Occupy Wall Street Outs ALEC Corporations

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http://www.prwatch.org/node/11328

Ashley Gillece, a 25 year-old college student and single parent, was arrested Wednesday in front of one of Pfizer's laboratories in Groton, Connecticut. She and six other protesters had their arms linked in front of the main gate demanding that the huge pharmaceutical company open it’s doors to listen to the demands of a crowd of protesters who had been outside of the building for hours.

The protesters were there to ask Pfizer to cut its ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC brings together major U.S. corporations and right-wing legislators to craft and vote on "model legislation" behind closed doors. These cookie-cutter bills are then introduced in statehouses across the land with no disclosure of their origins in ALEC. ALEC's voter ID bill, anti-union bills, anti-immigrant bills and specialized corporate tax breaks have garnered a great deal of scrutiny in 2011, thanks in part to CMD's ALEC Exposed project which unveiled over 800 model bills.

Pfizer is a long-time ALEC member and one of the drug manufacturers that stands to benefit from ALEC bills that limit consumers' rights to seek justice when they are injured or killed by faulty medical products. “A lot of people don’t realize that Pfizer is spending a lot of money to be a corporate member of this DC-based organization that is pushing legislation that does not benefit citizens,” Gillece said. One of the signs dubbed ALEC: “Amoral Legislators Enriching Corporations."

Shut down the corporations posterThis protest was part of over 90 actions across the country on F29 (February 29th) planned largely by Occupy Wall Street groups. The call to "Shut Down the Corporations" was an effort to shine a light on the agenda of ALEC corporate members and related firms. UC-Davis protesters shut down a U.S. Bank. Occupy groups in Southern California shut down three Walmart distribution centers. Arizona activists targeted G4S, a private prison corporation. Occupiers in New Hampshire targeted the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity. A “Corporate Debutante Ball” was held in Salt Lake City, and rats were lured out of the Wisconsin capitol by the Pied Piper. Portland’s march -- which included nearly 200 yellow ALEC umbrellas -- visited offices of ExxonMobil, McDonalds, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Verizon, FedEx, Taco Bell, and Walgreens.