Lightspark Commons : interfaith solidarity cascadia: Our invitation to #OccupyThanksgivingPDX

We are occupying Thanksgiving Day.

We occupy it because:

This is a quintessentially American holiday, and is an important part of American cultural narratives.
This is also a holiday that commemorates the fact that the European colonizers began their expansive ambitions and conquest and genocide of the First Nations, in the name of "freedom" -- something this holiday tends to sugar-coat.
On this day, there are many -- and growing number of -- Portlanders who are unhoused and, since most of other Portlanders have a privilege of being able to stay home, take a day off, and spend time with family, they are left outside often with no place to go and nothing to eat. We recognize this social inequity.
Today, Thanksgiving Day is the official beginning of the "Holiday Season," which is essentially an orgy of consumerism orchestrated by the top 1%. Many publicly-traded big corporations count on this season, and the Fourth Quarter earnings report affects share prices significantly. We occupy this day to reclaim the Thanksgiving as a time for community, sharing, and abundance.

When: Thursday, Nov. 24 -- The festivities run from noon until 7 p.m.; everyone is welcome to participate in part or all of this event.

Where: In the close-in Northwest Portland with a good public transit and bicycle greenway access. Please RSVP for location.

What: Lunch and dinner, potluck style; open-mic music and spoken words; community discussions on various topics; games; and the "Thanksgiving General Assembly" -- mostly a fun exercise where people who are new to the #Occupy movement can learn how to participate in a GA, or organize their own GAs.