On Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, The Range spent most of the day at Occupy Tucson looking for folks we first interviewed when the local Occupy started Oct. 15 at Armory Park. The following audio interviews (and apologies for our laugh track and lengthy questions or commentary) include two people we met that first day, Mathew Pence and Alex Maldonado, along with others who remain committed to the downtown Occupy at its new venue, Veinte De Agosto Park.
I found Pence at the IT tent talking to a UA student working on a journalism class project. Maldonado, a veteran and member of Veterans for Peace, who heads the peacekeeper working group, was just about to start a peacekeeper meeting. I got a chance to interview him for the story this week and ask him other questions for the audio interview. Other perspectives include Mike Merrill, a homeless man in his early 20s, laid off and now living on the streets these past two months; Alice River, a Vietnam-era U.S. Air Force veteran involved as a peacekeeper; former Green Party mayoral candidate Mary DeCamp; and Miriam, a volunteer who makes dinner for the crowd every Sunday. By the way, she would love someone to donate some black beans, since she’s gone through all of her pinto-bean recipes.
Michael Merrill, Landfill by RafiSounds
- Former Tucson mayoral candidate and Green Party activist Dave Croteau, left, a volunteer peacekeeper, gets Sunday dinner from the encampment’s makeshift kitchen. Miriam has made a home-cooked Sunday dinner for all Occupy volunteers since Oct. 15.
Related Stories
Protest Persists
This article appears in Nov 24-30, 2011.
Is there some by-law or rule that says you have to be physically unattractive to participate in the occupy movement?
I guess some people just can’t help insulting others–I suggest they look in a mirror. Occupy Tucson has some wonderful and inspiring people involved in speaking Truth to Power and I salute them all. These heroes have my admiration and unending thanks. I’m heading down there with some donations as soon as I can–they deserve the support of the rest of us 99%-ers who may not be able to camp with them full time. Stay strong!