Note taker: Lindsey Krinks
*This GA was the roughest GA I’ve ever been to. There was so much tension and hostility in the air and there were very few people who respected the GA process. Most people yelled over other people and spoke out of turn… it was painful. Some of the soapboxes were violent and hostile with people singling other people out by name and saying hurtful things. After the GA ended, a fight broke out between two long-time occupiers. We were barely able to physically restrain them from fighting, and then 2 state troopers walked up which calmed the fight temporarily. Not long after that, the fight resumed and I’m told that it was taken off the plaza. As Kevin said in an email from yesterday, “There was real damage done today. I think this prolonged eviction process is eating ON alive.” Throughout the GA and the fight afterward, people were walking by with their families watching us fight, watching us be hostile with one another, watching us yell and curse. We are going to fall apart if something doesn’t change and if people don’t begin respecting the GA process and respecting one another.
Bill – facilitator
Josh – stack
Nina – vibes
Announcements
- 2/29 is Shut Down the Corporations Day, a National Day of Action! We'll meet at Legislative Plaza at 11:30. If you come late, check our Facebook page and/or Twitter feed to find out the surprise corporation we’re targeting which will be revealed on the 29th. We'll be at the downtown location from 11:45-1:30. (See our calendar for more info.)
- Charlie Potter, our friend and fellow occupier, was killed on Thursday when he was hit by 2 cars off Shelby near the interstate. We will be in touch when we hear about plans for his memorial and/or funeral.
- Eric: Rally for Syrian revolution, 12-3pm tomorrow at Centennial Park.
- Bill: The proposed rules for the plaza have been released. There will be a public meeting on April 16th at 1:00 in L30 about this… Bill suggests that we form a working group that will begin formulating a response to the proposed new rules. He will head up that working group.
- Bill: 3:00 today, NAACP is having a news conference at Spruce St Baptist Church about the photo ID legislation.
- Josh – we need an outreach meeting!
Report back about the emergency fund and transition team
- Chris: he said and several others found an area off Dickerson. It is a house with 3.2 acres that could be used for a garden, camping, office space, meetings, etc.
- Price: $2,200 a month, $250 a week (but landlord is requesting that a 3-year lease be signed)
- $250 for a week, started last Thursday, it’s a 2 bedroom place, upstairs apartment that, according to Jane, has no electricity and no sink.
- Concern was expressed that the fund was supposed to be used only in case of eviction.
- When Chris was asked why they made the decision to move off the plaza before the eviction, he said it was because “The weather, cold as shit and people were wanting to get in. We went to clean it up and make sure things were ready for other people to come.” Chris said he didn’t think they were jumping the gun when they made the decision to use the $250 for this purpose.
- The people currently living there: Anthony, Gunny, Nate, John, and Chris
- James said that the landlord was asking for $4,400 down, $2,200 a month with a 3 year lease
- Chris wants us to be fundraising to keep it. Other expressed concern about ON funding something like this.
- Chris said that Matt, Jason, Andrew, Tom, and others who were a part of the camp committee weren’t at the meeting where the use of the money was decided, but that according to him, the “majority” of the camp committee was in agreement about using the $250.
Proposals
- Jane:
o starting with finance report – balance right now, including emergency cash: approximately $2,116.58
o Proposal: We should take $124 from the moving fund and add it to the $140 remaining in the transition team’s fund.
o Jane is not repealing the GA’s decision from last Thursday night that we put a hold on the $140 in the emergency transition team’s fund. She is asking that we have “cash in hand” in case of an emergency.
o We have about 20 days left on the storage unit…
o Transition team… she says there’s some confusion about who this truly involves and if consensus was reached or not
o Emotional concerns… that we are being divided… how do we support people who have a vision of the next stage of Occupy?
o Is this an autonomous action with group money? Jane: it was more complicated and complex than that.
o Restated proposal with changes: Could someone find out from the owner whether this room is available for another $250 a week? – Chris agreed to do this and seek that in writing and present it at the GA tomorrow.
o PROPOSAL TABLED.
- Jason:
o Proposal that ON officially endorses “Occupy the Midwest,” March 15-18, 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri.
o PASSED.
- Ben:
o Proposes that we throw a giant party and spend all our money and stop collecting money because fighting over money is destroying our movement. We are becoming the very people we are fighting against. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. We can take in-kind donations.
o (This is kind-of a joke proposal, but it makes an important point, so Ben wants to follow through with it.)
o Jane: 90% of our money proposals go through very smoothly. We only remember the bad times. We also argue against the use of in-kind donations.
o Concerns about bathrooms, websites, flyers, etc.
o Steve: money has always been an issue for movements… we have to learn from things and move on.
o Despite approval for Ben’s proposal, he decided to table it because he felt like the discussion made the point he wanted to make.
o PROPOSAL TABLED.
- Lindsey:
o Proposal that the hotspot that was paid for by the GA and is now off-site (to the house off Dickerson) be brought back to the plaza because the encampment is still going on.
o Andrew made a direct point that a previous GA has already made the proposal that that hotspot would stay on the plaza until we are removed. Proposal was withdrawn and full blessing was given to the group that will bring the hotspot back to the plaza.
o PROPOSAL WITHDRAWN.
