Green Party leaders Alex Shantz and Jill Stein kick off Occupy Napa College
Thursday, December 1, 2011
By Sarah Rohrs, Time-Herald
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_19446690
Occupy Napa Valley College kicked off early Wednesday afternoon with a gathering of about 20 people in front of the college’s McCarthy Library.
The occupation, which is made up of students, labor, and community leaders, plans to camp out at the community college in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement over the next four days.
Some of the key issues being protested are California budget cuts to education and Napa State Hospital, according to local organizers. The group also opposes how the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans are taxed.
“The Napa Valley has become a playground for the 1 percent,” according to the group’s news release. “The average citizen works to serve the wealthy while not being able to participate in the fruits of their own labor.”
Julio Soriano, a student activist and member of the Napa Valley Dream Act Coalition, was one of four speakers at Wednesday’s event.
Soriano spoke about the rights of immigrants and how he believes factories and corporations exploit people. He encouraged listeners to demand government reform.
“Remember that the government was created by us and for us,” Soriano said.
Jill Stein, who is running as a Green Party presidential candidate, talked about forgiving student debt, restoring civil liberties, and how the Occupy movement is critical for change.
“This is ground zero for our democracy, our economy and the future of our planet,” Stein said. “If you don’t stand up for your beliefs, no one in Washington will stand up for them.”
Stein said the country is facing an economic and environmental crisis, and she was glad the Occupy Wall Street Movement has been gaining momentum in Napa Valley.
“It’s exciting that people are standing up and saying ‘We’re not going to take it anymore,’” Stein said.
Alex Shantz, vice president of the Associated Students of Napa Valley College, was one of the movement’s final speakers. He asked the small crowd to stand up before leading them in a chant of, “Who has the power? We have the power!”
Shantz spoke about how Occupy Napa Valley College was a small, but important, part of a worldwide movement.
“We’re part of a global insurrection right now,” Shantz said. “Even though we’re just a handful of people, we’re not doing this in isolation.”
The college protest comes on the heels of a series of 24-hour weekend campouts — Occupy Napa — at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Napa in October.
The Napa Valley College Occupy Wall Street coalition includes about a half dozen student organizations, including the Queer Student Alliance, the Black Student Union and the Associated Students of Napa Valley College.
The group’s encampment will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday, and will end Sunday. The occupation will take place in the overflow parking lot at Napa Valley College, facing the Napa State Hospital entrance.
College president Edna Baehre-Kolovani said the college has been working with the movement’s organizers to ensure everyone’s safety. Occupy Napa Valley College kicked off early Wednesday afternoon with a gathering of about 20 people in front of the college’s McCarthy Library.
The occupation, which is made up of students, labor, and community leaders, plans to camp out at the community college in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement over the next four days.
Some of the key issues being protested are California budget cuts to education and Napa State Hospital, according to local organizers. The group also opposes how the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans are taxed.
“The Napa Valley has become a playground for the 1 percent,” according to the group’s news release. “The average citizen works to serve the wealthy while not being able to participate in the fruits of their own labor.”
Julio Soriano, a student activist and member of the Napa Valley Dream Act Coalition, was one of four speakers at Wednesday’s event.
Soriano spoke about the rights of immigrants and how he believes factories and corporations exploit people. He encouraged listeners to demand government reform.
“Remember that the government was created by us and for us,” Soriano said.
Jill Stein, who is running as a Green Party presidential candidate, talked about forgiving student debt, restoring civil liberties, and how the Occupy movement is critical for change.
“This is ground zero for our democracy, our economy and the future of our planet,” Stein said. “If you don’t stand up for your beliefs, no one in Washington will stand up for them.”
Stein said the country is facing an economic and environmental crisis, and she was glad the Occupy Wall Street Movement has been gaining momentum in Napa Valley.
“It’s exciting that people are standing up and saying ‘We’re not going to take it anymore,’” Stein said.
Alex Shantz, vice president of the Associated Students of Napa Valley College, was one of the movement’s final speakers. He asked the small crowd to stand up before leading them in a chant of, “Who has the power? We have the power!”
Shantz spoke about how Occupy Napa Valley College was a small, but important, part of a worldwide movement.
“We’re part of a global insurrection right now,” Shantz said. “Even though we’re just a handful of people, we’re not doing this in isolation.”
The college protest comes on the heels of a series of 24-hour weekend campouts — Occupy Napa — at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Napa in October.
The Napa Valley College Occupy Wall Street coalition includes about a half dozen student organizations, including the Queer Student Alliance, the Black Student Union and the Associated Students of Napa Valley College.
The group’s encampment will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday, and will end Sunday. The occupation will take place in the overflow parking lot at Napa Valley College, facing the Napa State Hospital entrance.
College president Edna Baehre-Kolovani said the college has been working with the movement’s organizers to ensure everyone’s safety.
“The Occupy planners have expressed a commitment to make this a peaceful and responsible gathering,” Baehre-Kolovani said. “They have agreed that the event will end Sunday around noon and all tents would be removed at that time and clean-up accomplished.”
No fires, drugs or alcohol will be permitted at the encampment, said college spokeswoman Betty Malmgren.
The occupation will include a scheduled rally and march at noon Saturday, with speeches from leaders of unions as well as various student organizations that support the movement.
In conjunction with the occupation of Napa Valley College, local labor leaders will protest budget cuts to Napa State Hospital.
“The Occupy planners have expressed a commitment to make this a peaceful and responsible gathering,” Baehre-Kolovani said. “They have agreed that the event will end Sunday around noon and all tents would be removed at that time and clean-up accomplished.”
No fires, drugs or alcohol will be permitted at the encampment, said college spokeswoman Betty Malmgren.
The occupation will include a scheduled rally and march at noon Saturday, with speeches from leaders of unions as well as various student organizations that support the movement.
In conjunction with the occupation of Napa Valley College, local labor leaders will protest budget cuts to Napa State Hospital.
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