Day 9 of the Occupy Coachella Valley movement was one of regrouping and expansion. Salvador Reyes, released from jail early Tuesday morning, distributed fliers in the community regarding that evening’s 7:30 p.m. General Assembly meeting and invited people to hear Glenn Greenwald’s 6:00 p.m. lecture at College of the Desert.
Greenwald, the author of “With Liberty and Justice for Some,” wholeheartedly believes in the Occupy movement. He said that “these are patriots, and mainstream America is sympathetic to the message.” Greenwald, who has been scheduled to speak at College of the Desert for several months, will speak to the Occupy Oakland group Wednesday before returning to the Coachella Valley Friday to fulfill a promise he made to attendees representing Occupy Coachella Valley.
Greenwald denigrated the media for their “befuddlement” in not being able to understand what the Occupy movement stands for. After all, he stressed, “The name Occupy Wall Street … it says it all.” Greenwald went on to say that CNN’s “objective reporter” on the Occupy movement, Erin Burnett comes from a wealthy family, worked at Goldman Sachs and is now engaged to one of the highest ranking executives for Citigroup.
As Occupy Coachella Valley members left the lecture and made their way over to the meeting area, the General Assembly grew to well over 50 people. Passing motorists honked their horns in support.
Discussion turned to the nighttime sweep of the Palm Desert Civic Center Park, considered “an ambush” by 66-year-old Gale Wheat, an Indio resident and longtime activist. Wheat, in order to show solidarity with the protestors, positioned herself in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park and waited for the park to close. She said, “I’m here not only for my own beliefs, but to support the young people in this movement.” Wheat continued “I feel we have had a corporate coup d’état, and our government is now the best that money can buy.”
It is her hope that this movement will stop the corporations from exploiting people around the world.
If you wish to support the Occupy Coachella Valley movement, the next meeting of the General Assembly for Occupy Coachella Valley is at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the corner of Fred Waring and San Pablo in Palm Desert.