Occupy Flint movement continues

Although Occupy Wall Street has been forcibly evicted from its base at Zucotti Park in New York City, the local movement continues to grow. Occupy Flint has winterized its command center and are reaching out to other encampments. They plan to travel across the country to share logistical support, technology, organizational structures and other resources with other "occupy" groups.

The independent group's immediate aim is to share information with other groups. It has constant internet communication with other occupy groups. And like hundreds of other occupy groups, it posts daily live podcasts on sites like globalrevolution.tv.

The camp has free WiFi set up to give members access to the internet.

Occupy Flint has shared occupational summits with other regional groups such as Occupy Detroit. These have been very productive, said Jerin Sage, local activist and PMTA (peace mob transit authority) bus owner.

"The purpose of the mobilization is to create unity and consistency throughout the movement to be more successful as a whole. We have a unique opportunity to expand the movement's capability by spreading the technology and logistics that we embrace as our backbone (in Flint)," Sage said.

The people at the Occupy Flint command center at M. L. King and Second avenues have continually improved their camp to survive the coming Michigan winter.

Since its Oct. 14 beginning, the Flint camp has dug in for an extended stay on their private lot. The encampment, which started out as a collection of tents, a trailer, graffitied bus and assemblies of eager occupiers, has grown into a small village.

Through donations, the group has been able to develop into a "tarp city" which by Nov. 15 had expanded into two main mess tents with a central wood stove, kitchen and storage area.

By the first major snowfall Nov. 29, the campers had a large mess hall tent, with vented wood stove. It was planned to be made fully airtight and insulated with layers of mylar, foam and straw bale walls.

The group purchased 250 straw bales for insulating the camp. The mylar is used to reflect light and create radiant hydronic heat, which is more efficient than heating the air. Plywood self-closing doors keep the main tent's two entrances sealed shut. The exposed ground is covered with straw and rubber mats. Members said they planned to build a sort of lean-to off the mess hall tent with a mylar and foam "double bubble" section to insulate the individual tents better from the cold.

The main structure is nestled next to a storage greenhouse, five large tents, a camouflage-tarped trailer, a large wood pile and three rented port-a-potties with a small solar light inside each. Large solar panels mounted on 2-foot by 4-foot racks rest on a neighboring building's roof. A donated guard shack at the entrance on Second Avenue provides shelter from the wind for any volunteers on security duty. The command center camp is surrounded by orange plastic snow fencing with the topical "anti-emergency financial manager" signs facing the street.

People honk their support day and night as they drive by.

Devin Graham, 18, spent a week in New York City at Occupy Wall Street, that started Sept. 17, before joining the Flint effort in mid-October.

He said that at the New York City occupation, they did not allow tents. People slept in sleeping bags wrapped with a tarp. Occupy Flint's location on private property allows it more freedom. Graham sleeps every night in a tent with rubber padding and a tarp beneath it and another tarp and a canopy above his tent.

Graham purchased a 65-person retired school bus in early December which he plans to use in the outreach effort.

Besides protesting against economic inequality outside of First Street's Bank of America branch downtown, the Occupy Flint movement has also tried to engage the local community.

Events such as a corporate zombie walk, drum circle, community cookout and art workshops are geared towards strengthening connections with neighbors.

The group painted two colorful murals on the front of the vacant building next to their camp on M. L. King Avenue, which they have been given permission to use. One mural quotes Albert Einstein. The other is a quote about the power of love overcoming the love of power.

Members were invited to attend other area events, including an Occupy Teach In at UM-Flint's Kiva and Michael Moore's book tour event at the Whiting Auditorium.

There have been more than four thousand arrests and more than 2,500 active worldwide occupations as of Dec. 1. Under the banner of the 99 percent, these independent groups practice direct democracy in their general assemblies to make localized decisions and take action.

Visit www.occupyflint.org or call (810) 835-8334 for more information.