GA Minutes

Sara facilitating, switched off with C.J. for proposal

Hand signals, pledge

Announcements: Walkupy leaving for Chicago on Monday, hope to be there towards the end of April.

Committee report backs:

Legal (Shayna): People who were arrested Oct. 26 or Nov. 5 need to be in contact with Legal in preparation for their court date March 9. Everyone else please show up in court as as a show of support. We don’t intend any actions, the best plan is to be there in solidarity.

Media: Meeting directly after GA, we will go somewhere indoors because it’s cold. Probably Mamma Mia’s, but see us after GA.

Action: Rally Tuesday 11-2

No committee-related proposals. Other proposals:

Sara: We, the General Assembly of Occupy Atlanta, call for the repeal of Georgia statutes which suppress worker’s rights in favor of employer’s rights, including the ”at-will” employment law and all laws contravening or allowing for exceptions to the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.

Explanation: Taft-Hartley exceptions to the National Labor Relations Act mean that someone can refuse to join a union or pay dues even if they are working in a unionized job and receive the benefits of having a union negotiate with the employer. This is what weakens unions in this state compared to other states.

Clarifying question: What does at-will mean?
Sara: It means that you can leave a job or be terminated with no notice. It also means that in Georgia you are only protected from discrimination if the company has more than fifteen employees, because those are the only ones covered by Federal law. If you work for a small business, they can fire you for any reason at all or no reason.

Call for consensus. No blocks, no stand asides. Consensus reached.

Other business:

Occupation Week coming up in March…keep tents in park then?

Discussion: We need to know more about what Occupation Week is and when.

CJ: Look around, everyone’s tent is nice, but mine is messed up. It won’t even close.

Copper: Some people have sabotaged the tents and broken the zippers.

Sara: I intend to get tent repair kits, I just haven’t gotten a chance yet.

Brandi: I am in touch with people at other Occupations, and I want to get 500-1000 people here by spring. They will bring donations with them and organize logistics. Can we claim the park based on squatter’s rights?

(Discussion, people expressing the opinion that it only applies to buildings that have been abandoned for a length of time but that there are many abandoned homes around the city that could be acquired through adverse claim.)

Anna: Accounting funds $3875.71. When we hit $3k, a spending freeze will kick in.

James: It’s fundraising time, people!

Ed: Mt. Bethel will be at Safe House at 89 Ellis St. to take people to the church for shelter tonight.

Comment: I don’t feel people should leave, it shows weakness.

Brandi: I can’t stay out here in the cold, my health won’t allow it.

Sara: Based on my own experience protesting…be safe, be self-aware, be smart. Don’t push people to do things, they know better than anyone else what they are capable of.

GA minutes 2/8/12

Big Softy facilitating. David moderating. Sara taking minutes.
Misty read pledge. Hand signals.

Announcements
Tim – Planned action at AT&T next Tuesday, rally 11-2 Help save working class jobs
Misty – Welcome to all the new people! Free school at the Teardown, posted on Indymedia. Videography/editing class
Sara – Labor issues affinity group. Bringing proposal to call for repeal of exceptions to NLRA of 1935 on Saturday. Also some of us went to Mitt Romney’s campaign stop today.
Colin – Bike shop open Mon 1-5, come in and help. Seeking donations.
Big S. – 451 affinity group wants books. The ‘zine wants submissions, print version and website, outreach for Glen Iris house and other things.
David – Event at PnP on Saturday, possible press coverage, positive representation of what is going on there.
Ed – Have been occupying in the park, approached by three different GSU professors who are sending students out to interview. I will be speaking at GSU tomorrow night at 7 pm for the Student Union. We are getting visitors from all over the place, including Germany.
David – Proposal for modification of the pledge coming up. Will include correction of grammatical errors and a phrase about diversity of tactics.
Big S. – Occupation at PnP: Task Force will have to continue legal battle. This may mean that Occupy Atlanta may have to move out.
Copper – We need more original occupiers out here because yesterday people walked away with four tents. If you have time, please come occupy.

Committee report backs
Legal – Shayna: Copper had court Monday, all charges were dismissed. Copper: I appreciate everything Occupy Atlanta has done for me. We need to remember this is a non-violent movement. Sometimes tempers flare and we forget what we are really here for.
Action – Robert AT&T action, talk to me or someone on Action about our plans for that.
Misty – Conflict mediation working group exists! contact me, Andrew, Daniel, etc…training available from Sacred Space. Restorative circles.
Q from BS: Would it work for other Occupations?
Misty: I think we should try it.

No committee related proposals. Other proposal which was previously tabled:

PROPOSAL TO CUT GAs to 2 times a week. The time limit for ga would be rescinded.
Friendly amendment to go to 3 per week due to the anticipation that there will be much more business to deal with in the spring.
Response: The proposal can include a provision to add more GAs as needed at the discretion of the Process team. Also people don’t come on Mondays and Fridays, so there’s no point in having meetings people don’t come to anyway.
Friendly amendment to go to just one per week.
Response: People have different work schedules, and if we only have it on a week night or a weekend some people will not be able to attend at all. Twice a week is manageable.
Friendly amendment to have a think tank on a day that there is not enough people for a ga.
Response: This seems like something Process or somebody could just decide to do, doesn’t need to be part of the proposal.
Point of information that it is discouraging when there are not enough people for a ga.
Concern that there are not enough committee report backs at ga.
Response: That’s not so much part of this proposal, but I have a plan to address that.
Proposal passed that the ga would just be on wednesdays and saturdays without the strict 2hour time limit.

Other business
Adam – There was no Free Market on Sat. Tried to go to Gardening meeting and Education and Training meetings, neither one happened
Copper – I would like to see more up to date pictures, etc on the website. We need more conflict mediation at the occupations here, I have heard the same thing from travelers. This is a young movement and we will have conflicts, keep it peaceful.
Daniel – Firedoglake.com had a vote about which Occupations were the most successful and Occupy Atlanta was voted into the top five. We won a tent. We have a few options of what to do with it, but I feel strongly this should be an open discussion

Sara – read text of proposal for Saturday: “We, the General Assembly of Occupy Atlanta, call for the repeal of Georgia’s statutes which suppress worker’s rights in favor of employer’s rights, specifically the ‘at-will’ employment law and all laws contravening or allowing for exceptions to the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.”

Emelle – Will and I have been in Haiti, we are doing a report back Feb 12 6-8 at the AFSC building about the work we are doing. Will: There is no Occupation in Haiti, we would like to galvanize one. The youth there are very displaced morally, I would like to change that.
David- we had an informal meeting with Task Force. Anita feels confident that an appeal will be accepted. We think we should have a plan B, C, etc and contingencies. We also need to prepare in case we need to “Occupy” the building. We need a group discussion and a plan for action.
Misty – I’m sorry that things fell through, that happens some time. I’ll give out my phone number to the new people. Larry had mentioned that he can dry blankets, I know another guy who runs the Bread coffee house at Emory, if the foks in the park need that. We do have a conflict resolution working group, come get training.
? – I was on the de-escalation team at OWS. We would get training in non-violent communication and would be on duty at given times. If there was a conflict, you would call the person on duty and they would try to address it.
Will- We have some blankets, I’d like to bring them.

Announcements:
– Next Saturday, 28th Jan, 1-4PM at the park there will be a General Assembly and march to CNN in solidarity with the arab communities on the anniversary of army and police attacks on the protesters in Tahrir Square in Egypt.
– to submit to the OA Zine email occupyatlzine@yahoo.com
– 100% consensus amendment tabled until next Saturday

Committee Report Backs:

Home Defense:
– need to bring in a whole new layer of people engaging in community action
– Mon 11AM, press conference about the Pittman house at Chase offices 1215 Caroline St.
– Tuesday, training at 60 Walton on how home occupation works for home owners and would be home occupiers
– Jan 27, March on Chase Bank following a rally at the Pittman house 404 Glen Iris Dr. with the goal of getting 100 people to participate
– Thursday 5PM, regular Home Defense Committee meeting
– Feb 7 10AM-4PM, at steps of the courthouse will be another auction protest

Action Committee:
– Tue 24th 11:30AM, at Wells Fargo offices 2 Peachtree St. will be a protest against their investments in commercial prisons encouraging people to pull their money out of Wells Fargo
– Sat, 28 Feb starting 9:30AM with speakers all day, at Ebenezer Baptist Church there will be a summit calling for the abolishment of the death penalty
– 14 Feb (Valentine’s Day) 11AM-2PM, there will be an action at AT&T offices, 675 W. Peachtree St. NW protesting their laying off 740 employees after making record profits in 2011
– 22 Jan at 3PM, at 60 Walton a meeting to form a working group to start planning a SE regional Occupy conference (tentatively planned for March 8-11)
– Tues 6:30PM, at 60 Walton there will be an Action Committee meeting
– Action needs people to spread fliers!!! The Fliers will be provided. If you can post, hand out, or otherwise distribute fliers promoting OA events please contact the Action Committee. Remember, as part of Occupy Atlanta, “We share burdens by taking initiatives to fill roles and relieve comrades.”

Finance:
– Current funds = $4,530.07
– spent $800 for yard signs
– provided $700 for sending folks to Occupy Congress

Proposals:

– Proposal tabled at yesterday’s GA was tabled again.

Other Business:
– concern expressed by the same speakers as at yesterdays GA about a person at Peachtree & Pine kicking out others, calling police to remove others, and assaulting another person

– people willing to come in and train occupiers in NVC, Non-Violent Communications, and Restorative Circles available this week (will try to make a class happen)

– OA bus: We may be able to acquire a bus for OA. The offer is for the donation of a bus (and its maintenance) to OA not money or funds that could be used in some other way. If it works out it would likely be arranged through Jobs for Justice and the Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition. We will need art for the bus (along the lines of making it a “traveling billboard” for OA.) There would likely be three or four folks in OA sharing responsibility for the bus for the sake of insurance.

– When problems with folks or situations arrise lets bring in the concerned parties to clarify accusations. Some of the events described concerning the actions of the person [referred to above] at Peachtree and Pine are incorrect and distort the situation.

Announcements:
– W. has been having people associated with Occupy kicked out of Peachtree and Pine and threw coffee in someone there’s face. This was considered unacceptable violent behavior in violation of OA’s pledge.

Committee Report Backs:
– Web Committee meetings moved to Sunday at 6:30 with meetings on the second and fourth Sundays of each month taking place via IRC at irc.indiemedia.org #OAwebsite. All other sunday meetings will take place at Peachtree & Pine.
– The OA website was “blacked out” on Wed. 18 Jan in solidarity with the internet PIPA/SOPA day of protest. All site contents were available after clicking through the information about the protest that Andrew craftily posted.

– Arts and Literature is reorganizing and working away with hopes of having more fun events soon.

Proposals:

– “Removal of W. from position as liaison for Occupay Atlanta with Peachtree and Pine.” Discussed whether it was appropriate to proceed with this without him and others involved present and concern expressed for following process. Proposer agreed it would be better to delay vote on the proposal until the next GA.
Tabled

– “Wiktionary.org will be the standard dictionary for arbitrating the meaning of words within Occupy Atlanta unless an explicit definition has been formally adopted for a specific situation. Should any concern arrise about malicious editing of a current wiktionary definition then an acceptable previous definition from wiktionary or -failing agreement upon that- the Dictionary.com definition will be used.”

Discussion about whether it was necessary to have an official source of word definitions when people should be able to use common sense. Historical GA events brought up to justify proposal.
Passed

– “Each proposal to be voted on by the General Assembly, GA, will be submitted to the Process Committee and made available on the Occupy Atlanta web site at least one week prior to the proposal being brought before the GA for a vote. Modifications to the proposal during this one week lead time shall be made available by the proposer in a timely manner -including updates on the web site and final submission to the Process Committee of the proposal as it will be presented to the GA by the time of the last Process Committee meeting before the GA at which the proposal will be presented. Should the Process Committee or members there of who are facilitating a GA at any time deem the proposal to have been substantially changed to the degree that it constitutes a new proposal the proposal may be subjected to a new week of lead time before the proposal my be voted on.

In situations where the Process Committee recognizes a pressing need for more rapid consideration of a proposal the Process Committee may add the proposal to the agenda for consideration by the GA -waiving the one week lead time. The Process Committee will maintain a list of proposals and the dates of GAs at which the proposals are scheduled to be presented and will make a good faith effort at making this list available for perusal.

Responsibility for posting of a proposal to the web site lies with the proposer and may be fulfilled by a third party on behalf of the proposer. The proposer also holds responsibility for getting on the stack to present the proposal.”

Discussion about the duration of the lead time being long at one week and possible better to have a shorter time. Agreed to try one week to promote more engagment in dialogue and possibly modify to a shorter time at a later GA. Concern expressed about how an emergency proposal would be handled. Agreed that it was appropriate to trust Process for judging when a proposal should be allowed to short circuit the lead time and come up for immediate vote. Clarified that this only applies to proposals and no other OA information would need to be made publicly available on the web site.
Passed

Other Business:
– Concern expressed about getting clothing and bedding of the park occupiers dried out during rainy spells like we’re having. Any help that can be provided in the form of dry clothing, washing & drying of occupier’s clothing, and other creative means of keeping folks in the park warm and dry will be greatly appreciated!

– Violet joined the Occupy the Courts protest today and being so impressed with Occupy Atlanta wants to join the occupation of the park. A tent and sleeping bag are needed to support this! Any leads?

Announcements:

-Senator Fort back in hospital, folks from OA visited him

-There will be daily workshops at the AFSC starting on Monday.  Info will be put up on website.

