The Express news staff went to downtown’s Cesar Chavez Park this fall to capture the grassroots effort by City College students and staff as they did their part in the greater national Occupy Movement, which began on Wall Street and continues to spread throughout the country.
Express multimedia editor L.T. Clayton produced the video that captured Occupy Sacramento protesters pledging Oct.6 to occupy Cesar Chavez Park for a month as an act of solidarity with the national Occupy movement. A number of City College students participated in the protests.
“Folks are out of work and feel that the government, at the state and national level, aren’t hearing their concerns,” said Mayor Kevin Johnson of the Occupy Sacramento protests. “One of the great things about democracy is that people can come out and voice their frustrations. I certainly respect their ability to show democracy in action.
Johnson was interviewed by Express photographer Kimberly Washington.
Clayton shot City College art major Ben Howe and biology major Stephanie Cervantes, who went to Cesar Chavez Park and made posters at the protest. They admitted that they had trouble coming up with something they wanted to say.
“We both agreed that taking money out of politics was most important so our government can go back to doing things for the people instead of just doing things for whoever has the money,” Cervantes said.
Howe and Cervantes drew a poster that conveyed politicians as stringed marionette puppets. The people that controlled the strings were the 1 percent. A pair of scissors symbolized the occupation.
“It’s time to cut the strings is our message,” Cervantes said.
Education coordinator Sean Laney said he believes the movements could spark change.
“The more we talk about this, the more we realize that we can start to get these things worked out. Democracy can work,” he said.
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Siena Kendall, City College communications major, said she felt that her presence at the protests was a powerful experience
“I’m not satisfied with society in general. The only progressive things that happen in our society come from the people. It isn’t initiated by the government…it’s always the people coming together,” she said.
Express photographer Vincent Fernandez interviewed biochemistry major and Associated Student Senator Sean Thompson, 27, who addressed protesters in the crowd through a bullhorn.
“Some people are here because they got foreclosed on. A lot of people are here because of their student loans and they can’t find a job,” said Thompson, hinting at the discontent of Occupy College, a movement that eventually arose from Occupy Wall Street.
Activists came from across the economic spectrum came out in support. A homeless Occupy Sacramento protester who goes by the name FAGGO, said he has been homeless for eight years, and has looked for work for three of those years.
Raphael Rocha, a City College social work major said that he doesn’t know anyone who thinks the country is going in the right direction.
“This is an opportunity to let the politicians know that we need to get this thing straight,” he said. “My 23-year-old daughter, I don’t know about her generation and the students at Sac City and other colleges. They are going to be loaded with a lot of debt.”
Traveling artist Alisha Fisher said she has been to Occupy protests in Montreal, New York City, Seattle, Portland and found herself in Sacramento.
“The movement is pretty self-explanatory,” Fisher said. “All the issues are interconnected. There is oppression in our society. Mother Earth is being trashed. It’s all for money. You can make money by healing the earth. You don’t have to kill it.”
To see the video, go to: https://saccityexpress.com/occupy-sacramento/
