Barry
10-27-2011, 01:13 PM
https://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/images/Petaluma360Logo.pngOccupy Petaluma event Saturday
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20111027/ARTICLES/111029570/1350?p=2&tc=pg
Organizers of Wall Street protest vow to not burden city resources
By Jamie Hansen ([email protected])
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF
Published: Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 8:38 a.m.
So far, Petaluma has not been on the growing list of cities occupied by people protesting what they say are inequitable economic and social policies.
But this Saturday, that's set to change. A group of local residents has been meeting regularly to plan Occupy Petaluma, a protest that will begin at around noon on Saturday and continue indefinitely.
So far, a strong sense of wanting to work with the local community seems to have set this local movement apart from other occupations that are receiving national attention for conflicts between cities and the protesters.
“This is not Oakland or New York,” said Joe Maisel, 40, a participant in the movement who is helping to organize logistics. “This is a small community, and we're doing our best to work with the city,” he said.
The planners emphasized their commitment to the community at Monday's City Council meeting, where two representatives spoke to the council.
“We would like to express our purpose and sense of responsibility to the community of Petaluma,” read the letter sent to councilmembers. It went on to say that protesters were planning to provide their own security, sanitation, noise management and other services.
“The idea is not be a burden, and even to go a little farther and do things we see need to be done,” said Maisel later.
The group says that it is meeting every day to plan logistics such as these. As of Wednesday, the group was still working out how, exactly, to provide sanitation, noise management and security. Participant Tim Nonn, 57, said that some homes and businesses had offered for protesters to use their bathrooms, kitchens and showers. The group is also working on obtaining portable toilets and working with veterans to provide security, said Maisel.
At the City Council meeting, Councilmember Mike Healy urged the group to apply for a permit as soon as possible.
He also cautioned city staff to be as objective as possible when giving out the permit. While much of the community supports Occupy Wall Street, he said, the protest would stretch some rules, such as closing Penry Park at 10 p.m. “Another group may not be as sympathetic” in the future, he said, and then the city would be stuck giving them the same concessions as the Occupy Petaluma group.
Nonn said that the group plans to meet with Police Lt. Tim Lyons on Thursday to discuss the police permit, and that their goal is to balance their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble with their responsibility to the community.
Planners can't say how many people to expect on Saturday and the coming days. The group that started as about 12 planners, meeting in a public park to discuss Occupy Petaluma, has grown to about 20-30, said Nonn. He thinks more than 1,000 people are following the local movement on Facebook and e-mail.
The idea, he said, is for people to stay until change has been achieved. What change, precisely?
Nonn said protesters want to see Bank of America and other large banks stop foreclosing on homeowners and give them a chance to modify their loans. That's why they chose Penry Park, across from a Bank of America branch, as the locale for the protests. Picketing around the bank is planned for Saturday, he said.
But participant Jordan Torres, 19, spoke of other issues, like addressing racism in Petaluma specifically. And Nissar Ahmed, 25, seemed to place more emphasis on bringing communities together than in achieving one specific goal.
“It's more than just a movement to me,” he said. “I feel like there's a conversation we should be having with the community.”
(Contact Jamie Hansen at [email protected])
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20111027/ARTICLES/111029570/1350?p=2&tc=pg
Organizers of Wall Street protest vow to not burden city resources
By Jamie Hansen ([email protected])
ARGUS-COURIER STAFF
Published: Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 8:38 a.m.
So far, Petaluma has not been on the growing list of cities occupied by people protesting what they say are inequitable economic and social policies.
But this Saturday, that's set to change. A group of local residents has been meeting regularly to plan Occupy Petaluma, a protest that will begin at around noon on Saturday and continue indefinitely.
So far, a strong sense of wanting to work with the local community seems to have set this local movement apart from other occupations that are receiving national attention for conflicts between cities and the protesters.
“This is not Oakland or New York,” said Joe Maisel, 40, a participant in the movement who is helping to organize logistics. “This is a small community, and we're doing our best to work with the city,” he said.
The planners emphasized their commitment to the community at Monday's City Council meeting, where two representatives spoke to the council.
“We would like to express our purpose and sense of responsibility to the community of Petaluma,” read the letter sent to councilmembers. It went on to say that protesters were planning to provide their own security, sanitation, noise management and other services.
“The idea is not be a burden, and even to go a little farther and do things we see need to be done,” said Maisel later.
The group says that it is meeting every day to plan logistics such as these. As of Wednesday, the group was still working out how, exactly, to provide sanitation, noise management and security. Participant Tim Nonn, 57, said that some homes and businesses had offered for protesters to use their bathrooms, kitchens and showers. The group is also working on obtaining portable toilets and working with veterans to provide security, said Maisel.
At the City Council meeting, Councilmember Mike Healy urged the group to apply for a permit as soon as possible.
He also cautioned city staff to be as objective as possible when giving out the permit. While much of the community supports Occupy Wall Street, he said, the protest would stretch some rules, such as closing Penry Park at 10 p.m. “Another group may not be as sympathetic” in the future, he said, and then the city would be stuck giving them the same concessions as the Occupy Petaluma group.
Nonn said that the group plans to meet with Police Lt. Tim Lyons on Thursday to discuss the police permit, and that their goal is to balance their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble with their responsibility to the community.
Planners can't say how many people to expect on Saturday and the coming days. The group that started as about 12 planners, meeting in a public park to discuss Occupy Petaluma, has grown to about 20-30, said Nonn. He thinks more than 1,000 people are following the local movement on Facebook and e-mail.
The idea, he said, is for people to stay until change has been achieved. What change, precisely?
Nonn said protesters want to see Bank of America and other large banks stop foreclosing on homeowners and give them a chance to modify their loans. That's why they chose Penry Park, across from a Bank of America branch, as the locale for the protests. Picketing around the bank is planned for Saturday, he said.
But participant Jordan Torres, 19, spoke of other issues, like addressing racism in Petaluma specifically. And Nissar Ahmed, 25, seemed to place more emphasis on bringing communities together than in achieving one specific goal.
“It's more than just a movement to me,” he said. “I feel like there's a conversation we should be having with the community.”
(Contact Jamie Hansen at [email protected])