-Anarchist Assembly 119 Wyman St. 5-9 pm on Saturday 119 Wyman St.

-Folks should reach out to Vincent Castellini about developing the proposal regarding media committee

 

Committee Report Backs:

-Home defense meets every Thursday at 5:30 pm @ Glen Iris

-Next Saturday January 14th rally at Glen Iris

-Tuesday January 10th Press Conference at 11:00 am

-Sara Amis stepped down from Media Committee

-Jonathan mentioned Operation Free Copper

-$7,746 balance in bank, waiting on receipts from Glen Iris

-Some folks abusing MARTA pass budget

-January 9th rally at capitol against the death penalty

-Action committee meeting rescheduled to Tuesday at 8:00 pm at Troy Davis Park or 60 Walton St. if the weather is bad

-Everyday people hosting a bus to Occupy Congress on January 17th, $100.00/seat

-January 20th Occupy the courts

-Morgan is the new bottom liner for Arts and Lit.

-This Sunday January 8th is the wrap up of the Human Rights Art Show

 

Proposals

-Proposal to separate Arts and Lit. from media.  There was one block which became a stand aside after it was agreed that Arts and Lit would work on Street Art, Killer Coke, Kick out Sodexo campaign if folks came to Arts and Lit that wanted to work on this.  Proposal passed.

-Proposal that GA’s last no longer than 2 hours.  Amendments include: Anything not finished will be moved to the next GA. Saturday GA’s can last 3 hours at discretion of facilitator. There will be a timekeeper assigned to each GA.

-Proposal regarding diversity of tactics and risk management/informed consent. Tabled.

-Proposal to dissolve demands committee (not submitted to process prior to meeting). Tabled

 

Other business

-Sunday 5:00 pm. Know Your Rights and Cop Watch Training at the Teardown

-Person from Occupy DC talked about a De-escalation committee that had been effective at conflict resolution in DC. He offered to share PDF docs on this.

-Diana bailed out Copper, if we can support both Copper and Diana throughout this process in order to ensure that Copper can get to all of the follow up appointments/court dates. Help with rides, help with keeping folks accountable, scheduling reminders etc.

Billy S.: December 26, 2011 7:10pm: GA Minutes

General Assembly @ Troy Davis Park

1. CALL TO ORDER.  Hello from Troy Davis Park.  Happy Holidays, and wish everyone a prosperous New Year.

2. Reading of pledge and guidelines.

3. Announcements

A. Action committee is currently working on a new process, that would allow individuals who are interested in doing an action, to submit for review.If you are interested, be sure to attend the action committee meetings every Tuesday at 6pm.

B. A noise demonstration is scheduled for Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 254 Peachtree St SW, from 9:30pm-10:15pm.  Bring pots, pans, drums, whistles, and show your support.

C. Legal team reported that Copper didn’t have court on December 28, 2011.  Also, in order to visit Copper, you would have to get on a visitors list to see him.  Otherwise, you are still able to communicate with via  letters.

D.  The Process Committee is working very hard in order to increase the proficiency of the GA’s.  If you would like to be involved in this process, you are free to attend the Process Committee meetings which are held one hour before GA’s, at the scheduled location of the GA.

E. Manuel’s Tavern is holding an event to support Copper, as well as the general legal fund on December 29, 2011 at 8:00pm.

General Assembly Minutes 11/10/2011

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. ANNOUNCEMENTS

Meredith: Feminist Caucus Sunday at 12 pm, Tuesday  Women’s Self-Defense class at 5:30 pm

Misty: Making Occupy movie, want more women for interviews.

Chris: Radical Caucus is holding an Open Forum Saturday at 5 pm, and organizing a march on MARTA Wednesday at 5:30 pm.

Rob: Media Meeting tonight after GA.

Lillie:  Good Outreach meeting turnout.  Our meetings are Monday and Wednesday at 5:30 pm.  Bottom-liner meeting this Sunday at 5:30 pm, and will be done weekly.

Ladie: Tomorrow we are hosting a Veteran’s Day brunch at noon followed by a press conference at 12:30 pm.

Sara: Having another Benefit show and we’d like actors.

James: There’s a show Thursday the 17th being scheduled at Wonderroot.

Avery: Phone # of Occupy Atlanta – 404 720 6060. Committees can send an email to IT@occupyatlanta.org for a phone #.  IT meeting this Saturday at 1 pm at Peachtree & Pine.

Sara: Arts and Lit meeting Sunday at 12 pm.

Graham: Tomorrow at 4 pm we’re Occupying the Banks.  Thursday the 17th, National Day of Action, we’re holding an action in Union Solidarity at 6pm.  Another Occupy the Banks action next week.

Ron: Education and Training committee meetings are Wednesday and Friday at 4pm/

Tripp: Process needs help! Our meetings are everyday one hour prior to GA.

III. PROPOSALS

James: Formerly open trade with OWS.

• Query: What does this entail? A: OWS just needs GA approval and video evidence to send us supplies.
• Query: Any other conditions? A: None that have been expressed.
• Query: Who will they be in contact with? A: Logistics.

No stand-asides, no blocks.  CONSENSUS.

IV. OTHER BUSINESS

Avery: Apologizes for short, curt behavior at last night’s GA.

Copper: Concerned about some people who have been put on the street from Peachtree and Pine.

Annette: Contact me if interested in doing an 11:11 am event on 11/11/11.

Occupy New Orleans visitor: offering security help/training.  Glad to be out with other Occupiers!

Tim: Occupy Gwinnett is now set up, want to set up similar things in other areas.

Shab: battle with Fannie Mae, action on Monday at 2 pm.

Tripp: if in food service, talk to him, if you have flags, please talk to Ladie.

Chris: Please limit facebook posting so you don’t unnecessarily push down other important information.  Consider limiting your own posts daily, try to be considerate of other, more important and informative posts.

ADJOURNMENT

Occupy Atlanta General Assembly Minutes 11/7/2011

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sally: Disappointed with the confrontation that occurred last night, after GA had decided to remain silent in protest in respect of Bailey.

Lyndsey: GSPHE is having a rally tomorrow at 11 am at GSU courtyard.

Hector: Tonight at 11 pm we’ll take the sidewalk on one side with street performers on other side. C7 will bring tents at 6 am.  If you get arrested, you won’t have legal support.

Lillie: Feminist caucus tomorrow at park at 5:30 pm, set up by Juanita.  Also women’s self-defense classes will be soon set up. Meetings will he held Tuesday//Thursday at 5:30 in the park.  If concerned, females should als talk to Lyndsey on Unity.

Jason: Legal doesn’t have any more money, so avoid arrest.

Robert: There will be a meeting of bottom-liners Wednesday night after GA.

Khaalis: Starting a weekend class: People’s Persons Class to increase social unity, break the ice, and so forth.  Class will meet at north end of the park by the water fountain.

Chris: Terence from Atlanta Public Sector Alliance will give a presentation Wednesday at 5 pm on the Beltline and corporate greed.

III. COMMITTEE REPORT BACKS

LaDie: Occupy foreclosed home in Snellville went well; News went national.  Those 5 arrested last night are out on bail.

Anna: Finance has meeting Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 5:30 pm.

Lillie: Outreach wants to do wheatpasting and sign postings.  There have been successful banner drops in the past, and we’re stoked about that.

Robert: WRFG is willing to have PSAs for OccupyAtlanta on it every hour. We are working on this.

IV. OTHER BUSINESS

Misty: We came to consensus at another meeting to provide Childcare at GAs for parents who’d like to attend.

•    POI: Logistics used to oversee Childcare committee. Will look into what happened and try to get it started again.

Thomas: We need to be in solidarity with one another, and we’re not right now.  Last night was a joke due to the small minority trying to push their own agenda on the rest of Occupy Atlanta.  This is not OK.

Lillie: I agree with Thomas.  This needs to be said at General Assembly because it concerns us as a whole, and could possibly threaten the whole movement.  Bailey sacrificed herself for the movement, and we should’ve all respected the GA’s decision to silently support her sacrifice instead of acting out for people’s own agenda.  If hyou have another agenda, come to GA and discuss it so we can know and try to figure out compromises.

Khaalis: When you disrespect cops, I feel disrespected because many of my family members are law enforcement officers.

Chris: I’d like a member of Unity to explain the new security procedures at P&P.

• POI: There will be community meetings at P&P, and we’re changing the security process.  It is up to facility manager to decide who spends the night.

Sally: Working ona  coalition to go into neighborhood planning units.  There are 25 in Atlanta and we want to work with and through them.  Send your input to occupyatl@yahoo.com

 General Assembly Minutes 10/23/11

 

 

 

Call to Order 10 min

Ice breaker

Announcements 15min

• Reverend Richard Cobble from Concerned Black Clergy

• Show of support for the movement
• Concerned Black Clergy stand in Solidarity with Occupy Atlanta

• Legal is doing a legal observer training tomorrow at 8 pm

•  We need more legal observers

• Know your rights Training time TBA

• Working group for warmth and dryness meeting tomorrow at noon at the park, looking for people with expertise on keeping warm and dry in the winter

• Media committee is working on asking for heating goods

• Occupiers from Durham give us mad props and want a copy of our GA Pledge
• GA Peace and Justice Coalition is having its monthly end this war rally to Occupy Atlanta this wednesday, they will have signs to bring the troops home, 5pm-6pm
• 89.3 is doing special programing on wednesday concerning the crisis of homelssness in ATL so the programing  will be interviewing homeless people, advocates, and organizers, we are welcome to tune into WRFG.org to listen
• Haloween working group has been formed, meet Colin at 8:30 at the stage.
• Sunday oct 30th GLAR will come to occupy atlanta and will be doing teach ins throughout the day.
• AFSC has been letting us use their building. we will be moving everything to the park to end the division.Talk to Lindsey to get events up on the website
• Newly formed assembly at 2pm to try and accomplish stuff Task Assembly.

committee report backs 15 min

• Logistics reports contacted port a potties companies with quotes to get them to the park at some time tomorrow.
• Action reports tomorrow at 11 am press conference, Afrika Bambaataa, Killer Mike and Stafford family will report then march the 11th circuit court of appeals
•  Opposition to Koch brothers, capitulation and levitation Spread the Word! 5 pm
•  Making posters for the events following the GA meeting
•  Elija will flyer tomorrow
• Thursday Pine’s water will be shut off and a march will be scheduled in solidarity need lots of people
• action committee meeting at 5 pm
• Tuesday on WRFG will be doing an announcement about the Koch brothers at 4 pm
• Finance announces they will release financial status multiple times a week and will refine allocation of funds. Process meeting at 5 on even days of the month
• Medics report Mental health we must all make a concerted effort to take care of ourselves and our people mentally, we cannot give into the fear or feed it, Basic hygiene and public health is in jeopardy because the Mayor took away the porta potties. Willfully creating a public health threat and nuisance. he need to correct it,
• Tactical unity report back
• Outreach and welcome reports we are ramping up outreach Welcome is also starting an orientation to teach them about the park before they get integrated into the community tues  and thurs at 6. they want more people at the front table.
• Media reports that they have been discussing we need more people to talk to the press.  Demands and process experience is also needed.
• Demands reports that GA cannot block decisions by demands committee when is the next meeting? no one knows….maybe tomorrow night after GA.
• Anti racist committee reports they meet on Wednesdays at 7 but that will most likley be revised. they work to get more involvement from people in color and in leadership positions.

Committee related proposals  10 min

• Proposed that Jack and Hector be Bottom Liners to TU because of strong personalities and these guys know how to run it.

•  Point of process we are not allowed to make decisions for committee in GA
• TU is in the process of eliminating some of the difficult members
• There was a plan that went out and was given to individuals for ideas to get unity bw TU and other committees and this has not been set up.
• Lots of points of process about dissolving the committee rather than making decisions via the GA.
• Proposal refomulated to dissolve TU and reformulate it with Jack and Hector as bottom liners
• Pof P
• Proposal to disovle TU and then reform it
• Blocked
• Direct response that the TU has formed leaders which is not acceptable
• There is a unilateral power structure with a confrontational power structure.
• Counter proposal: We create a new committee called conflict resolution with primary responsibility for resolving all conflict in the park
•  Call it Peace keepers
• Point of process Occupy Atlanta has NO LEADERS
• clarifying questions:

• separate committee for conflict resolution as security team
• the primary purpose of something called security is to maintain order. IDk if all of us believe in order. TU has a similar purpose. the new committee’s primary focus is resolving conflict and maintaining peace
• We still want to dissolve TU and call it Peace keepers?
• The first proposal was dropped in favor of the second one
• Concerns
• TU should be maintained and Peacekeeping should be separate
• TU serves a good purpose of keeping property safe
•  Direct response: when TU was first made nothing in the proposal to be a security or do preemptive security measures to stop stealing. While necessary it has gone to far.
• If we have separate units for the same job then the job will be confused and will be done differently. The point of TU was to keep peace and keep conflict from happening and this can be done by one committee of peace keepers.
• Hector has been chill and thats what we need controlling this family and he is good at what he does. He does a great job but has been pushed out.
• Proposal re read.
• Those part of TU have a personal conflict with this vote should not be able to block it.

• If moderator yells at you its because you’re not listening to her and if you listen she will become quiet
• We have no precedent for handling the dissolution of a committee given that those in the committee will certainly block it.  Tabled to Process in order to figure something out/ask New York how they do it.

