Starting on April 15, Occupy Raleigh community members return to the Capitol Sidewalk for regular demonstrations against economic injustice
The occupiers are back at the Capitol in Raleigh trying to reorganize their attempts to represent the 99%. Based on their numbers at the statewide rally last month, they do not even represent 1% of the people. Although Josh Harris presents examples of greed on Wall Street below that cannot be refuted, I do not see their point since no cogent plan of action is ever presented. The media (and NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall) have a love affair with this movement but what will they accomplish? Time will tell if they will be an effective catalyst of change (very doubtful) or become the useful idiots for government’s top down overthrow of the nation.
Based on what I have seen in Raleigh, I doubt they will be part of the American Revolution being orchestrated in New York.
David DeGerolamo
You Cannot Evict an Idea whose Time Has Come
Speech delivered by Josh Harris at #A15 “Take Back the Sidewalk” Action
“You cannot evict an idea whose time has come.”
Solidarity brothers and sisters! Today we gather in solidarity with those now Occupying the Sidewalks of Wall Street and many other cities across the country. Day and night they bravely remind those who ruthlessly pursue profit of the human costs of greed. Those who, according to Greg Smith – former executive of Goldman Sachs – in his resignation letter published in the NY Times, refer to their own hedge fund clients as “muppets.”
Muppets!
We have also gathered to commemorate the history of Occupy Raleigh’s demonstration for political and economic justice.
Six months ago, nearly a thousand of our friends and neighbors gathered on a beautiful day on this public square to voice a collective frustration with failed leadership and failing institutions. Bank bailouts, Citizens United, and endless lip service from politicians led many to declare no confidence in the party system.
Afterward, Occupy Raleigh organized a round-the-clock demonstration on this sidewalk lasting for over a month. Many citizens donated pizza and doughnuts, blankets gloves and jackets, and even time spent watching over our sleeping demonstrators. Our chants and marches engaged the public in a once-taboo dialogue about economic inequality that continues to this day.
But six months later, our fight far from over.
Ninety three percent of all new income gains during our so-called “recovery” STILL went to the top 1%. The 99% STILL earn $44 LESS in yearly wages than before the recovery began.
