Inter-Faith Picnic. For people of all faiths, and none.

Posted on 11/08/2011 by occupybristol

Some at Occupy Bristol are organising a shared picnic and afternoon of activities at Occupy Bristol (College Green) this coming Saturday 12th November from 1 to 5p.m, and warmly invite you and all members of your congregation/ faith group to attend. We do hope you’ll be able to come.

We value the contribution people of faith make to social action and social justice. We hope to learn from you, and we hope you’ll see we have a lot in common with you.

The bring-and-share picnic will be from 1-2pm, and then we’d love to have your involvement in the afternoon of faith-related activities. The rough outline is as follows, but if you’d like to contribute in another way, please do let us know

2-3pm What does faith bring to social justice issues?
3-4pm Do we share common values as a human race, and can we act together as a result?
4-4.30pm How can faith groups contribute?
4.30-5pm Songs of Hope- A sing-song of songs of protest from across the world.

Please spread the word, and do contact us at: julwood@gmail.com if you’d like any further information.

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A view from an occupier

Posted on 11/07/2011 by occupybristol

My name is Ross. I am 31 years old. I am a sound engineer. I am self employed and pay taxes. I speak only for myself, I do not represent the camp.

I came here because I wanted to show solidarity with the Wall Street Occupation and other Occupations around the world. The notion of 99% of the population being impoverished to the advantage of the 1% has been a very powerful rallying call. But what impresses me now is the way this movement has progressed from a protest against corporate greed to a search for greater democratic involvement.

This place is experimental, educative and inclusive. It provides a platform for all kinds of people whose voices are not usually heard. We need their contribution if we are going to weather this storm. The 1%, the ” Masters of the Universe ” as they think of themselves, have proved to be abject failures. Lets start to listen to the voiceless.

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Health and safety on and around camp

Posted on 11/07/2011 by occupybristol

We have been camping on College Green for over three weeks in order to start a national and international conversation about social inequality, political corruption and corporate greed.

Although we have received an overwhelmingly positive response from our fellow Bristolians, we realise there are of course  some practical isues raised by our presence on College Green. However, we are vigorously working to address them.

We have formed  several working groups, including one to deal with health and site safety. The solutions implemented by this working group include:

Health and Site Safety

  • First aid – We have qualified first-aiders on duty 24/7
  • Stewarding – We have two stewards on duty during the hours of darkness covering site safety issues.
  • Safe spaces policy implimentation & amends
  • We have successfully implemented a ‘dry site’ policy.
  • Bedding, clothes, tents
  • Sanitation – We would like to once again thank Bristol City council for their co-operation in providing us with recycling facilities. We have hired our own portaloos to address our sanitation issues.  We have people with food hygiene certificates who are advising in relation to food hygiene.
This working group has met informally in the last couple of days and has identified child protection as an additional area which they wish to address.  There are a number of people on camp trained in  youth and community work. As a result we have people on site who possess up to date enhanced CRB checks and are fully trained in child protection.  They are drafting a formal child protection policy and will be proposing it to the Wednesday’s General Assembly. Assuming this is passed by our consensus decision making process this will be published on Thursday on our website.

 

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A view from an occupier

Posted on 11/06/2011 by occupybristol

My name is Sophia. I am 40 years old. I run a science education project.  I speak only for myself, I do not represent the camp.

I think education is so important. The most valuable thing human beings do is to look after the next generation and help them to grow up to realise their potential. Think what a world we could achieve if a full realisation of individual potential were the norm.

I am here because the 1% are just taking us for fools. The financial sector created this crisis and yet they are getting away scot free and still receiving huge bonuses for their failure. Meanwhile the rest of us are suffering and essential services like the NHS and Education are losing out.

I have been really inspired by ordinary people coming down here every day from different walks of life to express their support. They share stories of how the crisis and cuts have affected them. It can be heart breaking to hear them. But then they start talking about their hopes for the future and how things could be made better and that makes me really hopeful.

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A view from an occupier

Posted on 11/05/2011 by occupybristol


My name is Nima. I am 30 years old. I am a mental health support worker. I speak only for myself, I do not represent the camp.

I am here because I believe there is no alternative. The global financial system is in structural crisis. Governments are no longer responding to to the challenges we face as individuals in our communities, as a country or globally. We are in the midst of a downward spiral of a number of crises, financial, economic,
environmental, political and social.

