In solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street Movement, Occupy Fredericton held a peaceful protest rally and march on October 15th, 2011, with hundreds in attendance. In concert with over 2000 other Occupy groups worldwide, the group then took up peaceable occupation of the public courtyard called Phoenix Square, beside City Hall. Occupy Fredericton continuously occupied Phoenix Square for two and a h
alf months, with no official public or legal objections, for the purpose of establishing a forum for direct democracy, engaging in public education and advocacy, and planning of sustainable municipal and provincial economic development initiatives. On January 5th of 2012, Mayor Brad Woodside illegally ordered city workers to destroy the Occupy Fredericton shelter with protesters still inside. This prompted legal action on the part of three individuals, which resulted in a settlement announced on January 6th of 2014. With Phase One now in the past, we are moving on to Phase Two, which is to now begin holding monthly conferences where concerned citizens can discuss issues, connect with each other, and take action. The details have yet to be determined. The first conference has already taken place. Occupy Activism: A Community Conference brought approximately 30 people together to begin to explore solutions. Among the ideas brought forward is to rejuvenate the speakers series that was conducted during Occupy. Another initiative is to work toward a sustainable living workshop series. One prevalent concern was the need for framework for a wider network of activists in Fredericton, a network that would connect people and facilitate the sharing of information and resources. If you would like more information, please contact us by email at [email protected], or through our Facebook and Twitter () accounts. We are the 99%, and so are you. Join the revolution.
