I finally heard what I had always been thinking, spoken by other people and joined my voice in unison with them for the first time on October 15, 2011.

I believed the human rights lawyers who told over 3,000 of us present that political activism and expression was entirely legal, in fact, protected by the Bill of Rights, and that we could not be discriminated against as a result of it.

I soon discovered the reality couldn’t be further from that.

I had no intention to immerse myself in Occupy Media but, born of the ingrained insolence of a survivor, I have a strange habit of speaking the truth regardless of social consequences, which made me a perfect fit.

Occumama says true Occupiers are all survivors. Every day that the system in its various incarnations victimises more people, creates more Occupiers.

The evictions we witnessed and amplified to the world did nothing but harden the resolve of Occupiers to spread their experiences and decentralise their dissent, throughout the country. Perhaps that was the state’s hidden agenda? Who knows. Either way, the oppression of large numbers of New Zealanders guarantees that so long as there is no justice, we will speak.

Causes:
I live tweet, photograph, promote and infrequently organise social justice actions in Auckland, New Zealand and I have recently moved to Berlin, Germany. I try to cover any action which aligns with true Occupy principles.

I write for a whole host of different publications and you can see a complete list of my recently published articles, along with my portfolio, profile, interviews and other information at Suzi3d.com

Blowing our own whistle sucks and everyone should have a voice regardless of qualification, however I am proud to have blogged for OccupyWallSt.org & Occupy Savvy; worked with HellaOccupyOakland.org, been referenced by David Seaman (@d_seaman) in BusinessInsider.com, reblogged on 404SystemError.com & OccupyMelbourne.net among others, been retweeted by countless high profile social media accounts and had my articles read tens of thousands of times all thanks to participation in Occupy Media.

In my first 4 years of citizen journalism I received $0 for my efforts. Was I just nuts? No. Occupy is priceless. No experience I’ve had can be quantified in economic terms. The hardships retributively imposed only stiffen our resolve. Occupy is family. I can’t regret a thing!

I urge you to check out the following via Twitter:

#OWS @OccupyWallSt / @OccupyWallStNYC
@OccupyNZ @OccupyNZD @amplifyonly
@endarken @Suzi3d @decipheryou
@thespinbin @contraspin @MintPressNews
#SaveGI Glen Innes Housing Protests
#TPPANoWay #TPP #TPPA Trans-Pacific Partnership “Trade” Agreement / #D8 Shutdown
Greenpeace NZ #OilFreeSeas
#GCSB | #NSA | #GCHQ
#Schapelle Corby – wrongfully imprisoned for over 15 years for corporate interests – www.expendable.tv
@InternetPartyNZ #InternetMana
#TrapWire
#NZ4Gaza
#Snowden