• We have 3000 dollars in the we pay account. there must be several ways to access the account, sent a paper check, do an email, withdraw money a bank account, order a we pay prepay visa card. We must remain fully transparent. Preliminary guidelines: anyone can make a proposal to GA but the proposal must say how much money and how it will be spent, if and when the GA has consensus then the finance committee or whoever elected must have access to the account, would be tasked with withdrawing the funds with one of the previous methods. We propose that Letron, tech and logistics one from each would all have access to the we pay account. what is spent will be posted on the blog. The person who makes the proposal would not be able to draw form the account. All receipts should be kept to maintain transparency.
• Direct response: what to do in emergency? we may need money more quickly then how GA can respond.
• redirect to finance committee.
• There is a way to allocate funds through a request form.  We don’t have money for everything. Everything is limited.
•  Perhaps we can have money set aside for emergency
• revised proposal
•  Currently John has access to the we pay account and he wants to pass it off, he wants something more thorough and transparent first.  He wants to have a clear proposal before he passes off the log in information. he wants 3 people. He wants everything else to be tabled because he leaves Wednesday.
• we need 3 people with access to carry out the task of administering funds.
• One of those people should be from legal and another from finance.
• Friendly amendment that the person be an established occupier to maintain stability.  Active for a good amount of time.
• This decision must be made tonight. Because John is leaving.
• Proposal to choose two people has been refereed to committee then brought back to GA.
• Concern that if things are not made transparent before GA then things will be corrupt.
• Proposed that legal, finance and tech committees will come back with one candidate from  each to assume logins access to the Occupy Atlanta WePay account to be elected by consensus at the GA.
• CONSENSUS THANK YOU PEOPLE!

Occupy Atlanta General Assembly Minutes 11/8/2011

I. CALL TO ORDER

Positions: Meredith – Facilitator, Hayley – Moderator, Megan – Stack, Tripp -Minutes

II. ANNOUNCEMENTS

David: By next Wednesday, we will have a bike shop

Misty: Need numbers for Demands meeting. I am also working on making a movie for OccupyAtlanta and want to have all voices included

Tyler: Beltiline discusssion at 5pm in the park tomorrow.

III. COMMITTEE REPORTBACKS

LOGISTICS, Will: Sent food to Occupy Snellville group.Sorting of laundry, will be distributed at GA tomorrow. Will Octavious, Siri, and Ryan and the new bottomliners.

IV. OTHER BUSINESS

Colin: Planning another bail/legal fundraiser at 7 stages this Friday. Also looking for new venues to help out.

Alexander: Want feedback on the best way to form strategies for new Occupations. Information – Radical Caucus has been considering strategies. Also check Facebook

Rob: Livestream class tomorrow at 6 PM.

Robert: March on banks 4pm on 11/11/11

Russell: Going to Vets’ Day Parade, looking for others to help represent Occupy Atlanta.

Shelby: Outreach meeting Thursday 5:30 pm in the park.

Avery: Phone number for the Occupation! 404 720 6060. Committees can get numbers and extensions too. Talk to IT about it.

Guidelines (7:02 pm)

Announcements (7:04 pm)

• Barbara – Jobs with Justice, on the 1st Friday of the month, November 4th at 10:30 am will be protesting, with an emphasis on inequality and unemployment.
• Sara – Samhain ritual tonight after the GA, starting about 9:30 pm.
• Daniel – Last night we reached consensus to reoccupy on 11/5.  We are hoping to get at least 100 people who are devoted enough to risk arrest should it come to that.  Please see me if you are willing to risk it for this movement!
• Lyndzy – Unity is the liaison between Task Force and OA — reiterating the rules stated by the Task Force at Peachtree and Pine (see last night’s GA for the rules of being at 4th floor of Peachtree and Pine.
• Lillie – getting word out about November 5th reoccupation and we need fridge boxes — donate if you have them. Trying to make the 4th floor of P&P more homely — looking for furniture and carpet donations too.
• Softie – Workshop – Peace and Nonviolence as a Tactic tomorrow 3:15 PM. It’ll be fun!
• Anna – Have a donation box here ifyou want to donate! Finance is researching credit unions and community banks andmakingpolicyprocedures.  Finance meetings are M/W/F at 5:30 pm
• Latron – Those getting arrested on Saturday, Legal is preparing but has limited resources at the moment. Prepare to stay til Monday possibly.  We will have Jail Support Training Thursdayor Friday.
• Tim – Excited about reoccupying, doesn’t care if jailnis for a few days or a week — this movement is worth it.  Bernice King of the King Center talked with me and is excited for what we’re doing.  They are sending a great nonviolent trainer, Charles, and we will publicize this and hope to get out 50-100 people to train.  It will be on Thursday at P&P around 4 pm.
• Sara – Joe Beasley at St. Philip’s tomorrow at 7 pm.  Also at 7 pm at St. Mark’s, Kasim Reed will be answering questions in the aftermath of the Eagle Raids, and Queer Justice League has invited us to come and attend.
• Jonah – Working on building bikes, resurrecting a collective effort between the Task Force for the Homeless and SoPo bike collective.
• Lillie — Outreach committee is working overtime andis extremely important this week. Meetings are Monday/Thursday 5:30 pm.

Report Back (7:39 pm)

Legal and Finance:  reported back during announcements.

Unity: Currently still has most of our peoplestill at Walton street, and are working to move them to P&P 4th floor. But we need more people! Security is EVERYONE’S job.  Please remember that.  And we need diversity. Women, please join up and represent!

Action: Rally at 9:15 am to march on the courthouse foreclosures tomorrow at 10 am.  Workshop on banks on foreclosures tomorrow at 4pm.

Media: March to courthouse at 10 am tomorrow where we will also have our press conference.  More stuff is being added to the website, such as stories by Sara.

Proposals (7:46 pm)

• Have voter registration down in the park.  PASSES!
• Businesses to offer food, but has logos all on it still.
• Concerns about corporate sponsorship and takeover
• Concerns that we already use products made by corporations and people give us food with corporate labels.
• Regardless, all these people who say what we should/not accept are not on the Food Committee and WE NEED HELP!  If you think we can’t accept this food, then step up to help feed everyone! TABLED so others will hopefully help out on Food Committee – talk to Will william.j.stamp@gmail.com
• Proposal to move the reoccupation to November 7th.
• Concerns that wheels are already in motion, many already told and mobilized. DOES NOT PASS
• Proposal to move next occupation to the front steps, or occupy the space of those corporations that are running the mayor and this city.
• Concerns that that is private land, where we have no rights.
• Concerns that we are already reoccupying this park for long-term, and it is off-point to consider that.  DOES NOT PASS

Other business

Sara:  Tomorrow night we have TWO events at 7 pm. So we should hold GA at 9 pm to allow people to return from these events.

NEXT GA – 9pm tomorrow at Woodruff park .  We are adjourned.

Guidelines (7:14 pm)

Announcements (7:18 pm)

• Sara – Samhain altar will be built tomorrow in Woodruff Park, starting at sundown.
• Russell – went to breast cancer walk yesterday to show our solidarity with their cause.
• Others went to the Kanye Jay Z concert and handed out 500 flyers, and got a few shout outs on local radio station V103
• Frankie – Tomorrow at 4:20 PM we are gathering at the park, with instruments if you have them, to work on a music project for Occupy Atlanta.  We have some studio spaces willing to dedicate time to O.A.
• Tim – Tomorrow 10AM on the 4th floor of Peachtree & Pine we are having an interactive and dynamic organizing seminar to coordinate and make sure we are doing things efficiently.
• Latron – Tuesday 7 PM at St. Philip’s Cathedral Joe Beasley is speaking to the congregration and encourages a delegation of Occupy Atlanta to be there to get the message out.
• Lyndzy – Unity is bottom-lined by myself and Hector, and we are liaisons between OA and the Task Force at Peachtree and Pine.  They want us to follow their rules, which include:

• Separate sleeping quarters for men and women.
• Smoke and walk –don’t take up the sidewalk.
• Designated shower times: Women 830 – 1030 AM/1045 PM – 1245 AM, Men 1115      AM -115 PM/115 – 245 AM
• Don’t open windows wide, it’s a hazard.
• ONLY active working people should be staying on 4th floor.  Those that are just looking for a place to sleep can go to the regular area of the shelter.
• Stay away from the side parking lot, as it’s still a rather shady area.

There is also a march starting at 11:15 AM on Tuesday, a solemn march to remember the homeless men and women who die every year.  3 coffins will be carried by the procession and dropped off at locations.  Buses at 3 PM will take people to St. Philip’s

• Charlie – Revolution books in Little Five Points welcomes the occupiers to come and read at their space.
• Big Softie – Peace and Nonviolence as a Tactic workshop on Tuesday at 3:15 PM and on Saturday sometime.

Report Back (7:38 pm)

Action committee:  Organizing 101 seminar tomorrow at 10 am, tomorrow at 3 pm a march of zombie bankers.  Tuesday at 10 AM is the monthly foreclosures at the courthouse. We will rally at 9:30 at Woodruff Park and march there.
There is a bank and foreclosure workshop Tuesday at 4 pm.
Wednesday at 3 pm we are rallying at Piedmont Park near 10th and Monroe and marching on Wells Fargo bank HQ at 17th street near Atlantic Station.

Coordinating: If you are on a committee, please make sure you have gotten signed up on the website to keep in touch with other committee members.  Please remember to post regular meeting times for your committee.

Legal: Our meetings are at Mon/THursday at 6 PM, 3 PM on Saturday, whereever the General Assembly is held.

Proposals (7:43 pm)
Committee-Related
Graham – Has friends who helped instigate Occupy Miami and Occupy Wall Street. Saturday at 8 pm there’s a solidarity rally with communities across Atlanta, and from 11 pm on we want to reoccupy the park.
Concerns about how to train for mass arrests – we will have a seminar and training this week

Concerns about how to inform the community – Outreach is working on that all this week, and could use all available help. PASSES!

Big Softie – move GAs to an earlier time or make an earlier GA to supposedly get more families involved.
Concern that that will not be good for working people, Process committee doesn’t have the staff to do multiple daily GAs, and the earlier time conflicts.
AFTER DELIBERATION, this will not pass now.  But it is reworked so on weekends GA will meet at 3 PM.  PASSES.
Elijah – Suggests the color green to unite us visually, especially when outreaching to communities.
Various concerns about colors and their symbolism already.  Red hats we have already mentioned.  And the lime green that Legal Observers wear.  PASSES.
Martin – Suggests we change the park name from Troy Davis back to Woodruff, because other cities do not all change names, it has divided people here and confuses others. DOES NOT PASS.

Other Business

None.

NEXT GA – 7pm tomorrow at Woodruff park .  We are adjourned.

Guidelines (8:18 pm)

Announcements (8:20 pm)

• Several announcements about people’s personal missions, and wanting support and to sign petitions.
• Sally reiterates the point of our guidelines, and their necessity in making sure we include all types of people, and don’t alienate people with profanity and targeted speech.
• Steve reiterates that committees need to join up on the website as a tool for strong internal communication

Report Back (8:45 pm)

Coordinating and Quick Action committees:  We STILL need bottom liners of committees (at least 2) to give their contact info so we can contact them to know what’s going on, and to assemble the Quick Action committee in emergencies, such as arrests.  We also have occupyatlanta.org committee email addresses to give out.

Medical: We need more medics, and it’s not necessary that you are directly a medic, but have any sort of related skill or interest.

Action: Committee meeting after GA.

Outreach: Set meeting times are Monday/Thursday at 5:30 PM

Unity: No sleeping at AFSC! Need more diversity on our team, so sign up!

Proposals

No proposals tonight due to emergency situation and occupation!have access to 60 Walton.  Darkness seems to inject bad energy into the GA. Discussion on this proposal is delayed until tomorrow

Other business

Tim: We have a spot to occupy tonight!  We have passed the information around!

NEXT GA – 8pm tomorrow at Woodruff park .  We are adjourned.

Announcements

• Misty: There’s been a lot of disagreement & infighting.  We’re all here to change the world.  We might disagree on strategy or which issues are most important.  Remember to disagree in spirit of love & understanding!
• Sarah:  I’ve been talking to local disabilities groups who want to start camping with us this weekend; they have a huge amount of activism experience.  I’m excited!
• Tim:  This space (2nd floor of 60 Walton) belongs to AFSC Committee.  Going to be used as a gallery space; we need to be (mostly) out by the 28th.  We can use the 4th floor, but we’ll have to put some work into getting it ready.
• Zak: We have a lot of wet blankets/jackets, we’re trying to get them dried tonight.  Put wet things in plastic bags.
• Jason: Announcement about hypothermia – temperature has dropped dramatically.  Crucial you stay dry when outside.  If you feel disoriented, go find medical.  If you find someone unconscious, call 911 first then go get medical.
• Jose:  Talked with others yesterday after GA, working to develop a proposal to shift to a modified consensus model and make the process more streamlined.
• James:  Creating an growth/conservation (agriculture/dumpster) diving committee.
• Jack:  Town Hall Meeting Friday – Georgia Stand-Up , 12 pm @ IBEW Assembly Hall (to 2:30pm)  Mayor Reed & most of city council will be there and will be rated on how well they’re doing!   It’s a free meeting – $3 for lunch.
• Kalis:  There’s been a lot of theft up here.  Also, more aggression/arguing in past 2 days.  Those people you don’t usually hang around, try to understand them.  A house divided will not stand.  (Elijah follow up – true also on the park.  If you see people doing nothing, ask them to help out.)
• Margaret:  Problem of sexual harassment, we’ll have a teach-in later this week on radical feminism to discuss how patriarchy is coming through this group.

Report Back

Action:  We have a committee now, and we’re planning actions.

