I’m very excited about the General Strike and the strength of Occupy Oakland. But already there are quite a few reports of property destruction. I read that the General Assembly has not taken a position on the use of violence in protest.
I think this is just stupid. Are you unable to get a supermajority on this? If the GA disavows violence and property destruction, it can distance itself from protestors who choose these tactics. These tactics are destructive to the movement. The best way to “stick it to” greed, corruption, and exploitation is to build a popularly supported mass movement. These tactics alienate most people who might otherwise be supportive and scare off people from taking part. It creates a tenser atmosphere making protests less open to families with children (like mine), people with disabilities, older people, and anyone not wanting to get hit in the head with a tear gas canister. Avoiding violent tactics (including against property) doesn’t guarantee that we won’t be on the receiving end of violent suppression, but it lowers the odds, and gives us the moral high ground.
You may not be able to stop people from coming to protests and smashing windows, but the GA can disavow these tactics. It was naive not to, and hopefully it is not too late to regain the credibility that was lost by them today.
I also was disturbed by the inability of the GA to pass a resolution along these lines this week, and I think it is coddling an immature fringe of the movement. I respect their passion, and I speak harsh words out of love. But we can afford to do without those people. They can’t afford to do without us. I’d like to see however many of them there are, at most 100 in the whole bay area, go out and battle the cops without hiding behind our numbers. Then I’ll stop calling them a bunch of cowards.
VIOLENCE + VANDALISM CANNOT BE CONDONED! The anarchists + other individuals that smashed bank windows + tagged Whole Foods delegitimatize the entire Occupy Oakland movement + need to be held accountable for their actions. I suspect that much of the media will not differentiate between the protesters. No doubt conservatives will do so.
There needs to be a serious concerted effort to purge these criminals from the movement because they will chip away at our credibility. Suggestions on how to do this?
Helen,
You make this sound far more organized than it probably is. I mean, the whole idea of governance + “protests in Oakland” verges on the ludicrous. The “Occupy” movement in general has no more governance than a flash mob. The binding element is the commonality that the participants share, and to delve into that would be simply embarrassing. We could start with the fact that it is a re-branding of the very same greed with which they accuse corporate America.