GA Minutes 10.31.11

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Categories: GA Minutes, General Assembly

Oakland General Assembly

10/31/11

Arrival Time: 7:40 pm

Approximate Head Count: 300

COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS (7:40)

  • Finance committee: Meets at 6pm, T/TH at the top of the steps in the plaza.
  • Sound Committee: Needs power amp or another PA system.
  • Supply Committee: Meets at the supply tent at 3pm. 100 tents to be delivered tomorrow.  We will decide how tents are allocated at tomorrow’s camper’s meeting at 9:30.
  • Camper’s Meeting: Meets at 9:30 am
  • Info Tent: Needs volunteers to staff the tent and help the public and campers, 8am-10pm.  WE have lots of flyers for the strike tomorrow.  We need to get people involved to handle large influx of people.
  • Gardening: We need wood, nails, soil, compost, etc.  we meet daily at 2pm.
  • West Oakland Outreach:  We will occupy The Acorn (1000 block of Adeline)  for a few hours and offer free carwashes:  occupywestoakladn
  • Support in Solidarity Committee: Addresses issues of law, arrest, bail, etc.  Next meeting at 12 pm Thursday at Santa Rita Jail.   Normal meeting meets 12 pm at the plaza.
  • Sanitation: meeting tonight at 10 pm, near the front at info booth.
  • Legal: 415 285 1011 HOTLINE FOR ARRESTS OR BRUTALITY.

FORUM OF FRIENDS (8:00)

This is a chance for us to get to know each other, discuss a topic in depth, and to hear about what we think.  Today’s topic: How will I (as an individual) participate in the general strike as part of the occupy movement?

PROPOSALS (8:20)

  • We have cultivated a modified consensus making process. (Explains)
  • Submit proposals to occupyfacilitation@gmail.com, or submit in person on paper.  Three or more people must endorse a proposal and be present during its presentation to the GA.
  • This is how we run the GA (explains process, hand signals, vote count, etc).
  • All are welcome to do autonomous actions with or without the approval of the GA.

1. Demand For Justice: I propose we write a formal demand including: all arrests as a result of the raid be dropped and every prisoner released.  We demand all bail money be reimbursed.  We demand that Interim Chief Howard Jordan and Mayor Quan resign.  If these demands are not met, we file a class action lawsuit against the OPD.  We could fund raise and work with the lawyer’s guild.  The legal team can refine the demands as needed.

  • Clarifying Questions and Answers
    • Do this or what?  What is our power?  – Class action lawsuit will take place.
    • Who would replace Mayor Quan? – I don’t know.  She is up for recall.
      • The NLG is already compiling evidence.
  • Has this been talked about with a legal team? – No.  We will do that as a part of the proposal.
  • Temperature Check: Who would like to discuss this?  Who does not?  Discuss with your neighbors and we’ll take stack. 
  • Pros  
    • There needs to be accountability.
    • We need to defend ourselves in all ways possible.
    • More investigation is needed into officials and officers who were involved.
    • We need to replace the interim chief and the mayor with our kind of people.
    • Cons
      • Customarily, we don’t make lists of demands in this GA.
      • This should be an open letter.
      • This is a local issue and would not further our movement.
      • This is about people self-organizing to get things done.  We don’t need them to do it for us.
      • If Mayor Quan were to resign and if Interim Chief Jordan were to be fired, we don’t know who would take their positions.
      • We don’t want to make demands because they could be denied.
      • Temperature Check: Who is for this?  Who is against?  (Many are against, no one is in support).

THIS PROPOSAL WILL BE TABLED.

2. Solidarity with occupations: We commit to giving support to those who claim abandoned spaces in local communities.

  • Clarifying Questions
    • Does this involve finding housing for people? – No, but it isn’t excluded.
    • What does material and political support involve? – The GA would decide, on a case-by-case basis.
    • Could we encourage people who occupy houses to contact previous owners? – Yes they could, but we are not dictating what to do.
    • Pros
      • We need to spread this beyond the plaza.  We need to provide the support for those occupations.
      • We need to investigate eviction fights going on and create a committee.
      • This prepares room for us to expand.
      • Cons
        • There’s a lot of subcultural punk- squatting in West Oakland.  We need to be sure that this would support people in the neighborhood.
        • We need to be wary of making promises that we can’t back up.
        • You don’t take territory that you can’t hold.

