Let's Converge on Burlington, Occupy the Pipeline!

Please come to Burlington the weekend of July 29-31 for the biggest environmental protest Vermont has seen in years.  Activists are planning to "Converge on the Conference!"   On Sunday 2 p.m, we'll wear all black and make a human oil spill to symbolically say NO! to a Tar Sands Pipeline going thru New England. This weekend is a great opportunity to meet-up and say to the governors "we'll un-elect you unless you act on the Climate Crisis! And that means, no pipeline."

The Conference of New England Governors and Canadian Premiers meets at the Hilton Hotel above the waterfront in Burlington. Among the topics to be discussed is the Tar Sands pipeline that would run through most of these territories.  

Now, why bother the Governors, tastefully meeting behind close doors to promote economic growth and bureocratic interbreeding? Because it's become a very successful organizing tactic to OCCUPY outside the doors of the rich and powerful as they gamble away our future. Occupying is irritating to the Elite. It is rude to occupy their doorsteps with scruffy sleeping bags and sincere concern for our dying planet. It shines light upon the on-the-downlow business-as-usual destroying of Mother Earth.

For example, we need LIGHT upon the Trailbreaker pipeline.  The Titans of Big Oil want to fix-up a 1950's pipeline that runs from the Tar Sands of Alberta to the Atlantic Ocean in Maine, thru Montreal, through 30 miles of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom and onward to Maine. (Good idea, boys. While yer at it, fix up an old Model T to keep an eye out for leaks!) 

Citizen's groups are stepping up to say "No Way!" 350Vermont.org has been leading VT's disobedience to Corporate Craziness.  Check out this photo pile of recent action touring the proposed pipeline route: http://world.350.org/vermont/take-a-virtual-tour-of-pipeline-corridor-in-northeast-kingdom/  People are organizing regionally at http://www.tarsandsfreene.org/   Schedule for Convergence at http://www.btvconvergence.net/wordpress/ 

For fun, check out this lovely, in-french video from some Quebeckies coming down to be in Solidarite: http://youtu.be/YDB9YOiyClM

After the Human Oil Spill at 2pm, the Occupy New England Regional Gathering will happen at 4 p.m. In the evening,  the U.U. Church is hosting a dinner and a teach-in about many issues related to the Conference.  Bread and Puppet Theater performs Monday at 11:30 near the Hilton.

Be there or Be pipelined.

Encouraging travel details for Occupy National Gathering

A friend on-site says the Occupy National Gathering is off to good start, "peaceful chill scene at encampment in Quaker Church parking lot, 500-700 folks, need more bodies, come on down, people!"  There's a full schedule of teach-ins by day on Independence Mall. Later in week, folks may try camping in front of some local banks. Philly cops reputed to be generally cool, but yesterday cop dickishness at intersection leads to 30 arrests. Dem mayor denying water access to encampment from fire hydrants, maybe trying to protect Occupiers from Philly's water supply. But by and large, it's a safe campout in the limelight. People should come down and be in support. Bring a tent if you've got one, a sleeping pad perhaps, or book a hotel room.  Yeah, let's travel to camp in a parking lot in Philly during a record breaking heatwave. Why? Because Occupy stands for cool things, like direct democracy and saving our planet from hydrofrackers. Because if we don't stop climate change is going to get 10 times this hot. Because Novelty in a dreary political time is good. 

more info:

http://www.occupynationalgathering.com/#

the Quaker Church camping is two blocks off Independence Mall at 4th and Arch Street at http://www.archstreetfriends.org/  

good articles:

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/2321/399/Occupy_National_Gathering_Update.html

workshop times:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/occupy-philadelphia/schedule-and-announcements-for-monday-july-2/245456635557211