Sept. 17: The Occupy Wall Street protests, originally promoted by Adbusters magazine, begin in New York. Within days, demonstrations spring up around the country. Sept. 24: Police in New York arrest around 80 people from Occupy Wall Street. A video of four women being maced by NYPD officer Anthony Bologna goes viral. Oct. 1: Several hundred people meet for the first Occupy Albuquerque event, starting at the U.S. Bank on Central and Dartmouth. They march to the Bank of the West at Central and San Mateo and then down to Central and University, where they set up camp at Tight Grove on UNM campus. Meanwhile, 700 Occupy Wall Street protesters are arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge. Oct. 5: The UNM administration informs several media outlets, but not Camp Coyote, that the protesters must apply for a permit before 10:30 a.m. the following morning. The demonstrators get word and still manage to apply for their permit. The UNM administration meets with Les Field and Desi Brown from the Peace Studies program, who relay the message that occupiers have until Monday, Oct. 10, to move to Yale Park. Oct. 8: Protesters move from Tight Grove to Yale Park in the morning. Demonstrators then march up Central, entering Wal-Mart and surrounding several banks. One protester, Hani Barghout, is arrested after returning to the camp and charged with battery, disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing. He is released two days later. Oct. 9: At a general assembly meeting, the occupiers vote to change their name to Occupy Wall Street—Liberate Albuquerque. Oct. 10: Shortly after midnight on Sunday night / Monday morning, state police and UNMPD enter the camp and tell protesters they are not allowed to stay overnight at UNM. Some folks move to the parking lot of the Center for Peace and Justice, and others stay awake on the city sidewalk in front of the camp. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg tells the press that the city does not plan to remove the Occupy Wall Street protesters. Oct. 11: Following UNM’s request, protesters leave the camp at 10 p.m. but keep watch in shifts overnight from the sidewalk. On the East Coast, about 50 people are arrested at the Occupy Boston camp, many of them members of Veterans for Peace. Oct. 12: The Liberate Albuquerque group holds a “4 Banks. 4 Hours.” event, marching to and protesting at banks Downtown.Bloomberg visits Occupy Wall Street’s camp at Zuccotti Park in Manhattan, telling protesters that the park will be cleaned Friday, and they will have to move during the cleaning. A Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that 82 percent of Americans have heard of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Occupy Together website reports more than 1,400 cities worldwide have ongoing protests. Oct. 15: Occupywallst.org calls for a Global Day of Action. The 99% marches on financial centers and floods the streets of cities and towns worldwide. In Albuquerque and other New Mexico cities, hundreds participate in demonstrations. Oct. 16: The Burque protesters vote to change the group’s name to (Un)occupy Albuquerque, citing deference to Native Americans. Oct. 17: The Occupy Wall Street movement is one month old.
Andrew Beale has been following the Albuquerque group since the beginning of the occupation.
