#OWSWest/Cathedral Hill Hotel Occupation Newswire

[ellipsis]

http://www.occupywallstwest.org/wordpress/


Friday, January 20, 2012

San Francisco Financial District

DAYLONG NONVIOLENT MASS OCCUPATION

of the Wall St. banks & corporations attacking our communities

DON’T GO TO (OR WALK OUT OF) WORK AND SCHOOL
What?



Organize an action/affinity group with friends, neighbors, classmates, congregation, or co-workers.
Send a spokesperson from your group to the weekly Occupy SF Action Council Mtg, 2 PM Sundays at Justin Herman Plaza (Check website for rain location).

Why?



Corporations are NOT people, Money is NOT speech. January 20 is the eve of the anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling for corporate personhood.
To expose how Wall St. operates in our midst attacking our communities, homes, education, environment, democracy, livelihood, and well being.
To broaden, deepen, mobilize, and assert the people power of the occupy-99% movement and allies.
To contribute to ongoing community fights for economic justice against banks and corporations.
To build a broad-based strategic mass movement of the 99% in SF, the Bay Area, California, and the region.

Join Us

Initial participating groups: 
Occupy SF General Assembly and Action Council, 
Occupy SF State University, 
Occupy SF Housing Coalition (ACCE, Asian Law Caucus, Causa Justa: Just
 Cause, Coalition on Homelessness, Eviction Defense Collaborative,
 Housing Rights Committee, Occupy SF, QUEEN, San Francisco Tenants
 Union)
, Progressive Workers Alliance (includes: Coleman Advocates for Children
 and Youth, Chinese Progressive Association, Filipino Community Center,
 La Raza Centro Legal—Day Laborer Program and Women’s Collective,
 Mujeres Unidas y Activas, People Organized to Demand Environmental and
 Economic Rights, People Organized to Win Employment Rights, Pride at
 Work, Young Workers United),
 Jobs with Justice, 
SF Labor Council
, California Nurses Association
, Pride at Work/HAVOQ (Horizontal Alliance of Very Organized Queers), 
Rainforest Action Network
, Code Pink, 
Act Now to End War and Racism Coalition
, 28th Amendment Group
, Move to Amend, 
SF Interfaith Allies of Occupy
, SF 99% Coalition

[ellipsis]

Corporaciones No Son Seres Humanos!

¡Dinero no es Expresión Política!

VIERNES, 20 DE ENERO, 2012

Distrito Financiero de San Francisco

Dia de Ocupación Masiva Pacifica

En contra de los Bancos de Wall St. y Corporaciones que están atacando nuestras comunidades, el medio ambiente, la democracia, y nuestro bienestar.

No Vayan al Trabajo ni a la Escuela o Marcharse Afuera.
Organize una acción con un grupos aliados — con amigos,vecinos, alumnos, gente de su iglesia o compañeros de trabajo.
Que?



Organize una acción con un grupos aliados — con amigos, vecinos, alumnos, gente de su iglesia o compañeros de trabajo.
Por favor, mande un representante de su grupo al Consejo de Accion de Occupy San Francisco cada Domingo a las 2 p.m. en Justin Herman Plaza.

Y por que?



Para manifestamos en contra de como funciona Wall St., en nuestro entorno, agrediendo a nuestras comunidades, hogares, ingresos,
bienestar y la democracia;
Para ampliar, profundizar, y movilizar el poder popular del movimiento Occupy y sus aliados;
Para fortalecer a las luchas populares actuales por la justicia económica que se enfrenta a los bancos y corporaciones y
Para levantar el movimiento masivo y amplio de los 99% en S.F., la Área de la Bahía, en California y los estados vecinos.

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anybody in the bay area should try to make it. the more people the better.:D

[ellipsis]

rumors of 1-2 building occupations being prepared for this day.

[TheRedAnarchist23]

I wish i could be there but i live in Portugal

[ellipsis]

From what I can tell a large 3 building complex owned by a big bank is goIng to be occupied on January 20th, ppl talking about moving all of osf into it. If I get in, I'll live post here.

[Ele'ill]

From what I can tell a large 3 building complex owned by a big bank is goIng to be occupied on January 20th, ppl talking about moving all of osf into it. If I get in, I'll live post here.

