Over 1 million people will descend on Washington DC for the largest "Occupy" protest ever! OCCUPY CONGRESS January 17th, 2012

The_Boner · 5 months

This needs to happen. With a 9% approval rating of congress the support is definitley there, it just needs to be organized well.

TheCapn · 5 months

Did 1 million people RSVP or something?

vetro · 5 months

People kept saying, "They should be occupying DC, not Wall Street." Well...why not both?

lgodsey · 5 months

insist that they start doing their fucking jobs

Great. What specifically do you want them to do? See, it's super that you're all jazzed about the protest, but whenever you make an occupy thread, you need to list your grievances. That way when the US conservative media inevitably dismisses the entire movement as unfocused whining, you'll be able to cite the specific issues you want addressed. Stuff like this that I just stole from some web page:

Complete bans on federal political contributions, replaced by public campaign financing.
Reversal of the “Citizens United v. FEC” Supreme Court decision.
Combating Washington’s “revolving door.”
Bans on gifts to federal officials.
Tax reform – eliminating special carve-outs and increasing progressiveness.
Single-payer health care.
Increased environmental regulation.
Reduction of the national debt through a progressive income tax and elimination of corporate handouts.
Federal job-training programs.
Student loan debt forgiveness.
Immigration policy, including amnesty for illegals.
Recalling the U.S. military globally.
Education mandates and teacher pay.
Massive expansion of public works projects.
Spurring China to end currency manipulation.
Reenactment of the Glass-Steagall Act.
Refinance all underwater mortgages at 1% interest rate.
One-year freeze on all foreclosures.
Free air time for all political candidates who gather sufficient signatures.
Immediate withdrawal of all troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

What do you stand for? All of these? None of these? Something completely different? Whatever it is, learn the issues, choose what you stand for and make sure to share these points in detail when you post threads or protest or talk to people in a coffee shop.

AmericanDerp · 5 months

Poster for Occupy Congress, January 17, 2012: http://i.imgur.com/fdmCL.jpg

EDIT: x-posted to r/ows here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet/comments/mwgum/january_17th_2012_bring_1000000_tents_occupy/

headless_bourgeoisie · 5 months

I will be done with my college degree in a week. I'm seriously thinking of selling everything, flying to DC, and joining that protest. Real change takes real sacrifice, does it not? Who's with me?

LBORBAH · 5 months

make sure you save the date with the DC authorities before Glenn Beck does.

purpleish · 5 months

We're gonna need a lot of pepper spray.

-Police everywhere.

Puck_U_Madame · 5 months

If I could... I would be there. Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism! Get it done! God Speed!

Weed_O_Whirler · 5 months

Making the "over 1 Million people" claim can't help you and can only hurt you. Let's be honest, most likely 1 million people won't be there. The famed "million man march" had, at best estimate, only 400,000 people. So, let's run through the scenarios.

You get a million people, and then the report is "well, about what we expected came out"
You get less than a million people. Then, the media can ridicule you for not getting what you claimed (you know, exactly what happened with the Million Man March)

thrillhouse1980 · 5 months

Wall Street/Corporate Lobby = The Puppetmasters. Washington = The Puppets. While I think the puppetmaster deserves more scorn than the dummy being manipulated. I still think there's plenty of room to do a multi-front attack against all who are responsible for this mess.

thisisjohnbrown · 5 months

If this gets traction, I will use my saved vacation time and travel all the way from Portland, OR. I just looked at tickets, and I will do it.

Someone needs to get on the planning. Where to go, who is going to help, how to get to the parks, van pools from the airport, etc. It's all well and good to occupy the city you live in, but I have never even been to DC, and it's thousands of miles away. I wouldn't even know how to get to the capital from the airport (which airport do I fly into?).

1RAOKADAY · 5 months

If people are down voting this because of an assumption that it will fail. They really aught to realize that they are fulfilling their own pessimism.

bobartig · 5 months

So all the naysayers who kept saying, "they should occupy Congress," what's their complaint about OWS going to be now?

pineapple_face · 5 months

Why not occupy the Federal Reserve and other central banks globally while we are at it??

