Canvass for a Cause, a San Diego-based progressive activist group who was sued by Target for promoting marriage equality earlier in the year (and won!) is now helping Occupy San Diego to organize a public outreach effort that includes both door-to-door and street outreach to spread awareness and build support for the movement and Occupy San Diego files it's lawsuit and gets an impressive vote of confidence! More below the fold...
The "Knock 4 an Occupation" event is this Saturday, November 19th, 10:00am, at Civic Center Plaza in San Diego.
The model of actually going out into the public and talking to people face-to-face, answering their questions, and giving them the opportunity to get involved is incredibly powerful and it's exciting to see tried and true grassroots organizing methods being applied to help sustain and grow an occupation!
From the "Knock 4 An Occupation" facebook event page:
In our continued effort to find a sustainable space for Occupy San Diego, we realize that outreach and public support are key! So we at Canvass for a Cause are doing what we know best: canvassing! We need YOU to join us!
You will be joining us as we do both street and door-to-door outreach to talk to the public about what the Occupy movement fights for, why it's important, and how they can get involved!
We will be collecting petitions to support a resolution in the City Council to support a space (online petition here) and asking supporters to write letters to their Council Member, to donate, and to facilitate teach-ins.
The Facebook event also mentions that there will be a full training and other details!
Occupy San Diego has been under intense police pressure including a raid last night. Over 60 people have been arrested at Occupy San Diego and others have been maced and choked. The San Diego City Council has refused to place discussion on the agenda as to whether Occupy San Diego should be allowed to occupy a space in the city.
Today a lawsuit was filed against the City. From the press release:
“The SDPD are currently arbitrarily telling people who walk through the Civic Center that if they set down anything—their purse, their bag, a chair, or in one case even a tomato plant—, they will be arrested,” said Bryan Pease, a free speech attorney in San Diego. “The First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech and the right to peacefully assemble—municipal code section 54.0110 and how it is being enforced by the SDPD is unconstitutional.”
And the former City Attorney seems to agree:
To help Occupy San Diego’s case, former San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre spoke in front of City Council publicly calling out the municipal code: “The provision being used by the SDPD to thwart public assembly was not intended to be so used and abridges the right of those involved to peacefully assemble. There are First Amendment rights being violated and legal research will bear it out."
Occupy San Diego, like many occupations, is facing a lot of adversity and if you are in or around San Diego, come out on Saturday (or to other events) to support!