Organizers with the Coalition to March on Wall Street South have been hard at work hitting the ground and spreading the word about all the actions going on in September around the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC!
Last week, a delegation of folks traveled to attend the Peoples Assembly on Police Abuse, Racism, and Misconduct in Baltimore, MD, hosted by the Justice 4 Trayvon Martin Committee, and the Occupy National Gathering in Philadelphia, PA. We were able to distribute over 500 leaflets over the course of several days and gathered names of activists from across the East Coast interested in helping to build and mobilize for the March on Wall Street South.
On July 2, the City of Charlotte held their sham “Free Speech Lottery” to issue permits for a speakers platform and march route that Occupy Charlotte called “a tour of Charlotte parking lots” and ensures that those who march on this route will not be seen or heard by convention delegates or the bankers Uptown. Hardly anyone, except the media, attended the show the City put on last week to hold the lottery. The Coalition to March on Wall Street South stands with other groups in roundly denouncing and rejecting any and all attempts to restrict the rights of people to freedom of speech and assembly during the DNC, including establishing “free speech zones,” etc. The results of the lottery are available online, as is the procedure for applying for the remaining slots open on the speakers platform and march route here: dncinfo.charlottenc.gov
The Charlotte Solidarity Center has been opened by the Occupy 4 Jobs network, a member of the Coalition to March on Wall Street South, to serve as an organizing hub in Charlotte, NC in the buildup to the March on Wall Street South and other actions that will be taking place around the DNC in September. The space will have daily “organizing office hours” for folks to come and do work related to the mobilization, weekly local organizing committee meetings of the coalition, leaflets and other resources, and much more. There will be an open house of the new space this Friday night beginning at 7pm, which is located at Area 15, Suite 10C (516 E.15th St, Charlotte, NC 28206)
More ways that you can get involved!
1. Sign up to be a local organizing center and become a volunteer! — Can you help organize a carpool, a van, or even a bus from your area to help people get to the March on Wall Street South? Do you want to get involved with one of the Coalition’s working groups? Do you have a skill, a talent, a resource, or something else you think you can contribute to help make the demonstrations in September happen? Let us know today!
2. Festivaliberación/Liberation Festival – There’s a lot of exciting progress being made on the Festivaliberación, a day long festival of workshops, trainings, speakouts, discussions, spoken word, and music being organized by youth, students, and immigrant activists. We’ve heard from Rebel Diaz and Jasiri-X, among many other progressive artists, who are interested in coming to participate in the festival and other actions being planned around the DNC. But we need your help to make it happen! Help us get the word out to other artists and activists, and please circulate this urgent appeal for funds to help these young freedom fighters realize their inspiring vision for this festival!
3. Southern Workers Assembly –The assembly will bring workers from across the South together to challenge Right-To-Work (for less) & Taft-Hartley laws, low wages, denial of collective bargaining, and workers’ human rights connected with the historical demands against the South’s legacy of Jim Crow laws, anti-immigrant scapegoating and racism. They are currently looking for endorsers, support resolutions, donations, and volunteers. It’s all happening September 3 (Labor Day) starting at 3pm at Wedgewood Baptist Church. Call 919-539-2051 or email SouthernWorkersAssembly@gmail.com to get invovled. More info here!
4. Make a donation – The two corporate parties have the banks and the 1% to rely on for funding, but all we have is each other. We are still a long way off from reaching our goal of $10,000 to make the march and other events happen. Please consider making a donation today, circulating this appeal through your networks, or holding a fundraiser in your area.
5. Organize an outreach event — Events are being organized in communities throughout the South and the US to spread the word about the March on Wall Street South and the mobilization around the DNC. Can you organize an event in your area? Coalition organizers can travel to speak at your event and send other materials to help you out!
6. Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter! – Help us spread the word by liking the Coalition on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and inviting all your friends to the event!
