Currently, conservative lawmakers are attempting to push anti-immigrant legislation through our state government which threatens us all. If these bills pass, police would be able to ask for papers from you based on the color of your skin, undocumented kids would be banned from attending state universities, and new government ID requirements at the polls would target poor and elderly people, preventing them from voting.

We recognize that these bills are part of our state legislators’ anti-immigrant agenda.

We also recognize that immigrants founded this country; that immigrants of years past committed mass genocide against the inhabitant population whereas immigrants of today have not; that immigrants in the United States today have needs that are largely ignored by the US government; that immigrants play a vital role in our workforce; that our economy cannot afford to lose their contribution; that immigrants are an integral part of our diverse culture and their presence enriches the lives of each and every one of us; that we are all Americans.

Furthermore, we recognize that understanding the struggles in communities like the Latino community is crucial to understanding how to achieve socioeconomic justice for all members of the 99%; that corporate greed has made immigration necessary for millions of Latin Americans who have seen their hopes for prosperity – or even for basic standards of living – hoarded by the 1%; that US leaders have been complicit in this process; that US corporations have used the tenants of free market Capitalism to defend crimes against humanity which they have committed in foreign countries; that US wealth has been built with the labor and natural resources of these countries; that US consumers have ultimately benefited at the expense of foreign workers; that our economic relationship with Latin American countries reflects an image of colonialism that has existed for centuries; that the struggle of Latino people extends beyond our border; that it is the shared struggle of all people underrepresented and ignored by the ruling classes because we are the 99% together.

Join us and other organizations with the Virginia Immigrant People’s Coalition on a day of action Friday, February 17th at the VA State Capitol so that we can let our legislators know we care.

11 am – Rally at the Bell Tower at N. 9th St. and E. Franklin St.

12 pm to 4 pm – Literature drops and Lobbying at the VA General Assembly building

No queremos Arizona aquí.

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Last night, December 27th, the Auxiliary group kicked off the 2012 Strategy Threshing Sessions. We had a good turnout with many remarkably fresh faces whose ideas and suggestions were music to our ears. A summarized version of the notes taken during the meeting is located here: 2012 Strategy Session Notes (PDF). Another 2012 Strategy meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 3rd at 7:00, location TBA. Please RSVP here: Second 2012 Strategy Meeting (Facebook Event).

As much as this is a time of revisioning and reorganizing, this is also a listening campaign. We are actively seeking those who have previously felt unheard or under-utilized during our first few weeks of establishment. The struggles that lay before us require ALL of us to join together in order to bring about a real revolution. If you have felt marginalized in the past, please make it out these upcoming meetings to help us return to the right direction. The meetings will be advertised on Facebook, Twitter, and the website via the calendar located on the right side of the homepage. If you have any questions, email occupyrichmondva@gmail.com.

And finally, make sure to mark your calendars for January 8th’s General Assembly, where all of the work put into three weeks worth of meetings will be unveiled and voted on. This is an extremely important event, so we urge you all to make it a point to attend.

Now it is time to enter the next phase of Occupy Richmond, which will consist of multiple community service projects and experiments, urban community outreach, large and small scale demonstrations and educational forums.

We are not going away; we are only just getting started.

You can find our official press release here along with all our press releases.

Occupy Richmond does not support nor condone the Richmond Tea Party, and
denies any allegations that the two organizations are officially working together. Individual
members are absolutely within their rights to address any political, social or economic entity they choose, but without a modified consensus from the General Assembly, they do not represent Occupy Richmond. Occupy Richmond’s General Assembly has yet to reach a consensus on any stance on the Tea Party.

You can find our official press release here along with all our press releases.

We are still working hard to pack and refine the schedule. As of now, Saturday’s events include:

9 AM: Get on the Bus

• Getting on the GRTC buses throughout the city
• Starting conversations with the people of Richmond
• Spreading the word about Occupy Richmond

12 PM: Taking out the “Trash”

• After departing the buses, we’ll meet Occupiers in Monroe Park
• We’ll march to the Fed, stopping at various controversial places and cleaning the streets as we go.
• Listen to informative speakers with eye-opening information about what is really going on behind the walls of these places.

2 PM: Human University at Kanawha Plaza

• Guest Speakers
• Community Art Projects
• Kid’s Space
• Live Music
• Much much more TBA

This is promising to be one of the biggest events we’ve had thus far. Come out for a day of peace, education and just some relaxing fun and good times with loved ones. If you have any ideas or wish to help out in any way, please contact occupyrichmondva.specialevents@gmail.com. See you there!

Mayor Dwight Jones
And his reaction.
Chief Norwood, who organized the raid on Kanawha Plaza.

We were met with a heavy police presence but they could not find a reason to arrest us.

We continued to hand out candy, to the delight of the children.