Occupy The Courts, Gainesville

My last Occupy roadtrip took me to Gainesville, Florida, where I had the opportunity to listen to Cornel West speak to Occupy Gainesville. Prior to his appearance, activists, singers, storytellers, poets,and lecturers all took their turn on the stage at Bo Diddley Plaza. There was no shortage of highly charged and vocal community leaders. Here is a video quilt of snippets from these performances.

Cornel West was dynamic. There was a lot to digest from his thirteen minutes at the microphone. Some of his criticisms were harsh, but his love and extreme desire for inclusiveness also shone through. "Justice is what love looks like in public" is just one of many great quips.

Many of the folks who had gathered in the plaza headed over to the Federal Courthouse steps. The street artists carrying the "Corporate Person" embodied in a ten foot puppet joined the rest of the group, where folks were engaged in political chanting and general merriment.

To watch Kenzie, impromptu and on fire about the Occupy Movement, click here. There was also some fun and fabulous, locally-grown street theatre. I interviewed one of the creators here.