Occupy Wallstreet II [Archive]

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Sentinel

8th November 2011, 05:05

Continued from here (http://www.revleft.com/vb/occupy-wallstreet-t161365/index29.html)

RedZero

8th November 2011, 08:12

The guy who made this video did it for comedy/satire/mockery of the movement, but still kind of interesting to watch nonetheless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkW0bt-9kO8&feature=feedu

KurtFF8

8th November 2011, 14:20

This video is pretty neat

30417933

TheGodlessUtopian

8th November 2011, 14:53

http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Activists_gearing_up_for_todays_Occupy_Augusta_eve nt_131625403.html

Already happened and it went very well.Lots of media coverage and many people from outside the camp attended.

Os Cangaceiros

9th November 2011, 02:25

From the Occupy Denver website:

OCCUPY DENVER ELECTS LEADER

In response to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s insistence that Occupy Denver choose leadership to deal with City and State officials, and drawing inspiration from the notion that corporations are people, Occupy Denver’s General Assembly has elected a leader: Shelby, a three year old Border Collie. “Shelby is closer to a person than any corporation: She can bleed, she can breed, and she can show emotion. Either Shelby is a person, or corporations aren’t people,” said a Shelby supporter at the time of her election.

Occupy Denver reserves the right to alter leadership status, but for now, Shelby exhibits heart, warmth, and an appreciation for the group over personal ambition that Occupy Denver members feel are sorely lacking in the leaders some of them have voted for on national, state, and local levels. Accordingly, Occupy Denver looks forward to communication with Mayor Hancock and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sometime this week to introduce their leadership.

Newly-elected leader Shelby will be leading this Saturday’s Occupy Denver march against Corporate Personhood, and invites all other civic minded dogs (and their leash-holders) to join.

- END -

way to troll, Occupy Denver!

Sasha

9th November 2011, 22:20

nb73zqY6lZM

seems you are getting to them people... keep up the pressure...

Red Commissar

10th November 2011, 00:44

Alright, an update from Occupy Dallas:

I posted earlier an incident involving a sexual assault at the camp site which the media and the city has been using to beat them over the head with and push for an eviction of the camp site.

Currently the city is saying it'll move to evict the demonstrators citing the familiar junk we've seen in other cities- 'safety' hazard. Citing some trash problems, bathrooms, and crime (claims of robberies and the aforementioned sexual assault), they're building up to destroy them.

The camp has filed legal challenges and the like to prevent the city from evicting them. The City has other desires to do this, besides the obvious antagonism with occupy movements as we've seen in other cities. Dallas is preparing to open a city-backed hotel/convention center that's near the camp site and that won't look with campers nearby over at City Hall park. There's also the upcoming yearly Veterans Day Parade, so they're probably nervous over that too.

They had a demonstration early on November 5th against Bank of America's offices, which was also that "Bank Transfer Day" or w/e. During this some arrests were made: five were taken in for ‘improper use of a sidewalk' and released after 36 hours. Another, Stephen Benavides, was taken in for 'assaulting a police officer'. The cop in question was off-duty and assaulted Benavides who was carrying a United Steelworkers Union banner.

IxcTCMwFcBA

The incident starts at about 2:00. The officer, Jay Hollis, was making his way through the demonstrators. When he gets to Benavides (holding the blue union flag), he demands for him to move. Benavides doesn't move. The camera swings to the right to under a tree- you can see the blue union flag there. At 2:13-2:15 you can see Benavides get shoved off the elevated area onto the sidewalk, prompting Benavides and others to yell at the officer.

Cops move in to 'restore order', and in the process a cop trips over and hits the sidewalk and a cop bike knocked over. When Benavides attempted to return to the sidewalk he was arrested by the cops. He got charged with a felony for 'assaulting' a police officer. It's clear here though the cop instigated the incident. Benavides was released about a half hour ago writing this post.

A clearer video of the arrest- after Benavides was shoved off the elevated area.

31660131

You can see the cops there pulling the flag from him, then the idiot cop flailing around and hitting the curb.

Cops here pull people off the sidewalk, charge them for trying to 'incite a riot'.

NLlupzjQL80

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/314492_311130158914255_288584814502123_1330370_953 226201_n.jpg

Ele'ill

10th November 2011, 18:51

Occupy Portland, OR is facing eviction. See Occupy Portland thread for more info- Solidarity needed.

RedZero

10th November 2011, 20:16

G9yENsvSMhM

Catmatic Leftist

10th November 2011, 20:40

G9yENsvSMhM

Everyone should watch this video. The man talks some sense.

RedZero

10th November 2011, 21:46

Everyone should watch this video. The man talks some sense.

I recently found him on YouTube and subscribed, he has a lot of great videos. I think it's a stretch, but I've read from some people call him "the next George Carlin." I see the similarity, though. Haha.

Here's another recent video I really liked, countering the point that so many people make about these protesters... "why don't they just get a job! stop being lazy!"

s3cOOyHuwv0

RedZero

12th November 2011, 03:53

I just saw this post on Facebook, does everyone here agree with it?
Seems accurate to me.

Please don't get me wrong here, I fully support the Occupy Wall Street movement's tone, and I sympathize with their message. However, I do have a few complaints. I really hate to admit this, but the movement is really losing direction due to these damn hipsters and capitalist apologists trying to take it over.

For one thing, it's just getting ridiculous. Occupy the voting booth, occupy the media, occupy time, occupy space...just wtf?!? The ONLY thing that needs to be "occupied" is CAPITALISM. Identifying capitalism as the #1 enemy is ESSENTIAL to the success of this movement. But every time one of these protesters gets interviewed by a media outlet they say "we're not against capitalism, we're just against wealth inequality" -- well here's a damn wake up call...wealth inequality is the biggest symptom of capitalism. That's what it leads to every single time. It's time for someone to grow some balls and admit this. Capitalism has destroyed America, and the world. All of the social injustice, economic injustice, decline of the working-class, degradation of the poor, and illegal for-profit wars are caused by CAPITALISM. Stop fucking defending it.

And for crying out loud, this movement was started by those to the left of Obama. Now these fucking college hipster assholes are walking around with "Obama 2012" signs. Barack Obama, a guy who's taken more Wall Street $$$ than any president EVER is being supported by an anti-Wall Street movement. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Not to mention, Obama has done more for war profiteers than any other president in U.S. history. This guy is a WAR MACHINE. The OWS protesters were cheering when Ghaddafi was overthown...are they fucking stupid?!? That entire conflict was in the best interest of Wall Street.

We need a real movement for the working-class which is 100% anti-capitalism, anti-war mongering, and anti-imperialism. The OWS movement is being hijacked by those who continue to defend their oppressors. It is not going to be revolutionary if this continues.

RedZero

12th November 2011, 05:09

http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_19315179

8:30 p.m. Campers destroy eviction notices
Every last one of the 200 eviction notices handed out earlier have been destroyed by angry campers.

marl

13th November 2011, 15:54

RedZero

13th November 2011, 17:52

RedZero,
the movement has no leadership. Really, anyone with complaints of the current system can be a part of it. There's communists, anarchists, and, as you said, Obama 2012 assholes. It's important to note that not every worker in the USA is a communist. A movement, that criticizes capitalism, and is this large, is fucking hard to come by. You're going to have to deal with it. Also, remember how this WAS started by "collage hipster assholes".

Haha, thanks for the reply. But a disclaimer: I didn't type what I quoted. Someone on my friends list did. I agreed with it to an extent, but like you said, the movement was started by those same people.

Ele'ill

14th November 2011, 22:16

Don't give up.

ckaihatsu

15th November 2011, 04:40

Take Action: Drop All Charges Against Brooklyn Bridge Arrestees!

The ANSWER Coalition is circulating the following message from the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund. We are encouraging all our supporters to send a letter to New York's District Attorney calling for all charges to be dropped against Occupy protesters who were unjustly trapped and arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge. After sending your letter, please share this message with others through email and social media.

Dismiss all charges against the Brooklyn Bridge arrestees
Take action for free speech rights and send a letter now

Organizations and individuals in New York City and around the country are calling on the Manhattan District Attorney to drop the charges for the 700+ people who were illegally arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge on October 1. Please add your voice to this effort.

Click here to send your letter - we have set up an easy-to-use system to dispatch your message, it will only take a minute. We have provided a sample letter, but feel free to modify the letter.

http://www2.answercoalition.org/site/R?i=usAN9XvnfgSbXVFNucnSuA

Background Information

On October 1, 2011, more than 700 peaceful demonstrators were trapped and arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge by the NYPD. Police command staff and officers actually led and escorted the march out onto the Brooklyn Bridge and then, when they reached the middle of the bridge, did an about face, stopped the march, trapped people, refused to let them go, and arrested them, all without probable cause.

Now those arrested are being forced to return to court to face baseless charges. These are working people, students, people looking for jobs, who must face the hardship of being prosecuted, and who did nothing wrong.

Click here to add your voice today and ask that the charges be dismissed.

http://www2.answercoalition.org/site/R?i=lNBld2AYICMHQ9S5rJ6hXQ

Read a copy of the letter from the PCJF to the District Attorney

The demonstrators were subjected to a mass sweep trap-and-arrest tactic used by the NYPD that is unlawful and unconstitutional in its entirety. The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund is releasing the letter that we sent to the District Attorney yesterday.

Click here to read the letter from the PCJF to the NY District Attorney.

http://www2.answercoalition.org/site/R?i=lNBld2AYICMHQ9S5rJ6hXQ

Help protect free speech now! Send your letter to District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. today.

http://www2.answercoalition.org/site/R?i=yp5PkZpJaVkFf5YfEycSsA

Sincerely,

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund

blake 3:17

15th November 2011, 22:33

The City of Toronto is going to try to evict Occupy Toronto tonight. A mass action is planned for tonight 11pm at OTO. Please come out! This has been endorsed by social movement groups and major trade unions! Please come out!

Latest: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/11/15/occupy-toronto-mayor.html

aty

16th November 2011, 05:35

10.000 at Berkely tonight...
http://s1-02.twitpicproxy.com/photos/large/448088929.jpg

Sasha

16th November 2011, 12:18

most iconic OWS photo to date?

http://www.seattlepi.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1758708&width=628&height=471

Seattle activist Dorli Rainey, 84, reacts after being hit with pepper spray during an Occupy Seattle protest on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at Westlake Park. Protesters gathered in the intersection of 5th Avenue and Pine Street after marching from their camp at Seattle Central Community College in support of Occupy Wall Street. Many refused to move from the intersection after being ordered by police. Police then began spraying pepper spray into the gathered crowd hitting dozens of people. A pregnant woman was taken from the melee in an ambulance after being struck with spray. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM

Dorli Rainey, a longtime liberal activist who moved here from Austria in 1956, also sent us this email explaining how it happened:

Something funny happened on my way to a transportation meeting in Northgate. As I got off the bus at 3rd and Pine I heard helicopters above. Knowing that the problems of New York would certainly precipitate action by Occupy Seattle, I thought I better check it out. Especially since only yesterday the City Government made a grandiose gesture to protect free speech. Well free speech does have its limits as I found out as the cops shoved their bicycles into the crowd and simultaneously pepper sprayed the so captured protesters. If it had not been for my Hero (Iraq Vet Caleb) I would have been down on the ground and trampled. This is what democracy looks like. It certainly left an impression on the people who rode the No. 1 bus home with me. In the women's movement there were signs which said: "Screw us and we multiply."

Sasha

16th November 2011, 12:21

eDu0HKyzQIU

Sasha

16th November 2011, 15:42

El Louton

16th November 2011, 15:49

Welshy

17th November 2011, 15:52

Here's a link for the Ustream for OWS. http://www.ustream.tv/TheOther99??????

They are currently not letting people on the subway with out a corporate ID.

TheGodlessUtopian

17th November 2011, 15:58

Pigs are trying to force the occupy Bangor occupy to take down their storage tents (which are kept in the park while they are forced to camp on library's lawn).Upon receiving the letter of intent the occupiers outright refused to take down their tents.The pigs said that tehy will be removing the tents later tonight so a group from the capital occup is heading down to Bangor and "help out."

Welshy

17th November 2011, 16:09

The protesters have just removed the barricades around Zuccotti park.

TheGodlessUtopian

17th November 2011, 16:58

.

uccotti Security Guard Calls Videographer "Faggot"

By Andrew Harmon (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Andrew%20Harmon)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/JoeyBoots.jpg

While the fate of Zuccotti Park as Occupy Wall Street headquarters played out Tuesday, one security guard let loose a gay slur against videographer Joey Boots.

“Your fly’s open, faggot,” the security guard, who was not identified by name, said in response to Boots, who was asking (http://www.bilerico.com/2011/11/your_flys_open_faggot.php) several workers on-camera whether they are employed by Brookfield Properties, the owner of Zuccotti Park. “That’s nice man, really nice. Really professional,” Boots replied (video below; exchange takes place at 1:48).

On Tuesday a judge ruled (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/nyregion/ousted-wall-street-protesters-face-an-uncertain-future.html?hp) that city officials could ban tents and tarps in the park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4CI3OFYB_U&feature=player_embedded

agnixie

17th November 2011, 22:32

With the news choppers being told to move in NYC, we're trying to figure out which stations are open and closed today in the lines that cover Manhattan (green, R and idk, last time it got bad the NYPD spread out enough to be at Union square so basically half the borough)

OhYesIdid

17th November 2011, 22:54

Been glued to Twitter all day. 10k massed in Foley. Airspace blocked by NYPD. Unmarked vehicles approaching. OWSF expect eviction. NYSE shut down.

agnixie

18th November 2011, 00:21

The NYPD estimates 32,650 people already. Crowds are growing.

ckaihatsu

18th November 2011, 00:24

They are currently not letting people on the subway with out a corporate ID.

Can I use the f-word here... 'fascistic' -- ??? -- (!)

agnixie

18th November 2011, 00:25

Can I use the f-word here... 'fascistic' -- ??? -- (!)

Capitalism in decay >.>

Os Cangaceiros

18th November 2011, 00:40

Thanks for the updates. I was beginning to think that this day of action wasn't very action-packed.

RED DAVE

18th November 2011, 00:47

Red Commissar

18th November 2011, 00:57

Occupy Dallas got evicted today early in the morning ( a little past midnight), keeping in line with similar evictions in other cities. It got heated at about 11:00 pm as police issued orders to leave, though 45 campers held their ground.

Police surrounded the camp site to prevent people from 'reinforcing' the camp as it were and finally moved in. Media was not cleared to come in. Police detail consisted of something like 70 or so in riot get up, 10-15 SWAT, and 10 horseback. Probably one of the largest police concentrations the city had seen in a long time. 18 arrests were made in the end.

The Occupy Dallas crew vowed to reconvene in front of City Hall and so far the courts seem to have not sided with the city's decision to evict them from the city hall park. That being said it's no where near the size we saw with OWS's day of action.

RedZero

18th November 2011, 01:04

Xwo5eumXxyA

agnixie

18th November 2011, 01:05

Just got back from the OWS demo. More than 10,000 people filled Foley Square. When my wife and I left, the march had started towards City Hall and eventually the Brooklyn Bridge.

A big, upbeat, demo, with lots of union presence (UFT, SEIU, TWU, 1199, UAW, etc.

More later.

RED DAVE

The line on the bridge stretch over one mile long according to the overhead stream apparently.

Also city councilor Jumaane Williams was just arrested.

RED DAVE

18th November 2011, 04:15

11:00 PM EST

MSNBC has said that the oinks say there were over 30,000 in Foley Square.

Tens of thousands are still out in Foley Square and on the Brooklyn Bridge.

RED DAVE

The Douche

18th November 2011, 04:42

Aren't they on the Brooklyn Bridge footpath though?

Sidewalks /=/ occupation of the bridge.

soapbox

18th November 2011, 05:59

Please visit...YouShouts has started a shout forum dedicated to the Occupy Wall Street Protests. We need your input - bring your best as every shout is read and rated.

http://www.youshouts.com/viewforum.php?f=3

There's already some good ones...and we need some more. Come to YouShouts today and send out your first shout.

Shout it loud, shout it today!

soapbox

18th November 2011, 06:04

We need strong opinions and people who aren't afraid to shout them.

http://www.youshouts.com/viewforum.php?f=3

Come check out the shouts in our OWS forum already, and send out a shout of your own. See if you can do better!

