Occupy Atlanta to John Lewis: Only On Our Terms

 

Civil rights icon U.S. Representative John Lewis showed up to downtown Atlanta’s Woodruff Park to tell the protesters he stands with them.  If he expected to be given special treatment in deference to his immense status in this city, he wasn’t admitting it.

Congressman John Lewis came out to Occupy Atlanta on Friday, October 7th in Woodruff Park. He even commented on the Atlanta General Assembly's group consensus process saying "this is not something strange or out of the ordinary for me," and he was "not at all" disappointed he wasn't able to address the Assembly. Video Colby Blunt for Occupy Atlanta.

However Lewis felt about the incident, it speaks volumes about the mood of those of us who support the anti-greed, anti-corporation movement spreading like wildfire across America.  It says the 99% the movement claims to represent; i..e., those who are not among the wealthiest 1% of Americans, are not interested in the support of Washington’s elite, regardless of his or her position on the cause.

When Lewis joined the crowd about 45 minutes after the session began, an impromptu meeting of the protesters determined Mr. Lewis could speak, but not until the period in the program when anybody could speak.  I don’t know how others feel, but I kind of like this attitude.  Some DC functionaries might be better than others, but none of them have done enough to deserve deference from a fed up populace that is tired of hearing their platitudes.

 

 

This poster was posted on July 25, 2011 on http://occupyatlanta.wpengine.com, indicating the rally on Friday night (Oct. 7) was far from impromptu.

 

 

 

 

 

 The Faces of   Occupy Atlanta

 

 

 Joeff Davis, Creative Loafing

 

Signs of the times

 

 

 

UPI/Erik S.Lesser

 

 

 

 We’ve been called worse.  Go, Occupy Atlanta!