Honey_Baked · 5 months

Is there an article on this anywhere?

CaptainMorgen · 5 months

For the love of all that is holy, EVERYBODY WEAR A SUIT

Dooby_Skoo · 5 months

http://i.imgur.com/hYVxQ.gif

Raekai · 5 months

This would be amazing... I wonder how people will react to it.

NoMoreNicksLeft · 5 months

You guys somehow need to convince the Tea Partiers that they should be involved in a big way. No clue how to do it.

completely_harmless · 5 months

I'm down. It should be closer to the spring so that we can stay longer.

Noells · 5 months

Occupying congress with millions of people will be too messy to get anything done. Instead I suggest that we vote on who we consider the smartest representatives to go and occupy congress for us.

Box_of_Shit · 5 months

On the DC Metro escalators:

PLEASE STAND ON THE RIGHT AND WALK ON THE LEFT

I am not kidding.

-DC Resident

Sorr_Ttam · 5 months

Make sure you get permits this time.

nwestnine · 5 months

Who is getting the permits for this and where will it be held?

Jabuke · 5 months

Over 1 million people will descend

We should occupy

Big difference there.

ac3raven · 5 months

And don't leave until there's a new Congress.

5 months

[deleted]

logicalutilizor · 5 months

Hell. It's about time.

source

BraunsteinFreres · 5 months

Can we start a CARPOOL from CA? puh puh please.

thrillhouse1980 · 5 months

Haha, Joke's on those corporations lobbying for weaker regulations on carbon emissions. As a result, January 17th will be a balmy 60 degrees.

dunSHATmySelf · 5 months

Who the fucked picked a tuesday? How the fuck are students and employed supprts going to be able to go?

dlistblogger · 5 months

Just "liked" and shared it. Your welcome :P

timthomaspsu · 5 months

i am driving my scooter from salt lake city!

dmbrown41 · 5 months

They are ensuring a maximum number of people by doing it in a month were DC averages tons of snowfall and 28 degree temperatures

Who wouldn't want to drive in that weather and then stand in the freezing cold?

Mark_Lincoln · 5 months

We turned out 500,000 for the November Moratorium against the War in 1969.

Good Luck, but I bet you will fall 99% short.

swing9this · 5 months

As someone who works in D.C. my first reaction was "ugh traffic is going to SUCK."

slohcinretrac · 5 months

count me in

hevoo · 5 months

Lets be real, it won't be 1 million. Be lucky if you get 100,000 or 10,000. But, please prove me wrong.

classicrockchick · 5 months

Why not make it the day before, which is Martin Luther King Day? There's already two really good reasons: 1) the parallels between OWS and the civils rights movement and 2) everyone is off because it's a federal holiday, thus ensuring more people show up.

LettersFromTheSky · 5 months

How do you know it will be 1Million people?

Music_Ian · 5 months

So many people have this viewpoint that Congress and the US Government are really who run things around here - and you're not entirely wrong, but the highest folk are on Wall Street, bankers, oil barons, and corporate mega-hogs. They have all the money, and in capitalism, money = power. This movement started where it should have and is now spreading where it should be. OWS is an on-going movement (of course), and while I can't say it's been a complete success yet, I certainly can't say it's been a failure. Occupying Congress on the day they start their legislative session is the perfect time for this march. I see no reason to pull out of this movement now, the doubt caused will surely be very detrimental. This movement already has momentum, let's work with the flow and get something done. OCCUPY CONGRESS - JANUARY 17TH, 2012. please upvote if you agree (or at least give a comment saying this in your own words - every comment and upvote has its impact, it starts HERE AND NOW - Let's Do This!)

biggles86 · 5 months

I'm so glad they are finally doing this. However this will Give Congress an Excuse for doing nothing.

not_nought · 5 months

Excellent!

rhott · 5 months

I would love to go, but I don't have any more vacation days and it's a tuesday. Would have been better on the 16th, MLK day ...

