news-record.com

Skip to the site menu
Skip to search

NEWS

Occupy protesters look for new campsite

Monday, October 17, 2011
(Updated Thursday, October 20 - 6:41 am)
By Taft Wireback
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO — The neophyte Occupy Greensboro movement has a secure downtown campsite through Friday and is hunting another location to continue its protest for the long haul.

A day after staging a 600-person march through town protesting financial inequities, about 200 campers and part-time demonstrators agreed by unanimous consent Sunday evening to pursue other tactics, including the possible picketing of the Proximity Hotel where they expect President Barack Obama to stay tonight during his two-day visit to North Carolina and Virginia.

The group voted to ask Obama to meet tonight with some members — a delegation bearing letters of “individual grievances.”

“We wished to invite you to visit with our assembly and hear why the people gathered here are upset with our government,” the letter said.

The group spent part of Sunday discussing ways of growing their movement, formed locally last week to express support for and kinship with the Occupy Wall Street initiative.

Part of the Greensboro group camped out Saturday night in about 30 tents clustered on YWCA property, where it has permission to stay through Friday.

More returned throughout the day, meeting in small groups at Festival Park to discuss social and political issues.

“Hopefully, I’m witnessing the start of a major movement. I’m praying for it,” said Eric Osborne, 45, a Stokesdale resident who was helping serve the communal evening meal of vegetarian chili.

Several uniformed police officers looked on from the edge of the park. Members of the group said they have had no run-ins with the officers.

In the meeting that lasted more than an hour Sunday evening, the group agreed that a logistics subcommittee should seek another place to pitch tents after the agreement with the YWCA expires.

Occupy Greensboro member Ed Whitfield told the group it would be better to find a place owned by a church or other sympathetic property owner rather than to simply “occupy” a place at will.

“Typically, occupations are shorter lived” because authorities oust protesters from places where they are considered to be trespassing, said Whitfield, a veteran peace activist. “We want a place we can be for a period of time.”

The group agreed to recruit additional marchers for a possible march on the downtown Bank of America building Tuesday afternoon.

Contact Taft Wireback at 373-7100 or taft.wireback@news-record.com

Accompanying Photos

Nelson Kepley

Photo Caption: Abbe Pass of Greensboro joins other demonstrators during an Occupy Greensboro march through downtown.

Comments

View Comments

This article has been closed to new comments. Comments are generally closed after 14 days. However, comments may be closed earlier at the discretion of the News & Record.

Inappropriate content? Please report abuse.

Hyatt

October 17, 2011 - 8:23 am EDT

There is place off of White Street where they could go occupy..... just sayin.

JRL2

October 17, 2011 - 8:33 am EDT

That wouldn't be fair to the people that live on White Street. Putting that trash out there on them.

katei

October 20, 2011 - 12:43 am EDT

I, sirs, am not trash. I'm fulfilling my civic duty. Agree or not--there's no reason to be nasty,

JRL2

October 17, 2011 - 8:30 am EDT

These kind of groups of people is absolutely ridiculous.

Get Real

October 17, 2011 - 1:45 pm EDT

"These kind of groups" are what won the right for you to have a weekend.

itsjustron

October 17, 2011 - 2:20 pm EDT

I'm pretty sure Saturday and Sunday would be included in the 7 days of the week without any protest movement.

nemo0037

October 17, 2011 - 2:25 pm EDT

Seriously? What do you know about the labor movement and what life was like in America for workers before labor unions came along?

itsjustron

October 17, 2011 - 2:32 pm EDT

Seriously? I worked for decades in the coal industry before getting into engineering, my father worked for 30 years in then prior to that, and prior to that my grandfather did. I know all about labor group and unions, and I can be thankful for adding a level of safety and fighting for workers rights at times when most people could care less. However, THAT is not now, and THEY were advocating for safety and a livable wage, and most of all REAL money, not company paper.

They were not advocating to have 60,000 in student loan debt wiped out.

