Trans-Pacific Partnership: biggest NAFTA-style "free" trade deal on the making

Wall Street continues ruling the White House's economic policies and is now pushing almost secretely for the biggest "free" trade deal ever: the Trans-Pacific Partnership. 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) which follows the destructive and corrupted model of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), includes 9 countries of the Pacific Rim: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States.

A group of fair-trade activists were expelled from the U.S. House Hearing on the TPP after showing their opposition to that FTA deal, on December 15th, 2011. Photo by Carlos A. Quiroz

The TPP is considered the most important trade deal of this generation, but because free-trade it's proven to be highly unpopular among U.S. voters, its details have not been revealed to the public, probably until the November 2012 presidential elections are over.

So far, president Obama has officially announced the TPP during the recent APEC Summit held in Hawaii, and the White House has posted a notice in its website by November 12, 2011.

By December 14th, a public hearing on the TPP was held at the U.S. Congress, organized by the Subcommittee on Trade of the Committee on Ways and Means. During the hearing, a group of activists demonstrated their opposition to the TPP and were asked to leave by Capitol police officers.

That day, I interviewed some of the protesting activists, including Brooke Harper a Senior Field Organizer at Public Citizen, and Adam Weissman of the Trade Justice New York Metro. They expose what the TPP means for the people of the U.S.




APEC 

The Asia-Pacific Cooperation (APEC) is a trade alliance of 21 nations led by the U.S. that represents about 60% of world's total GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

Twelve countries are NOT participating in the TPP as yet but some might join in the near future: Japan, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Taipei and Thailand.

Recently, the government of Japan announced its plans to join talks about the TPP, facing a strong opposition within that country. Also, Mexico has considered becoming a signing member in the near future.

Mandataries of the 21 members of APEC at the 2011 Hawaii summit. Photo UPI

Free-trade is a very corrupted set of trade rules imposed by corporations and interest groups liked to Wall Street. Its effects since NAFTA have proven demeaning for working class U.S. citizens, human and labor rights, the planet's environment and the sovereignty of developing nations.

It is important to remember what president Barack Obama said about free-trade when he was a candidate in 2008:




Among the 2012 Republican primary presidential candidates, all of them are supportive of free-trade deals, except by Ron Paul, read here too.


Useful links:

• U.S. Trade Representative - information about the TPP
• Analyst, author, anti free-trade advocate Ian Fletcher criticize the TPP.
• Wall Street is praising president Obama.
• London is cheerful.
• New Zealand's informative website about the TPP.

Get involved:

• Public Citizen

• Trade Justice New York

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Immigration march at Occupy Wall Street: #ImmigrantsOccupy - LIVE blogging

Today is the the International Migrants Day (Sunday, December 18th). The Immigrants Occupy March will be held in New York City.

Update: 


The Real News Network's report:





The Live Streams included in this post are working partially and with difficulties. Included in this post is a Live Blogging event to follow twits from the march.

Ready to go! Photo twitted by @OccupyWallStNYC

Photo twitted by @ImmPix

View Larger Map

The #ImmigrantsOccupy -March Against Deportation/Detention and Wage Theft will start at Foley Square at 1:30 PM. and will march to Zucotti Park where a General Assembly will be held at 4:00 PM. 

This rally is co-organized by undocumented immigrants, Occupy Wall Street, with Immigrants OWS, the Immigrant Movement International, human rights activists, community groups and independent citizens.

Everyone is welcomed to join.

LIVE STREAM

Watch live streaming video from owsnyc at livestream.com

Live Blogging 

Including Tweets from #ImmigrantsOccupy #Immigration #OWS #DreamAct #ImmYouth and others:

The organizers wrote in the Facebook event invitation:

Immigrants are part of the 99% and on December 18th we will march with the Occupy Wall Street movement to demand immigrant justice including putting an end to wage theft, and stopping detentions and deportations of our beloved community members. As the Occupy Wall Street movement highlights corporate profiteering we would like to shed light on those that profit off our labor, exploit workers and refuse to pay dignified wages. We also march against the corporations who support anti-immigrant legislation so they can make billions of dollars by detaining immigrants in private detention centers and deporting nearly 400,000 people per year.