VOTING RESULTS

95.6% in favor. THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED.

YES: 133

ABSTAIN: 5

NO: 6

Temperature Check: Who wants another proposal?  Who wants to table it?  OK, We’ll discuss the proposal.

 3. Occupy Oakland Communication: The only line of communication is in GA and in our committees.  Our strategies and inner politics are to be discussed within the community.  If anyone does this, we will release a statement condemning their behavior, and will disavow their statements.  The issue would be brought before GA and a vote would be taken (60% or more) to censure that person or entity who was involved.

  • Clarifying Questions
    • How is this already the case? – This is our intent.  It is the case that it is happening.  We have already said we discourage this, and we want to encourage people to come to the GA.
    • Does this have bearing on autonomous actions or media statements?  – No.  It doesn’t involve media interviews nor does it involve casual conversation.
    • Who is the committee that will draft the letter and get the process going? – Anyone who has evidence of wrongdoing.   Individuals would have the chance to defend themselves before the GA.
    • Why shouldn’t they come here rather than us going to them? – That’s my point.  They need to go to the GA.
    • How will that discussion take place? – This has to do with state authorities, such as the police, the mayor, the government, etc.
    • I don’t understand the goal of your proposal.  Is it about people misrepresenting the group, or people blabbing information? – Some people have a line of communication with the mayor’s office and aren’t going to the GA.
    • Pro
      • Thank you for writing this.  This addresses community groups riding our coattails and saying that small groups represent us.  She is dividing the city, and pretending to meet their demands and meeting ours.
      • This has happened in other instances, similar to OO.  We need to prevent that from happening here in Oakland.
      • The danger with a leaderless movement is that people come forward and pretend to be the leader.
      • We need to make a guide for communities in Oakland to learn how to work with us.
      • I’m not letting anyone represent us without coming to the GA first.

We can make a friendly amendment to help community members plug in.

91.6% in favor. THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED.

YES:

ABSTAIN:

NO:

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • For the Strike – Arrive at 3:30 pm, to leave by 4pm.  A second wave will arrive at 5pm. – BE READY TO MARCH ON THE DOCKS.   Richard to help organize caravans for people who will drive.  650-996-7888

ACTION ANNOUNCEMENTS and GENERAL ANOUNCEMENTS

  • Lost keys: Please reclaim
  • Critical Mass will bike to the port on Wednesday, beginning at 4pm.
  • Outreach to teachers and students
  • Hecklers – please come and join me.  We will not disrupt but we will heckle.
  • The letter that seems to be from the mayor is fake.  I was the one who released it.  Here is why (explains).
  • Diana Santana released a letter today and it says that the city will not have any recriminating actions against workers who strike.  The SEIU resolution applies to other unions.  This is a victory for our organizing.
  • We’re holding an anarchist General Assembly.  This is an opportunity for people to plug in.  If you are interested in anarchy, show up at 12 at the Hold Out on San Pablo, on November 6th.
  • We have a solidarity statement from Pelican Bay (reads).
  • The worker’s people’s assembly is not organized in getting the strike tactics nailed down.  It has been lost twice and I don’t think it’s an accident.  This process is not working.  Someone on the facilitation committee needs to rent a hall, and – (stops mid-speech after being asked to leave).
  • Occupy Portland is working on a proposal involving the police liasons within the movement.
  • We are going to present a multimedia work about the general strike.
  • All women, transgender people, etc. come to the Feminist Bloc and march with us to the port.  We are against capitalism, because under capitalism we suffer and are controlled.
  • Please support my petition to have the people act as a congress.  We need to have a direct vote.
  • Come and join me and let’s create artwork together.  We can do some arts actions for the movement.
  • I’d like to design a creative action for Nov. 5th.  We’ll meet in the plaza tomorrow to plan.  We can combine Guy Fawkes day with Move Your Money Day.
  • I support the movement…I look forward to this as a union worker and a person from this neighborhood.
  • A federal judge approved a request in Nashville to make a restraining order against the police.
  • Spaghetti meal for all, Saturday in the Financial District!
  • 11/11/11 is Veteran’s Day.  We need to march with our veterans.  We need to march against the war on drugs.
  • Swagn For Justice is a youth event that will take place here in the plaza on Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 4:30 to 6pm.  We have a peace-keeping team to help our youth stay safe during this event.  We have flyers if you are interested!

CLOSING

10:00  pm

4918

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