Occupy the Courts - 20th January 2012

Call to Action

Inspired by our friends at Occupy Wall Street, and Dr. Cornel West, Move To Amend is planning bold action to mark the second anniversary of the infamous Citizens United v. FEC decision!

Occupy the Courts will be a one day occupation of Federal courthouses across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Friday January 20, 2012.

Move to Amend volunteers across the USA will lead the charge on the judiciary which created — and continues to expand — corporate personhood rights.

Americans across the country are on the march, and they are marching OUR way. They carry signs that say, “Corporations are NOT people! Money is NOT Speech!” And they are chanting those truths at the top of their lungs! The time has come to make these truths evident to the courts.

➤➤ Join us Friday, January 20, 2012 at a Federal Court building near you! Click here to sign up.

Organizing Resources

Locations

• List of Federal District Courts
• US Court of Appeals
• US Supreme Court

Obtaining a Permit

To obtain a permit for your action, contact the Court you will be targeting and submit this application (pdf) to the GSA Facilities Manager. Find out how they want you to submit the permit application, often times it can be done by fax.

Outreach

This folder contains handbills and posters to promote your event. Black & white or color options in each download folder. Click the links to begin downloads.

• Poster with text box (with text box to add your local event info) (download zip folder)
• Poster (download zip folder)

Handbills have a letter to Occupy events from MTA on the back - if that isn't useful for your outreach just print side one.

• Handbills with text box (with text box to add your local event info) (download zip folder)
• Handbills (download zip folder)

Poster in Spanish

• Click here to download a poster in Spanish

Action Materials

• Instructions to Make a Corporate Personhood Costume (pdf)
• Corporate Personhood Skit: Video, Script & Sound Effects
• Adapt one of our 4th of July ideas for Occupy the Courts
• “Interview with a Corporate Person” Skit (pdf)
• Corporate Personhood Song
• "As the Country Turns" Skit for a short drama
• Build a freeway banner
• Backbone Campaign's "Actions in a Box Toolkit" (a MTA partner)

Informational Resources

• Outreach Materials (Petitions, Signs/Posters, Stickers, Brochures)
• Declaration of Independence from Corporate Rule
• What Could Change if Corporate Personhood Were Abolished?
• Why Abolish All Corporate Constitutional Rights 

Spread the Word

• Corporate Personhood Talking Points
• Tips for Using Social Media (pdf)
• Tips for Writing Letters to the Editor
• How to Hold a News Conference

Additional Resources

• Recording of November 2011 Webinar on Occupy the Courts with Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap (MTA Field Director) and Steve Justino (MTA Occupy the Courts Coordinator)
• Move to Amend Local Action Toolkit

➤➤ Join us Friday, January 20, 2012 at a Federal Court building near you! Click here to sign up.
If you have additional questions or ideas contact us: OccupyTheCourts@MoveToAmend.org.