Urban Nana

Press conferernce video Part 1

Press conference 10/25/12 Occupy Oakland Part 2

Greetings and good morning! Thank you for being here!

My name is Samsarah Morgan, I am a counselor, midwife and teacher. I am also a member of several committees of Occupy/ Decolonize Oakland.

We will begin with a blessing led by Nichola Torbett.

Again, I thank you for your presence, today is a day of mourning, we gather to remember the early morning raid of our beloved Occupy Oakland encampment. Is it really possible that a year has gone by? It’s been a year of many challenges, and struggles from within and without. The most pressing stressors have been brought to bear by the hands of certain elements of our police department in response to the people expression of their right to free speech.

Internally, we continue the effort begun in the camp – the effort to learn to listen to and trust one another, to work with transparency, compassion and focus – to balance an enormous list of needs and to meet them.

I feel it important to say that what I say is not approved by the GA . What I say and what the others members of the community who wish to will say will come from their hearts – as citizens of this City, and those with histories of devotion to serving this city and its people.

I wish to also say that no one person, group or ideology can lay claim to Occupy Oakland – The genius of the Occupy Movement is that is it an open template, given as a gift, that communities all over the world can apply and change to meet their circumstances.

With the blessings and support and of the allies surrounding me, I declare a rebirth – and I declare a separation from any group internal or external which says in any way that Occupy Oakland is dead!

Occupy Oakland lives! We are here, we will be reaching out to our beloved city, building bridges and assisting in any way to feed, house, educate and provide the means for financial and emotional security and support for the people of Oakland. We are the 99 per cent and we are here to serve the interest of the 99%.

There are hardworking committees in Occupy Oakland and Decolonize Oakland working tirelessly to defend homeowners against foreclosure, standing with the community against police misbehavior, supporting parents attempting to stop the closure of their school, address the needs of immigrant populations, and many other community concerns.

We will be planning events and projects all to support the above intentions as well as others; we invite you to join us.

One of the goals of the re imagine the GA working group was to support the beginnings of neighborhood assemblies – let them begin! We stand committed to offer any and all resources we can to make this happen!

It has also come to our attention that there have been flyers posted in some neighborhoods stating speaking of violence towards the “Black Bloc”. I believe that I speak for all gathered here when I say that we do not support violence of any kind on our streets, we honor our young people and wish them not to be harmed nor abused within our “justice system”, which has no relationship to what a balanced person would consider justice.

Join with us, let’s build our city together – there are so many forces working to destroy Oakland already, let not the injury of our young citizens create further damage.

In the name of the 4 children who slept in the camp on the morning of the raid – I ask for peace tonight. I ask the police to honor human life as well as to feel the authentic call of their profession, The protection of Oakland citizens.

I ask protestors to hear the voice of Oakland, and its desire to not have either personal or property damage on our streets…

I wish peace for us all, and strength – as we move forward to build a city which has the means to meets the needs of all of its people…

Long live Occupy Oakland!

And now let’s hear from other citizens of Oakland..

(community members speak )

(Zappa presents about his event.)

Again, I thank you for your presence, today is a day of mourning, we gather to remember the early morning raid of our beloved Occupy Oakland encampment. Is it really possible that a year has gone by? It’s been a year of many challenges, and struggles from within and without. The most pressing stressors have been brought to bear by the hands of certain elements of our police department in response to the people expression of their right to free speech.

Internally, we continue the effort begun in the camp – the effort to learn to listen to and trust one another, to work with transparency, compassion and focus – to balance an enormous list of needs and to meet them.

I feel it important to say that what I say is not approved by the GA . What I say and what the others members of the community who wish to will say will come from their hearts – as citizens of this City, and those with histories of devotion to serving this city and its people.

I wish to also say that no one person, group or ideology can lay claim to Occupy Oakland – The genius of the Occupy Movement is that is it an open template, given as a gift, that communities all over the world can apply and change to meet their circumstances.

With the blessings and support and of the allies surrounding me, I declare a rebirth – and I declare a separation from any group internal or external which says in any way that Occupy Oakland is dead!

Occupy Oakland lives! We are here, we will be reaching out to our beloved city, building bridges and assisting in any way to feed, house, educate and provide the means for financial and emotional security and support for the people of Oakland. We are the 99 per cent and we are here to serve the interest of the 99%.

There are hardworking committees in Occupy Oakland and Decolonize Oakland working tirelessly to defend homeowners against foreclosure, standing with the community against police misbehavior, supporting parents attempting to stop the closure of their school, address the needs of immigrant populations, and many other community concerns.

We will be planning events and projects all to support the above intentions as well as others; we invite you to join us.

One of the goals of the re imagine the GA working group was to support the beginnings of neighborhood assemblies – let them begin! We stand committed to offer any and all resources we can to make this happen!

It has also come to our attention that there have been flyers posted in some neighborhoods stating speaking of violence towards the “Black Bloc”. I believe that I speak for all gathered here when I say that we do not support violence of any kind on our streets, we honor our young people and wish them not to be harmed nor abused within our “justice system”, which has no relationship to what a balanced person would consider justice.

Join with us, let’s build our city together – there are so many forces working to destroy Oakland already, let not the injury of our young citizens create further damage.

In the name of the 4 children who slept in the camp on the morning of the raid – I ask for peace tonight. I ask the police to honor human life as well as to feel the authentic call of their profession, The protection of Oakland citizens.

I ask protestors to hear the voice of Oakland, and its desire to not have either personal or property damage on our streets…

I wish peace for us all, and strength – as we move forward to build a city which has the means to meets the needs of all of its people…

Long live Occupy / Decolonize / Liberate Oakland!

And now let’s hear from other citizens of Oakland..

(community members speak )

______________

Hello Dear Ones,

Above the is the text of the statement I made this AM.

I wish I had the text to the statements of all my beautiful fellow citizens – Thank you, Theresa Anderson, Donald Macleay, Timothy Fong, Shake Anderson, Nichola Torbett, Dafina Kuchina, and Green Doula (for live steaming)