Oakland General Assembly
11/6/11
Arrival Time: 7:04
Approximate Head Count: 160
WELCOME (7:20)
This is the General Assembly. It is based on Participatory Democracy. This is how it works (description read regarding participation, the assembly, committees, etc).
COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS (7:30)
- Local Business Liason (Jesse) : We will address the impact of OO on the local area. We would like to establish OO as an economic stimulus. Tomorrow we will canvas the area soliciting concerns and comments from the business community.
- Gardening: We want to build more gardens. We need: wood, nails, starter plants, pots, etc. We meet at 2pm on the 14th Street side of the plaza.
- Sanitation/Public Health: We have physical materials and potential, but we need help.
- Medical: A black bag was stolen containing epilepsy medication. Please return the medication soon.
- Food/Kitchen: We need more help, more volunteers…we also need people to donate hot water (who might live nearby) so we can have hot drinks while the weather gets colder.
- Media: We have just reconstituted! We are going to get organized in a way that will be our media to be efficient, responsible, and effective.
- Finance (Victoria): We are hoping to put a proposal forward in regards to resource allocation. So please be here tomorrow.
- ANNOUNCEMENT: We have been asked to explain the EGT communiqué. We wrote a communiqué to explain to the EGT why we marched . We did it in solidarity with the Longshoremen in Longview, Washington. Please read more about the EGT to get more information.
- Events: Chris Hedges, Eric Jensen, and others would like to speak here. I f you want to get involved, please come to tomorrow’s meeting at 1pm at The Rising Loafer.
- Supply: We have an emergency meeting to talk about our logistical problems after GA tonight at the supply tent.
PROPOSALS (7:45)
- 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.
- Please standby for the Dreamcatcher Initiative if you are here to present it. Please standby for the Occupy Education Initiative.
- Communiqué to EGT: This is not a proposal, but was a letter to the EGT explaining the reasons behind actions in the General Strike at the Port.
- Occupy Education: We propose that this GA stand in solidarity with us, and issue the call for mass participation in the planned action of the defense of public education on Wednesday November 9th and November 16th -17th . Continue the 5pm planning meetings previously used to plan for the General Strike. This will show continuity between struggles of students and workers throughout California.
Temperature Check/Straw Poll: Who would like to get into groups to discuss this? Who would like to go directly to pros and cons? We’ll go to questions, pros and cons. Please repeat the proposal (proposal repeated).
- Clarifying Questions and Answers
- What are we expected to do when we get there? – We’ll set details in the planning meeting.
- Pros
- We need to support those in the 99% who are struggling.
- We passed a resolution in support of student strikes along with other strikes. It’s an obvious choice.
- Cons
- We should have education free for all…not just marching against “fee hikes.” We need to protest what they are doing under the guise of education (harmful research).
VOTING RESULTS
99% Approval: THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED
Yes: 181
No: 1
Abstain: 13
- Letter Regarding Personal Effects: The property of individuals has been wrongfully confiscated by police and city officials. Much of this property is shared or loaned amongst all. We are not willing to identify ourselves as individuals in order to claim the items because we wish not to have individuals’ names in your database. Please return our property and assess damages.
- Clarifying Questions and Answers
- Will the communiqué reflect that the govt. is a greedy corporation? – My intent was to give the workers and the powers that be to do the right thing. It’s not a demand, but an invitation.
- Pros
- We passed a resolution in support of student strikes along with other strikes. It’s an obvious choice.
- Cons
- This is a concern about language I’ve seen used in speeches and proposals, saying things like “Our government” or “Our process.” I’m not a citizen, so it’s not my government or process.
- Response: I would be willing to change the language from “our” to “the.”
99% Approval: THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED
Yes: 117
No: 5
Abstain: 13
Temperature Check: If you agree with this, put your thumb in the air. Stick around and we will have a forum regarding finances and how to manage them. Finance committee, please report to the stage. We will talk about this tomorrow, on second thought. We’ll also talk about how we can better organize committees.
- Three Tier Strike: Tabled
- Dreamcatcher Entrepeneur Initiative: Tabled
ACTION/GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS (8:30)
- I’m here from Berkeley Cop Watch. The Berkeley cops have been here. Come out on Tuesday to lobby the Berkeley City Council not to lend mutual aid to Oakland.
- 11/11/11 at 11:00 am, SHUT DOWN THE BAY BRIDGE.
- Political/Electoral Reform: meet us!
- All groups, committee, and caucuses will meet at 6:30 before the GA. We need better communication so the right hand knows what the left hand is doing.
- I will be traveling to Amsterdam. If you want to send a letter or a note, give it to me! (Victoria)
- Let’s do some community service to improve Oakland through this movement. I will be here from 6pm-7pm. Contact me at occupyandserve@gmail.com.
- Please don’t steal from the medics, go into the tent without a medical need, or abuse the portapotties. Clean up behind yourself and around your tent.
- I’m here from Australia – Occupy Melbourne. Solidarity!!!
- East Bay Solidarity Network is a group that works against housing discrimination and eviction. We need to help defend families against getting evicted out of their homes.
- We need to stay united.
- EGT Statement was not voted upon by the GA. It came from a committee that worked on the General Strike.
- First Aid: We support you and want to keep working with you.
- We should show family movies here, for the kids. Thank you!
- We respect the diversity of tactics here. You have to have well laid plans if you use certain tactics. People were upset because people rushed into overtaking that building. I’m not advocating illegal things, but we need to be thoughtful about what we do. We’re trying to give it back to the people. There is a place for MLK types and Malcolm X types. Let’s not let the movement be divided. If one is separated from us, then others will be separate from us.
8:35 pm
4922
Comments are closed.