• Tomorrow @ noon – put duct tape over mouths, get on MARTA, make rich people @ Lenox mall uncomfortable, h
• Going to do a march on Thursday night to raise awareness of homelessness.
• This weekend is the hip-hop festival, we’ll have to move  tents!
• Monday – Visit to urban farm (Truly Living Well)
• Tuesday 5pm – Huge action, return Georgia Pacific Building to draw attention to fact Koch brothers have building overlooking Troy Davis Park.
• Wed – open for suggestions
• Thurs – solidarity action w/ Peachtree & Pine shelter (water might be turned off)
• NEXT MEETING IS THIS FRIDAY.

Media:  hip hop festival Saturday and Sunday.  4 tents set up.  MC for Occupy Atlanta for the whole festival.  There will be small businesses w/ venders.  Tents have to be out by 10am on Saturday and Sunday morning.  The Spiegal in Germany wants to start putting articles in their paper.  Oliver is corresponding with them.  Also, we’ve created a soapbox where you can stand up outside of GA and express your feelings/concerns.

Arts & Lit:  Structure with bamboo and flowers is our new location on the park.  Art space @ Peachtree & Pine shelter.  We want to do a thriller dance.  Do you know the thriller dance?  Let us know.  It will be better with more people!

Logistics:  Logistics merged with finance today b/c people dropped off.  Currently $730 in bank, most tied up in Wi Account.  If you are going to buy things for Occupy Atlanta, see James & Anna.  We can always use more volunteers.

Childcare:  People weren’t looking after childcare tent during bad weather.  We need to take childcare seriously b/c we want single moms to be able to come here.  We need to take care of one another here!  Related to race/class…. Volunteer!

Demands:  We’re meeting today after GA to talk process.

Kitchen:  New subcommittee from Logistics.  Please be polite if someone back there tells you something or asks you not to go back there – people have been walking out w/ food.  Also there have been people accepting money for donations from the kitchen area in the park and putting it in their pocket.  This is not acceptable, please keep an eye out.

Medical:  Police brutality march tonight, please bring your own water, don’t get dehydrated.

Process:  Met today.  In process of revising process.  Going to change the way we accept proposal.  Proposal drop boxes – one in office, one in park.

Welcome/Info:  New committee, out by new tent.  Need volunteers very badly.  It’s an important place b/c it’s where people have been coming first to find out about the movement and get involved.  We’d like more interaction w/ other committees about what is going on so they can relay info to people who come by… it’s been hard to get in touch with listed bottom liners, so please come by in mornings to tell us about meetings or events.  Need to make sure there is specific info about workgroup meetings – where exactly will you be meeting etc – b/c people see meetings listed on website calendar and we need to know where to direct them.  We’re meeting tomorrow (Thurs) @ 11am at welcome desk.  This is also where we’re accepting donations.  Occatl.info@gmail.com

Tactical:  Rappers for hip hop festival will be here donating tents, etc.

Coordinating:  Contact info from all committees being collected.  You can fill out complaint form if you have a complaint you want directed to committee.  Our email is occatl.coordinating@gmail.com and we have google voice 678-304-8194.

Proposals

Committee proposals

Logistics:  We want to move money from WePay account (which was started by one person) to Finances/Logistics account so it’s all in one place and we can access it as needed.  No clarifying questions from the GA.  No concerns from the GA.  Do we have consensus?  Sparkly fingers, we have CONENSUS!

Non-committee proposals

Elijah:  It gets dark and cold now, and I think we should move our meetings up in the day when it’s daytime and warmer.  Our presence in park is important for occupation and we won’t always have access to 60 Walton.  Darkness seems to inject bad energy into the GA. Discussion on this proposal is delayed until tomorrow

Other business

Johnny:  Joining tactical unity.  Asking us to cooperate.  No matter what people come along, let’s make it a peaceful happy time.  We’re about peace.  Look at them and smile and say have a nice day.  Also thinking about having key card system for access to 60 Walton.
(Clarifications/direct response – we can’t do key card system, it’s a problem for AWSC. Discussion goes on about issues of theft/who should come up to headquarters.  Stack is closed – let’s bring this discussion to a more appropriate forum.

Thomas:  Forming new Committee.  Social forum public places, like park.  No blocking/direct responses/points of process.  The only structure from GA is stack.  Discussion topics voted on at very beginning of committee meeting, majority rules.  Stopwatch will be used to keep people under 4 minutes.  I think that it should be after GA every day.
That means people can’t go to other committee meetings after GA.
We’re open and thinking about it.

Lilly:  HipHop show this weekend Saturday/Sunday.  Lots of media attention/advertising.  Need volunteers – make recycling signs & recycling bins so we don’t have to depend on meeting.  Do you know anyone w/ experience facilitating events?  We’re trying to do as much of this as possible w/o depending on Atlanta police.  Expecting big turnout.

Che:  I’m a street fighter, I fight for fun.  We need to get kids of of Iraq.  I pay child support, 13 yr old twins.  ….  I got your all back

Little Five Points parade at same time as festival.  If you have action that you need taking care of, ask people to to throw up a hand so we can get stuff done.

NEXT GA – 7pm tomorrow at park  (probably pending weather).  We are adjourned.

Tuesday, October 18th
Convened: 7:00 PM

Due to rain and food arriving later than usual, the GA convened late with everyone needing to stand throughout the meeting’s entirety (wet ground).

Moderator: Isa (replaced an hour & fifteen minutes into the GA by Vincent)
Stack: Hollis Whitaker
Notes: Nina Roark (most of the time)
Recording: Mysty

Welcome (15m)

• Call to order.
• Process reminders. Explaining consensus.
• Call for new proposals.

Announcements:

• Request that the city clean the porta-potties more frequently- Anna (Proposal)
• Morgan is traveling to other Occupy Sites (such as New Orleans)—bring questions to her & she will ask and report back to us. Also, let her know if you have contact info of participants of other Occupations–Morgan
• Fidel needs help—Fidal (Referred to the medic tent by Isa)
• Wednesday at 9:00 PM a group will go between the … (?) Marta Station and Five Points
• Sat. at 5 points (?)
• Brandon & Devidyal Givens offer a “Petition of Reforms by Occupy Wall
  Street Protesters”—in consideration of the misconceptions of the Occupy Movement by many in the suburbs do to misrepresentation by the media (see the one page list).
• The Action Committee will meet daily at 4:30 PM—Sabrina (sp?)
• Starting Wednesday 10/19, movies will be shown to boost morale. First movie will be “On the Waterfront”—Lily
• Reminder to take care of ourselves (drink fluids, get rest, practice preventative care) especially as the weather becomes colder—Melissa

Committee Report-Backs:

• Donations are taken at the welcome table—Katin (sp?)
• More help is needed to provide food—Anna
• The Occupation is working with the Atlanta Hip Hop Festival.  They will be in the park both Saturday and Sunday, and are open to talking with us, etc. Tents must be moved during the festival.  This is an opportunity to spread our message to more people—Tim
• Much of our activity will be available to the public on live stream
  and he can use help—Jose
• We can reach out to the Latino community as long as not police are in our
  group—Jose
• Child Care Committee needs to have a meeting—Khaalis (sp?)
• Yesterday, Tactical Unity (TU) made an effort to get feedback from the GA about TU’s role. No one talked to them after the assembly to express their opinions. The request for feedback still stands—Jack
• Arts Committee needs help setting up the tent—(Who?)
• Action Committee needs help with clean up—William Marshall

Committee Related Proposals:

• None

Other Proposals:

• Concern about individual caucuses going off on their own and taking action that isn’t representative of Occupy Atlanta or the 99%. –Brit (This was sent to the Coordinating Committee)
• After the Hip Hop Festival we have to we rebuild our tent city, we “register” our tents in some logical order.
• [Some business was missed here]
• A proposal about caucuses reporting back to GA was with drawn.
• Tactical Unity requested a non-violence training session.
• Creation of a Race-Relations Committee—Anthony Hill & Annelle
• (Many questions and concerns were aired)
• They did not want to be a part of Tactical Unity and not a caucus. One suggestion was that it be called “diversity”  to include sexism etc.
• Marshall- other “Factions Committee” (?)
• Offered help finding places to meet as the weather gets colder.
• Specific Information at 7:00 PM on Wednesday the 19th (10/19) at the GA.
• She is concerned about safety if we have a crack-down.  It was also pointed out at other Occupation sites, participation has grown after a crack-down—Rhonda Willis from People Helping Strangers (404-832-5313)

Still Pending:
..…..………?

..…..……….?

• Need for a recycling committee and one for growing food—James and Anette

Monday, October 17th
Convened at 7:00 PM

Announcements. (15m)
Police Contingency plan-tim
Church peaceful protest 2pm next sunday-
Formal actions committee formation-carter
No smoking during GA-kylen
Teach in on financial crisis big tent right after GA-
Pride in the movement-Kahlees
Contact him for salvation-charles clayton
Marta shooting protest 9:30 @ 5 points stationpollerbuddy.
com rep, regarding website-roan
Printing info-tim
Press conference tomorrow, hiphop festival here this weekend, release of demands
without media consent-tim

Committee Report-backs. (10m)
Questions regarding safety, alcohol, drugs-tactical unitOpen mic, gazebo, art for the people station-arts and lit, saraAntioch donations, emergency donations, volunteers-logisticsAround $3000 in donations, welcome table 10am-10pm for donations-financeMet with attorneys, may form legal entity, “occupy atlanta llc”, -Legal

Committee-related Proposals. (20m)
None.

Committee breakouts. (20)
Not tonight.

Other Proposals. (30m)
Add religion to list of things not being treated with intolerance -steven (passes)
Sat at city council meeting, address misrepresentation, add statement to website, -jason
(moved to tomorrow)

Other Business. (10m)
Religious minorities discussion group-sara
Open discussion group-emerald

Final Reminders. (5m)
7pm tomorrow GA

Adjournment.

Sunday, October 16
Convened at 9:00 PM

Welcome. (15m)

Call to order.
Process reminders. Explaining consensus.
Reading of previous consensuses.
Reading of agenda.
Call for new proposals.

Announcements. (15m)

Committee Report-backs. (10m)

Committee-related Proposals. (20m)

* proposal for a process to allow tactical unity at HQ to deal with incidents of explicit emergency or duress, removal of and barring of further entry to individuals from HQ can only happen with the consensus [excluding those up for removal] of the current occupants of HQ at the time of the incident, 48 hr limit on bans and announce/report back
to provide accountability from tactical unity; tactical unity has to avoid or use as
little force as possible — temporary measure to ensure smooth operations until a policy
of conflict remediation policy can be implemented by the GA (workshop to be held to cover nonviolent conflict remediation; should be probationary period whose length is
based on severity of the offense) [passed!]
Other Proposals. (30m)

* support filing a discrimination/constitutional violation lawsuit in federal court against city of atlanta and central atlanta progress — for interrupting and using various tactics to arrest the homeless on spurious charges; sue the city (?) [tabled pending discussion with legal working group]
Other Business. (10m)

Final Reminders. (5m)

Adjournment.

(7:30pm – 8:30pm)

WELCOME

ANNOUNCEMENTS (10 MINUTES) – ONLY THINGS HAPPENING WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS

- Medic Committee is doing a Health/Safety training at the table at 1:00pm – how to protect
oneself in event of an eviction

- Childcare Safety training at 60 Walton Street tomorrow

- Jewish holiday observance in the park at 1:00pm on Sunday

- The homeless playing chess in our park have been kicked out every night by security;
the occupation will lend its support and allow them to stay

- City of Atlanta wants to clean park by 10:00am – discussion on proposals postponed
until after the GA

- Tactical Unity is having security issues and needs more people on committee to avoid
people being burned out

COMMITTEE REPORT-BACKS (20 MINUTES)

- Media/Outreach/Arts + Literature

- Demands

- Logistics/Finance

- Tactical Unity

- Process

- No real report-backs; became a continuation of announcements.

BREAKOUT (15 MINUTES)

(GA discussed in small groups ways to possibly make faciliation/process run more smoothly)

BREAKOUT REPORTS (10 MINUTES)

(These are all suggestions, not necessarily proposals.)

- Make beginnings of GAs more welcoming – quick runthrough of hand-signals at each.

- There should be a compilation of minutes and recaps at the beginning of GAs so we do not have to repeat
the same rules/discussions over and over.

- Rotating speakers and facilitators to avoid both emerging “leaders” and to prevent
facilitators from being burned out.

CLOSING/DISCUSSION ON CITY OF ATLANTA CLEANING

(Proposals)

- Move to warehouse.
- Stay where we are and clean the park ourselves.
- Go into all tents and lock arms.
- “External cost” to include those maybe inadvertently harmed (?)
- Have demands (a just cause).
- Allow the city to clean the park; help them.
- strategic compromise
- clean the park because it is the peoples; do not pack everything up
- Do we know what the park maintenance procedure entails?
- What exactly about leaving is thinking tactically?
- What is important to the city?
- We have a right to ask about the schedule and what is involved; and to identify
legitimate needs with which we could cooperate
- Plan B for people who want to camp but don’t want to camp here.
- Leave the park for the capital; if we leave it has to be our choice.
- We don’t move to the capital; go to Hurt Park.
- March @ 11:00am work with cleaning crew one tent at a time.

Welcome and Explanation
Hira: Consensus description: it’s not necessarily about debate; it’s about conforming your ideas to meet the needs of the people here. Also, there are many different hand gestures. General explanation of consensus and hand motions ensues. Done by Cailyn. Well done.

Sean: If you want to get on stack, don’t wiggle your fingers when you raise your hand.

