BREAKING: According to the Albuquerque Journal, the ACLU is reconsidering its position regarding an Injunction against the University of New Mexico to allow OccupyBurque Protesters to continue their Occupy Movement on State property.
Peter Simonson, American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico executive director, agrees the university has the right to moderate access to campus property, but said his organization is reviewing whether UNM applied those rules fairly in evicting protesters from their camp at Yale Park on Tuesday.
“I’m not sure we read the university’s rationale the same way they do,” Simonson said. “They have raised concerns about safety issues that have arisen on the campus (but) it’s not clear to us that those are directly traceable to the Occupy movement.”
The ACLU will not file an injunction against UNM to allow protesters to return, but is working with the university directly to address potential free speech concerns, he said.
Meanwhile, updates and events for the day below the DKos Squigglie...
Additional Notes from last nights GA meeting as posted by Avi:
GA Notes for 10/27/02
Submitted by Avi Conant
Partial Minutes and Agenda Items
From (Un)Occupy Albuquerque
Announcements (not complete):
Due to UNM policy, as it is currently being enforced, no protests or public demonstrations can take place that require 24 hours or more advanced planning. Protests and demonstrations with less than 24 hours advanced planning should be permitted (see Desi B. for details).
For the record, it is my understanding that the following Working Groups exist, and are engaged in activities: Media, Outreach, Location, Actions (including Foreclosures, Modified Green Chile, Marches, and others.) [Please add your working groups to this list if they are missing].
Also, Santosh and others have accepted approximately $900 for legal fees. They have momentarily stopped taking donations, but will devote these funds to the group’s legal expenses. [Is this a Working Group?]
Saturday 4th, at Woodward Hall, a number of globally prominent activists will speak on topics related to “Food Justice.”
The group “Centro...” Will give a workshop on Immigrant rights and Police Interactions (in Spanish and English?), at 714 4th Street in the Barellas neighborhood.
Foreclosure Working Group working with United South Broadway
Demonstration [?] from 4-6 PM at Cesar Chavez and Broadway.
[Saturday???]
Announcement that a local Tea Company [name?] donated tea for Peter and Sebastian's hunger strike. Many thanks.
Announcement that has resources for working together with other Occupy Wall Street affiliated groups around the country. Also, there is a (rather neglected) wiki online, where anyone can post relevant news for the group, including GA notes.
Agenda Items (7:00PM)
1st Proposal: Resolution in solidarity with various labor unions, who have offered material and symbolic support to (Un)Occupy Albuquerque. [Passed, no stand asides.]
2nd Proposal: To discuss the location for the next GA. [Passed]
(Location to be sidewalk near Yale Park in 23 hours, or approximately 6:00PM)
3rd Proposal: Combine Facebook and Websites in a single place.
[Referred to Media Group and Community Outreach working group; see further discussion below].
4th Proposal: Read the Occupy Wallstreet Declaration [Passed and read. No stand asides.]
5th Proposal: Observe a moment of silence in solidarity with Occupy Oakland, critically injured participant Scott Olson, as well as Stephanie, who passed away near Camp Coyote on October 23rd. [Passed and observed, as amended].
(Suggestion to regularly observe such a moment?)
6th Proposal: Discussion regarding the selection of an indoor office and meeting place, that will allow sustained planning and communication.
(Discussion identified several locations. Referred to Location Working group. Ben Warren is contact person, and has a current list.)
7th Proposal: Discussion regarding 1st Amendment march scheduled for Saturday, October 29th. [Proposal passed to discuss at Friday’s GA].
8th Proposal: Organizing a large, well publicized meeting (with continuing education?), where there will be no fear of arrest, and lots of community outreach and support. Also, there was discussion of holding meetings using the existing Albuquerque Public Library system, and Community Centers. [Moved to Friday’s GA].
(Barbara is contacting city council members and mayor to prepare the way for use of Civic Plaza.)
9th Proposal: Outreach with Student Groups (currently underway?)
