Occupy Albany shows up at the Capitol office of Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos to push for a rise in the minimum wage, calling it shameful that 78% of New Yorkers say they support it but Skelos – who claims “you shouldn't govern by polls” - refuses to bring it to a vote. Occupy was told they had chosen the wrong day to confront Skelos, allegedly on Long Island at the time of the protest. They promised to be back when the reps are in session and deliver more action(s) on the issue. Legislativegazette.com

Cities :

Occupy Maine returns to the public sphere, doing some “guerrilla gardening” at a currently abandoned public park, Congress Square Plaza, that may be slated for private development. After the yard work, the group holds an open air General Assembly meeting, with passerby stopping to listen and chime in during the discussion. A local hotel wants to build a ballroom on the property. The forecaster.net

Across the pond some con-tro-versy brewing over whether it was St. Paul's Cathedral or the Corporation of London who authorized police to clear the steps of Christians praying during the eviction of Occupy London on February 28. The Canon Pastor of St. Paul's, Michael Colclough, had maintained the city initiated the move, but the cops who did the removing now say that's not the case.Ekklesia.co.uk

Add Occupy's “Freedom Fairy' to the list of protesters nation-wide who have had their cases tossed by local judges. Marni Halasa was allegedly impeding pedestrian traffic and was ticketed by NYPD. Halasa claimed she wanted the case to go further so she could publicly defend her First Amendment rights. Video taken by Live Streamer Tim Pool demonstrated that the officer who issued the summons lied in court. Occupy won two other cases this week, in addition to filing a destruction of property suit on behalf of the “People's Library.” Thenation.com

After the policy formulation, coordinated with DHS, was handed down by Bloomy to his “private army,” the NYPD followed orders, scooped OWSers off the streets, evicted them from encampments, and brought a host of charges. As noted, the cases typically go to court and are dismissed, thanks in large part to the National Lawyers Guild (NLG). Occasionally, Occupy returns the favor.

Hence this morning's announcement of a lawsuit against NYPD and the city to recover $47,000 in damages for the books and computers destroyed by the cops as they raided the encampment last November, evicting both protesters and “the People's Library.”

Tuesday morning and the dust begins to clear in Chicago. The “NATO 3” represented by the National Lawyers Guild protest their innocence of plotting violence amidst claims of police entrapment and brutality wgntv.com, with the Guild saying cops itched for confrontation and did not allow easy exit from demonstrations. The NATO 3 meanwhile sit in solitary confinement, the result of a bust that was tipped by informants, occurred without a warrant, and confiscated beer-making materials. Defense lawyers for the accused say they haven't seen the full evidence yet. Msnbc.com, Democracynow.org