Politics & Government

Update: Occupiers Protest Cobb Foreclosures

The courthouse rally started late, then lasted about an hour Tuesday.

Updated 9:30 p.m.

The first Occupiers arrived at the Cobb County Superior Court building around noon Tuesday despite the plan to start the protest at 10 a.m., and they stayed until 1 p.m.

"It went well," Richard Pellegrino said. "There were about 10 of us there, and we made contact with a couple of families that want us to help. I think we got our message across."

Occupiers chanted in front of the courthouse for several minutes, but police moved them to the sidewalk, Pellegrino said.

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"The movement has been growing," he said. "As it has moved out to the suburbs, it's drawn participants there. It's a topic that resonates with everyone, whether they agree with Occupy or not."

Occupiers also gathered at foreclosure auctions in DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties Tuesday.

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Protesters plan to continue attending Cobb County's foreclosure auctions, which take place the first Tuesday of every month.

Original Report

The Occupy movement, which began in New York with Occupy Wall Street and reached Atlanta over the summer, has spread to Cobb County.

Today, Occupy Cobb holds its first demonstration, "Occupy the Foreclosure Auctions," from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the in Marietta to protest foreclosure auction.

On the first Tuesday of each month, thousands of foreclosed homes are auctioned off throughout Georgia. According to RealtyTrac, a company that tracks foreclosures, auctions and bank-owned homes, an estimated 1.4 million U.S. homes are in a foreclosure process.

Occupy Cobb, along with Occupy Atlanta, has joined a national call for an immediate moratorium on foreclosures.

The call, Occupy Our Homes, first went out when Monique White of Minneapolis requested an occupation of her home after she learned of its foreclosure. Learn more in a short film telling White's story.

What do you think of the Occupy movement? Is Occupy Our Homes a move in the right direction?

"This monthly action is designed to bring attention to the foreclosure crisis through a noisy disruption of 'business as usual' on the court steps in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett and DeKalb counties," Occupy Atlanta said in a statement. "Bring drums, whistles, pots and pans, bells and other noise-makers."

This Occupy Our Homes movement began in more than two dozen cities, including Atlanta, in late November and early December. Occupy protesters have rallied at the county courthouse steps in DeKalb, Gwinnett and Fulton counties.

"We're using our voices, whistles and other noise. The auctioneers don't know what to do, and some of the buyers left,"Β  Tim Franzen, an Occupy Atlanta spokesman, told CNN.

Occupy Atlanta's focus on foreclosures has resulted in victories.

Beginning Dec. 6, protesters occupied the home of Brigitte Walker, an Iraq War veteran. After a week, the Occupiers helped save it from foreclosure. Lender JPMorgan Chase offered a loan modification that will save Walker hundreds a month, she told The Huffington Post.

A flier from Occupy Atlanta's website about today's event reads: "These are people's homes, taken from them illegally, often immorally. Join with us to stop this tragedy."


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