Freed American hikers speak to Occupy Oakland on Monday night

The two UC Berkeley graduates and the Oakland woman who were jailed in Iran after they hiked over an unmarked border will speak Monday night at the Occupy Oakland encampment, the first time the three have appeared together on the West Coast since they all were freed.

Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 29, were jailed as spies for 26 months in a Tehran prison and released last month on a $1 million-bail-for-freedom deal. Sarah Shourd, 33, was freed last fall on $500,000 bail after spending a year in the same prison. Bauer proposed marriage to Shourd while they were in prison.

The three will speak at 5 p.m. Monday at the amphitheater in front of Oakland’s City Hall to the Occupy Oakland encampment, a spokesman for the three said. They will be speaking about their experience in Iran.

The Occupy Wall Street movement, which took root in a New York City park near Wall Street, saw its first local incarnation in San Francisco earlier this month and has since spread to San Jose, San Ramon and Walnut Creek. Overseas, protesters have been out in force in London, Paris, Rome and other European capitals. Marches have also been held in Asia, South America and Australia.

The movement spread to Oakland last Monday night when about 50 people, including Oakland Councilwoman Desley Brooks, camped out on the lawn in front of City Hall. The Occupy Oakland encampment has now grown to at least 100 tents and includes a cooking station and a child care area. The group has a Facebook page with more than 2,300 members.

On Saturday, about 2,500 to 3,000 people marched and rallied in Oakland in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Actor and activist Danny Glover marched with the group from Laney College to the City Hall encampment. Those camped out there say they could at least two more weeks.

January 18, 2012 · admin · No Comments
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