Occupy Cleveland (OH): OC’s May Day Rally was canceled after the FBI made 5 arrests of some slow witted black block-ers in an alleged “bomb plot”. The FBI affidavits described the individuals involved attending an OC event and “moving through the group expressing displeasure at the crowds unwillingness to behave violently.” The initial plot described in the affidavit was a smoke bomb used as a distraction for the group defacing a downtown a billboard. However after investing months of time, assigning undercover FBI Agents and paying thousands of dollars to a Confidential Informant they were able to start May Day off with an Occupy “Bomb Plot” Bust!
To add insult to injury, the City of Cleveland has now stated that they will not renew the permit for Occupy Cleveland’s encampment.
11 AM – 1 PM – We mass up and march from Troy Davis Park and head to the MLK J.r. Historical Center downtown!
2 PM – 10 PM – Head over to Coan Park at the edge of Kirkwood for an afternoon of fun, sun, cookouts, workshops, film screening, and more!
Childcare will be available, and Coan Park has playgrounds for kids and kids-at-heart (please don’t Bogart the slide — there are actual children who have first dibs).
Really? Really. Really?? REALLY. Free Market! Bring your goods and give them away and brighten someone’s day!
Cookout! Lots of good eats, lots of good conversation.
Workshops beginning at 4 pm, running into the evening.
For May 1st, 2012 Occupy Los Angeles is organizing around a “4 Winds” People’s Power Car and Bike Caravan through the urban sprawl of Los Angeles that will culminate in Direct Action in and around the Financial District of downtown LA. People from all sectors of the city will have a chance to plug in to the routes from any corner of the city, helping to shut down the flow of capital while addressing the 99%’s major grievances.
These 4 caravans, beginning in the late morning, coming from the North, South, East & West, will be an amalgam of cars and bikes, occupiers and unions, community organizations and organic communities — taking over our streets on routes designed to bring to light to societies ills, past and present, and engaging with residents and workers as we connect the disparate voices, races, classes and nationalities that make up Los Angeles. The caravans will stop at flashpoints along the way. Flash occupations, food giveaways, and other direct actions targeting the foreclosure crisis and police brutality will be undertaken at these flashpoints on our slow, city-paralyzing, carnival-esque descent into the center of the city.
The convergence point at 6th & Main streets, at 2:30 PM, will have the People’s Print Lab, the Welcome Tent, the Wellness Tent and will be focused on shining light on LA’s homeless issues, feeding the people of Skid Row and raising awareness of social and economic inequality, including the brutally ineffective Safer Cities Initiative that criminalizes the homeless population while doing absolutely nothing to change the systemic problems that make LA the homeless capital of the country. At 3 PM, we will mobilize direct actions in the financial district of downtown LA.
10:00am: Gather at Chavez/Atlantic, Hold speak out and discussion on Police brutality in the community. 10:50–Walking Procession Past ELAC to Belvedere Park where we Mount Vehicles
11:30am: Depart from Belvedere Park in Cars/Bikes/Trucks and proceed along Chavez to Obregon Park (Making a loop past Esteban Torres High School)
12:00 – 12:30pm: Education Speak-Out/Discussion at Obregon Park
12:30pm: Depart along 1st street to the West heading to Mariachi Plaza
1pm – 1:30pm: Mariachi Plaza–Drop off People, parks cars on street–Rally/discussion on Healthcare–
1:30pm: Load onto Metro (Bikers probably will head via streets) to Union Station
1:50: Gather at Park across from Union Station/Placita Olvera, Marcha to 6th and Main Convergence point by 2:30pm
Decentralized actions leaving from 3 points on the edge of downtown at 8:30am. These actions can take the form of “strike enforcement brigades” such as pickets, blockades, snake marches etc. Strike stations will be set up at each of these locations starting at 8am with coffee, snacks, water, propaganda etc.
Station 1 anti-capitalist: Snow Park – flying pickets to shut down banks and the Chamber of Commerce
Station 2 anti-patriarchy: 1st & Broadway – occupy Child Protective Services, called for by OOP
Station 3 anti-gentrification: 22nd & Telegraph – flying pickets to shut down Uptown & Downtown Business Associations
NOON – 1PM: Everyone Converge on Downtown: Mass rally from noon to 1pm at 14th & Broadway including speakers, food, music activities, etc.
1PM – 3PM: Themed Actions & Marches Around Downtown:
After the rally, those in attendance have the opportunity to stay downtown or join one of the autonomous actions that will be departing from 14th & Broadway to continue shutting down various capitalist institutions in the downtown area.
3PM: March for Dignity and Resistance
All are encouraged to join the march starting at Fruitvale BART station at 3pm.
6PM – 7PM: Reconvergence downtown to coincide with the march arrival: Everyone back downtown to rally and celebrate together as the March for Dignity and Resistance arrives.
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Bryant Park will be the site of a fun and friendly “Pop-up Occupation”, featuring: Free food, a free market, free services, skill shares, workshops, teach-ins, speak outs, public art, performances, discussions, and trainings. • This will be a staging area for actions in midtown all day: creative disruptions, bank blockades, outreach to commuters and tourists, and more!
2 p.m. — March to Union Square
4 p.m. — Rally at Union Square: Solidarity rally with labor unions, the immigrant justice coalition, students, and faith & community groups: an historic convergence of the 99%.
5:30 p.m. — Solidarity march from Union Square to Wall Street
7 p.m. — March to staging area for evening actions
Special thanks to Jamie N. Stewart (Occupy Buffalo, broadcasting on UStream) and FDL’s John Washington for getting right into the mix in NYC.
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