Hira: We use mic check to get people in unison and listening.

Announcements
Hira: Specifically for upcoming events. News updates.

Rob: Press conference at 11AM. Meeting at 9PM for Media.

Anon: We have 5 days left in the park. We need to be active and get our things together.

Luke: Clarifying Q about the announcement: Where is the meeting? Under the tent.

Anon: I’m trying to get some events planned inside the park like political documentaries playing on a projector w/ a white sheet. And I’m also in conjunction with an education committee so I want a whiteboard. Also, poetry and art showing and I’d like everyone to write songs for OATL.

Jersey: Just so you know I’m willing to bring my drum kit down here for the musical events. But I need someone to go up to Kennesaw with me to pick it up.

Luke: idk if you’re aware but as a part of media committee and arts committee you should talk to them.

Hira: We have notebooks and paper so you can take notes to coordinate betwixt various committees

Jim: If anybody needs a ride anywhere, I live about 2 miles from here so I’m down for giving rides.

Anon: I want everybody to know that all of us as a collective it’s so crucial I’m glad to be here. It’s important.

Jersey recommendation by Hira: Since lots are new. We have several committees.

Hira: For those of you that are new here, please write your name on the yellow pad going around. Is everyone cool with that?

Proposals
Hira: I have a proposal on behalf of the demands committee. Also, raise your hand if you have a proposal and you will be put on stack. A proposal is something you’d like to put forward to the GA and is not specific to other committees. So recycling drive wouldn’t really be a proposal. You can just go ahead and take that responsibility. Is that clear as to what proposals are? If not you’ll get it bc we’ll mess up a lot.

Tim: For those of you that have been here all day, you already know that the whole world is watching. We have an outpour of support from all kinds of people in ATL. We had Yung Joc, will have more. Kasim Reed gave us 5 days he won’t mess with us in. But one thing people are upset about is the noise complaints. We have to do something about this. We are being torn apart in the media and we sorta deserve it. We have residents that live around here with jobs. People in tents with jobs. I propose a strict noise curfew for 11PM.

Luke: Last night the same proposal was put forward and amended about cops. It wasn’t enforced though. It’d be nice if people that wanted to make noise were at the GA.

Hira: Silent at 11?

Chris: Is there someone that can make sure people follow the curfew.

Hira: Everyone here has authority to ask them to shut up.

Roar: I have four separate proposals from logistics. 1) For clarity and transparency we propose that it be compulsory that all committee meeting times and locations be recorded on the central committee board which will be at the welcome center or in the tent.

Q: Can those be online too?

John: Should be up soon.

CONSENSUS

Roar: 2) Part of the large tent be dedicated to a central command post for info and material, a security outpost, and welcome when raining, and that this space may not be used for sleeping.

Anon: Who would man the command post?

Roar: Someone from tactical unity at all times, so if there is suspicious activity there will be someone with a walkie talkie.

Hira: So don’t come up for stack. Also, Clarifying questions now.

Mark: What is the security post exactly?

Roar: A place that tactical unity would have a person manning at all times.

Luke: Do you have outlined what space of the tent would be used?

Roar: We’d like the approx right half to 3/4. From about 1/2 way over.

Marlon: For the other half of the tent, the space would be public and could be slept in?

Roar: Correct.

Catherine: Concerns now? I have a concern about dedicating half of that space to be a space that is not for sleeping bc some people may not have a shelter when it is raining and may need to use that space to stay dry.

Roar: That was tricky. The main thing is we don’t want to keep anyone from shelter. But when we don’t have that area clear it makes it so that is unsure whether or not the space is being used for central command and gives the illusion that it isn’t a space for goods and info and is distraction.

Hira: My concern is that this will ultimately go to tactical unity and I don’t know how thin they’re being spread. So if there are enough volunteers I’m cool but I’d also like to make amendments.

Liz: this is in direct response. I think it’s possible to make that space clear for its function esp. if it’s very late, by signs and other means while allowing people to sleep in it.

Hira: Now friendly amendments.

James: My amendment would be that if it’s raining people would be able to sleep there otherwise we have many sleeping materials that could keep you warm.

Hira: Are there any more amendments to Roar’s 2nd proposal?

Roar: Restatement. Part of the large tent be dedicated to a central command post for information and dissemination of materials a sec outpost and space for the welcome table when it is raining. And that this space may only be used for sleeping if it is raining.

PoP Luke: For in the future it’s important to note that amendments have to come to consensus b4 added.

Marlon: You’re supposed to call for stand asides and then blocks. Are there stand asides?

Luke: Stand aside

Roar: 4pm everyday is a time for the entire community to clean the park.

Anon: Yesterday I spoke to a guard and he talked to his boss about arranging a time.

Sultan: Do you all have any restroom facilities available?

Hira: I was told by a park ambassador on Sat night that the public RR would be open all night. Also 60 Walton St is down the street.

Sean: any more questions or concerns.

John: What about donations?

Hira: You can donate, but we’re talking about the 4pm cleaning proposal. Stand asides? Blocks?

CONSENSUS

Roar: Yesterday it was brought to the attention of the GA that the save troy Davis bank account could be presented to us to contain the funds of the weshare account online. We currently have over 1k there that we have no access to. The only other option was for us to create some kind of legal entity in order to create a bank account in order to get these funds. We would like to propose to accept the offer of the save troy Davis account.

James: Just clarifying that creating our own nonprofit or pending nonprofit isn’t that difficult.

Matt: I’m concerned with whom, how many people, and how would it be decided who could access this? Transparency is important.

Roar: We haven’t discussed that yet. It would probably be that the members of the finance committee and log committee would designate certain people with access to that account. That’s all I can think of.

George: We talked a little about this. We think 3 should have access. Those 3 should post public information about themselves that makes them traceable and sueable if they do something stupid with the money. A modification would be that the GA nominates the 3 once the finance committee gives names. That people want this responsibility should meet with the finance committee after GA.

John: I’ve been in this discussion because I have sole access right now. It’s uncomfortable. I want it changed ASAP. I also want completely transparent record of every cent spent through docs@occupyatlanta.org. I’d like to add that it be transparent and public.

Tron: My name is LaTron Price. I’m president of the Jo Beasley foundation and he is an individual based here in ATL who has been influential in fighting against the corporations. He also is a very resourceful person in the ATL community. I ask that we consider utilizing the JB Found to help with this cause of a nonprofit.

Dianne: For issues of transparency unless there is a sig downside to creating your own nonprofit that that would be the clearest way to do it w/o concern for other parties interfering or finding out something happened later.

Tron: Give you tools for foundation. That’s what I meant so you can create a 501c3.

Hira: I feel like we’re veering off. George made a friendly amendment to have 3 people voted on here. Now we’re evolving into a discussion about forming a nonprofit.

Roar: Restate. We accept the use of the Save Troy Davis acct for the weshare and admin of the account should be 3 people reviewed by fin committee and presented to GA and that all transactions made from acct are given full transparency.

Dianne: I was addressing issue of using account.

Tim: I feel there should be some clarification bc I think there’s some confusion. There is no troy Davis fund. GPJC has a statewide acct that is a state recognized nonprofit. We started civil disobedience fund around Troy Davis case. At this point there are 2 with access. Wanted to clarify. It might be that a committee could weigh the options and we trust them.

Anthony: I propose that if you know how to set it up you could educate fin on how to do so.

Tron: Would be happy to.

Anon: If you want legal protection Registering as a doing business as

Earthworm: What if we just use TDA until we have time to make an entity?

Marlon: This discussion is moving away from GA discussion topic.

Anon: Take a temp check on original proposal. Doesn’t pass send it back.

Hira: Sounds like we need a dialogue between logistics legal and finance. George also made a friendly amendment to have 3 in charge. I propose that the diff committees meet and discuss and next GA we have conclusive decision.

Roar: Basically, we need this money ASAP. I want access to this money. ASAP. I propose that we accept the TDA temporarily until we can come up with a better solution so we have access to the money.

Sean: Blocks?

John: CQ? Any type of group consensus on how funds are spent or left up to log and finance?

Roar: I don’t want the money going anywhere right now, just available until we figure out a discussion on a process.

Hira:

Anon: hearing that temp time, will it be transparent?

Roar:

John: Maybe meetings can be scheduled in public so they can be videoed or whatevs, visited.

Hira: Any blocks or opposition?

Roar: The proposal now as follows> We propose that the Troy Davis account be approved as a temp way to retrieve the funds from the wepay account. That all meetings about spending these funds be done in public in a known and shared place and time.

Anon: If you want his name on things, Troy Davis, to who approve?

Anthony: He wants a foundation.

Hira: We’re addressing the proposal now.

Juan: We aren’t properly using the mic check and we need to use it so we can hear.

James: I have to block only bc I don’t feel there’s enough info about this acct made public to us.

Sean: Any more blocks.

Anon: Bc management of this acct hasn’t been worked out yet, and understanding urgency, I want log to better work the proposal and bring it back tomorrow.

Anthony: I would like to propose that we find qualified individual to handle this account. Who will make informed decisions and keep total records of everything going in and out of the account.

Hira: I’m going to interject bc this is taking a while. Final proposal. Log team revisit 4th proposal and bring it back.

Roar: The people involved have a time and place they can meet right now. Is there a time n place tomorrow that could be dedicated to discussing this?

Hira: Anyone concerned work out a time with Roar, is that ok? And then at next GA we have more conclusive proposal. Can we move on?

Rob: My proposal is that we don’t schedule committee meetings that go on during the meetings but that they have to end meetings for the GA. If they don’t close meeting on time they can’t air proposals this evening.

Paul: Discretion of moderators to decide such I believe was addressed in an earlier GA.

Sean: The people that are on these committees are making decisions to bring for discussion in GA. The people making those proposals need to be here to discuss them. If they talk in a meeting and don’t know what we’re talking about at the GA. How can they make acceptable proposals?

Hira: Can you restate the proposal?

Rob: That committees don’t schedule meetings that conflict with GA. If conflict, end before GA.

Earthworm: How late could we schedule a meeting?

Anon: Where’s consensus and peoples mic? Makes it hard for people like me who just got here to have any idea what’s going on.

Jersey: Yesterday I believe we decided that we didn’t have to use the people’s mic if people were uncomfortable with it.

Paul: Can everyone hear me? I’d like to restate his proposal. I propose that any committee meeting that is about to conflict with the general assembly is the responsibility of the moderators and those in attendance to 10 b4 start of GA, regardless of what’s happening, end meeting, table discussion, and come to the fucking GA.

Hira: Any opposition to final proposal.

Earthworm: What’s the earliest time you could start a meeting after GA has begun?

Paul: The demands committee meeting that the guy was referring to started at 5, the GA was at 7. They had 2 hours, which sounds like a lot.

Matt: So earthworm’s concern is that based on the assumption that the meeting was planned b4 the general assembly but was to occur after 7 what time is appropriate to plan for that bc what if the GA just keeps going? Is 9 ok? That’s when medic meeting is and we don’t want conflict.

Rob: What about after GA.

Earthworm: How about 9.

Hira: To restate proposal end committee meetings by 7. GA by 9.

Luke: If this rule had been in place the first night we wouldn’t be here now. I think the GA should go on as long as it has to and if different groups need to have meetings during but starting after they can break off and go do that.

Earthworm: That.

Daniel: I think that GAs address everybody and no one should have to not be a part of any of it. I propose we keep them ending at 9.

Matt: If committees are permitted to begin after the assembly starts, I think they must be forced to give a report back b4 being allowed to leave. Also, no committee that doesn’t do report backs should be legit.

Misty: Friendly amendment: We try to end at 9. We go on longer if we have to. Committees are allowed to leave at 9 if they have to maybe after a report back.

Consensus.

Hira: Everyone with a proposal that you feel isn’t well thought out I encourage to think it out.

George: I will stand next to Hira. What I’d like to do in part to refute concerns from outside that we all have this one idea that we are all anti capitalist. There are anticapitalists here. Its good, necessary. But doesn’t necessarily reflect all our views. Such broad a brush makes us dismissible. I would like to form a few small teams to put a very fast start up thing together to generate money to put in the account so we can establish a long term nonprofit charitable something. So we can leave something lasting. I want shirts or buttons we can get out fast w/in 24 hours. So we can do something permanent and tell Neal Boortz to shove it. I propose that we start startups in the name of Occupy Atlanta to create a permanent charitable thing.

Matt: So I assume that you made the proposal bc everyone is forced to be in the startup; otherwise it would have been an announcement where people who wanted to be involved would meet up outside of the GA.

George: I didn’t want to put something online selling shirts with the name occupy Atlanta w/o asking occupy Atlanta for its permission.

Will: I wonder who will provide the start up funds, how the revenue will be proportioned, and if this will be officially linked with the OATL movement.

Kevin: I’m a little concerned about what the money would be used for.

Seth: I would like us to empower a start up working group to form and come back to the GA when they’ve reached a specific proposal.

Misty: I second that and idk if you know. There are shirts online.

Dianne: First. Design of the shirts or whatever you sell. Does that go b4 the art committee? Proceeds from those sales for now, will they support OATL. If there is money after, that could go for further donation.

Hira: One DR, 2 on stack, then moving proposal.

Sara: he has already elicited the support of A&L committee

John: I honestly can’t believe we’re sitting around here discussing the possibility of creating goods to sell when we should be talking about our governing body or econ system. We don’t need to generate income off of charging people. If you want to leave a lasting impression, we can do so with ideas and actions.

Matt: As an ardent anticapitalist. I will block until I’m dead, any proposal that doesn’t include the self management and empowerment of industrial proletariat around the world.

