Occupy RVA: Why do you occupy?

A month and a half into their occupation, Occupy Richmond has already endured two moves and resistance from the local government. Despite the setbacks, the group is still pursuing their peaceful protest. Currently, the group is occupying next door to Mayor Dwight Jones, a location far removed from the student-accessible Kanawha Plaza or Monroe Park. For students who are still active in the occupation, The CT wanted to know: Why do you occupy?

Reporting by Sam Foster

Ira Birch Graphic design major “I’ve been involved in a lot of social justice movements, and I think Occupy has the ability to sustain itself over a long period of time.”	Amanda Miller Environmental studies major “I have a huge problem with big corporations. They are single owners collecting money. The free market economy is not what it was intended to be.”
Alan Kyte Mechanical and electrical engineering major “I am involved with Occupy because a lot of things are wrong, and everyone in a position of power is just making it worse.”	Victoria Thompson English major “I’ve been really interested in activism for a long time, and Occupy is a really good way to get involved. It’s a good way to change the community.”
Annelise Shepherd Sociology and psychology double major “Today is the first day that I’ve really gotten into Occupy Richmond, and I really just wanted to see what it was about.  I really wanted to make a difference and I fully support Occupy.”	Vivek Jain World 210 teacher’s assistant “In 1848, a pathologist by the name of Rudolf Virchow said, ‘Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing but medicine in a grand scale.’ That’s why I’m a part of it. The big thing is about justice – social justices and legal justices, but it’s also about how we are all interdependent as Dr. King says. It is too shortsighted to think as Richmond or Virginia or even America. America is using 30 percent of resources, but only has 5 percent of the world’s population. We need to unlearn bad history.”
Isaac Ramsey VCU alumnus “This country is in a crisis, and Occupy is a response to that. For me, this is a people’s movement, and everyone needs to participate. The (99 percent) is a slogan that reflects that opinion; it’s a numerical figure that represents the immense division of wealth that’s been growing for decades. Why does the division of wealth continue to grow in this country? I would just like to say that I have worked in this community teaching children. I am passionate about economic justice. This is what our country is going through. The middle class is finally feeling the economic distress. It is time that the middle class realizes that they are part of a class structure that has silently supported the oppressive social policies that have been hurting the lower class folks for so long. To make this real, I have lived in Richmond my whole life, and I want to see it do well, that includes that suburbs.”

Occupy Richmond is continuing their community outreach this Friday at 9 p.m. at Nile on Laurel Street with “Words for Warmth” The event will feature local spoken-word artists and Occupy RVA will be collecting blankets and backpacks for Richmond’s homeless population.

Photos by Amber-Lynn Taber