GA Minutes 11.4.11

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Categories: GA Minutes, General Assembly

Oakland General Assembly

11/4/11

Arrival Time: 7:20 pm

Approximate Head Count: 500

COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • General Strike Follow-up: Labor groups would like to support our movement but are hesitant to join actions due to what happened on Thursday morning.  They will support us further if we commit to non-violence.
  • Legal: Join us.  You must come to two meetings and do two days of jail support.
  • Medic: If you were exposed to tear gas, come to the tent for detox.
  • Web group: Facebook posting has been turned off so that it can be readable.  Committee announcements will be made on FB.  You may directly message admin. Of the FB page if you need to access the posts.
  • Media: We have a gmail account.  We are going to be interviewed on the radio.  If you are interested in being interviewed, contact us  at oakstrikemedia@gmail.com.
  • Business Working Group – The EBX wants to give us one page per week, however they are concerned with affiliating with us because we accept payments through paypal and amazon.  They urge us to use a bank or credit union.  We are receiving support in press and material from the Rising Loafer.
  • Children’s Village: We need volunteers at the village.  If you are available, email me at oaktownchildrensvillage@gmail.com.  Children are planning a camp-out of solidarity in about two weeks at Tilden Park.
  • POC: We meet M/W/F at 6pm, Sun at 4pm.
  • Security: Security tonight from 10pm to 2 am.  Get involved!
  • Garden: Tomorrow’s action: replace all soil bins with organic soil and vegetables, herbs, and fruit.
  • Finance: Join us T/Th/F by Tully’s.

 

FORUM (7:45 )

There are diverse ways to support the growth of this movement.  How will I as an individual or as an associated org. actively continue to grow the occupy movement?  We will have 30 minutes of forum: one minute each.

  • We as city workers want to work with you.  We want to form a working group with you. 
  • We should unite around one common message: the separation of corporations and government.  Stop paying your federal taxes.  Demand a city ordinance requiring contract in hand for any foreclosure. 
  • We need to include more people in this movement. 
  • Form other neighborhood GA’s in Fruitvale, East Oakland, and West Oakland.  Support marches and strategic occupations of empty buildings. 
  • Hold a press conference to educate the public.  Use the MSM as a tool.
  • We need translators to make this more international within the city and across the world.
  • We need to provide services in neighborhoods, on mobile carts and in abandoned buildings.
  • Defend foreclosures.  Make a list of evicted people, and see if they want our help.
  • Mobilize those in education.  Promote peaceful protests and discourage property destruction.
  • Support a diversity of tactics.  Don’t let internal struggles eat us alive, because that’s what they want.
  • There is strength in numbers.
  • Consolidate information (media, photos, video) about the movement; send PSA’s to radio stations or livestreams that are more reliable.
  • Add a list of businesses and restaurants who support OO on the website.
  • Create art to draw people in.
  • Occupy Times Square during New Year’s Eve: THE REVOLUTION WIL BE TELEVISED.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • My friend Jack put up his rent money to pay for busses to go to the port.  Please reimburse him.  It wasn’t from the city or the ILWU.  Please donate if you can.  I need the finance committee now.
  • I received money from you all: THANK YOU.  A woman also wrote me a check for $850.  When this check clears, I will donate this money to OO.
  • We want to explain the connection of the port-shut-down to the ILWU’s struggle.  100,000 people marched on the port of Oakland, and shut the port down in solidarity with the Longshoremen in Longview in Washington against the EGT.
  • One of our friends was beaten by police on Thursday.  He was detained for 18 hours and was not given immediate medical attention.  He was finally taken to Highland Hospital for a lacerated spleen.  His name is Kayvon Saveghi.
  • Clarification: We do love and support all of our comrades.  Please, unless it is urgent, please talk with us before you make announcements about comrades.

PROPOSALS  (8:50)

  • 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.
  • By Sunday, the FWG will lay out all these details, and it will be on the website.

1.Community Democracy Neighborhood Project: We propose creating neighborhood assemblies to exercise direct democracy, and to bring people together in face to face discussions.  We need to build collective power and let the people decide how the city is run.  We propose to change the city’s charter through this process so the community decides the city’s budget.

Break into groups of 20 and discuss the pros and cons.

