201204211800 Notes, Occupy General Assembly, Saturday April 21st, 6pm Paul Robeson Ballroom and Courtyard

Present: Adam, Kathy, Mike, Jesse, Matt, Richard, Lara, Nadia, Scot, Jared, Amber, Jennifer, Blake, Tyler, Justin, Henry, another Tyler, and Bob.

Agenda: Foreclosure report, Palestine, Mayday actions, Critical Mass Bike Ride, Really Really Free Market, Building Décor, IWW, Miscellaneous, Donations, Security, Dragons.

Foreclosure: Adam reported that the Mary Anne action is coasting along waiting for the bank to come back with some kind of offer. Petition drive ends this week, pickets continue. Meanwhile, the Save Our Homes working group has turned attention to divesture, pressing the city of Duluth to take its money out of the giant Wells Fargo bank which holds Mary Anne’s mortgage, and re-deposit the funds in a local Credit Union or small locally owned bank. A strategy meeting was held Thursday in which members present voted to placate the bank officers by promising to ask other organizations to respect the SOH decision to keep protesters respectful and dignified. Taking a chapter from the “Good Cop Bad Cop” strategy used by police interrogators, SOH protesters want the “Good Cop” role. “Bad Cop” protestors are of course expected to make their own autonomous decisions in regard to fashions, but SOH requests that “Bad Cop” actions avoid piling on over “Good Cop” shoulders. In an aside, Adam commented that SOH contacts with bank officers have been friendly and respectful, one of the bank officers even sharing the smug information that the bank knows every move of SOH (and Occupy) in advance. How do they get this information? They read these minutes, of course. Or maybe they intercept our email. In any case, as always, just assume any planning session is well-attended by hidden enemies. Even if you are under the bed clothes in your bedroom, remember: Big Brother is Watching You.

Bob shared his mission to force the state to divest its investments in Israeli bonds. There is a law banning states from investing overseas, Bob said, and he is currently pursuing a lawsuit to make it stop. For more information, google Minnesota Break the Bonds and choose one of the many interesting websites.

Mayday actions: Jesse described advancements in the many events being planned to take place from Noon to Midnight at the Minnesota People’s Power Plaza (formerly known as the Minnesota Power Plaza.) These include food, music, speakers, parades, giant puppets, information tables, and others. Activities for children are being organized. The schedule is still developing, but as a guide, there will be two parades, one at noon and one at 5pm. Musicians will perform starting at 1:00. There will be speakers, tables, discussion groups going on intermittently all afternoon. Echoes of Peace Choir will perform at 6:00. Spin Collective and drummers from 9:30. There will be projector videos and possibly a visit from Mr. Nice, who is rumored to be all healed up from attempted assassination injuries sustained during the Mayoral campaign. Adam is working on language for a press release, which will be discussed on agenda at the next GA, Tuesday 24 April 6pm Paul Robeson Ballroom. Adam suggested a four minute limit on soapbox speakers and a pre-emptive block on hate speech. Jenn suggested a more positive approach, with a rule that speakers be nice. Tyler commented that the Tea Party representative has backed out of commitment to debate with occupy on May third, stating that events at the Tax Day protest and Honorable Representative Chapped Craakass rally were overburdened with actually factual information and therefore not conducive to Tea Party arguments. Jenn noted that the Mayday action is on a Tuesday, which is our usual GA day. She proposed the regular GA be rescheduled to Wednesday. Jesse said there has been discussion of having a “demonstration” GA at the Mayday festivities, with the purpose of introducing occupy signals and meeting process. Both proposals were found acceptable. Jenn suggested that the Wednesday GA be dedicated to reflection on the Mayday action. What went right? What went wrong? What was ok but could have been better?

Critical Mass bike ride and rally will happen this Friday, 27 April 2012, at 5:30 PM, starting from the Minnesota People’s Power Plaza, corner of Superior Street and Lake Avenue. The Mass Effect will ripple across the city, ending up at the potluck to be held at Emerson Cooperative at 6pm.

