The #AmericanSpring is here, so ‘Take a Chance’ with us. Below you will find a Great Meeting, Kiss-in against Corporate Greed, Eviction Theater and many other chances to assemble, learn and celebrate.

This Week in Occupy

Is Education an “Asset”?
Wednesday, April 4th 1230-2pm
Union Square, the Gandhi statue in the southwest corner of the park Join Occupy University and Occupy Student Debt Campaign for a lunch-time discussion about education-as-asset. This discussion is part of a series of events leading up to the day that student debt reaches $1 Trillion, to be (mis)celebrated on 4/25. Meet at the Gandhi statue.
These discussions about the crisis of higher education are sponsored by Occupy University. It is also a lead up educational event for 1T day. http://www.1tday.org

The Great Meeting
Wednesday, April 4th 630-930pm
Union Square, the large assembly area at the northmost end at 17th street
After weeks of arrests and wounds, amazing actions and incredible solidarity, we want to come back together to discuss political questions surrounding anything ranging from economic equality to food and health care justice to upcoming actions to the Spanish general strike, to dream together of the new world that we think is possible enough that we’ve stuck it out for all of these months, and perhaps to discuss practical concerns about our shift toward Union Square as a reclamation of the Commons.

NY State Public Campaign Financing Town Hall
Brooklyn: Wednesday, April 4th 530-8pm. Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St.
Manhattan: Thursday, April 5th 530-8pm. NY Hotel Trades Council, 707 8th Avenue
It’s time Albany finally returns to government of, by, and for the people – not government bought and paid for by CEO campaign contributors. But, as long as politicians are accountable to corporations and lobbyists who finance their campaigns, they’re never going to be accountable to us. Join us to learn more about this exciting campaign to win fair elections for New York in 2012 and to let our elected officials know that we support strong public campaign financing in NY State!
Gather outside at 5:30pm for a pre-meeting mini rally to show support. Bring a mop or a broom if you can.

Occupy University Horizontal Pedagogy Workshop
Thursday, April 5th, 8pm-10pm
Public Atrium at Trump Tower (56th St & Madison Ave) Join the Empowerment & Education Working Group – Occupy University subgroup for a discussion experiment/pedagogy workshop for Occupy University. Open to all. Horizontal / facilitated / consensus-model learning with a dose of problematization. We promise the Trump Tower is not as scary as it sounds. It’s empowering to Occupy the Trump Tower, please join us! We’ve been doing it every Thursday evening for weeks now.

Stand for the poor at St. Patrick's on Good Friday
Friday, April 6th, 1:00pm
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 14 East 51st Street on 5th Avenue
Join Catholics United and Occupy Catholics this Good Friday as we take a stand for the poor among us at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Catholic Congressman Paul Ryan's 2013 budget proposal doesn't do it, and Cardinal Dolan won't do it either. As Catholics, at one of our country's most visible places of worship, we will prayerfully speak from the social justice tradition of our faith. We will deliver a petition asking Cardinal Dolan to use his influence as shepherd of the American church to oppose Ryan's proposal.

Spring Training: Weekly Wall Street Marches
Friday, April 6th, 2:00pm
Liberty Square
Every Friday at 2PM, Occupy Wall Street will converge in the streets once again and launch the first in a series of spring training marches from Liberty Square to Wall Street in preparation for May Day, a day of massive economic non-compliance and strike. These marches will occur weekly and will allow occupiers to practice various street tactics and theatrics. The schedule is as follows: Meet at 2 PM in Liberty Square for sign making and a short march tactics training. At 3 PM occupiers will march to Wall Street and descend on the New York Stock Exchange to counter the closing bell with “The People’s Gong.” Following the march there will be a potluck dinner at 60 Wall Street.

OWS Open Space
Friday April 6, 2012, 6pm to 10pm
Unity Hall, 235 West 23rd Street between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue
What's the conversation that you want to have? Come start a new conversation, or continue an ongoing one, at the OWS Open Space. (Check out pics from past Open Spaces here.) In the Open Space format, all participants are welcomed to host conversations on whatever topics interest them. Participants only take part in the conversations that awaken their passion and interest. You are free to leave a conversation at any time, and join another one or start your own.

NYC Kiss-in Against Student Debt and Corporate Greed
Saturday, April 7th, 10am-12pm
Union Square
If the banks can make out like bandits, so can we. On April 7th at 1pm, students and folks with student debt in groups around the country will kiss in public spaces to protest the out of control tuition hikes and education cuts that are plaguing the country. This is a creative and effective way that we as students can bring awareness to this issue that is so often ignored.
Spread the word, invite your friends, let's get on the news and get the country talking! Find out more at http://occupystudentdebtcampaign.org and http://1tday.org.

