Oct. 15 “Occupy Phoenix” event gets ink/pixels in the Republic

by David Safier

I read it took NPR two weeks to mention the "Occupy Wall Street" protests. [Full disclosure note: It took BfA about the same amount of time to post about it. We should have been on the story earlier.] Now the growing movement is getting regular media coverage across the country.

The Republic legitimized the Phoenix branch of the movement with today's article, 'Occupy' movement is coming to Phoenix.

Phoenix is preparing to get occupied.

The grass-roots social-agitation movement that has spread from Wall Street to other cities will land in downtown Phoenix, with non-violence workshops and a pre-occupation march leading up to the ongoing demonstration that's scheduled to start Oct. 15.

The metro Phoenix events are based on the vanguard Occupy Wall Street movement in lower Manhattan that has railed against social inequality, government-austerity plans, the rich-poor divide and corporate greed, centered on banks, mortgage firms and insurance companies.

The movement started in earnest about a month ago and has spread through social-media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter. It has received labor-union endorsements, with a clenched fist emerging as its main symbol.

Good, information-rich reporting, giving people a heads-up about what's coming in the future, not just what happened the day before.

TUCSON UPDATE: The next event I know of in Tucson is the "Jobs Not Cuts" event next Tuesday, October 11, 6pm at IBEW 570 (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 570), 750 S. Tucson Blvd. (between Broadway and 22nd).