10th Proposal: Identify Working Groups
11th Proposal: Establish and publicly post a current list of Working Groups and Participants [Thomas is working on posting such a list to the website, which will be up ASAP. Please direct inquiries to: thomasbjones2@gmail.com].
12th Proposal: Mailing list / Phone tree of events
13th Proposal: Discuss Facebook issues, including problems with Administrative privileges.
[Passed, with amendments, and vigorous discussion.]
Amendment A: One participant, and close friend of current administrator, will attempt to convince the current owner to relinquish control.
Amendment B: Let media group discuss options for consolidating web presence and resolving Facebook dispute, in order to bring issue to GA with more complete information.
Amendment C: Proposal to discuss rules for online conduct similar to camp rules, at Friday’s GA.
Amendment D: Timeline for action (to be discussed on Friday)
Amendment E: Request for transparency, particularly clearer identification of Media Group and Facebook administrators, as well as minutes regarding the selection and deliberation on the selection of the “official” Facebook page.
Amendment F: Refrain from personal attacks in all such discussions.
14th Proposal: To give Facebook discussion priority.
[Blocked/Stand Aside, regarding concerns about singling out current administrator for criticism.]
15th Proposal: To save all discussion except for Facebook until Friday
[Passed?]
16th Proposal: Begin branching out to many GAs, in other locations (subcommittee organization?)
[Briefly discussed, but no proposed action.]
[Meeting adjourned ~8:30]
*
[Proposals 7-16 should be further addressed at Friday’s GA].
-Avi
Events Today:
Friday, October 28 · 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Today at UNM
Created By: Occupy Albuquerque (Official) Burque
More Info:
4:00 PM Meeting in the Anthropology Bldg (rm 150 or similar area) of ANYONE interested in doing some coordinating of events on campus. This meeting is intended to get more faculty involved but it would be great if a couple of folks from (un)Occupy could come by. Feel free to spread the word to any/all who might be interested in being present.
6:00 PM - a Press conference will be held at/near Yale park featuring UNM Professors speaking to Free Speech issues... Invite EVERYONE to this.
6:15 PM - Will be a short 'Teachable Moment' event starting on the same subject - and then will be turned over to members of the public to 'practice their consensus building skills' Invite EVERYONE to this...
Diego Romero posted to the Occupy Albuquerque (Official) Burque FB page today. I asked him for permission to repost here and he provided that permission. His actions are powerful, especially as an employee of UNM:
Diego Romero:
On Wednesday I sent out this email to the staff and faculty of the law school:
"Colleagues,
Today I am ashamed to call myself a UNM employee. I am saddened to work under an administration that is not willing to work with a movement that represents most students, staff and faculty at UNM. The handling of the meeting yesterday and the constant re-scheduling of a meeting requested by Professor Desi Brown with President Schmidly (which never happened) reflects, I feel, how the administration views and treats the students, staff and faculty of this university. The actual meeting finally took place at 12:15pm yesterday (Tues, Oct 25) behind the closed and locked doors of his office area.
Lasting about 30 minutes; President Schmidly did not immediately give an answer on whether the permit would be renewed or not until 4:00pm. Because of this and the arrests and violence towards protesters last night as a result of this decision I feel I cannot, in good conscience, be here today and will be leaving shortly."
Over the past two days I have been thanked, both personally and via email, by members of the law school for speaking out about what many of them felt.
I was just informed that members of the faculty will be drafting a statement in support of the movement to be presented for approval and if approved submitted to administration. Ernesto Longa was key in getting this process started. I am hopeful this will be the start of a bigger movement throughout campus.
Mr. Romero, thank you for allowing me to repost this and for the courage of your actions!
Event at 6pm:
Desi Brown:
PRESS CONFERENCE CONFIRMED - 6:00 PM - in (or next to) Yale Park. Full time faculty from several different UNM academic programs will be present to speak to the issue of violations of the constitutional right to free speak, assembly and association. They will likely continue this discussion with other faculty, staff, students and members of the public in an open and democratic way in the same space afterwards. Please spread the word and come by...
