Mayor Ras J. Baraka and the Newark Municipal Council will be joined by actor-rapper-activist Common, and thousands of Newark residents to Occupy the City on Saturday, August 8, at 4 p.m. Five rallying points will launch the rally simultaneously at 3:30 p.m. in each of Newark’s five wards, walking to the City’s historic downtown “Four Corners” at Broad and Market Streets, for an anti-violence rally. Rapper-activist-actor Common will join the downtown rally.
Building on the success and support from Newark residents during his Occupy the Block events, Mayor Baraka decided to host an Occupy the City to unite residents from the entire City against despair, violence, and crime, and to promote love, hope, and empowerment. Occupy the Block is a community engagement tool modeled after the historic “Occupy” movement, which advocates social disruption of harmful or ineffective constructs.
The rallying points and contact organizers for each ward are as:
• North Ward: Victoria Ave and Cutler St. Contact: Daniel Figueroa (201) 566- 6097
• South Ward: Brunswick St and Astor St. Contact: Stacey Hillsman (973) 715-3629
• East Ward: Pennington Ct. Contact: Ligia DeFreitas (201) 566-3137
• West Ward: 15th St and 15th Ave. Contact: Marques-Aquil Lewis (201) 566-5108
• Central Ward: Central Ave and 9th St. Contact: Al’Tarik Onque (201) 463-6372
City and community organizers from a variety of groups will join the walkers in the rally.