  • Clarifying Questions and Answers
    • Will those who do not have residences in Oakland be able to participate? – The ultimate goal is to have all Oaklanders participate in making decisions.  Others are welcome to contribute their skills.
    • For those who do not use political channels are there ways to reduce the police budget? – Everything is political.  We can change the city charter.  That is the first step.
    • Are you proposing that OO take on a ballot initiative to change the city charter?  – Yes.  It will be A project not THE only project.  We think a good first step in sharing our version of direct democracy with Oakland.
    • Are we being asked to consider to forming a working group, or we being asked to approve a specific ballot measure?  – Both.
    • How will you deal with undocumented residents?  How will you deal with people who have been disenfranchised from their voting rights? – To change the charter, you can allow whomever you want to participate in those decisions.  Federal law does not prohibit, for example, 16 year olds voting on a decision.
    • How do you negotiate dealing with such a large project with other projects we currently have going (foreclosed home defense, etc)? (I did not hear the answer)
    • How would neighborhoods be determined?  What would the process be for amending the charter? – A draft will be worked out through the working group, regarding neighborhoods.  We would have to write the legislation, file it with the city, gather signatures, educate our community, and put it up for a vote in 2012.  Community budgeting occurs now in Brazil – there are lots of strategies to draw on.
    • What about those who work in Oakland, but don’t live here?  What about advertisements? – The assembly will decide how those who don’t live in the neighborhood will participate.  Ultimately, residents would make the decision to vote.
    • Pros – none
    • Cons
      • This might divert us into electoral politics.  Our strength is indirect mass action.
      • You don’t need our approval – form a working group if you want to.
      • Popular assemblies are a great idea, but we might be setting ourselves up for failure to hope for a ballot initiative with the city.
      • OO should not endorse political process actions in the city.
      • This presupposes the existence of popular neighborhood assemblies.   However, this proposal is well intentioned.
      • We need to reach out to communities not here today, and ensure that assemblies remain democratic over the long term.
      • Response: We are fully enmeshed in the capitalistic system.  We use materials bought by workers who are the system that we oppose.  Let’s not have any illusions here.  We are not yet autonomous.  We have to diversify our tactics.

VOTING RESULTS

37.8 % in favor. THIS PROPOSAL HAS BEEN TABLED.

YES: 62

ABSTAIN: 33

NO: 102

2. Wells Fargo March: Be here 10am Saturday to link up with immigrants rights groups.  This march is against money going to detention centers. Endorse this action.

Straw Poll: Who would like to endorse this action?  Who would like to go to a vote?  To respect those who have concerns, we will take five concerns.

  • Pros
  • Cons/CQ’s
    • Isn’t it true that OO does not support outside actions from other groups?
      • These are local grassroots organizations.  They participated in our strike on Wednesday.  They want our support.
  • What is being protested?
    • (Repeats proposal)
  • Will this stay  committed to nonviolence?
    • We want to protect the safety and rights of immigrants.  We stand by non-violence.

VOTING RESULTS

99 % in favor. THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED.

YES: 117

ABSTAIN: 7

NO: 1

ACTION ANNOUNCEMENTS and GENERAL ANOUNCEMENTS

  • 11/11/11 at 11:00 am – Take the Bay Bridge with me!
  • I am here from NY, and I have been taking minutes at this GA (notes are projected on wall).  After the GA you are welcome to post messages that will go around the world.  There is no censorship.
  • If you would like to take minutes with me, please join me.  I also encourage you to email the facilitation committee and give feedback about the GA’s.
  • Meet at 4pm at 14th and Broadway to picket an anti-choice/anti-woman banquet at the Marriot Hotel.
  • Statewide actions:
    • Wednesday, 12 noon, November 9th,  – Education Walk Out/Tent City at UC Berkeley
    • Wednesday, 7am, November 16th – norcal Convergence at UCSF: say no to cuts, fee hikes, and school closures!
    • Tomorrow is Move Your Money Day!  Golden One Credit Union on Clay Street has extended its hours for Saturday, 9am-5pm.
    • 36th annual American Indian Film Festival at The Landmark Embarcadero, and at The Palace of Fine Arts
    • My name is Dave and I am interested in starting up some Guerilla Theater and other crazy, out of the box actions.  Find me if interested.
    • I want to support the 11/11/11 action, but I need some help.  Find me!

CLOSING

10:35  pm

 

4920

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