In the two weeks since the New York Police Department cleared New York’s Zuccotti Park of its camping protesters, the Occupy Wall Street movement has increasingly turned its attention to Washington. Last week, some 50 marchers arrived at McPherson Square from New York and then marched on the Capitol. Yesterday, Occupy DC targeted congressional Democrats at a campaign fundraiser. Now, protesters say they plan to Occupy Congress on Jan. 17, in the “largest Occupy protest ever!”
When the U.S. House of Representatives convenes for the first time in 2012 on January 17th, Occupiers from across the country will be there to greet them. This first-ever grass-roots convergence of nation-wide occupations will be a peaceful demonstration at the heart of our corrupted political system, aiming to further the movement’s success at driving the conversation towards the real issues that matter to the people.
All occupations are called on to bring with them a redress of grievances from their respective camps. Though the grievances are many, the common theme that runs through them will be amplified on the steps of Capitol Hill - corporations, special interests and money from the elite creates a Government that is unable to govern. For all who believe this to be truth, across all political lines, come march, and bring a heavy coat! If you can’t come, Occupy Congress’s phone lines and email boxes by contacting your representative that same day.
The event is still taking shape, but Occupiers are building this first national convergence in the spirit that collective action is truly empowering. With that in mind, protesters plan to organize space and time to hold sessions to learn and share ideas, collaborate, network, and discuss next steps for the movement.
This day of action will be PURE grassroots. There are no leaders...we are all leaders. For whatever reason you may speculate that this will fail in the eyes of people who are paid to tell you what gauges success or failure, just think to yourself. "Can I, as an individual, make a difference?" If the answer is yes then we'll see you January 17th, 2012!
The protest is being timed with the start of the 2012 legislative session for Congress. Protesters say they hope to set up 1 million tents in front of the Capitol. “We’re taking the movement straight to their doorstep,” the protest’s Facebook page wrote.
A Puerto Rican student wrote on Twitter that she hoped they could Occupy the Federal Reserve, Treasury, and Supreme Court, too.
When organizers asked on Facebook what “unified message” they should all bring to Congress, commenter Donna Hebert wrote:“End corporate personhood. Term limits in congress (3 in house, 1 in senate)... End salary or health insurance tenure. Reform campaign finance to end corporate/pac donations.” Within minutes, the comment had nearly a dozen likes.
Although branded by some as a liberal movement, Occupy has repeatedly stated that it does not ally with any political party, and will take aim at the Democrats as well as Republicans when it Occupies Congress.