As the occupy movement goes global we also recognize the destructive role that these corporations play in exploiting resources and labor in our home countries which forces millions to migrate. December 18th is the International Day of Migrants and we stand in solidarity with those world wide who are proclaiming Immigrant Rights as Human Rights.

Endorsers:

• Adelante Alianza
• Arab American Assoc. NY
• Blauvelt Dominican Sisters Social Justice Committee
• Brandworkers
• CAAAV
• Community Development Project (Urban Justice Center)
• CUNY-GC GA
• DRUM-Desis Rising Up & Moving
• Domestic Workers United
• DREAM Scholars
• Families for Freedom
• Immigrant Defense Project
• Immigrant Movement International
• Independent Workers' Movement
• IWW NYC
• Jornaleros Unidos de Woodside
• Juan Neumann Center
• La Unión
• Laundry Workers United
• Laundry, Distribution & Food Service Joint Board, Workers United, SEIU
• Left Labor Project
• Lehman DREAM Team
• Long Island Immigrant Alliance
• Make the Road NY
• May 1st Coalition
• Mingas
• Movement for Justice in el Barrio
• National Domestic Workers Alliance
• New Sanctuary Movement NYC
• New Immigrant Community Empowerment
• New York Communities for Change
• NY CISPES
• NYCPP
• New York Immigration Coalition
• Occupy Queens
• OWS Facilitation
• OWS-Anti Racism Allies
• OWS-en Espanol
• OWS-LatinoAmericano
• OWS-Labor Outreach Committee
• OWS-People of Color Working Group
• PUFF
• Restaurant Opportunities Center-NY
• Rockland Immigration Coalition
• Rude Mechanical Orchestra
• SEIU 1199 United Healthcare Workers East
• Street Vendor Project
• Taxi Workers Alliance
• UAW-NOLSW
• United NY
• Carlos in DC

PHOTOS

Photo twitted by @ArciiART

Photo twitted by @QueensMuseum

Photo twitted by @ArciiART

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My choices for DC Tweeps 2011

Corporate media used to ignore those of us who create new social media, citizen journalism. Times have changed fast, and now they even run contests to validate our work.

Here are The Washington Post's "DC Tweeps 2011" candidates.

If you want to learn more about D.C. social media, this is a good start. So thanks to The Washington Post for putting together this reference list. Although the nominees are mostly from the West side of town, and well almost all of them are White.

DC Twitter Technorati by Darren Krape.

Favorite D.C.-area blogger

Jonah Goldberg of National Review (@jonahnro)* He is great, I read him often but he is a nationally known Conservative columnist, not sure he should compete solely as a D.C.-area blogger.

David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington (@ggwash) Alpert is unfriendly in person and he writes a very good blog, with useful information about public transportation, urban spaces design. I hear this blog is influential in the D.C. local government.

“The Advoc8te” of Congress Heights on the Rise (@theadvoc8te) A one person blog, his seems like a true local D.C.-blogger with emphasis on the East of the River neighborhoods, especially about Ward 8.

“Unsuck DC Metro” of Unsuck DC Metro (@unsuckdcmetro) This is a good D.C. blog, a place for those of us who love to ride Metro, but who also sometimes hate its decaying service.

Matt Rhoades and Luis Gomez of Borderstan (@borderstan) A good neighborhood blog, great photos, good posts, good for-profit design. Reminds me of Prince of Petworth.

WILDCARD: Joi-Marie McKenzie (@dcfab) This looks like a blog about partying, bars, liquor (it has a vodka advertising covering the whole website). Not my thing. It targets mostly Black readers, so I'm sure it's very popular in the DMV area.

My vote is for Congress Heights on the Rise @theadvoc8te because it's a good blog, she seems to be moved by an honest interest in the community, not just to get profits from her blog.


