Hundreds of people rallied in a Tokyo park on Saturday, demanding an end to atomic power nearly two years (Monday is the 2 year anniversary) after the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear facility in northeastern Japan.

March 11, 2011, when the magnitude 9.0 earthquake -- the strongest recorded in Japan's history -- struck off the coast, followed by the tsunami left nearly 19,000 people dead or missing and more than 300,000 people still displaced.

Japan has struggled to clean up radiation from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, whose reactors melted down after its cooling systems were disabled by the tsunami, and rebuild lost communities along the coast. A new government elected in December has vowed faster action, but has yet to devise a post-disaster energy strategy -- a central issue for its struggling economy.

Occupy Oakland will begin gathering today at 3:00 p.m. PST outside City Hall on Oscar Grant Plaza in preparation for a march marking the anniversary of their eviction from the park last year. After the announced 7:00 p.m. march, they plan to return to the plaza where they intend to re-establish their encampment.

Via:

The announcement urged supporters to bring "tents, warm clothes, shields, a defensive attitude and hella friends."

A few hundred protesters are expected to participate.

The city released a statement Tuesday pledging to protect free-speech rights, while also expressing zero tolerance for overnight camping at the plaza or vandalism, which has marred several prior Occupy protests.

Downtown businesses and restaurants, including frequent vandal targets Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe and Sears, said they would not close early on Thursday. The most notable exception is the Downtown Oakland YMCA, which will close at 6 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.

Sources already in Oakland tell me that there is a very large police presence already today outside the plaza ahead of the Occupy gathering. Hopefully OPD will not continue their policy of placing officers with histories of using deadly force on the frontlines during Occupy Oakland protests.

I'll have a live stream up later, and will update as more information becomes available.

Occupy LA was out in full force this past week to mark their one year anniversary.

The group gathered at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. The square has become the center of the Occupy L.A. movement since protesters were ousted from the City Hall lawn.

Occupiers say they're protesting corporate control and what they call the social, economic and political injustices that continue to affect people's everyday lives.

Los Angeles police forcibly removed the protesters last winter from the City Hall lawn that they dubbed "Solidarity Park." Occupiers say the removal from City Hall did not stop their message. Protesters say it was the Occupy movement that finally brought light to the many injustices facing people in America. They say people who criticize the movement haven't been paying attention to the results.

In fact, occupiers in Los Angeles have stopped several fraudulent foreclosures from occurring, and they've applied pressure to multiple banks to stop charging fees for basic services.

Occupy LA also remains focused on what they call the criminalization of homelessness. They say corporate influences are pushing leaders to force out the city's massive homeless population for the sake of making a profit.

The group expressed concerned that most Americans still seem unwilling to address the real problems facing the U.S.

LAPD officers were on the scene during the entire peaceful demonstration. There were no reports of arrests or altercations.

These are themed days of action in resistance to the system and in solidarity with the 99%. Individual, autonomous affinity groups welcome to plan whatever inspires them.

10/1 – SHUT DOWN K STREET day of action. Meet at 7 AM at McPherson Square to shut down the street where corporate lobbyists, bankers, and the 1% do their shady dealings with the government. Bring tents, sleeping bags, other items as needed. Individual, autonomous affinity groups welcome to plan whatever inspires them.

10/2 – Bank/economic day of action. Meet 7 AM at Bank of America, Pennsylvania & 15th St NW, to “foreclose” a bank. Meet 1 PM at same location for march to deliver “bailout money” to social services, schools, and the people.

10/3 – Lobbyists day of action. A day to stick it to the notorious lobbyists, one-percenters, and Citizens-United Super PAC campaign donors who are undermining democracy and imperiling our system.

10/4 – 99% solidarity day of action. Visiting our 99% friends in shows of solidarity, and uniting together against the oppression of the 1%.

10/5 – Earth, sustainability, and energy day of action. A day of opposing industrial agriculture, GMOs, hydro-fracking, pollution, oil, coal, and other dirty energy, and working toward a healthy, sustainable planet.

10/6 – OCCUPY DC FREEDOM PLAZA ANNIVERSARY, a day for calling for an end to wars and militarism. The Occupy DC Freedom Plaza location began on the anniversary of our invasion of Afghanistan on October 6, 2001. This October 6, join Occupy DC to oppose war and militarism, and call for US troops out of Afghanistan now!

10/7 – Occupy Democracy day of action. A day for calling for a true democracy, one month prior to Election Day. Meet 5 PM in McPherson Square for a general assembly to display what a real, egalitarian, horizontal democracy might look like!

