Occupying Isla Vista
Voices for All
We’ve all heard about the Occupy Wall Street movement, but you may not know that Isla Vista has its own version. On November 5, people started to gather in People’s Park to share and discuss information and listen to music. While on the first day there was a gathering of a couple hundred, and on another a group of 12, the one constant is that people are still there, despite the challenges.
The Occupy Isla Vista area is filled with signs saying things like “Equality Now,” “Destroy Ignorance and Seek Liberation,” “USA Student Debt Now Passes $1 Trillion … Where Is Our Bailout?” Instead of being on sleek, shiny poster paper, the political messages are written on things like recycled cardboard boxes. It’s the first sign that this movement is a little different.
The next is the fact that participants are willing to sit in a public area 24/7 to bring attention to their cause. Jon Lawless, a UCSB student and Occupy Isla Vista participant, said he had been to L.A. and Oakland to take part in the movement.
