WORD VIRUS: UPDATED: 99 Percent Declaration Working Group announces convention in Philadelphia for July

Thursday, February 23, 2012

UPDATED: 99 Percent Declaration Working Group announces convention in Philadelphia for July | The Raw Story

UPDATED: 99 Percent Declaration Working Group announces convention in Philadelphia for July

By Andrew Jones
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 16:39 EST

Topics: Occupy Wall Street PR Working Group ♦ Percent Declaration Working Group ♦ philadelphia

UPDATE (Feb. 23): A statement released from the Occupy Wall Street PR Working Group today clarified that the planned assembly is not an official project generated by the movement.

“The 99% Declaration and its call for a ‘national general assembly’ in Philadelphia in July is not affiliated with or endorsed by Occupy Wall Street, and the organizers’ plans blatantly contradict OWS’ stated principles,” the release said. “The proposal was also rejected by the General Assembly of Occupy Philadelphia, which passed a resolution stating, ‘We do not support the 99% Declaration, its group, its website, its National GA and anything else associated with it.’ ”

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“Occupy Wall Street” protesters will continue their evolution as a movement this summer, announcing through its working group a “general assembly” convention in Philadelphia for early July.

According the Associated Press, the 99 percent Declaration Working Group said that the convention would elect 876 delegates throughout 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories.

The plan is to select a man and a woman from each of the 435 congressional voting districts to create and ratify a “redress of grievances,” emulating how the Declaration of Independence was formed in 1776 in Philadelphia.

“We feel it’s appropriate to go back to what our founding fathers did and have another petition congress,” said Michael S. Pollock, an attorney who co-founded the working group. “We feel that following the footsteps of our founding fathers is the right way to go.”

Once the bill is competed, protesters will send the bill to the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court, demanding action within the first 100 days of office next year.

Pollock indicated the protesters have already selected a site in Philadelphia for the convention and will pay for it through donations. He added that details for the convention are still being discussed.