GAs should be in a totally accessible location – if attending a GA means breaking the law, then it is not accessible for those who cannot risk arrest due to parole status, past conviction, immigration status, health concerns, or other responsibilities such as having children. Not to mention that this leaves people who do not wish to break the law out of the voting process, making OO a much smaller and more radicalized group. Civil disobedience should always be a CHOICE, and not a REQUIREMENT, in this case, of voting. Also, the proposal should have stated whether the building was wheelchair accessible. This proposal was a really bad idea.
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I think Boycotting is not a good approach. Bring your concerns to them in person instead.
I’m all for rotating GA locations—when we’re back on a four-per-week schedule we could do Fruitvale, W. Oakland, Macarthur, and OGP, with the new indoor location for when it rains.
For myself, I don’t care that much if we reach quorum every night, because general/action announcements are just as useful in most cases. I find out about a lot of good marches through these meetings. We should move the GA around so that it’s not always going to be inside in this one place. I don’t want to give up the foothold in the plaza, or abandon the people at the vigil if they want to remain there instead of trying to move to this new situation in the building.
‘Um, the Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, and Gay Liberation movements all did the SAME thing. They took space. Taking space is intrinsically tied to every major reform/progressive/”radical” movement in this country since the 1950s (i.e. Rosa Parks, Lunch Counters, building takeovers on campuses, Stonewall, etc).”
i think it’s faulty logic to compare this action to a lunch counter sit-in. people were beaten and killed for being in the wrong segregated areas. i get your point, but the comparison is off.
that being said, i like the social center idea. i think the takeover of the building will be difficult, but will be badass if it’s successful.
i do agree with jeanne that it’s gonna be tricky for those who want to participate in GAs but might not be comfortable being inside of an enclosed space as a trespasser. unfortunately, it’s a personal decision. if you choose not to attend that particular GA because it’s being held inside of the space, that’s your choice to make. if we find that several people are uncomfortable with that and quorum can’t even be reached to make decisions, then that will be a lesson learned.
Um, the Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, and Gay Liberation movements all did the SAME thing. They took space. Taking space is intrinsically tied to every major reform/progressive/”radical” movement in this country since the 1950s (i.e. Rosa Parks, Lunch Counters, building takeovers on campuses, Stonewall, etc).
Why are we discussing the legality of occupying a social center? Remember, the WHOLE DAMN ENCAMPMENT was illegal? The vigil is illegal. Having GAs in the space we have it in is illegal in front of city hall is illegal. One of the MAJOR aspects of the greater #OWS movement is taking back space from the 1%. Just ask any “houseless” individual how they feel about using the bathroom in downtown Oakland. You’ll quickly get a sense of why taking back space is so important and crucial in Oakland. Let’s stop walking around with upper-middle class Victorian era shades on. The world and this movement is more complex.
If you being arrested is a major problem (i.e. you have twenty children, are on probation, etc) then figure out ANOTHER way to support people. You can make food for folks, provide books for people, give basic healthcare to people, have a block party/G.A., etc.
Let’s not kill the horse before it gets trained for the race.
Jeanne is totally right on about this one. I work and take care of two incapacitated relatives. I would like to have a choice in my arrest.
I think that some occupiers are comfortable with the “galvanizing” effect of holding GAs at the taken space. They would like to see less liberals, social democrats or progressives. They would rather see more radicalized people involved.
I do believe that having GA’s only at an illegal space will scare away the less “radical” among us. However we do not have that luxury. Already we are near or under quorum during most GAs. Losing 25% of the attendees would mean having to revaluate what quorum is just to proceed.
I would hope that GA could be held alternating between the new location and some other location. Possibly someplace near bart? There are a few places that come to mind that are on or adjacent to Oakland Bart Stations that would be out of the rain. Macarthur Bart for instance.
Wow, Jeanne. You’re now on record as opposed to the general strike, both port shut-downs, the EGT grain-shipment action, and now the call for taking and making a social center for Oakland Occupy.
Perhaps if you’re so concerned about the Occupy movement being radical, maybe you should work overtime to recruit fair-weather liberals to join in. Good luck with that.
Are they still considering this? oh my
Hey Jeanne,
Maybe a surveymonster (or some other free online survey provider) would help – ask people yay or nay for a tresspassing GA??? I’m sure the sheer amount of nay votes would be indicative of people’s opinions. Besides hearing from people who don’t attend GA, but are active and/or proOccupy does matter and this would be a great way to get their opinion and involvement.