Occupy Athens

Houston Gaines: "People often ask where I get my ideas for legislation, I look at Athens - and then I pass legislation to do the exact opposite."

So true! Houston doesn't create legislation to help people, Houston creates legislation to HURT Athens. This man admits he hates Athens. So why does he want to represent it??

Check out this weekend’s Walton Tribune for coverage of our campaign kickoff — front page and A3!

Happening tonight

This morning at 7 am, a multi-racial and multi-faith group of students and Athens community members of conscience gathered at UGA to stand against genocide. They were met with almost immediate repression and police violence.
By around 7:35 AM, reinforcements from UGA PD and Athens-Clarke County PD arrived. Protesters, knowing their rights and their own moral clarity, stood their ground. Administrators and a team of UGA police issued a dispersal order and gave a ten minute warning to protestors. By 8:20 AM, UGA PD began enacting the kind of violence GILEE participants are known to use against unarmed protesters. Around 8:30 AM, state troopers arrived to overwhelm the protesters with numbers and clear them out of the space with sweeping violence.
Black and Muslim protesters were immediately targeted by UGA Police. Throughout the arrest process, unarmed protesters were dragged by the legs, lifted, thrown, and grappled while UGA administration watched on from the center in complacent approval.
Demanding that UGA stop making students and Athens residents complicit in an ongoing genocide is necessary, as is making the larger community aware of the extent to which this university will go to protect it's investments and partnerships with war profiteers. UGA's actions constitute a flagrant violation of our rights to protest and the kind of civil disobedience that UGA only praises when it took place 60 years ago.
We call on UGA and Athens community members to join us as soon as possible at the Arch in downtown Athens to express solidarity with the arrested protesters and condemn the actions of the UGA administration and police department. 80 UGA & Athens community members have already gathered in solidarity.
We are protesting a genocide. We should be protected and shown solidarity by UGA, not attacked. UGA has shown today where their real concerns lie--and it is not with the safety or needs of their community members.
WE DEMAND SOLIDARITY, PROTECTION, DISCLOSURE, & DIVESTMENT NOW! END UGA COMPLICITY IN GENOCIDE!

The kids are alright.

The Gaza solidarity encampment is alive and well on UGA campus, with some protesters rejoining the group after getting out of jail. They say they'll be there for several hours at the least.

ACCGov, in conjunction with community partners and volunteers, will open the Lay Park Community Center at 297 Hoyt Street as a shelter-only overnight staffed facility for safety and warmth temporarily during the weekend of December 23-26 for individuals and families.

The facility will open each evening at 5:00 PM on Friday, December 23; Saturday, December 24; and Sunday, December 25 and close at 8:00 AM the following mornings. The shelter will close on Monday, December 26 at 8:00 AM.

The facility will be a shelter only location to supplement other local resources. No meals will be served and donations will not be accepted at the Lay Park temporary shelter.

The Lay Park temporary shelter will accept all people and all circumstances. The shelter will not allow pets, drugs, alcohol, or weapons.

Those in need can arrive at any time and stay for one or multiple nights as needed depending on capacity, but will be asked to remain at the shelter once checked in until they check out. Cots may not be available for every individual depending on availability and capacity; those who can bring their own bedding are encouraged to do so.

Lay Park Community Center Temporary Overnight Shelter
297 Hoyt Street
Capacity - 125 people
Days/Hours of Operation:
Fri., Dec. 23 – 5:00 PM until Sat., Dec. 24 – 8:00 AM
Sat., Dec. 24 – 5:00 PM until Sun., Dec. 25 – 8:00 AM|
Sun., Dec. 25 – 5:00 PM until Mon., Dec. 26 – 8:00 AM

For more information and updates, visit www.accgov.com/shelter.

We Are Unstoppable: How Occupy Athens fought City Hall and won | Athens Politics Nerd Occupy Wall Street started in September, 2011 and soon after solidarity encampments sprung up all over the country.

Houston Gaines ?

We are all Gary.

Reading and responding to constituent mail is an important part of the job. Even the few that come from folks like Gary, aka John Q Public. Time to get back to work for everyone in our district - even Gary.

Tenants of Athens, unite!

Apartment Manager threatens activist tenant with arrest | Athens Politics Nerd Residents of the University Oaks apartment complex off Atlanta Highway say they’ve been dealing with some serious issues including flooding, mold,