5.25.2013
5.15.2013
5.14.2013
5.12.2013
5.11.2013
5.10.2013
$810 - The Finest Democracy Money Can Buy
I've been seeing these great flyers popping up for the New Orleans May 25 March Against Monsanto. They made me happy because I remember when I first noticed the organizers of this march discussing it on Facebook. The Occupy NOLA General Assembly reached out to them via Facebook and offered support but never received a response.
Now, the people organizing the NOLA March Against Monsanto New Orleans have found out that NOPD requires $810 to march in the streets of New Orleans.
I would love to know what Mayor Landrieu is going to do with the $810 the city requires for NOLA March Against Monsanto if the organizers come up with it.
Given my current situation involving criticism for having a march without a permit in support of live music venues and a local dog park, it seems necessary to clarify that I am not criticizing the organizers for applying for a permit. They took the time to organize the march and worked really hard and obviously feel more comfortable marching with a permit, which is better than not marching at all. I plan to attend the event.
However, aside from being morally opposed to applying for permits because the First Amendment is our permit, some groups will not be able to get permits for marches when the cost is as outrageous as the figure given to the Monsanto group or even significantly less. The least heard voices often belong to those who also do not have enough money to pay the city to listen to them, which is usually part of the problem to begin with.
The organizers of March Against Monsanto NOLA have a donation link in their Facebook event if anyone wants to donate. I've been encouraging people to donate to them because I know how it feels to work hard and not have money and support. But part of me feels like the permit is the equivalent to "The finest democracy money can buy."
That's not really my issue though.
What alarms me is that the organizers think the permit was necessary because Occupy had too many problems with the police.
I don't know where they got that idea about Occupy NOLA because Occupy NOLA has not had problems with the police at protests or marches. A march and an encampment that lasts weeks are hardly the same thing, and Occupy NOLA's encampment had barely any issues with NOPD aside from the eviction.
Said one person who was at the Occupy NOLA encampment prior to my involvement: "Actually, the permit is for a parade. During my time in the ONO encampment, I learned that the NOPD will not shut down a protest. Despite everything else they do, they seem to respect first amendment demonstrations. If anyone was told they needed a permit, it was a lie. Most likely it was an attempt to discourage the action."
I feel like I have utterly failed at documenting Occupy NOLA, which is what I set out to do when I got involved. There were a total of 2 arrests that were Occupy related during the first nine months of Occupy NOLA, and both took place at the encampment, not at marches or protests.
I would go so far as to argue that the lack of police interaction with Occupy NOLA contributed to its demise as far as getting any media attention or local support was concerned. In Oakland and other places the police beat Occupy into submission. Here, the city government just ignored and ignored Occupy until people went away. Now, emerging activists seem to have somehow ended up thinking that the police were involved in the unraveling of Occupy NOLA and are scrambling to pay $810 to protest.
This comes at an interesting time as Bywater Rising addresses backlash for having un-permitted marches supporting live music. I hope some individuals (not the Monsanto organizers who are just trying to pay for a permit and not harassing anyone) see how much a permit is costing the Monsanto organizers and stop harassing people who don't want permits.
People should be able to plan marches with or without permits and not fight about it.I seriously want people to be aware of this price and remember it the next time someone starts criticizing someone who has a march without a permit. It is simply not possible for the people to pay this much money to address ALL their grievances.
Finally, people who do not want to apply for permits should not be abused, harassed and accused of trying to "get everyone arrested" because: Congress shall make no law... abridging...the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.
NOTE: My livestreams of Occupy NOLA protests have posted to this blog for over a year. I have attended almost every single demonstration proposed at the Occupy NOLA General Assembly since the arrest that occurred during the eviction of the Occupy NOLA encampment. The only Occupy-related New Orleans police activity involving an arrest at a demonstration at a march/protest occurred on November 15th when I was arrested along with a few others at a TarSands protest that was not even organized by Occupy. That arrest was orchestrated by an undercover state police officer working detail on the door of the Roosevelt Hotel, not the NOPD. The NOPD could have arrested and/or detained people at Occupy NOLA demonstrations on several occasions and chose not to.
NOTE: My livestreams of Occupy NOLA protests have posted to this blog for over a year. I have attended almost every single demonstration proposed at the Occupy NOLA General Assembly since the arrest that occurred during the eviction of the Occupy NOLA encampment. The only Occupy-related New Orleans police activity involving an arrest at a demonstration at a march/protest occurred on November 15th when I was arrested along with a few others at a TarSands protest that was not even organized by Occupy. That arrest was orchestrated by an undercover state police officer working detail on the door of the Roosevelt Hotel, not the NOPD. The NOPD could have arrested and/or detained people at Occupy NOLA demonstrations on several occasions and chose not to.
5.09.2013
Renovations to Markey Park include absurd amount of Shrubbery. #SaveMarkeyPark
On May 7, a number of advocates for an off-leash dog area in Markey Park appealed to NORDC yet again regarding the renovations to Markey Park that have not included the community's wishes to have an off-leash dog area. They received the same argument from NORDC that kids come before dogs. However, Wisner Park is getting a dog run, despite statements that dogs will never be allowed or legal in NORDC facilities.
Members of Save Markey Park continue to engage NORDC at the highest levels by meeting with them regarding changing zoning, identifying spaces, and reviewing the budget. Markey Park is not even included in NORDC's new budget.
