Occupy San Francisco Livestream~Building Occupation

[Pharaoh]

http://occupywallst.org/article/occupy-san-francisco-creates-social-center-vacant-/

In another sign of the Occupy movement's diversifying tactics and growing spring momentum, yesterday Occupy San Francisco liberated a vacant building owned by the Archdiocese of San Francisco and announced plans to establish a permanent occupation -- including a social center, shelter, and food bank -- on the site. The April 1st action began with a lively march from Union Square before arriving at the building just before 6pm. When they arrived, Occupiers who had already secured the building greeted the marchers with open doors.

The two-story building, located at 888 Turk St., soon filled with hundreds of exuberant Occupiers. Preliminary reports indicate that the Archdiocese has asked police not to take any action until the morning. However, the Occupiers are requesting help and numbers in case of any eviction attempt. If you are in the Bay Area and are able, please get down to the San Francisco Commune as soon as possible!

This is a guy with a cam set up on the rooftop of the occupied building.

PS: The stopped the cam to go get water )

[arcane1]

1. Thanks! I almost called in sick today just to watch this :) n/t

[Pharaoh]

3. 50 peeps just showed up!

[SlimJimmy]

2. I don't think this is going to end well. Why do we keep shooting ourselves in the foot?

Occupy is a great movement, but it takes the wrong action time and time again. Occupy legally and for short periods of time and we'll get the support of many. Occupy illegally and we get the wrath of many.

[KamaAina]

4. Your concern is duly noted

[SlimJimmy]

5. Whatever.

[arcane1]

6. Who is "we" and where will the wrath come from?

Granted, since this is happening a block from my home, I'll feel plenty of wrath if they somehow mess up the neighborhood, but so far it's been completely peaceful.

I'm curious to know why you think this is a "wrong" action. I'm withholding judgement until I see how things transpire over the next few days.

[SlimJimmy]

23. How about trespassing on Diocese property for starters.

I'm curious to know why you think this is a "wrong" action. I'm withholding judgement until I see how things transpire over the next few days.

[arcane1]

27. Good point! :) n/t

[TheWraith]

12. Because some people would rather feel persecuted than be effective.

Actual, effective action which changes anything isn't the point of this. It's to feel put upon, and scream about "fascism" after you get arrested for illegally taking possession of someone else's stuff. There's a certain sect on the left which simply does not want to do anything effective--they just want to be able to feel like the underdogs. It's the Green Party types, the Naderites, the Code Pinkers, and all the others who choose to delude themselves into believing that they're accomplishing something when in fact they're doing exactly the opposite.

[sudopod]

14. Says the guy whose answer to conservatism is to go all Scientology and

cut anyone on the other side out of our lives.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=481314

"Do not ever make the mistake of thinking that the Republicans are anything but the enemy."

Bet that'll be super-effective at winning hearts and minds, lol.

[TheWraith]

15. Really? And where, exactly, did I say that?

Or is that your personal supposition, pasted on top my pointing out the fairly undeniable fact that the Republican Party is an enemy to life as we know it?

[sudopod]

17. Unless you're Jesus, i doubt you spend much time with people that you label "enemy to life as we

know it"...that is, unless the meaning of "enemy to life as we know it" has been watered down to mean "annoying uncle" in recent history.

Didn't see any hint that you don't think that, considering your responses (or the lack thereof) to the enormous thread you spawned.

How the hell do you expect to get anywhere with anyone if you start off by calling them that? You want to give Occupy marketing advice?

[SlimJimmy]

21. Well, express that view here and see the fangs come out. Nevermind that you're speaking the truth.

[Gibby]

7. Occupy is feeling the Spring Thing

[Luminous Animal]

8. Punkboyinsf livestream here:

http://www.ustream.tv/occupysf#utm_campaign=ss-post-backlink&utm_source=316210&utm_medium=social

[countryjake]

22. Thanks, Luminous!

[snooper2]

9. Good, finally, now that they are there..

First order of business is that the back bathroom toilet is leaking from the base. Get somebody and to pull said shitter and install a new wax ring. Be sure to clean all the old ring away before applying the new one. And be sure it's one that's extra thick.

Next, the window right next to the front door leaks on heavy rains. Should be just a simple job of a little silicone.

Also, there's some kind of electrical problem with the outlets in the back wall by the blue Jesus statue. Every time you try to run something over 2 amps it trips the breaker, and the panel is hot as well. Really it needs a whole new panel but at minimum at least swap the breaker and see if that resolves the issue. I think some idiot may have run 14 or 16 gauge to those plugs....

And finally, check the roof now that spring is here...It may need some patchwork but it hasn't been checked in a while...Stop wasting your time writing with chalk on the concrete. Leave that for the kids, you got fucking work to do!

[Luminous Animal]

10. The people writing on the sidewalk are supporters of those inside.

The cops have blocked all access into the building... including delivery of food; thus, the sidewalk chalkers cannot do anything on your list.

[snooper2]

11. They can start with the roof then

[snooper2]

13. Oh, never mind, cops showed up (oh as streamer said (fucking pigs raiding tweet it))

I guess no repairs getting done tonight

[greytdemocrat]

16. OK...

So the idiot with the camera thinks it's a good idea to be walking around calling the police "traitors"...

