https://www.facebook.com/events/377818595572800/?context=create

“We felt very safe in the park until the police showed up. As we were crossing the street to leave, a line of blue charged into the crowd – batons swinging – and began striking people. It was chaos. The screams of those being beaten were terrifying to hear. I felt helpless,” reports Carrie Bumgardner Luna.

Despite the fact that he was not resisting arrest, one Occupier was repeatedly beaten in the face with the butt of a mag-lite. After already being beaten and cuffed, an officer then methodically snapped and broke two of his fingers. Another Occupier was repeatedly beaten in the head requiring staples. Both Occupiers were hospitalized. A third Occupier was hit in the neck and choked with a baton, thrown to the ground and kicked in the face causing permanent damage to his jaw structure.

“It’s shocking and disheartening to see people you love being violently attacked, bleeding from their bruised faces. It was a senseless betrayal of trust. It really helps me better understand what people of color in our city go through every day,” said Oren Goldberg.

Occupy St. Louis has always been responsible stewards of public space and disavow the graffiti damage done to the Compton Hill Reservoir Park.

###

Pay Day Loan Action for May 1

In order to tie concrete change to actions we are proposing this idea, which we will vibe check at GA and on the Forum after OMW:

• pick one Pay Day Loan business that is a national chain and preferably financed by BOA to Occupy

• have Occupiers stand in line asking financing and business practices questions to essentially tie up their business for the day

• have Jobs with Justice (JWJ) and the Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) petitions available for people to sign:  1. to raise the minimum wage by $1.00   2.  to cap pay day loan interest at 36%

Bank of America Conference Call

• OWS is working in coalition with Matt Tiabbi (reporter from Rolling Stone) and many, many affinity groups to foreclose on BOA

• OWS is calling for actions on March 15 and April 15 to increase public awareness of BOA’s impending demise (see proposal passed by GA on 3-4-12 posted on occupySTL.org>News for details)

Abandoned Buildings

• can get a list for $1.00 of LRA properties from City Hall. These are abandoned and/or city owned property that can be purchased for the price of paying the back taxes, or sometimes the city will give this property away if there is aldermanic support to do so

• create community centers, gardens, coops, housing, etc. with this property

Media Working Group

We observed that many of our working groups do not seem to be operating at full capacity. In terms of long term strategy, planning for the spring and summer, it seemed like a good idea to start with the media working group.

• While Facebook and occupySTL.org are being manifested, gmails are being answered, the rest of the tasks of this wg seem to be languishing

• we put together some ideas (which are currently being vibe checked on the Forum>General Discussion) that we hope will help get us on track. We thought that it might be a good idea to divide this wg into 4 working groups.

Social Media

• Essentially, the social media would remain unchanged. A nominee would still need to go through GA consensus to be on it. Is there a process for removing someone? Anyone could be on any of the other media wg.

• responsible for:  Facebook, twitter, tumbler….

Organizational Media

Responsible for:

• occupySTL.org

• creating Facebook events (in conjunction with the working group responsible for the event)

• occupystlouis@gmail.com

Press

Responsible for:

• press contacts:  both maintaing a media list of press contacts and a list of Occupiers to speak to the press

• press releases for radio, tv, printed press

• media training

Livestreaming

Responsible for:

• Livestreaming

Originally, flyers had been the responsibility of the media working group. We think it might be better if the people responsible for putting on an event or action also be responsible for making the flyer.

Do we need GA approval before putting occupySTL.org on a flyer?

Maybe we could use an apprenticeship model for training new people as they join the media working groups. There is a model the Zapatistas use which could be helpful. It’s called sortition and is Greek Athenian model of participatory deomocracy:  http://youtu.be/KsnNpcJtwoo

Other

Would it be helpful to have a Concern (Circle) working group?

What is currently going on with the other Occupy St. Louis (OSTL) working groups?

We are working on a May 1 flyer to be distributed at the St. Patty’s Day parade.

Bob Levine, Bob the Button Man, can make 99% buttons. Mark will ask him to make a bunch.

Concern Circle has been a place where people are airing complaints rather than developing resolution tools and building bonds. Do we need stronger facilitation to build bonds?

Are there people who are just interested in being divisive and having controversy?

Are some people just trying to advance there ideology?

Pamphlets are being published attacking people and people are still being singled out on Facebook.