Really Really Free Market will be held again on the last Saturday of the month from 11am to 3pm. Reese, veteran coordinator of past RRFM’s in Duluth, has moved on, so there is a priceless opportunity for someone from our community to step forward and take on a leadership position for organizing this event in future.

Lara said she is organizing a project to decorate the front of the Paul Robeson Ballroom with posters, announcements, and wheat-paste artwork. Meet at PRB noon Sunday. Bring food. Then later we can meet up with Magic Smelt Giant Puppet Workshop Parade and Second Line Dance, to follow along with a 12 piece brass band ending up at Zeitgeist for a 5:30pm smelt fry.

Justin went off-agenda for a moment to bring up a really really good idea…….posting signs around the PRB to announce we are a Safe Zone. Happy happy fingers.

Announcements: On Thurday Occupy is holding a benefit showing of the film about how Occupy came to be, “Rise Like Lions”. Free Will donations accepted at the door, but no one will be refused a seat to view this remarkable documentary.

NEXT OCCUPY GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Tuesday 24 April at PRB, 6 pm, please bring food.

201204171800 Notes, Occupy General Assembly Tuesday 6 pm Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial
A rather chilly spring evening….not horrible bad except for the wind. I should have worn another sweater. We met as the sun painted warmth on the square, and then in the last slanting light, and then in the cooler radiance of streetlights. As we started, a bevy of young children in bright colors, and their duller bent-back mothers, exited the old 1896 Shrine Auditorium which stands kitty corner cross the street, and a welcome bubbling wave of excitement and playground shouts crossed First Avenue. The corner of history and the neighborhood decline was not on their mind, nor was the shaping of their future. That part is left to us.

Present: Adam, Carl, Kathy, Mike, Jesse, JD, Wes, Matt, Richard, Lara, and Nadia, as well as some neighborhood passers-by.

Agenda: Foreclosure report, Mayday actions, the wandering GA, changes to Tuesday GA, Food Not Lawns report, and a report on what happened at the Tax Day Rally.

Foreclosure: Adam reported that the working group decided to change the bank picket time in the action in support of Mary Ann, from what it was, 5:00 to 6:00, to what it will now be, Noon to One. The group has discovered that the city keeps some funds at this bank. Daily pickets and a petition drive continue. The bank appears to be considering changing the terms of the mortgage, and the Sherriff’s sale has been delayed. The picket will continue until there is more evidence that the bank is really cooperating, and not just stalling. A new case of foreclosure in Washburn is being looked at. It involves a woman with special needs children and MS. Adam suggested a team travel to the Ashland area to raise local consciousness, and to encourage local activists to take on the bank. Wes suggested contacting people at Northland College Campus, and at the upcoming folk festival in early May. See http://ncsanorthland.org/special-events/the-43d-annual-folk-festival for more information about festival times and tickets. Please encourage anyone you know who is suffering foreclosure to contact the working group, Save Our Homes.

Mayday actions: Jesse described the many events being planned to take place from Noon to Midnight at the People’s Power Plaza (formerly known as the Minnesota Power Plaza.) These include food, music, speakers, parades, giant puppets, information tables, and others. Activities for children are in the works. Jesse called for help getting the word out to media. There are also flyers and wheat-pasted posters planned. Since Mayday is a Tuesday this year, Jesse suggested we plan to hold a GA at the action site.

Wandering GA: The proposal is to hold GA actions in other parts of Duluth and in surrounding communities. The purpose would be to gain greater visibility and attract supporters, possibly to form other Occupy groups. Kathy suggested table the proposal until after Mayday. Happy fingers.

At this point Nadia, ever athletic and quick to respond, ran out into the street to intercept a surreal yet determined tire which was rolling down the hill. “It’s full of sand and water,” she said, after kicking the tire to the curb. That explains the surreal creep of the escaped tire.

Wes announced and described events planned at the Farmer’s Market. Food Not Lawns is looking for volunteer sites in which to place 4’ x 8’ raised bed food gardens. Please ask your friends and neighbors if they have a sunny lawn space and would like to see it in production. The $200.00 material fee cannot be waived, but FNL is looking for sponsors to ease the cost. FNL is also looking for volunteers to canvas neighborhoods for sunny lawn sites.