Shout it loud, Shout it now!

agnixie

18th November 2011, 08:46

Aren't they on the Brooklyn Bridge footpath though?

Sidewalks /=/ occupation of the bridge.

I have no idea what part of the bridge, but the last news I got, they were setting up a temporary library, medical station and other facilities, and were talking about a kitchen.

KurtFF8

18th November 2011, 18:25

Aren't they on the Brooklyn Bridge footpath though?

Sidewalks /=/ occupation of the bridge.

Yes, and 99 people were arrested blocking the bridge right as the march reached the bridge.

The police presence was massive, taking the bridge roadway would not have gone down well. (Not to mention likely hurting those facing court with the previous Bridge incident right now).

Over 32k people marched, showing that the eviction from the park hasn't slowed down the movement.

The Douche

18th November 2011, 18:26

Yes, and 99 people were arrested blocking the bridge right as the march reached the bridge.

The police presence was massive, taking the bridge roadway would not have gone down well. (Not to mention likely hurting those facing court with the previous Bridge incident right now).

Over 32k people marched, showing that the eviction from the park hasn't slowed down the movement.

The 99 who were arrested was a coordinated action with the police though, wasn't it?

I do understand that tactical issues though.

KurtFF8

18th November 2011, 19:13

What does "coordinated action with the police" mean exactly?

The Douche

18th November 2011, 19:16

What does "coordinated action with the police" mean exactly?

An organization or group of organizers coordinates with the police and says "we have this many people who are going to commit civil disobedience at this time at this place" and the police say ok, and they prepare for that, and they usually use some people from the organization who are going to be arrested as facilitators during the action.

Groups like VFP do it a lot, I believe lots of other liberal groups do it quite often as well.

Os Cangaceiros

18th November 2011, 19:53

haha, someone posted this on an Adbusters comment (in regards to what was said on an episode of "Hannity" on Fox News):

OWS are committing "Atrocious activities... the mission on the left is disruption... distraction... they are ill informed... they want free men and free markets, ... they should be at the White house... [they are] misguided... out of control... the shenanigans must stop... the [protesters] violence must stop... they don't clean up after themselves... anti-American... they need to be quashed... there is antisemitism... they are hypocrites... pampered brats... anti-capitalist... fascists... anarchists... malcontents... they want the destruction of the American system... rapists, drug dealers, masturbating in public, having sex in public... Obama is the father of the movement... extreme... out of touch with reality... filth... assaults... defecating on the American flag... misdirected... hating "the player" and not "the game"... screaming at people working on the floor of the stock exchange..."

KurtFF8

18th November 2011, 21:04

An organization or group of organizers coordinates with the police and says "we have this many people who are going to commit civil disobedience at this time at this place" and the police say ok, and they prepare for that, and they usually use some people from the organization who are going to be arrested as facilitators during the action.

Groups like VFP do it a lot, I believe lots of other liberal groups do it quite often as well.

Well it was the SEIU doing it. Had the police not been directly warned by the group, they would likely still have known it was going to happen. Regardless, however, what is the issue besides the naivety associated with the idea that the police should be warned?

The Douche

18th November 2011, 21:36

Well it was the SEIU doing it. Had the police not been directly warned by the group, they would likely still have known it was going to happen. Regardless, however, what is the issue besides the naivety associated with the idea that the police should be warned?

If you coordinate your actions with the police it takes all the weight away from the action. Its not civil disobedience, its getting arrested for show. Marching on the sidewalks is not a protest, its an organized stroll.

The thing that is ground breaking about this movement is that it is wholly based on illegality. An occupation, by its nature defies bourgeois law, and it is at odds with private property. You're taking a park which doesn't belong to you and claiming it as your own.

RedZero

19th November 2011, 23:23

A bit of humor:

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luxkpk95JM1qz7wfjo1_500.png

Zostrianos

20th November 2011, 01:27

A bit of humor:

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luxkpk95JM1qz7wfjo1_500.png

At the Thanksgiving republican meeting, Newt Gingrich said something along those lines, the typical right wing bullshit: if you're poor and can't afford education or housing, it just means you're lazy and want everyone to support you financially:

fcwoDXb--h0

Poor innocent rich conservatives, always being persecuted by those evil socialist liberals :rolleyes:

RED DAVE

20th November 2011, 22:21

The following is the latest set of notes from my participation in Occupation Wall Street. The previous 11 reports are under the spoiler.

13

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 13TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 5:00 PM TO 7:30 PM

13-1) This was the evening of the mass labor march which took place two days after the police raid which closed down Zuccotti Park. As had been worked out the previous Friday, members of the Labor Outreach Committee were to circulate through the crowd with clipboards to get names of people interested in working with the committee and giving out leaflets detailing the committees workings.

13-2) Originally, the form the march was to take was that “mic checks” would be set up in various places in Foley Square where people could testify as to the economic hardships they were going through. In my opinion, this represents both the best and the worst that OWS stands for. The best for its democratic spirit; the worst for the fact that it’s an opportunity for exhibitionism and self-indulgence. In fact, what occurred was that the SEIU showed up with massive sound equipment. (This was a legal demonstration, so sound equipment, unlike at Zuccotti Park, was permitted.) This was apparently in violation of an agreement that had been worked out between the OWS and unions. However, since the OWS is leaderless at this point, another expression of the best and worst of it, it was not possible for anyone to protest what the SEIU had done.

13-3) The SEIU leadership, then, was able to set the agenda for the rally part of the demonstration, and the fact that the 99 people scheduled to be symbolically arrested included the National President of the SEIU, pretty much stamped this as a labor rally. This was both good and bad. Good in that it was the first mass labor rally in New York in decades. Bad in that much of the radicalism of the OWS was leached out of the event.

13-4) The time for a mass labor demo was the day after the eviction, even if it had to be called ad hoc as was the labor resistance to New York’s Mayor Bloomberg’s original call to clear the park back in October. The could have been coupled with an attempt to reoccupy the park. However, this would have been a far more radical move than the labor bureaucrats are willing to countenance at this point. It is obvious that the labor demo planned for December 1, under the slogan “Jobs and Economic Fairness,” which is an extremely watered-down version of a march that was passed by the Central Labor Council itself (responding to an initiative from OWS and spearheaded by the LRP), will fit nicely into the Obama Administrations slogans (as opposed to any actions) for the 2012 elections.

13-5) The labor leadership/bureaucracy in New York is in an interesting bind. On the one hand, they are taking it on the neck again and again from the Bloomberg Adminstration and from the employers in general, and they have not been able to mount any successful fight backs. The OWS gives them an opportunity to wave a red flag in front of the ruling class, but, on the other hand, there is the danger that its membership will start to take all this radicalization seriously. This would threaten the bureaucrats on their shaky thrones and threaten their relationship with the Democratic Party. Thus, they are simultaneously trying to use OWS to win some limited gains. But they also have to stifle its radicalism, which defeats their purpose.

13-6) All this creates an unparalleled opening for the Left and gives it a kind of access to the labor rank-and-file that it has not had since the 1970s. The organized Left was slow to pick up on the opportunity of OWS and did not fully exploit it before the expulsion from Zuccotti Park. There was no attempt by any Left group to systematically relate to the occupation. At best, attempts at leafleting and distribution of material were spotty, and the material that was distributed was laughably unsuited to the occasion. The Left failed in this regard.

13-7) The next step, I believe, will take place at an intersection between OWS as a whole, constitutent committees of the OWS such as the LOC and the Demands Committee, the union leadership/bureaucracy, elements of the rank-and-file and individuals that are active independent of the bureaucracy and the Left. The Left has a crucial role to play. If individuals and groups get off their asses, stop debating trivia, rid themselves of petty-bourgeois illusions, we face opportunities that have not been present for three decades.

RED DAVE

12

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 12TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 5:00 PM TO 8:30 PM

12-1) This visit was to attend meetings of the facilitators group of OWS Labor Outreach Committee (hereafter, the “LOC”) and then a meeting of the committee itself. Due to the Veterans Day holiday, the committee meeting was held at the headquarters of Local 1199, instead of the headquarters of DC 37. The preliminary facilitator’s meeting was supposed to be at a nearby Starbucks, but few people showed on time, and the place proved to be inadequate. The few of us who did show up moved the meeting to the union headquarters. (Part of this report comes from notes I took as the facilitator-notetaker of this LOC meeting.)

12-2) The LOC has an agenda which it sticks to pretty closely, beginning with Introductions. The Introductions at this meeting indicated the presence of people from the following unions: Carpenters Local, UFT, UAW Local 2325, DC 37, SEIU, Local 30 Maihandlers, Local 100 TWU, Local 1199, Steamfitters Local 638, Musicians Local 802, CUNY Local PSC, Restaurant Workers, Teamsters Local 808 (Woodlawn Cemetery Workeres), Teamsters Local 814 (Sotheby’s Art Handlers), CWA. Hotel Workers Local 6.

12-3) Reports to the LOC were as follows:
A – Sothebys – The LOC participated in the Sotheby’s picket line on Wednesday, November 9. People locked themselves together with bike locks. 8 people were jailed. At least 10 unions participated. There is a rally planned for December 8th.
B – Occupy the DOE – There was a GA Monday night (Nov. 7) at the Tweed Court House. Many teenagers there spoke out for their teachers. Future plans are to disrupt the next meeting of PEP (Panel for Educational Policy).
C – Immigrant and Nonunion Workers – There is a call for a citywide boycott of Dominos Pizza.
D) NOVEMBER 17 – The Labor part of the demonstrations begins at 5:00 PM at Foley Square. There will be lots of music. It was suggested that the LOC set up soapboxes and mike checks on economic horror stories. The demo will march from Foley Square to City Hall, encircle City Hall and then onto the Brooklyn Bridge. Organizations such as Unity New York, Local 1199, SEIU, UFT, 32BJ and many community groups are involved.

12-4) Under General Business, the LOC considered a proposal, a demand actually, that originated with the OWS Demands Working Group passed the following:

"We demand a democratically-controlled public works and public service program, with direct government employment, to creat 25 million new jobs at good union wages. The new jobs will go to meeting the needs of the 99%, including educatin, healthcare, housing, mass transit, and clean energy. The program will be funded by raising taxes on the rich and corporations and by ending all U.S. wars. Employment n the program ill be open to all, regardless of immigration status or criminal record."

The demand was accepted by consensus. Given discussions I have been involved in online, at revleft.com, for example, I assume that the origins of this demand and the strategy for its presentation is coming from the LRP.
12-5) At the end of the meeting, the LOC considers requests for support fromm the Living Wage Campaign, the Verizon campaign of the CWA, the Anti-Super Committee (Social Safety Net) Campaign, Woodlawn Cemetery, Dec. 8 Sotheby’s, MTA Corruption, Stop PO Closures, Occupy DOE.

12-6) The LOC voted to establish a mutual solidarity network,” whose purpose it would be to coordinate cooperation between unions to support each other’s actions. I feel that this move, which concretizes the best work that the LOC is doing, is the next step forward for the committee.

12-7) At this point, the LOC stands, in my opinion, in the most crucial place in the OWS. It is attracting concrete labor support in the for of rank-and-filers actually engaged in struggles, shop stewards and low level union bureaucrats/leaders. While the OWS as a whole has served as a magnet for the labor bureaucracy and a focus for rank-and-file energy, the bureaucracy will always serve to use the OWS for its own purposes. The role of the LOC must be to, eventually, use the mobilzation which it helps to create, for its own far more left-wing purposes.

RED DAVE

11

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 11TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET – TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 4:30 PM TO 5:30 PM

11-1) This visit was a short one. I wanted, as usual, to collect impressions of the current state of the Occupation, talk to people and pick up some literature. I also, at the end, want to continue some of the speculations I began in entry 10 about the direction that OWS should go.

11-2) My general impressions over the past several visits continues. Physically, the tents have taken over more and more space, including several large tents which have been purchased by OWS itself. The net result of this continues to be the inhibition of political discussion inside the park and causing it to take place out on the sidewalk. There were no left groups present either inside or outside the park. There was, however, a very active anarchist table on the sidewalk facing Broadway distributing free literature, including pamphlets on basic anarchist theory, rejecting life-syle anarchism, Noam Chomsky on “Government in the Future” and one on racism and capitalism.

11-3) During the course of my visit, I deliberately set out to talk to people sort of a random around the site. Previously, I have mostly just been an observer without talking much to people. My general impression, gained from talking to half a dozen people, is that there is still no convergence on program or demands, nor is there any convergence as to what the direction that OWS should go in.

11-4) I want to make some theoretical points here. My notion, as a Marxist, is that what we are dealing with here is basically a petty-bourgeois movement. That is, the class base of the occupation is petty-bourgeois. This is reflected in the absence of demands, the absence of coherent leadership, the obsessive and debilitating focus on consensus and a host of other phenomena. This is to be expected. The working class has been locked into the continuously failing policies of the union leadership and have come up with very few initiatives in the past three decades that might provide new directions for struggle.

11-5) A similar situation occurred during the early Sixties, with the mass petty-bourgeois movements, the Civil Rights Movement and the Ban the Bomb Movement. Both these movements did, in fact, have huge working class participation, but this participation was curailed and controlled by the leadership of these movements, a combination of liberal, petty-bourgeois radicals and trade union leadership/bureaucrats. As a result, once certain limited goals were achieved, nothing more could be done. And as the student movement arose, with its creativity and sense of initiative, it was unable to reach out to the working class and turned in on itself with the results we know.

11-6) In my opinion, the organized Left needs to take a stand, that the Occupation movement needs to turn towards the working class, and the working class needs to embrace the Occupation movement. This needs to be the message of the Left. This needs to be expressed tactically, strategically, organizationally and theoretically.

RED DAVE

10

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 10TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 5:30 PM TO 8:30 PM

10-1) This trip was for the purpose of taking a quick look at the site and then attending a Labor Outreach Group meeting. My previous observations on the general conditions stand. There are visibly more tents than even a few days ago, and the space for discourse inside the park is becoming more limited, thus forcing discussions more and more to take place at the periphery.

10-2) There are continuous reports in the press of antisocial behavior, including rape. This is to be expected. In the absence of a viable security system for the park, such behavior must, inevitably, manifest. This has resulted in the women on the site building a “safe house” for themselves. There is also a piece the Daily Kos, written 2 ½ weeks ago by an African-American woman, describing the negativity that had already begun to accumulate. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/17/1027186/-A-Black-Woman-Who-Occupied-Wall-Street:-Why-She-Wont-Be-Going-Back (Thanx to tacosomoza at revleft.com for posting the article.) I myself witnessed an incident in which one individual was accused of stealing something. Some kind of “official” was called. In the end, I believe, the stolen items were returned.

10-3) It should also be noted that on Saturday, November 5, toilets were installed near the site at the loading dock of a building owned by the United Federation of Teachers whose headquarters is nearly. This represents an indirect rebuke of Mayor Bloomberg who has opposed the Occupation from Day 1.

10-4) At 6:00, I went over to DC 37 headquarters for the Labor Outreach Group meeting. Before the meeting started, there was already half a dozen people waiting, old lefties. By the time the meeting got underway, at about 6:15, there were over fifty people, self-identified as from over twenty different union locals. These included the TWU, CWA, Teamsters, UFT, Local 1199, UAW, SEIU, SAG and others. It is important to note that a goodly percentage of the attendees were self-identified as shop stewards, chapter chairpeople or lower-level union officials.

10-5) In my opinion, the presence of so many people identified with the structures of various unions is not an accident. While the leadership/bureaucracy of the unions has been playing footsy with OWS, it is obvious that they realize that something has happened that can be used to their advantage. The fact that the OWS was defended largely by union members against Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to “clean” the site, is important. I’ll clarify that below.