People are using what they’ve heard others say at Concern Circle and are inserting these remarks into other controversies.

Fear mongering amongst ourselves which is heightened by mainstream media. Also, we need to be mindful of not painting any one group of people with a broad brush.

Actionable Ideas:

We need to get comfortable with each other and have more small group and one on one informal discussions on these issues. That might start up again organically when the weather is nicer.

More one on one meetings using a model Desiree has participated in. Desiree offered to develop and present this concept.

Cultivate patience. This is a learning experience for everyone and we’re adapting as we learn. As people join us, we need to be mindful of welcoming them and helping them with their transformation.

Be non-ideological. Provide a safe space for everyone.

Have Concern Circle more frequently.

Have a Concern Circle working group.

Participate in mediation training.

Have a pool of experts to consult and do teach-ins on such topics as conflict resolution, safety, media savvy, facilitation, accounting. Perhaps train the trainers. Have apprenticeship roles for newer people. Create structures where experts can come in.

Have conflict resolution training.

Contingency planning. When things spiral out of control, how do we handle and de-escalate the situation?

Need to think strategically and plan tactics accordingly.

Media working group is not working up to its full potential. Rachel from Occupy Chicago will be doing media training for activists Off Broadway on Saturday, March 17. Occupy Chicago has a 66% approval rating due to Rachel’s good work.

Other sentiments which stood out:

Everyone has a readiness level. You might say something but it can take a while to be heard because the other person(s) wasn’t ready to hear it.

Occupy Kids Play Date-Brainstorm Session:
City Museum
Monkey Joe’s
Chuck E Cheese
These cost a lot of money and they’re corporate places.
Family Fun Place is a family owned place in Granite City.
Science Center–Discovery Room–Susie research how many people she can get in free with her membership.
Play indoor at someone’s house. Play a board game. Need a host.
Festivals–maybe have one at Culver Way
Commons Space in basement at Culver Way
Library–Occupy Kids Story Time
The World Community Center.
Art Day–Make Posters
Occupy Kids March
Don’t make plans until after Occupy the Midwest (OMW).
Show Me No Hate Photo Shoot is happening on March 18, at Clayton High School.
When weather is nice-sculpture park
Picnics
Not begging for things that cost money. Remind ourselves to try to stay away from doing things that cost money.
What does this mean to the kids? Not begging for toys, not playing a lot of video games, and not going to expensive places.
Don’t get expensive games, cameras, and video games.
Sometimes places are more expensive places than the entry fee because of all the money you end up spending.

What do you do instead? Buy from local businesses.

Play in our back yards, tag, freeze tag, hide and seek, and board games.
There are lots of free parks when the weather is nicer and there’s free museums.

How can we support local businesses?
Visit these places and do outreach. And, when we have birthday’s, buy gifts locally. Buy used books.
Once Upon a Toy.
Granite City Book Store in Granite.

Bullying
What we’ve done already?
Renatus’ principle says teasing isn’t bullying. JJ says if teasing hurts, then it’s bullying.
Renauts agrees with JJ, if something hurts your feelings and breaks your heart and makes you cry it’s bullying.
Desiree, maybe his principal doesn’t really understand.
Kayla-principal says teasing is occasional and bullying is when something happens over and over again.
JJ says if it hurts it’s bullying.
JJ, you can tease with your friends and laugh, but if it hurts someone’s feelings, then apologize. Sometimes we hurt people’s feelings on accident.
Renatus-the kids at his school didn’t apologize, ever.
Desiree- they’ve instituted some anti-bullying policies at school
Kayla has a copy and will get it to Desiree. And Desiree will post on FB and bring to next meeting.
Gay bullying-Renatus called gay and beaten up. Talked about it at school in each grade. There is an anti-bullying policy in place.
JJ-let’s everyone call and compliment the principal for the program and that it’s helped
Desiree-post name and phone number and address of principal so we can do that

Westboro Protest at Clayton against Fred Phelps
Kayla-felt powerful and good protesting this
Renatus-we get them to stop and if they do it again we’ll make them stop again because the good guys always win
Angel-Grrrrrrrr

What else can we do?
Fundraisers
Penny Drive–Occupy Kids make boxes and collect pennies and spare change
for buttons and t-shirts. There are unions willing to make the buttons and t-shirts, but we have to pay for it.
Ariana has a button machine.

