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The latest tactic in the war on dissent is apparently dehydration.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter’s incredibly stupid and reckless decision to stop the fire department from giving water to participants of the Occupy National Gathering during a heat wave has now been reversed in the wake of the public outcry.
But it wasn’t an isolated incident. As Kevin Gosztola reported, only the day before organizers had been prevented from bringing a water cooler to the gathering in a federal park by officials who claimed they “didn’t have a permit.”
The dangers of dehydration and its contribution to serious heat related illness are well known. And as we have seen in the past, tactics used against one group of protesters will quickly be deployed against others across the country. The goal is to make it as difficult as possible to protest against the oligarchical looters who are pillaging both our economic and natural resources.
I can’t claim we saw this one coming, but Occupy Supply did send BPA-free fold-up water bottles to the National Gathering to keep people hydrated in the heat. They were a huge success. If you haven’t seen them, take a look at them in the Occupy Supply store…they’re super light-weight, BPA-free, made in the USA and attach to your belt or backpack with a carabiner. When they’re empty, you can just roll them up and they snap into a small bundle that can fit in your pocket.
Brian Sonenstein and Kevin Gosztola went to the #NatGat and reported that everyone was carrying an OS fold-up bottle with them. They really made it easy for people to carry water, and they can also be frozen to insure that the water stays cool.
So we’d like to make sure that other Occupy groups engaging in actions this summer are likewise equipped to handle the state’s latest dehydration tactic (whoever came up with that one should do time in some lower bardo of hell). We’re launching the Occupy Summer Water Fund specifically to help Occupy groups across the country keep their people hydrated in the heat.
As always, 100% of the money raised will go to supplying the Occupations. Alternately, you can buy a water bottle for yourself in the Occupy Supply store and we’ll donate one to an occupation.
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Thanks Boo! It was so insanely hot there – this was beyond cruel.
Thanks Boo!
We must’ve looked at 100 different bottles trying to find the best one for occupiers, and then my friend Linda came across this one and we all said “that’s it.” There’s nothing out there like it really. They are so easy to carry around that people are much more likely to do it. It’s not like having some big, clanging thing to deal with once you’re out of water.
I gave one to Jess who is my dogs’ step-mom when I’m away. She gave it to her boyfriend who is a bike messenger during the day. He freezes them at night and says they’re the greatest thing ever.
Hey, Boo. Thanks. The bottles are great, very functional.
They appear to still be sold out (I tried the other day).
Hey Sharon,
We sold out quickly thanks to everyone’s support! We’re enabling back-ordering so folks can still order and send one to the Occupiers while we replenish our stock. Check back in the store in an hour or so and you should be able to do that if you so wish.
Thanks for your support!
Thanks Brian!!!! Will do.
Jane,
Maybe it is time the for the Priests, Reverends, Rabbis, etc, to start bringing water to the politically disenfranchised hence economically “down trodden” as Public Charities should do, and end this “fascist garbage” (“…the state’s latest dehydration tactic.,”) by an irresponsible elected politician, during a heat wave? Didn’t George Wallace and his ilk employ such tactics? Hell no he gave civil rights marchers all the water they could drink and then some! All from a water cannons, when trying to peacefully assemble or register to vote at a courthouse Today the pols are just to cheap to use the city’s water bought from private corporations? This is pathetic…
I’m in. Thanks for all you do, Jane, Scarecrow, Brian, Kevin everyone else I forgot.
Thanks oldnslow!
I’m in, too. We just got back from walking Brindle at the park. And, I took a gatorade.
How could I not contribute? Thanks, Brian, Jane and everyone who is helping.
PS I couldn’t read the security code on my card, but my Mr. said, well, use mine.
Thanks demi! I know, I just took the pup on a quick walk and broke out in a sweat fairly quickly. Going to be like this at least for the rest of the week – although i guess that’s good news for independence day fireworks and cook outs!
Cook outs! Here in California we barbeque. Are you from Texas by any chance? That’s what Texans say…cook out.
Stay as cool as you can.
Thanks to Mr!
(((((Brian, Jane, Crow)))))
A few nights ago after attending a superb talk on drones by Medea Benjamin hosted by CodePink, I found myself prowling the night with a retired nurse and a retired counsellor (@gramnanpdx) from the Occupy Portland Elder Caucus who had decided to go see for themselves as to how two young men were doing that were in hunger strikes on behalf of the unhoused in Portland, Oregon. One hunger striker was @CameronWhitten:
Jesus Christ, This Kid Has Been Hunger Striking Outside City Hall for 30 Days! (Portland Mercury, by Sarah Mirk, Jul 2, 2012)
The other young man was BillyC (a photo here of him at the end of his hunger strike). I got to visit the vigil location on the steps of the city’s town hall and spoke with both of them. I realized that water really isn’t enough as BillyC had to make a trip to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the staff there told us that they had found his electrolyte balance was off. Such a status is actually life threatening. Would it be an appropriate thing for Occupy Supply to offer electrolyte water if such a thing exists? I and the retired nurse looked at Gatorade and she seems to think that there is something more appropriate. It seems this would be especially important for people dealing with such hot weather as in Philadelphia.
Obviously there are a lot of moving parts here and much bigger issues swirling around but it is really heart breaking that the unhoused who are typically in the worst of health are camping on the doorstep of one of America’s cities with the reputation for being fairly well-heeled only to be refused a simple tent city that AmeriCorps VISTA could supposedly do. The issues have gone unaddressed in such a way that some Portlanders are considering recalling Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish.
Actually, you can’t buy these bottles right now because they’re completely out of stock (7/4/12). Be happy to do so once they’re back.