Occupy Iowa: We aren't trying to disrupt caucuses

The scene inside the Occupy Iowa Caucuses headquarters.

/ CBS/Brian Montopoli

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The headquarters for the Occupy Iowa Caucuses movement is a spacious, coffee-shop like warehouse on one of the main streets of downtown Des Moines, where laid-back protesters mingle amid signs reading "Mitt - get bank $ out of elections" and "Give us liberty from corporate greed!"

On Thursday night - after protesters lined up for free food provided with donations to the movement - occupiers gathered for a performance and civil rights panel that attracted perhaps 70 occupiers. (A small occupy tent city has been set up a few blocks away, though protesters spent $1,000 to rent the indoor space for the week.) About five hours earlier, 12 occupiers had been arrested at the Iowa Democratic Party headquarters after they refused to move out from in front of the front door of the building, including a 14-year-old who was released into the custody of her father.

The occupiers don't see much distinction between the Democratic and Republican parties, though the fact that President Obama is effectively unopposed for reelection gives them little in the way of targets on the Democratic side. Emily Allison of Des Moines, who was among those arrested Thursday, said she felt "betrayed" by Mr. Obama for his unwillingness to veto the National Defense Authorization Act and for not closing the Guantanamo Bay prison facility.

"I thought he would stand up for the people," she said. Allison, who was charged with criminal trespassing. She described Democrats as the "lesser of two evils" - but added that "after seeing all the money that Obama has accepted from the corporations and the bankers it's difficult to distinguish the parties as two different things."

Another view inside the headquarters for the Occupy Iowa Caucuses movement.

/ CBS/Brian Montopoli

That's a popular perspective among the occupy protesters here.

"The main goal is to draw that connection between the corrupt culture on Wall Street and the corrupt political culture in Washington DC," says Ed Fallon, a radio host and former Iowa Assemblyman who has emerged as one of the leaders of the movement in Iowa.

Fallon says Iowa Republicans have falsely cast the occupiers as agitators who plan to disrupt the protests in an effort to "mislead the country."

Iowa Republican Chairman Matt Strawn criticized the movement in an interview with CBS News earlier this week.

"There's really no more grassroots process in American politics than the Iowa caucuses," he said. "So it's a little puzzling why they'd choose to disrupt that process." The Iowa GOP said this week it was moving the caucus vote counting process to an "undisclosed location" due to expected occupy disruptions, and is coordinating with local law enforcement to ensure the integrity of the caucuses.

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Fallon dismissed Strawn's concerns, saying, "We have made it emphatically clear over and over again that we have no plans to disrupt the process on January 3." Indeed, many occupiers say they plan to participate in the caucuses - but vote "uncommitted" as a protest against what they see as a corrupt political system.

That isn't to say they aren't trying to disrupt the candidate events going on around the state this week. On Wednesday, five aggressively interrupted a Ron Paul appearance, including a 16-year-old girl who forcefully ripped down the Paul signs that the Texas congressman's supporters put up to block her. (In response, Paul, who has offered qualified support to the occupy movement, commented on how "wonderful" he finds freedom of speech.) Seven occupy protesters were arrested at Mitt Romney's Des Moines headquarters the same day, where they were protesting the candidate's ties to nearby Wells Fargo bank, and five were arrested Thursday at Paul's campaign headquarters, where they were protesting Paul's proposal to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency.

Right up until the Jan. 3 caucuses, the occupiers are vowing to "chase the candidates and their Wall Street cronies around the state of Iowa, dogging their heels at all their black-tie dinners and staged media events, drowning out their empty rhetoric with the strong, clear message of the 99%," according to the Occupy Iowa Caucuses website.

Fallon said the movement simply wants to "call them out" - both Republicans and Democrats - for ignoring the needs of the many to favor the wealthy few.

"The opposition is trying to characterize the movement as a bunch of disgruntled renegades who are unwashed and uninformed," he said. "It's a game they're playing to hype up opposition to what the movement is all about."

Full coverage: Campaign 2012

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Occupy protests: Month 3

[franknkissy]

We love Emily Allison for demonstrating that evil resides both in democrats and republicans ! And we would further indict the Clintons - Bill for the example he set our young girls with the young, overweight Monica Lewinsky & Hillary for her foreign policy failures in the Horn of Africa ! By ordering the death of the radical cleric al-Awlaki instead of recruiting him to better the plight of the Yemenese - she has begun a process which will likely lead to a Civil War in the North of Africa and thereby engulf the youth of America ! So again, Occupiers - the enemy is greed & ignorance within the leadership of both major U.S. Political Parties ! Frank A. Novello - Pacem in Terris

[js2212]

OWS protests "greedy" corporations. Let's see now - it seems to me that corporations don't make decisions, the executives that run them do. The executives are hired by the board of Directors. The Board is appointed by guess who? Shareholders, or in other words - Americans who own stock. So OWS'ers are protesting against Americans, but they're too retarded to know that.

Perhaps to an uneducated OWS'er, it might seem like Corporations act with greed but really, the primary job of the corporation is to increase shareholder wealth. Therefore, corporations act accordingly and pursue whatever opportunity will accomplish that goal. To do otherwise would result in an executive or board member looking for a job because they would be replaced by someone who would accomplish the goal. And they would be replace by who? The Shareholders. So to demonize corporations doesn't really make sense. I don't really understand what OWS is doing. I don't think what they want exists in this reality. Maybe they can create a new type of company that does not have to compete in a marketplace and does not need to be profitable but will provide tons and tons of jobs. That would be real helpful.

[BlameRepublicanz]

actually most of the OWSers are college kids...and what a stupid exaggeration...so the American people make all decisions for fortune 500 companies? Your an idiot

[js2212]

Blame, brush up on your reading comprehension. That is not what I said. And I've seen OWS demonstrations and they most certainly are not mostly college kids. So it kind of looks like you are the idiot, plus a poor reader. But don't worry, it's not terminal. Just amusing to the rest of us. Thanks for the chuckle.

[luadda22]

by MTATL67 December 30, 2011 12:56 PM EST
This President got me into my first home. Qualify him as worst President in Modern history. I bought and live in my first home and it feels pretty good to me. What did he do to you that justifies you saying he's the worst? Don't forget the Vietnam war and Iran Hostage crisis are in the modern history and oh yes Watergate.

===================================================================

How did this pesident get you in a house??? He co-sign for you?

Vietnam war?? Democrat - Kennedy
Hostage crisis? Democrat - Carter
As far as Watergate, it pales next to "Fast & Furious" (nobody died in Watergate). Democrat - Obama

[BlameRepublicanz]

how bout the iraq war?

[gep1955]

Don't forget the Pelosi congress who helped themselves to $5 trillion more of taxpayers money without a care in the world about "how to pay for it" and no budgets for three years. They were like drug addicts locked in a pharmacy spending democrat, republican and independents tax dollars.

[robertmiller1]

The fundamental spirit of this country is still here; its just that "we" have lost control of our government to the "other" people; meaning large corporate giants which, because of our retirement funds and union money being invested in the very same, we now have to keep them alive or we all go down in flames; we've become a nation of sheep afraid to wipe the financial slate clean, so we keep borrowing to pay the least productive among us - like the giant investment houses etc. If you want to see a cleverly done documentary which speaks volumes to the next giant bubble creeping up with the gov't and large corporations in cahoots once again - watch Trading on Thin Air -saw it on iTunes, but its also tradingonthinair.com - THIS IS WHAT THE NEW GENERATION IS BLOGGING ABOUT.