Currently, Markey Park's renovations include an alarming amount of shrubbery which make large portions of the park unusable. The park appears to be a place developers and relators can show off to potential byers. A more usable park would cost money to maintain.
NORDC has the gall to say they will not take parks away from children, but the shrubs are not child-friendly. Most of the shaded area in the park is filled with shrubbery, and people, dogs, and children will not be able to exercise or rest in shrubs.
Here is a video with commentary regarding the renovations.
5.07.2013
Free The Music Parade - Justice Fest 2013
Justice Fest replaced the Sacred Shrine of Jon Bon Jovi located near the entrance of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival this year, but the neighborhood was not lacking in shrines.
Devoted to Billy Joel, the first shrine to pop up on Maurepas Street in 2013 made its debut on April 26, 2013 across the street from Justice Fest! The “We Didn’t Start The Fire Shrine” survived the first weekend’s rain and lasted the duration of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Meanwhile, at the Fortin Street Stage, The Shrine of the Holy Triad (located on the 3000 block of Fortin Street) invited pedestrians to “Stop & light a josh stick & share the Jazz Love.”
Next came the Fleetwood Mac “Don’t Stop Dreams” Shrine near Sauvage, created by the residents who made the Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Shrine in 2011 and The Bruce Springsteen Shrine to the Common Man in 2012.
However, the Fleetwood Mac Shrine was not able to occupy the doorway of what was for years an abandoned storefront. The building on the corner of Sauvage and Maurepas was perfect for stuffing a couple of ATMs in the wall during the first weekend, despite the gaping hole in what was once a window.
During the second weekend of Jazz Fest, an art gallery replaced the ATMs, which was much nicer. This building is owned by Mark Landrieu, brother of Mayor Landrieu.
The abandoned phone booth that remains attached to the building once housed the 2012 Jazz Fest Shrine to Saint Clare. Saint Clare is the patron saint of telephones, and the phone booth shrine served as a reminder to drivers to be more careful when leaving Jazz Fest.
It was created in loving memory of Guadalupe, the curator of the Bon Jovi Shrine’s Chihuahua, who was killed by a speeding car in 2011.
The shrines of 2012 were decidedly more serious, including a shrine to MCA Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys after his death.
Other shrines that have appeared since the Bon Jovi Shrine’s spontaneous eruption in 2009 include The Fortin Street Stage’s Shrine of Sun Ra Shrine in 2011 and the 2011 Richie Sambora Recovery Grotto.
During Friday’s stencil party, we invited the neighborhood to stencil “Shell Hell” images.
Saturday’s main event focused on sending mail to political prisoners, and a friend of justice donated vintage Jazz Fest postcards, which people stopped to write.
Both Saturday and Sunday included DIY Rainbow Crossing Chalk parties. DIY Rainbow Crossings are chalk rainbows drawn globally to show solidarity with the removal of a rainbow pedestrian crossing in the heart of Sydney Australia’s gay and lesbian district.
We soon drew chalk rainbows all over the neighborhood, so people could follow the rainbows to Justice Fest.
Musicians stopped by to play music or ask about the Free The Music Parade scheduled for Sunday.
We first planned this parade when two musicians came to Justice Fest and asked if we could have a march similar to the Bywater Rising march that took place on April 25.
Musicians planning to play in the streets surrounding Jazz Fest felt Sunday evening would be the best time to play, and the two marches book-ended Jazz Fest nicely.
On Sunday, as we prepared for the parade, we got word that the Seahorse Saloon on Gentilly Boulevard was being barred from having lie music pending a Mayorality Permit. After confirming this, we decided the Free The Music Parade should end at the Seahorse.
Advocates for Jimmy’s Music Club, a long-time New Orleans institution that has been denied an alcohol permit, arrived for the Free The Music parade with a "Bring Back Jimmy's Music Club" banner.
Local businessman Jimmy Anselmo was ready to march to protest the city's denying him the opportunity to operate his local live music venue. Read more here.
We were delighted that Skinz N Bonez participated. Although they’d been playing at Jazz Fest for hours, they rested for a few minutes and were ready to march!
Supporters
of live music venues and musicians gathered for a rally at which Justin
Warren and Jimmy Anselmo spoke about city crack-down on live music
venues, buskers, artists, and the gentrification that's threatening our
very culture.
We then marched with our Shell Hell flag, instruments, banners, bikes, and signs, those of us without instruments blowing whistles and singing “Free The Music” and “Free Jimmy’s!”
We paraded down Fortin and the Coco Robicheaux Shrine, wound through the neighborhood, and ended at the Seahorse Saloon.
The idea behind “Free The Music” and “Bywater Rising” did not end with the march.
As Justin Warren said “This fight will not end with this demonstration; this fight must be taken to City Hall. Public officials need to start feeling the same pressure that they have made us feel. Tomorrow, we will roll up our sleeves, put our heads together, and start making some changes. We will get online, gauge our desires, and start holding community meetings to discuss what needs to be done to stop this attack on our livelihoods. But today we dance.”
SAVE JIMMY'S: Grant the permit petition
Thanks everyone who came by our Justice Fest! We hope to see you all soon!
5.06.2013
5.05.2013
5.02.2013
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