VSU Spectator announces Occupy Valdosta

Mikayla Beyer wrote today, Occupy Valdosta,

The Occupy Wall Street movement may have started far away in New York, but Valdosta’s citizens are rallying to join the growing movement, with the hope of bringing change to their own community.

“We have the right to peacefully assemble,” Erin Hurley, senior anthropology major, said. “It’s time to take back our country and put it in the hands of the people, not just one percent.” She is one of the organizers of Occupy Valdosta, which will be protesting on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The organization has a Facebook page with over 150 followers, about 75 of whom are expected to join the protest, according to Hurley, who is one of the organizers of the event.

Occupy Valdosta held a meeting on Wednesday, which both students and community members attended, to discuss their plans for the protest and what they hope the movement will achieve for the community and the nation.

The Spectator didn't publish any pictures, but here's one:

Occupy Valdosta Organizational Meeting, Drexel Park, Valdosta, 12 October 2011.
Picture by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

That's Mikayla Beyer on the right with the backpack, at last night's organizational meeting.

The Spectator included this interesting quote by a professor who wasn't there:

“The protests are significant as a reflection of frustration with the state of the economy, the lack of progress in job creation, and the crushing debt for many consumers and students,” Dr. James T. LaPlant, a political science professor, said.

And this one from someone who was there:

“I think it’s crucial that college students are involved. With the posters for the protest on campus we are expecting a decent turnout number of students. There should be more discussion about what’s going on locally and nationally,” Austin Sullivan, a senior anthropology major, said.

Austin and Bobbi Anne Hancock will be on Chris Beckham's radio show 4PM today, WVGA 105.9 FM.

And there's more in the Spectator article.

Here's the facebook event invitation for the Friday march. Y'all come!

-jsq