10-6) It was instructive to see how the “facilitators,” the leaders of the meeting, combined together to run the meeting. Often, when an unclear issue came up, a quick, informal, sometimes nonverbal consultation between the facilitators and a quick pronouncement from the presiding facilitator, moved things along. There would be nothing wrong with this, except that the facilitators are unelected by the bodies they preside over. The theory is that the only “facilitate,” the meetings they preside over. But this is an illusion based on some extremely bourgeois sociology. Here’s an example of the kind of material available:
dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/MP43-373-3-2000E.pdf

10-7) After some vague discussions about procedures, and introductions, reports were presented on various activities that the Labor Outreach Group is involved with. These included:
(A) the November 17 mass action (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2286595&postcount=3);
(B) support action for the locked out Teamsters at Sotheby’s (https://pastee.org/ffbt3); (https://pastee.org/ffbt3%29;)
(C) a city-wide boycott of Domino’s Pizza;
(D) solidarity with TWU Local 100 in its contract negotiations with the MTA (www.labornet.org/news/0000/twukick.pdf (http://www.labornet.org/news/0000/twukick.pdf)).

10-8) After the reports, the Group broke down into smaller groups by unions. I was in the Teachers group. There was no real discussion in this subgroup, except the general impression conveyed by the three people in the group besides myself (public school and City Univeristy teachers) that there is broad, general support for OWS.

10-9) After the groups reassembled, there were brief reports, mostly pertaining to the actions mentioned above. One significant moment came when there was a report from union workers at WNBC, who have been working without a contract for several months. They are planning a protest at The Today Show, and asked that the OWS support this. Almost immediately, one of the representatives of the Sotheby’s Teamsters said that their action is right around the corner from 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where The Today Show is filmed and offered support for the WNBC workers’ action.

10-11) Present at the Labor Outreach Group meeting was one member of Socialist Action and, I believe, one member of the ISO and possibly one member of LRRP. I could be wrong about the latter two.

10-10) I am slowly beginning to come to a conception of the direction in which the OWS, and especially the Labor Outreach Group should go. I believe that the OWS has already become a focus for mass discontent with capitalism. While I am aware that there are diverse forces with the OWS, including such bizarre groups as the libertarians, the main thrust is anticapitalist, radical and to the Left. (I’m choosing these words carefully.) So what we are seeing is the largest anticapitalist movement in the US in at least forty years and one which has, up to now, garnered a huge amount of positive notice. And, for Leftists, the most important element here is that there is undoubted support from organized labor in the form of individual workers, union officials and material support from the unions.

10-11) It is crucial to notice that, unlike the previous movements in Wisconsin and Ohio, union officials and the Democratic Party have no traction in OWS with regard to their agenda for pulling all movements in line with support for the Democrats.

10-12) The most important element, beyond the fact of labor support itself, is that the unions are “using” OWS. By this I mean that they are participating in OWS activities to further their own agendas, which are not in conflict with those of the main thrust of OWS. This support includes, that I am aware of:

(A) Direct labor participation in OWS actions, such as marches.
(B) Direct, though not organized, labor participation, such as the rescuing of OWS from Mayor Bloomberg’s rather heavy-handed attempt to shut OWS down.
(C) Indirect support for OWS through material contributions, such as the UFT provided toilets for the occuption site.
(D) Participation of unionized workers, shop stewards and lower-level leadership in an OWS group and bringing this group (the Labor Outreach Group) into union activity, including contract negotiations.

10-13) In sum, I believe that it will be possible, in the near future for the OWS, in the person of the Labor Outreach Group to engage more and more in labor actions, including negotiations, strikes, and, hopefully, organizing drives. It is this potential where there exists, I believe, a really fruitful opportunity for labor, the Left and OWS to grow into something much larger and powerful and far beyond the limits of the existing occupations.

RED DAVE

9

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 9TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 5:30 PM TO 7:00 PM

9-1) This visit was to attend the sympathy march for the Oakland General Strike, which was happening that day. Prior to that, though, I spent some time walking around the OWS space. Much has changed. Since the victory over Mayor Bloomberg and his oinks several weeks ago, on, I believe, October 14, the use of tents has proliferated.

9-2) This proliferation of tents has resulted in much less space within Zuccotti Park for debate and discussion. In fact, I noticed that most of the debate and discussion is now taking place in the much-reduced space around the staircase at the southeast corner of the park and in an around the library space at the northeast corner. Also, the space around the media center, the kitchen, the labor table and all other functions is sharply reduced by the tents.

9-3) As earlier, I saw three or four people smoking dope. Bizarrely, I have also seen a proliferation of people smoking hand-rolled cigarettes.

9-4) To put it straightforwardly, the general level of spontaneously joyful behavior and open discussion has been sharply reduced. This has been replaced by a somewhat grimmer, tighter and, paradoxically, more chaotic attitude. This is, of course, my subjectinve impression.

9-5) After some confusion, the march began at about 6:30. There were some preliminary speakers who, in my opinion, did little or nothing to either inform the audience or motivate them. The “mic check” system was used for a relatively small crowd. One speaker, a woman whose name I didn’t catch, gave a speech on the connection between the events in Oakland and those in New York. The other speaker, an African-American man, talked about racism and what could be done t help the people in the ghettos.

9-6) The only left group in evidence was the ISO, which had a lit table in a very good position at the northeast corner of the park, at one end of what I call “the living poster wall,” where people stand with various posters facing the heavy traffic on Broadway, the most traveled street in Lower Manhattan. However, the table had no handouts, pamphlets, leaflets, etc., directly addressing the OWS or the events at Oakland that day. When I pointed this out to one of the comrades at the table, he seemed not to understand what I was talking about. He pointed to copies for sale of Socialist Worker, whose lead article was, indeed, about OWS.

9-7) The march began with a circling of the park twice. There were so many people jammed into the park at that point, and on the sidewalks around the park, that the march was virtually invisible. Just as the second circuit was completed and the march was about to step off towards City Hall and 1 Police Plaza (New York City Police Headquarters), a large, spirited march of students that had come down from Washington Square Park, joined up at the rear and provided a lot of new energy.

9-8) The line of march was north along Broadway to the north end of City Hall Park, where it turned east, marched through the Muncipal Building, to the plaza beyond it which is also connected to 1 Police Plaza. The march covered three city blaocks. I estimate the crowd at about 2-3 thousand. The cops had blocked off all the side streets, so the march could proceed directly to 1 Police Plaza with not stopping for lights. The entire march lasted about twenty minutes. We were flanked by cops on motorscooters and on foot the whole way.

10-9) The only organized political group evident during the march was the Workers World Party, which had a large banner and numerous placards. Once the march reached the end, a rally began. At the point, I ducked out.

RED DAVE

8

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 8TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 5:30 PM TO 7:00 PM.

8-1) This visit also had the purpose of attending a Labor Support/Outreach Group meeting, which I was finally able to do. But before that, let me make some observations on OWS as a whole. The overall situation seems slightly grimmer. (Remember, these are subjective observations of mine.) It is, of course, getting darker and colder. (Snow is forecast for the weekend.) However, with all the talking going on, “mic checks,” etc., there does not seem to be any growth or development at the site.

8-2) The only Left group that I saw present tonight was the Workers World, which had, in addition to the usual boring lit table, a leaflet dated October 19, which manages, on the one hand, to mention the working class, and on the other hand to make it marginal to other struggles going on.

8-3) At the meeting, which was in the basement of District Council 37 (the umbrella group for AFSCME unions in New York), it was cool to actually be in a union headquarters and see the OWS Labor Outreach Group meeting on the bulletin board (to say nothing of the fact that DC is lending its space). As the meeting opened, most of the people there were alter cockers like me. (For you boychiks and girlchiks who don’t know what an “alter cocker” is, it’s a Yiddish phrase meaning “An old and complaining person, an old fart.” http://www.sbjf.org/sbjco/schmaltz/yiddish_phrases.htm). But, gradually, as he room filled up, there were more and more young(er) people. I would guess that at the height of the meeting, there were about 80 people.

8-4) The first order of business involved a sister from Occupy Chicago, a journalist, who earnestly asked permission to attend. There was all kinds of quibbling and nonsense until it was approved. I am always amazed at how important some people think everything they think or have to say is important. (I am an alter cocker, indeed.) It is easy to grow impatient with the hair-splitting over small details. And some micro-discussing (to coin a phrase), leads to bureaucratic mainpulation to keep things moving.

8-5) The chairperson of the meeting was a facilitator from some larger grouping within the OWS and a union member (CUNY staff congress, I think). (It’s amazing how fast a structure has evolved on the one and, in the absence of real organizational democracy, a leadership with a genuinely bureaucratic style has also evolved.) He attempted to run the meeting GA stylebut the meeting was obvious bored by his presentation of the minutia of finger wiggling.

8-6) A retired brother from the longshore union next gave a report on the upcoming general strike in Oakland. I forget his name, but he was obviously an experienced left-winger. He gave a history of the previous general strike in 1946, the last general strike in the US. What was not clear to me was the relationship between Occupy and Oakland.

8-7) Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment, I was only able to stay at the meeting for an hour, and at that point I had to leave.

RED DAVE

7

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 7TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 6:00 PM TO 7:45 PM.

7-1) This visit had a purpose: to attend a Labor Support/Outreach Group and to attend a meeting of the General Assembly. The Labor Support/Outreach Group meeting was postponed to 6:30 PM, Friday, October 28, at DC 37 Headquarter, 125 Barclay Street.

7-2) Practically the first thing we saw when my wife and I arrived was a group from a Brooklyn SEIU local, but they left before I could find out why they were there

7-3) My general impression of the OWS site continues to be one of stagnation. While there was, as before, a large amount of purposeful activity going on, it all related to the maintenance of the site and none of it related to activities to bring the Occupation out from the site.

7-4) Outreach activities are going on in the form of almost-daily marches, but, again, there is no development or escalation. And the marches seem to have heft only when they have labor participations.

7-5) Then General Assembly started promptly as 7:00. I was fortunate to be able to get a spot right next to the facilitators. Unfortunately, I had to leave after half an hour, but I got a pretty good idea of how the GA functions. (This is not to say that I have a bead on the issues it’s dealing with.)

7-6) The GA is perhaps the best example I’ve ever seen of the manipulation of a rank-and-file by a leadership. The fact that this leadership is unelected and supports the illusion that it is in fact not a leadership makes this even more reprehensible. To add to this the cumbersome, rapidly evolving structure, and we get a very gamy situation.

7-7) I have a half hour video which I shot showing the GA addressing the issue of the schedule that the Drum Circle was to adhere to. Much of what went on was familiar: a speakers list, a secretary (a woman) taking minutes, etc. What was different was the weird handsignals and the very blatant manipulation that was obviously occurring. When any kind of problem arose during the discussion, concerning, especially, information about what was going on in other groups, the facilitators quickly consulted among themselves to see who had the information and what the answer would be. The “hidden leadership” of this GA was about 5 people. The attendance was about 60-70.

RED DAVE

6

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 6TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2:45 PM TO 4:30 PM.

6-1) This being a Saturday, there were less people taking a break from work or coming to work or going home. However, the number of people at the site was huge: the biggest I’ve seen yet. Spirits remain high. The overall impression, for me, was one of constant, largely purposeful activity but still unfocused. There is no sense of stagnation or decadence. The only sign I saw of the latter is that the site, in addition to the occupiers, has become a camping ground for some obvious drug users.

6-2) Surveying the geography of the site, it goes something like this: the total rectangular area is, I’ve read, about ½ acre (about .2 hectares). It is bounded on the north by Liberty Street (hence the common name “Liberty Park”), on the south by Cedar Street, on the west by Trinity Place (which changes its name a few block north to Church Street), and, importantly, one the east by Broadway, the major artery in Lower Manhattan. It is one block east of Ground Zero. It shows up on Google Maps as Zuccotti Park. (John Zuccotti is the current chairperson of the Brookfield Corporation, which actually owns the site.)

6-3A) The internal geography of the site is something like this (I’ll divide this into several entries: if this bores you, skip to entry 4): on the east side, facing Broadway, there is free access, and this is the location of what I call the “living poster wall.” This I call the East Sidewalk. Here, people stand facing Broadway with mainly homemade signs on a huge variety of subjects. On the southeast corner, on the sloping steps, under a huge, orange sculpture called “Joie de Vivre,” is perhaps the main speaking area, where, I believe, the General Assembly is held. There is a sidewalk along the north side of the site (the “North Sidewalk”). There are also numerous posters displayed along this side, plus some other activities, such as street theater (which curiously doesn’t seem to be too common). Right behind the North Sidewalk, below the steps leading onto the site from the street level, is a north-south passage, which I call “East Street.”

6-3B) Also, along the North Sidewalk, you can get a t-shirt silkscreened. About 30 feet in from the north sidewalk is what I call the “North Lane,” which runs east to west for then entire length of the site, gradually curving north to meet the North Sidewalk at the northwest corner. Walking along the North Lane, first is the Library, with tubs and shelves of free books on many subjects. Then comes the Media Center, which includes a live feed to a website. Just about opposite the Library is the Labor Table, where a bunch of old farts are generally sitting around talking about the Spanish Civil War and playing pinochle (not really). Just at the Labor Table is a passageway connecting the North Lane and the South Lane (see below), which I am call the “East Street.” Continuing down, on the left is the food areas, which is well-organized and the food actually looks good.

6-3C) Continuing along the North Lane going west, there are sleeping areas on the left and right. Just before the sleeping areas is another passageway connecting the North Lane and the South Lane (the “Center Street”). It was here I saw people who definitely looked like their presence was pre-pre-pre-political. At the northwest corner, of the site is an information table with some basic, very nonpolitical and boring literature.

6-3D) There is a “West Street,” which runs down the west side of the site, separated from the sidewalk on Trinity Place by steel barriers. (This is only place on the site where these barriers reamin.) At the north end of the West Street is the Community Altar, a place for those inclined to spirituality (mostly non-Western) and meditation and such. The altar is attractive and very well maintained. Going south along the West Street is the main music area. During the day, there is almost constant communal drumming and much dancing. This is very reminiscent to me of hippy days in Tompkins Square Park.

6-3E) Just north of the music area, the South Lane starts, which runs east-west connecting Broadway and the East Street and the West Street. It is much narrower than the North Lane, and on Saturday is was difficult to walk steadily. Mostly, the South Lane goes through the sleeping areas, but just beyond the Center Street the space opens up to an area where the are frequent circle meetings, etc. The South Lane continues to the base of the Joie de Sivre statue, where it joins the East Street. Finally, there is the South Sidewalk where there are several literature tables facing outwards. the South Sidewalk. About 2/3 of the way down towards Trinity Place, a low wall begins, which is festooned with posters and with people sitting on top of it. And now, after this little walk around the OWS site, you can buy refreshments from commercial trucks and food stands on Cedar Street, facing the South Sidewalk. J

6-4) Finally there is an actual, if miniscule, LEFT PRESENCE!!!!!! I saw tables from:
• the SWP – One small table, on the East Street, just north of the Joie de Vivre construction, manned by one person; all books, etc., wrapped in plastic. No handouts specific to OWS. No free stuff; finally got a copy of The Militant. The headline did not pertain to OWS. The comrade, a middle-aged woman, told me they, “Try to get down there for a few hours on weekended.” Verdict – BORING! Grade – D
• IWW – One medium-sized table at about the center of the South Sidewalk. Lots of stuff on the IWW, but no handout specifically aimed at the OWS. Two 40ish male comrades (or older). Verdict – BORING! Grade – C-
• PL – Two comrades, along the North Sidewalk, giving out copies of Challenge whose headline did not pertain to OWS. When I mistook them for the RCP, I came the closest I have gotten in six visits to being assaulted. (Not really, but they were mad!) The comrades were both women in their 50s or 60s. Verdict – BORING! Grade – D+
• Socialist Appeal – Medium-sized table about the center of the South Lane on the south side, with three male comrades, 30s-40s, with lots of stuff, virtually none of it free. No handouts specific to the OWS. I was actually able to get into a discussion with a male comrade in, perhaps, his late 30s. Only then was I offered literature. Verdict – BORING! Grade – C-

6-5) The above speaks for itself. The organized Left, at least with regard to a presence at OWS, does not get it. The very fact that not one group had a handout specific to the OWS. I not even going to mention the groups who didn’t bother to have their funky asses present to have a lit table and distribute literature to maybe 5000 people. You got something better to do?

6-6) While there were posters expressing every possible politcal notion and demand, from election reform to revolutionary overthrow of capitalism, the OWS remains pre-political. Except for one UAW lollipop poster, and the guys (all men in their 40s-60s) at the Labor Table, there was no organized labor presence on this beautiful Saturday afternoon.

