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Ferguson

Here's the Agreement that Ended
the Occupation of Saint Louis University



 
clocktowercrowdslu.JPG
Danny Wicentowski
Hundreds of protesters swarmed the Saint Louis University campus last week, demanding action. It seems the university's president listened.
The sit-in dubbed Occupy SLU ended quietly this weekend. By Saturday afternoon, not a tent could be found near the clock tower where protesters massed during the early morning hours of October 13, waving upside-down American flags, raising fists in the air and calling to Saint Louis University students -- "Out of the dorms, into the streets!"

The movement to occupy the private, Jesuit institution kicked off last week's "Moral Monday," and by that day's end more than 50 people had been arrested in a series of protest events around St. Louis. On October 18 protesters and school officials agreed to end the sit-in. In a written statement, SLU president Fred Pestello attributed the end Occupy SLU to "many intense hours of outreach and conversation" with protesters and other community activists.

However, it seems that those intense conversations yielded more than just a broadly worded statement from SLU's president. Shortly after protesters left the campus, a photo of a printed agreement between the school and three protest groups began circulating on social media and right-wing blogs.

The document in the photo is printed on official SLU letterhead and includes thirteen items, including increased funding to African American studies programs, more financial aid for black students and the establishment of a bridge program in the Shaw and Normandy neighborhoods.

Here's the agreement:

stluagreement.jpg

See also: Protesters Occupy Saint Louis University, Promise Further Civil Disobedience After Shaw Shooting

And here's a transcribed version of the document:

After mutually respectful discussions, grounded in trust and with a commitment to addressing racial inequality and poverty in our community, Tribe-X, the Metro St. Louis Coalition for Inclusion and Equality (M-SLICE), Black Student Alliance (BSA) and Saint Louis University will support the following actions to help further this aim and, at the same time, permanently end the encampment on the SLU Campus on by 10:30 a.m., Saturday October 18, 2014.

Consistent with SLU's Catholic, Jesuit values, and as articulated by President Pestello in his Inaugural address, these actions will focus on inequity and poverty in our community, and will further collaboration and dialogue to advance these efforts.

1. Increased budget for the African American Studies program.
2. Increased financial aid resources for retention of African American students at SLU.
3. Evaluation of SLU's current scholarship programs to better serve African American populations.
4. Additional college prep workshops for students in the area's most disadvantaged school districts.
5. Establishment of a K-12 bridge program, including summer programs, in the Normandy and Shaw neighborhoods to help increase number of college-bound students from neighborhoods in those areas.
6. Establishment of a community center.
7. Mutually agreed upon commissioned artwork.
8. Development of an academic Center for Community and Economic Development.
9. Create of a race, property, and inequality steering committee.
10 SLU sponsorship a national conference on racial equality.
11. Appointment of a Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Community Empowerment
12. Establishment of a diversity speaker series.
13. Bi-weekly meetings with an inclusive group, including the president, to continue to advance the University's efforts to address inequalit

Danny Wicentowski
Hundreds of protesters swarmed the Saint Louis University campus last week, demanding action. It seems the university's president listened.
The sit-in dubbed Occupy SLU ended quietly this weekend. By Saturday afternoon, not a tent could be found near the clock tower where protesters massed during the early morning hours of October 13, waving upside-down American flags, raising fists in the air and calling to Saint Louis University students -- "Out of the dorms, into the streets!"

The movement to occupy the private, Jesuit institution kicked off last week's "Moral Monday," and by that day's end more than 50 people had been arrested in a series of protest events around St. Louis. On October 18 protesters and school officials agreed to end the sit-in. In a written statement, SLU president Fred Pestello attributed the end Occupy SLU to "many intense hours of outreach and conversation" with protesters and other community activists.

However, it seems that those intense conversations yielded more than just a broadly worded statement from SLU's president. Shortly after protesters left the campus, a photo of a printed agreement between the school and three protest groups began circulating on social media and right-wing blogs.

 

The document in the photo is printed on official SLU letterhead and includes thirteen items, including increased funding to African American studies programs, more financial aid for black students and the establishment of a bridge program in the Shaw and Normandy neighborhoods.

Here's the agreement:

stluagreement.jpg

See also: Protesters Occupy Saint Louis University, Promise Further Civil Disobedience After Shaw Shooting

And here's a transcribed version of the document:

After mutually respectful discussions, grounded in trust and with a commitment to addressing racial inequality and poverty in our community, Tribe-X, the Metro St. Louis Coalition for Inclusion and Equality (M-SLICE), Black Student Alliance (BSA) and Saint Louis University will support the following actions to help further this aim and, at the same time, permanently end the encampment on the SLU Campus on by 10:30 a.m., Saturday October 18, 2014.