Sell lemonade and baked goods.

OK should be in control of their own account. This is a good opportunity for them to use and enhance mathematic skills and responsibility.

Maybe even have their own savings account in the future at a credit union

Come up with another meeting time and will post it on Fb. Maybe on Saturdays. No more meetings until after OMW.

If you do not have access to a computer, you can ask someone to post it for you. The Forum is a public space to which everyone has access. If you have difficulty registering to use this space, email media@occupystl.org for assistance.

Emergencies, should they occur, will be handled on a case by case basis by the General Assembly.

Second Consensus Reached

Background/Outreach Information:
There is a national coordinated effort by Occupy Wall Street, Matt Taibbi (reporter from the Rolling Stone), and a large number of affinity organizations, such as Public Citizens, Push Back Network, SEIU, Action Network and various environmental groups to take down Bank of America (BOA). This is also known as the 99% Spring.

Matt has researched this thoroughly and has provided the framework for the take down. Much of his research was based on analyzing the collapse of Bear Sterns and Goldman Sachs. In the case of Bear Sterns, they were out of business within an hour after a rumor circulated that they couldn’t secure any more loans. In the case of Goldman Sachs, an expose by Taibbi resulted in them being down graded from “buy” status to “neutral” and they lost 13% of their stock price which led to them going out of business. BOA is on a similar precipice of collapse right now. Public pressure will push them right over that cliff.

BOA’s credit rating stands at one notch above junk bonds. Their stock was selling at between $5 and $8 a share. If the stock stays at $5 for more than 30 days, BOA will go into a death spin. Right now creditors are beginning to pull out and more are certain to follow.

BOA bundled huge pools of mortgages and ultimately sold them to investors. They signed a Pooling and Servicing Agreement (PSA) which was poorly written and now requires BOA to buy back these bundles.

Two of BOA’s biggest customers were Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae who are demanding BOA buy back these bundled securities. But, BOA has slowed down the rate of repurchasing. In order to make up for their losses Freddie and Fannie will go to the treasury to recoup their losses.

There currently is a ton of law suits against BOA regarding repurchasing, which can be googled for more info.

In the mean time BOA is fraudulently reporting that buying back these bundled securities will cost them between $8-11 billion. Independent analysts say it is more likely to be 2 to 3 times that amount.

Because BOA took the tax payer bail out money and gave it to shareholders and executive bonuses, they are cash strapped. They are planning to reinstitute the fee that the public suppressed a few months ago. Depending on which state you live in, BOA will be charging you an additional $6 to $25 a month more on your statement.

BOA is going into free fall and is sensitive to public pressure. If protests can be seen as pushing BOA over the edge, this would cause a radical shift on Wall Street which has never felt accountable to anyone. Protests will also have a chilling effect on politicians as public sentiment does not support the “bail out the banks that are too big fail” mentality.

March 15 and April 15 will be national days to protest BOA. On May 15 there will be an action at BOA’s annual stockholders meeting. Occupiers and allies will each buy a share of stock to attend this meeting to ask questions regarding BOA’s economic instability and fraudulent behavior.

Proposal: OSTL endorse this by doing mass outreach and education on this subject.
Ask OMW to do an action at BOA on March 15 as there is currently a 4:00-5:00pm opening in their schedule. If this is not possible, I will ask them if I can provide outreach information to pass out.
OSTL do an action on April 15 and May 15.
These actions to be passed through GA once they are developed.

Who will this impact?: Outreach, action, and media working groups.

What will be the outcome?: Pressure brought to bear on BOA will cause it’s collapse. Pressure will also be brought to have BOA broken up into smaller entities and prevent it from being bought by another “too big to fail” bank, such as JP Morgan. The Dodd/Frank bill requires that a “Funeral Plan” be developed for how to proceed when a “too big to fail” bank goes under. Public pressure will be exerted to have BOA broken down into smaller entities.

This is a concrete long term strategy that can create a domino effect in the banking industry and on Wall Street. If we take down one bank, we could take down another. We’ve shifted the conversation in America, now we can begin to shift reality.

