After watching the media coverage of the Occupy LA movement I was disheartened. It was decidedly glib and undermined the efforts of citizens who took it upon themselves to express their constitutional rights by demonstrating.
I moved my tent to City Hall this morning and set an intention to stay for the duration. I'll be writing my PAVEMENT LA Weekly / transmedia series, blogging and uploading images and videos daily from the Occupy LA media tent.
The occupation at City Hall in Los Angeles is still a movement, and not yet a village in its 28th consecutive day, the last day of one Mayan Calendar cycle and the beginning of a new one.
About 1500 people assembled near the south stairs at 7:30 pm for a relatively calm general assembly. The only disruption was show of solidarity from 1000 cyclists from LA Critical Mass, showing support as they circled the block with police escorts.
A simple cohesive through line centered around corporate greed and class separation is central. Ideas discussed include about a general strike and protests at the Men's County Jail and Department of Probation.
Though rumors of police action to disperse the occupation have not materialized protesters are cautiously optimistic after the violence in Occupy Oakland. LAPD Commander Andrew Smith of PIO told me today decisively that the LAPD has no plan to evict the protesters from City Hall.
Some L.A. protesters are encouraged by recent developments in Orange County where the city of Irvine voted unanimously to grant Occupy Orange County participants the right to permanently "occupy" the northeast corner of Harvard Avenue and Alton Parkway in Irvine.
Predictably absent from the Occupy LA protest are high profile Hollywood personalities and major media outlets.
Two couples are scheduled to be married at Occupy LA tomorrow.
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