Pouring rain did not stop dozens of citizens from gathering at 5th and H streets in Eureka Friday at noon to join a nationwide protest marking the second anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that defined corporations as “persons,” and, as local organizers sarcastically put it, thus “entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run the government.”
Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap of Democracy Unlimited (below) helped assemble the local gathering; she’s also part of a new group, Move To Amend, a coalition working toward a constitutional amendment to redefine corporations, and, “rule that corporations are not people, do not have constitutional rights and money is not speech.”
The group’s first step is to have counties and cities around the country put the issue on the ballot for the November election. A Humboldt County version of the petition was passed around at the protest; former Arcata City Councilman Dave Meserve is pursuing a similar ballot initiative for Arcata. See www.corps-aint-peeps.org for details on the Arcata group.
Go to www.movetoamend.org/occupythecourts for further information about the nationwide movement.
Below, a uniformed protestor
Anonymous joined the gathering
Eric Schimps (below) from the Independent Observers Program was observing the protest in anticipation of possible police intervention. The police did not get involved. More photos here.
This article appears in New Direction.
Sorry I couldn’t make it, but what a great turnout on a very wet day.
you are my heroes
Newsflash! Corps are not comprised of globular antimatter, they are actually real people…with a board of governors, comprised of …u guessed it…real people! I mean really, this is about as smart as solar power in Arcata.
And that makes corporations people, how?
“Corporations are made up of real people” is the message that Firesidechet wants us to realize…and this, my friends, is exactly why it is going to be so difficult to pass this much needed amendment.
Corporations are “comprised of” a contract under the authority of a charter. Fireidechet should shove his “globular antimatter” right back into his black hole.
And the first time in a long time some of those “Hippies” took a shower.
I’m glad the North Coast Journal at least covered this Move To Amend protest. It is, however, unfortunate that NCJ allows (apparently) some of its writers’ or editors’ or publishers’ opinions to prevent reporting on Occupy Eureka. Occupy Eureka is into its 107th day. Much has happened (including rain) and has been revealed through Occupy Eureka’s 24/7 existence: big lessons about the state of repression of dissent and poor people- and peoples’ ability and determination to continue on nevertheless.
As long as the government can put fences up to stop protest, as long as the government can make up laws prohibit hanging signs and banners, as long as the government can steal whatever it wants from protesters and people without shelter, as long as the government falsely classifies demonstrators as “violent” and “terrorists” in order to get some kind of Homeland Security funding or create a dangerous premise for police attacks and individual arrests- NO ONE is safe from repression.
Come down to Occupy Eureka in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse and help build the people power to get rid of the fences, to end the injustices, to transcend CLASSISM, to disrupt capital (and capitalism), and build dignified community.
North Coast Journal, you have neglected an historic and important movement and chain of events going on in Eureka. Please, get on the ball.
Kim Starr, you stifled whatever chances #OE had at becoming a legitimate protest movement as you have hijacked and ruined just about every protest movement you’ve been involved in.
Your negativity and tendency to yell or type IN ALL CAPS when making a case is in itself a local oppression.
Please stay off balls.