Favorite entrepreneur

Think Tank Creative (@think_tank)*
Anthony Tilghman (@anthonytilghman)
Melanie Spring (@sisarina)
Pete Snyder (@petesnyder)
Rochelle Robinson (@bizchelle)
WILDCARD: Carrie Fox (@carriefox)

I really don't know anything about these nominees, but I checked all of their for-profit websites. Very interesting people, but I won't vote for any of them.


Favorite non-profit

Miriam’s Kitchen (@miriamskitchen)* I've eaten there twice when I was homeless. The place is always clean, they treat people with respect, well at least is what I saw. Good place to volunteer, for what I hear.

KaBOOM! (@kaboom) Great initiative to build children playgrounds in different cities. It's not a D.C. non profit properly, but a nationwide organization.

DC Central Kitchen (@DCCK) Perhaps one of the best charities in the D.C. area, but supported by highly segregated Restaurant business, which makes me wonder. They feed about 4,500 disfranchised people every day.

Goodwill Industries (@GoodwillIntl) A great non-profit helping "people with disadvantages and disabilities." A D.C. based nation-wide organization, not local.

AARP (@aarp) Also a D.C. based nation-wide organization, helping people "age 50 and over." I know they do a great work.

WILDCARD: Leading Age (@leadingage) A group of over 4,500 non-profit across the U.S. working for the elderly.

My vote is for Miriam’s Kitchen @miriamskitchen just because I like to be grateful.


Favorite wonk

Jake Tapper (@JakeTapper)* ABC News' Sr White House Correspondent.
Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) Reporter and analyst for @NBCNews.
Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) Slate political reporter and MSNBC contributor.
Aaron Flynn (@aaronmflynn) LGBT progressive politics activist.
Sara Lang (@saralang) I follow her, she is for the reelection of Obama.
WILDCARD: Chris Golden (@ChrisGolden) A well connected D.C. social media activist and organizer.

I have to vote for Aaron Flynn @aaronmflynn because I wish there were more LGBT progressive new media activists in the D.C. area. I won't vote for corporate media staff members, no hate but it's just not a fair competition.


Favorite social media geek

Chad Dukes (@chaddukes)*
Andy Carvin (@acarvin)
Ethan Klapper (@ethanklapper)
Jodi Gersh (@jodiontheweb)
Alison McQuade (@akmcquade)
WILDCARD: Geoff Livingston (@geoffliving)

The only one I read so far is Andy Carvin @acarvin so he gets my vote. I'm sure all the nominees are good, so I will try to follow them from now on.


Favorite fashionista

Kelly Collis (@cityshopgirl)*
“Belle” (@caphillstyle)
Lisa Rowan (@lisatella)
Elizabeth Fassbender (@ejfass)
Alison Gary (@wardrobe_oxygen)
WILDCARD: Vyque White Elessar (@Fasshonaburu)

I'm voting for Lisa Rowan @lisatella I love reading about fashion, and especially when is creative, inspiring and affordable. I like to walk around thrift stores, flea markets and small designers stores and I read most of these nominees. 


Favorite social butterfly

Kate Michael (@kstreetkate)*
Jose Romero (@DCJosie)
Rachael King (@rachaelgking)
Blair Milligan (@blairdc)
Tammy Gordon (@floridagirlindc)
WILDCARD: Kelly Ann Collins (@kellyanncollins)

I don't know any of these nominees because I don't read about social butterflies. The category reminds me of the 1%. I won't vote here.


Favorite D.C. food truck

Curbside Cupcakes (@curbsidecupcake)*
Lobster Truck (@lobstertruckdc)
District Taco (@districttaco)
El Floridana (@flmeetsdc)
DC Slices (@dcslices)
WILDCARD: Tasty Kabob (@tastykabob)

I never eat from overpriced food trucks, even if they look clean, cute and delicious. Well, I have eaten delicious pupusas from some unidentified food truck in Hyattsville, but is not in the list. No vote in this one.