RED DAVE

5

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 5TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 8:00 PM TO 9:30 PM.

5-1) There was virtually no police presence at OWS. The police were confined to about 10 cops, mostly concentrated along the west side of the Occupation along, I believe, Church Street, the same number to the east, along Broadway, and a few on the north side, where their vehicles are parked.

5-2) Because it was relatively late (the Occupation observes a quiet time from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM), there was no drumming at the southwest corner, but there were some folksingers, who could have come right out of the Sixties.

5-3) The OWS has put out a document: The Occupied Wall Street Spokes Council Proposal.
http://www.nycga.net/spokes%20-council/ (http://www.nycga.net/spokes%20-council/)
It contains a detailed plan for the structure of the Occupation. There is a revleft.com discussion of it here:
http://www.revleft.com/vb/important-ows-structural-t163086/index.html (http://www.revleft.com/vb/important-ows-structural-t163086/index.html)

5-4) Without getting into the document itself, let me say that it represents a very cumbersome but sincere attempt to deal structurally with the ephemeral nature of those supporting the OWS, those actually occupying, passersby and, weakly, organized groups, especially labor. It should be seriously considered and discussed as this is actually, as for as I know, the first actual "official" document of the OWS.

5-5) The OWS continues to struggle with the issue of demands (or goals). This is not an accident. The demands or program are close to the heart of any movement. And a movement so new as the OWS and largely run by people with little or no political experience should have difficulty with them. However, this difficulty also conceals the fact that this is a petit-bourgeois movement at this point, which makes it almost impossible for it to focus on a concise set of demands. Until the labor movement, organized and unorganized, and the organized left become involved, giving the OWS a "social weight" it currently lacks, this problem with program will persist.

5-6) There was still no sign whatsoever of organized left-wing activity. We can no longer call this an accident. What few forces the organized left has should have been thrown into this struggle wholeheartedly. I am not talking about actually sleeping down there (not that a few resident comrades from each left-wing group wouldn't be enormously useful), but maintaining an active presence. I saw no evidence of left-wingers engaged in debates (although this was after the nightly General Assembly) or of left-wing stickers, leaflets, newspapers, etc. It is obviously to me that the organized left, with few exceptions, is taking an abstentionist attitude. I mean, Comrades, not even one mass distribution? I know that some groups are working within their unions or with unions they are in touch with, but this needs to be publicized, especially at OWS itself.

5-7) Kudos to the LRP for pushing through a motion at the New York Central Laor Council for a mass labor march on march, I believe, November 5th.

5-8) The discussions that I heard going on, and I witnessed two or three of them, involved someone who was obviously a "leader type," explaining to others the function, purpose and necessity of the structure as mentioned in "3" above. A leadership is emerging, as any leftist knows it must. However, it will act informally, without sanction, undemocratically, even clandestinely, so long as a real structure does not evolve, which is probably impossible at this point.

5-9) The site, in general, is clean but had a generally disorganized look. However my overall impression was a heightening of discussion and more political focus.

5-10) Reports I have read indicate that the reason Bloomberg backed down on clearing the site was the massive, if somewhat uncoordinated, organized labor presence on the morning that the clearing of the site was to take place. The occupiers were dug in to resist arrest, but the entire site was encircled by union people, with union jackets and hats, ready to resist the cops. The cops were vastly outnumbered by the workers.

5-11) To summarize, the Occupation remains at a pre-political stage. There is more indication of labor presence. Still virtually no indication of a presence of the Left. The illusions of petit-bourgeois radicalism: extreme spontaneism, an absolute rejection of an effect structure geared for action, a lack of demands, persist.

The beat goes on.

RED DAVE

4

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 4TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET – MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 4:30 PM TO 5:30 PM.

4-1) Compared to a few days ago, the attitude of the police is noticeably different. They are not standing close to the edge of the site. They are not hurrying passersby along. They are mostly just standing around passively.

4-2) Barriers remain along the west and north sides of the site. There is a stone wall on the south side. The east side, which faces Broadway (the busiest thoroughfare in Manhattan) is open.

4-3) There are two focuses of energy: the southeast corner where the general assemblies are held and the southwest corner where there is constant drumming of about 6-8 drummers.

4-4) Finally, there is a labor table. It was not manned nor was there any organized activity going on. The half a dozen people who were sitting around the table were all self-identified as union members, including one man from the structural ironworkers and one from the painters. This latter is interesting as during the time of the Civil Right Movement and the Vietnam War, the construction workers unions were the most reactionary.

4-5) There was no sign whatsoever of organized left-wing activity: no stickers, posters, newsletters, tables, individuals leafletting, etc. THIS IS A FUCKING DISASTER, A SHAME AND SERVES TO EXPOSE THE WEAKNESS AND COWARDLINESS OF THE ORGANIZED LEFT.

4-6) The site was noticeable cleaner and better organized. However, it should be noted that when I visited it last, it was disorganized but not particularly dirty.

4-7) There is a noticeable absence of tension, probably having to do with the fact that the cops have been faced down and the mayor, may he rot in hell, backed off. I have read that the mayor's live-in girlfriend is a stockholder in the company that actually owns the site.

4-8) There is still virtually a complete absence of politics in the sense that the Left defines it. While there are constant little groups of people forming, reforming and talking, the issues are scattered and the discussions are unfocused and have a kind of casual nature. I may be projecting, but I get the distinct feeling that people are waiting for someone, some group, to make a definite statement or, at very least, provide a focus for the discussion.

4-9) There is no indication of a coming together on a set of demands, goals, whatever. I heard people talking about: bribery of public officials, taxing the rich, use of hydrogen for power (I kid you not), etc. The self-identification of the occupiers as the "99%" is everywhere, but there is little beyond that in terms of a class analysis.

4-10) The occupiers are mostly young, women and men, and beautifully ethnically mixed. Compared with a week ago, I would say there are less people hanging around the edges, less curiosity seekers and passersby. The novelty has worn off, but there is no "feeling" of jadedness. I do get an underlying feeling of impatience.

4-11) To summarize, the Occupation is still at a pre-political stage. In my opinion, without the presence of organized workers, as part of their unions or as independent delegations from the unions (NYC is the most unionized city in the USA) and without the presence of the organized left, stagnation and frustration will soon begin to increase.

4-12) Also, it should be noted, the weather is noticeably colder and it is getting dark markedly earlier than a month ago when the Occupation began.

RED DAVE

3

Uncoordinated notes on my third visit to Occupy Wall Street – Wednesday, October 12 – About 9:00 PM

3-1) The sensory impression of the Occupation at night is completely different than from the day. People are entirely within the barriers (still a large area of a full city block) and everything feels more concentrated, more intense.

3-2) The impression is of even less politics at night than during the day. I had hoped to see a General Assembly or some large-scale discussion going on but no such.

3-3) People are talking, talking, talking to each other. But there are few buttons, leaflets or any common method of conveying points of view. We are still at a very pre-poltical stage.

3-4) The music and dancing (it shuts down at 10:00 PM) were intense, almost frightening. My wife, a professional singer and song writer said that the music was neither angry nor fearful by a way of avoiding anger and feear: "pure trance," she called it.

3-5) Absolutely no indication of the presence of organized labor or the organized Left.

3-6) People are well supplied with food and plastic tarps against the weather. It rained briefly tonight, and the temperature is about 60 F with a wind blowing.

RED DAVE

2

Uncoordinated Notes on My second Visit to Occupy Wall Street – 10/11/11

2-1) Compared to 8 days ago, the Occupation is slightly larger.

2-2) The attitude of the cops is slightly more hostile. Parts of the Occupation space are now enclosed by steel barriers.

2-3) The space retains a distinctly hippy quality; however, the space is neither dirty nor does it have decadent feel to it. People appear positive and engaged.

2-4) Dope smoking is going on relatively openly on the site.

2-5) People with a "spiritual message," i.e. yoga and meditation, are very much in evidence.

2-6) While many of the slogans on the numerous signs are political, the Occupation does not have a political feel to it. It remains "pre-political."

2-7) While I was there, roughly at rush hour (4:30 PM to 6:30 PM), there was no evidence of a presence of organized labor.

2-8) The only presence of the organized Left was a single, rather forlorn, individual giving out a leaflet for Socialist Appeal.

2-9) Hostility to the Democrats is obvious.

2-10) Hostility to the banks is prevalent, to other corporations less so.

2-11) Generalized hostility to capitalism is evident and open.

2-12) Use of the "human mic" is common. Whenever anyone speaks, people gather around and the human mic comes into use. It is quite amazing to see.

RED DAVE

1

Okay, here are my impressions, that's impressions and not any kind of systematic observations, based on a brief visit of less than an hour to Occupy Wall Street in New York. [October 3, 2011]

1-1) The site is terrific: one block east and north of Ground Zero and a couple of blocks north and west of Wall Street itself. The park is a large open space with some trees with Broadway on the east and very tall building to the north and south.

1-2) When I was there with my wife, about 4:30 this afternoon, grey skies and kind of cool, there were, I guess, about 4000 people there. There were a large number of tourists and people who work in the neighborhood and a group of about 500 who were engaged in the business of the occupation.

1-3) The overall impression of the occupation is very positive. It looks and is very large for such an undertaking.

1-4) The occupation itself, remember I'm viewing it from the outside, reminded me of the May Day Tribe demos in Washington in 1971. There was a purposeful, cheerful disorder. There are no tents allowed but there are make-shift one-person shelters (this is an inadequate term; think plastic sleeves with sleeping bags in them).

1-5) There was a meeting going on when we were there, being carried out in Amislan (American Sign Language). It was difficult to discern if this was a group of deaf students just temporarily at the site or a permanent group.

1-6) The most important communication medium for people there is large numbers of homemade signs on the ground on the north side of the site. People are encouraged to put make their own signs.

1-7) There is a media center with a generator that connects the site to the Internet.

1-8) There are tables, more like long, low platforms, where vegetarian food is served to all comers.

1-9) Unfortunately, while we were there, the only group activity besides the Amislan group was a bunch of dancing Hari Krishnas without orange robes. It reminded me of Tompkins Square Park ca. 1968.

1-10) There were no cops visible at all. None.

1-11) My overall impression was of an activity more turned in on itself at this point. There was no systematic attempt to engage passersby. Since there is no coherent "official" line and not much organization, this is not surprising.

1-12) There was no sign of organized leftist activity or organized union presence.

1-13) I was surprised at how fast the whole thing has taken on a definite hippy look.

1-14) Through my eyes, this occupation is at what I would call a pre-political stage.

I'll try to get back there in a day or two, but I work full-time, and I have a lot of stuff on my plate.

RED DAVE

RedTrackWorker

20th November 2011, 22:52

[QUOTE=RED DAVE;2301183]"We demand a democratically-controlled public works and public service program, with direct government employment, to creat 25 million new jobs at good union wages. The new jobs will go to meeting the needs of the 99%, including educatin, healthcare, housing, mass transit, and clean energy. The program will be funded by raising taxes on the rich and corporations and by ending all U.S. wars. Employment n the program ill be open to all, regardless of immigration status or criminal record."

The demand was accepted by consensus. Given discussions I have been involved in online, at revleft.com, for example, I assume that the origins of this demand and the strategy for its presentation is coming from the LRP.
[snip]
11-6) In my opinion, the organized Left needs to take a stand, that the Occupation movement needs to turn towards the working class, and the working class needs to embrace the Occupation movement. This needs to be the message of the Left. This needs to be expressed tactically, strategically, organizationally and theoretically.[/COLOR]

On the first point, that demand came from the "Demand Working Group" which we weren't directly involved in and did not initiate in any way but were in contact with after the CLC passed its motion (did not hear of them till after that).

On the need for a working-class strategy, see the LRP's most recent statement:
http://lrp-cofi.org/statements/owsturningpoint_111711.html
and on forum here:
http://www.revleft.com/vb/ows-turning-point-t164641/index.html.

ckaihatsu

21st November 2011, 03:31

[LaborTech] Lobbying firm's memo spells out plan to undermine Occupy Wall Street-Banks Bankroll Media Campaign

By Jonathan Larsen and Ken Olshansky, MSNBC TV

http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/19/8884405-lobbying-firms-memo-spells-out-plan-to-undermine-occupy-wall-street

A well-known Washington lobbying firm with links to the financial industry has proposed an $850,000 plan to take on Occupy Wall Street and politicians who might express sympathy for the protests, according to a memo obtained by the MSNBC program “Up w/ Chris Hayes.”

The proposal was written on the letterhead of the lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford and addressed to one of CLGC’s clients, the American Bankers Association.

CLGC’s memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct “opposition research” on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct “negative narratives” about the protests and allied politicians. The memo also asserts that Democratic victories in 2012 would be detrimental for Wall Street and targets specific races in which it says Wall Street would benefit by electing Republicans instead.
According to the memo, if Democrats embrace OWS, “This would mean more than just short-term political discomfort for Wall Street. … It has the potential to have very long-lasting political, policy and financial impacts on the companies in the center of the bullseye.”

The memo also suggests that Democratic victories in 2012 should not be the ABA’s biggest concern. “… (T)he bigger concern,” the memo says, “should be that Republicans will no longer defend Wall Street companies.”

Two of the memo’s authors, partners Sam Geduldig and Jay Cranford, previously worked for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Geduldig joined CLGC before Boehner became speaker; Cranford joined CLGC this year after serving as the speaker’s assistant for policy. A third partner, Steve Clark, is reportedly “tight” with Boehner, according to a story by Roll Call that CLGC features on its website.

Jeff Sigmund, an ABA spokesperson, confirmed that the association got the memo. “Our Government Relations staff did receive the proposal – it was unsolicited and we chose not to act on it in any way,” he said in a statement to "Up."

CLGC did not return calls seeking comment.

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel declined to comment on the memo. But he responded to its characterization of Republicans as defenders of Wall Street by saying, “My understanding is that President Obama is the single largest recipient of donations from Wall Street.”

On “Up” Saturday, Obama campaign adviser Anita Dunn responded by saying that the majority of the president’s re-election campaign is fueled by small donors. She rejected the suggestion that the president himself is too close to Wall Street, saying “If that’s the case, why were tough financial reforms passed over party line Republican opposition?”

advertisement

The CLGC memo raises another issue that it says should be of concern to the financial industry -- that OWS might find common cause with the Tea Party. “Well-known Wall Street companies stand at the nexus of where OWS protestors and the Tea Party overlap on angered populism,” the memo says. “…This combination has the potential to be explosive later in the year when media reports cover the next round of bonuses and contrast it with stories of millions of Americans making do with less this holiday season.”
The memo outlines a 60-day plan to conduct surveys and research on OWS and its supporters so that Wall Street companies will be prepared to conduct a media campaign in response to OWS. Wall Street companies “likely will not be the best spokespeople for their own cause,” according to the memo. “A big challenge is to demonstrate that these companies still have political strength and that making them a political target will carry a severe political cost.”

Part of the plan CLGC proposes is to do “statewide surveys in at least eight states that are shaping up to be the most important of the 2012 cycle.”

Specific races listed in the memo are U.S. Senate races in Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, New Mexico and Nevada as well as the gubernatorial race in North Carolina.

The memo indicates that CLGC would research who has contributed financial backing to OWS, noting that, “Media reports have speculated about associations with George Soros and others.”

"It will be vital,” the memo says, “to understand who is funding it and what their backgrounds and motives are. If we can show that they have the same cynical motivation as a political opponent it will undermine their credibility in a profound way.”

ckaihatsu

21st November 2011, 04:40

I am almost tempted to say the report itself is a form of dis information, sowing trust in the Dems.

It's a valid point and one that occurred to me as well -- offhand I'd attribute that reaction / response to a typical revolutionary mindset that would see such a "leaked" "revelation" as being rather obvious and even trite.

Nonetheless I'll defend the news item's importance for empirical / historical reasons, even if its information and political implications are run-of-the-mill.

I agree that the reasoning behind its concerns is profoundly skewed, as we'd expect from a bourgeois institution that's necessarily politically entangled and far from being straightly empirically analytical (as Stratfor tends to be moreso). Such p.r. firms, et al, are the "market makers" of the bourgeois political world and so actually serve to set the tone overall.