A year ago, on October 1, 2011, ecstatic that the 99% had begun occupying Wall Street, brave activists here in Washington DC began occupying McPherson Square on K Street, the corridor where corporate lobbyists, bankers, and the 1% come to wield their power. On October 6, more fearless members of the 99% began occupying Freedom Plaza in downtown DC, about ten blocks to the south. Two active camps were established with several hundred occupiers between the two of them. They survived the snow and rain of winter and persecution from the police, until the police violently raided the camps in the second week of February 2012.

There are more reasons than ever to occupy -- to dwell in the places where the 1% do their corrupt dealings, and refuse to leave. Join the 99% as we reclaim our democracy, our future, our world.

[Via]

Truth VS. Puppy Purging: Where Do YOU Get Your News? This is your Moment of Clarity #173:

We're in the middle of an all-out information war. Propaganda and mistruths are thrown around like hamburger helper in a food fight. The only way to fight the steady stream of bullshit is to know the truth, to have the facts, to grasp the reality. But where do you go to do that??

Much more at LeeCamp.net

"Here's to the watchdogs, the whistleblowers, the nonviolent resisters. Those who fight for fairness and hustle to keep the planet honest. Theirs is not an easy stroll through the tulips."

As part of the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, New Zealand band Minuit have teamed up with New York photojournalist Nina Berman to produce "Stories For Boys: Occupy Edit," a people-inspired music video. These photos were taken at the height of the New York occupation, from mid-September to mid-November, as well as in Chicago for the NATO conference in May.

Berman, a veteran photographer and associate professor at Columbia University School of Journalism, is no stranger to being amidst chaotic situations with her camera, and her award winning images capture the expressions, purpose and character in people.

Minuit says that’s what drew them to her work and is also the essence of the Occupy movement.

“Here in New Zealand, Maori have a saying: ‘What is the most important thing? It is people, it is people, it is people.’ Nina’s photos over that ominous beat are spine-chilling.”

But for Minuit the video is not only about Occupy: “It’s for the watchdogs, the whistleblowers, the non-violent resisters who fight for fairplay and hustle to keep their communities honest. That is not an easy stroll through the tulips. Hug an activist today!”

Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park on 1st anniversary. I don't have confirmation on the numbers in attendance today, but they've been estimated at between 35,000 to 50,000 occupiers.

This is the NYPD guarding the Bull.

"NYPD I'm pregnant don't hurt me"

Undercover NYPD exposed.

Code Pink's Bust up Big Banks Team shut down three banks on Monday, Sept. 17th, 2012.

"All our grievances are connected" photo taken September 17, 2012.

Occupy Oakland represents the shutdown of Monsanto with chalkupy today, Sept. 17th, 2012.

This is the NYPD pushing a man in a shopping cart, I mentioned it this morning, 9-12-12 while I was live blogging some of the marches taking place in NYC today. There were crutches in the cart with the man, but I'm still not sure if he was being arrested or why exactly the NYPD was giving him a ride.

This Youtube video captured recently seems to be NYPD preparing possible new recruits for mass arrests.

One week away from the September 17th anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, the NYPD are erecting giant concrete walls around Zuccotti park and getting their helmeted blues ready to roll out with mass arrest gear and batons.

Other plans for tight security include check points throughout Lower Manhattan, according to this email sent out by the Director of Security at Pace University:

September 14, 2012

Dear Pace Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Monday, September 17 is the first anniversary of Occupy Wall Street. As a precautionary measure, NYPD will establish check points throughout Lower Manhattan. It is important that employees and students carry Pace ID cards in order to gain access through these checkpoints. Locations of the checkpoints are still to be determined.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Vincent Beatty

Director of Security

Once again, the NYPD will be disrupting Manhattan far more than the Occupy Wall Street protesters could ever imagine if these checkpoints are established. And I take it Mayor Bloomberg won't be joining in for cake and coffee?

After leaving the Spectra Pipeline Blast Zone, the Occupy Guitarmy will lead a musical march through the village to Foley Square. At Foley Square there will be a giant celebration for and by Occupy Wall Street, including an educational and community-oriented Occupy Town Square and a concert, which will feature Tom Morello, Jello Biafra, Das Racist, Rebel Diaz, Michelle Shocked, and many others.

Occupy Guitarmy will open the concert will a massive sing-along version of “Wall Street, Your Kingdom Must Come Down” leading into “Frack You.” We will end the concert with a massive singalong and guest verses of “Which Side Are You On?”

Bring your instruments, noisemakers, and voices.

12-1pm March leaves from Specra to Foley Square

1pm-6pm Occupy Town Square at Foley Square (Center Street and Worth Street)

A new video teaser for Occupy Wall Street's anniversary from Peter Menchini. Bring a copy of your student loans or mortgage to burn. September 17, 2012. 5pm 555 California St, San Francisco.