I'm sorry but people like that are morons.

[badtoworse]

18. Traitors? For evicting trespassers?

[Luminous Animal]

19. Traitors to the working class, to the 99%... a class of which cops are members but

the do the bidding of the 1%. Traitors.

[badtoworse]

20. So OWS should be allowed to seize whatever private property they want?

[Pharaoh]

24. Should the banks?

this is an old vacant building and they are wanting to give shelter to the homeless.


Local media described the action as a ¨well-organized takeover.¨ Speaking to local press, a representative of Occupy SF stated, "There is no reason why any building should be vacant when people have no housing. We ask that the archdiocese do the right thing and allow these services in these buildings." In part directing their message at Church officials, Occupy SF hung a large banner quoting from the Bible: "Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses."

[badtoworse]

25. The building doesn't belong to the banks...

...and the fact that it's vacant is irrelevant. Why didn't they ask permission from the Archdiocese before breaking and entering?

[sudopod]

26. It's always easier to do and ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.

Moreover, the Church is a good subject for this brand of schenanigan.

1) The Church has enormous land holdings, much of which is sitting unused.
2) The Church has doctrines which say that they are commanded by God Himself to care for the poor.
3) Point out that this re purposing of a vacant building uses the Church's resources to do the Church's self-declared mission, making it difficult for the Church to call in the riot police without looking a bit hypocritical. There is a large banner on the front of the building with Bible quotes to this effect. I would have found something form JP2 to go along with it, myself.

Once the Overton window has been moved, and people accept that this particular vacant building can serve this way, it becomes easier to maneuver local, city, and state governments into allowing this for wider swathes of vacant buildings and foreclosed housing.

[Pharaoh]

28. exactly

thanks for pointing that out sudopod!

The churches main mission according to Jesus is to care for the poor and downtrodden, this building is falling apart and these people are willing to do the work to fix it up, what more can the church ask for?

[greytdemocrat]

29. Oh lets see...

Just suppose one of the OWS "heros" falls and breaks his/her neck in
this "Liberated" building??? How long till the lawsuit??? Hmmmm???

[Luminous Animal]

30. Heroes.

[pinboy3niner]

32. "You'll shoot your eye out, kid"

[Luminous Animal]

31. Huge banner on the building... "Give us this day our daily bread...

forgive us our trespasses."

[pinboy3niner]

33. +99%

Perfect!

[badtoworse]

37. Easy response by the Church

If you had asked us before, we might have worked something out. We might still be willing to work something out and we're willing to talk, but you have to leave our building.

[sudopod]

38. That would count as progress. :)

Progress which probably wouldn't have happened otherwise.

[badtoworse]

39. Sorry for being cynical, but I believe this is about visibility for OWS, not helping the poor.

I am active in my Church and lead a group called the Samaritans. We do things to help the less fortunate in our community - raise money, collect food and clothing, help in shelters, etc. This year, we are focusing on filling local food banks, helping a group that combats child abuse and supporting single mothers. I know from personal experience that the Church encourages that sort of thing. I'm sure that if OWS had approached them with a bone fide plan to use the building to help the homeless, it would have gotten serious consideration. At the very least, the Church would have talked to them.

IMO, this is about OWS being on the evening news and in the papers. If they were truly serious about helping the poor, there is no logical reason why they wouldn't have discussed their idea with the Church first. If OWS had a good plan, it's possible the Church would have made additional resources available - my church would have (not that we're well off, but we do what we can with what we have).

[sudopod]

40. I'll bet your church is a bit easier to deal with as a whole, and that it

doesn't have an absolute ruler who sits in a chair made out of gold. Also, there are still some parts of the Church that have a strong leftward tilt who might be sympathetic, a remnant of a bygone era. The Catholic Church is kind of a low hanging fruit this way.

You're doing good things; good on ya! I'd ask you to give Occupy the benefit of the doubt. They often provide more services than the local authorities when they are allowed to set up the infrastructure. They're trying some new things now that the weather is nice again.

We're all in this together, eh?

[badtoworse]

41. OWS would be much more successful in getting the public to side with them...

...if they did the good things without breaking the law and confronting the police. I don't believe OWS is developing a positive image with the tactics they have used to date and if they continue with them, I think they will be wasting a unique opportunity.

My church is a very close knit community that is very generous. The Samaritans get tremendous support from the parishioners for everything we do. It's a shame every church is not like ours.

[sudopod]

42. I see where you're coming from, but please remember

that they said the same things about black folks who sat at white lunch counters.

In order to cause real changes, sometimes people have to be pushed outside of their comfort zones.

[Taverner]

34. The cops are NEVER ever on your side

Even if your home is broken into - they only reason they will come and take a report is if they think you might have contraband

[Taverner]

35. Awesome. No matter how hard you can't stop us now....

[Pharaoh]

36. Sad thing is....

many off these people are being rude and very negative, instead of peaceful and loving.

This is not the Gandhi or Jesus way. We must win them over, not piss them off. That is what the powers that be would prefer, that we become aggressive.

[SlimJimmy]

43. Tell that to those that expressed their *concern* when I said the same thing.