Occupy movement plans Iowa protests, ‘People’s Caucus’

The Occupy movement is making its presence felt in Iowa ahead of the nation’s first nominating contest, and it was President Obama, not the Republican field of candidates, as the target of one of the group’s first major stands.

Demonstrators converged on the headquarters of the Iowa Democratic Party on Monday, after being denied access to the local campaign office for Obama’s reelection effort. Eight were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing in a protest to demand the president veto legislation to fund the government because of provisions that would cut Pell grants.

The executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party said officials listened to the group’s concerns.

“While we recognize their right to lawful protests, an occupation of our office is not acceptable and only interferes with the work we do to elect Democrats and build a better future for Iowa and our nation,” said Norm Sterzenbach. “It’s unfortunate that some members chose to face arrest, rather than leave as they were asked to do multiple times.”

The group now appears set to turn its focus to the Republicans who will be crisscrossing the state for the next two weeks seeking voters’ support. They plan to hold a “People’s Caucus” on Dec. 27 as part of a week of “direct action and discussion” surrounding the caucuses.

At the People’s Caucus, or the “Caucus of the 99%,” protesters from around the country will split into groups to indicate which candidate’s campaign office they want to “occupy.”

According to the group’s website, in the final days of the campaign the group will “chase the candidates and their Wall Street cronies around the state of Iowa, dogging their heels at all their black-tie dinners and staged media events, drowning out their empty rhetoric.”

Newt Gingrich got a taste of the movement last week when protesters began chanting before he could speak at a campaign event in Iowa City. He shrugged it off as “the price of freedom.”

Iowa Republicans are preparing for the possible interruptions. At a recent mock-caucus training session in Ames, the county Republican chairman advised local party officials that the caucuses are private party events, even though many will be taking place in public buildings.

If demonstrators become unruly and attempt to disrupt a caucus, then police should be summoned, party officials were advised. But if a member of an Occupy group signs in as a Republican voter, he or she should be allowed to participate, the advice went, including during a portion of the caucuses in which issues are discussed.

Paul West contributed to this report.