Occupy Democracy

Occupy Hong Kong One Year Anniversary

September 29, 2015 Jeffie Lam and Stuart Lau, www.scmp.com Resist! China, Hong Kong, Occupy Democracy

By Jeffie Lam and Stuart Lau in South China Morning Post - Occupy organisers and protesters vowed yesterday to involve the wider community in their fight for greater democracy, looking to coming elections as the key battleground, as they marked the first anniversary of last year's mass sit-ins. There was a strong sense of déjà vu near government headquarters in Tamar as hundreds returned to the site they had occupied for 79 days. They formed a sea of yellow umbrellas again, chanting the familiar slogan, "I want genuine universal suffrage". But the mood was more subdued and reflective than aggressive, while police were out in force to prevent any violence or reoccupation of roads in Admiralty.

Occupy Democracy Fight Corporate Power In 10-Day Spectacle Of Dissent

May 4, 2015 RT, www.rt.com Resist! Capitalism, Corporatism, Occupy Democracy, United Kingdom (UK)

As Britain braces for next week’s general election, political activists, academics and artists will occupy London’s Parliament Square for ten days in an effort to tackle corporate capture, environmental chaos and cronyism. The ten-day affair has been organized by Occupy Democracy, a social and political movement that seeks to address Britain’s democratic deficit, and build a fairer society in the process. Billed as a Festival of Democracy, the ten-day spectacle will feature workshops, artistic performances, creative direct actions and discussions throughout the election period. It will begin on Friday evening with a show from New York-based radical performance group Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir.

Occupy’s Matthew Varnham: A Legal Occupation

February 13, 2015 James Mowatt, www.shoutoutuk.org Educate! London, Occupy Democracy

I met with Matthew Varnham the day after he joined a panel of speakers at ShoutOut’s ‘Power of Protest’ event at LSE. A law graduate, Matthew has been an independent supporter and legal advisor to Occupy since 2011. He recently approached the civil liberties organisation, Liberty, for the purpose of launching a judicial review against the GLA’s territorially obstinate policies. Since this challenge, Occupy Democracy has declared monthly protests at the square until the General Election this May. The first of these was held just over a week ago, on the 24-5th of January. It was mostly uninterrupted, and went ahead as (anarchically) planned.

Occupy Wins Parliament Square Fence Stand-Off

January 27, 2015 Beth Parnell-Hopkinson, www.londonist.com Resist! London, Occupy Democracy

Occupy Democracy protesters have won the latest round in a series of scuffles over access to Parliament Square, after fencing erected in October 2014 was taken down at the weekend. The group had organised a 10 day protest in the square last year, but found itself unceremoniously evicted by police getting creative with the 2011 Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act (PDF). Under the Act, anything which can be construed as sleeping equipment or a structure is banned, which now includes umbrellas, backpacks and pizza boxes (go figure). The area was then fenced off, with Greater London Authority (GLA) workers claiming it was for maintenance work and to allow the grass to grow back.

OccupyDemocracy Activist Locked To Houses of Parliament Railings

November 24, 2014 Revolution News!, www.revolution-news.com Resist! London, Occupy Democracy, United Kingdom (UK)

At about 3:30pm this afternoon occupydemocracy supporter Arran locked on to the railings of Houses of Parliament. Arron has a bicycle D-lock around his neck linking himself to the House of Parliament railings. He was arrested at the previous occupydemocracy protest in October for sitting on a piece of Tarpaulin on Parliament Square. The focus of the occupydemocracy demonstration has now moved directly in front of the Houses of Parliament where our constructive programme of talks and debates continues on the pavement. Explaining his decision to take this act of nonviolent civil disobedience he said: “The oppression of my free speech during Occupy Democracy in October was so extreme I feel this is the only way to get my voice heard “

Why Occupy Democracy In London Again?

November 24, 2014 Maya Oppenheim, www.newstatesman.com Resist! London, Occupy Democracy, United Kingdom (UK)

Part of the global Occupy movement, Occupy Democracy campaigns against corporate corruption, austerity and privatisation. The occupation drew a diverse crowd, including a number of “Occupy virgins”, students and of course the usual die-hard activist folk. Asad Khan, a women's wear fashion-designer was not your usual suspect. Incensed by what he saw as the police brutality of last month’s Occupy protest, Khan was at home when he came across a YouTube video of the occupation. “I saw a video of the police dragging people off parliament square for simply sitting down, I thought it was absurd and grotesque so I came down to see what was going on straight away”.

Occupy Democracy Protests In London Parliament Square

November 22, 2014 Chris Richards, www.mirror.co.uk Resist! Democracy, Occupy Democracy, United Kingdom (UK)

Pro-democracy protesters descended on central London tonight as the Occupy movement gathered to set up camp outside Parliament. Organisers called for supporters to "return to Parliament Square" outside the Palace of Westminster from 6pm until late on Sunday. Police have warned protesters they are banned from setting up camp at the landmark, as Scotland Yard insisted it had "an appropriate and proportionate police plan in place" for the event. Dozens of officers were stationed in front of fencing placed around Parliament Square which prevented people from accessing the site.

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