The strange thing about that report is why on earth does CLG & C think the Democrats would do anything whatsoever to threaten the position of the banks in the first place. The Dems have the presidency and one house of the Congress. They are very closely tied to finance capitol.Remember John Corzine?

Perhaps a few politicians will get elected on a vaguely left populist position but obviously that won't change anything.

[The Democrats] are very closely tied to finance capitol.Remember John Corzine?

Perhaps the Democrats are now a little shaken from that incident -- putting some scapegoat like Bernie Madoff on the hot seat is okay during the early rounds when the capitalists have to only show a little skin, but what happens later on when major players have immense exposure to the Euro and the EU, and they start imploding -- *poof* -- !

This is just the beginning...(!)

ckaihatsu

21st November 2011, 05:25

Hey -- speaking of the two bourgeois parties -- just where *is* all of the regular hoopla of the presidential election season? Isn't it only a year off now???

Does the presidency now contain negative levels of political equity? Is it safer for both political parties to just walk away from it? Can the White House be foreclosed on -- ???

x D

Ele'ill

21st November 2011, 18:04

http://sfist.com/attachments/sfistLeanne/H8mGr.jpg
http://occupyportland.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/parkcomplaints1.jpg

ComradeGrant

22nd November 2011, 01:09

So what's happening? What parks have been retaken?

RED DAVE

22nd November 2011, 02:44

The following is the latest set of notes from my participation in Occupation Wall Street. The previous 11 reports are under the spoiler.

13

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 13TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 5:00 PM TO 7:30 PM

13-1) This was the evening of the mass labor march which took place two days after the police raid which closed down Zuccotti Park. As had been worked out the previous Friday, members of the Labor Outreach Committee were to circulate through the crowd with clipboards to get names of people interested in working with the committee and giving out leaflets detailing the committees workings.

13-2) Originally, the form the march was to take was that “mic checks” would be set up in various places in Foley Square where people could testify as to the economic hardships they were going through. In my opinion, this represents both the best and the worst that OWS stands for. The best for its democratic spirit; the worst for the fact that it’s an opportunity for exhibitionism and self-indulgence. In fact, what occurred was that the SEIU showed up with massive sound equipment. (This was a legal demonstration, so sound equipment, unlike at Zuccotti Park, was permitted.) This was apparently in violation of an agreement that had been worked out between the OWS and unions. However, since the OWS is leaderless at this point, another expression of the best and worst of it, it was not possible for anyone to protest what the SEIU had done.

13-3) The SEIU leadership, then, was able to set the agenda for the rally part of the demonstration, and the fact that the 99 people scheduled to be symbolically arrested included the National President of the SEIU, pretty much stamped this as a labor rally. This was both good and bad. Good in that it was the first mass labor rally in New York in decades. Bad in that much of the radicalism of the OWS was leached out of the event.

13-4) The time for a mass labor demo was the day after the eviction, even if it had to be called ad hoc as was the labor resistance to New York’s Mayor Bloomberg’s original call to clear the park back in October. The could have been coupled with an attempt to reoccupy the park. However, this would have been a far more radical move than the labor bureaucrats are willing to countenance at this point. It is obvious that the labor demo planned for December 1, under the slogan “Jobs and Economic Fairness,” which is an extremely watered-down version of a march that was passed by the Central Labor Council itself (responding to an initiative from OWS and spearheaded by the LRP), will fit nicely into the Obama Administrations slogans (as opposed to any actions) for the 2012 elections.

13-5) The labor leadership/bureaucracy in New York is in an interesting bind. On the one hand, they are taking it on the neck again and again from the Bloomberg Adminstration and from the employers in general, and they have not been able to mount any successful fight backs. The OWS gives them an opportunity to wave a red flag in front of the ruling class, but, on the other hand, there is the danger that its membership will start to take all this radicalization seriously. This would threaten the bureaucrats on their shaky thrones and threaten their relationship with the Democratic Party. Thus, they are simultaneously trying to use OWS to win some limited gains. But they also have to stifle its radicalism, which defeats their purpose.

13-6) All this creates an unparalleled opening for the Left and gives it a kind of access to the labor rank-and-file that it has not had since the 1970s. The organized Left was slow to pick up on the opportunity of OWS and did not fully exploit it before the expulsion from Zuccotti Park. There was no attempt by any Left group to systematically relate to the occupation. At best, attempts at leafleting and distribution of material were spotty, and the material that was distributed was laughably unsuited to the occasion. The Left failed in this regard.

13-7) The next step, I believe, will take place at an intersection between OWS as a whole, constitutent committees of the OWS such as the LOC and the Demands Committee, the union leadership/bureaucracy, elements of the rank-and-file and individuals that are active independent of the bureaucracy and the Left. The Left has a crucial role to play. If individuals and groups get off their asses, stop debating trivia, rid themselves of petty-bourgeois illusions, we face opportunities that have not been present for three decades.

RED DAVE

12

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 12TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 5:00 PM TO 8:30 PM

12-1) This visit was to attend meetings of the facilitators group of OWS Labor Outreach Committee (hereafter, the “LOC”) and then a meeting of the committee itself. Due to the Veterans Day holiday, the committee meeting was held at the headquarters of Local 1199, instead of the headquarters of DC 37. The preliminary facilitator’s meeting was supposed to be at a nearby Starbucks, but few people showed on time, and the place proved to be inadequate. The few of us who did show up moved the meeting to the union headquarters. (Part of this report comes from notes I took as the facilitator-notetaker of this LOC meeting.)

12-2) The LOC has an agenda which it sticks to pretty closely, beginning with Introductions. The Introductions at this meeting indicated the presence of people from the following unions: Carpenters Local, UFT, UAW Local 2325, DC 37, SEIU, Local 30 Maihandlers, Local 100 TWU, Local 1199, Steamfitters Local 638, Musicians Local 802, CUNY Local PSC, Restaurant Workers, Teamsters Local 808 (Woodlawn Cemetery Workeres), Teamsters Local 814 (Sotheby’s Art Handlers), CWA. Hotel Workers Local 6.

12-3) Reports to the LOC were as follows:
A – Sothebys – The LOC participated in the Sotheby’s picket line on Wednesday, November 9. People locked themselves together with bike locks. 8 people were jailed. At least 10 unions participated. There is a rally planned for December 8th.
B – Occupy the DOE – There was a GA Monday night (Nov. 7) at the Tweed Court House. Many teenagers there spoke out for their teachers. Future plans are to disrupt the next meeting of PEP (Panel for Educational Policy).
C – Immigrant and Nonunion Workers – There is a call for a citywide boycott of Dominos Pizza.
D) NOVEMBER 17 – The Labor part of the demonstrations begins at 5:00 PM at Foley Square. There will be lots of music. It was suggested that the LOC set up soapboxes and mike checks on economic horror stories. The demo will march from Foley Square to City Hall, encircle City Hall and then onto the Brooklyn Bridge. Organizations such as Unity New York, Local 1199, SEIU, UFT, 32BJ and many community groups are involved.

12-4) Under General Business, the LOC considered a proposal, a demand actually, that originated with the OWS Demands Working Group passed the following:

"We demand a democratically-controlled public works and public service program, with direct government employment, to creat 25 million new jobs at good union wages. The new jobs will go to meeting the needs of the 99%, including educatin, healthcare, housing, mass transit, and clean energy. The program will be funded by raising taxes on the rich and corporations and by ending all U.S. wars. Employment n the program ill be open to all, regardless of immigration status or criminal record."

The demand was accepted by consensus. Given discussions I have been involved in online, at revleft.com, for example, I assume that the origins of this demand and the strategy for its presentation is coming from the LRP.
12-5) At the end of the meeting, the LOC considers requests for support fromm the Living Wage Campaign, the Verizon campaign of the CWA, the Anti-Super Committee (Social Safety Net) Campaign, Woodlawn Cemetery, Dec. 8 Sotheby’s, MTA Corruption, Stop PO Closures, Occupy DOE.

12-6) The LOC voted to establish a mutual solidarity network,” whose purpose it would be to coordinate cooperation between unions to support each other’s actions. I feel that this move, which concretizes the best work that the LOC is doing, is the next step forward for the committee.

12-7) At this point, the LOC stands, in my opinion, in the most crucial place in the OWS. It is attracting concrete labor support in the for of rank-and-filers actually engaged in struggles, shop stewards and low level union bureaucrats/leaders. While the OWS as a whole has served as a magnet for the labor bureaucracy and a focus for rank-and-file energy, the bureaucracy will always serve to use the OWS for its own purposes. The role of the LOC must be to, eventually, use the mobilzation which it helps to create, for its own far more left-wing purposes.

RED DAVE

11

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 11TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET – TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 4:30 PM TO 5:30 PM

11-1) This visit was a short one. I wanted, as usual, to collect impressions of the current state of the Occupation, talk to people and pick up some literature. I also, at the end, want to continue some of the speculations I began in entry 10 about the direction that OWS should go.

11-2) My general impressions over the past several visits continues. Physically, the tents have taken over more and more space, including several large tents which have been purchased by OWS itself. The net result of this continues to be the inhibition of political discussion inside the park and causing it to take place out on the sidewalk. There were no left groups present either inside or outside the park. There was, however, a very active anarchist table on the sidewalk facing Broadway distributing free literature, including pamphlets on basic anarchist theory, rejecting life-syle anarchism, Noam Chomsky on “Government in the Future” and one on racism and capitalism.

11-3) During the course of my visit, I deliberately set out to talk to people sort of a random around the site. Previously, I have mostly just been an observer without talking much to people. My general impression, gained from talking to half a dozen people, is that there is still no convergence on program or demands, nor is there any convergence as to what the direction that OWS should go in.

11-4) I want to make some theoretical points here. My notion, as a Marxist, is that what we are dealing with here is basically a petty-bourgeois movement. That is, the class base of the occupation is petty-bourgeois. This is reflected in the absence of demands, the absence of coherent leadership, the obsessive and debilitating focus on consensus and a host of other phenomena. This is to be expected. The working class has been locked into the continuously failing policies of the union leadership and have come up with very few initiatives in the past three decades that might provide new directions for struggle.

11-5) A similar situation occurred during the early Sixties, with the mass petty-bourgeois movements, the Civil Rights Movement and the Ban the Bomb Movement. Both these movements did, in fact, have huge working class participation, but this participation was curailed and controlled by the leadership of these movements, a combination of liberal, petty-bourgeois radicals and trade union leadership/bureaucrats. As a result, once certain limited goals were achieved, nothing more could be done. And as the student movement arose, with its creativity and sense of initiative, it was unable to reach out to the working class and turned in on itself with the results we know.

11-6) In my opinion, the organized Left needs to take a stand, that the Occupation movement needs to turn towards the working class, and the working class needs to embrace the Occupation movement. This needs to be the message of the Left. This needs to be expressed tactically, strategically, organizationally and theoretically.

RED DAVE

[B]10

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 10TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 5:30 PM TO 8:30 PM

10-1) This trip was for the purpose of taking a quick look at the site and then attending a Labor Outreach Group meeting. My previous observations on the general conditions stand. There are visibly more tents than even a few days ago, and the space for discourse inside the park is becoming more limited, thus forcing discussions more and more to take place at the periphery.

10-2) There are continuous reports in the press of antisocial behavior, including rape. This is to be expected. In the absence of a viable security system for the park, such behavior must, inevitably, manifest. This has resulted in the women on the site building a “safe house” for themselves. There is also a piece the Daily Kos, written 2 ½ weeks ago by an African-American woman, describing the negativity that had already begun to accumulate. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/17/1027186/-A-Black-Woman-Who-Occupied-Wall-Street:-Why-She-Wont-Be-Going-Back (Thanx to tacosomoza at revleft.com for posting the article.) I myself witnessed an incident in which one individual was accused of stealing something. Some kind of “official” was called. In the end, I believe, the stolen items were returned.

10-3) It should also be noted that on Saturday, November 5, toilets were installed near the site at the loading dock of a building owned by the United Federation of Teachers whose headquarters is nearly. This represents an indirect rebuke of Mayor Bloomberg who has opposed the Occupation from Day 1.

10-4) At 6:00, I went over to DC 37 headquarters for the Labor Outreach Group meeting. Before the meeting started, there was already half a dozen people waiting, old lefties. By the time the meeting got underway, at about 6:15, there were over fifty people, self-identified as from over twenty different union locals. These included the TWU, CWA, Teamsters, UFT, Local 1199, UAW, SEIU, SAG and others. It is important to note that a goodly percentage of the attendees were self-identified as shop stewards, chapter chairpeople or lower-level union officials.

10-5) In my opinion, the presence of so many people identified with the structures of various unions is not an accident. While the leadership/bureaucracy of the unions has been playing footsy with OWS, it is obvious that they realize that something has happened that can be used to their advantage. The fact that the OWS was defended largely by union members against Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to “clean” the site, is important. I’ll clarify that below.

10-6) It was instructive to see how the “facilitators,” the leaders of the meeting, combined together to run the meeting. Often, when an unclear issue came up, a quick, informal, sometimes nonverbal consultation between the facilitators and a quick pronouncement from the presiding facilitator, moved things along. There would be nothing wrong with this, except that the facilitators are unelected by the bodies they preside over. The theory is that the only “facilitate,” the meetings they preside over. But this is an illusion based on some extremely bourgeois sociology. Here’s an example of the kind of material available:
dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/MP43-373-3-2000E.pdf

10-7) After some vague discussions about procedures, and introductions, reports were presented on various activities that the Labor Outreach Group is involved with. These included:
(A) the November 17 mass action (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2286595&postcount=3);
(B) support action for the locked out Teamsters at Sotheby’s (https://pastee.org/ffbt3); (https://pastee.org/ffbt3%29;)
(C) a city-wide boycott of Domino’s Pizza;
(D) solidarity with TWU Local 100 in its contract negotiations with the MTA (www.labornet.org/news/0000/twukick.pdf (http://www.labornet.org/news/0000/twukick.pdf)).

10-8) After the reports, the Group broke down into smaller groups by unions. I was in the Teachers group. There was no real discussion in this subgroup, except the general impression conveyed by the three people in the group besides myself (public school and City Univeristy teachers) that there is broad, general support for OWS.

10-9) After the groups reassembled, there were brief reports, mostly pertaining to the actions mentioned above. One significant moment came when there was a report from union workers at WNBC, who have been working without a contract for several months. They are planning a protest at The Today Show, and asked that the OWS support this. Almost immediately, one of the representatives of the Sotheby’s Teamsters said that their action is right around the corner from 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where The Today Show is filmed and offered support for the WNBC workers’ action.

10-11) Present at the Labor Outreach Group meeting was one member of Socialist Action and, I believe, one member of the ISO and possibly one member of LRRP. I could be wrong about the latter two.

10-10) I am slowly beginning to come to a conception of the direction in which the OWS, and especially the Labor Outreach Group should go. I believe that the OWS has already become a focus for mass discontent with capitalism. While I am aware that there are diverse forces with the OWS, including such bizarre groups as the libertarians, the main thrust is anticapitalist, radical and to the Left. (I’m choosing these words carefully.) So what we are seeing is the largest anticapitalist movement in the US in at least forty years and one which has, up to now, garnered a huge amount of positive notice. And, for Leftists, the most important element here is that there is undoubted support from organized labor in the form of individual workers, union officials and material support from the unions.

10-11) It is crucial to notice that, unlike the previous movements in Wisconsin and Ohio, union officials and the Democratic Party have no traction in OWS with regard to their agenda for pulling all movements in line with support for the Democrats.

10-12) The most important element, beyond the fact of labor support itself, is that the unions are “using” OWS. By this I mean that they are participating in OWS activities to further their own agendas, which are not in conflict with those of the main thrust of OWS. This support includes, that I am aware of:

(A) Direct labor participation in OWS actions, such as marches.
(B) Direct, though not organized, labor participation, such as the rescuing of OWS from Mayor Bloomberg’s rather heavy-handed attempt to shut OWS down.
(C) Indirect support for OWS through material contributions, such as the UFT provided toilets for the occuption site.
(D) Participation of unionized workers, shop stewards and lower-level leadership in an OWS group and bringing this group (the Labor Outreach Group) into union activity, including contract negotiations.

