(un)Occupy Albuquerque protesters set out on foot for Santa Fe early Saturday morning and arrived at the state Capitol yesterday evening, just in time for the first day of the legislative session.
Occupy protesters across the country have deemed today national Occupy Congress day. Protesters from Occupy movements all over the state will be at the Roundhouse to demonstrate in solidarity with the national movement. Protesters plan to occupy state capitols, as well as the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
“As the New Mexico State Legislature convenes for the first time in 2012, they will be greeted by the largest statewide gathering of New Mexico Occupy and (un)Occupy groups and allies to date,” said an (un)Occupy New Mexico press release.
Occupy groups in New Mexico and across the nation are in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement, which began in September and seeks to end corporate greed.
The groups demonstrate at state capitols and at the nation’s Capitol to hold lawmakers accountable, according to the Occupy Congress website.
“Many of our current government programs and institutions are serving only the 1 percent,” the website says. “If we had a functioning democracy, we could have an honest debate about what’s wrong with our economy and our country and how we can make government and business work for the 99 percent, too. But with Congress bought and paid for by special interests, honest debate is the last thing that occurs in the halls of government.”
(un)Occupy Albuquerque protesters also walked to demonstrate solidarity with a nationwide movement to free Native American political prisoner Leonard Peltier, the release said.
“The walkers were in great spirits when I visited their camp this evening near La Bajada, despite it raining tonight on them, many blisters and a few sprained ankles…” Sayrah Namaste wrote on the (un)Occupy Albuquerque Facebook page Sunday night. “Strangers have offered food, cash, and one man from Cochiti Pueblo brought medicine, sage, and a power stone (turquoise) for each walker.
Many are moved to see them walking in support of Leonard Peltier.”
The Occupy the Roundhouse demonstration features a march to the Roundhouse from the Railyard Station, music, performances, teach-ins, meetings and the formation of “legislative watchdog groups,” the website says.
The watchdog groups will work with a new Occupy Committee website to track bills of interest as they move through the legislative process.
The Occupy Committee is focusing its efforts on bills that work to preserve local New Mexico businesses such as SB 9, which seeks to lower the state income tax rate for all corporations, especially those based in New Mexico, and closes income tax “loopholes” that give competitive advantage to multi-state corporations over local corporations.
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