Consensus Reached

Catherine-Jefferson Warehouse tomorrow:  Art and Music Benefit for Occupy the Midwest Regional Conference (OMW)

Tom-Eco Village
Tom apologized for a lack of clarity at the Sunday GA where he offered Culver Way Eco Village as a camping possibility for OSTL. He wants to be clear now that he is offering the space for two weeks before OMW, if we can get 15-20 campers in order to say we have freedom of assembly. Please contact Tom if you plan to camp there and/or would like to help get the space ready.

Culver Way is still an option for OMW. If OSTL wants to continue to occupy this space after OMW, we can all evaluate at that time and proceed from there. Ultimately Tom would like to see this space evolve into a spontaneous eco village with a veggie garden, which Sasha is taking on, and markets.

In the spirit of full disclosure, Tom wants everyone to know:

The Eco Village has liability insurance. The premium was due today, but his agent is letting him put $500 down tomorrow with the balance due in a few days. Someone put up an event page today to help raise money. This premium is due every 3 months.

Before camping could happen, temporary fencing would need to go up to make his neighbors happy and protect campers. The first floor needs to be converted into a common space. Tom needs volunteers.

Tom has obtained a challenge loan. Monies Eco Village raises will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000. So, there could be a potential $100,000 raised. This money will be used to pay off outstanding defaulted loans and back taxes. The city has agreed to waive penalties and fines for the back taxes if the base amount is forthcoming.

Desiree will help Tom create an Encampment Event Facebook page. (It should be noted that by the end of GA Tom had raised, with the matching funds, $400.)

Brad- He and and John have been working with the Unions to see if there is money to be donated.

Desiree- On Sunday, March 18, at 2:00 (which is also the last day of OMW), Occupy Kids are going to be a part of the “Show Me No Hate” photo shoot at Clayton High School. This is a campaign to raise awareness of marriage
rights equity.

Proposals
Susie reworked the proposal that passed last Sunday’s GA because there had been a lot of constructive feedback she wanted to include. (Many of us were rushing out the door to hear Angela Davis speak and do outreach prior to her speaking.) The new proposal: Whenever possible Official Statements and Change of Process proposals will be posted on occupySTL.org>Forum>General Discussion a week prior to being proposed. This does not apply to time sensitive press releases. This will allow for careful consideration, discussion, feedback, and friendly amendments not only at GA, but prior to GA as well.

If you do not have access to a computer, you can ask someone to post it for you. The Forum is a public space to which everyone has access. If you have difficulty registering to use this space, email media@occupystl.org for assistance.

Emergencies, should they occur, will be handled on a case by case basis by the General Assembly.

Passed first GA

Susie read another proposal that The Occupy Caravan wanted passed. Everyone agreed the proposal was too vague. Susie will get back to Occupy Caravan to see if they can make their proposal more specific.
Proposal rescinded

Announcements
Catherine- This Saturday night at Paul’s house there will be a discussion about moving the movement forward and participatory democracy.

Catherine- Reminder there is a Concern Circle (CC) this Saturday at 1:00.

As it turns out most people were not aware the location for this Saturday’s Concern Circle had moved at a prior GA to Freedom Square (aka Kiener Plaza). If the weather is inclement a text alert will go out moving the CC back to Union Station in the food court by Sbarro’s.

Susie- Shared Vision, Strategies, and Tactics Discussion, where we discuss long term strategy, is held every Friday at 6:30 at the World Community Center, 438 N. Skinker Blvd.

Tom- anyone wanting to can meet with Tom after GA to further discuss plans for occupying and developing Culver Way Eco Village.

Vibe Checks
Desiree- We need more conflict resolution skills to help us treat each other with more respect.
Feedback: It was agreed that this would be good to bring up to CC.

JJ- is concerned that facilitators step out of their role to give their opinion. He mentioned that he doesn’t facilitate for this reason.
Feedback: The role of the facilitator is to keep the process smooth and moving along. We need to operate within the spirit of our roles and not be tied to the letter of them. The facilitator’s neutrality comes into play in that s/he can’t vote or change the process.

Tonight’s facilitator had stepped up to facilitate the last 3 GA’s because no one else had done so, and when she did step out of her role tonight, with the exception of JJ,  everyone seemed to think she had done so in an appropriate manner.
If someone chooses not to facilitate in order to be able to always express his/her opinion, that person is placing the role of neutrality on everyone else without assuming part of the load.

John- Now that the weather is getting nicer, how does everyone feel about moving GA’s back to Freedom Square (aka Kiener Plaza) after OMW?
Twinkles all around.

