The UWS Mission

In 1927 bluesman Robert Johnson went down to the crossroads and made a deal with the devil for his soul to play the blues. The rest is history. Is Occupy at a similar point? They took to the streets in 2011 with a burst of exuberance and authorities pushed back with arrests, trumped charges, and over the top tactics. So what next? Frustrations boil, particularly during a hot summer. However deathandtaxesmag.com urges restraint and tells Occupy not to be seduced by quick fixes promised by the outliers, if not infiltrators, of the movement. On the heels of the latest release from spooky voice Anonymous documenting the intense British military and security presence at the 2012 Olympic games, beginning July 27^th, writer DJ Pangburn urges restraint and non-violent civil disobedience.

Seven points. That, according to latest polls, is what the recent spate of (anti) Occupy coverage has netted the 1 percent. While the headline bears the usual is Occupy Still Relevant stamp, the article featured in Marketwatch mentions poll figures released by ORC International, who interview “1005 adults by telephone from June 9-11” and finds that 30% of respondents still agree with Occupy's focus on inequality, but the percentage who disagree with (tactics? Message? it's unclear) has risen by seven percentage points. When this space contacted the poller, we were told the methodology was to only call land-lines, not cell, a potential difference maker, according to Christina Hungspruke at ORC, which does polling for CNN.

As the summer heat blazes across most of the country, so does the Occupy Caravan, making stops and leading/encouraging occupies nation-wide with on the spot municipal demonstrations and general festivities. Occupy Athens, has planned a single day occupation of the Athens (Georgia) city hall to celebrate the arrival of the caravan and protest the city's proposed newly restrictive law on sleeping in parks and sidewalks, which they say stifles expression and harms the city's homeless. The caravan is scheduled to arrive in Philly the week of the 4^th for the Occupy National Gathering, which coincides with Continental Congress 2.0 redandblack.com

The word comes down, the verdict is in : the Manhattan District Attorney's office finally scores a conviction for eight protesters, who, led by Bishop George Packard (video above), stormed the gates of the Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan in protest of the shut down of Zuccotti Park and the church's refusal to take up the social protest.

Clergy make news and face difficult and often profound decisions these days: to side with orthodoxy and church officials who abide by existing laws and edicts, or to answer their conscience.

Fracking, or resistance to it, emerges as a key organizing tenant as various occupies across the US support anti-fracking initiatives. Occupy Raleigh demonstrates tonight outside Governor Beverly Purdue's Executive Mansion at 6PM to urge her to veto a bill that will allow the practice in North Carolina. Digtriad.com

Chapelboro.com carries an editorial from concerned citizen Heidi Zehnal, who provides evidence attempting to sway residents and the governor to support the call for a veto.