I demand a live cam feed if shit starts to go south. So we can save the video for legal support.

[ellipsis]

I demand a live cam feed if shit starts to go south. So we can save the video for legal support.

theres an app for that...

[ellipsis]

there has been an anti-cap march called, but the call out is very weirdly written. non-native english speaker? cop? n00b?


J20 Anti-capitalist/ anti-authoritarian bloc in SF START DATE: Friday January 20 TIME: 5:00 PM - 5:00 AM Location Details: Corner of Market and Stuart, Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco, CA Event Type: Other Rebels want to shut down San Francisco's financial district on January 20th. Count us in!

WHAT: A ferocious, mobile, well-prepared, fearless and autonomous bloc within the J20 City Shutdown of San Francisco.
WHO: anti-capitalists, anti-authoritarians, anarchists, rebels, antagonists, hooligans
WHEN: assemble at 5PM, January 20th, 2012
WHERE: corner of Market and Stuart, Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco, CA
WHY: because we have nothing; because we want everything; because we hate the pigs; because fuck capitalism
HOW: oh, you know...

TO WHAT EXTENT: as hard as we can!

INSTRUCTIONS: make plans, bring your crew, bring supplies, wear street clothes, disregard the peace-police, go for it!

[Ostrinski]

Again with the corporate personhood bullshit. Can't they just make it a anti-capitalist program?

[ellipsis]

shits blowin' up in SF!!! live stream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pixplz#utm_campaign=t.co&utm_source=9867921&utm_medium=social)

[Ele'ill]

shits blowin' up in SF!!! live stream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pixplz#utm_campaign=t.co&utm_source=9867921&utm_medium=social)


I guess I'll pause my free youtube movie 'The Backwoods' for this. It better be good.


It's off air. I want a live stream of tonight.

[ellipsis]

lol the live stream doesn't is pretty calm but actions have been going on since 6am, shuting down banks etc.

[Ele'ill]

What exactly doesn't the live stream?

[workersadvocate]

The live stream I saw had a big SEIU banner in front. Moral symbolic protest outside ICE building in SF.
I know that we're supposed to get excited because lots of people marched under union auspices, and many are speaking Spanish, and they yelled at the ICE building.
But I'm sick of middle class controlled dissent and merely doing moral street theatre for the cameras! SEIU bureaucracy can choke on the stench in Obama's asspipe!
To shut ICE down, the working class itself has to be mobilized widely, independently and prepared to unleash its full fury and actually exercise its own power. Mere symbolic shit gets tired quickly and creates a sense of impotence in our own class and a feeling like we have to depend on supposedly friendly elements of the 33% in order to hope for any kind of change at all.

[ellipsis]

im not in the action, i need to stay out of trouble for another three hours at least. but lots of liberal civil disobedience like bank closures etc are happening. twitter tag is #owsWest.

anti-cap march is at five, march to building occupation is at 6. so the best is still to come

[ellipsis]

I am in an occupied 600 room hotel. Mission accomplished.

[ellipsis]

There are 100 or so people occupying the hotel, cops are amassing.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

There are 100 or so people occupying the hotel, cops are amassing.
Any livestreams of what's going on? That one you linked earlier isn't streaming live right now I don't think.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

Twitter says cops have entered the building...

[ellipsis]

I'm on my phone, not able to browse .

[workersadvocate]

Any pro Occupy reinforcements or mobilized mass defensive support going on outside?
Preparations to counter act if police lay siege and breach the occupied building?
Or will this just be symbolic rather than action seriously intent on holding the building for a certain time?

I suppose the business union bosses and their organizations are nowhere nearby right now. We can't depend on their numbers or political protection or even legal defense. In fact, they might be the second ones on the airwaves denouncing you, right after the mayor and police chief. Expect this.

So we need to bring out and prepare independent working class pro Occupy mass forces to overcome all attacks upon their occupation for at least a significant minimum amount of time, motivating and cultivating for a much more massive working class occupation wave at several important points in the locality. Before we can take a city, we must succesffully take, occupy, defend and hold a significant physical location agaisnt all the ruling class enemies can muster, at least for a long enough period of time that the essential message has reached and swayed and inspired the working class majority to support and get involved in some way or emulate this elsewhere.

