I've been operating under the persona of #OccupyViennaNow on Twitter for a while now, and though very little has been happening in Austria, I usually get plenty of news tweets from counterparts worldwide. So, I've decided to start this nice newsblast.
In LA: Local Occupiers and Family Mourn Death of Prominent Organizer
Members of Alex Weinschenker's family by birth and his recent family by choice join in celebrating the life of the 23-year-old. The protest movement was the turning point of Alex's life, his father says.
Alex Weinschenker was born 23 years ago last month.
He was his parents' only child, and he was beautiful.
He had a sparkle in his eye and as a small boy in Hancock Park, he loved reading "The Lorax" and "The Phantom Tollbooth," and making three-dimensional cities out of paper and tape.
When Alex died suddenly last week, probably from a relapse of a drug problem he'd tried to put behind him, his Occupy L.A. friends reached out to his family by birth, which in turn embraced his recent family by choice.
On Friday afternoon, grief at his death mobilized hundreds of his fellow occupiers to come to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, mostly on bikes and crowded into cars.
Full Story Here
In Oakland: Protesters Fill Streets In Support of Imprisoned Protesters
Anti-police marchers again hit Oakland streets Saturday night, a day after three Occupy Oakland protestors were charged with stealing an Oakland woman's wallet and making offensive remarks about her perceived sexuality.
The three protestors were arrested for an incident that occurred Feb. 22 when some protestors took a wallet from a woman's purse and yanked a Barack Obama pin from her clothing, according to police. They also made derogatory remarks about the woman's perceived sexuality.
Bail has been set at between $100,00 and $105,000 for the three protestors, who have been charged with robbery and committing a hate crime, both felonies.
At a rally Saturday night, Jessica Hollie -- who blogs for the Occupy Oakland movement under the name Bella Eiko -- expressed dismay over the high bail amounts, which she said were "ridiculously high."
Full Story Here
In Palm Beach: Occupy Palm Beach Resists Attempts to Evict
WEST PALM BEACH — Despite repeated demands Saturday from city police that they leave their tents outside the old city hall, about a dozen Occupy Palm Beach demonstrators said they weren't budging.
"We will not leave voluntarily. If we have to go to jail, that's not a too big price to pay for getting people to understand their rights," said Brien Huley, a 45-year-old West Palm Beach resident who does computer design and drafting.
Their words echoing off downtown buildings, police at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday used megaphones to warn demonstrators to leave the site at Olive Avenue and Banyan Boulevard. Every six hours beginning Friday, a city police officer has stopped at all four sides of the block and to make the same announcement.
"Permission to be on the property has been withdrawn by the mayor of West Palm Beach. You are trespassing and subject to arrest," a city police officer announced.
Full Story Here
Occupy Photos Slideshow Here
Not much for me to analyze today. Condolences to the Weinschenker family and Occupy LA for their loss. I've got some mixed feelings about the Oakland protests,as I can't really support the actions for which the protesters were imprisoned--unless the allegations are false, which is a very real possibility. But if they're true, it is legal and right for them to be imprisoned for at least a little bit. I'm very proud of the Palm Beach Occupiers for holding on in the face of the government. That's what it's about, brothers and sisters! Oh, and those are old photos by the way, but I wanted to share them anyway.
This has been your daily Occupy newsblast.