Longview1

October 17, 2011 - 8:33 am EDT

The headline picture says a lot for what is the problem with a undefined "movement" such as the "occupy" movement. The lady is 60 thousand in debt because SHE made the decision to go in debt, not other people who made decisions for her. We all need to remember no matter how bad the goverment is or how greedy "Wall Street Is" we are responsible for our own decisions. When we take on debt we take on risk. She does not speak for the entire movement which has positive aspects as well. If this is just a movement to get someone else to pay for our own decisions it is unjust itself.

mamaboilermaker

October 17, 2011 - 8:42 am EDT

I thought the same when I saw that sign! If I were stupid enough to take on that much debt in a bad economy, I wouldn't want to advertise it. Better to choose an affordable school, live at home or go part time as you can pay for it. Better yet, get good grades and get scholarships; study hard and test out of classes where possible; get into a co-op program and work while you learn....

Getting a big, fat student loan is the least creative and most dangerous way to pay for college. If you are smart enough to benefit from college, you should be smart enough to find scholarships, deliver pizzas, or graduate early--or do all the above for maximum savings!

Of course I'm sure all that sounds like a lot of hard work.

katei

October 20, 2011 - 12:57 am EDT

I chose an affordable school, I live cheaply--my father is dead, my mom a constantly recovering addict--their support was not an option. I've never driven a nice car or collect technology, I got good grades. I got a scholarship. I did work-study, I worked full-time. AND I STILL HAD TO ACCRUE LOANS!!! (not $60,000 for sure, but enough to make me worry.)

To mention graduating early or testing out of classes as options to save money reveals your disconnect with the pursuit of higher ed as these options simply no longer exist.

Yes--kids accrue loans in an irresponsible fashion, but not all of us chained with debt are in this position due to a lack of smarts or creativity. And to dismiss us as such is insulting to say the least.

JRL2

October 17, 2011 - 8:57 am EDT

This movement reeks with Socialism. They want someone who payed the price to have their own business, then force them GIVE a share of it to them. I built my own Business and it took me years of hard work,my family done without many weeks while we were building the business, many times my employees got pay when I didn't get a penny.My employees, material bills, insurance ect was payed first. It took awhile before we could get a check every week. I am not going to take my hard earned money and give it to a bunch of lazy people who just want a hand out. There were times when we could have use the food stamps and other programs but we chose to take side jobs, odd jobs, minimum wage jobs rather than accept give away programs. I am not oposed to them if a family really needs them UNTIL they can get on their feet. But to make these give away programs a way of life and expect me to give to them, I am against.

pixelpusher

October 17, 2011 - 9:43 am EDT

JRL2, you, my friend, are becoming the exception, not the norm in this country.

What most people, including these protestors, don't realize, is that success comes from hard work and SACRIFICE.

And by your comment, you sacrificed so that others could live their lives while you put yours on hold. BRAVO.

As for the woman with the $60K in debt sign...no, I can't relate to you. It seems you made some poor life decisions and now you have to live with the consequences. It is not my responsibility to take part of my hard earned money to get you out of debt. Nor is it Wal-Mart's problem, or Exxon's problem or General Electric's problem.

People like JRL2 give me a glimmer of hope for this country...

tledford

October 17, 2011 - 10:12 am EDT

Online dictionaries are free. I suggest you look up the word "socialism" instead of throwing it around in situations where it doesn't apply.

The N&R comments are the best place I know of online to see ignorance on display. When I'm in a certain frame of mind, it is hilarious. When I'm in a different frame of mind, it is depressing.

JRL2

October 17, 2011 - 10:19 am EDT

I think you're the one that needs to study Socialism and it's meaning...These can help you understand...
http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Socialism.html
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism

tledford

October 17, 2011 - 11:57 am EDT

What about Occupy Greensboro is socialist?