Favorite foodie

Bitches Who Brunch (@btcheswhobrunch)*
Leigh Shapiro (@leleboo)
Boris Savitskiy (@nomnomboris)
Alejandra Owens (@frijolita)
Robyn Webb (@robynwebb)
WILDCARD: Jenna Golden (@jigolden)

I like good food, but considering my different cultural background, I don't read about foodies no matter how good they may be. These blogs are really good, but no vote.


Favorite local business

9:30 Club (@930Club)*
Kramer Books & Afterwords (@kramerbooks)
Taylor Gourmet (@taylor_gourmet)
Politics & Prose (@politics_prose)
Stussy DC (@stussydc)
WILDCARD: D.C. Bocce League (@DCBocceLeague)

My only choice here is Politics & Prose @politics_prose, period. I really dislike 9:30 Club and Kramerbooks, based on my personal experiences in those places.


Favorite nightlife insider

Lisa Byrne (@dceventjunkie)*
Doug Van Sant (@dougvansant)
Quianne Perrin (@flycandydc)
DMV Followers (@dmvfollowers)
Brendan Kownacki (@bkownacki)
WILDCARD: Zack Huhn (@zackhuhn)

I don't got out much to D.C. at nights anymore. I can't afford it money wise and for personal-safety. Plus, twits about drunk sexist people are so unattractive. I would vote for @dmvfollowers but I rather vote for Lisa Byrne @dceventjunkie one of the best cultural events blogs in D.C.


Favorite restaurateur

Spike Mendelsohn (@chefspike)*
Jose Andres (@chefjoseandres)
Bharet Malhortra (@cocosala)
Scott Magnuson (@argonautdc)
Dean Gold (@dinodc)
WILDCARD: Mike Isabella (@mikeisabella)

I've worked for the D.C. Restaurant industry for years, and I don't get along with chefs nor restaurateurs. So I won't vote for any of these, one of these nominees is a phony man and I worked for another one as a waiter. Gosh.


Favorite government agency

NASA (@NASA)*
USDA (@USDA)
The FAA (@FAANEWS)
D.C Fire and EMS (@dcfireems)
White House OSTB (@whitehouseostp)
WILDCARD: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (@DARPA_News)

What I love about official government agencies twitter accounts is that they share important information without trying to impress anyone, nor cause any unintended misunderstanding. I bet they review each twit carefully. I have to vote for @NASA for their shared knowledge.


Favorite arts scenester

Jason McCool (@Coolmcjazz)
Chelsey Christensen (@Chelseydc)
Philippa Hughes (@Pinklineproject)
Sophie Gilbert (@Sophiegg)
Kriston Capps (@Kristoncapps)

This is a group of talented writers and critics who twit mostly about useful links of very interesting readings about D.C. arts mostly. I don't know enough about them to I won't pick just one yet.


Favorite activist

Allison Sosna (@Chefallisosna) Chef at DC Central Kitchen, has her own catering company.
Jan-Michael Sacharko (@janmichaeldc) An advocate for homeless people currently based in Northern VA.
Shannon and Chai (@hollabackdc) Interesting blog about people complaining of mostly-sexual harassment. Most of the complains are valid, some sound a bit ridiculous to me.
Miles Grant (@milesgrant) Progressive, focused on D.C. local politics too.
DC Debbie (@dcdebbie) She is progressive, real and supports #OWS #OccupyDC a lot.

My vote is for DC Debbie @dcdebbie because I have read her twits often, she makes a lot of sense most of times, and she cares about people.

These are my choices. BTW, it kind of feels good to vote in a city where I can't vote for anything else.

But you can vote here too.



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Occupy DC staying in McPherson Square despite demands for eviction and cold weather

Despite increasing demands for its eviction and harsh cold temperatures, the Occupy D.C. camp at McPherson Square is standing strong as one of the last standing Occupy camps in the United States.

Today I visited the Occupy D.C. camp and I took these photos. Notice that most protesters were at the U.S. Congress, joining a hunger strike to demand voting rights and budget autonomy for the District.

