GA Minutes: 11.21.11

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Categories: GA Minutes, General Assembly

Oakland General Assembly

11/21/11

Arrival Time:  6:00

Approximate Head Count: 300

WELCOME (6:15 pm)

This is the General Assembly.  It is based on Participatory Democracy.  This is how it works (description read regarding participation, the assembly, committees, etc).  This is who will do each role tonight (reads off who will facilitate, keep time, take stack, and be crowd advocates).  This is where you may sit if you want to smoke.  Practice respect.

 FORUM (I was not present for the forum)

COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS (7:05 pm) (I missed many of these announcements)

  • Children’s Village: It has come to our attention via email that a child who voted during the 11/18 GA was intimidated and frightened by someone who had an opposing viewpoint during the vote to Rescind the Move to Telegraph.  There was an altercation between her father and another assembly member.  On behalf of the Children’s Village, we regret that this occurred, and we extend our deepest apologies. Our wish is that you return to our community.
  • Finance: We meet T/Th at 6pm at SF Pizza.  FWG spent $90 for copies; Strike Group spent $600 dollars;  Media:  Spent money for media cards (not specified).  We have raised $21,000 from online and cash donations.  We have spent between $5,000 and $6,000.  Contact us: finance@occupyoakland.org.
  • Reclamation:  We meet MWF, 5pm at 14th and BWay.
  • Events: M/F 4:30, all other days at 1pm, we meet at Brown Couch Café.  We have a Decolonize Oakland Event that will begin early and continue throughout the day this Thursday.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Pancho, who was under threat of deportation after being arrested as a result of the second raid, would like to express his support.  On Mondays, he takes a vow a silence, but I would like to read his statement.  He is here in love, the respect for the anarchy of the movement, and the reverence of nonviolence of Ghandi and others. 

 PROPOSALS (7:20 pm)

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).

1. Solidarity with Emeryville Protest: The Emeryville Bay Street Mall is built on top of ancient burial grounds.  There is a protest every year regarding this issue.  We propose that we stand in solidarity with the people who protest corporate greed exemplified in the existence of the mall.  The protest will take place on Thursday, 12noon-3pm.

  • Clarifying Questions and Answers
    • Do you have requests about how folks should behave, considering that this is a long-standing protest? – It’s important to Native folks in the area that it is a safe space for families in the area.  Take the lead from the organizers regarding tactics.  We ask you to show up with signs, and to distribute the flyers that will be available.  We will let you know which entrances to approach.  We specifically ask autonomous groups not to show up to this particular action.  There is opportunity other areas of the Bay Area (Pleasanton Safeway) to take part in autonomous actions and other tactics.
  • Pros
    •  Of course we should support this!
    • We need to honor history of our ancestors and respect this area.
  • Cons
    • I am making a symbolic con. We need to be more critical of the things that we hear even when we agree with them.
  • Response
    • On October 10th on Indigenous People’s Day, we had a lot of support.  We need to open to the fact that this is Ohlone land.  We need have decolonization in our minds.

VOTING RESULTS

100% Approval: THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED

Yes: 196

No:  0

Abstain:  5

2. Memorandum of Understanding with Local Businesses of Oakland: Presenters not present.

3. Solidarity with Anarchists: Facilitator said it was withdrawn by the presenters.

4. Portapotty Proposal: We have a Finance Committee Proposal to approve the $1,700 needed for the portapotties.

  • Clarifying Questions and Answers
    • Is this for future payments or for payments that have already been made? – This would be a payment for past billing…This would be a payment to the Oakland Educator’s Association.  This would be for cleaning of the tagging of the portapotties.  This payment would come out of the LongHaul account.
    • Are these going to be the same ones or new ones? – The city was unwilling to work with OEA, and will not move the portapotties.  They are now in possession by the city and have not been cleaned.  We cannot yet move them.
  • Pros
  •  None
  • Cons
    • None

 

VOTING RESULTS

99% Approval: THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED

Yes: 165

No:  1

Abstain:  1

 4. Statement of Intention: This regards my thoughts about the shooting and death of the young man at the plaza a while ago.  It’s important to check in with their own intentions.  I offer this statement:  1. Our intention is for healing, to share common cause with each other and stay rooted with the earth.  2. Those who indulge in violence and coercion are cutting themselves off from everyone else.  Greed affects us all negatively in different ways.  We believe that power arises not from coercion or greed, but from an amassing of talents and resources among individuals who are connected and aligned through a common human cause. 3. We need to bring about balance as healers – we do no harm, we bring peace, we serve, and protect. We choose our actions and we are aware that our actions have consequences.

