OWS Trade Justice

Direct Action Breakout Minutes

October 20, 2011

In Attendance:

Adam Weissman

Nicole Demby

Ryan Beckley

Alex Krales

Colin Baja

Julia Traber

Ari Cowan

Liza Renzulli

J. Simpson

Facilitator: Adam

Adam summarized TradeJustice New York Metro.

- 3 trade agreements – Panama, Colombia, South Korea

- opposed by people on the left and right, but a good to corporations.

Korea- producing cheap products in sweatshops that they undersell – makes outsourcing cheaper

Plan of Action

- we should call Obama and tell him to veto, event though he won’t. It will be useful for him to her from us.

- Congress is trying to bury these agreements – we have have to stop that burial and make sure voters know that Congress passed this agreement

1) Next week – Mon/Tues.

Who voted for free trade agreements?

Charlie Rangel

Carolyn Maloney

Michael Grimm

Bob Turner

Elliot Engel

Who voted against the free trade agreements?

Velazquez

Towns

Clarke

Nadler

Serrano

Action ideas:

-visiting the Democratic elected officials who voted for the trade agreement

- Maloney – showing up with moving boxes, pink slips, implements of being fined

- Rangel – 99% fired him

- Crowley – Occupy Jackson Heights local park

- Day of the Dead action against Michael Grimm – march to the Staten Island Ferry – dressed as Grim Reapers -

- Senator Gillibrand and Schumer offices are close & right across from each other – but less winnable

- Alex – best plan of action might be for each person to research and target the individuals. A lot of smaller actions are more difficult for the police to regulate.

- Bring in groups that represent immigrant rights.

- at least one action next week and possibly doing more on subsequent weeks

- keep doing actions over the next year so the issues stays fresh in the minds of voters

- Alex – assign specific targets based on location and interests

- Ryan – Rangel would be a good target because he is already in the media and he is our self-proclaimed spokesperson

- Adam – Occupy Harlem & police brutality march tomorrow might be good opportunities to get to Rangel

Colin – focusing on one in the next week and expanding from there

Adam – outreach for each target, but focusing on one target for the next week

- having one event to use as a focus point to get awareness out

- quarter sheets about Rangel

- Rangel – outreach tonight & tomorrow and Monday/Tuesday of next week