November 13, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APEC World Leaders Dinner Gets Occupied

Within secure zone, musician sings on behalf of the many

Honolulu - A change in the programmed entertainment at last night's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gala left a few world leaders slack-jawed, though most seemed not to notice that anything was amiss.

During the gala dinner, renowned Hawaiian guitarist Makana, who performed at the White House in 2009, opened his suit jacket to reveal a home-made “Occupy with Aloha” T-shirt. Then, instead of playing the expected instrumental background music, he spent almost 45 minutes repeatedly singing his protest ballad released earlier that day. The ballad, called “We Are the Many,” includes lines such as “The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw.... And until they are purged, we won't withdraw,” and ends with the refrain: “We'll occupy the streets, we'll occupy the courts, we'll occupy the offices of you, till you do the bidding of the many, not the few.”

Those who could hear Makana’s message included Presidents Barack Obama of the United States of America, Hu Jintao of China, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, and over a dozen other heads of state.

“At first, I was worried about playing ‘We Are The Many,’” said Makana. “But I found it odd that I was afraid to sing a song I’d written, especially since I'd written it with these people in mind.”

The gala was the most secure event of the summit. It was held inside the Hale Koa hotel, a 72-acre facility owned and controlled by the US Defense Department; the site was fortified with an additional three miles of fencing constructed solely for the APEC summit.

Makana was surprised that no one objected to him playing the overtly critical song. “I just kept doing different versions,” he said. “I must’ve repeated ‘the bidding of the many, not the few’ at least 50 times, like a mantra. It was surreal and sobering.”

Makana’s new song is inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has taken root in cities worldwide. Last Saturday, eight protesters were arrested when they refused to leave the Occupy Honolulu encampment at Thomas Square Park. Occupy Honolulu has joined other groups, including Moana Nui, to protest the APEC meeting, and while Makana performed, hundreds of people protested outside.

After facing large-scale protests in South Korea, Australia, Peru, and Japan, APEC moved this year's event to Hawaii, the most isolated piece of land on earth. In preparation for the meeting, homeless families were moved out of sight and millions of taxpayer dollars were spent on security—including over $700,000 on non-lethal weapons for crowd control. In a bitter twist, the multi-million dollar security plans backfired when a local Hawaiian man was shot and killed by a 27-year-old DC-based federal agent providing security for dignitaries.

Makana’s action was assisted by the Yes Lab and Occupy the Boardroom. In recent weeks, Occupy protesters have been showing up at corporate events, headquarters and even on the doorsteps of those in power. “Makana really raised the bar by delivering the Occupy message inside what is probably the most secure place on the planet right now,” said Mike Bonanno of the Yes Lab.

“My uncle taught me to feel out the audience and play what my heart tells me to,” said Makana. “That’s what I did tonight.”

Contact:

Mike Bonanno: music@yeslab.org, 917-209-3282

John Sweeney: hawaii@yeslab.org, 808-230-0799

Video:

Photos (click some for high-res):

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Lyrics to "We Are the Many":

Ye come here, gather 'round the stage

The time has come for us to voice our rage

Against the ones who've trapped us in a cage

To steal from us the value of our wage



From underneath the vestiture of law

The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw

At liberty, the bureaucrats guffaw

And until they are purged, we won't withdraw



We'll occupy the streets

We'll occupy the courts

We'll occupy the offices of you

Till you do

The bidding of the many, not the few



Our nation was built upon the right

Of every person to improve their plight

But laws of this Republic they rewrite

And now a few own everything in sight



They own it free of liability

They own, but they are not like you and me

Their influence dictates legality

And until they are stopped we are not free



We'll occupy the streets

We'll occupy the courts

We'll occupy the offices of you

Till you do

The bidding of the many, not the few



You enforce your monopolies with guns

While sacrificing our daughters and sons

But certain things belong to everyone

Your thievery has left the people none



So take heed of our notice to redress

We have little to lose, we must confess

Your empty words do leave us unimpressed

A growing number join us in protest



We occupy the streets

We occupy the courts

We occupy the offices of you

Till you do

The bidding of the many, not the few



You can't divide us into sides

And from our gaze, you cannot hide

Denial serves to amplify

And our allegiance you can't buy



Our government is not for sale

The banks do not deserve a bail

We will not reward those who fail

We will not move till we prevail



We'll occupy the streets

We'll occupy the courts

We'll occupy the offices of you

Till you do

The bidding of the many, not the few



We'll occupy the streets

We'll occupy the courts

We'll occupy the offices of you

Till you do

The bidding of the many, not the few



We are the many

You are the few