Occupy OKC Raises Money To Save Hippy Store

Occupy OKC is taking a break from protesting to help save a metro business. The group has raised thousands of dollars to keep the open sign on the door of an Oklahoma City store.

Usually when people think of the Occupy movement, images of tents, complaining and picketing come to mind. The protesters have taken to the streets again, but this time around, they had a different approach.

The group's focus was a well-known shop in the Paseo District. You can't miss its purple exterior. Around town, people call it the Hippy Store.

"[We sell] everything from the hippy culture," store owner Lisa Ghariani said. "[We have] little oddities."

Ghariani has been catering to the hippies of OKC for the past seven years. But, when the recession hit, she says the end was in sight.

"It made a terrible impact on a type of business like ours," Ghariani said.

The Hippy Store was behind on taxes. It was about $4,000 behind, according to the store owner.

"I was ready to close up and just run away," Ghariani said. "[Occupy OKC] said, ‘we're not going to let this happen.'"

Occupy OKC leaders say they saw it as an opportunity to put their goal of supporting local businesses to the test.

"It made me feel really good because I've been taking a lot of negative flak from people who didn't appreciate the trooper confrontation," Occupy leader Jay Fox said.

Fox gained attention after an altercation with a state trooper surfaced of YouTube.

1/6/2012 Related Story: Trooper's Confrontation With Protester Turns Physical

"I just wanted to show them that we're doing real things in the community as well as questioning tyrannical figures," Fox said.

The group closed down the street outside the Hippy Store to hold two block parties complete with fundraisers, bands and DJs. At the end of the day, $4,200 was raised.

The store is expected to stay open for at least another year.

The Occupiers say they plan to hold more events in the future to make sure fewer small business owners are forced to close their doors.