Occupy Overman! Cedar Falls Joins National Movement

15Oct11

Kids play on a hill picking pumpkins priced for stragglers at the last Farmer’s Market of the year for downtown Cedar Falls. Another group will be replacing them in a few short hours. The park is beautiful and it seems like the perfect day to spend in the sunshine kicking off an indefinite camp-out right across from City Hall.

No sign of the protesters yet, in fact, they won’t show for another hour or so. I arrived at noon to watch the park transform from a marketplace full of vegetables to an empty park to a town square of curious bystanders to a photo shoot for news personalities to an excited rush when we finally heard the drummer and saw the group turning off Main street, heading right for the crowd.

In the solidarity committee we discussed several main points we could all agree on in case others would like a quick snapshot of our ideas:

*Ending the military industrial complex (end wars, bring troops home)
*Ending corporatism (get money out of politics and government)
*Overhaul of social services (education, health care, housing)
*Jobs (infrastructure)
*Environmental responsibility (sustainability)

If you would like to help the Occupy Movement in any way please attend our general assembly meeting tomorrow at 3:00pm in Overman Park. I will provide updates when I can and hopefully get supplies to those who are staying these first few nights! I am also planning a time to stay in the park myself :) Viva la Occupation!

Here are more photos from the demonstration. Start the conversation in your area and see how far peaceful freedom of speech and assembly can spread!

Go occupy YOUR own town! More photos here!

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Tags: america, cedar falls, demonstrat, iowa, Main Street, news, occupy, photo, protest, solidarity, Wall Street