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UPDATED: Occupy Tucson Day 1: Peace, justice, protest, and music (videos)

by on Oct. 16, 2011, under Arizona, democracy, downtown, jobs, national debt, Politics, Trickle Down Economics, Tucson
CREDIT: Pamela Powers
CAPTION: Occupy Tucson, Day 1

The Occupation of Tucson (and dozens of other cities, including Phoenix) began yesterday, October 15, 2011. Early in the day, as many as 500 people came to Armory Park, south of downtown, to protest corporate control of the US government, to demand an end to our corrupt corporate-financed election system, to advocate for jobs, healthcare, and housing for the 99%, and to send a wake-up call to our do-nothing Congress.

People of all ages marched into downtown and back to the park around midday, while some peacefully took their protest into the Tucson Meet Yourself event, taking place in and around the city’s center.

Occupy Tucson was well organized with music, a kitchen, and several tents. According to the Arizona Daily Star, approximately 150 camped out over night. Some protesters were arrested in Tucson and Phoenix, according to the Star.

Here is a loneprotestor video showing the march from Armory Park to downtown (and the edge of Tucson Meet Yourself).

CREDIT: loneprotestor
CAPTION: Meet Occupy Tucson

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 16th, 2011 at 3:09 pm and is filed under Arizona, democracy, downtown, jobs, national debt, Politics, Trickle Down Economics, Tucson. Tags for this post: , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • Carolyn Classen

    I stopped by Armory Park about 11 a.m. and it seemed like 800 people were there, including former Councilmembers Steve Leal and Molly McKasson.  Later at 2:30 p.m. the crowd had dwindled down to about half that, but there were still speakers & music.

    • http://tucsoncitizen.com/tucson-progressive pamela

      Yes, Carolyn, there was a much larger crowd earlier in the day. Jim said the march into downtown was inspiring. I took a wrong turn at the Snake Bridge (long story) and got there after 1 pm. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds locally.

      Too bad there is so little interest in this movement from our current elected officials.

  • Eric Slyter

    It was great to go out on the first march yesterday.  Unending thanks to those who accepted citations and arrests and camped out last night.  You are the anchors of our branch of the movement in Tucson.

    • Carolyn Classen

      I witnessed about 50 Occupy Tucsonans marching through downtown about an hour ago, then returning to Armory Park.  Attorney Paul Gattone told me that 40 individuals were “cited & released” last night for staying/camping beyond 10:30 p.m. One of them was Green Mayoral candidate Mary DeCamp, whom I just spoke to. Many are staying there tonight as well.  About 6 – 8 Tucson police officers are observing right now.

  • Matthew Ribarich

    Why aren’t the same people that want others to pay for their Student loans protesting the 900 days that the democratically run Senate hasn’t passed a Budget, which is required of them? We were in DC when crowds of close to 100,000 had no arrests and left no trash. Hmmm different agendas, different values and different groups!

  • K. Lin

    Good job spreading a known cultists website and music.  You feature prominenetly in your video the followers of Gabriel of  Urantia (aka Tony Devlin).  He was there too, but not on the video.  He proclaims himself a messiah, although you have to get to their compound in Tumacacori, AZ.  before the weirdness and mind control games begin.   Along with giving up all your worldly goods to Mr. Devlin cum Micheal Nadon, the saviour of many planets, he decides who mates with whom and who will raise your children.  All family who are not part of the cult are not permitted contact with the  cultists.  Btw, at the height of the real estate madness their cults property (in Sedona and Tubac) was estimated to be worth 80 million.
    The fact you show one of their websites prominently in the video is more problematic than just using their music (although they were only there for 3 hours and other musicians were there much longer).  I hope you realize they only came to recruit people to their cult.  They carried no protest signs, but made sure everyone knew how to contact them, and in fact invited all who would listen to come to their little version of Jim Jones’ Guyanna.  Maybe you could re -edit that video to more accurately represent the 99% than something that promotes millionaire cultists.

    • Fraser007

      The UFO’s have landed. They are among us.

  • http://microdermabrasion-reviewpros.com Wesley Mavins

    The last few moments sum up what Occupy Wall Street is all about – “end corporate welfare” and “end corporate control of the government”.  I’m puzzled how anyone could argue that this movement is not a good thing.

  • Ernie McCray

    I had a good time, stepped away briefly from my 55th THS reunion, listened to some nice music, talked to some hip people, looked over at the Children’s Museum and got taken back to when it was the library of my youth, a refuge from the outer world and all its games. What a wonderful event. Thank you, my dear home town. And as my generation would say: “Power to the People!” with Sly and the Family Stone or somebody playing in the background. It’s got to be funky! And Occupy Tucson was that and mucho mas.

  • mojo

    Best sign there: “Government regulated by the PEOPLE, not by more government.”  The SEC knew about Bernie Madoff, they just chose not to do anything. They knew about Goldman Sachs’ “synthetic” CDO’s, but they did nothing and used our money to pay off $85 billion in rich people’s CDO bets.
     
    The right AND the left should be able to agree that our government is owned by special interests on both sides, and the highest bidder is getting what they want, all the time.  And until we demand integrity from ALL politicians – not just the ones you don’t agree with -  we’ll see more of the same.

  • Nerka

    I had a sign dat sed “Gib muh Free Munny Check”
     
    Noamsayn?

    • Ernie McCray

      Naw. Wot choo be sayin’?

    • http://pointmantucson.yuku.com/ Michael Patrick Brewer

      That would be your hoochemamma at Citi-Group eh?

    • leftfield

      “Noamsayn?”

      Near as I can tell, it translates to: “Cracker”.  I don’t find this to be this least bit amusing, but it is educational.

  • http://pointmantucson.yuku.com/ Michael Patrick Brewer

    Since Herman Cain believes that the average American can just go to their Church for help with health care needs, it seems appropriate to have an Occupy Your Church Day for all those with no health care. We would like to start with Holy Herman’s church.
    And for the 17% unemployment rate amongst OEF/ OIF veterans, maybe he could just gift them a Godfather Pizza franchise, so they can pull themselves up by the cheese straps, and pay the approximately $1600.oo a month tab for health care for a family of 5.  That would be my son and grandsons monthly nut.

    • Ernie McCray

      Hey, Michael, you are telling it like it is, “keeping it real,” as they say today. Keep the faith.

  • JUST LIKE GREECE

    The late great Presidential candidate and Gov. Wallace (I) Alabama said it best-
    “These folks know a lot of four lettter words; but not a couple- “Soap” and “work”.
    RIP   

    • Ernie McCray

      So it’s obvious you weren’t there with such a characterization.

    • leftfield

      I think the most important four-letter word that people would like to get reacquainted with is “hope”.   “Jobs” is another one. 

      You can dismiss and disparage the protestors easily enough, just as “The Gub’ner” dismissed and disparaged the civil rights movement.  Maybe you will be remembered, as he is, as someone who stood in the doorway, trying to block people seeking equality and freedom; someone who was then run over and left behind as a relic of history.

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The Tucson Progressive

Pamela Powers Hannley writes the Tucson Progressive blog on the TucsonCitizen.com and contributes articles to the Huffington Post and Salon.com. She has had more than 30 years of experience in written, visual, and electronic communication—including freelance writing, photography, graphic design, and consulting. In addition to blogging for the Citizen, she is the Managing Editor of an international medical research journal.

Hannley has authored medical research articles, print magazine and newspaper stories, and numerous cancer prevention and self-help publications.

She has been a blogger since 2006, joined the ranks of Tucson Citizen bloggers in October 2010, and started contributing to the Huffington Post in 2011 and to Salon.com in 2012.

Hannley holds a masters’ degree in public health from The University of Arizona and a bachelors’ degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a native of Amherst, Ohio but has lived in Tucson since 1981.