Workers facing layoffs at a Chicago window factory have declared victory after occupying their plant for 11 hours. Through direct community action, including the support of Occupy Chicago, the workers and their union prevented the California-based Serious Energy company from closing the plant for another 90 days. The workers hope this will give them time to keep the plant open, possibly by purchasing it themselves and creating a worker-owned co-op. “We can run this company,” Juan Cortez, who has worked more than 23 years in the factory, told the media. “We got smart people to manage the money. We can find customers. We know how to run the company.” Members of Occupy Chicago showed up in solidarity and brought supplies. In 2008, workers at the same factory occupied their plant for six days during a labor dispute with its previous owners, Republic Windows and Doors. That occupation forced Bank of America into a $1.75 million settlement with the workers. Read More...

Occupy Our Food Supply on February 27, 2012 will be a major decentralized global day of food action and solidarity. Actions are planned in dozens of cities across North America, Europe, and the world. Occupy Our Food Supply is bringing together the Occupy, sustainable farming, food justice, buy local, slow food, and environmental movements for a global day of action on February 27, 2012. Inspired by the theme of CREATE/RESIST, thousands will come together to creatively confront corporate control of our food supply and take action to build healthy, accessible food systems for all.

As part of the F27 global day of action called for by our friends at Occupy Oakland, members and friends of the Occupy Wall Street in community will be participating in creative actions to challenge the corporate food regime that has prioritized profit over health and sustainability, and to promote alternative local food systems that practice fair and ecological principles and offer affordable fresh, healthy, and culturally appropriate food for all.

In NYC: SEED EXCHANGE AT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE 11:30AM - Assemble at the Stock Exchange 12:00PM - Seed Exchange at Liberty Square

SEED BALL BIKE RIDE 2:00PM - Bike ride leaves from Liberty Square for seed bombing and an Lower East Side Community Garden tour

We invite you to join us for our actions throughout the day, or organize your own! Visit www.occupyourfoodsupply.org to register your action and view what other folks are doing around the world!

from Occupy London:

Occupy London, part of the global movement for social and economic justice, today pledged to continue the campaign it started over four months ago in solidarity with similar campaigns in the US and beyond. Today, the Court of Appeal ruled that none of the five applications presented by Occupy London and Anonymous UK supporters would be heard.

Tammy Samede, the representative appellant on behalf of Occupy London commented: “It is a travesty that today’s decision will limit voices of dissent within the City of London. However, Occupy is far from over. We’ve cut our milk teeth at St Paul’s and now we are maturing, growing and learning how to run. From our work in schools to outreach in communities to even creating a record label, the creativity and imagination of the Occupy movement is beginning to bloom and our voices will be heard.

“The City of London is being wreckless in not providing a timetable for any action they wish to take and it is of great concern that they have refused to rule out the possibility of a nighttime eviction, in contravention of the guidelines set down by the Ministry of Justice.”

Occupy London Stock Exchange at St Paul’s Churchyard, the longest running Occupy encampment of its size, has now been in place over twice as long as Occupy Wall Street’s occupation of Zuccotti Square, which was cleared by NYPD in mid-November in controversial circumstances. Unlike their counterparts in New York, city authorities in London have been forced to comply with the rule of law and pursue their case through the courts. Read More...

Updated with new cities and actions! This Monday, Feb. 20th, is the National Occupy Day of Action In Support of Prisoners. For information on events in Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Denver, Durham, Eureka, Fresno, Indio, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, SF Bay Area, and Washington, DC, see here. Prisoners at Ohio State Penitentiary will refuse food in solidarity on Monday.

The following statement was issued by a group of formerly-incarcerated members of All of Us Or None and Occupy For Prisoners. For more about why this protest has been called, see below.

To the Occupy Oakland family, all supporters of Occupy Oakland, and the larger Occupy Wall Street movement:

We are writing to appreciate everyone who has ever supported PEOPLE inside jails, prisons, and detention facilities throughout the country. We are also writing to ask for support from everyone planning to participate in February 20th National Day of Occupy in Support of Prisoners. PEOPLE in prisons – a nice name for cages – as well as formerly imprisoned PEOPLE, are one of the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in our society. We have been labeled as “offenders”, “criminals”, “convicts”, “ex-offenders”, “ex-cons”, and many other dehumanizing terms, and are scapegoated for causing society’s fundamental problems. We are PEOPLE, and not the labels they use. The real “criminals” are those who run Wall Street, who are responsible for genocide, racism, xenophobia, and all forms of discrimination. They lead the attacks against communities throughout America.

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The Brian Piccolo Specialty School in Humboldt Park, Chicago is currently Occupied by parents, teachers, and students. Occupy Chicago and other allies are outside the building in solidarity and have set up an encampment. Around one hundred people are present and are taking shifts to ensure the safety of the occupation. The Chicago Teachers Union has expressed support for the action. Piccolo, an elementary school with a student body that is almost entirely from low income communities of color, is one of 16 Chicago public schools slated to be closed by Mayor Rahm's service cuts to the poor.

Updates, 2/18

• 3:30AM Central Time: It is believed that Chicago Police have decided to leave and protesters have declared victory for Day 1 of Occupied Piccolo! If you are in Chicago, please come to 1040 North Keeler Avenue to show your support, and bring a tent! Follow #takebackourschools, #piccolo, @OccupyChicago and @TBOurSchoolsChi on Twitter.
• 10:30AM: The police are still not attempting to remove protesters inside. However, they will not allow anyone else inside, and will not allow occupiers to leave and return. Parents and occupiers inside are being denied food and medicine.
• 1:45PM: Chicago police have arrived on the scene. Around a dozen people remain inside the school, with a large crowd rallying outside. The occupiers have been holding the school since 5PM yesterday and are still being denied food and medicine by the police. Interviews to press are being given through windows. A busload of teachers have shown up to show solidarity.
• 4:00PM: Occupiers have emerged from the school to thunderous applause and declared victory! The demands have been met, proving that direct action and community power can be leveraged for real change! Parents will be given the opportunity to meet with the Board of Directors to submit a counter-proposal for local education. This is what real community control looks like.

Via Occupy Chicago Press:

Declaration #1 from Piccolo Occupation
11:49pm - February 17th, 2012

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