Jesse, Nadia, Lara, Warren, Tyler, Allen, Mike, Dan O’Neil and others attended the Tax Day Rally, which involved a protest at the Civic Center, then a march to the Rainbow Senior Center, where there was to be discussion of the effects of the Paul Ryan budget on Medicare. Becky Hall and a zoo of provocateurs from the Tea Party showed up to attempt a disruption of the event. They made total fools of themselves by pushing people around, trying to monopolize the media, and waving signs to block cameras. Media seemed to pretty much ignore them, but there were plenty of other video vigilantes to record the disorderly conduct of the handful of TP-ers. Becky, for reasons known only to herself, did not wear her Betsy Ross costume. Perhaps she finally realized what a pathetic and embarrassing figure she presents as flag stitchery for the Tea Party. Or not. TP-ers are not known to indulge in self-realizations.

This Saturday we will meet at 6:00 pm at the courtyard. Next Tuesday April 24th we will meet in the Clayton Jackson McGhie memorial at 6:00 pm.

The meeting adjourned at 7:51 pm.

201204141800 PRB
Notes on Occupy Duluth General Assembly April 14th, 2012, 6 pm at Paul Robeson Ballroom Courtyard.

Many of our occupy members were among the fifty-or-so who attended a spring training workshop on nonviolent direct action at the Unitarian Universalist Church, given by Joel Kilgore and Donna Howard with assistance from Verne Simula. This workshop conflicted with our usual Saturday 2:00 GA, so we held the meeting after the training. The evening was mild and beautiful, we had a campfire and roasted hot-dogs and brats over the coals. There were about twenty people there, including representatives from CREDO, Take Action Minnesota, and Food Not Lawns. Sorry I didn’t catch all the names, there were several people from out of town.

Justin led a hand signal and meeting process review and gathered the agenda. We listed the agenda on a sign board as follows: Mayday, Food Not Lawns, Project Save Our Homes, Really Really Free Market and Critical Mass bike ride, and changes at the Ballroom/GA space.

Plans for Mayday at the Peoples Power Plaza (formerly known as Minnesota Power Plaza, corner of Lake Avenue and Superior Street) are boiling merrily. There will be activities for children, as well as adult and juvenile activities, from noon to midnight, including but not limited to speakers, music, a seed and plant exchange, open soapboxes, puppets courtesy of Mary Plaster, more puppets from The Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe, and marches involving non-violent direct actions on notorious corporate stores and offices. If you like puppets and want to participate, people will be needed to operate and assist the giant puppets. Probably a dozen volunteers will be needed. Volunteers are also needed for setup and decoration activities starting at 10:00 am. If you want to help organize the events, contact Jesse. I’ll send you his contact information if you ask me for it.

A representative from CREDO announced that there will be a rally and march with CREDO and Take Action on April 17th starting at 11:00 am, from the Civic Center to the Rainbow Senior Center, where a Town Hall meeting will be held to discuss Medicare and the changes planned by our representative in Congress, whose name I won’t recall but it has something to do with craven vacuums or something. Check it out at http://www.takedowncravaack.com/citizen_to_citizen_town_hall.

Justin announced that Rise Like Lions, a film about the origins and messy street birth of our Occupy Wall Street movement, will be shown at Zinema on Thursday April 26th at 7 pm. Donations from the door will go to support our Mayday activities, give if you can, but no one will be turned away.

A representative from Food Not Lawns talked about plans for the upcoming Respect Your Mother Earth Day Festival, which is being held this year on July 21st, to avoid the traditional Earthday weather catastrophes. An activity is also being planned for April 28th at the Duluth Farmer’s Market, http://calendar.perfectduluthday.com/Earth-Day-at-the-Duluth-Farmers-Market-2012-04-28.

A representative from project Save Our Homes passed around a petition for the new Mary Anne Jones family action. You can find more online at PSOH facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Save-Our-Homes/220452774710312. Project Save Our Homes usually meets on Thursday at five or six o’Clock.