Hira: I will ask George to restate proposal, or consider amending knowing you’ll have blocks, or consider tabling. So far George has considered altering the proposal and bringing it back tomorrow.

Kevin: I think someone has to propose it’s tabled.

Hira: If any of you had particular questions to ask George. Please see him after the GA. Is everyone ok with that? Great.

Chris: I wrote this down bc it’s a little complex and I’ve included points that will preclude concerns and questions. The GA begin with announcements and if necessary a brief summary of the topics that will be discussed during the current GA. Then the GA will split into breakout session by committee for discussions on issues and proposals that should go through that committee before being brought to GA. These will last 40 minutes. Regular committee meetings would continue with the understanding that they would bring info to the breakout sessions. Each break out session would vote by majority not consensus to present things to GA. Which will then do consensus. Each session would have bottom liner or liners. Justifications 1) to render GAs more productive and efficient bc proposals that need to go through the committees can do so within the space of single GA. 2) To lift the spirits of participants who want to see action and participate in decision making process of spec issues. 3) To render the decision making process more transparent and accessible and democratic. 4) More directly involve the actual occupiers in decision making. 5) Show more consideration for working people who cannot attend committee meetings during the day and who would like to not only have their ideas heard but also actively discuss with others and hear responses first hand. I’m one of those working people so please consider that.

Liz: So does that mean that all committee meetings will be after the committee meetings will be after 7 during the GA.

Chris: I did say regular meetings will continue but. I do think concerns have been expressed in lots of times and places about being involved in committees and transparency.

Hira: Has this proposal been brought to the faci/process committee to formalize this entire set up?

Chris: No bc I feel like the point of the proposal is to make the GAs more effective and more directly empower the people meeting and sleeping here.

LaTron: I would like to get a summary of what you’re saying clearly.

Chris: Since committees currently meet totally separate from GAs we will have breakout sessions after announcements during GAs which will last 40 minutes and will report back after that time when GA reconvenes.

Matt: I kind of have one but I think it’s another part of the proposal that makes it easier to understand. A list of proposals will be read off and then accordingly funneled into the breakout sessions so they can be discussed b4 entire assembly can be blindsided by opinions.

Juan: My concern is for those that would like to attend more than one.

Chris: Currently most people can’t attend any bc they don’t exist and bc the meetings can’t be attended simultaneously either.

Earthworm: Did you say they’d vote in breakout and bring it to GA and go by consensus?

Chris: MY reason for suggesting this is that to go by consensus in breakout sessions would be inefficient when consensus afterward.

Earthworm: If I’m going to block it? Why wouldn’t I in the GA if I did in breakout.

Matt: I think that the idea is more people would be able to offer insight which could possibly sway blocks, but the idea would still be put forth to GA and there would be broader more direct participation in breakout groups and even if this isn’t perfect the real question is might it be better?

CONSENSUS

Hira: Can we cut down on any of the 6 proposals left?

Sara: First I would like to say that there is a resident community here that is the center of OATL, but surrounding you, you have a support community. When the shit hits the fan your support community goes into action. What happened the other night after the popo came in and we thought the mayor was going to talk to us lead to a discussion of demands? I would suggest to you that things going on in this park are probably only concern of people that live here. My proposal is that if you discuss thing s like demands that effect all of us you give sufficient notice that that will happen bc otherwise support people must choose between participating in that convo and your safety. As much as I love to talk, given that choice I’d have to walk away.

Restated: Don’t carry on conversations about demands or other matters which concern the entire community during crisis. Please wait 24 hours.

Anon: Did we not have media training for that exact purpose?

K: Many of us are new and don’t know what that means. Can you clarify what we would do in a crisis?

Anon: I wasn’t there for that media training. They did hand out flyers concerning what can and can’t be said along with guidelines

Matt: I’m confused. But I think Sara means that

Hira: I feel like the proposal is good, I feel like when we are in a situation of urgency and timeliness we shouldn’t talk about stuff a committee has been discussing.

Sara: My main concern is that your support community be allowed to participate in discussions that include them as well and not have to choose between support and being here.

Marlon: I don’t know what phase of the meeting we’re in the meeting but I have a proposal that might address your concern. Process committee is kind of defunct but will hopefully reconstitute soon. One of its duties is to compose an agenda in advance of GA. Perhaps we could also publicize that in a way the support community could access.

LaTron: I wanted to get a clear understanding. For people that aren’t sleeping in the park you want them to have a voice in the function of OATL.

Will: So is your concern about the impromptu GA and we thought the mayor would come speak and that the GA was discussing demands in a GA that had not been scheduled in advance, is that your concern?

Mallory: I’m just trying to figure out exactly what we’re doing? What is the goal? How are we including new people and broadening our entity?

Hira: Sara made a proposal about how we use meeting time in a …nope.

Sara: What I ask is that bc demands affect everyone that everyone get a chance to discuss them and that in participation of some questions I actually think that the convo that happened shouldn’t have been made as demands bc we were talking about someone participating in the GA. We don’t make demands of each other. We make proposals. If anyone comes to a GA they could make proposals. Those aren’t demands.

Cailyn: It was an emergency situation. Should we be discussing protocol for the next one?

Will: Did you see in the AJC that the Mayor was presented with a list of demands. Is that where your concern comes from?

Sara: Not really, but I know about it.

Hira: Can Sara restate her proposal?

Luke: I think a lot of people need a little bit of history to understand the proposal. A history is given.

Sara: Refer this to process.

Referred to process.

Announcement
Allison: I would like to inform all that outreach now has a task force. We are called the student outreach task force and our goal is to go to every uni in and around Atlanta and flyer and inform. Anyone who would like to join should meet me after the assembly. Or call me at 678 849 2882. The colleges we esp need help for are as follows: Oglethorpe, SCAD, Perimeter, Cordon Bleu, GSU Alpharetta, Art Inst, Morehouse, Spelman, Agnes, Berry, and Bowder.

Kevin: DR It’s already been called independently of us of people in solidarity with us that tomorrow at 430 pm there will be a walkout at GSU and they’re going to come here and join us.

Sara: A&L Committee needs some creative people with interest in knowledge of hip hop bc that’s not my expertise. Email me at deadmadpoet@gmail.com Thanks.

Proposal
Earthworm: AFSC office needs an art show at beginning of November. Concerned we’re marking up walls by leaving bikes against them. Need people to help fix the space before the show. Make a team or something to do that.

Matt: Is that an announcement?

Liz: Let’s pass around paper and those that will help sign.

Dev: I propose that during the GA meeting there be a poster with flow diagram of what the meeting and proposal process from clarifying questions, concerns, to amendments so new people can understand upon walking up. And they can participate and not be left out feeling totally new.

Marlon: That’s a sweet idea and it’s good that people have ideas for process to work better. I would encourage people to get involved with process working group. If you want to do that. Talk to me after the GA.

Daren: I propose we get together a quick guide including flow chart that would be passed out.

Anon: My only concern, there have been people who have walked up off the streets and not been able to participate.

Hira: This needs to happen so there is some way to get people plugged in. How can we better involve everyone?

Luke: My concern is that I don’t think this proposal is complete bc it doesn’t propose a means for making that flow chart. I think proposals need to have in their proposals the means to enacting their proposals.

Sam: Regarding that perhaps the art committee should break off after the session and nominate amongst selves 2-3 people to do flow chart.

Cailyn: That seems like a job that the writing as well as the process could do together.

Hira: To clarify, not a proposal. Move forward.

Kalis: Last night some people were homeless were very inebriated were being disruptive. We need a procedure other than yelling and screaming to not belittle people. Some people sometimes can say things that irk you. Just take a deep breath. Step aside. Think about what you’re going to say. And go back in head strong bc if you don’t you’ll wind up just like them.

LaTron: I would like to see a man-at-arms that the GA can help manage interruptions when someone is inebriated.

Luke: That’s what tactical unity is supposed to be doing.

Matt: Tactical Unity is supposed to be handling things like that but I want to say preemptively

Kalis: I wanted to say it was actually after 2:00 when this incident occurred. My concern is that we should better handle ourselves when there is a person that are disrupting our cause or not down with our cause.

Chris: We should instead format meetings to learn how to handle ourselves better in these situations. Bc people like me sometimes react emotionally instead of rationally.

Luke: I don’t think either of these are proposals.

Hira: To summarize: While we see that disruptions, and their handling, is a problem, we would like to refer these to committees.

Kalis: I would like to propose that if someone else hasn’t talked that they have a chance to talk while other people are talking on the same topic more than once. Because that makes it too long for everybody.

Luke: To clarify, does that mean you’re proposing the facis/stack taker give priority to people who haven’t spoken yet?

CONSENSUS

Sam: I propose formation of official orientation committee which will have a few guys at the welcome desk at all time who know what all committees are and can direct new people to the committees to their skills can be properly utilized.

Anon: In regards to that does this mean that each committee should have an assigned person to receive people directed to them that can be found so that committee is not just wandering around?

Matt: This PoP is an important concern. idk if this GA has retained quorum and should continue making decisions. We should at least take note that this is becoming elite for those that don’t have other commitments. Also kind of a proposal to adjourn committee.

Daren: We talked about forming a list with 2 people from each group we can contact that we can send people to upon entering park. Something logistics is working on.

Misty: I was going to ask if you would be willing to bottom-line that.

Sam: Absolutely

Luke: Basically what Misty said. If you want a committee, start one and get it approved. More of an announcement.

Hira: Are there more proposals?

Luke: Nope.

Hira: Now last minute announcements.

Sean: Roger then Kenly.

Roger: 1) On Friday we’re organizing a march bc at Ptree and Pine there is a shelter that holds about 600 a night, when cold 1000 a night. They just filed a lawsuit against Emory University bc Emory trying to shut them down. The folks that live there are going to meet us here and lead the march at 5:00PM 2) I was at the ATL NGA Labor meeting tonight. 10s of thousands of workers. Tonight they discussed occupy ATL, unanimously voted to mobilize and help us on Monday. If we want we will set up a barricade. If we want we can surround you.

Anon: I and my friends witnessed 2 sketchy things in 2 hours. If you want to discuss them talk to me. Go either 2 or 3 at a time. Don’t go alone especially girls.

Derek: This thing is only 6 days old and I think you’re doing a great job. My first GA here.

Matt: For Saturday I want a really really free market here. People show up with stuff they would use but they don’t. Everything totally free. Gifting economy.

Chris: Please take your keepworthy belongings with you. 2) If you are on a committee and your contact info isn’t up please get it down.

Emory: 1) I checked out 15 October. Net. On Saturday I noticed a global day of action, just wanted to put it in peoples’ minds. 2) Help grass by not walking in muddy areas.

LaTron: This Saturday the Joe Beasley foundation is doing an unveiling of the MLK monument on the Mall. Anyone that wants to log on or go to the MLK library in DC which is the HQ. We will make sure we announce about what the movement is at this thing. Need it BEFORE SATURDAY. EMAIL BY FRIDAY.

Tommy Muhammad: Will be like a town hall meeting with interesting panelists. I will try to link with OWSATlanta for questions and it will be co hosted with Pacifica.

LaTron: On panel will be students. Congressman Hank Johnson, Naim Akbar Muhammad, Joe Beesley. They will discuss capitalism, econ dev, justice, etc.

Sunday October 9 2011 6PM

Occupy Atlanta – day 2 – Troy Davis Park

Moderator – Hira Mahmood
Facilitator – John Reynolds
Facilitator – Ron Allen
Stack-taker – Sean ?
Note-taker – Daniel Clay

6:22

Welcome Intro by Hira

Explanation of rules to make the process painless for everyone.

Decision making process is consensus – practical questions – nobody is forced to do anything in consensus – want to make sure that it is productive collective intelligence.

Process for participating in consensus here involves using certain hand signals

Explanation of processs – Tim Franzen

What is stack? It’s a list for talking in turn.

Point of process – not for approving – It is for clarification  of what the proposal

Block – adamant opposition to the proposal to the point where the blocker would leave if the group if the proposal was passed

Hira – Order of discussion/ clarification of process:

Taking proposals from committees first

Proposal – clarifications – blocks – or consensus reached

ANNOUNCEMENTS

List of announcements in order of people who contacted Lindsey first

1) Travis? – A new committee is forming a Sustainability Initiative

2) Jim Nichols – Teamsters Union 728 here in solidarity with Occupy movements all over the country – Will be joining other occupations outside the AtlGA for a march starting at TDPark to ATL chamber of commerce on October 15th

3) Kaylin, from media – After GA we’ll have a workshop for anyone who wants to attend on how to interact with the media. It’s also good for talking to family and friends. Also, we want to hear from you. Email your pics, art, and media related stuff to contact@occupyatlanta.org

4) Tom Smith – Tomorrow is a court date for a crime – the accused is probably innocent. A woman’s child died and she’s being blamed for it. Tatiana Jazeera. Trial starts 10AM October 10, 2011. Tom will be leading people from TDPark to the courthouse.

5) Colin – Tomorrow at 3PM there will be a Know Your Rights training followed by a Cop Watch training.

6) Clara – Yesterday we had a problem with childcare. We need to address the problem of childcare if we want to attract the communities of women, mothers, etc. We need a diverse group, men not just women.

7) Tony with Logistics – C7 there is a giant kitchen that we have access to. There’s a sign-in sheet at the Logistics table. There’s rain in the forecast, share your tent. We also have access to canvas for shelter. We need people to do that.

8) Tim – There’s an action group planning a march on Tuesday from this park to Bank of America. iF you are interested in participating we will be meeting after the GA.

