I absolutely agree that we must prevent the small group of anarchists from “stealing the headlines” and preventing the rest of America from joining us. I just sent the following email to Mayor Quan. The General Assembly should approve our Leadership to approach Mayor Quan about this:
Dear Mayor,
I am a long-time formal Oakland resident, and frequent visitor. I was a peaceful protestor and Port Marcher yesterday.
I support you Mayor, and sympathize with your position. It is unfortunate that the headlines read that neither the Occupy Protestors nor Police are “on your side”.
The Police are Union employees. Like you, most of them support the cause of the 99%. Why don’t you broker a deal where the Police Union “signs on” with the Occupy Movement, supporting it. Police, dressed down perhaps to their informal OPD T-shirts march and stand with the Protestors, with signs proclaiming the unity, while at the same time providing “muscle”, along with the other Peaceful protestors, to prevent the small group of Anarchists who are stealing our headlines with the fires, vandalism, and violence they are causing. This could be a beautiful opportunity for the City, the Movement, for OPD’s reputation, and for you. Please let me know what you think.
Wednesdays are the one day I can NOT make it, so we have it covered!
Actually, I’m unclear about how to officially mention an idea, other than the email address facilitation@occupyoakland.org, which I have yet to use.
Is that the only route? Has OO posted these guidelines yet?
I will definitely keep the idea rockin in the groups I am meeting with, centered at my college, Laney.
–It’d be great if you would somehow keep me posted via my profile here–I only saw these re-replies because I took some time to check back in.
Keep it cookin–CW
Oh – and brilliant work if you can get a conversation cooking between your Teacher’s union and the police union. AWESOME.
Thanks Professor Chris. I will send a letter to those papers this weekend. Unfortunately, my family duties only allow me to visit the G.A. on Wednesdays. If you’re there this weekend, please mention this idea. Part of me is afraid that it’s perhaps naive of me to think that Occupy Oakland, OPD, and the Mayor could come together like this. I saw a lot of negative signs against Quan and the OPD, but really they’re on our side.
Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes.
Great proposal, Chris 2002!
I hope you’ll send a similar letter-to-editor of the Trib, Montclairion, and other papers.
I am working to get some conversations cooking between my teachers’ union and the police union. How many problems could we solve by uniting with “peace officers”?
Hope to meet you at a G.A. I’ll be there this weekend.
If you see someone vandalizing try to stop them if you can in teams, spread the word we want no violence.