Occupy Atlantic City Lays Groundwork for Encampment

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During the Redding's Restaurant Summit, Occupy Atlantic City gatherers went over the list of demands from last week’s meeting in Brighton Park where supporters wrote down a local and national demand they felt needed the most attention.

By Josh Kinney

Add Comment | Comments: 1 | Posted Oct. 31, 2011

Occupy Atlantic City meets to discuss its planned encampment in Atlantic City on Oct. 29 at Redding's Restaurant on Pacific Avenue. (Photos Josh Kinney)

Photo by Josh Kinney

ATLANTIC CITY - For Occupy Atlantic City, the movement is only getting started.

Standing in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement, Atlantic City's Occupation group is about to start its own encampment.

More than 30 supporters gathered Saturday, Oct. 29, at Redding’s Restaurant on Pacific and Kentucky avenues in Atlantic City for the group’s third general assembly in about as many weeks.

John Gandy, a Redding’s Restaurant employee (and Egg Harbor City’s Abundant Life Center’s Bishop Pastor) asked the large group congregating at the back of the restaurant if they were family.

Group facilitator Tiffany Csaszar briefly explained to Gandy that they were part of the Occupy Atlantic City movement.

“So you are family!” responded Gandy. “I’m with you. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened.”

The discussion was led by facilitators Andrea Egizi and Csaszar, who announced that a rally/encampment location had been decided upon and would be revealed the night before the Occupy Atlantic City encampment is set to begin.

Confident in their plans, the group's members said that the safest spot had been chosen with back up options all within walking distance. The group stresses a totally peaceful and family-friendly occupation, keeping everything legal with strictly no drugs, violence, alcohol or weapons at the Atlantic City encampment.

“We want to be as organized as possible the moment we set up camp,” said Csaszar.

With a strategy to model Occupy Philly’s City Hall camp, Occupy Atlantic City plans to set up a media and tech tent, which supporters from Occupy Red Bank (whose occupation camp begins in March), are going to help set up.

The group hopes to have education seminars and teach-ins at the Atlantic City camp and plans to integrate others from impoverished areas of the city into their cause by sending out groups into the community to share their message stressing justice and equality for all.

“It is important to reach out to residents and various organizations in Atlantic City, to educate, to bridge the diversity gap, and ultimately, to recruit further support – to ensure that our occupation is successful and to ensure that our occupiers are safe,” stated Csaszar.

“We have high hopes and we know that we are capable of doing big things if we all work together.”

Some local bands have shown interest in the movement and want to help out with events such as fundraisers and free shows so people can come out and hear the message.

Jeff McGill, a local documentary filmmaker who attended the Brighton Park general assembly meeting, held Oct. 22, will be shooting a documentary film on the progress of Occupy Atlantic City, offering his skills to help spread the word about the occupation.

During the Redding's Restaurant Summit, gatherers went over the list of demands from last week’s meeting in Brighton Park where supporters wrote down a local and national demand they felt needed the most attention.

These included homelessness, violence, letting Atlantic City govern itself, education, having a supermarket in town, unemployment, healthcare and student loans.

The group says it hopes to have some of their local demands met and then focus on national issues.

“It’s bigger than just Atlantic City, its Occupy America,” said one supporter.

Another stated that they were “appalled at the lack of knowledge of how to do something about the concerns in America.”

Facilitators of Occupy South Jersey also appeared at the meeting, making clear that all of the regional and even national Occupy movements are not separate, but rather one for the general cause.

“We want to reclaim the American dream,” said Georgina from Ocean City.

“If we really believe in what we’re doing, I think we’re going to succeed.”

“We all have the same goal to make the same social change,” said Egizi.

Members of Veterans for Peace also came to the meeting at Redding's. One member stated that they were angry and wanted to do something, saying they were “tired of the Constitution being thrown under the bus.”

Erick Shute, a Constitutionalist from Pennsville, who also attended the meeting said that “we need to restore our basic human rights.”

Occupy Atlantic City has and continues to familiarize itself with the Wall Street Declaration posted on OccupyWallStreet.org and supports the Nov. 2 nationwide strike from 11am to 12:39pm.

During these symbolic 99 minutes — that represent “the 99%” — participants will fast from working, buying or using the Internet.

Occupy Atlantic City members say they want participants to “remember the 5th of November” when the movement’s next general assembly will be held at Brighton Park (Saturday, Nov. 5, 1PM)

There, the gatherers will address the encampment date.