July 4, 2012
Mr. Robert J. Boesch
President San Francisco Bohemian Club
624 Taylor Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear Mr. Boesch,
Media Freedom Foundation/Project Censored has joined a coalition of some twenty-five social justice organizations and occupy groups to protest the San Francisco Bohemian Club’s practices at your annual summer encampments.
We are holding an Occupy Bohemian Grove protest in Monte Rio on July 14, 2012. For publicity and information on this event see: http://www.occupybohemiangrove.com/
Occupy groups from five cities are involved in protesting your annual summer encampment of the rich and powerful 1%. Given that it takes $588,000 in assets to be in the top 1% of the world richest people, we believe that a significant portion of your members fit this category.
Our group has attended the planning meetings for this protest, and want to inform you about the days events and make some policy recommendations for the Club to consider.
The Occupy Bohemian Grove coalition is planning a four hour public assembly from noon to 4:00 on July 14. During that time there will be speakers, music and a creation of care ceremony in opposition to your cremation of care and private talks by policy elites at the Grove. KPFA radio will broadcast live from Monte Rio, No Lies Radio will video feed the proceedings on the internet, and Russia Today TV will be filming and interviewing activists.
We are not planning or promoting civil disobedience or trespassing on Grove property as part of the protest. We are not organizing a march on the Grove, as has been done in the past. Some curious participants may walk up the Bohemian Highway to see your gates.
Recommendations to the San Francisco Bohemian Club in a time of Occupy the 1%.
Whereas:
The 2,000 acre retreat, now privately held near Monte Rio, California, is in part an ancient old growth redwood forest with trees over one thousand years of age and;
The San Francisco Bohemian Club continues to exclude women from membership and;
Significant public leaders in the world give private keynote addresses (chats) on a daily basis on important policy issues, and;
The private happenings inside the summer retreat boundaries face continuing unproven rumors regarding nefarious behaviors and insider deals made by powerful elites.
We Recommend that:
1. The Bohemian Grove recognize the rights of humankind to enjoy a fair share of the common heritage of the ancient redwood forest by opening the Grove to tours on a regular basis when club members are not assembled—
2. The Bohemian Club begin a policy of admitting women and arranging the Grove to accommodate both genders—
3. The lakeside chats and other addresses by key policy officials be made public on-line and transcripts prepared and published—
4. The Cremation of Care ceremony be transformed into a building of unity of care in the world and the ceremony be made public on-line—
5. The Bohemian Club set up an on-line live feed from the main stage and field circle, as events are occurring.
We strongly believe in full transparency of public figures giving lectures to a select few men and we believe that the privacy of your events is unnecessary in a time of increasingly inequality between the 1% and the 99%.
We think that the San Francisco Bohemian Club can demonstrate a belief in an open transparent democratic society by simply changing a few of your historical policies. As symbolic representatives of the top 1% in the world, it is time for you to exercise a responsibility to help build a fair sharing of the world’s resources starting with your own Club.
This letter has been publicly released. We trust you will take our recommendations seriously.
Sincerely,
Peter Phillips
President Media Freedom Foundation