http://la.indymedia.org/news/2011/11/249322.php
by Rockero Wednesday, Nov. 02, 2011 at 9:27 PM
rockero420@yahoo.comWednesday, November 2, 2011
RIVERSIDE (CA) - In a day of actions in solidarity with the Oakland general strike, called in response to vicious police violence, Occupy Riverside stepped action up.
The morning began with acts of civil disobedience. The cat-and-mouse game between police and occupiers and police is now at a new stage. For the past week or so, we campers have set up tents at night, only to be roused in the morning by police who required us to dismantle them. Up until today, we begrudgingly accepted, but the sense of satisfaction from simply putting up tents--which we were technically barred from doing--had evaporated.
This morning, that changed when three of our comrades remained in their tents even after the second wake-up-and-dismatle call. Despite the disobedience, police backed down. No arrests were mde; not a single citation was issued.
Marches occurred and drew numerous participants. When marchers reached the Bank of America, they were greeted with signs announcing the bank's closure for the day. There were some attempts to serve B of A customers but simultaneously deny access to those customers who were occupying Riverside. Eventually, one person was able to enter the bank and shut down his account. He was then accompanied to the local community credit union, where he opened an account.
The banks are obviously running scared. They have rescinded their threat to fine us but have no idea that we are nowhere near satisfied. November 5, national divestment day, promises to be tumultuous. If they shut down for a small march in Riverside, California, because one person wanted to close his account, what will they do when multitudes nationwide seek to do the same this Saturday?
This morning, that changed when three of our comrades remained in their tents even after the second wake-up-and-dismatle call. Despite the disobedience, police backed down. No arrests were mde; not a single citation was issued.
Marches occurred and drew numerous participants. When marchers reached the Bank of America, they were greeted with signs announcing the bank's closure for the day. There were some attempts to serve B of A customers but simultaneously deny access to those customers who were occupying Riverside. Eventually, one person was able to enter the bank and shut down his account. He was then accompanied to the local community credit union, where he opened an account.
The banks are obviously running scared. They have rescinded their threat to fine us but have no idea that we are nowhere near satisfied. November 5, national divestment day, promises to be tumultuous. If they shut down for a small march in Riverside, California, because one person wanted to close his account, what will they do when multitudes nationwide seek to do the same this Saturday?
For clarification...
by Justin N Wednesday, Nov. 02, 2011 at 11:40 PM
I don't think the article above makes one particular point clearly enough.
We had a small march- roughly a dozen people.
B of A wasn't simply closed for the day- they put up an obviously pre-prepared closure sign IMMEDIATELY AFTER we arrived. They also told customers that they were closed due to OUR PRESENCE.
A dozen non-violent protesters, doing nothing more than chanting and holding signs on a public sidewalk, shut down the bank.
We didn't plan on closing anyone's accounts, or even being there longer than it took to announce Divestment Day. Of course, if B of A is going to shut themselves down for us... we weren't going to pass that up.
We had a small march- roughly a dozen people.
B of A wasn't simply closed for the day- they put up an obviously pre-prepared closure sign IMMEDIATELY AFTER we arrived. They also told customers that they were closed due to OUR PRESENCE.
A dozen non-violent protesters, doing nothing more than chanting and holding signs on a public sidewalk, shut down the bank.
We didn't plan on closing anyone's accounts, or even being there longer than it took to announce Divestment Day. Of course, if B of A is going to shut themselves down for us... we weren't going to pass that up.
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