‘Whose house? Our house!’
January 17, 2012
Story and photos by Steve Klinger
They came from Albuquerque, from Las Vegas, from Silver City, Taos and numerous other New Mexico communities. A group of over a dozen walked from Albuquerque. Many rode the RailRunner Express and marched en masse to the Roundhouse Tuesday, for the opening day of the 2012 legislative session. Hundreds from Santa Fe turned out to join them, waving signs and chanting their intent to petition lawmakers for a redress of grievances.
While the well-dressed Tea Party contingent rallied on the west side of the Capitol, an “umbrella coalition” of Occupy groups, numerous unions, MoveOn, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, groups opposed to nuclear weapons in New Mexico, environmental organizations and more came together on the east side to hear speakers, and music, conduct people’s mics and dance in the afternoon sun.
It was Occupy the Roundhouse Day at the Capitol, and a crowd that swelled to over a thousand around noon celebrated with chants of, “Whose house? Our house!” and took the unprecedented action of circling the building, holding hands and serving notice of the people’s intent to get their government back from plutocratic interests.
Local singer Felecia Ford twice sang Makana’s anthem for the Occupy movement, “We Are the Many,” while the crowd joined in. Other acoustic musicians sang original protest songs and covers, and performances by hip-hop band the 2bers, and later a reggae band, had attendees dancing in the concourse.
Legislators, including state Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Rep. Brian Egolf, along with Eric Griego, who is running for U.S. Congress, urged listeners to get involved in the legislative process and work to get money out of politics and fight corporate efforts that are threatening our democracy at every level of government. Representatives of workers and minority groups hailed the awakening of the electorate to the unfairness and discrimination that have targeted one segment of the population after another, cutting jobs, slashing safety-net social programs and marginalizing populations that are not part of the moneyed elite.
Occupy members read A People’s State of the State, a response to Gov. Susana Martinez’s official welcome speech to the Legislature, assessing the session to come. Six audience members, at least some of whom were connected with Occupy groups, were escorted out of the Senate Chamber’s gallery for interrupting the governor’s address, just as she was beginning to speak. Video replays showed the governor with a shocked and startled expression, but she quickly regained her poise and continued with her address.
Members of the various coalition groups vowed to return during the session to monitor bills, lobby legislators and keep them aware of widespread public sentiment on issues ranging from unfair corporate tax laws to education “reforms” such as not promoting failing third-graders, to how best to spend the state’s windfall $250 million budget surplus. The governor for her part, expressed her intent to cut taxes, repeal immigrant driver’s licenses and push her A-through-F education initiative.
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