"Occupy" Goes South for the Winter

By Matt Reichel

As northern cities have parlayed the cold weather onset with police crackdowns to vanquish "Occupy" encampments, and the west coast has seen authorities violently wreak havoc on the movement, Occupy protesters are looking for alternatives. It may seem a paradox that the left-leaning movement would find refuge in the traditionally conservative south, but the economic malaise that informs its birth has been particularly harsh on this already ravaged region of the country. Meanwhile, temperatures should be far more reasonable for maintaining camp through the winter months, despite a recent spate of snow and chilly temps post-Thanksgiving. So far, some southern authorities have been wary about repeating the violent crackdowns of other cities, while others have lost legal battles in attempts to evict encampments. In a surprising twist to some, the Occupy movement may be going south for the winter.

But recent activity suggests that New Orleans could be the flashpoint for the next wave of police repression. The oft-scandalous New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has navigated the issue very carefully thus far; keen on evading more of the adversity that came with the recent prosecution of five officers in the post-Katrina Danziger Bridge shootings of unarmed civilians that resulted in two deaths. Meanwhile, mayor Mitch Landrieu has mirrored the behavior of his counterparts in cities throughout the country: pretending to support the First Amendment rights of protestors, whilst presaging a coming crackdown with a statement Friday afternoon in which he said: ""I am asking them to leave right now. Any time after this may see enforcement. At some point in time, if they refuse to leave, I will initiate some action." (This statement was issued just two days after an email from Landrieu spokesman Ryan Berni assured me that there was "no deadline." When asked what caused such a sudden and drastic change in posture, Berni refused to comment).


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Marching for 100% Change at the Global Climate Summit in South Africa

By Kristin Palitza

Dubbing Saturday the "Global Day of Action", demonstrators from international and national non-governmental groups as well as labor, women, youth, academic, religious and environmental organizations came together to highlight civil society's demands for politicians all over the world to take serious action to fight climate change.

"We are asking for 100 percent change. Today will be the beginning of a strong movement that is going to challenge the rich nations of the world," said Global Day of Action subcommittee convenor Desmond D'Sa. "World leaders are discussing the fate of our planet, but they are far from reaching a solution to climate change."

Protesters said it was time for climate change negotiators to listen to the voices of ordinary people. They marched holding banners which said: "Never trust COP17", "Unite against Climate Change", "Climate Justice Now" and "Ensure the survival of coming generations".

There was a general feeling that ordinary people remained largely excluded from important debates on important issues that directly affected their lives.


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