GA Minutes 10.19.11

General Assembly

10/19/11

Arrival: 7:33 (I may have missed some parts that occurred earlier)

Terms: FORUM is an open discussion centered around a topic that is affecting the group.  COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS are updates and reminders by committee reps.  GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS are open announcements under unspecified topics.  ACTION ANNOUNCEMENTS are new to this evening meeting; I am not sure of what they are.  PROPOSALS are items that are voted upon.  ???? denotes sections that were unclear or confusing to transcribe.  Italicized sections are my thoughts.  All bullet points are essential points made by speakers.

WARMUP: Stand-up Comedy

FORUM: How do we build solidarity?

• Be brief and concise and wrap it up.
• Make sure that this movement represents the 99%.  This includes all of us, and it includes government workers, city workers, and the police.
• We need to live in a liberated society.
• We have our own problems, similarly like other occupy-sites.
• This is happening all over the world.  We should have an uplift Oakland movement.
  • We are going to restate the question.  (facilitator restated question for the audience)
  • We should be in communication with other groups so we can share best practices and strategies for organization.
  • You are the youth we are waiting for.
  • Let’s look at other other Occupation movements and see what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong.  The police aren’t part of the 99% until they join this movement.
  • We need to see ourselves as part of a global uprising.  The democrats aren’t part of the 99%.  We need to be clear about who is behind this movement and who is really for the capitalists.
  • OWS wants to set up a conference, invite the other occupation groups, and potentially set up a list of demands through a voting process.  We also need to stay safe to keep it going, so we can grow in number.
  • We need to rebuild and create something new – we shouldn’t use the tools of our oppressors to build what we want.  I encourage everyone to join me in fasting in recognition of the wrongful death of my friend.
  • We need to remember RESPECT.  We are all here with our own personal motivation, but we were brought here for a common cause.  When we are talking with a person who has an opposing viewpoint, we must stop and channel our anger.  RESPECT EACH OTHER, AND WE WILL WIN.
  • There is no liberation in being restrained by the police.  Oakland has the ability to resist the police – that’s a strength.
  • Reach out, build bridges to the labor movement.  Consider Jean Quan as an ally.
  • Help and assist OSF.
  • Labor is from the people, and the people create wealth through labor.  We can build our own.  We need to build collectives.
  • Bring the community out to OO, so it is more of a people’s movement, where they are killing our people, the schools are suffering, etc.
  • Tie together everything and find a broader issue.  Focus on it.
  • 11/11/11 @ 11:00 OSF will occupy the Golden Gate Bridge as an action.
  • We need to plan a day for a General Strike.
  • Document this movement and pass on the word.  Use the technology you have to let people learn about this movement.

COMMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Gardening: We are setting up planter boxes.  Please donate containers, boxes, seeds, equipment, etc.
• People of Color: We don’t need the police.  This has to do with history and reality. We will have resources available to address conflicts (conflict resolution, mediation, integration and inclusion of others)
• Media: If you have content, please submit it to the website.  We need input, help at the tent, and ideas on how to deal with the outside media. Remember that you may refuse to be filmed or photographed by outside media.
• Homeless Youth Committee: 11am Meeting tomorrow.
• Working Occupation: We are a committee group interested in forming a worker’s coop (time banking, alternative currency).  We meet at 6pm daily.
• Facilitator’s Working Group: We need volunteers.  We’ll have workshops twice a week at 6pm on Mondays and Thursdays.  We meet daily at noon, during which we refine the process, talk about suggestion, etc.  We need notes posted online from the noon meeting.
• Events: We need more people to get involved.  If you see harassment going on, handle it without violence.  You ARE security.
• Outreach: We now have an outreach team.  We are working on making a flyer (from this info packet).  It’s a general call to come down, a description of the facilitation process, a list of committees, and a map of the layout.  There is some footwork to be done in East and West Oakland.  I need people to put in work and get new people involved.  We meet at 3:30 in the amphitheater daily.
• New Committee: In response to women, trans and queer people feeling unsafe in the camp, we are going to take this space (near amphitheater) and set up camp here.  We will meet each other, organize, and make sure to eliminate sexism from the space.
• Medic Tent:  We need any medical supplies and people with medical experience.
• Raheim Brown Free School: We need contributions from people who knew Brown.  Various workshops, lecture, and discussions are going on at the school.

AUTONOMOUS ACTION ANOUNCEMENTS

• I call all males to meet and talk about how we can monitor our behavior in solidarity with the women’s/trans/queer contingent of OO.
• Let’s defend families who have had homes foreclosed upon.
• 11/5/11: Withdraw funds out of corporate banks or redirect it into a safe local institution.

OCCUPY ANNOUNCEMENTS IN GENERAL

• None

PROPOSALS

1. General Strike Proposal: We propose an endorsement of the statement: OO supports all people on strike.

• Clarifying question: What kind of support?
• Answer: It would depend on what we wanted as a group.  Minimally, we would verbalize support and attend pickets.
• Con: If you do a blanket endorsement of all strikes, it might lose its meaning.  It might have more meaning if we target a strike.
• Response: I agree, but we won’t know how to target support until it happens.
• Pro: I agree that we should do this.
• Con: I think we need to add something about collective bargaining,
• Response: That kind of support would fall under this proposal.

THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED: (yes: 82; no: 0; stand aside:8 )

2. General Occupy Oakland Action: October 22^nd : Rally at 11:00 am.  March at 12:00 noon – Snow Park, Farmer’s Market, Lakeshore area banks.  We’d like to have a working group and we’d like to create a flyer for this event.  We encourage others to make content as well.

• Clarifying question: How do we protect this camp while we are gone?
• Answer: We can have working meetings over the next three days.
• Clarifying question: Will it block traffic?
• Answer: No.
• Clarifying question: I didn’t hear the answer to the first question.  How will this camp be protected?
• Answer: Other people outside of the camp could join the march.  We could make a plan for those who would leave the camp and those who would stay.
• Clarifying question: Could this be a continuing event?
• Answer: Yes.
• Pro: This is a good action to bring us together.  We could touch upon the lives that have been stolen in recognition of October 22^nd – Oscar Grant’s life, our lives taken by banks, etc.
• Pro: This march could be extended to East Oakland and West Oakland.
• Pro:  We could pass out flyers about this as we march.

THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED:  (yes: 99; no: 1; stand aside: 3)

GENERAL ANNOUNECMENTS

• Yoga classes and meditation classes are available.
• We’ve been at Snow Park, come on down.  Support us.  We have a different stance than others here – we’ve had a peaceful approach toward the officers present.
• I’m interested in gardening.  We are going to have a discussion about gardening actions around the city.
• Massages will be offered.
• See the movies that we’ll be screening.
• The megaphones disappeared – please get them back to the supply tent and share them.
• Car keys/house keys found.
• Thank you for making meals at OO.

CLOSING

Approximately 9:30 pm