2011 Detroit and Michigan Protests

I was surprised by this group of protesters marching down Detroit's Woodward Avenue this afternoon:

Attachment 8952

This protest appeared to be organized by Voice of Detroit. VOD's rally cry is kind of in spiring, I suppose.

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"If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning, they want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters." Frederick Douglass

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Meanwhile, Wisconsin protests get national support. In Michigan, support demonstrations were being held in Lansing, as well as Detroit.

Finally, other protesters have been staging events in Dearborn, to support the opposition in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

There's another on the Wayne State campus for tomorrow at 4pm in from of the UGL.

Let the spirit of Socialism flow through its campus. It's will be the people's march for REAL AMERICAN DREAM. We must destroy the elitist strongholds who are conquering the U.S. governments and telling a polticians to bail them out or recieve no contributions. Restore the AMERICAN DREAM for the proletariat and fight your government. Keep them from favoring the plutocrats and create TRUE DEMOCRACY for AMERICA! Our forefathers will be proud.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

As I wait for the third American Revolution to begin. Workers' of the world UNITE! You have nothing to lose but your chains.

Neda, My political and social leader of the Iranian people, I miss you so.

I went to the Wayne State rally that was today. We marched through the Student Center, to the Presidents Office, through state hall, to the welcome center and back to the library.

It sounds like this is going to become a weekly thing. Next march is planned for the same time next week. Thursday 4pm at Gullen Mall outside the UGL

1000+ folks demonstrated at the Capitol today in Lansing. There was a short occupation of the rotunda from what some of my MEA friends tell me.

The Nerd In Chief is going to get away with all this because he has the votes, but there's going to be quite the uprising.

Lets just list some of things he wants to do:
-Cut WSU funding [[but increase MSU/UofM funding...?)
-Require school districts to hire private firms to run their food service, custodial service, and bus service [[traditionally unionized groups of workers)
-Allow the installation of Emergency Financial Managers at the whim of the unelected State Treasurer [[that position is appointed by the Governor) who can dissolve democratically elected boards and councils and strip elected officials of their power.

I think Rick forgot, we all descend from the Flint/Detroit workers of the 1920's and the 1930's. I know I'm not the only one around here with IWW running through my blood.

Do your thing. Just stay off'n my lawn.

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Originally Posted by Ray1936

Do your thing. Just stay off'n my lawn.

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We would if you had one.

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Originally Posted by East Detroit

We would if you had one.

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Ha! Nice zing for the desert dweller!

Considering how bereft of economic culture Detroit is on a block-to-block basis, I suggest that to be concerned with what is happening overseas or in Wisconsin is something of a luxury for Detroiters. It is a fine thing to have emotional concern with people in far away places like Libya that seek change, but with Detroit so stuck on zero, I suggest that focus should begin at home.

Whatever happened with the concept of "economic self-empowerment" that the Nation of Islam so heralds? How many small businesses in Detroit are owned and operated by the members of the Nation of Islam and other ethno-centrics?

In order for Detroit to move forward economically, first men in Detroit will have to make a long term commitment to women and children in their lives. Everywhere in the world where I have traveled, including developing countries like Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, the family structure is propelling people toward prosperity, not the state or some political party.

I suspect that if Malcolm X. was in Detroit today that he would be extremely disappointed in how vacuous the city's economic culture is.