[ellipsis]

We seem to be alone except for some legal support. Cops are in building somewhere. Wait and see moment. So yah propaganda action.

[ellipsis]

We got busted out/left voluntarily after security showed up. Over all success. More details when I'm on my computer.

[Ele'ill]

Glad you made it out safe. Thank you for being one of the people keeping resistance alive on the west.

[ellipsis]

I am glad as well, but with a 600 room hotel I could have stayed in there all night, maybe indefinately...

[Ele'ill]

You must be really glad.

[ellipsis]

too tired to do my own write up, post occupation celebration/squatter salon went to 6am but here is the best, most accurate article i have found so far, also FYI although they were given credit and members participated, this action was not done under the banner of HnJ:


Protesters "Occupy" Vacant Building

By yael
Created 01/21/2012 - 2:48pm
http://www.sfbg.com/sites/default/files/dynimagecache/0-77-478-404-325-275/photo%20%282%29.jpgA slogan from the May 1968 student/labor revolts in Paris scrawled on a wall inside the former Cathedral Hill Hotel
GUARDIAN PHOTO BY YAEL CHANOFF






After a long day of protest that began at 6 a.m., 1200 joined a march affiliatiated with Occupy SF last night. The march aimed to “liberate the commons”; organizers said they succeeded when they were able to enter a vacant building, the former Cathedral Hill Hotel at 1101 Van Ness.

The march left from Justin Herman Plaza just after 5 p.m. and arrived at the former hotel around 7 p.m. after rallying at several sites along the way.

There, protesters were greeted by a police line and barricades protecting the buildings.

SFPD Officer Carlos Manfredi reports that protesters tried to remove barricades with the hooks of their umbrellas, and then threw “rocks, bottle and bricks” at police. Police responded by pepper spraying a dozen protesters.

Many eyewitness reports confirm manipulation of barricades, but deny that anything was thrown at police, instead attributing the pepper spray usage to anti-police slogans chanted by the crowd.
After the confrontation, the march turned down Van Ness. Some protesters broke windows at a Bentley dealership at 999 Van Ness.

The march soon turned back around, and protesters regrouped near the building’s back entrance on Franklin between Geary and Post.
There, the crowd looked up to see figures on the roof unfurl a banner reading “Liberate the Commons.” The back door was then opened from the inside by activists, largely from Homes Not Jails, who had broken into the building.

Soon after, demonstrators began streaming into the building.

Police arrived around 8 p.m. and redirected traffic, blocking Geary between Van Ness and Franklin, while a mass of several hundred protesters continued to block Franklin street between Post and Geary.

At 8:30, Manfredi said that police had no plans to rush into the “occupied” building.

“RIght now officer safety is our number one priority so we’re not going to go in there and rush into this event. Obviously Van Ness and Geary is a very busy street...We’re monitoring the situation, we’re talking with the owner, and we’re going to come up with a game plan...We’re going to see if we can open up some line of communication and speak to them, and see if we can come to some form of resolution,” Said Manfredi.

Manfredi also discussed the difficulties police find in communicating with Occupy SF protesters, noting that “a lot of times with these protesters, there’s not one single person responsible for leading the pack. So it’s very difficult, when you talk to one person they may not agree with the other ten. So that’s where the problem comes in.”

This “leaderless” quality, as well as privileging immediate human needs like shelter and food over some aspects of capitalism such as property rights, has been a running theme in the Occupy movement. Homeless advocacy was a large part of the Occupy SF focus in past months, as the encampment at Justin Herman Plaza created a community of homeless and housed activists.

Homes Not Jails, an organization that has been working with Occupy SF, was crucial in planning the “liberate the commons” protest. The group insists that the 30,000 vacant housing units in San Francisco should be used to shelter the city’s homeless, which they estimate at 10,000. San Francisco’s Human Services Agency reports the number of homeless at 6,455.
The cold rain pouring down throughout the night’s events increased the urgency many felt to find shelter for homeless colleagues. Said one demonstrator, “if we can prevent just one homeless person from dying of exposure in the rain tonight, the building takeover was worth it.”

The former Cathedral Hill Hotel, which has been vacant since it closed in 2009, is now owned by Sutter Health and California Pacific Medical Center, with plans to open a hospital at the site in 2015.