Consistent with SLU's Catholic, Jesuit values, and as articulated by President Pestello in his Inaugural address, these actions will focus on inequity and poverty in our community, and will further collaboration and dialogue to advance these efforts.

1. Increased budget for the African American Studies program.
2. Increased financial aid resources for retention of African American students at SLU.
3. Evaluation of SLU's current scholarship programs to better serve African American populations.
4. Additional college prep workshops for students in the area's most disadvantaged school districts.
5. Establishment of a K-12 bridge program, including summer programs, in the Normandy and Shaw neighborhoods to help increase number of college-bound students from neighborhoods in those areas.
6. Establishment of a community center.
7. Mutually agreed upon commissioned artwork.
8. Development of an academic Center for Community and Economic Development.
9. Create of a race, property, and inequality steering committee.
10 SLU sponsorship a national conference on racial equality.
11. Appointment of a Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Community Empowerment
12. Establishment of a diversity speaker series.
13. Bi-weekly meetings with an inclusive group, including the president, to continue to advance the University's efforts to address inequality and poverty in our community.

A SLU spokesperson confirmed the document is authentic, but could not comment on specific line items. Talal Ahmed, a representative from Tribe X, told Daily RFT the group will release a signed copy of agreement soon.

The end of Occupy SLU appears to have generated mixed reactions within St. Louis' protest community. On Sunday, Tribe X released a lengthy statement via Twitter, and though it doesn't specifically mention the agreement, the statement does reference talks with SLU president Prestello on "significant changes to better SLU's campus wide programs...[and] to also create opportunity and change for African American youth in the region."

The statement continues, "It was after these discussions and seeing the earnest way that President Prestello engaged us that we decided to end the occupation."

 

One year ago last September we began an occupation that pinpointed the villain in the broad nightmare that has become of the American Dream: Wall Street.

To commemorate and build upon our collective call that 'enough is enough', join us this September 15 -17 in a mass mobilization of the 99%.

Register for #S17 to plug into actions across the country and stay posted about transportation and housing for the Wall Street convergence.

We will continue to put our bodies on the line to expose how the 1% are controlling our fates; how we are drowning in loans, student debt, & fraudulent mortgages.
That our democracy itself is being sold to the highest bidder, while our environment is turned
into just another toxic asset.


This fight for peace, justice, and freedom, is an uphill battle, but Occupy, JWJ, The Portland Alliance,
KBOO, PCASC, and our partners illustrate exhibits how you are not alone. Together we are unstoppable.


Find out how you can pitch in on an existing project or register an action you already have in the works now.

They can steal your job, your home, your freedom, your vote. They can’t steal our ability to dream together.
Refuse to live in fear, believe another world is possible. Register and join us for #S17.
http://s17nyc.org/registration/

-The Portland Alliance Newspaper is a media sponsor for Occupy Wall Street. 

Welcome The revolution continues worldwide!

Greetings,
I am writing to share an interview with Occupy Wall Street activist Cecily McMillan. McMillan suffered a seizure when New York City police officers pulled her from the crowd and arrested her as hundreds attempted to re-occupy Zuccotti Park on Saturday, to mark sixth months since the launch of the movement.

In her first interview since her arrest, McMillan says she has decided to speak out because of an outpouring of public support. "I have received so many emails, Twitter messages and phone calls. People are just horrified about what happened to me." McMillan has a black eye and her body is covered in bruises, at least one in the shape of a handprint. She says she was not allowed to contact an attorney while she was taken to the hospital and transferred to a jail cell along with some of the 72 other detained protesters. Facing charges of police assault and obstructing governmental administration, she was released Monday after a judge denied a request that her bail be set at $20,000.

When you have a chance, please take a moment to watch the interview and read the complete transcripts, which are available at the links below. I have also provided the video embed codes if you would like to share the interviews on your website and social media networks today.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Please let me know if you have any questions.