Traveler

October 17, 2011 - 12:41 pm EDT

Government re-distribting wealth through taxing successful people (over $30,000 income) and giving it to those who have less is socialism.

nemo0037

October 17, 2011 - 2:35 pm EDT

And who in the Occupy movement is pushing for a "redistribution of wealth"? People have seen their chances to earn a decent living, to save up for a secure retirement blown to the winds by bankers and executives who continued to get millions in unearned bonuses after 20% of the nation's wealth VANISHED, because of their gambling and unmonitored greed. Those who lost their livelihoods because of those disasters are upset over a lot of things. To pretend that they "want to redistribute wealth" is just ignoring the reality of the pain around you, and an insult to all the working people who suffer for no fault of their own.

axelskater

October 17, 2011 - 1:43 pm EDT

Perhaps they refer to the fact that the Socialist Party has a staffed table full of literature and a list of demands on posterboard at the occupation, Lefdord.....

work ethic

October 17, 2011 - 9:20 am EDT

I agree with JRL2......this movement is just a way that people who have been given things their entire lives can try and continue to reap the rewards of hard working Americans. I work 4 jobs and relish the fact that I pay my bills without a handout. This OCCUPY movement is completely and utterly a drain on the resources of the cities that it habitates........Oh and by the way OCCUPY people I am just as mad about the 17 percent APR that I have on my credit card as well but I made the choice to open it up and I am going to pay for it.

wilmoo13

October 17, 2011 - 9:28 am EDT

What a bunch of losers. I loved the sign that one guy had about economic inequality. What he wants is for Obama to take your money and give it to him so that he will be equal. Didn't they try that in the USSR?

newkid

October 17, 2011 - 2:43 pm EDT

Thanks for labeling everyone...yeah, we're losers (and so are you). We are all losing in a country where a tiny few hold most of the wealth and influence. We're losing when jobs are shipped overseas. We're losing when our legislators are bought-and-sold by corporate donations. We're losing when the government dumps billions into sinkholes like Afghanistan, but returning vets can't find work. We're losing when banks get bailouts and investment houses are "too big to fail", but the average citizen gets no relief when he or she starts to fail....

Bosco

October 17, 2011 - 10:09 am EDT

Why is this story under "Business News"?

General Greensboro

October 17, 2011 - 10:30 am EDT

Because whoever posted this story overnight checked the "Business, Economy and Finance" box.

The OWS stories are tangentially about all three, but this isn't really a business story in the corporate earnings/store closing sense.

GG

Bosco

October 17, 2011 - 10:17 am EDT

Does Ed Whitfield have any other occupation other than "veteran peace activist"? Could he be another community organizer, a noble occupation that other medicine men have ridden to greated heights

TravKM

October 17, 2011 - 12:26 pm EDT

He retired from Lorillard a few years ago.

GJP7231

October 17, 2011 - 10:29 am EDT

Both the Government and Wall Streets’ role in the financial crisis is well known and has been debated ad nauseam. It’s time for the American consumer to own-up to his/her role. We’ve been borrowing incessantly— living off and believing in the wealth effect (e.g. dot-com bubble and then real estate) for far too long. It only took 35+ years, but in the 3rd quarter of 2008, Americans finally began saving more and spending less. As of 2007 household debt climbed to 130% of income (it was only 60% in the early 80s). We have enjoyed living way beyond our means for far too long. The party is over. Unfortunately for many, all of the chairs were taken when the music finally stopped.

rooster8786

October 17, 2011 - 12:03 pm EDT

"“Hopefully, I’m witnessing the start of a major movement. I’m praying for it,” said Eric Osborne, 45, a Stokesdale resident who was helping serve the communal evening meal of vegetarian chili."
Eric, may I suggest Metamucil or EXLAX, both will help you with your major movement...

Danie

October 17, 2011 - 1:10 pm EDT

So I read her sign, and I interpret that she believes those in power have a distance from her true concerns and issues. What part of the sign is she asking for money or a loan forgivness.

camera lens

October 17, 2011 - 1:28 pm EDT

not certain about this specific lady and her sign.....but the OWS in NYC had as one of their list of demands....that all student loan debt be erased and/or free higher education for everyone.

12next ›last »

eMail Updates

Learn More
Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Featured Ads

Search

Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Advertisement | Advertise with Us

News & Record Network Sites

User Tools

  • Social Networking
  • RSS
  • Share
  • Sign in to MyNR

Search