Jul 24: Rousing educational events in Market Square

First, workers, families, and community members will meet in Market Square to play "Low-Wage Limbo" and educate Pittsburgh about building our economy from the ground up.  From there everyone will march to City Council and ask them to pass a resolution that Pittsburgh is in favor of raising the minimum wage!  Folks will gather at 8:30 am in Market Square and will proceed with a march to City Council for a press conference and our resolution. 

Leading up to noon on the same day, A WAKE for OUR COMMONWEALTH: An ad hoc group of Pennsylvanians organized as the Sons and Daughters of Liberty is inviting citizens to participate in a Wake for Our Commonwealth, to be held on Tuesday, July 24th at noon in Market Square, Pittsburgh. The event will include street theater and a proclamation over the coffin of the sadly deceased Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There will be a solemn and dignified procession preceded by some music.  Then, commencing within Market Square, beginning at noon, we will bear the casket of our deceased Commonwealth, followed by a revealing skit about the kind of state shenanigans that killed off representative government. There will be, at the end of the procession, a mocking and ridiculous interment of the Commonwealth at the hands of Governor Corbett.  A mix of music and outrage!


This reminds me (Maren) very much of the Fasnacht celebrations in Switzerland (the equivalent of Mardi Gras, lasting about a week and having a strong political component).  In the Swiss village where we spent part of our sabbatical the Prince of Carnival takes his special seat in the town office for the week of the festival (which is marked by many events including a parade of children waking the whole town up very early the first morning, troupes of costumed citizens making the rounds of local pubs and restaurants performing political comedy skits, and parades featuring some truly amazing bands brought together for the occasion), and at the end is sadly mourned (with many speeches and much weeping by costumed villagers -- many in drag -- paraded through the town, and ultimately hung off the bridge connecting Switzerland and Germany, burned in effigy, and the remains floated down the Rhine.