The Occupy Long Beach meeting last night at Bluff Park helped keep the movement rolling and a date has been set to begin occupation: October 15, 2011. Although there are still many organizational issues and ideas coming together, a set date coinciding with Orange County’s occupation date is a major boost.

Today, volunteers are going to be scouting for occupation locations and a vote is expected to take place at tonight’s meeting, once again at Bluff Park (Junipero and Ocean near the hill leading to the beach) at 6 p.m. So far, locations suggested have been Bixby Park (right across the bluff, where the park is large, there is a stage, restrooms, and BBQ pits,) surrounding the World Trade Center, along Ocean Blvd in front of the Bank of America and other banks, or along Shoreline Drive and Shoreline Marina.

New ideas may be heard at tonight’s meeting, but suggestion should have plenty of detail as to why that is a good location. For instance, restrooms, showers, and public presence should all be a concern. A few people suggested other parks last night, but without the parks name and details, no one could familiarize themselves with it.

One aspect settled was the Occupy Long Beach committees. There are individuals running logistics, finance, Arts & Education, a Legal team, Media, and Outreach. These committees were broken up into small group at the end of the meeting to discuss further tactics and goals and everyone was invited to put their talent into one group.

The meeting also included three gentlemen apart of Occupy LA, who have been very successful with their occupation and movement. The group was able to make negotiations with the City Council recently and was allowed a “rolling permit” for their occupation in front of Los Angeles City Hall. This means their permit can continue to be renewed and that was a demand Occupy LA insisted on, and the council agreed. The vote was 11-2 to formally support Occupy LA and the guests (one actually grew up in Long Beach) said that was the first time ever for Los Angeles to endorse a movement.

At Tuesday’s Long Beach City Council meeting, a city resident involved in the cause named Tamara gave a speech informing council members about Occupy Long Beach and was said to receive a warm response from most council members. She stated that they too are a part of the 99% being controlled by the 1% and you can watch that video below for her full speech.

Occupy Long Beach is not yet asking for demands and hopes that City Council and LBPD will openly discuss and negotiate with them, as Occupy LA has done with their city.

I know many people are still wondering what this Occupy stuff is all about. And although it is extremely extensive and multiple groups around the country are demanding different things, essentially Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Long Beach wants to see justice given back to the 99% of people that occupy this country.

Involvers want to change the discrepancies in consequences for fraud committed by individuals (like Bernie Madoff) and American corporations (like corporate banks.) They want to see the individuals running corporate America that are committing fraud and providing injustices on a daily basis given the same treatment that Madoff was. They want to stop the government from defending the 1% of the population that run and profit from corporate America, and see our government support the 99% that occupy it. This includes media corruption, the CIA having a stake in FaceBook, etc and is much bigger than the two parties that run our governmental system.

This quote, taken from Tamara’s speech, does a great job of summarizing Occupy Long Beach’s current stance:

“We may not have all the answers, but are awoken to the fact that our government in Washington DC no longer supports us…Individuals feel helpless to effect change through the normal paradigm. We’re banning together in solidarity to demand accountability for our failed economy.”

The more people involved in cities all over the world, the stronger that solidarity is. I know you are all part of that 99%, don’t you feel it’s time we (the majority) pulled together to fight for our justice. For our jobs, for our children, for our homes, for our savings accounts, for the news we receive, for control of the democratic world we are suppose to live in.

Please become involved by at least attending a meeting at Bluff Park tonight at 6 p.m. and bring people with you. Also, dress warm, bring blankets and chairs, an open mind and find where you are fit to help this movement.

562CityLife is funded by a Long Beach Community Foundation Connected Corridor grant supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's Transformation Initiative.