Housing is a human right! Hear Florence Mason speak to members of the People of Color and Radical Caucus working groups about her family's struggle for housing, a struggle which eventually led to police intimidation and the brutalizing of her children at the hands of the police.
Saturday, Nov 26th. 3-5pm Arch St. Methodist Church. We will be meeting to discuss strategy for the eviction from Dilworth. Please come out, we need all your voices to be heard! Spread the word to your working group, email list, friends, FB, etc.
Here is the agenda for the meeting:
Welcome
**Introduce Problems to be Solved:
1. Some people want to leave for the eviction, and if they have no
permanent home, they don't know where to go.
2. Some people want to protest the eviction, but aren't sure what that
will look like.
Occupy Philadelphia has until 5 p.m. Sunday to vacate Dilworth Plaza to make way for a $50 million renovation project, Mayor Nutter announced Friday afternoon.
Nutter "announces everyone on Dilworth Plaza has 48 hrs to remove possessions and themselves, effective 5pm today," his aide, Luke Butler, wrote on Twitter.
A notice was posted for protesters informing them that the renovation project was "imminent" and that "you should take this opportunity to vacate Dilworth Plaza and remove all of your personal belongings" before the 48-hour notice expires.
Nutter also announced that a permit was granted to an Occupy Philadelphia splinter group called Reasonable Solutions that allows for people to protest at Thomas Paine Plaza, which is located across the street from City Hall, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
When Florence Mason and her children were evicted from their Mount Airy home on October 15th, after multiple evictions in the previous two months resulted in their return to the house still knowing it might happen again, she found herself with nowhere to turn—except for Occupy Philly. On November 17th, Mason came to the General Assembly and began telling her story: the police assault on her children, the landlady who trashed her home and stole her furniture, her own steadfast litigation.
OCCUPATION COMMUNITY INCLUSION
In light of multiple issues with the current procedure used for coordinating committee, General Assembly, Finance and other aspects of the Occupation we would like to propose a new process with input and improvements by members of the Occupation Community. We have taken into account many flaws and frustrations in regards to the current structure expressed by members of the community who feel their voices are not being heard. We've had many discussions and compiled notes in order to create a process. Although it has been voiced that the current structure is attempting to be inclusive, non-biased, transparent, and unifying, it has left many people feeling alienated and left out. We appreciate the intentions of all efforts put forth so far but feel that if we as a movement are choosing to question and improve our current government it is important that we are open to questioning and improving the structure in which we operate as well. This is the only way for the Occupation to evaluate, learn, and grow. We feel this process being proposed will be more welcoming and inclusive to the entire Occupation. It creates transparency, accountability, and a sense of community. Everyone here has a voice and all voices have value. The function of the government is to serve the people. It would not be in the best interest of most people to ignore the specific concerns of this community in favor of being tied to a structure of government that clearly is not having the effect that those practicing it desire. Freedom is equal opportunity. Instead of focusing on our differences, focus on something better. We can support each other if we take the time to understand each other’s point of view. We have common ground. We are unhappy. Does it matter what someone believes or their point of view on how to go about things? We all have the same end game, a better world. The only way to get someone to fight for your happiness is to fight for theirs. These things that we find to be separate issues are not. When we are able to combine all issues and fight for what is important to another from their perspective, we can have everything we want. When you judge someone it is not a reflection of the person you are judging, it is a reflection of you. Only our own judgment stands in the way of having our better world. We all love each other here. See it on a more basic level. Fight for each other’s happiness, empower everyone, be a leader.
Get involved! Sign up for an acount and start posting! We are looking for ways to aggregate media content that is being produced at Occupy Philly and post them here. For more info, email us!
