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| Strike May 1st - Everywhere (Photo credit: cloud2013) |
In a very diversified movement such as Occupy, there is just about something for everyone. On this May Day, which is most likely to be the biggest and greatest May Day in recent history, the Interfaith Guild of Chaplains (IGC) is also holding an intentional time and space on May 1.
May 1 is the International Workers' Day in remembrance of the Haymarket massacre, and also is the festival of Beltane and in the Catholicism, the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker. Additionally, in Filianism, it is the day of Flori-Maia, the feast of flowers. May Day is situated between the spring equinox and summer solstice.
As the Occupy movements have called for a general strike on this day, we would also like to honor the strike in solidarity.
Gather at the Wallace Park in Northwest Portland (NW 25th Avenue & Pettygrove Street, on TriMet line 77; wheelchair accessible) near or under the picnic shelter (this is the same place as our Occupy Thanksgiving back in November), at noon.
The intentions for this event are as follows:
- A brief and simple Beltane/Flori-Maia ritual with some allusions also to St. Joseph the Worker.
- Send out prayers/positive intentions/etc for all the varied causes this May Day stands for (worker rights, economic justice, housing, immigrant human rights, gender equity, education, etc.) as well as for the success and safety of all the actions planned and spontaneously occurring in that afternoon and evening.
- An ecumenical, faith-based/spirituality-based conversation on what the May Day means to our lives at the nexus of spirituality and action, and of beliefs and praxis.
- A potluck lunch picnic and various forms of resource sharing.
- and finally, this event also hopes to provide a safer/family-friendly/immigrant-friendly alternative activity to the concurrently occurring "unpermitted action that is friendly to unfriendly tactics" at a location that is reasonably insulated from the same.
This event should conclude around 1:45 p.m. to allow for ample time for people to ride the bus and/or streetcar, or bicycle, to the Shemanski Park for the May Day Coalition rally and march.
No feeder march is scheduled from Wallace Park, since it would be a fairly long walk.
This gathering is intended to be a safe, nonviolent and civil time/space. Keep violent, aggressive or confrontational behaviors for other actions; and since this is a city park, no illicit drugs or alcohol is permitted. Refer to the IGC safety protocols on this site.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/417872468242669/
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/417872468242669/
The Interfaith Guild of Chaplains (IGC) is an autonomous interfaith/ecumenical organization in solidarity with Occupy Portland, Occupy Gresham, Occupy Vancouver, Portland Action Lab, Portland Liberation Organizing Council, Decolonize Portland, and any other similar causes in the Greater Portland/Vancouver region. This event is not sanctioned by or endorsed by any of the above entities.
For more information, contact Sarah at (503) 427-8269 or email sarah "at" occupy.tk.
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