MLein97 · 5 months

Ok, we're getting closer to actually making a difference, now you need the modern day equivalent of Hoovervilles in front of congress.

textbandit · 5 months

You need to have a specific purpose or it will all be for naught. Create a list of 10 demands to really make it worth while. How about demand the arrest of those responsible for the mortgage mess? Limit term limits. Limit Congressmen or their staff from becoming lobbyists right after their term.

[deleted] · 5 months

Enough of the bullshit numbers, please.

mssmith92 · 5 months

Looks like the facebook group blocked out 6 digits of attending.

derpderpin · 5 months

"Over 1 million people will descend on Washington DC" no they won't.

420wasabisnappin · 5 months

Not that I don't love everything OWS stands for and is pushing for in our country, I'm just going to play a little devil's advocate and ask: Does anyone else feel it's sad 1,000,000 people is an accomplishment in a country of 300,000,000??

harryman11 · 5 months

AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!! Now lets fuck some shit up in DC, and by fuck some shit up in DC I mean peacefully protest and let our voices be heard.

rationis · 5 months

I always felt that the OWS movement wasn't aimed at the real perpetrators. While Wall Street is a problem, it was the White House that gave them our money. I'd like to see 3+ million angry people at the White House.

[deleted] · 5 months

The smug sensors are off the charts!

5celery · 5 months

Is that officially the coldest day of the year in DC, and if not - why not?
Is this call being put out by WS just to torture people (while they drink mint julips in the Bahamas)?

Shinma · 5 months

So who picked this day, for what reason, and why the fuck is in on a Tuesday?

I assume something is in session that day? [Still trying to bring up the calendars.]

[Edit: Ah... 112th Congress session. Giotcha.]

evapilot967 · 5 months

How about people actually act on their beliefs? Ex: Against the bank bailouts and your representative(s) voted for them? Don't vote for them again and send them mail saying why. The fact that there exists such a wide gap between the incumbency rate in Congress and its approval rating suggests that people aren't connecting Congress's bad performance with their specific representative(s) - they need to. Find your rep, look at their voting record, and then you vote accordingly.

autisticwolf · 5 months

The time for Occupations is over. Now is the time for organization and action.

Be wary of "events" like this.

thecrikster · 5 months

When are you guys gonna stop pissing about and actually overthrow your government FFS! Occupy Congress? You're just looking silly now.

gcanuck614 · 5 months

occupycongress is what occupy should be all about. As a business student, i know that regardless of protests, corporations will always do what is best for their shareholders. That is their job. The job of congress is to establish the framework that those corporations are supposed to work within. If corporations breach that framework, it is the goverments role to prosecute those breaches. Change starts at congress, not at wall street.

OHhokie1 · 5 months

As a libertarian, I can get behind this...

lakes44 · 5 months

The traffic that this site gets is roughly 15 million a month so don't tell me we can't when all it really takes is to show up. Request off now for that day and/or week and bring your ass too it. Make it happen and stop trying to predict how bad it will fail. Get Mad As Hell.

OmNamahShivaya · 5 months

I might join. Depends on how my life plays out, and if this actually gets well organized in the mean-time.

I have two jobs and am struggling to deal with legal issues regarding possession of marijuana. So we'll see.

retiredhipster · 5 months

Oh goddamnit

I go to school in DC, my winter break ends Jan 17. This is going to make it impossible to get back to campus that weekend

krackbaby · 5 months

Holy shit that is my birthday

InvertedVantage · 5 months

Downvoting. Occupy needs to start actually organizing around salient points and ideas, needs to start helping their local communities, and if they have a problem with, say, unemployment, start organizing to fix the problems themselves, rather than just camping out and bitching that Congress do it for them, because I think it's obvious to everyone that they couldn't even if they wanted to.

forlove · 5 months

Diablo 3 release date. Will not attend.