Train the Trainers, Educate the Educators, Facilitate the Facilitators w/Jason Ahmadi
Sunday April 8th, 5pm-8pm
220 E 23rd St. 7th Floor
This Easter Sunday, member sof Direct Action will be hosting a workshop to share skills in giving what is known in the activist scene as Non-Violent Direct Action trainings. The workshop will cover issues of popular education, non-hierarchical learning, radical pedagogy and direct action. We will teach each other skills and practice exercises and role plays in the theme of direct action as well as develop tips and tools for facilitation. The goal is giving away our skills so folks can return to their affinity groups to explore new ways of knowledge creation and practice direct action.

Occupy Yoga Meditation Class
Every Monday-Friday, 630pm.
Union Square, on the steps of the south end
A new age of change is upon us. We all sense it universally in the movement. It is a new time to lead with new values, compassion, perseverance, integrity, and kindness. We all want to overcome oppression and change the world, but what practice can we teach to improve our personal awareness and strength to keep up with the changes? Join this seated movement & meditation class for Occupiers and experience how yoga, meditation, and these specific Aquarian Age teachings can take humanity through this time of change with strength, intuition, courage, and open hearts.

Eviction Theatre
Every evening we are at Union Square Park, 1130pm - 1230am
Union Square Join the NYC Community as they bear witness to a nightly mini-raid eviction that begins at the stroke of midnight. Witness comedic feats of strength as NYPD & The Occupy Movement say goodnight to one another in a theatrical setting. This week’s themes are:

WEDNESDAY: We Hide and Seek While Cops Pick up Goofy Stuff
THURSDAY: The Runaround (aka Modified Portland Lap)
FRIDAY: Rap Battle III (with special Pre-Battle Maneuvers)
SATURDAY: Banker Pirates v. Anti-bank Ninjas
SUNDAY: Who Can Occupy More Parks? Contest

Check out our Facebook page for more updates!

Save the Date

Spring Awakening 2012: Occupy NYC People's Assembly: April 14, 2012
Join Occupy Wall Street on #A14 to kick off exciting spring and summer events. On April 14th, New York City will converge on Central Park to unite with organizations and activists to create a transformative, citywide, mass movement. The day will give individuals an opportunity to connect with organizations and foster ongoing collaboration of groups working on common issues.
Join us at our Facebook event for updates!

**A Day Without the 99%: May Day 2012
The 1% needs us to continue reaping their profits, but WE DON'T NEED THE 1%. This May Day, Occupy Wall Street, in coalition with numerous other organizations and occupations, calls for a Day Without The 99%: No Work, No School, No Shopping, No Housework, No Compliance. Let's take the streets, reclaim our communities, and support each other. NOT the 1%. On May 1st, let us stand together to reclaim our jobs, our communities, our lives. Withdraw your consent and strike!
If you’d like to be added to the announcement and/or discussion listserv or have any questions regarding meeting time, location, structure, please contact mayday@nycga.net or learn more at www.maydaynyc.org

Date: Wed. Apr 4 2012
Time: 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Location: North side of Union Square (14th and Broadway, Manhattan)
On Facebook

Union Square has long been a place for soap-boxing, speakers corner, and rallies of all kinds. From the Civil War until the early part of the 20th century organized labor, the unemployed, hobos, and artisans gathered in Union Square for what they called The Great Meeting. In this tradition there will be the first of many Great Meetings in Union Square. We will come together to celebrate the history of Union Square and to honor Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In his memory we ask: What is your dream? What kind of world do you want to live in?

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Yesterday, hundreds of students from Santa Monica College gathered outside a Board of Trustees meeting to disrupt planned tuition increases and preferential treatment for students who are able to pay more at their school. During the demonstration, around 30 students were pepper sprayed by campus police forces. Students say there was no warning for this unprovoked attack. Even though no one was arrested and there were no reports of violent behavior on the part of the peaceful protesters, two people were taken to a hospital after one officer indiscriminately sprayed into the crowd. Officials at the college are ¨investigating¨ the incident.

Occupy Wall Street and the Amalgamated Transit Union have declared today, April 4, a National Day of Action for Mass Transit. Demonstrations are taking place in over 20 cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Denver, and Portland.

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Reprinted with permission from the Chief

By SARAH DORSEY | Posted: Monday, April 2, 2012 5:00 pm

John Samuelsen, president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, said March 29 he was “not in any way critical” of the illegal actions of Occupy Wall Street members and dissidents in his own union who, without his knowledge, chained open gates at numerous subway stations a day earlier during the morning rush hour, giving straphangers a free ride.

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