After the Occupy movement returned to the streets of downtown Oakland this past weekend, the waterborne Aquapy movement also returned to the waters of Lake Merritt late Sunday night. Dubbed "Suburbia on the water" by one supportive observer, the second iteration of the occupy movement's playful offshore offshoot includes a tiny houseboat with a white picket fence, a jon boat to ferry Occupiers ("Aquapiers"?) back to shore and a clear message about the state of housing and homelessess in the U.S. today.

According to the Occupy Oakland Media, the official name of the homey vessel is the "OO Hope Floats". It was built out of "new and salvaged wood" (of course) floating on eighteen 65-gallon drums, and it even boasts a pitched roof, a cheery front porch and a barbecue grill. Seven occupiers have been living on the OO Hope Floats in shifts and while they are currently equipped with supplies, anyone offering donations is invited to "come to the edge of Lake Merritt and yell to the boat in a friendly manner, whereupon the residents will row out to pick up supplies in one of their trusty dinghies."

The purpose of the stunt, one of the boat's designers explained, "is to draw attention to the
question of homelessness and the problem of the rights of property being placed above the rights of people. We wanted to do this in a positive, entertaining, and lighthearted way. We wanted something that represents positivity and nonviolence.” The back of the rollicking home reads:

3.5 MILLION HOMELESS
18.5 MILLION VACANT HOMES
IN AMERICA TODAY...
WHY WON'T YOU LET US IN?

Previous attempts to occupy the lake lasted about a week before Oakland police arrested its sailors and towed the boat to shore.

Previously: Aquapy Lake Merritt Underway
[HellaOccupyOakland]
[@DavidColburn]