The project has been a target of several protests campaigns, including opposition from SEIU United-Healthcare Workers West, UNITE HERE Local 2, and the California Nurses Association (CNA), who say the new hospital will not hire unionized workers. They also say the hospital will not cater to patients with medicare and medicaid.

At a press conferenece Jan. 18, CNA member Pilar Schiavo announced a protest at the site for the afternoon of Jan. 20.

Said Schiavo, “A huge hospital is being planned which is being likened by Sutter to a five-star hotel. At the same time, Sutter is gutting St. Lukes Hospital, which is essential to providing health care for residents in the Mission, the Excelsior and Bayview-Hunter’s Point. We know that the five-star hospital's not aimed at serving the 99 percent, and we must hold Sutter accountable to all communities, not just those fortunate enough to have private insurance.”

Police cleared the street of protesters and entered the building around 9:30. Those who wished to were allowed to leave; several did, while about 15 remained. Protesters discussed plans to continue the building occupation through the night.

But most protesters providing support from the outsid had left by midnight, and those inside decided to leave voluntarily, according to organizer Craig Rouskey.
None of those who illegally entered the building were arrested.

[ellipsis]

apparently there was a "homes not jails" banner dropped in brighton, england yesterday, not sure if it relates...

http://yfrog.com/ocwa1gmj

[ellipsis]

You must be really glad.

Eh, an arrest would have been dropped by the DA immediately. I wanted to hold out for longer, but our group had no food little food but we had consensused (at a mini "GA") that we would leave when they asked rather than be arrested and possibly by in jail until monday. So yes im glad, but i was prepared for all eventualities when I went in that building.


Any pro Occupy reinforcements or mobilized mass defensive support going on outside?
There were a lot of people outside and inside, they brought music, NLG support, media, and held the intersection for a good amount of time. Riot cops came in and most people cleared out and left, everybody was cold and wet, SF winter.


Preparations to counter act if police lay siege and breach the occupied building?
It would be nice but its a little hard to coordinate that many people around an illegal direct action and maintain security culture.
The police and building owners knew that we were coming(bad security culture surrounding the planning and execution, there's a lesson there) and had planned defenses based on the occupation of the same building last october, riots cops who immediately responded with batons and pepper spray. 10+ private security guards onsite 24 hours in advance.


Or will this just be symbolic rather than action seriously intent on holding the building for a certain time?

In my experience and opinion, police will never allow protesters to hold buildings and no amount of reinforcement or feasible level of pre-coordination can prevent their entry.


I suppose the business union bosses and their organizations are nowhere nearby right now. We can't depend on their numbers or political protection or even legal defense. In fact, they might be the second ones on the airwaves denouncing you, right after the mayor and police chief. Expect this.

There was a nurses union action (CNA and Jobs with Justice) at the same building at 11am, ANSWER came to picket and lead chants and run a sound system playing "born in the usa"

but no the nurses union didn't show up to support the occupation, at least that i saw. they also didn't set up a medical tent for the 99% percent in the morning. there is lots of organization with labor and physicians against california pacific medical center, the building owner.


So we need to bring out and prepare independent working class pro Occupy mass forces to overcome all attacks upon their occupation for at least a significant minimum amount of time, motivating and cultivating for a much more massive working class occupation wave at several important points in the locality. Before we can take a city, we must succesffully take, occupy, defend and hold a significant physical location agaisnt all the ruling class enemies can muster, at least for a long enough period of time that the essential message has reached and swayed and inspired the working class majority to support and get involved in some way or emulate this elsewhere.

baby steps... people need to become familiar and comfortable with this particular tactic. but I agree with your analysis.

[ellipsis]

2xgdMpXEnl0

[Ele'ill]

Eh, an arrest would have been dropped by the DA immediately. I wanted to hold out for longer, but our group had no food little food but we had consensused (at a mini "GA") that we would leave when they asked rather than be arrested and possibly by in jail until monday. So yes im glad, but i was prepared for all eventualities when I went in that building.


I meant it as a joke cause you double posted it

[ellipsis]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6737958097_c712917d70_b.jpg

[ellipsis]

9FX6Xc-S6YA

[ellipsis]

i just read on twitter that neighbors saw DHS and SFPD coordinating in nearby parking lot during the occupation of the hotel. Fuck the feds.