Liberate The Commons

On January 20th, 2012 citizens occupied an abandoned hotel in San Francisco, outwitting riot police and overcoming pepper spray attacks to gain access. More than 200 people poured in through an unattended door. Occupy Wall Street West, Homes Not Jails, and a whole slew of others participated in this direct action whose goal was to re-purpose the vacant building a community outpost and artist space, as well as to house and feed those in need. Over 600 vacant rooms, electricity still hot (water running cold). Bought by California Pacific Medical Center in 2003, by 2009 the profits from the Cathedral Hill Hotel had all been reaped, and the hotel was closed, with the abrupt firing of 159 employees and a refusal to enter into collective bargaining.

A space like this can and should be put to better use. Our intention was to make creative space from corporate waste. We were met instead with militarized riot teams and pepper spray.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• Jesse Dyen SFPD polic

[johnnycaminos]

Im not sure you actually "outwitted" the police at all.......this should have been done more quietly, and then after a week or two........possibly hanging down a banner, announcing the Occupation as Successful....and refusing to leave, until an agreement is reached.....In Seattle this was done in the early 90's.....the Pacific Hotel.......the Mayor, Norm Rice, eventually caved in, and agreed to convert the Hotel Pacific into a low income housing, instead of a 4 star hotel.