10-13) In sum, I believe that it will be possible, in the near future for the OWS, in the person of the Labor Outreach Group to engage more and more in labor actions, including negotiations, strikes, and, hopefully, organizing drives. It is this potential where there exists, I believe, a really fruitful opportunity for labor, the Left and OWS to grow into something much larger and powerful and far beyond the limits of the existing occupations.

RED DAVE

9

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 9TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 5:30 PM TO 7:00 PM

9-1) This visit was to attend the sympathy march for the Oakland General Strike, which was happening that day. Prior to that, though, I spent some time walking around the OWS space. Much has changed. Since the victory over Mayor Bloomberg and his oinks several weeks ago, on, I believe, October 14, the use of tents has proliferated.

9-2) This proliferation of tents has resulted in much less space within Zuccotti Park for debate and discussion. In fact, I noticed that most of the debate and discussion is now taking place in the much-reduced space around the staircase at the southeast corner of the park and in an around the library space at the northeast corner. Also, the space around the media center, the kitchen, the labor table and all other functions is sharply reduced by the tents.

9-3) As earlier, I saw three or four people smoking dope. Bizarrely, I have also seen a proliferation of people smoking hand-rolled cigarettes.

9-4) To put it straightforwardly, the general level of spontaneously joyful behavior and open discussion has been sharply reduced. This has been replaced by a somewhat grimmer, tighter and, paradoxically, more chaotic attitude. This is, of course, my subjectinve impression.

9-5) After some confusion, the march began at about 6:30. There were some preliminary speakers who, in my opinion, did little or nothing to either inform the audience or motivate them. The “mic check” system was used for a relatively small crowd. One speaker, a woman whose name I didn’t catch, gave a speech on the connection between the events in Oakland and those in New York. The other speaker, an African-American man, talked about racism and what could be done t help the people in the ghettos.

9-6) The only left group in evidence was the ISO, which had a lit table in a very good position at the northeast corner of the park, at one end of what I call “the living poster wall,” where people stand with various posters facing the heavy traffic on Broadway, the most traveled street in Lower Manhattan. However, the table had no handouts, pamphlets, leaflets, etc., directly addressing the OWS or the events at Oakland that day. When I pointed this out to one of the comrades at the table, he seemed not to understand what I was talking about. He pointed to copies for sale of Socialist Worker, whose lead article was, indeed, about OWS.

9-7) The march began with a circling of the park twice. There were so many people jammed into the park at that point, and on the sidewalks around the park, that the march was virtually invisible. Just as the second circuit was completed and the march was about to step off towards City Hall and 1 Police Plaza (New York City Police Headquarters), a large, spirited march of students that had come down from Washington Square Park, joined up at the rear and provided a lot of new energy.

9-8) The line of march was north along Broadway to the north end of City Hall Park, where it turned east, marched through the Muncipal Building, to the plaza beyond it which is also connected to 1 Police Plaza. The march covered three city blaocks. I estimate the crowd at about 2-3 thousand. The cops had blocked off all the side streets, so the march could proceed directly to 1 Police Plaza with not stopping for lights. The entire march lasted about twenty minutes. We were flanked by cops on motorscooters and on foot the whole way.

10-9) The only organized political group evident during the march was the Workers World Party, which had a large banner and numerous placards. Once the march reached the end, a rally began. At the point, I ducked out.

RED DAVE

8

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 8TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 5:30 PM TO 7:00 PM.

8-1) This visit also had the purpose of attending a Labor Support/Outreach Group meeting, which I was finally able to do. But before that, let me make some observations on OWS as a whole. The overall situation seems slightly grimmer. (Remember, these are subjective observations of mine.) It is, of course, getting darker and colder. (Snow is forecast for the weekend.) However, with all the talking going on, “mic checks,” etc., there does not seem to be any growth or development at the site.

8-2) The only Left group that I saw present tonight was the Workers World, which had, in addition to the usual boring lit table, a leaflet dated October 19, which manages, on the one hand, to mention the working class, and on the other hand to make it marginal to other struggles going on.

8-3) At the meeting, which was in the basement of District Council 37 (the umbrella group for AFSCME unions in New York), it was cool to actually be in a union headquarters and see the OWS Labor Outreach Group meeting on the bulletin board (to say nothing of the fact that DC is lending its space). As the meeting opened, most of the people there were alter cockers like me. (For you boychiks and girlchiks who don’t know what an “alter cocker” is, it’s a Yiddish phrase meaning “An old and complaining person, an old fart.” http://www.sbjf.org/sbjco/schmaltz/yiddish_phrases.htm). But, gradually, as he room filled up, there were more and more young(er) people. I would guess that at the height of the meeting, there were about 80 people.

8-4) The first order of business involved a sister from Occupy Chicago, a journalist, who earnestly asked permission to attend. There was all kinds of quibbling and nonsense until it was approved. I am always amazed at how important some people think everything they think or have to say is important. (I am an alter cocker, indeed.) It is easy to grow impatient with the hair-splitting over small details. And some micro-discussing (to coin a phrase), leads to bureaucratic mainpulation to keep things moving.

8-5) The chairperson of the meeting was a facilitator from some larger grouping within the OWS and a union member (CUNY staff congress, I think). (It’s amazing how fast a structure has evolved on the one and, in the absence of real organizational democracy, a leadership with a genuinely bureaucratic style has also evolved.) He attempted to run the meeting GA stylebut the meeting was obvious bored by his presentation of the minutia of finger wiggling.

8-6) A retired brother from the longshore union next gave a report on the upcoming general strike in Oakland. I forget his name, but he was obviously an experienced left-winger. He gave a history of the previous general strike in 1946, the last general strike in the US. What was not clear to me was the relationship between Occupy and Oakland.

8-7) Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment, I was only able to stay at the meeting for an hour, and at that point I had to leave.

RED DAVE

7

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 7TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 6:00 PM TO 7:45 PM.

7-1) This visit had a purpose: to attend a Labor Support/Outreach Group and to attend a meeting of the General Assembly. The Labor Support/Outreach Group meeting was postponed to 6:30 PM, Friday, October 28, at DC 37 Headquarter, 125 Barclay Street.

7-2) Practically the first thing we saw when my wife and I arrived was a group from a Brooklyn SEIU local, but they left before I could find out why they were there

7-3) My general impression of the OWS site continues to be one of stagnation. While there was, as before, a large amount of purposeful activity going on, it all related to the maintenance of the site and none of it related to activities to bring the Occupation out from the site.

7-4) Outreach activities are going on in the form of almost-daily marches, but, again, there is no development or escalation. And the marches seem to have heft only when they have labor participations.

7-5) Then General Assembly started promptly as 7:00. I was fortunate to be able to get a spot right next to the facilitators. Unfortunately, I had to leave after half an hour, but I got a pretty good idea of how the GA functions. (This is not to say that I have a bead on the issues it’s dealing with.)

7-6) The GA is perhaps the best example I’ve ever seen of the manipulation of a rank-and-file by a leadership. The fact that this leadership is unelected and supports the illusion that it is in fact not a leadership makes this even more reprehensible. To add to this the cumbersome, rapidly evolving structure, and we get a very gamy situation.

7-7) I have a half hour video which I shot showing the GA addressing the issue of the schedule that the Drum Circle was to adhere to. Much of what went on was familiar: a speakers list, a secretary (a woman) taking minutes, etc. What was different was the weird handsignals and the very blatant manipulation that was obviously occurring. When any kind of problem arose during the discussion, concerning, especially, information about what was going on in other groups, the facilitators quickly consulted among themselves to see who had the information and what the answer would be. The “hidden leadership” of this GA was about 5 people. The attendance was about 60-70.

RED DAVE

6

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 6TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2:45 PM TO 4:30 PM.

6-1) This being a Saturday, there were less people taking a break from work or coming to work or going home. However, the number of people at the site was huge: the biggest I’ve seen yet. Spirits remain high. The overall impression, for me, was one of constant, largely purposeful activity but still unfocused. There is no sense of stagnation or decadence. The only sign I saw of the latter is that the site, in addition to the occupiers, has become a camping ground for some obvious drug users.

6-2) Surveying the geography of the site, it goes something like this: the total rectangular area is, I’ve read, about ½ acre (about .2 hectares). It is bounded on the north by Liberty Street (hence the common name “Liberty Park”), on the south by Cedar Street, on the west by Trinity Place (which changes its name a few block north to Church Street), and, importantly, one the east by Broadway, the major artery in Lower Manhattan. It is one block east of Ground Zero. It shows up on Google Maps as Zuccotti Park. (John Zuccotti is the current chairperson of the Brookfield Corporation, which actually owns the site.)

6-3A) The internal geography of the site is something like this (I’ll divide this into several entries: if this bores you, skip to entry 4): on the east side, facing Broadway, there is free access, and this is the location of what I call the “living poster wall.” This I call the East Sidewalk. Here, people stand facing Broadway with mainly homemade signs on a huge variety of subjects. On the southeast corner, on the sloping steps, under a huge, orange sculpture called “Joie de Vivre,” is perhaps the main speaking area, where, I believe, the General Assembly is held. There is a sidewalk along the north side of the site (the “North Sidewalk”). There are also numerous posters displayed along this side, plus some other activities, such as street theater (which curiously doesn’t seem to be too common). Right behind the North Sidewalk, below the steps leading onto the site from the street level, is a north-south passage, which I call “East Street.”

6-3B) Also, along the North Sidewalk, you can get a t-shirt silkscreened. About 30 feet in from the north sidewalk is what I call the “North Lane,” which runs east to west for then entire length of the site, gradually curving north to meet the North Sidewalk at the northwest corner. Walking along the North Lane, first is the Library, with tubs and shelves of free books on many subjects. Then comes the Media Center, which includes a live feed to a website. Just about opposite the Library is the Labor Table, where a bunch of old farts are generally sitting around talking about the Spanish Civil War and playing pinochle (not really). Just at the Labor Table is a passageway connecting the North Lane and the South Lane (see below), which I am call the “East Street.” Continuing down, on the left is the food areas, which is well-organized and the food actually looks good.

6-3C) Continuing along the North Lane going west, there are sleeping areas on the left and right. Just before the sleeping areas is another passageway connecting the North Lane and the South Lane (the “Center Street”). It was here I saw people who definitely looked like their presence was pre-pre-pre-political. At the northwest corner, of the site is an information table with some basic, very nonpolitical and boring literature.

6-3D) There is a “West Street,” which runs down the west side of the site, separated from the sidewalk on Trinity Place by steel barriers. (This is only place on the site where these barriers reamin.) At the north end of the West Street is the Community Altar, a place for those inclined to spirituality (mostly non-Western) and meditation and such. The altar is attractive and very well maintained. Going south along the West Street is the main music area. During the day, there is almost constant communal drumming and much dancing. This is very reminiscent to me of hippy days in Tompkins Square Park.

6-3E) Just north of the music area, the South Lane starts, which runs east-west connecting Broadway and the East Street and the West Street. It is much narrower than the North Lane, and on Saturday is was difficult to walk steadily. Mostly, the South Lane goes through the sleeping areas, but just beyond the Center Street the space opens up to an area where the are frequent circle meetings, etc. The South Lane continues to the base of the Joie de Sivre statue, where it joins the East Street. Finally, there is the South Sidewalk where there are several literature tables facing outwards. the South Sidewalk. About 2/3 of the way down towards Trinity Place, a low wall begins, which is festooned with posters and with people sitting on top of it. And now, after this little walk around the OWS site, you can buy refreshments from commercial trucks and food stands on Cedar Street, facing the South Sidewalk. J

6-4) Finally there is an actual, if miniscule, LEFT PRESENCE!!!!!! I saw tables from:
• the SWP – One small table, on the East Street, just north of the Joie de Vivre construction, manned by one person; all books, etc., wrapped in plastic. No handouts specific to OWS. No free stuff; finally got a copy of The Militant. The headline did not pertain to OWS. The comrade, a middle-aged woman, told me they, “Try to get down there for a few hours on weekended.” Verdict – BORING! Grade – D
• IWW – One medium-sized table at about the center of the South Sidewalk. Lots of stuff on the IWW, but no handout specifically aimed at the OWS. Two 40ish male comrades (or older). Verdict – BORING! Grade – C-
• PL – Two comrades, along the North Sidewalk, giving out copies of Challenge whose headline did not pertain to OWS. When I mistook them for the RCP, I came the closest I have gotten in six visits to being assaulted. (Not really, but they were mad!) The comrades were both women in their 50s or 60s. Verdict – BORING! Grade – D+
• Socialist Appeal – Medium-sized table about the center of the South Lane on the south side, with three male comrades, 30s-40s, with lots of stuff, virtually none of it free. No handouts specific to the OWS. I was actually able to get into a discussion with a male comrade in, perhaps, his late 30s. Only then was I offered literature. Verdict – BORING! Grade – C-

6-5) The above speaks for itself. The organized Left, at least with regard to a presence at OWS, does not get it. The very fact that not one group had a handout specific to the OWS. I not even going to mention the groups who didn’t bother to have their funky asses present to have a lit table and distribute literature to maybe 5000 people. You got something better to do?

6-6) While there were posters expressing every possible politcal notion and demand, from election reform to revolutionary overthrow of capitalism, the OWS remains pre-political. Except for one UAW lollipop poster, and the guys (all men in their 40s-60s) at the Labor Table, there was no organized labor presence on this beautiful Saturday afternoon.

RED DAVE

5

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 5TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 8:00 PM TO 9:30 PM.

5-1) There was virtually no police presence at OWS. The police were confined to about 10 cops, mostly concentrated along the west side of the Occupation along, I believe, Church Street, the same number to the east, along Broadway, and a few on the north side, where their vehicles are parked.

5-2) Because it was relatively late (the Occupation observes a quiet time from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM), there was no drumming at the southwest corner, but there were some folksingers, who could have come right out of the Sixties.

5-3) The OWS has put out a document: The Occupied Wall Street Spokes Council Proposal.
http://www.nycga.net/spokes%20-council/ (http://www.nycga.net/spokes%20-council/)
It contains a detailed plan for the structure of the Occupation. There is a revleft.com discussion of it here:
http://www.revleft.com/vb/important-ows-structural-t163086/index.html (http://www.revleft.com/vb/important-ows-structural-t163086/index.html)

5-4) Without getting into the document itself, let me say that it represents a very cumbersome but sincere attempt to deal structurally with the ephemeral nature of those supporting the OWS, those actually occupying, passersby and, weakly, organized groups, especially labor. It should be seriously considered and discussed as this is actually, as for as I know, the first actual "official" document of the OWS.

5-5) The OWS continues to struggle with the issue of demands (or goals). This is not an accident. The demands or program are close to the heart of any movement. And a movement so new as the OWS and largely run by people with little or no political experience should have difficulty with them. However, this difficulty also conceals the fact that this is a petit-bourgeois movement at this point, which makes it almost impossible for it to focus on a concise set of demands. Until the labor movement, organized and unorganized, and the organized left become involved, giving the OWS a "social weight" it currently lacks, this problem with program will persist.

5-6) There was still no sign whatsoever of organized left-wing activity. We can no longer call this an accident. What few forces the organized left has should have been thrown into this struggle wholeheartedly. I am not talking about actually sleeping down there (not that a few resident comrades from each left-wing group wouldn't be enormously useful), but maintaining an active presence. I saw no evidence of left-wingers engaged in debates (although this was after the nightly General Assembly) or of left-wing stickers, leaflets, newspapers, etc. It is obviously to me that the organized left, with few exceptions, is taking an abstentionist attitude. I mean, Comrades, not even one mass distribution? I know that some groups are working within their unions or with unions they are in touch with, but this needs to be publicized, especially at OWS itself.

5-7) Kudos to the LRP for pushing through a motion at the New York Central Laor Council for a mass labor march on march, I believe, November 5th.

5-8) The discussions that I heard going on, and I witnessed two or three of them, involved someone who was obviously a "leader type," explaining to others the function, purpose and necessity of the structure as mentioned in "3" above. A leadership is emerging, as any leftist knows it must. However, it will act informally, without sanction, undemocratically, even clandestinely, so long as a real structure does not evolve, which is probably impossible at this point.

5-9) The site, in general, is clean but had a generally disorganized look. However my overall impression was a heightening of discussion and more political focus.

