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 Ana: Stop 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!
