Thursday, December 29, 2011
Congressman has civil exchange with a handful of protesters as he seeks to unveil his 2012 legislative agenda
Republican Congressman Joe Wilson barnstormed the state on Thursday to unveil his agenda for the coming session of Congress, visiting three towns across his far-flung Second District. But at his first stop — a morning press conference in West Columbia held in an auto garage — Occupy Columbia protesters nearly outnumbered the handful of staff, media and supporters in attendance. With more than a half-dozen protesters looking on and some videotaping the event, Wilson said he planned to focus on job creation, cutting spending, and improving the lives of the nation's armed servicemembers here and overseas. Wilson said his aim is to lobby the Senate to pass 27 jobs bills currently languishing, promote job-making missions at the Savannah River …
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Huffington Post profiles one Midlands family trying to escape poverty.
Occupy Columbia, a group that joined others around the country to protest the growing disparity between the richest 1 percent and the other 99 percent, has become an outlet for one Midlands family trying to rise from poverty. In a recent Huffington Post report, Jessica Smith, 29, her son and mother all joined the Occupy Columbia movement. Smith, who grew up in poverty, is profiled in a series of “stories and short films on under-publicized Occupy sites.” According to the report, Smith, who had never participated in a protest before Occupy Columbia, hasn’t been able to remove herself from the growing number of working poor. Smith grew up in poverty and hadn't managed to lift herself out of the temp work, food-service uniforms and double …
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Occupy Columbia protestors will be allowed to camp out on Statehouse ground
A federal judge granted Occupy Columbia protesters a restraining order Wednesday, allowing the group to continue protests on Statehouse grounds. The ruling ensures that protesters can continue their occupation unless or until specific regulations regarding Statehouse protesting are put into place. Occupy Columbia's main legal issues arose from its leaderless group and its assertion that camping on Statehouse grounds constituted protected speech. Nineteen occupiers were arrested on Nov. 16 after South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley issued a 6 p.m. curfew for protesting at the Statehouse. Charges were later dropped against all 19 protesters. After a Richland County judge issued a temporary restraining order allowing the occupiers to return, Haley…
Monday, December 12, 2011
Raising funds to air on SC TV
Occupy Columbia started as a small, quiet group but has created controversy with the mayor, the governor and the police of late. Now, they're trying to occupy the television screens. The group released a YouTube video of a commercial it hopes to run in South Carolina. Plans for a commercial have been in the works for some time, but fundraising remains on obstacle. In Nov., Gov. Nikki Haley issued a 6 p.m. curfew prohibiting protestors from sleeping on the Statehouse grounds, but the protestors challenged Haley without punishment. In Dec., charges against 19 arrested protestors were dropped. A case addressing whether the group has the right to sleep on Statehouse grounds was transferred to federal court and a hearing has yet to be set.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Charges against 19 arrested occupiers were dismissed
Charges against 19 Occupy Columbia protesters arrested Nov. 16 were dismissed Wednesday night when Solicitor Dan Johnson refused to prosecute the occupiers, saying there was no evidence that they had broken any law. During a press conference Thursday, attorney Joe McCulloch, who represented the occupiers, said the move signaled a victory for the First Amendment and Occupy Columbia. "We understand that the arrests of the 19 Columbia occupiers were at the directive of the governor, but [Johnson] determined that these were unlawful arrests," McCulloch said. McCulloch praised Johnson and Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott for their courageous defense of the peaceful protesters. "The actions of the occupiers have always been respectful and …
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Numbers down, at least for now, but enthusiasm still high
Occupy Columbia protesters returned to the State House on Thursday and while their numbers had dropped, their commitment to their cause remained strong. Less than 24 hours after 19 protesters were arrested, about 10 occupiers held signs, smoked cigarettes and discussed their future plans on the sidewalk in front of the State Capitol. Many protesters who had been arrested returned home to rest after being released from jail during the early morning hours, protester Jessica Smith said. While that caused a temporary drop in the size of the group, she expected the group to regain its momentum. "We're going to appeal the fact that [Gov. Nikki Haley] did an illegal evicition," Smith said. "It was based on lies and accusations that were not …
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The protestors have been on the State House grounds for more than a month and will no longer be allowed to stay overnight
Updated post: Amid a driving rainstorm on Wednesday night, approximately 20 law enforcement officers arrested at least 19 Occupy Columbia protesters on the State House grounds who were in violation of an order by Gov. Nikki Haley to disband by 6 p.m. Several other protesters removed themselves from the grounds to the sidewalk fronting Gervais Street, saving them a trip to jail. However, several of those protesters said earlier they would reassemble again on Thursday and potentially subject themselves to arrest tomorrow night in order to make a point. The group also discussed continuing nightly displays of such civil disobedience, rather than capitulate to Haley's order. Those who volunteered to be arrested were cuffed with plastic ties and…
Friday, October 28, 2011
Friday marks two weeks of protest at the State House, with no end in sight
Travis Bland, one of the main organizers of Occupy Columbia, drew a blank when asked how long the anti-corporate protest based at the S.C. State House might last. A day and night? A weekend? A few days? "Who knows?" he said. Exactly two weeks have passed since Patch posed that question to him, but from all appearances, and based on comments from protesters, the occupation shows no signs of calling it quits anytime soon. Now entering its 14th day -- and night -- of occupation as of Oct. 28, it was originally unclear just how long and committed protesters would be after the first day of energy, novelty, and media attention wore off. Bland originally told Patch that folks would spend at least the first night on the State House grounds, and …
Amid Occupy Oakland's chaos and violence, Occupy Columbia protesters peacefully manage round-the-clock presence at the State House
While images of unrest and violence among anti-riot police and protesters in Oakland, Calif., and arrests in Atlanta have grabbed headlines this week, the scene surrounding Occupy Columbia is downright bucolic in comparison. Granted, Columbia is hardly a hotbed of radicalism, either on the right or the left. And it could hardly be confused with Oakland, Atlanta, or any number of other cities nationwide that are holding similar -- and much larger -- occupations to protest the corporatism that protesters allege has stripped political and economic power from average citizens. Still, it might be cities such as Columbia that prove illustrative of how to handle and sustain a form of protest not seen since the Great Depression, when legions of …
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Charleston's Bobby Harrell backs Texas Gov. Rick Perry at Tuesday afternoon event at the State House.
S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell, Jr. on Tuesday afternoon announced his endorsement of Texas Gov. Rick Perry to a packed gallery inside the State House. Along with his wife, Cathy, Harrell cited Perry's economic record in Texas in making his endorsement. In contrast to President Obama, Harrell said that Texas, under Perry's leadership, had "outpaced the nation in economic growth, tax relief and job creation." “Speaker Harrell is a proven conservative and respected leader,” said Perry. “His endorsement speaks to the growing support of our campaign and my conservative record, and I look forward to working with him and the rest of our South Carolina team as I continue to travel the nation sharing my vision for how we will get America working…
Erin Winslow
5:37 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
Billy, "oh yes if they had all the info you just gave me. why did we spend BILLIONS of dollars there?" I believe this is what we common folk call a scam!!! Btw did you even read the links I posted? more ›