Occupy Portland announces mass mobilization & direct actions against the
American Legislative Exchange Council

WHAT: Rally and march in downtown Portland to protest the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conglomerate of corporations and legislators that writes and passes legislation to advance corporate interests. 
The march will visit some of the over 15 social justice, environmental, and anti-capitalist groups that will take non-violent direct actions at ALEC corporations with offices in Portland. Concerned citizens, students, and occupiers in over seventy cities across the nation have responded to a national call from Occupy Portland; this will be the Occupy movement’s largest coordinated action in 2012 to date.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 29th, Rally at 11:30am, March at 1pm

WHERE: March begins at Waterfront Park at SW Naito and SW Ankeny

F29 Breakdown: 

• Umbrellas, drums, and waves oh! my! Be more than a warm body at the march! See below for info
• F29 march details Rally: 11:30AM-1PM at the Waterfront on SW Nato & Ankeny (under the west side of Burnside Bridge), march starts at 1PM!
• Follow @f29pdx for updates on Twitter
• Notes from the legal team…Write down this number: 503-902-5340, National Lawyers Guild/ELK Law Collective Legal Hotline
• If possible, wear yellow and bring an umbrella!

F29 *Open Affinity Groups*  
Arrive promptly at 11:30AM to get involved in the crowd-sourced street theater! We need drummers for the bucket drum core. We need umbrella-holders for the umbrella dance (umbrellas provided!…or bring your own). We need wave participants to crush corporate power. Please come at 11:30AM and get plugged into these groups.

F29 march and action schedule!
Over 70 cities around the world will come together on F29 to shut down ALEC’s corporate members. Join us in Portland, home to dozens of ALEC corporate members, as we shut them down! Come promptly at 11:30 to join the open affinity groups of umbrella action, drum core, and tidal wave to crush corporate power! Wear yellow and bring an umbrella, if possible!

Wednesday February 29th
11:30AM – 1PM Rally at SW Naito and Ankeny
1PM March begins. The march will visit ALEC corporate members where affinity groups are taking direct action to shut them down!

follow #F29, #OPDX, #F29PDX or follow @f29pdx for Twitter updates

Facebook Event http://www.facebook.com/pages/F29-Shut-Down-the-Corporations/169049533194891#!/events/234399339984123/

Legal jargon     503-902-5340  503-902-5340  503-902-5340  503-902-5340  503-902-5340  503-902-5340  503-902-5340  503-902-5340 503-902-5340   503-902-5340
Please arrive on Wednesday with this number written on your body. If you’re arrested/see someone getting arrested, yell your/ask them their full legal name. Report this info to the legal hotline above.

 WHY: The goal of the protest is to see an end to ALEC and the role big corporations have in corrupting our democracy. The American Legislative Exchange Council is seen by protesters as the chosen tool of the 1% and the wealthiest corporations in the world to craft legislation that serves their interests. According to ALEC’s figures, nearly 10% of state laws originate from their efforts, laws that protesters feel have damaged communities, workers, civil liberties, the environment and democracy. The protest represents an effort to focus on corporate power as the root cause of the deep inequalities that the Occupy movement has brought to the surface in recent months.

WHAT IS ALEC: Organizers chose to focus on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) because of its behind-the-scenes role in crafting pro-corporate legislation, partnering with state legislators to pass these laws, and then profiting directly from those laws – a cycle that exemplifies the dominate role of corporations in our democracy. ALEC is comprised of state and federal government legislators – 14 Oregon state legislators are members – and many of America’s biggest corporations. ALEC is responsible for some of the most contentious legislation at the state level in the last year, including Arizona’s widely criticized Racial Profiling bill (SB1070) and the anti-union Wisconsin Act 10, which stripped public employee unions of collective bargaining last year. Prison and criminal justice legislation from ALEC include mandatory minimum sentences and Three Strikes laws, giving repeat offenders 25 years to life in prison; and “truth-in-sentencing,” which requires inmates to serve most or all of their time without a chance for parole.

WHO: Occupy Portland under the umbrella of the newly formed Portland Action Lab has spearheaded the protests, with participation from the Animal Defense League, Bike Swarm, Cascadia Earth First!, Friends of Peace House, Jobs with Justice, Our School, Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, Rising Tide, We Are Oregon, and others. Over 70 cities and occupations around the country and around the world have signed on to participate.

More information at occupyportland.org/f29,  www.shutdownthecorporations.org and www.portlandactionlab.org

headline/2012/02/21

Get Smart About ALEC #29 (under 2 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4kWRH0xzk8&feature=related
ALEC workshop by Civil Liberties Defense Center executive director Lauren Regan (50 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5as5K5fcYs

* This action was endorsed by the Occupy Portland General Assembly. *

February 10th 2012 7-9pm
February 29th is the national day of action against the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). What is ALEC? How have they co-opted our democracy and aided in the corportization of America? Lauren Regan, executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center will discuss ALEC and its influence on social and environmental movements across America. Following the presentation, get involved with F29 Shut Down the Corporations planning as an affinity group, march supporter, or pre day-of-action planner.

Know Your Rights Training
February 11th 2012 1-3pm
The Know Your Rights training will give you the confidence to make decisions about how to engage your actions. Where is the line drawn between legal and potentially illegal protesting? Armed with knowledge, activists can make informed choices regarding their interactions with government agents and can best protect their rights should they end up in handcuffs and in the legal system. The training will be facilitated by Lauren Regan, executive director from the Civil Liberties Defense Center that provides both legal observation at protests and gives people tools they need to invoke their rights.

These events are free and open to the public!
St Francis of Assisi Catholic
1131 Southeast Oak Street

Sponsored by Portland Action Lab, Oregon Jericho and Civil Liberties Defense Center

For more information contact join@portlandactionlab.org and visit www.portlandactionlab.organd www.shutdownthecorporations.org

Want to plug-in to the action on February 29th? Want to pull-off more fun and more effective direct action? Come for the whole day, choose your favorite workshop, or just come for the benefit party at the Red and Black!

Saturday Feb. 4th

Schedule: