Full Day of Action Coverage!

More than three dozen protests were held across the United States and Canada on October 4th 2012, to demand an immediate recall of hazardous ‘smart’ utility meters.  It’s clear that this movement is growing and that the public is increasingly rejecting the smart grid debacle.  Thank you everyone for sending in your photos and video- the best of which are posted below.  Also be sure to check out the media links on the right sidebar.  If you would like to add content to this page, please send an e-mail to info[at]actiondaytostopsmartmeters[dot]org  Please be patient- we are being flooded with reports from around North America.

Thank you all for making October 4th a huge success!!!!

United States

California

Burbank/Glendale:  Contact BurbankAction[at]aol[dot]com

Health, safety and privacy advocates worked their lunch hour to join the International Day of Action to Stop Smart Meters (Oct. 4, 2012) by writing and signing letters of complaint and protest against the $1.5 billion in smart meters that SoCalGas will begin installing in Southern California (Los Angeles County, including Glendale and Burbank) as soon as Oct. 29, 2012 and April 2013. Their “Elect to Protect” letters of complaint/protest requested that the CPUC, SoCalGas, and our elected local, county, state and Congressional representatives halt the SoCalGas smart meters that the CPUC has approved and that the Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) and The Utility Reform Network (TURN) oppose. TURN has called these the “dumbest” smart meters yet, and we agree wholeheartedly.

Please oppose SoCalGas smart meters and sign TURN’s on-line petition asking the CPUC to put SoCalGas smart meters on ice here: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/746/p/dia/action/public/index.sjs?action_KEY=9189.

You can also read Calif. Assemblyman Mike Fuerer’s letter to the CPUC in support of halting the SoCalGas smart meter program here: http://asmdc.org/members/a42/attachments/StayonSmartMeterInstallation.pdf

Encinitas:   www.electrosmogprevention.org

Out of concern for the public health and safety…we demand:

1.  Free opt-outs from smart meters
2. Full disclosure of risks cited by independent experts
3. Remove all banks of multiple smart meters
4. Do not turn on 2nd radio (Zigbee, for Home Area Network/HAN) as this will increase RF radiation in homes (is scheduled for this winter)
5. National ban on wireless utility meters
6. Remove all wireless from grid
7. No RF emissions for future technologies
8. Restore safe analog meters

Eureka:  Contact Beverly (707) 268-0951

We had our protest in front of the Eureka PG&E Offices. It went really well–lots of honks and thumbs up. We held signs and handed out brochures to passers-by. My favorite sign was “Smart Meters Make Me Sick.” Simple and says it all.  I was interviewed on the KMUD local evening news about this event.

Oakland: contact: isisferal[at]yahoo[dot]com

Got a few flyers also to PG&E workers, who were quite friendly for the most part. As we were leaving I called to a couple of them that we’d love to talk with them, and will show up if they invite us to one of their union meetings.
Someone from PG&E took pictures of us from across the street. Lots of people were coming to pay their bills and stopped to talk with us. Had some really good conversations. Steve went up to the corner to get some flyers to a crowd of school children, so we also reached a few of the next generation.
Very successful event! Looking forward to hearing from others about theirs.

Ojai: Libbey Park on Main Street  Contact: lescab[at]att[dot]net

The Ojai contingent did its bit!  We had  a local reporter there, too.

San Rafael: PG&E Service Center

SmartWarriors Marin County held a protest on a busy corner during rush hour in San Rafael, California to celebrate the International Day of Action against ‘Smart’ Meters.  People honked, waved and gave thumbs up.  We had about twelve people. Our group was energized and wants to do more actions like this.  Two of our group stayed at the nearby PG&E office and spoke to people going in and out to pay bills.  Most folks were really appreciative for more info and were concerned.

Santa AnaStop OC Smart Meters! Contact info[at]StopOCSmartMeters[dot]com

We had about a dozen folks attend our protest in front of the SCE offices in Santa Ana.  Not bad for starting to organize this 4 days earlier.

The police arrived when we began at 4pm and stayed on the corner the entire time until 5:30pm. We are a dangerous and threatening bunch, we are.  I really think that they were trying to protect us from the corporate bullies at Edison. Ha!  Nice guys…they even took our brochures and were interested in getting more information on the Smart Meter to protect their families. We were happy to oblige. Thanks, Edison for calling them up!

As we were just down the street from a high school we were able to talk to the kids walking and biking home along with some parents, too.  We handed out lots of brochures to open car windows and pedestrians that were interested.  As usual, people were VERY thankful to know about the meters.  It’s a crime that they DON’T know.

Santa Cruz:  Contact: joshuahart[at]baymoon[dot]com

We had an upbeat group of more than two dozen Santa Cruzans come out and tell PG&E what they can do with their dumb meters.

Seal Beach:  Leisure World, Seal Beach Blvd. Contact dharlow50[at]aol[dot]com

Sebastopol: contact: EMFSafe[at]sonic[dot]net  Today, in solidarity with Stop Smart Meter groups across the US, health and safety advocates from two Sebastopol Groups, EMF Safety Network and Refuse Smart Meters, held signs, passed out flyers and waved to passers by on the four corners of downtown Sebastopol today. People responded with honks, beeps, and thumbs up were given as encouragement!

Florida

Port Orange, Volusia County: Spruce Creek Patriots  Info: sprucecreekpatriots[at]gmail[dot]com

These are pictures of the Spruce Creek Patriots National day of Action against Smart Meters on Oct 4, 2012.  We were able to deliver a total of 238 fliers educating people on Smart Meters.  We plan to make this a regular exercise and hand out fliers at the same corner every Friday in October from 4 – 6 PM.  Next Event:  Port Orange, Florida, Corner of Dunlawton Ave and Clyde Morris Blvd. Oct 12, 2012   from 4 – 6 PM. Maredy Hanford, Leader.
386-871-9858

Illinois

Naperville Smart Meter Awareness Take Back Your Power: People Over Profits Rally

Maine

Hallowell: Maine Smart Meter Safety Coalition Press Conference/ Protest Contact Ed at edfomb[at]comcast[dot]net

Very successful protest and press conference. About 23 smart meter activists showed up and we had two of the three major TV networks filming. We had four scheduled speakers-myself for an overview and extortion, one woman with EHS, another woman who had virtually all of her electrical appliances including well pump, blow out when she got hooked up. We also had one impromptu speaker who addressed morality-telling the truth and how most people are not aware because they have been told nothing and how this is very much extortion.

Michigan

Detroit: W4AR Contact: Pauline or John Holeton at (586) 731-3314

Oregon

Portland: Contact Evelyn Savarin evsavarin[at]yahoo[dot]com

We had a tabling event on Smart Meters Oct. 4 – also included other wireless material that attract interest of Portlanders, Cell Towers in particular. We held the event in front of Natural Health store in a busy Portland neighborhood. I believe by the number of sign-ups received, and the number who stopped by to engage in conversation it was definitely a successful day.

Washington DC

Center for Safer Wireless/ Maryland Smart Meter Awareness  Contact: choch[at]centerforsaferwireless[dot]org

With about 2 dozen people attending, we had a wonderful protest in Washington today, including people from as far away as Michigan and Florida.  The Maryland Smart Meter Awareness members were very supportive as well. The weather was  warm and beautiful.  Four reporters interviewed us, plus a CNN reporter.   A few GridWeek attendees ventured out to engage in some lively discussions with us!

CANADA

British Columbia

Kelowna: A nucleus of red-shirted, placard waving and enthusiastic opponents of BC Hydro and the Liberal government’s program to install wireless smart meters in every consumer location in the province, gathered in the vacant Honda dealer parking lot in Salmon Arm in the beautiful Shuswap region of British Columbia at noon on October the 4th. This particular autumn day was chosen by the USA and Canadian National Campaign to Stop Smart Meters and Wireless Radiation Protection Coalition, in order to bring awareness of the global opposition to the looming dangers and threats to the health, privacy and security of all living things everywhere to the attention of the authorities.

Following a walk around Salmon Arm complete with flags and signs, honking horns, arm waving and thumbs-up from motorists and pedestrians alike, the now burgeoning crowd moved on to the Little City of Enderby where more concerned citizens joined in and a similar walk-around town evolved with a similar reaction from the public. If one leaned into the wind, one might have heard the unmistakable strains of “This land is our land…” being chanted by the group, now morphed into a mass choir.

Formidable and friendly, motorized and somewhat noisier, the motorcade and rally swooped into the downtown core of Vernon where more sign and flag waving, thumbs-up and waves were accompanied by more honking horns including loud air blasts from passing diesel truck dual trumpets. Many remarkable and impromptu exchanges between the protesters and city pedestrians took place and more information distributed to the innocent recipients of this insidious technology.

The day culminated with another walk-around in downtown Kelowna, with a majority of the original participants from Salmon Arm still forming the basis of the throng of demonstrators. By 7 o’clock the streets had cleared and a large public audience in the Mary Irwin Theatre of the Rotary Arts Centre participated in a dramatic power-point presentation by Jerry Flynn, retired Canadian Forces Military officer with 26 years of experience in electronic warfare, signals and the manipulation of microwave radio frequencies, as to how their adaptation and use in modern civilization in the form of cell phones, Wi-Fi, DECT phones and other wireless applications are causing adverse health reactions such as malignant tumours, leukemia, autism and other birth defects, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia in the elderly, behavioural problems in the young, etc., etc., in populations world-wide. Wireless technology will, no, is becoming history’s next global plague and will kill or maim more than both the Bubonic and Smallpox plagues put together. Now is the time to return to democracy and take back the power!

Victoria:  Here is one of the photos showing members of the protest blocking a Hydro truck. The drivers were most cooperative. We had a good turnout of more than 25 people in this one area!

‘Smart’ Meters – Not So Smart

Naperville IL rallies to Stop Smart Meters on Oct. 4th. They report: “We had an awesome rally! Great turn out and very positive public response:)  “Kids were holding signs that read “Honk if you think smart meters are dumb” People were honking non-stop!”

WASHINGTON- (Public News Service)  From Maine to Maui, a growing wave of health and safety advocates are questioning the rush to install so-called “smart meters.” The wireless devices to track electricity use down to each appliance have been associated with health problems and house fires.

Today (Thurs.), nearly three dozen demonstrations are being held across the country – including Washington, D.C., and Detroit – all to coincide with Grid Week, a conference of industry and government proponents of the “smart” grid.

Organizer Joshua Hart, with the National Campaign to Stop Smart Meters!, goes further – saying the devices are defective and should be recalled.

“The utilities are demanding that people pay a fee to keep their safe, analog meters, and we call that extortion. That’s unacceptable, and people have a right to be safe and secure in their homes – and that’s what today’s protests are about.”

Hart says problems with internal wiring and shoddy installations have been identified as the potential culprits in hundreds of fires caused by smart meters.

Smart meters emit strong bursts of microwave RF radiation that the World Health Organization has labeled as a Class 2B carcinogen. At the University of California-Berkeley School of Public Health, Joel Moskowitz, Ph.D., says studies have shown that the meters expose people to significantly higher radiation levels than cell phones and WiFi.

“So, it seems to be highly problematic from a public health standpoint that we’re just rolling out millions and millions of these wireless meters, without fully understanding what are the potential health risks and figuring out how to reduce any potential harm.”

Utilities worldwide are moving quickly to install the wireless monitoring devices, saying the new technology will allow energy savings. However opponents question whether the data privacy and security concerns, as well as potential health hazards, make the technology as beneficial as claimed.

Today’s protests are being organized by the National Campaign to Stop Smart Meters! and the Wireless Radiation Protection Coalition, along with more than 35 grassroots organizations around North America.

Audio version

INTL PROTESTS OCT 4

WASHINGTON D.C.—Citing thousands of instances of ‘smart’ meter fires, health problems, and violations of privacy laws, the National Campaign to Stop Smart Meters and Wireless Radiation Protection Coalition are calling for a National Day of Action on October 4th to demand an immediate moratorium on further “smart meter” installations and a blanket recall due to safety problems.  Join us!!

What are “smart” meters?  ‘Smart’ meters are digital devices that monitor utility usage and maintain continuous two-way communication between the customer’s property and the utility company.  Utilities are attempting to replace traditional analog meters on homes and businesses all around the country as a supposed energy-saving measure, but these claims are not supported by the evidence.

What’s the problem?  Many utilities are not permitting customers to “opt out,” and are even disconnecting service to those who refuse.  For those utilities permitting “opt outs” exorbitant fees are being charged.  As ratepayers and taxpayers we believe we are being forced to accept a questionable technology not in our family’s best interest.   On October 4th, together we say NO!

Why Oct 4th? Industry, lobbyist & government officials will be holding a ‘Smart Grid’ industry conference in Washington DC on Oct 4 – 6th called “Gridweek”  Gridweek is designed to promote continued expansion of dangerous and insecure Smart Grid technology and continued siphoning of federal taxpayer money to this debacle, which has already amounted to $3.4 billion for its current deployment nationwide.

Who are we? The Oct. 4th National Day of Action is being brought to you by the National Campaign to Stop Smart Meters, a grassroots effort bringing together dozens of local groups to strengthen and unify our opposition to “smart” utility meters nationwide as well as the Wireless Radiation Protection Coalition, which advocates at the U.S. national level for the public’s health, safety, privacy, freedom from surveillance, and for the environment from the many adverse effects of wireless radiation products and infrastructures.

What we Believe:  We demand an immediate moratorium on further “smart meter” installations and a blanket recall due to safety problems, serious risk of fire, higher utility costs and health damage.

Your Participation is Vital to Show Nationwide Strength in Numbers!!

If you or your local group wish to plan your own local event for Oct. 4th, start by visiting our Plan Your Own Event page, where you can find sample press releases, flyers, and other ideas for planning a successful event.  E-mail us so we can post your event on our site and let others know!