Tyler said he is going to the City Council meeting and would appreciate some support.

Lara said the next Really Really Free Market will be held at the Paul Robeson Ballroom, on the last Saturday of the month from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Paul Robeson Ballroom Courtyard. If weather permits we will also have a ‘teaser’ table set up at the Clayton Jackson McGhee Memorial. The organizer for the RRFM has stepped aside at least temporarily, so if someone wants to step up and take a swing at it, contact Occupy Duluth at the Paul Robeson Ballroom.

Justin said the Critical Mass bike ride is held on the last Friday of every month at 5:30 at the People’s Power Plaza (formerly the Minnesota Power Plaza) and rides by circuitous routes to the Paul Robeson ballroom for campfire and refreshments if available. Please bring food if you want to be supportive but don’t trust yourself on a bicycle. Justin mentioned that this event is held at the same time as the Northern Anti-War Coalition rally, and the two events may enjoy some cross over.

Tyler proposed a move of the Saturday GA from 2:00 to 6:00 to accommodate the schedule of Very Important People (Nadia) who cannot be at the GA at 2:00 because of her corporate slave job. This proposal was met with approval, in spite of the fact that our adverts and posters will now be showing the wrong time.

Tyler also suggested the GA be moved from the courtyard to more visible and public spaces such as the People’s Power Plaza, the skywalk, one or another bank lobby, or so on. There was some discussion of problems with noise and inhospitable conditions at the public venues, and a voice rose in favor of continuing to gather in the relative comfort around our courtyard camp fire. A temperature check showed that members are willing to try out public venues, and several other interesting locations were mentioned. Matt said it will be important to announce the time and place for drop in members who may stop by the courtyard while still believing in the old schedule. It should be posted in the courtyard. The idea of having roving tables, a sort of moveable feast of information, was soundly approved by all present. Justin suggested tabling the idea until after Mayday, and everyone was happy.

There was then discussion of the courtyard and ballroom, where we continue to struggle to make improvements. Access to the porta-potty facility has been blocked by people from the neighborhood who think it a good idea to park crosswise in front of our entryway, thus keeping the septic sewage sucking service from being able to reach the potty for maintenance. It was recommended that the potty be moved to a more advantageous position, and this task was accomplished by brave volunteers, shortly after the meeting ended. It was also mentioned that the potty costs about $85.00 per month, and the fee has been paid up to now by a generous member. It is wrong to let this burden fall on just one person.

Jesse set a date and time to work on the courtyard gardens from 9:30 am on Tuesday. We are currently building a straw bale raised garden bed, which needs to be enclosed around the edges, covered with compost, and planted to produce food. We also are working on a rain water collection system, a solar electric system, and a waste composting system. Volunteers get to watch and participate in a radical alternative urban agriculture project.

Scot announced an Echoes of Peace Choir concert, including free food, beginning at 6:00 pm on Sunday at Sacred Heart Music Center. This event is in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the Choir, and free-will donations will be accepted at the door. No one will be turned away.

Tom announced that Vets for Peace meets on the third Tuesday of the month, usually at the Superior Public Library, but this month will meet at Essentia retirement community (Formerly the Lakeshore Lutheran) to accommodate a member who is currently house-bound.

Nadia announced that her court date (for throwing a snowball at a fascist except she missed her target and allegedly hit a cop) is Tuesday morning at some time after 8:00 am. She would appreciate some moral support.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm, with about sixteen members still in attendance. True, some of the faces changed along the way, people arriving and departing on their autonomous schedules. Several of us stayed after for further conversation around the campfire. If you were not there, sorry, you missed a great meeting.