Photos by Carlos A. Quiroz

Demands for eviction

Even after the biggest Occupy camp was evicted in New York last month, and others evictions have followed across the U.S. but the Occupy D.C. two camps remain intact: one is located two blocks from the White House at McPherson Square and K Street NW, and the other at Freedom Plaza in front of the City Hall.

Today, the nearby Occupy Baltimore camp was evicted.

Last month, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray complained that Occupy D.C. cost about $1 million dollars to the city, but the D.C. Council has expressed its support to the campers, along with D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes.

Also, the Department of Interior's U.S. Park Police is saying they will not evict the campers:

“The National Park Service and U.S. Park Police are firmly committed to upholding Americans’ First Amendment rights while also enforcing our nation’s laws, guarding public safety, and protecting the resources with which we are entrusted,”

Last Thursday, 62 protesters were arrested after they blocked K Street NW for several hours. This is an area where the most powerful lobbying firms in the country are located. This action might have caused more demands for an eviction.

On Sunday, the local conservative newspaper The Examiner posted an article titled "Patience wanes with Occupy protest" expressing concerns from business owners who said Occupy D.C. scares customers and tourists away.

Today, Republican Congressmember Darrell Issa (CA) demanded the federal government to explain why the Department of Interior is allowing Occupy DC campers to destroy its $400K landscaping and refurbishing, which was completed in Spring of this year.

So far, the biggest confrontation with D.C. Police happened a week earlier on Sunday December 4th, when a structure called "The People's Pentagon" that was built by Occupy D.C. protesters in the middle of McPherson Square was demolished and several people were arrested.

Occupiers cleaning up the park today.

Occupiers interact with by-passers and visitors.

The lobbyists are upset

An email was sent out around K Street buildings last week ahead of protests:

"Washington, DC is now becoming a focus point for Occupy-related protests now that other cities have cracked down on the tent cities and the criminal mischief associated with the Occupy movement. Other than frigid Boston, Washington is the only City that continues to allow the Occupy tent cities to continue without disruption. 

We received a most interesting briefing this morning from law enforcement regarding a series of significant protests that are planned for Washington next week. I will not mention their names or agency because I appreciate their candor, if not their message. 

At present there is a week of activities that are being spearheaded by the Service Employees International Union ("SEIU"), the AFL-CIO, the Occupy movement, and other left-wing organizations. It is expected that there will be people bussed in from around the country and the event ("Take Back the Capital") is all over the internet. The unions are usually capable of turning out a sizable crowd when they put their minds to it, and this is intended to be a big event. They begin arriving on Monday. 

Here is their agenda for the week that is being advertised on the Internet: 

[...]

The key day is Wednesday, December 7th when the group plans to "swarm" from K Street 14th Street to 22nd Street throughout the day. They intend to enter the buildings (and possibly the tenant spaces) of buildings containing lobbying firms, law firms which lobby or represent corporate interests, Buildings housing healthcare tenants, oil tenants, insurance tenants, bank tenants, or drug company tenants would also be targets of this group. In other words, just about every building on K Street is a potential target. 

Further, I would not rely on the logistics parameters supplied by the protest organizers. If you have a building with tenants in the target groups anywhere in the City, I would take the same precautions that we are suggesting for the K street buildings. In fact, regardless of your tenant base, if your facility is in the vicinity of the protesters, they may enter your building if they cannot get into their buildings of choice and you present an easier target. 

Area CEOs of target companies, or high profile lobbyists, should not be surprised to have protestors show up at their homes in large numbers. That is a favorite tactic of some of the unions that are participating in this event. 

Protective Measures: The police have made it clear that their goal is to avoid taking action that will get them sued, even if it means letting the protestors disrupt K Street for the day, and even if building lobbies are invaded by chanting protestors. If things are being broken, and the police actually see the person doing the breaking, an arrest may be made. Otherwise, the protestors in your lobby will be told to leave within a certain period of time, they will be given three warnings during that period of time, and when the time expires, they will be told that they are now subject to arrest if they don't leave. 

