M1GS stands for May 1st General Strike. Occupy LA called for a General Strike back in November. It was approved by the General Assembly, and all the other occupations took up the call - along with those unions in contract disputes, unions not in contract disputes who want to participate without going against Taft-Hartley, the Black Riders, the Brown Berets and various other radical left organizations in and around LA.

How are we going to have a General Strike if folks can't "officially" strike? By calling in sick to work. By walking out of school. And by disrupting the flow of capital on May 1.

This isn't that hard to do.

Mayday is a big day for immigrants' rights in LA. Marches happen all day long. People are used to taking the day off to march. It's just what you do on Mayday. And this Mayday will be no different. Except we're not just going to march from point A to point B, to protest against the injustices immigrants must endure in this country. We're going to converge on downtown LA from four distinct points: North, South, East and West. Our intent is to shut this city down in order to clearly and forcefully articulate the voice that the establishment continues to ignore: Our Voice, which proclaims: we have had enough. We have had enough of being treated like dirt because we are immigrants, we are brown, we are black, we are poor, we are women, we are queer, we are workers. The 1%'s deliberate oppression and fostering of divisions in order to maintain their iron grip on the government and the finances of this country must end.

So what happens on the 1st of May? You need to locate a "wind" (a location North, South, East or West) near you on OccupyMay1st.Org. Each wind will be comprised of caravans of moving vehicles, or "Mayday Mobiles": decorated cars, vans, bicycles, skateboarders, rollerbladers - anything and everything. We need to reach critical mass with a variety of vehicles, and we need folks to commit to bringing their transportation along to a chosen wind and giving people rides. Each wind will start in the late morning, from about 10 a.m. to 11a.m. Park somewhere nearby and converge on foot to 6th and Main Street in downtown LA at around 2.30 p.m. or 3 p.m. for food - and a secret direct action.

It's really important people commit to a wind, not just the convergence block party/action. And while we love folks who show up on May 1, giving us a concrete commitment now would make us very happy activists. You can locate the East, South and West Wind Planning Teams online, or look at the routes and times on OccupyMay1st.Org. While Occupy San Fernando Valley is coming from the North on May 1st, they will be using the Metro, and we still do not have caravan details for the North planned out, so we're looking for a group who want to take this on.

After the convergence, our Mayday group will join the Southern Californian Immigration Coalition march at 4 p.m. This march should end at approximately 6 p.m., giving folks an hour to enjoy music, eat some food and cause financial disruption before having an Occupy LA-hosted General Assembly at 7 p.m.

As we draw closer to M1GS, times and locations may change. Keep checking OccupyMay1st.Org. But whatever happens, we'll need you and your Mayday Mobiles. If you'd like to be involved in legal support on the day, please email occupylalegal@gmail.com.

If you are unable to participate in M1GS, but would like to help with a financial or other contribution, our WePay donations page is here, and we are always grateful for loans, donations of food, water, phones, radios, PA systems, trucks, plain black t-shirts, hoodies, bullhorns, mobile hotspots, battery packs for livestreamers and whatever else you can think of!