Today (11/7) Occupy Atlanta was at a court hearing at the City of Atlanta Municipal Court for five Occupants who were arrested Sunday night.
The arrests made over the last few days have brought national attention to the City of Atlanta and to Occupy Atlanta. There have been several attempts to silence our voice and deny our First Amendment rights. Excessive police presence and the waste of tax payer’s money shines a light on the the government’s distorted priorities and failures to act in the best interests of the people.
The 25 arrests made over the weekend included three journalists, one minister, a college professor, and an uninvolved bystander. The Atlanta Police Department injured three people, requiring medical attention. This aggression from a department which has a history of such incidents must be addressed and will not be tolerated.
When resources are used to babysit a park full of peaceful protesters instead of addressing the issues that have contributed to our society downfall, it demonstrates a warped set of priorities. Georgia has the 4th highest foreclosure rate in the country and is number one in wealth disparity in the nation. Atlanta also lost more jobs than any other metro area in 2010.
Occupy Atlanta is a social movement of protest standing in support of the 99% of Americans who are under the overwhelming political and economic influence of the wealthiest 1%. Occupy Atlanta vows to no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. The movement is comprised of people from many socioeconomic strata, ethnic backgrounds and political persuasions unified in their determination to invigorate participatory democracy and give voice and political power back to the majority of the people.
