OYC Spring: In Like a Lamb, Out Like A Lion

So, many things to report from the corners around this country, Here goes:

OccupYrCorner DC!

We've been contacted by old and new friends over at Occupy DC to help them setup their own Official OccupYrCorner in DC! In only a few weeks they've had meetings, made materials of their own, and had a Corner Occupation in front of the Capitol on St. Patty's Day, March 17th! We were able to tune into the livestream of their 1st meeting and below are some shots from their first action! Go OYCDC!

Photos by Occupier Ferhiha I, Denise I, Michael B 

OccupYrCorners: Sherman Heights Awareness Day

On March 7th, OYC took the message of how Walmart is destroying communities into the Sherman Heights neighborhood of San Diego, California. We had a three-tier, staggered occupation throughout the afternoon arranged by Occupier David. Occupiers Josephine, Fish, Ken, and Chris were UNSTOPPABLE, Occupier Christie brought the cutest dogs, and thanks to Occupier Tammy for bringing the calvary! We handed out almost 200 flyers and were almost clean out when she appeared stocked and ready!

Photos by Occupier Tammy

NOTE: Lesson learned. Always make sure your audience knows you are Occupiers. We had reports back that people mistook us for community members who were trying to sway the Community Meeting, not support it's attendance. Luckily, Occupier Dave is as cool as he is collected, so he followed up with members of the Sherman Heights Community Board and worked with them on how we could make our message stronger. Thank you to Dave!

Occupying Corners with Occupy O.C. at Surf City, CA

Check out this picture of the amazing Occupier Leslie and Madison, two seasoned Corner Occupiers taking the message to the streets of Surf City, California! Check out the press in the L.A. Times: Occupy O.C. converges on Surf City

Photo by Don Leach / Times Community News

Occupying Corners at Occupy Kingston

Although not an official OYC action, you can see how Occupying Corners is so natural! Check these amazing Occupiers out in Occupy Kingston, Arizona! They were visited by the Occupy Walkers!

Photos by Occupier Danny J

Speaking of the Occupy Walkers, check out some of the Occupy Your Lunch Table Tents and Lost Lindas they took with them to Joshua Tree and beyond!

Also, check out the found OYL Table Tent found at the Big Kitchen Cafe in San Diego! Must've been the lovely ladies at Women Occupy San Diego!

March/April Events

After taking over the Banks here in San Diego we decided to postpone our traditional Wednesday Corner Occupations to apply our skills and energy to some OSD events as a group, such as:

• M24: No War In Iran March
• M30: Trayvon Vigil 
• A1: Jokes on Us Parade, Hillcrest Farmers Market 99% Community Cash Mob 
• A7: 6th Month March 
• A14: I.C.E. Breakers 
• A15: National Bank of America Action - Corner Occ! 
• A21: The Corner Occupation of OB! 
• A22: Occupy Earth Day
• M1: A Day without the 99%!

And we all agreed to go back to our Wednesday schedule in May to commemorate the Occupy Spring! So we shall leave you with this:

Get Inspired! Occupy!

Google NDAA

Google NDAA

https://www.google.com/search?q=NDAA

OYC Takes It to The Banks Week!

OccupYrCorner joined Occupy San Diego, Women Occupy San Diego, Veterans for Peace, The Occupellas, and Occupy Our Homes for a four-day Corner Occupation to send a message to the banks that we want our homes back, our money back, and our country back! 

Words by Occupiers Benjamin C and Anoki C, shout-outs by Will J., photography by Occupiers Benjamin C, Tammy M, Cristie P, and video by Occupiers Fish and Chris M...

SAN DIEGO (March 15, 2012) – Protestors with Occupy San Diego took to the streets of San Diego, beginning March 13, culminating March 15, supporting calls by Occupy Our Homes for a week of nation-wide actions against the largest of American banks.

The events began on Tuesday with the activist taking their message of moving one’s money to a credit union at the downtown 100 Broadway Street offices of Chase Bank. Included in the day’s activities was a mock birthday party for JP Morgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon. On Wednesday, the Occupiers took the corners around US Bank at 600 Broadway Street, Thursday saw them at the intersections 4th Avenue and B Street in front of Bank of America and Friday, the week of protests concludes with actions outside the Wells Fargo office located at 401 B Street in downtown San Diego.

In executing the events, occupiers followed a model laid out by members of Occupy Your Corner. Occupier Anoki spearheads the OYC group and explained why the OYC model was conducive for these particular protests.

“Instead of taking to the streets to protest, we take the corners,” Anoki said. “This way we serve as an information kiosk. It’s much less confrontational and allows the seeing eye of the public to come to us.”

-by Occupier Benjamin C, published in The Only Truth Is Music

"Embargo Wells Fargo!"

"If Bankers were insects, they'd eat their own young!"

"Because the Cookie Jar is not supposed
to take a Cookie!"

"Capitalism is Cannibalism!"

"It's Doesn't Have To Be Dog Eat Dog!"

Many, many thanks to Veterans for Peace and Women Occupy San Diego for the constant support over the four day Corner Occupation (our longest ever!) as both groups stood up to the task of refreshing our flyer needs, supplies, and support!

