Dispatch From Freedom Plaza

Long-time peace and social justice activist, Maria Allwine, reports back after a week spent occupying DC's Freedom Plaza, just a few blocks away from the Occupy DC encampment at McPherson Square Park. Allwine sent an email dispatch to Maryland Green Party members and supporters on Tuesday. She agreed to let Indypendent Reader post the dispatch.

I've just come back after a week at Freedom Plaza and will return on
Thursday.  As you know, we won a major victory last night when the Park
Police offered to extend our permit for another 4 months.  We did not
negotiate, they offered it to us.  All these occupations are making the
police and the ruling elites very nervous and while some police
jurisdictions are concerned about their public image, others, like Boston,
think they can use their usual tactics of suppression to clear these
occupations.  They are mistaken.  We will not leave, we will not be
intimidated and we will continue to occupy.

Make no mistake, these occupations are having a major impact around the
country.  Occupy Wall Street and all the other occupations, as well as our
occupation of Freedom Plaza, have let the genie out of the bottle and there
is no going back.

The lamestream media, and of course the real media, our media, have been
covering us and if you notice, the lamestream media coverage has shifted to
something more resembling what is going on, as opposed to outright lies and
obfuscation.  The international and national press have covered the Freedom
Plaza occupation in droves.  There has been so much media there all the time
that it has been hard for us organizers to keep up with the requests for
interviews.

We in Freedom Plaza will continue to occupy for at least the 4 months, will
continue to do as many direct actions as we can (daily), will work on the
issues and will produce documents outlining what kind of country and society
we intend to create.

Many of us are looking at the idea of a National Assembly, where
representatives from all the occupations meet and hold a convention to
outline what changes to our system (government, economic, etc.) we need.
Who knows, maybe we'll draft a new Constitution that actually will mandate a
government, economy and society based on human rights and justice for
everyone.  That would be something, wouldn't it?

So much has happened this past week that it is impossible for me to detail
everything right now - since I've just come home.  But this is the first
time since Vietnam that I have seen this kind of uprising on the left and
while it is long overdue, it is cause for some optimism.  But know that this
is just the beginning.

I hope you will go down to Freedom Plaza whenever you can and as often as
you can.  You do not have to stay overnight, but support us during the day.

We need monetary donations - and if you can do that, please go to our
website http://october2011.org and help support what we've all waited so
long for.  We also need specific items and those are listed on our website
as well.

In solidarity - Maria

Maria Allwine
Volunteer Coordinator - October2011 Coalition
Sign the Pledge at OCTOBER2011.ORG