5-10) Reports I have read indicate that the reason Bloomberg backed down on clearing the site was the massive, if somewhat uncoordinated, organized labor presence on the morning that the clearing of the site was to take place. The occupiers were dug in to resist arrest, but the entire site was encircled by union people, with union jackets and hats, ready to resist the cops. The cops were vastly outnumbered by the workers.

5-11) To summarize, the Occupation remains at a pre-political stage. There is more indication of labor presence. Still virtually no indication of a presence of the Left. The illusions of petit-bourgeois radicalism: extreme spontaneism, an absolute rejection of an effect structure geared for action, a lack of demands, persist.

The beat goes on.

RED DAVE

4

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 4TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET – MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 4:30 PM TO 5:30 PM.

4-1) Compared to a few days ago, the attitude of the police is noticeably different. They are not standing close to the edge of the site. They are not hurrying passersby along. They are mostly just standing around passively.

4-2) Barriers remain along the west and north sides of the site. There is a stone wall on the south side. The east side, which faces Broadway (the busiest thoroughfare in Manhattan) is open.

4-3) There are two focuses of energy: the southeast corner where the general assemblies are held and the southwest corner where there is constant drumming of about 6-8 drummers.

4-4) Finally, there is a labor table. It was not manned nor was there any organized activity going on. The half a dozen people who were sitting around the table were all self-identified as union members, including one man from the structural ironworkers and one from the painters. This latter is interesting as during the time of the Civil Right Movement and the Vietnam War, the construction workers unions were the most reactionary.

4-5) There was no sign whatsoever of organized left-wing activity: no stickers, posters, newsletters, tables, individuals leafletting, etc. THIS IS A FUCKING DISASTER, A SHAME AND SERVES TO EXPOSE THE WEAKNESS AND COWARDLINESS OF THE ORGANIZED LEFT.

4-6) The site was noticeable cleaner and better organized. However, it should be noted that when I visited it last, it was disorganized but not particularly dirty.

4-7) There is a noticeable absence of tension, probably having to do with the fact that the cops have been faced down and the mayor, may he rot in hell, backed off. I have read that the mayor's live-in girlfriend is a stockholder in the company that actually owns the site.

4-8) There is still virtually a complete absence of politics in the sense that the Left defines it. While there are constant little groups of people forming, reforming and talking, the issues are scattered and the discussions are unfocused and have a kind of casual nature. I may be projecting, but I get the distinct feeling that people are waiting for someone, some group, to make a definite statement or, at very least, provide a focus for the discussion.

4-9) There is no indication of a coming together on a set of demands, goals, whatever. I heard people talking about: bribery of public officials, taxing the rich, use of hydrogen for power (I kid you not), etc. The self-identification of the occupiers as the "99%" is everywhere, but there is little beyond that in terms of a class analysis.

4-10) The occupiers are mostly young, women and men, and beautifully ethnically mixed. Compared with a week ago, I would say there are less people hanging around the edges, less curiosity seekers and passersby. The novelty has worn off, but there is no "feeling" of jadedness. I do get an underlying feeling of impatience.

4-11) To summarize, the Occupation is still at a pre-political stage. In my opinion, without the presence of organized workers, as part of their unions or as independent delegations from the unions (NYC is the most unionized city in the USA) and without the presence of the organized left, stagnation and frustration will soon begin to increase.

4-12) Also, it should be noted, the weather is noticeably colder and it is getting dark markedly earlier than a month ago when the Occupation began.

RED DAVE

3

Uncoordinated notes on my third visit to Occupy Wall Street – Wednesday, October 12 – About 9:00 PM

3-1) The sensory impression of the Occupation at night is completely different than from the day. People are entirely within the barriers (still a large area of a full city block) and everything feels more concentrated, more intense.

3-2) The impression is of even less politics at night than during the day. I had hoped to see a General Assembly or some large-scale discussion going on but no such.

3-3) People are talking, talking, talking to each other. But there are few buttons, leaflets or any common method of conveying points of view. We are still at a very pre-poltical stage.

3-4) The music and dancing (it shuts down at 10:00 PM) were intense, almost frightening. My wife, a professional singer and song writer said that the music was neither angry nor fearful by a way of avoiding anger and feear: "pure trance," she called it.

3-5) Absolutely no indication of the presence of organized labor or the organized Left.

3-6) People are well supplied with food and plastic tarps against the weather. It rained briefly tonight, and the temperature is about 60 F with a wind blowing.

RED DAVE

2

Uncoordinated Notes on My second Visit to Occupy Wall Street – 10/11/11

2-1) Compared to 8 days ago, the Occupation is slightly larger.

2-2) The attitude of the cops is slightly more hostile. Parts of the Occupation space are now enclosed by steel barriers.

2-3) The space retains a distinctly hippy quality; however, the space is neither dirty nor does it have decadent feel to it. People appear positive and engaged.

2-4) Dope smoking is going on relatively openly on the site.

2-5) People with a "spiritual message," i.e. yoga and meditation, are very much in evidence.

2-6) While many of the slogans on the numerous signs are political, the Occupation does not have a political feel to it. It remains "pre-political."

2-7) While I was there, roughly at rush hour (4:30 PM to 6:30 PM), there was no evidence of a presence of organized labor.

2-8) The only presence of the organized Left was a single, rather forlorn, individual giving out a leaflet for Socialist Appeal.

2-9) Hostility to the Democrats is obvious.

2-10) Hostility to the banks is prevalent, to other corporations less so.

2-11) Generalized hostility to capitalism is evident and open.

2-12) Use of the "human mic" is common. Whenever anyone speaks, people gather around and the human mic comes into use. It is quite amazing to see.

RED DAVE

1

Okay, here are my impressions, that's impressions and not any kind of systematic observations, based on a brief visit of less than an hour to Occupy Wall Street in New York. [October 3, 2011]

1-1) The site is terrific: one block east and north of Ground Zero and a couple of blocks north and west of Wall Street itself. The park is a large open space with some trees with Broadway on the east and very tall building to the north and south.

1-2) When I was there with my wife, about 4:30 this afternoon, grey skies and kind of cool, there were, I guess, about 4000 people there. There were a large number of tourists and people who work in the neighborhood and a group of about 500 who were engaged in the business of the occupation.

1-3) The overall impression of the occupation is very positive. It looks and is very large for such an undertaking.

1-4) The occupation itself, remember I'm viewing it from the outside, reminded me of the May Day Tribe demos in Washington in 1971. There was a purposeful, cheerful disorder. There are no tents allowed but there are make-shift one-person shelters (this is an inadequate term; think plastic sleeves with sleeping bags in them).

1-5) There was a meeting going on when we were there, being carried out in Amislan (American Sign Language). It was difficult to discern if this was a group of deaf students just temporarily at the site or a permanent group.

1-6) The most important communication medium for people there is large numbers of homemade signs on the ground on the north side of the site. People are encouraged to put make their own signs.

1-7) There is a media center with a generator that connects the site to the Internet.

1-8) There are tables, more like long, low platforms, where vegetarian food is served to all comers.

1-9) Unfortunately, while we were there, the only group activity besides the Amislan group was a bunch of dancing Hari Krishnas without orange robes. It reminded me of Tompkins Square Park ca. 1968.

1-10) There were no cops visible at all. None.

1-11) My overall impression was of an activity more turned in on itself at this point. There was no systematic attempt to engage passersby. Since there is no coherent "official" line and not much organization, this is not surprising.

1-12) There was no sign of organized leftist activity or organized union presence.

1-13) I was surprised at how fast the whole thing has taken on a definite hippy look.

1-14) Through my eyes, this occupation is at what I would call a pre-political stage.

I'll try to get back there in a day or two, but I work full-time, and I have a lot of stuff on my plate.

RED DAVE

RedHal

22nd November 2011, 05:40

Did the US Co-opt OWS in Order to Legitimize Egypt's Flawed Elections?
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/levich221111.html

According to a November 16 story in Ahram Online (http://english.ahram.org.eg/%7E/NewsContent/1/64/26752/Egypt/Politics-/Occupy-squared-.aspx) and links collected by blogger Benjamin Doherty (at bitly.com/bundles/bangpound/4 (https://bitly.com/bundles/bangpound/4)), OWS in New York City agreed to send a delegation of election monitors to Egypt after a mysterious activist flew in from Washington with a proposal in hand. The New York City OWS swiftly approved the initiative at a November 10 "General Assembly" in Zuccotti Park and allocated $29,000.

Maria Dayton, the apparent author of the proposal, boasts of connections to the U.S. State Department, the National Endowment for Democracy, and Freedom House on her LinkedIn profile (since deleted but preserved by Doherty, at cld.bangpound.org/
2G423i2t2R2f2q1q331K (http://cld.bangpound.org/2G423i2t2R2f2q1q331K)). Each of these institutions has a longstanding history of subverting and co-opting popular movements in the interests of U.S. foreign policy.

Wow:thumbdown:

agnixie

22nd November 2011, 16:46

Did the US Co-opt OWS in Order to Legitimize Egypt's Flawed Elections?
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/levich221111.html

Wow:thumbdown:

It's currently causing a headache because apparently there was a communication issue at the root of things: i.e. the group that called on the committees to approve the motion misrepresented itself and we had a short communication blackout with Tahrir activists themselves. The committee that introduced the motion at Liberty Square is now trying to get it overturned and the money hasn't been distributed yet afaik. I think it's also why there's a motion for GA quorums on the table as this is the kind of bullshit that gets passed when the assembly is small :p

RedZero

22nd November 2011, 20:49

"A protester handed President Barack Obama a note while shaking hands along a rope line in New Hampshire today. AP photographer Charlie Dharapak smartly zoomed in so you can read the note for yourself."

http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/13166029288/1/tumblr_lv2tsyXb8c1qgoist

http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/13166029288/2/tumblr_lv2tsyXb8c1qgoist

RedHal

22nd November 2011, 21:05

This is the nobel peace winner that authorizes drone strikes that kills innocent men,women and children and the liberals are questioning his silence on the arrests of peaceful protestors...

Os Cangaceiros

22nd November 2011, 21:52

New York Times gets butthurt over NYPD repression against journalists (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/nyregion/nypd-stops-reporters-with-badges-and-fists.html)

On Monday, The New York Times and 12 other organizations sent a letter of protest to the Police Department. “The police actions of last week,” the authors said, “have been more hostile to the press than any other event in recent memory.”

TheGodlessUtopian

23rd November 2011, 19:42

Something a little bit more light hearted.

We’ve already noticed how hot some of the protesters in Occupy Wall Street (http://www.queerty.com/photos-the-cute-shirtless-dudes-of-occupy-wall-street-20111012/) and Occupy L.A. (http://www.queerty.com/photos-our-boys-at-economic-war-during-occupy-los-angeles-20111026/) are. (What? It’s not a crime to notice attractive people, even if they’re protesting.)
But does it mean the “Occupy” movement has jumped the shark when it starts showing up in actual porn? Or merely that it’s officially arrived?
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Picture-276-360x211.pngReleased Thursday on Dirty Boy Video (http://www.dirtyboyvideo.com/) (NSFW) and shot just a few weeks earlier in a tent right in the middle of Occupy Oakland, Occupy My Throat (http://www.dirtyboyvideo.com/promo/1863-1864/index.shtml)s (also NSFW, duh!) shows exactly what happens when “Branden and Skylar take a break from the rally in Oakland to occupy each other with their cocks!”
The self-described home of “underground, amateur videos of boys doing things they shouldn’t,” Dirty Boy Video insists “it’s a challenge to exercise
the right to free speech with your mouth full, but these horny boys are UP to the challenge! It’s great to see hot, idealistic young men CUM together for a cause!”
Well it’s definitely more creative than relying on old-school pizza delivery or locker room scenarios, and perhaps a bit more realistic than the time when we watched Skylar walk in on Raf in the workroom rubbing a power drill on his privates in another video.
But how did the concept for Occupy My Throat um…arise?
“We operate a bit more spontaneously than ‘what scene should we do this week,” a Dirty Boy Video rep told Queerty. “It’s sexier to run when the mood strikes. These guys were there in support of the occupation, and in the downtime between events the shoot seemed a fun idea.”
In a preview clip, we get glimpse of how two nubile hipster twinks who like smoking, nose piercings, lightly groomed pubic regions and peaceful demonstrations exercise their libidos when they take a break from protesting.
http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2011/11/Picture-275.png
Skylar and Branden meet and snake their way through a campground choked with tents, and before Skylar can even take his glasses off, his voracious mouth is drawn by a powerful, primall urge to taste Branden’s sweaty neck.
But is this all just in good fun, or exploitative? “At an event like OWS, passion and emotion run high, adrenaline flows, so what could be healthier than expressing that energy in sex?” the DBV rep argued. “I’d like to add that filming two people being nice to each other might be considered a porno—but all this video of the police beating and pepper spraying people can only be defined as obscene.”
Good point.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/hooray-the-occupy-movement-gets-its-first-gay-porn-20111122/

Os Cangaceiros

23rd November 2011, 23:48

ANTISEC LEAKS DOJ SPECIAL AGENT SUPERVISOR’S PRIVATE EMAILS, IACIS CYBERCRIME INVESTIGATOR COMMUNICATIONS care of the #OCCUPYWALLST CRACKDOWN RETALIATION TASK FORCE.

Greetings Pirates, and welcome to another exciting #FuckFBIFriday release.

As part of our ongoing effort to expose and humiliate our white hat enemies, we targeted a Special Agent Supervisor of the CA Department of Justice in charge of computer crime investigations. We are leaking over 38,000 private emails which contain detailed computer forensics techniques, investigation protocols as well as highly embarrassing personal information. We are confident these gifts will bring smiles to the faces of our black hat brothers and sisters (especially those who have been targeted by these scurvy dogs) while also making a mockery of “security professionals” who whore their “skills” to law enforcement to protect tyrannical corporativism and the status quo we aim to destroy.

http://325.nostate.net/?p=3552

TheGodlessUtopian

25th November 2011, 16:37

Leftsolidarity

25th November 2011, 16:48

TheGodlessUtopian

25th November 2011, 16:53

Wow, sounds almost identical to what happened with our page.

Similar drama? What happened exactly?

Leftsolidarity

25th November 2011, 16:58

Similar drama? What happened exactly?

Most of our drama is over. An admin went rogue and started banning people, deleteing comments, changed the group to secret. I managed to get into admin position and deleted him as admin, unblocked everyone, openned the group back up, and brought in more people.

TheGodlessUtopian

25th November 2011, 17:00

Most of our drama is over. An admin went rogue and started banning people, deleteing comments, changed the group to secret. I managed to get into admin position and deleted him as admin, unblocked everyone, openned the group back up, and brought in more people.

Ah,thank "Lenin" for us and our socialist coups eh? ;)

TheGodlessUtopian

27th November 2011, 21:08

Things are heating up in my occupy...

http://www.kjonline.com/news/Protesters-arrested-at-Blaine-House.html

Ocean Seal

27th November 2011, 21:17

Lately there was some drama on my occupy's facebook page.A Admin went rouge and changed it to "Unemployment Convention" and started talking shit about how they were "wronged." Anyways,I sneaked into the position of Admin,removed the other Admins (who started all the drama in the first place,and then changed the name back to the original title.I also deleted all the negative comments so new people wouldn't get the wrong idea.While I felt a bit bad about removing the other Admins,I think it had to be done.

Wow, sounds almost identical to what happened with our page.

Most of our drama is over. An admin went rogue and started banning people, deleteing comments, changed the group to secret. I managed to get into admin position and deleted him as admin, unblocked everyone, openned the group back up, and brought in more people.

This is kind of the reason that I won't let anyone else be an admin on my page. It doesn't really get too many comments. Mainly I go on other pages as my page. I've gotten a few fans (50+) for what its worth.

Chicano Shamrock

28th November 2011, 13:28

Went to Occupy LA tonight for what was supposed to be the cops raids. The cops lined up and nearly everyone(a few thousand) *****ed out and held no lines against the cops lines. At one point there was 5 of us standing against 50 cops that luckily weren't progressing.

I love LA but we have a lot of people with no balls over here. This Occupy LA is really sad compared to what is happening in some other parts of the country.

RED DAVE

1st December 2011, 04:35

[Sorry for the delay on posting this. Plz note that it was written over a week ago, prior to the raid on Occupy LA.]

