Occupy Protester to Oakland City Council: “We coordinated an attack on you. You’re supporting [the 1%]. If you keep doing this, think about the consequences, OK?"

Oakland City Council...censor this: Flip your anti-American resolution!!!!! We will not be silenced!

Last night the Oakland City Council alarmingly entertained the idea of giving the Oakland Police and General Attorney the power to enforce police brutality, assault the First Amendment of free speech and suppress the Occupy movement. Knowing that the good and fair people of this land will not stand for this police state proposal, they decided to pass on it, for now….

The scary thing is that some actually voted in favor of it! They promised to revisit the proposal though, so the Occupy movement will be planning a rebuttal to this deliberate attack on their freedom of speech and right to peacefully assemble.

In true censorship fashion, the city council attempted to deny comments for those opposing the bill, which included many Occupy protesters, patriots and aware Americans in attendance.

Occupy Oakland's Barucha Peller, who helped organize the port brigade, was determined not to allow her voice to be silenced by the bureaucrats in the room who were embarrassed of the truth of the situation, spoke out WITHOUT the PERMISSION of the protectors of the 1 percent.

She tells the nervous and bought and sold council (as resported by the SF Gate):

“You coordinated national attacks on the Occupy movement,” Occupy Oakland protester Barucha Peller forcefully told the council, as members of the audience cheered her on. “So you know what we did? We coordinated an attack on you and we shut down ports up and down the West Coast and coordinated an attack on the 1 percent, who you’re supporting. So if you keep on doing this, think about the consequences, OK?"

Exactly! America has been attacked by Big Banks and we are all suffering the consequences of a government who is being controlled by these Wall St crime lords. Absolutely NOT will we lie down and let cities, states and the country pass laws to restrict and silence us. We will speak out.

As a native Californian, I’m saddened that the proposal was even suggested. Let yesterday be another wakeup call that the 1 percent is getting very worried of our uprising, and rightfully so. They are now sinking to such anti-American and drastic measures as to try to outlaw protests and freedom of speech.

To the writers of this Oakland anti-First Amendment resolution, councilmembers Ignacio De La Fuente (District 5) and Libby Schaaf (District 4)----censor this:

 Flip Off! You sell outs! Who are you protecting? Why did the people vote for you in the first place? Join us, or get out of the way because a real democracy is coming to a council near you!

Ashley Love's Stance on the Occupy Wall Street Drumming Circle Controversy: This is a Protest, Not a Picnic!

Recently the blogosphere, local and national newspapers have had a field day vilifying and misrepresenting the drumming circle of Occupy Wall Street. Many of these media outlets amused themselves by singling me out as a dart board, not to mention comitting libel.

I spoke at a community board meeting last week opposing the attempted constriction and free speech infringment of the OWS drumming circle. I made a point of clarification when the OWS Community Affairs rep made the mistake of telling the community board that the drummers agreed to drum only two hours, when infact we drummers had concensous on four hours.The following day I was misquoted by the site Mother Jones and The Village Voice. The MJ misquote went viral. Since then blog-roaches and ill-politically motivated parties have continued to misquote, misconstrue and cyber-bully me.

All this because many refuse to beat to the toxic drum of hypocrites, shady politcians, classist pseudo-activists and those in the 99% who are actually doing the bidding for the 1%.

There have been reports of anti-drummer/anti-hippie sentiment, sexism, racism and hierarchy creating entities at the OWS NY camp and certain working groups. As someone who has been at Zuccotti Park regularly for the last few wwek, I and many others I know there can testify that these reports are not without merit.

So I wanted to make the following statement so that things are clear and accurate on where I stand on the drumming circle controversy.

Back in southern California, where I was born and raised, on many Sundays I would participate in the Venus beach drum circle, which drew hundreds of people. It was like going to church for me, a spiritual outlet with a diverse fellowship. Drumming is revered and central to many indigenous cultures and faith communities, including my own Native American, Hispanic and African ancestors.

Disappointedly, I’ve noticed in some Western cultures drummers are belittled as “degenerate hippies”, though there is nothing “degenerate” in how hippies catapulted the anti-war movement in the 60’s and launched a tidal wave of peace signs, health conscious living and green initiatives.

They call us drummers “rebels without causes”, when in fact we are very much artists WITH a cause. Many drummers I know in the Occupy Wall St. drum circle, some professionals, some amateurs, play drums as a form of non-violent protest, as well as a celebratory expression of the inspirational coming together of diverse groups of people who share a common goal: People before Profit.

Drummers are essential to the OWS movement because they are the pulse of the home camp, bring in hundreds in donations daily and because artistic and free expression should be protected.

The OWS General Assembly gave consensus on Monday night that four hours for drumming is fair. The majority of the drummers agreed with this arrangement because we want to be good neighbors.

The local community board would prefer only two hours allotted to us, but they need to understand that we are fighting corporate greed and corruption not just for the well-being of ourselves, but for the board members, their children and for all of the 99%.

This is a protest, not a picnic.

We need to stop beating to the tyrannical drum of the 1% by submitting to fear, unjust laws and misinformation. It’s time to march to the authentic drum of humanity and save this economy and environment from Big Corporation bullying and Wall St Crime lords before it’s too late!

Beat that drum, and beat it loudly!