Anyone accused of assault at an Occupy Worcester event or known sex offenders who cause concern within the group can be banned by the General Assembly of Occupy Worcester.
Approved by GA on January 12, 1012:
Read the minutes from the GA
No one participating or commenting on our online forums will be banned for criticizing or expressing another point of view. With that being said however, we will have NO tolerance for hate or threatening speech of any kind. Including, but not limited to; insults or derogatory remarks targeting a specific class, race, sexual orientation, religion, etc. Sexually inflammatory remarks and/or statements that incite violence or hatred of any kind. Continued abusive and/or disruptive comments or actions will not be tolerated. Comments or actions such as these will be subject to deletion and the user subject to banning from Occupy Worcester's online forums.
We are posting submissions from individuals and other Occupy related groups, whose views do not necessarily reflect those of Occupy Worcester as a whole. We feel it is important to hear individual voices and the concerns of a variety of groups, however we do not wish to promote or associate with any particular political parties or philosophies. Our goal is to unite the 99%, by remaining inclusive and ensuring everyone has a chance to share their own views, comments and concerns.
Occupy Worcester's Statement of Internal Solidarity (statement written by Occupy Boston)
We are the 99%, and our task is to unify the 99%. Unfortunately, we live in a society that is racist, sexist, classist, homophobic, and ridden with various other forms of oppression.
As the Occupy Worcester community, we will consciously and urgently work on dismantling these systems of oppression in our movement. We are working on creating a community where everyone’s rights are respected, protected, and treated equally. We all have different levels of privilege that we strive to acknowledge and educate ourselves about in order to ensure that these privileges are not used to oppress others.
We want to have an inclusive atmosphere of ideas in which we do not police each others thoughts, but we have absolutely no tolerance for oppressive or intimidating words or actions. If a conflict arises it should, if possible, be settled through democratic discussion or debate; otherwise, it should be settled with the help of the moderators working group.
We do not welcome any of the following discriminatory behavior in our community. Including, but not limited to;
The protests that began on Wall St. in NYC have quickly spread to dozens of cities around the country- and around the world! However, these events are only just beginning to get coverage on the mainstream news, and as such, many people still don’t know what’s happening. If you’re new to all this, here are some questions and answers to give you more information.
Though individual ideas and opinions range widely, the central purpose of this movement is to oppose the 1% in economic power, those “banksters” who have manipulated the economic system for their own gains, without regard for the other 99% of us, which has resulted in the economic collapse that we’ve all felt in one way or another.
Over the past few years, many of us have lost our jobs, our homes, and our faith in America. We’ve watched the economy go from bad to worse to downright dismal, and we’ve argued over which political party has caused this problem. The truth is becoming clear: this is not a simple matter of left versus right. Both parties are a part of a flawed system, set up in a way that its rich get richer, and its poor get poorer. This allows the top 1% to exert a frightening amount of control over the policies that govern our lives.
From here, there are a number of different issues that arise. All of us have been affected differently and as such we have different concerns and opinions. Some have lost their homes due to foreclosure, others demand to see more emphasis put into more sustainable environmental policies. Many would like to see a change in our political structure, and still others seek to establish a more sound economic system. These are just a handful of the issues. As a result, there have been criticisms of the Occupy movement in the mainstream media that protesters are trying to represent too many different issues at once. It’s true that the movement has yet to centralize its intentions, however a work-in-progress list of demands has been created and is open for further input.
At it’s core however, Occupy Wall St. is about opposing this unfair system, raising awareness of the problems that it creates, and starting a discussion of how we can make changes to improve our society.
Despite the rapid growth of the protests, many people still seem to doubt their efficacy. What’s the point? Do we really expect to bring down the bankers using this approach?
Well, yes, but not overnight. This is only the beginning, and despite the movement only being a few weeks old, it has spread remarkably quickly. As protests continue to pop up in other areas of the country, they become increasingly difficult to ignore. This will only add fuel to the fire, and encourage more people to become aware of what’s going on and join in. The more people are aware, the more we can start to show ourselves as the 99% that we truly are. If we can organize at that level, it will send a clear message to the powers that be, that we’ll no longer be complacent, that we demand a more active role in deciding our collective future, and that we won’t stop until a more just and truly democratic system has been established.
Why not? This movement started in the financial heart of America, and has quickly spread to other major cities across the country, and now across the world. It’s continuing to pop up in even smaller cities, where locals feel they have their own issues they would like addressed. Plus, as more events are organized, even smaller ones, awareness of the movement grows and more people can get involved. We’re proud of our small city of Worcester, and would be happy to see it represented as a part of the larger movement.
Occupy Worcester is in need of support, volunteers and leaders to help organize events. Discussions have been started at the Occupy Worcester Facebook Group regarding where events should take place, and what they should focus on. Please join the group and let your voice be heard, and don’t forget to invite your friends!
As far as this website, we are starting it off as an informal hub for news, graphics, photos, videos, articles and more to do with the larger Occupy movement. This is to help spread awareness of what’s happening out there, as well as to gain more support for Occupy Worcester itself. If you’d like to submit content for the site, please visit the Contact page, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please keep in mind that we’re volunteering our time here and we may not be able to add your content right away, but we’ll certainly do our best!
Liberal Nutjobs? Dirty Hippies? Foolish Whippersnappers? Unpatriotic Anti-American Communists?
Hush now. Let’s not jump to conclusions. The Occupy movement is made up of a wide variety of people of varying political beliefs, ages, lifestyles and philosophies. The one thing we all have in common is that we’re fighting for your rights to live in a free and fair society.
The mainstream media, having given up on trying to ignore us, is now trying to turn this into a bipartisan argument. Don’t let them fool you in their attempts to divide we 99% against each other! Don’t let them show you the one protester who is too (understandably!) nervous to answer their questions on TV, or one incident of violence among thousands of non-violent protesters. Their coverage is meticulously engineered to sway your opinion, and they’re bound to try a variety of tactics.
If we let them turn us against each other, erupting into arguments about political parties, class warfare or age differences, we’ll never accomplish anything, and we’ll remain oppressed by the 1%. Don’t let that happen! We can work together.
The mainstream media are corporations, all of which are owned by rather frightening mega-conglomerates. Do you know who the “Big Six” media conglomerates are? Take a look at thisarticle about media cross-ownership in the US and find out who is owned by whom. At the top of these pyramids are the very 1% we’re railing against, and they have everything to lose if this movement grows “out of hand”. Expect the mainstream news to continue dividing opinions into left or right, old or young, rich or poor, and do yourself a favor by not listening.
Adding Content – We would love to add your writing, images, videos, or other content to the site! If you have something you’d like to submit, please visit the Contact page, or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please keep in mind that we’re volunteering our time here and we may not be able to add your content right away.
Removing Content – Many of the graphics and text on this site were created by us, but not all. We enjoy sharing content that others have created, AND we respect the rights of individuals to decide where their work is published. If you are the creator or owner of text, images, or video on this site and you would like your content removed, please visit the Contact page, or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we’ll take care of it as soon as possible.
