event has long been a day of action for education, but is expected to grow to its largest size in history this year with the new Occupy contingent.
Occupy Santa Rosa Junior College was officially launched on Monday, February 6th to organize students against the increasing price of public education.
“We are trying to create a student culture which does not accept the decreasing access to affordable, quality education,” said Jay Scherf, an SRJC student. “We want to radically restructure our education system so that it is truly accountable to students, workers and the community.”
SRJC organizers will soon establish a regular information booth at the college, where students can find out the latest news, sign up for Working Groups, and pick up relevant information about public education and the Occupy movement. Occupy SRJC holds General Assemblies every Monday at Noon and Thursdays at 3pm, both in front of the Doyle Library in the Santa Rosa campus.
PAST EVENTS
SANTA ROSA TEACHER RALLY!
When: Saturday, February 25 from 1-4pm
Where: Courthouse Square
The Santa Rosa Teachers Association with support from community activists from Occupy Santa Rosa, Moveon.org, the Northbay Labor Relations Council, and the Sonoma County Democratic Party will be holding a rally. The rally is in response to the recent news that the Santa Rosa City Schools is projecting the need to cut $8.3 million from next year’s budget. The district will likely be releasing a list of possible cuts in the coming weeks that may include an increase in class sizes, further reduction in programs, and possible layoff notices on March 15th.
“In the coming months the public needs to decide what kind of future they want for our students. Our schools cannot continue to provide the education our students need with further cuts,” said Andy Brennan, the President of the Santa Rosa Teacher’s Association.
“No amount of pleading with the School Board will alter the fact that there is simply not enough money. There is only one solution to this problem; we need to convince the public to invest in their children’s future.”
The purpose of the event is to send a clear message that public education needs support. The slogan for the event is Public Education Strengthens our Community. The goals are to educate the public on the facts of education, encourage support for the Governor’s tax initiative and build support for public education.
As a result of the cuts that have already been made, teachers have been paying for classroom supplies. As part of the event, teachers will be inviting the public to donate supplies to schools such as paper, markers, tissues, pens, and pencils. There will be bins at the rally to collect supplies that the public is willing to donate.
There will be live entertainment, speakers from the community and various arts and crafts. Everyone is invited to join in the event and show their support for public education.
OCCUPY WELLS FARGO! JANUARY 6 at NOON!
Organizers Cite Foreclosure Policies and Investments
in Immigration Detention Centers
Rally: Friday, January 6th at Noon – Old Alberston’s Parking Lot,
Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa (Roseland)
A diverse group of community and civil rights organizations will come together to expose Wells Fargo Bank’s racist, anti-community policies and to call for customers to close their Wells Fargo accounts. The day will begin with a noon rally at the old Albertson’s parking lot on Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa.
This will start a day of action against Wells Fargo by Occupy Santa Rosa, Graton Day Labor Center, the D.R.E.A.M Alliance of Sonoma County, the Committee for Immigrant Rights of Sonoma County, and the MEChA chapter (Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán) at Santa Rosa Junior College. After the rally, the group will march on the downtown Santa Rosa branch of Wells Fargo Bank.
“We are protesting Wells Fargo for investing billions of dollars into for-profit detention centers which imprison immigrant workers, while receiving billions in taxpayer bailouts and continuing with their illegal and fraudulent foreclosures,” say the organizers. Wells Fargo took $25 billion in taxpayer bail-out dollars, while paying CEO John Stumpf $19 million in 2010. The bank also holds more than $5 billion in student debt.
In addition, they are heavily invested in two private prison corporations, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and the GEO Group, which contract with the federal government to run immigrant detention facilities around the country. In 2009, some 380,000 immigrants were held in detention centers at a cost to taxpayers of more than $1.7 billion.
These prisons have been the source of numerous reports and complaints of rape, child abuse and abysmal medical care. GEO recently was ordered to pay $40 million in the wrongful death of a prisoner in its Raymondville, Texas facility.
Link to this event on facebook : Occupy Wells Fargo FB event
RISE UP AGAINST WATER RATE INCREASES!
Come out for a picket and pack the City Council chambers on Tuesday, December 6 at 4pm to protest increases in water rates, and become part of the solution.
The Santa Rosa Board of Public Utilities has proposed water, recycled water and wastewater rate increases that would become effective in January 2012 and January 2013. These increases will most dramatically affect people with fixed incomes and small households. We understand that local government is part of the 99%, and needs to protect the health of our water infrastructure – but there must be a better way!
For more information on the proposed changes, see the City of Santa Rosa’s public information page and the Board of Public Utilities’ October 6 report.
Join us and make your voice heard!
When: Tuesday, December 6, 2011, at or after 5:00 p.m.
Where: Santa Rosa City Council Chambers
STUDENT DAY OF ACTION: Take Back the Doyle!
Saturday, December 3, 11:30am
Increasing fees for the SRJC are not cool. AND we still don’t have the Doyle Scholarship!! Where did it go? Want it back?
Come out Saturday, December 3rd to City Hall for a rally and march! The action will start at 11:30. The day will be all about student action and students’ voices. Please spread the word! There will be speakers, followed by a march to Exchange Bank (who is responsible for the loss of the Doyle Scholarship). Afterward, we will gather at Courthouse Square to discuss how we are going to get organized and take back the Doyle Scholarship for all JC students!
Please note: We will be holding a special General Assembly THIS THURSDAY, Dec. 1st at NOON in front of the Santa Rosa Junior College library to discuss student issues and Saturday’s action.
Occupy the Schools. Occupy the Banks. Occupy Everywhere!
STUDENTS ARE THE 99%!
Be There and invite your friends!!!!
This action is organized by the Youth Affinity Group of Occupy Santa Rosa