We were honored to have our Corner Occ graced by the poignant and powerful songs written and performed by the amazing San Diego Occupella Chorus! Many thanks to them and to Occupier Fish to catch WOSD and the Occupellas occupy as they do best... in song!

Also, check us out on the OSD Livestream, recorded by Occupier Chris M...

(Many thanks to Occupier Carlos H. for the amazing work on gathering information on the flyers and translating them for our Spanish speaking 99%ers. Sources: Occupy Dallas, some from Huff Post, RT.com, Bloomberg.com, Dailybail.com, and Showdowninamerica.org, and cleveland.com)

Occupying All Over

The last few weeks have been filled with a lot of positive activity, both for Occupy and OYC!

After Mardi Gras, Point Loma

After a highly successful and informative Corner Occupation of the entrance to San Diego's Downtown Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp, the Occupy San Diego Wellness Committee – represented by Occupiers Kelsey M., Ben C., and Alan R. – hosted absolutely outstanding Corner Occupation the very next day at high noon!

This time at the intersections of the incredibly busy Rosencrans and Sports Arena Drive in Point Loma, San Diego! Picking out an amazing location at a perfect time for 10 Occupiers to get together and get the word out, this was an amazing outreach opportunity to hundreds of passing cars. The honks and waves of appreciation sealed it.

Other than attracting such  lovely Occupiers Susan S. and Occupier du Jour Louise to come out and tell people to "Give A Damn!", one great thing about the day was how Occupier James B. visited to occupy with us for 20 minutes while he was on his lunch break from work... it was perfect; he had his sign in his trunk, and was on the corner with us! That's what this is all about: one can just hold a sign while on break or waiting for the bus!

Thanks to the amazing lunch suggestion from Occupier James, the After-Corner Occ Eating Meeting with Occupiers Tammy, Jari, David, and Anoki at the Fairouz Cafe off of Midway was delicious and reasonable... they've been there for 28 years and are down with the concepts of Occupy and bringing the power to the people! Cash Mob Contestant for sure!

Another great thing that occurred that day: we had a drive-by love-drop by Occupier Malcolm who stopped by specifically to refresh everyone with waters and snacks! Much respect to Malcolm! Occupy love!

Encinitas

Word came in through the grapevine that Occupy Encinitas had another wonderful Corner Occupation and GA on February 25th , as they do every Saturday. They have their Corner Occ at the intersection of Coast Highway (101) and Encinitas Blvd from 1- 2:15 and then a GA at the Cottonwood Creek Park a block over. Encinitas is one of the best Occupations we have going in the San Diego area, with a strong community and groups that take part in many positive actions, such as OccupyWalk. Many members of OccupYrCorner San Diego plan on Occupying the train to Encinitas this month to see them in action!

#F29 - Shut Down the Corporations Day

"A-L-E-C.... Not The Way It's Supposed to Be!"

"A-L-E-C.... Not The Way It's Supposed to Be!" That's what the group of Corner Occupiers were chanting as we successfully completed our first Walking Corner March through the Gaslamp at 12 noon on February 29 to celebrate National Shut Down The Corporations Day! After a short Corner Occupation at the busy intersection of 5th and Market, the group of Occupiers split and took to the sidewalks, walking down 5th Ave, up 4th Ave, through the Horton Plaza Mall, slowly and patiently handing out hundreds of flyers and having many thoughtful conversations about the questionable American Legislative Exchange Council to interested citizens! 

We then ended the Walking Corner Occ at the San Diego Court House, grouping up with a bunch more Occupiers to hand out flyers about ALEC as well as the upcoming San Onofre protest and to show solidarity and support for our fellow Occupiers in court that day!

#M1 - National Walk Out For Education

OccupYrCorner took part in the National Walk Out For Education Day, supporting our local City College of San Diego. Showing up at noon to the colleges main civic area, Curran Plaza, two Corner Occupiers took to the throng of students handing out flyers for OYC and talking to students about ways to outreach to people on days off and between classes. After only a few open mics and a band playing, almost a hundred flyers were handed out.

We then grouped up with members from OSD and OSD Wellness to help march the crowd throughout the campus and down streets of San Diego, chanting "Wake Up, Walk Out!" and "Gay Straight Black White, Education is Our Right!"

Thanks to the OSD Labor Solidarity Committee and the OSD Food Committee for providing the amazing forum for these students to speak their minds to those who are making decisions that effect their future and for welcoming them into Children's Park so warmly.


Occupying the Corners of Balboa and Genessee

This communiqué came through the wire from Occupier Josephine regarding the brave Occupiers taking on the popular intersection of Balboa and Genesee in Clairemont, San Diego again on March 3rd...

"Just got back from OccupYrCorner at Balboa/Genesee. Handed out about 30 flyers. Got some nods, thumbs ups, smiles, honks and a peace sign. While waiting for the light to change, a little girl sitting in the car was mouthing/reading my sign. Then turned to her dad. You can see he was talking to her. Then they looked back and I waved my flyer, they nodded and I ran across the street to give them more information. Groom them while they're young ;)"

Point of Information:

We also consensed on this Golden Rule for the Facebook Working Group, feel free to adopt/adapt it:

"No Hateful Communication
- Stay on Topic."

Occupy.