However, that doesn't mean that any arrests will actually take place unless a top official gives the green light. The hope is that the protestors will eventually leave on their own, even if your tenants are virtual captives until that happens. I will let you, the readers, form their own opinion on the adequacy of the police department's tactical plan for protecting your private property and your tenants. 

1) Based on that information, we recommend that property managers contact their access control companies as soon as possible to arrange to have buildings go into lockdown status earlier in the day (possibly 3 PM) as early as Monday and leave the building in lockdown status all day on Wednesday. That early lockdown could remain in place through Friday. There is no guarantee that some of the demonstrators will not jump the gun and conduct their own rogue operations prior to, or after, Wednesday, but they tend to do these things late in the afternoon. Your security/concierge/building staff should also be prepared to lock your doors on very short notice if protesters are in the vicinity. 

2) If your elevators are equipped with card readers or key fobs, we also recommend that the elevators be locked down for the entire week and that all visitors be confirmed by the tenants and/or met in the lobby and escorted upstairs by a tenant representative. These protest groups are known to have protestors dress in business attire in order to get into building lobbies and onto tenant floors. An elevator lockdown would keep them from being able to get onto tenant floors if they do manage to get inside the building. 

3) Parking garages can be a point of serious vulnerability because protestors can run down to lower levels, enter the building which may have locked its front doors, and make their way to the lobby from the lower levels. Monday would be a good day to conduct an assessment of the garage vulnerability issue. 

4) The concerns applicable to garages also apply to loading docks. Wednesday may be a good day to keep the doors closed as much as possible and to take whatever measures your building may have at its disposal to limit entry to the lobby area from the loading dock area.
Please contact us if we can assist you with these issues. 

On Thursday, a mass march is scheduled to Capitol Hill. It is expected that many of the visiting people will be staying at, or meeting at, McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza. The Thursday march will probably move down Pennsylvania Avenue in order to capture the optics of the crowd moving towards the Capitol. That means every commercial office building on Pennsylvania Avenue must be prepared for the same antics as the K Street buildings on Wednesday. If any alternative routes are announced we will get them to you. 

The protestors have announced that they will pitch tents on the National Mall and other downtown parks. The Interior Department has told them that they must leave the Mall at night and take the tents with them, but time will tell if that will be enforced. Police expect new tent cities to pop up during the week and they expect that many people will remain in the DC tent cities when the week of activities end. You can already see the growth of the camp site at McPherson Square since the New York and Philadelphia sites have been shut down. 

Conclusion 

The SEIU element that is involved in this event is a more radical group than the one that represents security officers and janitors in Washington. We are reaching out to the leadership of the 32BJ union that we negotiate with to see if they can reign in their brethren who are involved in organizing the healthcare industry, but they are two different groups. 

Additionally, there will be so many other different groups in the mix (AFL-CIO, anarchists, "student" activists, Occupy, and union rent-a-mobs, etc) that it will be difficult for anyone to guarantee good behavior by the entire group. When they invaded a lobby a couple of weeks ago at one DC office building, the security team and building staff was spat upon and physically threatened. I don't expect this group to be any more genteel. 

In fact, I expect the intimidation factor to be ratcheted up as events unfold. It will not take long for the protestors to realize that they are going to be allowed to walk virtually wherever they want to walk, block intersections at will, and cause a major disruption of commerce and movement downtown without threat of arrest unless they go far over the line of criminal conduct and begin destroying property and/or assaulting people within the direct vision of the police. Even then, the police response is likely to be restrained. 

Wednesday would be a very good day to work from home if that is an option. During much of the day, simply getting a car out of a garage on K Street and trying to travel is likely to be impossible. Downtown traffic is likely to be a mess all day if the protester crowds are of even modest size. 

MPD intends to issue updates during the week through the Golden Triangle and Downtown Bids. We will also pass along additional relevant information as we learn it.

Growing movement

Despite the pressure from lobbyist firms and business owners (and upset Republican politicians), more Occupy D.C. events are planned daily in both McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza as well.

Tomorrow, local Black churches will join the Occupy movement in Washington, DC.