My Best,
David Salay
Social Media and Online Outreach Intern
Democracy Now

--HEADLINE:
Exclusive: OWS Activist Cecily McMillan Describes Seizure, Bodily Injuries in Arrest by NYPD

DEMOCRACY NOW LINK:
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/3/23/exclusive_ows_activist_cecily_mcmillan_describes

VIDEO EMBED CODE:


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mgMT3MaVvwg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

YOUTUBE:
http://youtu.be/mgMT3MaVvwg
--
David Salay
Social Media and Online Outreach Intern
Democracy Now!
212-431-9090 x 8806
www.democracynow.org
Twitter: @democracynow
Facebook.com/democracynow
Youtube.com/democracynow  
  
Shut Down Corrupt Corporations! Liberate our cities! Take back the Nation!
          http://www.theportlandalliance.org/99PercentMovement    
                           Invitation for Involvement with NOW-DC: 

National Occupation of Washington, DC (NOW-DC), starting March 30, 2012

http://nowdc.org

Dear Friend,


On March 30, 2012, people from across the country will begin to gather for an American Spring in Washington, DC, The National Occupation of Washington, DC (NOW DC), to oppose the corruption of both major parties in conducting U.S. domestic and foreign policies. The Bill of Rights, has been effectively destroyed (NDAA), and the Supreme Court has allowed the Constitution to be perverted. We will unite against a corporate-controlled government which has failed to promote the public well-being.


All organizations who support the vision of the Occupy Movement are invited to show solidarity with this event and to become involved. There are 7 working groups, a listserve and weekly meetings by conference call on InterOccupy.org and in person meetings when possible (alternating locations). Minutes will be posted.  Visit the website and join a working group. Shape this event to be by and for the Occupy Movement.


NOW DC, a month of education, protest and mobilization, will include a Social Forum on April 2-5 and April 10 to 14 to bring together the experience, knowledge and thinking of the 99%. Occupiers from across the country will present workshops on socially relevant areas, including building alliances, political and policy issues, strategies for shifting power from the 1% to the 99% which include building alternative systems, ending wars and militarization, and the strengths and weaknesses of the Occupy movement, as well as concrete descriptions of how to organize communities, hold General Assemblies, live-stream and create your own media and other practical necessities for successful occupations.


We invite your organization to consider being involved with the NOW-DC Social Forum.  Presently, there are four Tracks of Social Forums which are described in here. However, if there is a sufficient response for other areas, additional tracks can be added. Please send your completed forum proposals to Workshops@nowdc.org.  If you are able to return workshop proposals by March 1, that would help us to find space for it.


On April 14 and 15, we will celebrate Occupy Power! with music and arts.


The civil resistance of NOW DC will focus on the power structure in Washington, DC. NOW DC will unite occupations in a focused nonviolent campaign developed by the direct action working group and refined during the first 2 weeks of April to demonstrate to elected officials in Washington, DC, and K Street and corporate interests that the people no longer trust or accept their rule and that a radical transformation to a participatory democracy operating under the rule of law is essential.


We hope you choose to be involved in the next phase of this exciting new social movement to end corporate rule and shift power to the people! 

In peace and solidarity,

The Education and Outreach Working Groups of NOW DC

Contact: workshops@nowdc.org and outreach@nowdc.org.

 Workshop Proposal for

NOW-DC SOCIAL FORUM, 2012

at National Occupation of Washington, D.C. (NOW DC)

http://nowdc.org

April 3- 5, April 10-14, 2012

Washington, DC

Workshop Track (and explanation if this is a new track):

Which track do you think your workshop fits into?

Or do you recommend a new track?

Workshop Title:

Workshop Proposal (please provide all of this information or as much detail as possible)


Workshop Facilitator(s):

First name(s)

Last name(s)

Contact Details

Duration

Affiliation

WHEN CAN YOU OFFER YOUR WORKSHOP? 

I can offer my workshop in NOW DC Social Forum, Part 1: April 3-5, 2012

I can offer my workshop in NOW DC Social Forum, Part 2: April 10-13, 2012

I can offer my workshop multiple times during Phase 1 and Phase 2

Occupation/Institution/ Organization/ University

City

State

Country

Any particular needs


--

Margaret Flowers M.D.

Congressional Fellow

Physicians for a National Health Program

410-591-0892

mdpnhp@gmail.com

www.md.pnhp.org

nowdc.org

About

OccupyWallSt.org is the unofficial de facto online resource for the growing occupation movement happening on Wall Street and around the world. We're an affinity group committed to doing technical support work for resistance movements. We're not a subcommittee of the NYCGA nor affiliated with Adbusters, anonymous or any other organization.

Occupy Wall Street is a people-powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. #ows is fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations. The movement is inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, and aims to fight back against the richest 1% of people that are writing the rules of an unfair global economy that is foreclosing on our future.

The occupations around the world are being organized using a non-binding consensus based collective decision making tool known as a "people's assembly". To learn more about how to use this process to organize your local community to fight back against social injustice, please read this quick guide on group dynamics in people's assemblies.

What do we stand for?

Here are some documents published in New York that have been well received by the movement:

Solidarity Forever!
For More info on the Alliance Server...
Breaking News Occupy 2012...
http://www.theportlandalliance.org/occupation