Second Occupy Gilroy Focuses on Next Actions

Fueled by the energy and success of , 18 people kept the momentum going last Friday, Nov. 25, by convening a second time at Miller Park to establish voting rules and plan Occupy Gilroy's next action.

Domingo Payne, Occupy Gilroy co-organizer and Gilroy Unified School District board member, said Friday's gathering was a nuts and bolts session where attendees could discuss plans moving forward.

“Our movement is different from the other Occupy movements [because] Gilroy is a smaller town and we’re not camping out or anything like that," Payne said.

"We will have our general assemblies where we meet and plan, and then we will later carry out an action.”

Several meeting attendees suggested focusing the next Occupy rally on current local issues, while others said that corporate banking institutions should be the focal point. Those in favor of the latter option visualize an Occupy Gilroy that's more aligned with the nation-wide Occupy Movement, which says the corporate banks have too much influence on the Federal government.

Labor leader Robert Sigala emphasized the need of motivating residents to step up, get involved and use their voice to strengthen Gilroy's movement.

“What’s been happening is a lot of issues in our community sneak by us, [but] people are awakening, and there is a revival," Sigala said.

"Others don’t realize that when people come together, they are more powerful.”

Another plan the caucus discussed was to discourage shopping at corporate retailers, like the Gilroy Outlets, in favor of highlighting local businesses as the desirable shopping destinations.

“We should want people to take their dollars and spend them with local Gilroy businesses,” Payne said. “People get the idea that the Occupy movement is anti-business, but it’s not.”

Group members also decided that Tomas Hernandez, Occupy Gilroy organizer and Christopher High School senior, will continue to post updates about future meeting times and gatherings on the Occupy Gilroy Facebook page.

After the meeting, an optimistic Hernandez said the gathering was very productive and worthwhile.

“There weren’t a lot of people here today, but several ideas were discussed,” Hernandez said. “We’re trying to create awareness and bring up local issues."

Organizers also decided to change their meeting time from Friday to Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The next gathering is set for Dec. 3, where attendees will decorate signs for future rallies, discuss upcoming actions, have a picnic lunch and possibly conduct a second march to the JP Morgan Chase bank.