OCCUPY OLYMPIA BEGAN TODAY

Excerpts from:

Hundreds gather for Occupy Olympia
By Lisa Pemberton

OLYMPIA – Some people brought homemade signs with messages such as “Corporations are not people and money is not free speech.”

Others brought camping gear.

Occupy Olympia began Saturday afternoon in Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia...

Organizers estimated that hundreds gathered for a noontime rally sponsored by the Olympia Chapter of MoveOn.Org. According to Washington State Patrol spokesman Trooper Guy Gill, about 100 people stayed after the park was closed at 7 p.m.

Olympia’s event was organized by a collective made up of activists from numerous groups. Volunteers worked to provide many of the behind-the-scenes services for demonstrators such as food, childcare, first-aid care, legal services and shelter-building.

“There’s no single organizing force,” said Audrey Daye, who helped run a first aid station. “Everyone who wants to have a voice has one.”

Leslie Tikka, 42, of Olympia, described the national movement as “an awakening” to corporate greed. “It doesn’t matter what people are saying; they’re being aware, they’re waking up,” she said.

Joan McKinney of Olympia, sat in a camping chair and waved a sign to motorists driving on Capitol Way South that read “Save Social Security for Our Children.”

She said she’s been following Occupy Wall Street, and she’s tired of all of the political decisions that are eliminating the middle class.

At age 74, Occupy Olympia was McKinney’s first-ever protest. “I decided it was important enough, I’d better get out here,” she said.

Link to complete article:
http://www.theolympian.com/2011/10/15/1839844/hundreds-gather-for-occupy-olympia.html

SHELTON BLOG NOTE:

Link to Occupy Olympia website:
occupyolympia.org

Link to Occupy Wall Street website:
act.credoaction.com/campaign/ows