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Likeohmigod, okay! The Valley is about to be "Occupied."
Protesters on the other side of the hill are sick of corporate greed and are going to camp out to show their frustration with the 1% who they say controls our nation's finances. Occupy San Fernando Valley is destined for the Van Nuys Civic Center on Saturday, says the Daily News. The camp will be in place following a march and rally.
The group is closely mirroring the Occupy L.A. and other prominent local and national encampments, including their evening "General Assembly" meetings.
Organizers say they felt many residents in the Valley weren't aware of the current four-week-long "occupation" of City Hall in Downtown, and wanted to give them an opportunity to be made aware, and to participate.
Already, Occupy SFV is teetering on the verge of law-breaking; the plaza where they plan to sleep is off-limits after 7 p.m. Councilman Tony Cardenas, the local rep, has mixed sentiments about the group's plans in the area:
"I'm a big believer in freedom of speech and people's rights to speak out in public spaces. At the same time, since 9-11, I think that that has complicated things when it comes to things like people staying overnight in direct vicinity of what's potentially a sensitive area."
Occupy SFV says they will move to the sidewalks if they are forced out of the plaza, and if they are urged off the sidewalk, they will "walk around the area at night until morning, when they will move back into the plaza."
The Valley's occupation officially begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.