We seek to create a real democracy where we can learn together how to respond to the challenges we are facing. Together we are creating a space through joint agreement, planning and activity. We are learning new skills, developing new abilities and rich human relationships based on trust, care equality and cooperation.

This is a movement in its infancy and we need, as it were, to learn to walk before we can run. We hope that people will realise they are not alone in their struggle to survive this recession and that here is an inclusive space for their voices to be heard. We seek to create a broad based mainstream movement.

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Occupy Bristol statement about Remembrance Sunday

Posted on 11/04/2011 by occupybristol

The military organise Remembrance Day events, and they have communicated with us through our police liaison officer on this issue. The military are happy that we are not in the way and they are completely happy with us staying where we are during Remembrance Day. As we expected, it takes more than a few tents to unnerve the British forces.

They have asked us to observe the minute’s silence, and respect the event. We have assured them that we will. We have never had any intention to do anything else. 

This year, as every year, on Remembrance Day itself, the main ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph. The paths near the cathedral – not College Green itself – are used to line up before the parade. College Green is used by members of the public who want to watch the parade, and that can happen as normal this year.

Many of us have lost relatives in wars and we have the utmost respect for their sacrifices. Some of us have served in the British Armed Forces, have lost colleagues and been injured. They will be joining the other members of the public, laying a wreath at the Cenotaph, after the formal ceremonies are complete.

We hope this clears up any worries or confusion.

*Photo by Dan Holton

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A Beginners Guide to ‘Occupy’

Posted on 11/02/2011 by occupybristol

from Liam Tate

 

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Dry camp announcement

Posted on 11/01/2011 by occupybristol

Our presence in College Green has brought us face-to-face with significant poverty-related social problems in the city – alcohol and drug abuse, anti-social behavior and mental ill-health. While we want to tackle and change the issues at the heart of these problems we cannot begin this if we our camp is insecure, occupiers feel threatened or those visiting the site get the wrong idea about who weare and what our aims are. We also cannot build a representative group if women feel unsafe to stay overnight at the site. This means sexist, threatening or offensive behavior must be dealt with swiftly.

We have decided as a camp that we can no longer have any drinking on site, we intend to be a ‘Dry’ site.

Those who cannot do this must leave. We will contact the police if necessary.

If you have a drug or alcohol problem, and would like to come back while you are sober, you are very welcome. We do not have the expertise to help you, but welcome your support and will welcome you at the camp whilst you remain sober.

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A view from an Occupier

Posted on 10/31/2011 by

I am a individual occupier who does not speak for the a camp.

My name is Stefan. I am 37 years old. I am an IT consultant. I have three children and it is because of concerns for their future that I am here. I can afford the time. I am successful and have a small mortgage.
I believe that the situation in the world is very serious and that it is the result of powerful interests in Wall Street the money markets and other places manipulating our democracies in their own self interest and effectively having staged a coup. These people are criminals and we need to remove their hands from the levers of power before we can begin the the difficult task of reconstruction.
We have a rising population, dangerous environmental degradation, climate change, loss of soil fertility, peak oil, and now the collapse of our economies and financial integrity. This amounts to a perfect storm and our political elites are unable or unwilling to confront it. Meanwhile the 1% are steadily increasing their wealth and influence and driving us deeper into crisis.
The majority need to come together, as we are doing here, to discuss a a way forward that is in the interests of the many, not the few.

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The Capitalist Bloc speaks

Posted on 10/31/2011 by occupybristol

Image for illustration, not today’s schedule

I am a individual occupier who does not speak for the a camp.

Dear Sir/Madam

I’d like to point out that the BBC’s constant labelling of the Occupy Movement as ‘anti capitalist protesters’ is inaccurate. I support the movement 100% but along with a huge amount of other supporters, I am not against capitalism , just very aware that it needs huge structural changes.

I feel that your labelling of protesters in such a way paints a picture of trouble makers rather than people from all walks of life who are trying to come up with new ways to improve the economy, environment, health care, education and democracy for all, unlike the true trouble-making corporations, banks and governments who are doing the opposite.

I’ve had huge respect for the BBC for all of my 33 years and always considered it the most balanced and trustworthy media source in the world. So it brings me great sadness that an occasion has arisen which has prompted me to send a complaint. I sincerely hope this phase is just a glitch and not a sign of things to come.

Yours sincerely

Daniel Bromley

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