Dear Friends:
We need help. The Occupy Providence encampment is alive and well, despite the rain and cold. But we need the active support of the professional classes. I write with a sense of urgency. Here’s why: my feeling until this point has been that the city is going to be slow to act if they chose to evict OP residents. This afternoon, I was present when city workers came to put up new signs announcing that the park closes at 9 pm. This is clearly laying the groundwork for some kind of movement against the encampment. Today I heard a rumor that eviction notices are going to be served on Friday. These events have sped up the timeline, in my opinion, regarding what is needed at OP. I have called this an emergent movement because issues, problems, needs, actions are all being addressed as they emerge.  This is a great thing because OP is taking shape in a profoundly grassroots and populist way. However, if the city of Providence decides to act against the encampment sooner than anyone expected, we do not have as much time to do the outreach work necessary for developing a sustainable movement. So, I appeal to you directly: we need help. This is what we need and what you can do to help.
We desperately need a legal team. We need lawyers or law students. There are two reasons for this. The big picture is that it is possible to sue the City of Providence for having a municipal ordinance that violates the constitutional right to free assembly. This is the strategy that the Occupy Sacramento group has taken—and perhaps others—and I think it is a viable and wise move. The more practical issue is that if and when the city moves against the encampment and if and when people decide to resist, we will need legal support. The commitment to resistance seems evident to me at OP, and the commitment is non violent. I am in process of contacting the ACLU this afternoon, but I have no idea what their response will be. So let me reiterate: we need a legal team. We need civil disobedience training. Many of us who have been involved in political movements know what to do. But there are many young people at OP, many first-time activists and emerging activists. I know it seems simple enough, if you know what to do. But many do not. Training will also serve the important function of giving some structure to the Occupation as whole, and will also be, in my opinion, a motivating force. We need a healthcare/medical team. This means someone willing to coordinate as well as volunteers for round the clock shifts. If you are a healthcare provider, we need you. Legally, I do not know what liability you would have. That is something you would need to find out. But if you have any training whatsoever, we need you. My understanding, and my working approach as a trained but not yet licensed EMT is that any action I take would be covered under the Good Samaritan law, which protects healthcare workers and the general public from liability when acting in good faith in emergency situations. I do not know how that applies in this case. Also—you needn’t jeopardize your license or job because you can help in other ways. Organization, for example. I will be honest, there is a medical team in place, but it is a very ragtag and unprofessional (if well-meaning) group. I think it is urgent that we professionalize this aspect of the occupation.  
We need a wellness team. Some folks struggling with addiction: we need people who know how to run meetings for people in recovert and we need people to coordinate regular meetings on site.  There are people with mental illness: we need social workers and counselors to help provide and/or coordinate assistance. Some folks have spiritual concerns or interests: I have been in contact with an Episcopalian minister who is helping out with this, but she will need help. We need wingtips and high heels on the ground. I mean this: During the day, OP looks very much like a homeless tent city. I myself have struggled wit this appearance, struggled to decide whether I want to cast my lot with this group of raggedy folk. I have done so by pitching a tent (although to be clear, I do not sleep there every night). It has taught me a great deal about tolerance, appearances, and seeing things as they are. But I suspect there are a great many people who support the fundamental idea of the Occupation (I will get to that in a moment), but who are turned off by this appearance. It is wonderful to understand that you cannot judge a book by its cover, but we all know that we all do this to a greater or lesser extent. That means, we need a book cover that really shows the diversity of supportive folks: people who wear suits to work (or even business casual!) People who are fortunate enough to have indoor plumbing, heat, college degrees and maybe even jobs. We are underrepresented at OP and it would be great if this could change. How to do any of these things:

1. Call me for info (email is ok, but my access is a bit limited right now and time is of the essence with some of these issues)
2. Come to the general assembly which meets every day at 6 pm in Burnside Park: find out which working groups already exist and which working groups need help and which need to be formed. Working groups do the bulk of the work which is then turned over the the General Assembly for discussion, votes, etc.
3. Volunteer! Volunteers for other types of work are also desperately needed: the food group needs help, for example, coordinating donations.
4. Donations are needed: the best thing to do would be to go down to the park info booth and see what the most urgent needs are. But I can also list a few here: tents, tarps, tent stakes, lines, etc etc. First aid stuff: bandaids, topical antibiotics, warming blankets, etc etc. COFFEE CREAMER!!!!!! (that’s kind of personal, LOL)
5. You can mobilize others around you—coworkers, colleagues, students, friends. Maybe you are not a lawyer, but maybe you a retired one looking for a good cause. Maybe your company can donate cases and cases of coffee creamer!
6. Visit and stay for as long as you can. Bring a book; bring your kids; bring your dogs; get some takeout and eat a meal down there. Come in the evening and join the drum circle.
7. By a cheap tent and a tarp and camp out—one night, two nights, whatever. Take up space.
8. Forward this email freely. Tell everyone you know that you know at least one person (and maybe many more) in the OP encampment. Vocalize support at any opportunity.