Joyce L. Arnold, Liberally Independent, Queer Talk, equality activist, writer.
The Occupy movement continues creating space for much needed conversations about the realities of the lives of the “99%.” The conversations have actually been taking place for years, decades even. But Occupy’s highly visible physical spaces are making room for more people to engage in the discussions. This worries the Serious People, who’ve tried ignoring and demeaning and co-opting and “I’m one of you” and multiple other ways to control what’s happening. Including, of course, police force. The Occupation simply continues.
Occupy Oakland update:
If you haven’t, check out Taylor’s earlier post regarding Scott Olsen, be sure to do so.
Today from OWS:
Tonight: Vigils Across America for Scott Olsen, Marine Veteran Critically Injured by Police Projectile at #OccupyOakland …
This morning Occupy Oakland and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) put out a call for occupations across America and around the world to hold solidarity vigils for Scott Olsen, a former Marine and two time Iraq War veteran. Olsen sustained a skull fracture after being shot in the head on October 25 with a police projectile while peacefully participating in an Occupy Oakland march.
People across the country reacted with outrage yesterday to the police brutality unleashed against peaceful people engaged in protest in Oakland — and particularly to the injury of Scott Olsen. …
Scott is currently sedated and in critical condition at a local hospital.
Also today, from Occupy Oakland: (emphasis mine)
GENERAL STRIKE & MASS DAY OF ACTION – NOVEMBER 2
… Below is the proposal passed by the Occupy Oakland General Assembly on Wednesday October 26, 2011 in reclaimed Oscar Grant Plaza. 1607 people voted. 1484 voted in favor of the resolution, 77 abstained and 46 voted against it, passing the proposal at 96.9%. …
PROPOSAL:
We as fellow occupiers of Oscar Grant Plaza propose that on Wednesday November 2, 2011, we liberate Oakland and shut down the 1%.
We propose a city wide general strike and we propose we invite all students to walk out of school. Instead of workers going to work and students going to school, the people will converge on downtown Oakland to shut down the city.
All banks and corporations should close down for the day or we will march on them.
While we are calling for a general strike, we are also calling for much more. People who organize out of their neighborhoods, schools, community organizations, affinity groups, workplaces and families are encouraged to self organize in a way that allows them to participate in shutting down the city in whatever manner they are comfortable with and capable of.
The whole world is watching Oakland. Let’s show them what is possible.
In other Occupy news …
Two totally random tweets from the OWS Twitter feed. There are far more supportive than otherwise at the feed, but we know that these anti-Occupiers do, in fact, represent a probably sizeable faction.
FreeCapCon @zapem That is true, I remember the 60′S riots. The difference is we have a Marxist in the WH this time and he sides with #OWS #FleaParty
K1er RT @TCOT_Talk: RT @marklindesr Today is Teargas A Commie Day! #ows #tcot
A related story making the rounds is in regard to allegations that both You Tube and Google were asked to remove videos showing “police brutality,” including but well beyond Oakland.
Via RT:
Google has been asked by a US law enforcement agency to remove several videos exposing police brutality from the video sharing service YouTube, the company has revealed in its latest update to an online transparency report.
Another request filed by a different agency required Google to remove videos allegedly defaming law enforcement officials. The two requests were among 92 submissions for content removal by various authorities in the US filed between January and June 2011. Both were rejected by Google along with 27 per cent of the submissions.
Among many reasons such government actions are significant is the obvious: citizen reports and documentation of events are the only way we get a lot of this kind of news, at least initially. Videos, photos and tweets that go viral clearly force the MSM, and Electeds and Wall Street, to look where they just as clearly don’t want to.
It’s also becoming more difficult to maintain the claim that the Occupy movement doesn’t have a “clear message,” which usually means, they don’t have the kind of list of demands that fits the way the Serious People prefer. One example of what seems rather clear to me, from Occupy Chico: (emphasis mine)
It is no longer enough to vote and to participate in the political system because our political system has been altered drastically from its intended and proper function. Currently, we are allowed to pick from a few candidates whose campaigns are funded more and more by large organizations, corporations, and special interests. The success of their campaigns depends entirely on how the corporate mass media presents them. …
We are one city in a growing national movement of people who no longer feel that their government works in their best interest.
Finally, an example of what’s happening in Occupied cities across the nation – city officials and police departments trying to decide how to handle Occupiers who aren’t going away. From Nashville Peace & Justice Center:
Occupy Nashville has been told it that must vacate Legislative Plaza during the nights, starting at 8pm tomorrow (Thursday, 10/27), although the authorities had earlier agreed that Occupy Nashville had First Amendment rights to stay there. At tonight’s and tomorrow night’s (Oct 26 and 27) General Assemblies at 7pm, Occupy Nashville will have to make big decisions and plan how to carry them out with dignity and nonviolence.
Your thoughts, and local Occupy information, always great to receive.
(Photo via Occupy Oakland)
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