9) Jack – The legal team is momentarily out of working condition. Trying to get the Natl Lawyers Guild to take over.

10) Regina from Demands – Meeting tomorrow at 2:30 at TDPark – add yourself to the email list

11) Nataly – Yesterday other occupations celebrated Jewish holidays. If anyone is interested get in touch.

12) Joe – Action that will take place tonight – Today is Troy Davis’ bday – Tonight at 10 there will be a noisy  Birthday vigil in honor of Troy’s birthday. At 11:08 there will be an observation of silence in memory of his life.

13) Jason – Laundry exchange- baskets or bags for different types of clothing for different genders – If you want some clean clothes take them – wash clothes and donate – share and clothe one another

14) Clara – Childcare now, let’s go play soccer

15) Sarah – John Lewis incident has become Natl news. There are fears that we have alienated a major political figure and that makes us a natl laughing stock.

Hira- this is not the time or place for soapboxing, this is announcements

16) Matt – Time sensitive – someone needs help to cut a hot air balloon to make a temp shelter in the case of rain – 8-10 ppl are needed – they can meet at Logistics table – also those folks can bathe etc.

6:57

17) Jonoh – Events are in planning stage, Jonah is also focussed on education – if you want to share or help with that – come find him.

6:57
___________________________

PROPOSALS
___________________________

List of proposals

1) Kevin, since there was some hesitation to let John Lewis speak at the GA that he be invited back next Friday to speak before the GA

What if he can’t come? Could we invite him at a different time?

Kevin meant prior to the GA

We have people who know him personally trying to get in touch with him

P’process – already addressed – BUT – How would we phrase the invitation? Would it include an apology?

Hira – steps in to clarify – restate the proposal “Do we want to invite him back?”

Direct opposition?

CONSENSUS REACHED

___________________________

PROPOSAL 2)

Travis – We’ve been trying to encourage people to reuse their plastic bottles – So . . .

Take up a plastic bottle collection and reuse them.

John – This doesn’t need to be discussed by GA

From a health safety perspective you’d have to sanitize the bottles

Hira – send it back to committee and let someone bottom line it

everyone should buy there own reusable bottle

John – People might not have the money

Proposal was DISMISSED, sent back to committee

___________________________

PROPOSAL 3)

Shob and Elijah – Get permission to reach out to bands in Atlanta – bands coming through Atlanta – music for solidarity

some guy has amps and a PA system

Shob – After GA if you want to help come find us after

CONSENSUS REACHED

___________________________

PROPOSAL 4)

Zack – Form a coordinating committee to communicate between occupiers with problems or complaints and the appropriate committee to enforce resolutions of the problems

John – this isn’t a proposal – just form and bottom line the committee

Sent back to Zack

___________________________

OPEN FORUM PROPOSALS

___________________________

PROPOSAL 5) Sean – Organize a bike co-op.

John – That’s not a proposal. But its a fantastic idea.

___________________________

PROPOSAL 6) Jonah – Organize the sleeping area for more efficient implementation of logistics, medical, safety,

John – That’s already being handled by Tactical Unity.

Tactical Unity – If anyone wants to learn more about how they are addressing that need come talk to Colton or Hector after the GA

___________________________

PROPOSAL 7) Allison – Want’s to designate an area for group meditations.

Not a proposal – JUST DO IT.

___________________________

PROPOSAL 8) Should we ask GSU profs to have classes here.

DIRECT CONSENSUS

John – Please get in touch with Outreach committee about that

___________________________

Joe – We should institute daily speak-outs at 2PM

___________________________

PROPOSAL 9) Lauren from Outreach – We have a lot of people here not on committees. We need a list of people on committees

Lauren’s contact 404 406 2972

Tim Franzen – Outreach has a list that you can sign for volunteering

DISMISSED, NOT A PROPOSAL

___________________________

PROPOSAL 10)

John – Designate a smoking area, that people will respect.

Away from tents, away from food,

not near chess players

Fountain?

Hira – Send to Tactical Unity?

BLOCKS? None.

CONSENSUS REACHED

___________________________

PROPOSAL 11)

Ron Allen – Move GA back to 7PM

BLOCK – Some people work at night

AMENDMENT – Two GA’s one at 11PM one at 7PM

11AM/7PM gives people options

Jonah does like that idea. One issue that we may encounter . . . .

AMENDMENT – Provide an opportunity and a way for people to catch up with GA’s they miss

John’s REVISED PROPOSAL – Two assemblies a day, one at 11AM and one at 7PM that are shorter with dedicated minute takers.

BLOCKS in general

Hira – Restates where we are in the process – closing the stack

CONCERN – really an idea for an amendment – do 6:30 as a compromise

Kaylin – We are more productive in committees – not in favor of two GA’s per day

Monica -

Matt – By having more assemblies we increase the amount of people who will miss GA’s

John – Supporting statements for his proposal for two assemblies a day

Daniel – Minutes will help people catch up

STACK-CLOSED

John restates proposal: Beginning tomorrow we institute two GA’s one at 11PM and 7PM

BLOCKS in general

Idea that we can keep meetings to an hour is hopelessly utopian. Multiple meetings will bog us down.

REVISION – Keep GA’s at 6pm and the following morning at 11pm meeting people can go over minutes from previous evening.

John REVISION – Alternate GA’s – 11PM one day, 6PM the next day

CONCERN – Elijah, I trust the community  - If I miss a 6PM GA and attend the 11PM minutes meeting I’ll be informed.

Google docs is sufficient for reviewing minutes.

Hira – General indecision and disagreement

John rescinds his proposal

PROPOSAL RESCINDED – Which one?

Jonah removes his BLOCK and says he will bottom line a Minutes Meeting

Original proposal reinstated: Move daily GA’s to 7pm

DIRECT CONSENSUS REACHED
__________________________

Ron Allen – Proposal for Education Committee

Tim Franzen – already exists, no action on it, bottom line it and do it.

___________________________

8:13

John – Closing statements of solidarity – move into the Speak Out

John: Recitation of the Declaration of Occupation in NYC
http://occupywallst.org/forum/first-official-release-from-occupy-wall-street/

Whats the order of this meeting?
Mon: wouldn’t call it a general assembly meeting, more of a way to communicate with the different committees. Compile definite list of contacts…There’s information that needs to get across the groups. Need to deal with communication. Figure out what would be the best way to delegate responsibilities in an efficient way. Created a WePay account; there’s been a donation of $50. There’s a lot of organizational tasks that need to be handled.

Tim: 2 things need to happen- figuring out if we are going to have an occupation tomorrow and two- figure out the organizational tasks.

Facilitator: Tim Squire
Stack: Taylor

Sarah: suggests that the different groups give a status report.

Morgan(tactical unity committee): if there’s an occupation tomorrow, will there be a march? their group will only have 12 people to keep people off the street(?). We don’t want to get the police angry. They are responsible to keep the people safe. They want about 18-14 people.

Proposals for the agenda:
Point to make sure that we keep the building clean.
Declaration, can it be changed?
Group for the new people to explain to them what is going on and the process.
Press and representation, getting the right message across.
objection to make decisions right now because it was not discussed in the promotion of this meeting that decisions were going to be made. Not a call for general assembly
Proposals that will given at the general assembly
Have a few RIC channels, better usage of them.

Discussion will include who will be handling twitter, facebook, atlanta.org, treasury committee wepay account, etc

Possible proposal to change the name Tactic Community to Occupation Police-force :) ..possibly

John is very overwhelmed and bit off a bit more than he can chew trying to organize as much as he can due to his excitement but now needs help. Would like to figure out how to delegate these tasks. Also, he would like to apologize for possibly bringing any negative energy due to how stressed he has been preparing the space we have now.

Committee Report-Backs
Legal: lawyers working with us, if people are put in jail there will be ready to get them out. There will be a google voice # LEGAL TEAM IS PREPARED

Logistics: Will have space for donating food. Currently looking for refrigeration. Establishing contacts with restaurants for food. “Random Acts for Pizza” for pizza deliveries. Any canned food is being accepted. Crystal will set up an occupyatlanta gmail

Demands: met 3 days this week, will present guiding principles tomorrow.

Medic: there will be first aid set-up. Time consuming to train, there will be abbreviated street training. This could happen this weekend. Hector brought some first aid bags. Crystal is CPR certified. 12-4 there will be a training for basic first aid at AFSC

Tactic Community: largely communicated through e-mail. Try to keep group cohesion, try to settle problems in a peaceful way. Code of Conduct, they have it printed out and will present it tomorrow. They will be using blue bandanas and they will have badges as well.

Process: Facilitation committee formed out of recognition that our meeting process needs to improve. They came up with a solid proposal, we are asking for that at the beginning of the next gen assembly, there will be a proposal if there’s acceptance then they will run with that process. KEY !working groups: consider proposals in advance and sent to compile beforehand. BE PATIENT!!

Media: press@occupyatlanta.org -really appreciated if we allow them to do their thing. talk to us! Redoubling efforts. Talking to press: they are preparing materials for press. If you wanna help, help is needed. Talk to us to see how we can help. For every committee, can we have one person (or preferably a list of people to rotate or to pick from) that is ready to talk to press when time comes. Need: fluent Spanish speaker. SUCKY SPANISH TRANSLATION ! E-mail is making them insane. They have banners and posters asking group to take them and spread them around, more will come. Need street theater stuff, singers etc. PEOPLE THAT CAN SING!!!! Need extra laptops, need full time doing facebook and twitter. Physically come down here, there will be someone here most of the time. If anyone have ideas for cool fliers, if they ask you for a contact information please give them press@occupyatlanta.org
Art: Krog Tunnel was painted. They have a huge banner that says occupy atlanta that will be dropped at 5 am.
Outreach: passed out fliers at local universities.
Tech(subcommittee or separate committee? tech@occupyatlanta.org): We have created IRC channels, websites, twitter, listserv but something went wrong with the listserv at riseup. Would like to help setup sites for easily streaming photos, videos, etc.

* what is tactically unit doing:
broader discussion but is it overstepping bounds?
(Vote to take on tomorrow)

* 4 or 5 Committee Proposals:
1. Orientation being as part of facilitation committee: info be separate from intro people to the process and be in another part like outreach. There are four roles in the process, they don’t know if they’d be able to do that effectively.

For GENERAL ASSEM TOMMOROW….. they will give a presentation on how they wanna run the proposals.

Task to be designated (spelling?):
1. Twitter: extensive experience managing, understanding how to monitor hashtags, mentions, direct messages, catching hashtag patterns, have certain tone that we feel is representative, distribution of media via twitter as that is happening in real time. Media Comm will find someone to handle before general assembly tomorrow. Not one person only handling. 1 person has volunteered but media will continue to search for more to help.
2. Facebook: situation is a bit complicated,
(MEDIA COMMITTEE NEEDS MORE PEOPLE – SIDE NOTE)
3. We pay: need to have a funding committee.Very difficult bc whoever is handling needs to have a lots of trust!!!!! Making a Funding Committee has been proposed for G.A tomorrow.  Legal committee has already seen the implications for funding.

(raise your hand up high)

Occupation Discussion: 30 minutes at 1:15 am should make a decision.

People in favor of having an occupation tomorrow.

we are trying to act as a group, we would need consensus. Under the impression that because of the variables. Serious objection to pre-determine what we are going to do. Everyone has their own opinions, but some people are saying the people have already decided what is going on.
We are not making a decision – having a discussion. Meeting was called that committees were meeting, this question was raised as agenda was created. Nothing binding will come out of this tonite, and tonight should be used to sleep on these new ideas.

do we have someone to stream KYR (Know Your Rights) trainings? Do we have computers set up for the stream?. I feel there is not a lot done, even though we are working in to it, we shouldn’t jump the gun. Legal is ready, we should expect it to happen in the next 17 hours, and we should see what is other teams need. There’s seems to be tension on whether we are ready or not, but also understanding that we are never going to be “ready” and that we should roll on what we have and hope for mass organization as we “walk”.

We need to increase positive energy. Atlanta ought to be leading the way in the language of MLK. Concerns of specific location, depending on where we decide, we might need a certain # of people to hold it down. Some people are trying to get space at the MLK Center for civil disobedience training, they would like to have this first, BUT if they have to roll, they will roll.

Process/facilitation are prepared to propose how to facilitate tomorrow’s GA in case thousands show up tomorrow.

Can we hear from each committee if they are ready.
15 READY in this meeting to occupy as of tomorrow. 1 DEPENDING ON LOCATION.

Process:ready
medics: ready
demands:ready
media: ready

Committees are ready to fucking rock!

Josh: Spread the word for our IRC channel since people have already come in looking for information and ways to get involved. This could help committees gain additional members, as well as increase the participants of tomorrow’s possible occupation.

IRC Server chat.indymedia.org
Channel: #occupyatlanta

Mobile IRC App for android users: AndroIRC

Announcement by John: If a big turn out we NEED to have a livestream. We need hardware. We have a site setup, but we need equipment like web cams or something. ANYTHING!

General Assembly #4
Location: Hurt Park

Motion: When a disruptive person appears at an occupation, general assembly, or any action associated with Occupy Atlanta, a team of volunteers who are experienced with and ABSOLUTELY committed to non-violence will talk to the person peacefully on the outskirts of the event.

–Reading of Guidelines–

Proposed amendments to guidelines:
add ableism
“discuss” ideas not “debate” ideas
transparency in deletion, warning system in place for deletion
-all admins are elected and checked upon, to be removed if found unfriendly
-read guidelines and minutes at beginning of each meeting
- will there be degrees of moderation, warnings?