And the GPSA is considering the following:
The GPSA Council may consider the attached resolution as an emergency action item at tomorrow's Council meeting, Sat, Oct 29 at 9am.
Contact your Council Reps (listed at: http://www.unm.edu/... ) to let them know how you hope to be represented.
Megan McRobert
Student Support & Advocacy
COUNCIL
www.unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Student Union Building 1021 - Telephone: (505) 277-3803 - Fax: (505) 277-4159 - Email: unmgpsa@gmail.com
GPSA Resolution in Support of the Right of the (un)Occupy Albuquerque Movement to Protest on UNM Campus
Submitted: October 28, 2011
Whereas the Occupy Wall Street movement is a non-violent, people powered movement for direct democracy that began in the United States on September 17, 2011 with an encampment in the financial district of New York City; and
Whereas (un)Occupy Albuquerque began its non-violent, peaceful assembly of students and community members at the University of New Mexico campus in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street and We Are The 99% movement on October 1, 2011; and
Whereas, (un)Occupy Albuquerque has complied with UNM requests to apply for appropriate permits; and
Whereas, the protesters have complied with the UNM-imposed nightly curfew, while the nightly use of sprinklers on UNM campus has prevented protesters from sleeping at Yale Park; and
Whereas, the transient community forms a crucial part of the 99 percent that (un)Occupy Albuquerque seeks to represent; and
Whereas, homelessness is a direct outcome of the corporate greed that the movement is challenging; and
Whereas, it is unjust to cite the presence of transient community members as a reason to shut down a student/community-led movement; and
Whereas, educational institutions have historically been vibrant public spaces for political debate and protest; and
Whereas, the UNM administration has been heavy-handed in the way in which the protesters were evicted from the Yale Park; and
Now therefore be it resolved that the GPSA Council affirms the right of the (un)Occupy Albuquerque movement to gather and meet on UNM Campus; and
Let it be further resolved that the GPSA Council condemns the decision of the UNM Administration and APD to forcibly remove protesters; and
Let it be finally resolved that this resolution be electronically forwarded within one business day of its enactment to: GPSA President, ASUNM President, UNM President, UNM Board of Regents, Faculty Senate President, Staff Council President, Director of Student Affairs, Daily Lobo News Editor, and the Albuquerque Journal News Editor.
And lastly, just posted:
Someone told me today that Parks & Recreation was meeting with the Mayor to find Occupy Albuquerque a site.. don't know if this is accurate but this guy said the Mayor was supportive.. just passing this on. (Forgive me if it's only rumor.)
As with past diaries, Live Updates will continue as I have the opportunity and as information comes in. I will also be attempting to add photographs made from last night's General Assembly meeting... if not within this Diary, then within a new one as a Photo Diary to assist with a more streamlined editing process.
Stay safe out there!
3:23 PM PT: Quick Update: This just in from Diego Romero
Diego Romero October 28, 2011
An Open Letter to the University of New Mexico and Albuquerque communities
We, the undersigned members of the faculty, staff and student body of the UNM School of Law, would like to express our solidarity with the (un)Occupy Albuquerque movement, which, until October 24, was operating Camp Coyote in Yale Park on the UNM campus. In our view, (un)Occupy Albuquerque is part of a broader national social justice movement calling for humane political responses to the problems of unemployment, home foreclosures, poverty and homelessness facing many Americans in these difficult times. Camp Coyote, the encampment in Yale Park, is also a vital embodiment of the First Amendment in action, providing the opportunity for free expression, freedom of assembly, and democratic decision-making at the grassroots level. We, as lawyers, law students and those dedicated to legal education, believe that the closing of Camp Coyote, and other limitations on the activities of participants in the (un)Occupy Albuquerque movement, compromise the First Amendment rights of our fellow residents of Albuquerque. As an institution dedicated to the liberal arts, the free exchange of ideas, and public service, we believe that the University of New Mexico should continue to foster safe and open spaces for dissent and dialogue about social problems. We thank the participants in (un)Occupy Albuquerque for inspiring us to action