(Hawaii 24/7 photo courtesy of John WIcart)

MEDIA RELEASE

The Occupy Wall Street Movement is entering its third month and already it is the biggest political movement since the anti-war and Civil Rights movements of the 1960s. That is because there is not a single person who had not been affected by the economic crisis.

Occupy Kona — as well as Occupy Hilo, Occupy Waikoloa, and Occupy Waimea — was formed to support Occupy Wall Street and all the occupations throughout the country.

The group has been demonstrating roadside, every Monday afternoon for the two months to educate residents and to show them they are not alone in their economic hardships and that there is a movement that is working for their interests and trying to create a better future for the country as well as the state.

Supporters are now moving from protesting to taking action by identifying the key issues that need to be addressed and coming up with a plan to make the changes that are required.

Occupy Kona is hosting its first public General Assembly on 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 at Hale Halawai on Alii Drive. The objective of this movement to save our future, to decide on the primary social, political, and economic issues injustices the group wants to correct in the country and in the state, and to start taking the organizational steps needed to accomplish these goals.

Members from occupation groups across the Big Island are expected to attend and the meeting is open to the public.

Background Information

The American financial system, headquartered on Wall Street in New York City, is responsible for the biggest economic crash since the Great Depression. Americans have lost their homes, jobs, pensions, health care and their children’s future is now at risk.

Yet the people and institutions responsible for the crash have not been held accountable for the misdeeds and fraudulent behavior. Worse yet, they continue to control our financial system.

Americans across the country are finally speaking up. They are sick and tired of a government that only works for the wealthiest one percent.

It’s time to bring the corporate agenda to an end and pass common-sense policies that would restore the balance and make America work for the other 99 percent. Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement consisting of people of many races and political persuasions.

The one thing we all have in common is that its members and supporters are the 99 percent who will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the one percent who enjoy the benefits and protection provided by the government.

The movement is working to achieve its goal of equality and balance by exercising citizens’ First Amendment rights to protest and by encouraging the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.

The Occupy Wall Street Movement empowers real people to create real change from the bottom up. We can gather in every backyard and on every street corner because we don’t need Wall Street and we don’t need politicians to build a better society.

For further information about Occupy Kona, call 322-6677 or email bitaaloha@yahoo.com

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Continuing weekly support rallies:

* Kamuela/Waimea – 3-6 p.m. every Monday in front of Foodland on Highway 19
* West Hawaii – 3-6 p.m. every Monday on Highway 11 south of Henry Street (Mormon Temple)
* Hilo – 4-5:30 p.m. every Monday at1437 Kilauea Ave. fronting Merrill Lynch; and 3:30-5 p.m. every Friday at the downtown Post Office