The protesters at Occupy D.C. are also organizing to face the cold Winter temperatures. Check this list of needs in case you want to donate, and follow the hashtag #OccupyDCneeds in Twitter if you want to donate clothes or banquets.

Also, the D.C. Occupiers are trying to keep the occupied spaces as clean as possible, and they have set specific guidelines.

Not pretty

It's true that the Occupy D.C. camp doesn't look harmonious with the surroundings, and it doesn't have to. After all, this is a protesting camp, an action of civil disobedience, a sign of the frustration of most U.S. citizens with the current economic and social disparity in the country.

Revolutions are not supposed to be pretty, but their actions and motives can be. In that sense, there is beauty behind this unaesthetic camp. The enormous sacrifice these protesters are doing for the rest of us, by living in the streets facing many challenges, by risking arrests and even discrimination and their own health.

Today when I saw their faces, I noticed that many looked exhausted and cold, but they also seemed convinced their actions will have a positive outcome.


After Occupy D.C. defeats its opponents and the upcoming harsh Winter, the movement will only grow even stronger, and that will be very good for this city and the rest of the country.

MORE PHOTOS

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Occupy DC rally occupied K Street NW [VIDEOS & PHOTOS] Take Back the Capitol Day 2

About 2,000 protesters rallied from the National Mall to K Street NW, in the second day of Take Back the Capitol week of action, blocking the street where most of the U.S. lobbyist offices are located. Several people were arrested.

Organizers, activists, students and several organizations including Our DC along with Occupy DC held a "Day of Action against the undue influence of money in politics" on Wednesday, December 7th. The rally protested against corporate greed and the role of money in politics.

Despite the heavy rain, the occupiers shut down K Street for several hours. This area is where the most powerful U.S. lobbying firms are located.

Photos by 99inDC

These are some videos posted in Youtube today. Most media in Washington, DC, reported briefly about this protest. These videos include amazing testimonies of people who have traveled to DC especially for this protest.

Read more and get involved about the Take Back the Capitol protests.

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Take Back the Capitol week of action in Washington DC: thousands demand more and better jobs - VIDEOS

Thousands of people have arrived to Washington, DC, from across the country for a five-day long protest to demand the U.S. Congress to pass legislation aimed to reduce the nation's high unemployment rates, to guarantee better jobs and extend current unemployment benefits.

Photo by 99inDC

This organized protest is being called Take Back the Capitol and is organized by the local community organization Our DC, with the support of Occupy movements from other cities, as well as unions including SEIU and other community groups.

The protesters are meeting at the National Mall by the Smithsonian Metro Station, at what is called “The People’s Camp” (see photos here).

Last night I visited The People’s Camp. There were not many people yet as most protesters have arrived this morning. I saw a group of tents, public spaces and stages where the protesters were meeting for trainings, conferences, and open hall debates. There was also free food and other services provided.

This is the video I recorded last night:

Photos and video by Carlos A. Quiroz

Please consider joining these protests, everyone is welcomed. The official program includes:

Tuesday, December 6 – Take Back the People’s House. From the People’s Camp, we’ll form groups and fan out to congressional offices, remind members of Congress that the Capitol is the People’s House, and demand that they represent the 99%.

Wednesday, December 7- “Make Wall Street Pay.” We’ll swarm K Street, the lobbying center for the world’s most powerful corporations, and track down those responsible for crashing the economy and causing millions of 99%ers to lose their jobs and homes—while failing to pay their fair share of taxes.

Thursday, December 8 – Demand Justice for the 99%. The day’s events will include multiple speak-outs throughout the Capitol, a national prayer vigil with unemployed folks and faith leaders, a mass march on key congressional leaders, and a lively jubilee action

For more information, please visit the following links:

• Our DC.
• 99% in DC.
• Follow in Twitter the hashtags #99inDC and #TakeBacktheCapitol
• SEIU blog.
• Occupy DC.
• Our DC Flickr albums.

Update: these are videos posted by activists and citizens who participated at the lobby day in Congress on Wednesday December 7th, 2011: