Occupy Obama

Occupy Obama is an offshoot of the broader "Occupy" movement, which began as Occupy Wall Street in September 2011, and spread to cities around the country, and then the world at-large.

=History=

Occupy Obama's roots can be traced to an October 22, 2011 action in Des Moines, Iowa lead by Occupy Des Moines and helped along by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which is an affiliate of the National People's Action Network.

"Nearly 100 people marched to President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign headquarters in Des Moines this morning. One by one, members of Occupy Iowa denounced the president for his failure to protect the vast majority of Americans from home foreclosures, rising health care costs and student loan debt. Among those who spoke: A union worker, an immigrant, a mother, her teenage daughter and a recent college graduate." wrote the Des Moines Register of the event. =A Possible Game Changer for 2012? Iowa Leads the Way=

Center for Media and Democracy's Founder John Stauber wrote of the event, "President Barack Obama is no longer running unchallenged in all the major primary states, thanks to activists in Iowa who are focusing their Occupy Wall Street activism onto the headquarters of the Obama for President campaign office this Saturday, October 22, in Des Moines...This Occupy Obama action could catch fire nationally, especially given the frustration widely voiced that not one prominent Democrat is willing to oppose Obama in the Democratic Party's primary races. Occupy Obama could partly fill that void."

=Next Steps for the Movement?=

Not long after the initial Iowa event, Occupy Des Moines called for disruptions of the Iowa Caucuses, set to take place in early January, as well presidential candidates' campaign offices up until then, including that of President Obama.

"We're sending a clear message to the Republican field and (President) Obama," said David Goodner of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. "Community before corporations, people before profits."

"The idea," explained CNN of the Caucus disruptions, "is to have activists from across the nation, and possibly beyond, descend on Iowa...[A]n invitation went out to Occupy Wall Street groups nationwide and beyond to come to Iowa."

"Thus far, organizers say, they've eyed the dates of December 27 through January 3. If the protests occur, it appears they would be unprecedented for the Iowa caucus season," CNN continued.

=Articles and Resources=
 * Des Moines Register, "Iowa protesters call for national help to ‘occupy’ presidential campaign HQs here"
 * "YouTube Videos of First Occupy Obama Protest in Des Moines, Iowa"
 * "Photos of the First Occupy Obama Protest in Des Moines, Iowa"
 * "Occupy Obama 2012 Facebook Page"
 * "Occupy Obama 2012 Twitter Page"
 * "Occupy Des Moines Facebook Page"
 * "Occupy Des Moines Twitter Page"