#Occupy Observations: M1GS Los Angeles Photos

Click twice on any photo to see a larger version; to download, then click on the "see all sizes" link in the upper-right corner of the screen. Then click enough times to return to this page. Please ask Damon if you want copies of his photos, it's his decision.

Videos will come shortly on a separate page and will be linked here. Please check back!

M1GS!

The Four Winds departed from distant and far-flung corners of the city and included politically and socially important stops and actions. The central meeting place is Convergence, at 6th and Main Streets, downtown LA, at the gateway to Skid Row, homeless center of the downtown area. All power to all people! Occupy the Hood, Occupy Skid Row, and LA Community Action Network hosted us there. These are real people fighting against real oppression. All respect!

We set up free food and clothing for the homeless before the Winds arrived. Thank you so much to all who cooked and provided food and did service! Thank you to all medics! Respect to all attending Anons!

A band or two set up and played some excellent sets. Few had computers set up or were watching livestreams on smart phones, or monitoring the usual social media so we were all asking each other when will the Winds arrive! all morning long. Then word came that there were 500 people with the North Wind alone...we felt chills of excitement. Finally someone shouted and people began running down the street toward 7th, where a wall of Occupiers were approaching, carrying banners and chanting. They were all the way across the street and across both sidewalks, and a block deep, with Rise Up and the Queer Affinity Group in the fabulous bus... It was amazing. The mood was incredible. Then the other Winds arrived. The entire place was packed and we were elated. Then we marched around the downtown area! Police actually block off another march from us, with whom we had planned to unite. Eventually we made our way to Pershing Square, which is where OLA now have our General Assemblies. But we took the intersection first in acknowledgement of the fact that we, the people, are the ones who have the power. Without us, the corrupt rich have no workers, have no profit. If no one obeys, no one rules. We do not make demands because demands legitimize the corrupt systems we seek to obsolete. We create new unity, new systems which do not rely upon the corrupt rich. The sense of unity, of purpose, is incredible.

After taking the intersection, we moved into Pershing Square to gather with another rally who were already there, enjoying some incredible musicians and performers on an excellent sound system. My respect to those who set it up and did the sound! Until I went in and saw the bands, I'd thought a DJ was playing records. It sounded great, and the bands were first-rate! A true pleasure! People were dancing, laughing, blowing bubbles, hugging, planning...feeling the beauty of being together in order to create a better world for us all!