The arguments we need to unite cops, firefighters, soldiers and teachers with the movement! Show them they are also part of the 99%! Then go after the co-conspirators, congress and the supreme court: 6789
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Daily Archives: November 18, 2011
OO Needs Rebirth
A sign at Occupy Boston: Capitalism is Organized Crime BACKING OFF: After contributing to OO since Oct. 25 including being tear-gassed and witnessing rubber bullets and flash bombs in the afternoon before the worse attacks at night, I decided this week that I had to withdraw my active involvement. The posts so far on this section speak more eloquently than I– especially the poetry–to what it is that has led me to this separation. OCCUPY, FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE: I became aware of the concept of “Occupy” back in … Continued
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Strike Day in Oakland
Strike Day in Oakland by JOAN ANNSFIRE A human tide of people swept into the port. we moved as one, wound up and over the bridge and came down, came out, came across, danced and chanted; like straw spun into gold, anger and pain transformed into victory that moment, that day, that army of the 99 percent. In the silhouette of sunset, under the dark outline of cranes and containers, dwarfed by the massive equipment of the shipping industry, individual drops of water ran together as a mighty flood, heavy … Continued
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Corporate Business Associations and Property Investment Firms Do Not Represent the Vast Majority of Oakland Residents
Downtown Oakland’s Real Vermin Problem: Over the last several weeks, the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and two Oakland business groups, Downtown and Uptown/Lake Merritt business associations, had been the loudest voices calling for a violent eviction of the Occupy Oakland encampment at 14th and Broadway. Despite evidence that Occupy Oakland had in fact caused more business to flow to small businesses in the area, these business groups began to circulate the argument in newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle and in City Council meetings that downtown businesses were suffering … Continued
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OO speeding towards the cliff
OO has made tremendous accomplishments, but its full-speed ahead approach is sometimes reckless and counterproductive. The 19th/Telegraph occupation is an obvious example. There’s no upside to this frontal assault approach, because: 1) An encampment won’t be established; the police will prevent it. Will that result in a violent confrontation (which hurts growing the movement), or will OO-ers leave peacefully (no benefit to movement building, but may hurt it because the public has turned against encampments)? 2) From the larger movement perspective, it’s more strategic not to establish a camp, because a) Oakland-ers have turned against encampments … Continued
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Re-Occupy: Exposing Cultural Myths at Occupy Oakland
What a welcome relief the Occupy movement’s trend of “leaderless” groups! True, this seemingly contradictory concept is difficult to absorb in a culture that promotes a leadership style that models the strongest, loudest, most persistent, and most vocal monopolizing the microphone – both physical and its cultural equivalent. But, as Americans know well, repeat something often enough and it becomes part of the cultural vernacular. So, despite the difficulty politicians, media, and many Americans have in grasping this new paradigm, Occupy movements across the country continue as leaderless groups. After … Continued
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For newcomers at the 11/18 GA (or any other)
If you know people who are coming to the General Assembly for the first time tonight, & do not consider themselves part of Occupy Oakland, please join me in asking them to keep these questions in mind (repost if you agree): “Am I voting on what I want to see Occupy Oakland do? Or am I voting for what I want to participate in with Occupy Oakland?” If newcomers are not interested in any future participation with Occupy Oakland, & have come out just to give input this once, please join … Continued
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Tonight’s General Assembly Agenda Nov. 18th, 2011
I. Welcome II. Welcome Announcements III. Agenda Overview IV. Reports from Committees, Sub-committees & Caucuses 1. Committee for OO/ Union March on Saturday, Nov. 19 2. All other Reports from Committees, Sub-committees & Caucuses V. Overview of Process VI. Proposals 1. Proposal Rescind Decision to Occupy Lot at 19th and Telegraph 2. Day of Action on Black Friday, Nov. 25, 2011 3. Adopt the principle that OO does not condone property damage against locally owned businesses 4. ‘Action Agreements’ and Radical Inclusiveness 5. Proposal for a Coordinated West … Continued
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What’s Next: Occupy Consciousness
What’s Next: Occupy Consciousness November 17, 2011 Now we, and millions of other Americans, wonder aloud and to our selves — what’s next for the Occupy Movement. The occupation of public spaces as a tactic for gaining sympathetic attention has, it seems, run its course. Public opinion is often moved by media outlets fronting for corporate public relations teams, grand-standing political demagogues, and the herd of paid prime-time television operatives. Risks to popular support (over 50% of Americans now support the “it’s not fair” message of Occupy, twice the number … Continued
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Why Oakland and not Washington DC?
I had a question for the entire occupy Oakland. I truly support what you’re doing and the cause but why don’t all the occupy movements combine forces and camp out in Washington DC or Sacramento? What power does the city of Oakland contribute to the rest of the nation? I understand you guys are soldiers in the fight against greed and a corrupt system but you’re fighting the war in a location where no real troops are located. If the enemy is the government I would think Washington DC is … Continued
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