Author Archives: jamesoakcenter

The (d)evolution of Occupy Oakland

January 29, 2012 at 10:11 am.

Posted by James

There are a lot of reasons that protest movements wax and wane. People have short attention spans, or limited time committments. People move, have babies, get new jobs, or have to deal with family tragedies. Other times, the attitudes of those protesting can lead to reticence. They can make even someone who has donated lots of time and resources feel hesitant to return. Sustained movements like Occupy Oakland have a social component and definite social dynamics, and those dynamics began to turn ugly around the time of the second raid … Continued

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The 99% loves Oakland

November 11, 2011 at 6:10 pm.

Posted by James

What: A meeting to form an ongoing autonomous action of love. When: Sunday, 11/13 at 2pm Where: Near the flower shop in OG Plaza. If there is a raid and access to the plaza is blocked, then meet at Lafayette Square at 11th Street and MLK in downtown Oakland. Why: Radical love and righteous anger are two key feelings that drive this movement. However, too much anger can corrode the spirit and make people burn out. We have a lot to be angry about, but we also need to be a … Continued

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A note on diversity of tactics (for General Strike and beyond)

November 1, 2011 at 11:18 am.

Posted by James

Occupy Oakland agreed from the beginning that a diversity of tactics was to be allowed and celebrated by the community. We all come from different backgrounds and experiences and have divergent beliefs on how to protest. I want to argue here, however, that part of that respect for diversity of tactics means also respecting a diversity of risk. If you want to protest differently from me, all power to you – but don’t use my body and the bodies of thousands of others who show up for one kind of … Continued

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Upcoming Events

About OccupyOakland.org

This website was created in the fall of 2011. Most of it is now moribund, but the Occupy Oakland Calendar, which lists activist events in the East Bay (and occasionally elsewhere) is still maintained, the Search facility works to find earlier posts and keep OO’s history alive, and articles are occasionally still posted to the front page.

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly met in-person weekly (with a rare skip) since October 10th, 2011 up until the pandemic, at which point we went to bi-weekly Zoom meetings. We do checkins, go over the activist events of the past meeting interval, and have general discussions on politics and revolution.

For many years, until the pandemic, we put on a Feed the People event monthly at Oscar Grant Plaza, where all were welcome to come and partake of a freshly cooked, savory meal, before our GA.

If you would like to participate while the pandemic is still amidst, send an email to occupyoakland-request@lists.riseup.net. Check the calendar or this text to see if we have resumed in-person meetings.