Rove spoke last night in Shriver Hall at Johns Hopkins University. About 10 minutes in, people started to mic check Rove.
“Mic check? Mic check! Karl Rove? Karl Rove! Is the architect? Is the architect! Architect of Occupy Iraq! Architect of Occupy Iraq! Architect of Occupy Afghanistan!”
JHU's newspaper also covered action outside the event:
A small group of protesters gathered in front of Shriver Hall, the University's main auditorium, in the hour preceding the lecture, shouting chants read from orange cue cards at the base of the building's steps. Lawrence Egbert, a member of the Johns Hopkins Class of 1948 and an anesthesiologist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, stood towards the back of the crowd, orange sheet in hand.
"[Rove's political strategy] is based on a bunch of lies, and everybody knows it," Egbert said. "I was [at Hopkins] during World War II, and we were proud of what we were doing. Not this, though. Not this."
Rove laughed off most of the protests. He also had a twisted view of Free Speech:
“Ok here’s the deal. If you believe in free speech then you had a chance to show it,” he says. “If you believe in right of the first amendment to free speech then you demonstrate it by shutting up and waiting until the Q & A session right after…”
The demonstrators chant “We are the 99 percent, We are the 99 percent, we are the 99 percent” as uniformed Hopkins security guards start grabbing people by the arm and pulling them away. Some go limp and are dragged across the floor.
“Sit down,” a voice can be heard saying, as Rove joins in with a chant of his own: “No you’re not, no you’re not, no you’re not.”
More of what Occupy Baltimore's been up to below the squiggle.
The site has taken on a more permanent presence. Larger tents have been erected for the winter, and they are attained their goal of getting sustainable power.
A new sign hangs at a corner of McKeldin Plaza.
Individual tents remain while work continues on setting up the larger winter tents.
Signs with staying power.
The committee list is ever expanding. Maybe my multi-lingual partner can help with the translation committee.
During one of my bike rides to work, got some pictures of Women in Black, a global network of gals dedicated to ending violence.
Our city's alternative newspaper, The City Paper, ran a story on how art students at the Maryland Institute College of Art have been drawing Occupy Baltimore, along with a gallery of some of the art. Below is one of Tai, who has been the plaza for most of the duration.
People should be able to live their lives free from exploitation, oppression, and imtimidation. No matter the source of evil, it must be resisted at every opportunity ~ Tai
Keep calm, and occupy on.