[Robert_In_Texas]

I've noticed that most the the OWS demonstrators, protestors or what-ever-name they use, are more likely to be fools and trolls by most people than those candidates - including Bachmann. Since Wall Street and every other American Corporation operates under a certain set of laws. Since presidents can't create laws, doesn't have a line item veto;toss any law out, he's more than likely a puppet. OWS is bound and determine to protest everybody and everything except the one group that is the 1% (actually the .0183%). Who established the laws that allow banks to operate they way they do; who established certain regulations that allow stocks and bonds to be manipulated? If the US population is a body, then CONGRESS is the heart, yet how many OWS protests / demonstrations are being held on the Hill. How many Senators and Representatives have been braced to answer questions? NONE. It would almost appear that OWS is getting funding from the same people that "operate business as usual". When a heart goes bad, you take it out and transplant another. You don't amputate the foot or the hand. The easiest way to transplant Congress is by voting them out, starting at the state level. Your boy Ed Fallon is right - you do appear to be misleading the country. The American public doesn't vote in a president. That job is reserved for the electoral college and that college is made up of member selected by each state's legislative body. The only federal office you can vote for is your representative from your district and two senators. Start at the state level. Learn to crawl before you walk. Once your state is running pretty smooth then move on to Congress. The president is nothing but a figurehead who signs laws that come out of Congress and a cheerleader for his party. Adjust your sights, you're missing at all points and that is what real Americans are seeing.

[MTATL67]

Protest by their nature on not always nice or organized but do get your attention. OWS needs to narrow their focus and reign in the extremist factions or they will go the way of the extremist group called the Tea party. GOP'ers don't forget OWS are also registered voters.

[antoniof123]

I love this group they hate both parties due to money in our government.

When will people learn this is what causes the problems in government.

[mmj75]

you love this group? so what sign do you carry? oh and I guess you are one of those that should get everything for free? and who is suppose to give you all that? it wouldn't be off of the sweat of workers and owner of companies, and by the way how is that computer working for you? and cell phone? there are other countries, like Haiti, they have no companies, they depend on other countries to support them, oh yea that comes back to workers and owners of companies, geez dude get a life

[hongdaniel]

Well, mmj75, as a member of Occupy in Portland, Oregon, in my honest opinion, this movement was never about us getting freebies!! This was a cry against our government to stop SUPPORTING big business over small with our tax dollars with tax breaks, subsidies and bailouts!! To get money out of politics, and to stop picking winners and losers!! Also, as it evolves and incorporates itself into the cities it branches out to, Occupy provides a great place for people to become their citizen selves, discuss and bring up important issues surrounding their cities and neighborhoods and take action for change without the agonizing wait, loopholes and lack of transparancy of existing government. And yes, it works with it as well because my Occupy branch is signing petitions and going to hearings. (in fact, some people are running for City Council and even mayor!!) It is my firm belief that the Occupy movement empowers everyone to be less like followers (like to the 1%), and more like leaders.

[mpthompson]

A lot of venom against the Occupy protesters in the initial comments here, much of it ugly name-calling. Displaying your venomous distaste for the free speech rights of fellow citizens betrays your ignorance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

[tsigili]

The ONLY thing "occupy" is doing, is promoting the re-election of the worst President in modern history.

How can any sensible person, support that?

[BlameRepublicanz]

Wait, so they are promoting the re-election of George W Bush?...btw, they arent promoting the election of any President

[MTATL67]

This President got me into my first home. Qualify him as worst President in Modern history. I bought and live in my first home and it feels pretty good to me. What did he do to you that justifies you saying he's the worst? Don't forget the Vietnam war and Iran Hostage crisis are in the modern history and oh yes Watergate. Don't forget our government has three separate but equal branches of government. Sorry what was it the President did to you?

[BlameRepublicanz]

the difference between OWS and the tea party is that OWS is pissed off at Wall Street for taking billions of our tax dollars and using it to give themselves bonuses after they went bankrupt...the tea party is the same fat, white, Republican voters of the last 40 years...mad that we have a President who they think is a muslim communist, Kenyan, etc etc etc

[MTATL67]

Ah but those fat, white Republicans that think that racist stupid thought about the President passed the laws Wall St. lobbyist bought and paid for. All connected.