201204101612 Occupy Duluth General Assembly
Present: Henry, Richard, Scot, Matt, Justin, Jesse, Reese, Kathy, Lara, Mike.
Henry, a local talk show host, said he will promote the Mayday action if we write something up. He reminded us that the Tea party activists are having a rally on April 15th. We have some ideas in common about healthcare, military spending, and corporate persons, and it could be interesting for someone to attend their rally. See what they are doing, maybe even make some contacts.
Jesse said the Mayday action will be all day long on Tuesday May first, mainly at the People’s Power Plaza (Lake and Superior) but also there will be some short marches on the side. The main events at the Plaza include food, bands, speakers, and a day of peaceful enjoyment with friends.
Henry talked to us about last week’s Trayvon Martin memorial gathering at the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, First Avenue North and Second Street West. There were about one hundred fifty or two hundred people present, most all of them in hoodies. Not a bad turnout on two day’s notice. Henry commented that the concept of race is a construct, not a biological fact. In biology, there is only one race, that being Human. Unfortunately, for all the progress of the past forty years, there are still remaining disparities in regard to employment and economic advantage. Occupy works for tolerance and social justice, so it was a bit of preaching at the choir, but we were glad Henry came to hang with us for an hour.

Justin said there is a speaker scheduled at UMD Wednesday, 7 pm, in Kirby Commons to speak to the Palestinian issue.
Jesse said we have the Zinema theatre on April 26 at 7pm for a film to be announced. There is currently a glut of excellent video, but Jesse says Rise Like Lions, a vid about Occupy Wallstreet, is the likely main event.
Scot reminded us of the April 14th teach-in on non-violent civil disobedience from one to five at the Unitarian Universalist church. Pre-registration is requested.
Jesse said people should bring tents to the Plaza for Mayday. We hope for the open and warm discussion atmosphere from our occupation of the Civic Center to continue.

Next GA is Tuesday at 7 pm at the Paul Robeson Ballroom.

A good productive meeting on a perfect evening in the courtyard. We were informal and relaxed, friends among friends. I find it astounding that only five months ago I didn’t know any of them. (Well ok I knew Kathy………) Now we have worked together, shared food and water and living space, had discussions and disagreements, worked through it and found ways to move forward. This is great. I am amazed and delighted to find myself in a group of people who can agree to disagree and yet continue to move forward on common goals.

I didn’t take any notes. I don’t know why. I felt restless and spent most of the meeting pacing the courtyard. It was not nervous or bored pacing. I sense a rising excitement, a belief in people and ideas, a springing up of hope and expectation. This isn’t just the spring of another year. This is the rising up of human energies focused on change.

I don’t remember everything that was discussed. It was a really really free market of ideas……you bring your own stuff (ideas) and offer them to others. Others bring their own ideas, and share with you. You get to pick and choose, keep the ideas that are useful to you, take away new visions of the future….or of the next week anyway.

The discussion orbited around the courtyard like a thousand beeping sputniks, whirring out into the unknown and circling back again with new information. We talked about how to improve the courtyard, what we can do with the building, and how to respond to the few thick heads who continue to snipe and harass us from their civil service positions at city hall.

Some of our members are trying to figure out what exactly the city wants, in terms of permits and permissions, to continue the work we have started here. You may know that we had a visit last Friday from a few people dressed in official looking costumes who told us we can’t continue to work on improving the building. They presented no identification, no court documents, no written directives. They relied on intimidation to try to get us to comply with their demands. “You cannot be here,” they said, something like the boy who didn’t believe in Santa Claus. Too late. We are here. And guess what? We don’t believe in you either.

Take a drive by the corner of First Street North and Second Avenue West. You see that burned out building that used to be The Kozy Bar before some mysterious arsonist burned it down? People have been complaining about that dilapidated neighborhood for years, decades. What has the city done to clean up the mess? Nothing. Their only solution is to bulldoze the neighborhood and give away tax breaks, permits, permissions, and their sycophant assistance to developers who like to build more luxury hotels and multimillion dollar condominium towers. Never mind that the ones they built in the last decade of irrational exuberance are still standing, nearby and empty.

Our plan? Gardens and rain barrels. Solar and wind power projects on the roof. Festivals of new life in the courtyard. A neighborhood social center to promote communication and understanding.

Our only agenda is to build a better life in our community, neighborhood, and city. What agenda does the city have for the corner of 1st St N. and 2nd Ave West?