Reflections

For personal reflections on experiences with Occupy.

OO Tactics

February 12, 2012 at 8:49 am.

Posted by Mike

I lived in Seattle during the WTO protests. There too a percentage of attendees were interested in mayhem rather than issues, particularly, by vandalizing the property of people and businesses that had nothing to do with the WTO. I think that it is inevitable that troublemakers will show up. Whether that is entirely bad or good I won’t say. Let me change direction for a moment. To effect change, OO needs a carrot or a stick to go with its demands. So far OO has gained national attention, by making … Continued

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a self-assessment for participants in movements, particularly occupy oakland

February 11, 2012 at 7:44 am.

Posted by a_small_voice

Do I tend to always speak first, interrupt or take more than my share of space? Do I unilaterally set the agenda? Do I assume I’m more capable? Do I trivialize the experience of others? Do I challenge or question the tone, attitude or manner of others? Do I make assumptions about what someone is more “suited” for? Do I take responsibility for, think for, or speak for others? Do I assume an individual speaks for others from their group? Do I control the organization’s resources? Do I reduce difficulties … Continued

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What I hope Occupy Oakland can avoid

February 10, 2012 at 1:00 am.

Posted by john seal

Foreword: I do not know who took the picture at the end of this essay. I chose it because I think it illustrates a critical point, and it’s also an amazing photo. If the photographer wants me to remove it or if they would like to me to include attribution, please submit a comment to that effect. Update 2/12/12: Though I’m not 100% sure the picture was taken by Ezra Silk, it appears to have first been posted here. I’m attempting to contact Silk and will post updates accordingly. Update … Continued

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The Difference Between Nonviolence and Pacifism

February 9, 2012 at 2:11 pm.

Posted by lavenderjoan

The Difference Between Nonviolence and Pacifism A tremendous amount of controversy is being stirred up in Occupy Oakland by the tactics of a small minority of demonstrators, some calling their group the “Black Bloc.” I agree with the assessment some have put forth that throwing things and provoking the police to respond violently is counterproductive and endangers everyone participating in an action, particularly the least mobile demonstrators who are often children and the elderly. Having said that, I would like to clarify my feelings on the philosophy of nonviolence, which … Continued

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Self-Critical Reflections from the Santa Rita Jail

February 7, 2012 at 9:55 pm.

Posted by Liberate Oakland

Reposted from Viewpoint Magazine Santa Rita, I Hate Every Inch of You Posted by Jeb Purucker ⋅ February 6, 2012 Twenty-four hours into my incarceration in Santa Rita Jail, I found myself in yet another tactical conversation, dissecting the numerous failures that had led to the kettling and mass arrests of about 400 Occupy Oakland demonstrators. This is one of the few upsides of a mass arrest. After getting the rowdy activists off the streets, the police find themselves hosting a three-day strategy conference inside the jail. Whenever a conversation begins … Continued

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“Police Caught as Agent Provocateurs/Black Bloc in Montebello”

February 5, 2012 at 11:51 am.

Posted by Authorized User

It makes me wonder….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVg16EUTDhc 18593

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What the hell, OO?

February 5, 2012 at 3:27 am.

Posted by jslam666

okay, i admit that <3 the girl from eugene<3 was cryptic, even for a haiku, but really? Youre just gonna delete it? I spent a solid hour and a half after getting home coming up with it. :'( And yes, i realize that was ALOT more time than most people would need to come up with a friggin haiku, but I’m mentally disabled for shit’s sake! I was just trying to document my affection for a girl who i had met at OO. :'( i hope youre proud of kicking … Continued

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Lessons of J28

February 3, 2012 at 9:18 pm.

Posted by john seal

I’m not sure the world needs another analysis of Occupy Oakland Move-In Day, but that’s what you’re gonna get anyway. I’ve spent too much time obsessing about it for the past few days to let all that cogitation go to waste. So here goes. 1. The target. There’s general agreement that Occupy Oakland aimed a wee bit high with the selection of the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center as the movement’s new home. It’s tempting to think that OO knew all along that occupation would be an impossible task, but … Continued

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Demands: Corruption, Citizens United

February 3, 2012 at 1:11 am.

Posted by Mike

Occupy Oakland should demand that Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate -pass a law to counteract the Citizen’s United ruling, -bar corporations, foreign powers, and non-citizens from contributing any money to politicians & campaigns, and -cap at $1,000* (periodically adjusted for inflation) the amount of money a citizen may contribute to an election, politician, or PAC (* or pick another number) I am concerned particularly that corruption forms an barrier to addressing all other important issues with the public good in mind. I believe this is the most important, … Continued

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Occupy Oakland and State Repression

February 2, 2012 at 5:04 pm.

Posted by jack

http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/01/31/occupy-oakland-and-state-repression/ January 31, 2012 47 Militancy and Counter-Insurgency Occupy Oakland and State Repression by MIKE KING A crowd of several hundred quickly swelled to a couple thousand, as Occupy Oakland attempted to occupy the vacant Kaiser Convention Center. The goal was to use it as an indoor base for Occupy Oakland – a place to have General Assemblies and meetings, share food and get shelter for the winter. This was in keeping with what Occupy Oakland has always done, a goal that is simple, though not simple enough for the … Continued

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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.