Catherine- When we move the GA’s back to outside, we can start having more GA’s.
Feedback: Can the GA on Wednesday’s at Culver be retained since it is difficult for one of our members to hear what is being said at outdoor GA’s and at Union Station?

Reese- There is an anti-war activist from St. Charles who is willing to die for the cause and wants to get 5,000 people to go to DC and have a hunger strike. Maybe after a few people die, the country will get serious about ending the wars.
Feedback: At one of the GOP debates when the subject of someone dying because he didn’t have healthcare came up people shouted, “Let him die.”
This is not something we should endorse.

In Egypt the uprising started because one man set himself on fire. But those circumstances might not duplicate themselves here.
Some people would not participate, but would stand in solidarity.

Tom- The court date for the 27 arrestees from Nov. 11/12 is coming up. What if 100 people showed up and planned an action, got arrested and shut down the jails?
Feedback: We should have all been arrested Nov. 11/12, then gone back to Kiener, then been arrested, then gone back to Kiener., then been arrested, then gone back to Kiener…..and then we’d be somewhere by now.
This won’t jam up the jails. They’ll arrest us, find a place to put us while they process us.
Those being arrested will have long records. You need very high numbers for a tactic like this to work.
This doesn’t empower us, it disempowers us. We need to focus beyond this dynamic, like on OMW.

Occupy Kids- brought by Kayla. Had 3 vibe checks:

We want to know if anyone could help us with supplies and teach us to make an Occupy Kids Banner. We want a banner to hang from playground equipment when we occupy parks.

How would people feel about helping Occupy Kids do a fundraiser? After the conference (OMW) we would like some of our own buttons and maybe t-shirts. We are thinking of collecting pennies.

Also, do people think Occupy Kids needs its own account for money it raises, or should the money be given to the financial working group as part of OSTL money?

Feedback:
Everyone was very impressed with these vibe checks and let Kayla know how awesome this is.
There was no feedback about the banner or fundraiser. (Anyone out there who
can help, contact Kayla through Desiree).
Occupy Kids is having a meeting Friday and maybe these are issues that can be developed at this meeting.
It would be good if Occupy Kids kept and tracked their own money. They could account to themselves what’s brought in and what’s been spent and learn as they go. They don’t need to fold the money into OSTL.
Lots and lots of twinkles.

- OSTL endorsement of International Women’s Day March 8th 7-8:30pm @ UMSL
Consensus Reached

- Official statements and change of process proposals need to be posted on occupystl.org Forum General Discussion a week prior to being proposed to allow for careful consideration, discussion and feedback.
Consensus Reached – needs second consensus

- Finance – $150 Account Balance – PLEASE DONATE

- Outreach – Meeting Training available from United Congregations of Metro East (ask Desiree)

- InterOcc – OMW calling for donations on wepay, non-perishable foods, encampment resources (occupythemidwest.org)

- Johnathan went to Mexico – encouraged them to sart Occupations around their issues.

- Monday @ 4pm 3641 Olive – St. Louis Public Schools Solidarity Action
- March 8th International Women’s Day

- Stay aware of Keystone Pipeline

- 1st Saturday of each month – Concern Circle

- Feb 29 National Day of Action – Shutdown the Corporations! [www.facebook.com/events/234310766659841/]
- Part of this action is time sensitive – see Cathy for more info – cathy @ organizeMO.org

- Friday – Fundraiser @ Culver Way EcoVillage culverwayecovillage.com

- Bears On The Beat is taking off! [www.facebook.com/events/224493200976093/]
- Check out Grannies at the G8

- March 1st OMW Benefit Concert @ Jefferson Warehouse (2501 S. Jefferson) [www.facebook.com/events/214993005263351/]

- Feb. 26 – Angela Davis @ 1210 Locust
- Feb. 27 – Col. Anne Wright @ Regional Arts Center @ 7pm [www.facebook.com/events/324740244230588/]

Proposals

- Anything that requires two GAs to pass needs two GAs to revoke.
Second Consensus Reached

-Endorsement/March of Solidarity w/ Syria
Rescinded

-Move Sunday’s GA to Bread Co on 6th (near Kiener Plaza)
Consensus Reached

Vibe Checks

-Benjamin Cohen wants interviews about people’s experience with Occupy. Interested in staying after GA for that?