Foogey · 5 months

You need to join forces with OWS. It'd make a lot of sense to keep occupiers on Wall Street while implementing Congress and the Federal Reserve. After all, the Federal Reserve truly 'owns' all of us Americans.

You'll have to list collective ideas and what this protest means. Many people don't know WHY they are protesting, but occupy because they are upset. It'd also be a great idea to have the 'main' group of activists wearing a style of clothing that way it's known whom is strongly supporting it and who just happened to stumble by.

Also, create a line or two for people to easily memorize that states what the movement means when approached by the media. Say nothing else and walk away. You keep giving them the same spiel over and over again, they'll eventually have nothing to edit and show to make the group look unorganized/unintelligent.

One problem we'll face is the fact that undercover officers are infiltrating the groups and appearing as activists. This is a scary fact as they could easily wear a Guy Fawkes mask and ruin the credibility of the group by ruining its image. There's really nothing you can do to prevent that. However you can make it known that this is a peaceful protest and any person(s) who attacks another, loots, and/or destroys property is NOT for the cause as they're only hurting their brothers and sisters.

Race, religion, job (or lack of) and background are indifferent. This affects ALL of us. As the human race, we either stand together or we fall together.

There are only two options.

Richandler · 5 months

I up vote this because I am against the current occupy protest that are stirring up the wrong pot. This seems so much more relevant at first glance. We'll see.

slack6a66ath · 5 months

It's about time. Wall Street is not the problem. It is our government.

PhillyPhish · 5 months

Well at least "they" have fucking jobs NOT to do.

sbrbrad · 5 months

Attending a facebook event =/= actually showing up to the real event.

I have a feeling many more will simply e-attend lol

Pastapostle · 5 months

I like hitting refresh on that page and watching the number of likes go up.

CaptInappropriate · 5 months

I hope people will go into senate and house office buildings to talk to their congressional representatives... There are only 435 of them, and if they each have to allocate time out of their day to talk to their constituents, they will quickly feel the pressure.

lagspike · 5 months

you wont be influencing DC unless you are a lobbyist.

sorry, OWS. that isnt how things work there.

jbillzz33 · 5 months

They've been Occupying DC, and it's the most lackluster protest I've ever seen. It doesn't bother any lawmakers, and all it does is inconvenience the common man who's trying to get to his job that doesn't pay enough.

argv_minus_one · 5 months

More like over 1 dozen people, amirite?

tj8805 · 5 months

OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE

Facebook group has 2000 people

MasterOfTheMoon · 5 months

Congress

Wrong target. That's like watching a bad puppet show and bitching about it to the marionettes.

BigPharmaSucks · 5 months

Interesting article from Gleen Greenwald

Having SEIU officials — fresh off endorsing the Obama re-election campaign — shape, fund, dictate and decree an anti-GOP, pro-Obama march is about as antithetical as one can imagine to what the Occupy movement has been. And pretending that the ongoing protests are grounded in the belief that the GOP is the party of the rich while the Democrats are the party of the working class is likely to fool just about nobody other than those fooled by that already. The strength and genius of OWS has been its steadfast refusal to (a) fall into the trap that ensnared the Tea Party of being exploited as a partisan tool and (b) integrate itself into the very political institutions which it’s scorning and protesting.

http://www.salon.com/2011/11/19/heres_what_attempted_co_option_of_ows_looks_like/

dolpsc · 5 months

what happened when they occupied my town... http://imgur.com/v4KsV

Zeneevee · 5 months

I doubt it will happen but ARCEUS I hope it does. I've been saying since Occupy Wall Street started that they should Occupy our fucking government. DO IT!

revanant9377 · 5 months

I feel ashamed for not involving myself in the Occupy movement, especially since I live less than an hour from NYC. I am definitely doing this.

jefro826 · 5 months

first things first - who's behind this "Occupy" protest? cuz it sure as hell ain't Occupy DC. beware the co-option!

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