  • Clarifying Questions and Answers
    • How long did it take you to write that?  Did you intend to waste our time? – I wrote this in a day after the killing at the plaza.  I wanted to share this with people to see who would be aligned.
    • Could we have a committee of people to work on the preciseness of the speech? – Yes.
    • How do you propose to eliminate hierarchies? – We don’t have to structure ourselves in that way.  People can cooperate without following orders.  People can make choices.
    • What is the purpose of the statement for all of us? Is the message that we have to get past the divisions between us?– The message is that we are here for the healing of the whole and for balance.
    • This might be hard to understand but it was beautiful.

F: That sounds like a pro.  This is time for clarifying questions.

  • I think this was experimental and cool.  We can’t really ask any questions or make a pro or a con about it.  Could we put it on the internet?
  • Pros
    •  I appreciate your inspiration and your time.
  • Cons
    • I’m against any statement of intent as a whole.  I think that although I agree with a lot of what you said, but it was very long to sit through.
    • I would like to vote on it after reading it and studying it.
    • It’s too long.  I think we need to synthesize it in 3 points.
    • People need to use the mechanism of caucus building to get people on the same page, before you come to the assembly.
    • We need to know what weight a statement of the intent can carry.
    • This is disrespectful to our time.
    • I think it’s important to have an intention statement regarding what we stand for, not what we stand against.  I recommend that you withdraw the proposal.
  • Response
    • I apologize for the time it took to listen to the proposal.  I will withdraw it for now, but I hope that you took the words to heart even though you were annoyed.  You can find me around the plaza.

THIS PROPOSAL HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN

 ACTION/GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS (8:20 pm)

  • We will march on the Federal building in protest of aid to Egypt.  We will rally at 5:30 pm with OSF at Justin Hermann Plaza.
  • Cairo has put out a call for an international million man march for tomorrow.  We will meet here tomorrow to rally at 4pm and then march at 5pm.
  • If you found the wallet that disappeared or if you have information about it, call 415-724-3124.
  • I’m working with other attorneys for OSF.  We’re creating a document to demonstrate what is a legal/illegal act in a park.  A vigil is legal – it includes tents, structures, library.  There cannot be any sleeping and needs to be designated as a vigil.  There need to be people awake during the vigil.  Runningwolf suggests that we begin this vigil in the name of Oscar Grant, because a civil suit is beginning today, related to Oscar Grant.
  • UC Davis called for a statewide University Strike for Monday.
  • We are now occupying 18th and Linden near a foreclosed home in a lot.  We have tents set up and we aren’t leaving!  We need tents, food, water and more.  We’re meeting at the City Hall steps so come and join us.
  • We’re from district 3, and we are thinking about taking over public buildings, specifically the Kaiser building.
  • I’ll be printing out the info about committees and passing out this information soon at the GA.
  • There are two board vacancies on the West Oakland Project Area Committee.  They advise the council on projects in West Oakland.  Contact me if you are interested in those spots :  oaklandjen@gmail.com
  • We’re here from Occupy Philly and we admire what you are doing here.
  • Theater of the Oppressed Workshop tomorrow: 18th and Linden at 11:30 am.
  • SF Solildarity – tomorrow there will be an action in support of a woman who was fired from Whole Foods.  Blockade at the SoMa intake dock tomorrow.
  • On Thanksgiving – come and bring your families here to the plaza!
  • 1968 Olympics athlete John Carlos will be at Laney College.

 

CLOSING

8:40 pm 

 

 

 

7409

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