-Tyler: from out of state in Houston TX, goes to Auburn. Interested in collaborations in solidarity with other organizations.
-Shana: we are in collaboration with people from Bloomsbergville.

-Carter: Any opposition to my being facilitator? I see myself as restating motions, asking for opposition or blocking, and asking for points of order.
-There should be a moderator too.
- Matt volunteered to moderate.

-Lindsey: Read minutes
-AGENDA: TActical Unity group to maintain the peace. Minutes group, Facilitators work group, Social Media moderation team.
-Talk about starting on October 15th in conjunction with international movements
-Proposal to alter or shut down fb group.
- Adding an Outreach group, and action medical team
- Make a committe responsible for location
Proposal/Motion for outreach committee: passed
Motion: Social media, tactical unity, minutes, and medical, and location team, food, funding
Blocking opposition to motion to create groups. Subject changed.

- Proposition for location to be gotten
- Propose to vote on the location in General Assembly
- Have things decided by the 15th

Proposal to vote on a location right now. Blocked.
-propose creating a constitution.
- If legal space to occupy can be found AFL-CIO involvement more likely.
- Tim – Democracy is slow. An occupation is where we take what’s already ours. Our discussion has to be democratic and determined whether or not it is effective. Question is where is the most effective place. A private park where owner says its ok? That doesn’t really send a message of occupation.
-Kendall – how many more assemblies? she wants leaders to tell her where to go.
- Matt – we have to address the blocking opposition to the proposal plz.
-Sally – no opposition to discuss a location. opposition is to voting immediately
Counterproposal to discuss a location for occupation. Initially blocked. Blocking opposition then lifted.

G.A. split into two groups, whomever whishes to discuss location meet by the fountain. Those who do not wish to discuss location, gather in.

Harvey – This process takes time. And organization takes planning. Don’t get frustrated with the process.
Matt- Read about committees plz.
Raj – wants to provide leadership. Practicing chest surgeon. Sense of direction needs to be restored. His Essay This I Believe. Instead of making committees and establishing a bureaucracy, we want to give a new shape and direction to this movement and develop a central message, I will deliver that message.
Hira – blocked and counterproposal – we have existing committees, establish people that are willing to bottomline these committees.
Tyler – counterproposal – wait until we have reassembled in whole.

Joe – Proposal – in reaction to frustration – propose point of process. No motion necessary to propose topic for discussion, only motions to bar a topic or speak exclusively about a subject.
-Restate when all reconvene.
Kathy – If you haven’t read assembly minutes from other occupations, you should. We shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel.
Sasha – people are becoming restless and making brash decisions. This is a process. We’re utilizing positive and constructive suggestions.
James – Propose to use people’s mic so we can hear each other.
Rick – Wants to be steered to logistics committee.
Maris(t)(e)(?) – proposal stated in smaller group.

Reconvening of group

- Location Faci – We decided location. On Friday 10/7 there will be a permitted occupation whose organizers have forwarded an invitation for G.A. Woodruff park is permitted 8AM – 11PM. Possible march to Centennial after. Invitation is after 6 pm. Original permit until 11PM

-Opening of discussion via stack on issue of location.

-Guy – Great idea to start on 7th because its the anniversary of Che’s death.

- Matt – information that news media is requesting an interview, proposal that we use the peoples’ mic to conduct the interview.
-Interview ends up not happening, just some b-roll footage taken.

-Taylor – Clarification – we would decide at Woodruff General Assembly what our action will be.

-Matt- Friendly amendment – reconvene a general assembly at woodruff on 10/7.

-Jenny – Is the proposal for a G.A. and not the occupation?

-Matt – 10/7 – The proposal is for a General Assembly that would flow into an occupation.

Consensus reached on proposal.

-Matt- now there are other things which need to be discussed.

-Joe – quick proposal in reaction to frustration felt regarding discussion about the discussion for choosing a location. My proposal is that given that the frustration was regarding boundaries about what we may discuss. That from this point forward, there will be no Motions necessary for the proposal of topics for discussion. Change will be that motions will only be necessary for the barring or making exclusive of topics.

Consensus reached on proposal

-Matt: Would Lindsey be willing to read a list.

-Lyndsey: Committess so far are demands, logistics, media/tech, social networking/outreach, medical outreach, legal, minutes, facilitation, food and funding.

-Luke – I propose that the groups would be read off and explained what is included in those groups and set a location in this park right now for each person that is interested to meet up tonight and discuss what they’d like to do and exchange contact information.

-Matt – This includes what was a sub proposal to have bottomliner picked by each committee. This bottom liner would have no power greater than that which is allocated by each respective committee. Is there any opposition to moving forward into defining committees and breaking into them immediately.

- Anon – I would like to propose that in order to make breaking up into groups easier we have someone from each group raise their hand and describe groups.

- Anon – Rip paper and make signs for committees. For bottomliners to hold.

- Anon – Clarification. Are we going to hear descriptions of each committee?

- Matt – Any opposition for having committees define themselves and then asking for consent from GA.

- Sara – I think people would like some kind of non-binding general very vague description of the committee that they would be most helpful in.

- Someone – Lets list the committees and then we can decide which one we feel at home in / create new ones if need be.

- Matt – Could members of previously established committees please breifly explain what has been done so far in said committees?

-Brief summation of pre-existing committees with help of minutes from previous GA.

-Split into committees-

MEDIA GOALS

- Anon – Is it ok to have an overarching committee over proposed subcommittees like Writing, Outreach, Tech, Art, A/V Team ?

-General Answer – Yes

-Randy – Have experience with audio and visual technology, art, and graphic design. I own a small studio we could use for production if need be.

-Emerald – I’m a photographer. Should we make a list of what people can do to help out?

-General Answer – Yes

Maris(t)(?) – part of outreach, create literature that gets general message across. Ride transit and get message out.

Matt – Questions: acceptable to have diverse multiform flow of propaganda circulating city?

-General Answer – Yah

- Michelle – Opening statement on what has already been established

- Anon – Media should mean communication inside and outside the group. Outreach – keep in touch with other occupy movements: in atlanta, and nationally, and internationally.

- Should we get volunteers from universities?

-General Answer – Yeah

Writing, Outreach, Tech, Art, A/V Team were, in essence, subcommittees generally agreed to be necessary AND fall under the category of Media.

- Various people – There is a need to address the fear/resistance/denial of some to have their photos taken internally. We should all be totally open and transparent which includes putting your face behind this movement.

Summary
Roughly 47 people in attendance.
We discussed possible locations for our “permanent” assembly.
We discussed our “one demand.”

We split into four different groups:
Logistics
Demands
Media/Art/AV/Tech
Legal

We came back together as a whole and each group shared their individual minutes, decided on next GA’s time/date/location.

Next General Assembly time/date/place
10/2 @ 5pm at Hurt Park

Detailed Minutes

—GA begins around 7:30—

(After hearing the concerns of a member of the GA on power plays and transphobia)

Consensus: Transphobia, Racism, and Homophobia have no place here.

- Carter: Oppression is played out in so many different ways. If someone says they feel marginalized it’s important to listen because we aim to avoid marginalization here.

- Sally suggests: Use Atlanta things. For example Fair Tax, Neal Boortz. Bring in people from various schools in the area like Ivan Allen College (GT) and Andrew Young (GSU). Teach-ins on non-violence perhaps associated with the King Center.

- Kevin: On the legality of occupations, was part of a pardon and parole board occupation success. The idea behind occupations is that we pay taxes, we own this stuff, we should be able to stay there.

- Hector: We should start wearing armbands as a solidarity statement and conversation piece to help spread the word. “99%” armbands for example.

- Jenny: Offered money to help with recruitment and possibly fund 5 iPad-like devices.

—Introductions took place—

Consensus: Stack to be kept on paper for practical reasons.

- Lyndsey:

Minutes from 9/26 GA:

• Work groups: Facilitation, Legal, Media, Tactical, Health, Food, Outreach, Demands.
• John talked about hand motions to be used in consensus based meetings.
• Possibility of facilitator training
• Possible locations: Piedmont, Woodruff, …
• Meeting spots must = MARTA accessible
• Getting legal backing: Natl Lawyers Guild at OWS
• Permits
• People want a set message out there.

- Kevin: Motion to occupy Woodruff park on October 6th. Motion declined.

- Jenny: Perhaps we can get with people that will already be occupying.

- Sally: Zuccoti park is a private park, that’s why they’ve been able to occupy.

- Stacy: Poor Peoples’ Campaign was on the mall in DC which is public property. Aside from that we need to tie all of our issues all to Wall Street.

- Angel: Cabbagetown park is neighborhood owned. Not Atlanta park. Perhaps the owners would allow an occupation.

-Male: Who can tell me the main demand of OWS?
- We need actionable points. Solidarity yes, but clear and actionable points too.
- Many people cited OWS’s demands for ending corporate personhood, restoring proper representation to the 99%.

-Other Male: In Mississippi there is a ballot referendum to repeal corporate personhood and to define exactly what corporate personhood means.

—Split into groups: Demands, Media, Legal, and Logistics—

GROUP SUMMARIES/CLOSING REMARKS:

Demands:

• Started to come to somewhat of a consensus on demands, but left it open for consideration in future GA. There was some consensus on tax related issues. Also consensus on ending corporate personhood, corruption, and malfeasance.
• Proposition to create informal research group to investigate possible means through which our demands could be achieved.
• Stated need for a YouTube channel to convey our demands.

Media:

• If street artists wish to support our cause they can create art referencing #occupyAtlanta

• Our main symbol/frontpiece/slogan is “99%” and/or “We Are the 99%” with a reference to www.occupyAtlanta.org
• People can wear armbands with our slogan to show solidarity and promote Occupy Atlanta.
• There should be outreach at local universities and colleges by students attending said schools. This can include armbands, posters, fliers, and perhaps even presentations.
• We should explore group based finances through WePay and possibly www.kickstarter.com in conjunction with the logistics crew.
• This group should be known as Occupy Atlanta Media (editors note: I think that should also be our goal)
• Google Groups should be made for more organized communications with in the groups.
• Website is being set up and held on a safe server by occupywallst.org

Legal:

• Decided on two main functions:
• resource for legal advice;
• disseminate info on what is legal a.k.a. know your rights type workshop and possible material from Copwatch.
• Concern about legalities and possible arrests.
• Stacy: Some people may want to get arrested for CIVIL disobedience (key word civil), others don’t or can’t. We need to have levels of action for everyone that wants to be involved. If someone wants to participate, there should be a level on which they can participate.
• The Legal Team concluded that unless we can find an area to set up our tents that is Private Property and does not belong to the City of Atlanta – we will be facing arrest.

Logistics:

• Before logistics can be sorted out, we must plan our tactics.
• Possible Locations: Beltline – set up and hangout and stay; Cabbagetown; Reynoldstown, Vacant field across from Fed – see who owns it? Possible activity near Masquerade.
• Food – Person from Le Cordon Bleu could possibly get local chefs to donate food, Einstein bagels donate bagels at end of day.
• Proposed creation of a protest pack of suggested items.

—General Discussion on where/when to meet next—

- Piedmont and Hurt Parks both proposed. Both have relatively straightforward MARTA access though car parking can be tricky.

- Kevin: Friday 9/30 at 5pm is a mock “Moratorium for the Death Penalty. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

Consensus: NEXT MEETING Hurt Park @ 5PM Sunday October 2nd.

—GA closes around 10:30-40—

Groups/Organizations/Institutions with members present: Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Occupy Atlanta, We Are Change Atlanta, Afgh. Vet., Industrial Workers of the World, USUncut, Emory Public Health, Atlanta IndyMedia, Iraq war vet., former CNN employee, Georgia State and UGA students.

Work Groups
- Talked about work groups briefly, was decided to skip the logistics this meeting.

General Assembly
- Shared details about OWS NYC and the experiences while there. Basic hand gestures performed in the general assembly at OWS NYC.
- Talked about meaning of “general assembly,” and its purposes for planning, importance of the assembly in itself, and hopes that for now we focus on assemblies and once we have assemblies large enough, discuss an occupation movements similar to OWS.

Facilitators
- Mentioned possibly having a training session for facilitators.
- Proposed each group/team having its own facilitator to keep things moving throughout the groups.
- Mentioned that in NY facilitators generally were not white heterosexual males, and that this could possibly be implemented here as to have more representation of the minorities in the groups.
- Proposed to the GA that each group could vote who they wish their facilitator is, if needed.  Vote was passed by general consensus.

Vibe Coordinators
- Talked about vibe coordinators.  People who calmed down the group if they get too rowdy or whatever.
- If there were people that got violent in a protest, that we can use a safe word.
- Proposed group mantra, song, or something. “ahhhmmm”
- Something soft.  A specific safe word to calm down.  Hand motions.
- Proposed having different vibe coordinators for different areas in the protest or group.
- Keep morale up, music, etc.

What is OWS?
- OWS is many groups coming together. Obviously that might happen here as well. How to keep people on the same page?
- Peaceful assembly.  Keep letting people know to avoid riots, there will be people that are violent.

Protest Location
Talked about locations for potential occupation. Suggestions were:

• The Federal Reserve
• Woodruff Park

Talked about police presence near Woodruff park.

Group preparedness
- Mentioned informing people that just because they are being peaceful does not mean the police will be. Something peaceful may become very violent. Group preparedness.

Next General Assembly time/date/place
Talked about date/time/location of next GA. Date and time were set for Wednesday at 7PM, agreed to put the venue to a poll on facebook to determine location.