Declaration from the Occupation of the Guggenheim

(NEW YORK, NY – Mayday, 2015)

Today we successfully occupied the museum with bodies and voices, inside and out. The Guggenheim authorities would rather shut down the museum for the day than talk to their critics. We didn’t come to shut the museum—we came to ask to attend a meeting with the Board of Trustees, and we hope that meeting happens soon.

Today is International Workers’ Day. When workers in Abu Dhabi—who are not allowed to organize—go on strike, they may be arrested, beaten, and deported. We repeat the demands for a living wage, a debt jubilee, and the right to organize. We appreciate all the workers we spent time with.

On this May Day, we also stand in solidarity with the struggles of workers everywhere, including the museum guards who make $11 an hour, and the groundskeepers who make $9 an hour, which is not a living wage in New York City.

The art we brought with us was shared by all but then violently destroyed by the museum.

We thank SASI (South Asian Solidarity Initiative), DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving), the Taxi Workers Alliance, the Guerrilla Girls, Mahina Movement, and our allies in the South Asian community who rallied in support outside.

This is part of an ongoing campaign, with 52 weeks of actions to come.

The museum’s disdain for the public and criticism will mean that this movement only grows.

Signed,
G.U.L.F. (Global Ultra Luxury Faction) Working Group