Official Statement Concerning Recent Tragedy

Darwin Cox (1988 - 2011)

Occupy Denton mourns the loss of a fellow occupier, a kind and idealistic young man and a friend. Darwin Cox passed away.  He was found in a tent on the Occupy Denton camp where he had been given shelter after a fellow occupier saw him suffering from a fever.  Darwin’s lifelong struggle with drug addiction is suspected to have played a role in this tragedy. While drug use or possession is strictly against Occupy Denton’s policy, it was the Occupy Denton camp where he found friendship, respect, and compassion for his warm, caring, and generous character. Occupy Denton will dearly miss him, and forever appreciate the fortune of having shared a space and time with our friend, Darwin Cox. We give our deepest condolences to his family.

One of Occupy Denton’s core issues is the struggle against homelessness. Specifically, the lack of a safety net and inclusive shelters for the homeless left Darwin with nowhere else to go.  Tragedies like this happen every day and fail to make the nightly news or the newspapers.  Our current social structure criminalizes the homeless as well as those suffering from addiction.  This is one of the reasons why Occupy Denton emerged, why Darwin joined, and why Occupy Denton will continue the struggle for the marginalized and oppressed.

Occupy Denton will observe a vigil on Monday, December 5th at 7 P.M. on the lawn between the Physics and Art buildings at the UNT campus.  The vigil will mourn his loss and commemorate his life.  A deep sense of connection and family has emerged among the occupiers. Darwin’s loss has deeply shaken us.  Our love and resolve will continue with Darwin in our hearts.

Solidarity,
Occupy Denton

Occupy Denton Goes to City Hall

The Denton City Council and Occupy Denton have organized an open town hall meeting on Thursday, December first (12-1-11) at 6:00 pm. The meeting will be at Denton City Hall 215 East McKinney street in the Council Chambers room.

This meeting has been organized to address policy issues in our community including but not limited to switching the City of Denton to using 100% renewable energy, the dangers of natural gas drilling and “fracking” to public health, helping the homeless instead of criminalizing them, additional public transportation and bike lanes, and a city ordinance against corporate person-hood.

The format of this meeting will be similar to our daily General Assemblies. We will show the Denton City Council, as well as our friends and neighbors, what direct democracy looks like. The City Council will participate in this discussion with us as equals, not as superiors. Someone will give a prepared opening remark about each issue and then we will facilitate a timed discussion about how to implement solutions and what the City Council can or cannot do for us. There is not likely to be any formal proposals or calls for consensus. Our goal is to start a conversation between the community and the City Council so that positive policy changes can be made. Read the rest of this entry »

New General Assembly Time & Place

We will resume General Assemblies on Monday November 28 since many people are enjoying Thanksgiving with their families. The Occupy Denton encampment at UNT is being transitioned, but we are still having regular General Assemblies to organize actions and plan the future camp. We have changed the time and location of our meetings to better accommodate people’s needs so everyone can participate.

Until further notice General Assemblies will be held at 7:00 pm inside the General Academic Building at the University of North Texas. (Link to map of location) On the ground floor of the General Academic Building is an open lounge with lots of seating. This location was chosen because it is immediately available, open to the public and close to our original camp. Having our meetings inside and out of the cold will encourage more people to participate. The new meeting time was requested by those with jobs that prevent them from being available at our usual meeting time. Read the rest of this entry »

Occupy Denton Thanksgiving Transition

By Garrett Graham

Occupy Denton has been growing strong for a month now, and those of us who have made this community happen have a lot to be thankful for. We are thankful for all of our friends and neighbors who have donated food, blankets, tents and their praise. We are thankful for the professors who have taken the time to educate us and organize workshops at the camp. We are especially thankful that UNT has respected our right to assemble, but most of all we are thankful to be a part of history. Thank you to the millions of people all across the globe that made the Occupy Together movement the biggest popular resistance to injustice and inequality that we’ve seen in generations.

I flew to Washington DC with friends and we occupied Liberty Square with thousands of others.  I am thankful for having the privilege and the opportunity to be there. When I returned home and heard about Occupy Denton I made new friends who have shared their experiences from Occupy Wall Street, Portland, Chicago, Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth.  I am personally astounded at how much positive feedback we’ve received from the community. The kindness and generosity we’ve received has restored much of my faith in humanity. Our bonds of friendship and solidarity are what fuel this movement. Read the rest of this entry »

Celebrate the Square!

Press Release for Occupy Denton: Celebrate the Square!

On Saturday, November 5th, Occupy Denton will be celebrating our right to public space at “the square.” At 4:00 pm, we will take to the streets with drums, horns, and songs. Our “protestival” will include a variety of speeches, poetry, and song. Most of us will be on foot and some of us will be on bikes to celebrate the recent decision to expand bike lanes in Denton. This decision is a prime example of what happens when real people come together to demand that their governments take actions that benefit the common good instead of private wealth.

November 5th is also “Bank Transfer Day,” a national day of action calling for a voluntary switch from commercial banks to not-for-profit credit unions and community banks. Many of us will be closing our Wells Fargo bank accounts on “the square” as well as other banks throughout the city. Read the rest of this entry »

Occupy Denton in the News

We have made quite a splash in the media. Our still-very-young occupation on the corner of Fry and Hickory has already appeared on local television, radio, newspapers, and even free-lance independent-media. Way to go everyone! This will bring a lot more people into our movement. Take a look at some of the coverage we’ve been getting and spread the word! Read the rest of this entry »