Occupy Underground

joined the camp at City Hall, found shelter and belonging and meaning, were ACTIVATED. They found respite from the dangers of Skid Row, among other things. I obviously cannot speak for them but can share what they've told me and what I've seen and learned. They are the most motivated members of the LA activism scene alongside Occupy the Hood and LA Community Action Network.

Note that due to their involvement, the OLA encampment soon learned certain things:
-There is something called the "safer cities initiative" adding 50 police to Skid Row at a cost to taxpayers of $6 million a year.
-Homeless services receive $4.7 million per year, city-wide, not solely for Skid Row.
-It turns out there is a powerful business lobby in LA called the CCA who are attempting to drive out the homeless so they can gentrify the area (a previous effort on CCA's behalf is depicted in the true story "The Soloist".
-Due to the "sci" which CCA outspokenly support, it is a crime to have a tent up, even partially, during the hours of 6am and 9pm. You can be arrested for violating this ordinance. It's to criminalize the homeless and aid gentrification. LA Times report arrests and crime on Skid Row but do not specify that these crimes may not be drugs or violence, but simply nuisance arrests:

-LA Activist found that the head of the CCA had written an LA Times editorial hit piece against Skid Row and the homeless of downtown LA, under her own name. Brazen.

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/06/carol-schatz-of-cca-and-their-outright.html

At the monthly Artwalk downtown, LA citizens found out the hard way that CCA control the city and city hall, and will have their way through hook or crook. Artwalk citizens, including only a small number of Occupiers, used =water-soluble= children's sidewalk chalk to do art and present varying messages, from Occupy slogans to "I (heart) LAPD". LAPD made multiple violent arrests and when citizens gathered in outrage, used tasers and rubber bullets and riot gear in response.

You see, CCA have listed in their future plans document that they will eliminate from LA, "intelligence-based graffiti". Search DU for that phrase; I've reported upon it. This obviously includes water-soluble children's chalk.

This is what their puppets the police chief and mayor had to say about citizens using water-soluble chalk in the downtown area. This after the LAPD violence.



O RLY?

Skid Row activists, LA CAN etc. are aware of LAPD spying through Special Order 11, which makes LAPD a tentacle of DHS:

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-lapd-are-made-into-tentacle-of-dhs.html

Without the camp and the help of additional newshounds such as the superb LA Activist crew, these issues may not have been given the time and attention they deserve. They strike directly at the center of greed and city hall. These are the changes we need to make. I for one would probably never have learned of these things; this is a direct result of the encampment in LA. This is what happens when you bring together the people under a common cause.