Occupy
groups from Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Portland, Sebastopol, and
Petaluma, are joining some twenty other social justice activist
organizations to protest the powerful one-percent elites partying at the
Bohemian Grove in Monte Rio, California July 14-29.
2,000-3,000
rich and wealthy men have gathered every summer for 133 years in a
private 2,800 acre ancient redwood retreat to celebrate themselves with
parties, entertainment, and speakers. The men, Bohemian Club members and
their guests, will hold a cremation of care ceremony July 14, where
they symbolically burn the cares of the world before a giant owl in a
bizarre annual ritual.
This
year's protest against the gathering of the world's political and
economic elite is called "Occupy Bohemian Grove, Expose the 1%." Occupy
groups across America, and increasingly the world, are working to
expose the one percent in control of global resources who are bringing
human rights repression, environmental destruction, and war to
humankind.
The
Fukushima Mothers and Cindy Sheehan are joining the twenty-four
co-sponsors for a Creation of Care ceremony, speakers, and music,
Saturday, July 14, at the Monte Rio Amphitheater, just outside the gates
of the Bohemian Grove. Kris Welsh will MC the day, and Dennis Bernstein, host of Flashpoints on KPFA/Pacifica radio
will broadcast live from the event. Russia Today-TV with Abby Martin
will film and John Rees with No-Lies Radio will video-cast the day on
the Internet.
The
protest will feature Occupy groups as well as other organizations
including Code Pink, Peace and Justice Center, ANSWER Coalition, Project
Censored, Bohemian Grove Action Network, Veterans for Peace, National
Lawyers Guild, Round Valley Indians for Justice, and various others
groups focused on key issues, such as climate change, human rights,
Palestine, Cuban Five, and a living wage. Representatives from these
organizations and more will speak joining in coalition to create a vast
cornucopia of care as a counter to the one-percent elites less than a
mile away. In addition to the speakers, the program at the amphitheater
will include musical performances by Dave Lippman, Teresa Tudury, Jim
Ocean, Scott Gerber, Attila Nagy, Keith Blackstone and the Hubbub Club.
Admission
to the Creation of Care is free. It will run from noon to 4 p.m. at the
Monte Rio amphitheater, which is located at 9925 Main Street in
downtown Monte Rio.
Please see the complete list of endorsements and speakers on our flyer.
Open Letter to San Francisco Bohemian Club
July 4, 2012
Mr. Robert J. Boesch
President San Francisco Bohemian Club
624 Taylor Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear Mr. Boesch,
Media Freedom Foundation/Project Censored has joined a coalition
of some twenty-five social justice organizations and occupy groups to
protest the San Francisco Bohemian Club's practices at your annual
summer encampments.
Occupy
groups from five cities are involved in protesting your annual summer
encampment of the rich and powerful 1%. Given that it takes $588,000 in
assets to be in the top 1% of the world richest people, we believe that a
significant portion of your members fit this category.
Our
group has attended the planning meetings for this protest, and want to
inform you about the day's events and make some policy recommendations
for the Club to consider.
The
Occupy Bohemian Grove coalition is planning a four hour public assembly
from noon to 4:00 on July 14. During that time there will be speakers,
music and a creation of care ceremony in opposition to your cremation of
care and private talks by policy elites at the Grove. KPFA
radio will broadcast live from Monte Rio, No Lies Radio will video feed
the proceedings on the internet, and Russia Today TV will be filming
and interviewing activists.
We
are not planning or promoting civil disobedience or trespassing on
Grove property as part of the protest. We are not organizing a march on
the Grove, as has been done in the past. Some curious participants may
walk up the Bohemian Highway to see your gates.
Recommendations to the San Francisco Bohemian Club in a time of Occupy the 1%.
Whereas:
The
2,000 acre retreat, now privately held near Monte Rio, California, is
in part an ancient old growth redwood forest with trees over one
thousand years of age and;
The San Francisco Bohemian Club continues to exclude women from membership and;
Significant public leaders in the world give private keynote addresses (chats) on a daily basis on important policy issues, and;
The
private happenings inside the summer retreat boundaries face continuing
unproven rumors regarding nefarious behaviors and insider deals made by
powerful elites.
We Recommend that:
1. The Bohemian Grove recognize the rights of humankind to enjoy a fair share of the common heritage of the ancient redwood forest by opening the Grove to tours on a regular basis when club members are not assembled--
2. The Bohemian Club begin a policy of admitting women and arranging the Grove to accommodate both genders--
3. The lakeside chats and other addresses by key policy officials be made public on-line and transcripts prepared and published--
4. The Cremation of Care ceremony be transformed into a building of
unity of care in the world and the ceremony be made public on-line--
5. The Bohemian Club set up an on-line live feed from the main stage and field circle, as events are occurring.
We
strongly believe in full transparency of public figures giving lectures
to a select few men and we believe that the privacy of your events is
unnecessary in a time of increasingly inequality between the 1% and the
99%.
We
think that the San Francisco Bohemian Club can demonstrate a belief in
an open transparent democratic society by simply changing a few of your
historical policies. As symbolic representatives of the top 1% in the
world, it is time for you to exercise a responsibility to help build a
fair sharing of the world's resources starting with your own Club.
This letter has been publicly released. We trust you will take our recommendations seriously.
Sincerely,
Peter Phillips
President Media Freedom Foundation
Mickey Huff
Director of Project Censored
Mary Lia
Fair Share of the Common Heritage
Andy Lee Roth
Associate Director of Project Censored
Bill Simon
Veterans for Peace, Chapter 71
Media Contacts:
Susan Lamont: Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County:
707-575-8902Attila Nagy: Occupied Press/Prensa Ocupada North Bay:
707-795-1044 Peter Phillips: Media Freedom Foundation/Project Censored:
707-874-2695
President Media Freedom Foundation, former director of Project Censored.
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