14

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 14TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 5:00 PM TO 8:30 PM

[NOTE: This account is being written w/o notes as the official notes for this mtg have not yet been distributed. This entry will be revised should I receive the notes. I apologize in advance for the lack of detail.]

14-1) This was a meeting of the Occupation Wall Street – Labor Outreach Committee (hereafter, “LOC”) at DC 37 headquarters, 125 Barclay Street. It was the first meeting of the committee after the Bloomberg Raid. Prior to the meeting there was supposed to be a gathering of the facilitators. Again, as for the previous meeting, the site was set for an off-site location, again a coffee house similar to the Starbucks location last week and, in my opinion, unacceptable as a site for such a meeting. In any event, the point is moot as no one showed up ontime and, eventually, one other facilitator and myself met at the DC 37 location, which should have been used in the first place. I hope people don’t find this point too sectarian, but the fact that a labor group would meet at a pseudo-bohemian place like Starbucks or its ilk, really irks me.

14-2) The meeting began with an attendance of about 25 and eventually grew to be about 70 people. I myself chaired the meeting. My impression is that the meeting was slightly smaller than the two previous meetings I attended but not significantly so. However, I did get the impression that there was a small difference in the people who attended. Previously, there has been a significant contingent of low-level union officials, shop stewards and several interns working at union offices. Most of these individuals were, I believe, no longer present. The meeting consisted more of Leftists and genuine rank-and-filers. I could be wrong on this, or it could be a coincidence as the shift only involved perhaps ten people. However, in the wake of the dominance of the mass demonstration on Novemenber 17 by organized labor, this may be a shift.

14-3) The first half hour of the meeting, after introductions and announcements (mostly of actions coming up) was devoted to an assessment of OWS as a whole and the LOC in particular after the eviction from Zuccotti Park and the mass march the night before. It was the general consensus that some people are in denial about the seriousness of what had happened, and that the march the night before was not a compensation for the loss. However, it also was not a disaster was witnessed by the meeting that was taking place. My belief, almost two weeks after the raid and eviction is that the magnitude of the loss is/was underestimated.

14-4) The second half hour was taken up by a discussion of future actions. It was generally agreed upon that the LOC should support a limited number of campaigns and not spread itself too thin. My impression is that, concretely, there are only a few campaigns that the LOC is actually involved in. This is in contrast to the constant stream of campaigns that individual members of the LOC are involved in and want the LOC to back them up with. Most of these are not directly union actions but have some relationship to labor, i.e. immigrant work or the struggle against post office closings and layoffs. While this latter is definitely a labor issue, the unions have yet to become involved so grassroots organizations have sprung up, but they have little to do but show up at hearings, send letters to congresspeople, etc.

14-5) The one open Leftist at the meeting, a member of the LRP, continues to push the issue of government-created jobs. The upcoming labor march taking place, I believe, on December 2, is a pale reflection of a motion that was passed by the NYC Central Labor Council, spear-headed by the LRP. I have to say, though, that the individual involved functions almost as a parody of a Leftist in his appearance and behavior. All this vitiates the actual effectiveness of his work and makes a discussion, on the spot, of the demands being made, difficult and overly concerned with his personality.

14-6) The most important result of the discussions above concern the relationship of the LOC with the upcoming labor march. It was proposed that LOC, and OWS if possible, march with the labor march (from 34th Street to Union Square under the slogans “It’s About Jobs! Fight For Fairness”). But to march under their own slogans (“Jobs For All!”) and continue the march furthere downtown, perhaps to Zuccotti Park. This discussion will continue at the next meeting.

14-7) Another development, which was discussed at the previous meeting, is the possibility of a sub-committee of the LOC whose purpose will be to coordinate inter-union support actions.

14-8) Discussions also took place of ongoing labor actions supported by LOC: Sotheby’s and Woodlawn Cemetery: both involving locals of the Teamsters Union, plus how the LOC can work with the TWU and Local 32BJ in the upcoming contract negotiations.

14-9) At this point, rather than go into the details of other discussions, I would like to toss out some ideas as to what is going on with OWS and what its likely future is. People have pointed out that the November 17 march was two days late. There should have been massive labor intervention that afternoon after the raid. Had labor and the OWS organized the 35,000 people who showed up at Foley Square to try to reoccupy Zuccotti Park, the effect would have been very different from the Foley Square march, which can be likened to a big rock tossed into a pond. The splash and ripples were huge, but the water level did not perceptively rise. For anything real to happen; for OWS to be a real aid to the unions in New York in their struggles, the labor leadership/bureaucracy needs to take some risks, and at this point it looks like they will not do this. Big surprise.

14-10) My opinion is that the task for members of the LOC for the near future will be to (a) continue with the ongoing actions, Sotheby’s and Greenwood, (b) enhance whatever relationship they have with unions that are already established, such as TWU and Local 1199 and (c) to “worm their way” into other unions, such as the UFT. This latter could be begun by the time-honored tactic of a rank-and-file group.

14-11) Another possible strategy would be for the LOC to take the initiative to begin an actual organizing drive. The coordinating subcommittee mentioned above in entry 14-7 could be a potential vehicle for this.

14-12) In any event, when the LOC meets again on Friday, December 2, it remains to be seen if the committee retains a forward momentum given the lack of focus of OWS as a whole in the aftermatch of the eviction.

RED DAVE

[The text of my first 13 reports is under the spoiler.]

13

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 13TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 5:00 PM TO 7:30 PM

13-1) This was the evening of the mass labor march which took place two days after the police raid which closed down Zuccotti Park. As had been worked out the previous Friday, members of the Labor Outreach Committee were to circulate through the crowd with clipboards to get names of people interested in working with the committee and giving out leaflets detailing the committees workings.

13-2) Originally, the form the march was to take was that “mic checks” would be set up in various places in Foley Square where people could testify as to the economic hardships they were going through. In my opinion, this represents both the best and the worst that OWS stands for. The best for its democratic spirit; the worst for the fact that it’s an opportunity for exhibitionism and self-indulgence. In fact, what occurred was that the SEIU showed up with massive sound equipment. (This was a legal demonstration, so sound equipment, unlike at Zuccotti Park, was permitted.) This was apparently in violation of an agreement that had been worked out between the OWS and unions. However, since the OWS is leaderless at this point, another expression of the best and worst of it, it was not possible for anyone to protest what the SEIU had done.

13-3) The SEIU leadership, then, was able to set the agenda for the rally part of the demonstration, and the fact that the 99 people scheduled to be symbolically arrested included the National President of the SEIU, pretty much stamped this as a labor rally. This was both good and bad. Good in that it was the first mass labor rally in New York in decades. Bad in that much of the radicalism of the OWS was leached out of the event.

13-4) The time for a mass labor demo was the day after the eviction, even if it had to be called ad hoc as was the labor resistance to New York’s Mayor Bloomberg’s original call to clear the park back in October. The could have been coupled with an attempt to reoccupy the park. However, this would have been a far more radical move than the labor bureaucrats are willing to countenance at this point. It is obvious that the labor demo planned for December 1, under the slogan “Jobs and Economic Fairness,” which is an extremely watered-down version of a march that was passed by the Central Labor Council itself (responding to an initiative from OWS and spearheaded by the LRP), will fit nicely into the Obama Administrations slogans (as opposed to any actions) for the 2012 elections.

13-5) The labor leadership/bureaucracy in New York is in an interesting bind. On the one hand, they are taking it on the neck again and again from the Bloomberg Adminstration and from the employers in general, and they have not been able to mount any successful fight backs. The OWS gives them an opportunity to wave a red flag in front of the ruling class, but, on the other hand, there is the danger that its membership will start to take all this radicalization seriously. This would threaten the bureaucrats on their shaky thrones and threaten their relationship with the Democratic Party. Thus, they are simultaneously trying to use OWS to win some limited gains. But they also have to stifle its radicalism, which defeats their purpose.

13-6) All this creates an unparalleled opening for the Left and gives it a kind of access to the labor rank-and-file that it has not had since the 1970s. The organized Left was slow to pick up on the opportunity of OWS and did not fully exploit it before the expulsion from Zuccotti Park. There was no attempt by any Left group to systematically relate to the occupation. At best, attempts at leafleting and distribution of material were spotty, and the material that was distributed was laughably unsuited to the occasion. The Left failed in this regard.

13-7) The next step, I believe, will take place at an intersection between OWS as a whole, constitutent committees of the OWS such as the LOC and the Demands Committee, the union leadership/bureaucracy, elements of the rank-and-file and individuals that are active independent of the bureaucracy and the Left. The Left has a crucial role to play. If individuals and groups get off their asses, stop debating trivia, rid themselves of petty-bourgeois illusions, we face opportunities that have not been present for three decades.

12

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 12TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 5:00 PM TO 8:30 PM

12-1) This visit was to attend meetings of the facilitators group of OWS Labor Outreach Committee (hereafter, the “LOC”) and then a meeting of the committee itself. Due to the Veterans Day holiday, the committee meeting was held at the headquarters of Local 1199, instead of the headquarters of DC 37. The preliminary facilitator’s meeting was supposed to be at a nearby Starbucks, but few people showed on time, and the place proved to be inadequate. The few of us who did show up moved the meeting to the union headquarters. (Part of this report comes from notes I took as the facilitator-notetaker of this LOC meeting.)

12-2) The LOC has an agenda which it sticks to pretty closely, beginning with Introductions. The Introductions at this meeting indicated the presence of people from the following unions: Carpenters Local, UFT, UAW Local 2325, DC 37, SEIU, Local 30 Maihandlers, Local 100 TWU, Local 1199, Steamfitters Local 638, Musicians Local 802, CUNY Local PSC, Restaurant Workers, Teamsters Local 808 (Woodlawn Cemetery Workeres), Teamsters Local 814 (Sotheby’s Art Handlers), CWA. Hotel Workers Local 6.

12-3) Reports to the LOC were as follows:
A – Sothebys – The LOC participated in the Sotheby’s picket line on Wednesday, November 9. People locked themselves together with bike locks. 8 people were jailed. At least 10 unions participated. There is a rally planned for December 8th.
B – Occupy the DOE – There was a GA Monday night (Nov. 7) at the Tweed Court House. Many teenagers there spoke out for their teachers. Future plans are to disrupt the next meeting of PEP (Panel for Educational Policy).
C – Immigrant and Nonunion Workers – There is a call for a citywide boycott of Dominos Pizza.
D) NOVEMBER 17 – The Labor part of the demonstrations begins at 5:00 PM at Foley Square. There will be lots of music. It was suggested that the LOC set up soapboxes and mike checks on economic horror stories. The demo will march from Foley Square to City Hall, encircle City Hall and then onto the Brooklyn Bridge. Organizations such as Unity New York, Local 1199, SEIU, UFT, 32BJ and many community groups are involved.

12-4) Under General Business, the LOC considered a proposal, a demand actually, that originated with the OWS Demands Working Group passed the following:
We demand a democratically-controlled public works and public service program, with direct government employment, to creat 25 million new jobs at good union wages. The new jobs will go to meeting the needs of the 99%, including educatin, healthcare, housing, mass transit, and clean energy. The program will be funded by raising taxes on the rich and corporations and by ending all U.S. wars. Employment n the program ill be open to all, regardless of immigration status or criminal record.

The demand was accepted by consensus. Given discussions I have been involved in online, at revleft.com, for example, I assume that the origins of this demand and the strategy for its presentation is coming from the LRP.
12-5) At the end of the meeting, the LOC considers requests for support fromm the Living Wage Campaign, the Verizon campaign of the CWA, the Anti-Super Committee (Social Safety Net) Campaign, Woodlawn Cemetery, Dec. 8 Sotheby’s, MTA Corruption, Stop PO Closures, Occupy DOE.

12-6) The LOC voted to establish a mutual solidarity network,” whose purpose it would be to coordinate cooperation between unions to support each other’s actions. I feel that this move, which concretizes the best work that the LOC is doing, is the next step forward for the committee.

12-7) At this point, the LOC stands, in my opinion, in the most crucial place in the OWS. It is attracting concrete labor support in the for of rank-and-filers actually engaged in struggles, shop stewards and low level union bureaucrats/leaders. While the OWS as a whole has served as a magnet for the labor bureaucracy and a focus for rank-and-file energy, the bureaucracy will always serve to use the OWS for its own purposes. The role of the LOC must be to, eventually, use the mobilzation which it helps to create, for its own far more left-wing purposes.

11

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 11TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 4:30 PM TO 5:30 PM

11-1) This visit was a short one. I wanted, as usual, to collect impressions of the current state of the Occupation, talk to people and pick up some literature. I also, at the end, want to continue some of the speculations I began in entry 10 about the direction that OWS should go.

11-2) My general impressions over the past several visits continues. Physically, the tents have taken over more and more space, including several large tents which have been purchased by OWS itself. The net result of this continues to be the inhibition of political discussion inside the park and causing it to take place out on the sidewalk. There were no left groups present either inside or outside the park. There was, however, a very active anarchist table on the sidewalk facing Broadway distributing free literature, including pamphlets on basic anarchist theory, rejecting life-syle anarchism, Noam Chomsky on “Government in the Future” and one on racism and capitalism.

11-3) During the course of my visit, I deliberately set out to talk to people sort of a random around the site. Previously, I have mostly just been an observer without talking much to people. My general impression, gained from talking to half a dozen people, is that there is still no convergence on program or demands, nor is there any convergence as to what the direction that OWS should go in.

11-4) I want to make some theoretical points here. My notion, as a Marxist, is that what we are dealing with here is basically a petty-bourgeois movement. That is, the class base of the occupation is petty-bourgeois. This is reflected in the absence of demands, the absence of coherent leadership, the obsessive and debilitating focus on consensus and a host of other phenomena. This is to be expected. The working class has been locked into the continuously failing policies of the union leadership and have come up with very few initiatives in the past three decades that might provide new directions for struggle.

11-5) A similar situation occurred during the early Sixties, with the mass petty-bourgeois movements, the Civil Rights Movement and the Ban the Bomb Movement. Both these movements did, in fact, have huge working class participation, but this participation was curailed and controlled by the leadership of these movements, a combination of liberal, petty-bourgeois radicals and trade union leadership/bureaucrats. As a result, once certain limited goals were achieved, nothing more could be done. And as the student movement arose, with its creativity and sense of initiative, it was unable to reach out to the working class and turned in on itself with the results we know.

11-6) In my opinion, the organized Left needs to take a stand, that the Occupation movement needs to turn towards the working class, and the working class needs to embrace the Occupation movement. This needs to be the message of the Left. This needs to be expressed tactically, strategically, organizationally and theoretically.

10

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 10TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 5:30 PM TO 8:30 PM

10-1) This trip was for the purpose of taking a quick look at the site and then attending a Labor Outreach Group meeting. My previous observations on the general conditions stand. There are visibly more tents than even a few days ago, and the space for discourse inside the park is becoming more limited, thus forcing discussions more and more to take place at the periphery.

10-2) There are continuous reports in the press of antisocial behavior, including rape. This is to be expected. In the absence of a viable security system for the park, such behavior must, inevitably, manifest. This has resulted in the women on the site building a “safe house” for themselves. There is also a piece the Daily Kos, written 2 ½ weeks ago by an African-American woman, describing the negativity that had already begun to accumulate. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/17/1027186/-A-Black-Woman-Who-Occupied-Wall-Street:-Why-She-Wont-Be-Going-Back (Thanx to tacosomoza at revleft.com for posting the article.) I myself witnessed an incident in which one individual was accused of stealing something. Some kind of “official” was called. In the end, I believe, the stolen items were returned.

10-3) It should also be noted that on Saturday, November 5, toilets were installed near the site at the loading dock of a building owned by the United Federation of Teachers whose headquarters is nearly. This represents an indirect rebuke of Mayor Bloomberg who has opposed the Occupation from Day 1.

10-4) At 6:00, I went over to DC 37 headquarters for the Labor Outreach Group meeting. Before the meeting started, there was already half a dozen people waiting, old lefties. By the time the meeting got underway, at about 6:15, there were over fifty people, self-identified as from over twenty different union locals. These included the TWU, CWA, Teamsters, UFT, Local 1199, UAW, SEIU, SAG and others. It is important to note that a goodly percentage of the attendees were self-identified as shop stewards, chapter chairpeople or lower-level union officials.

10-5) In my opinion, the presence of so many people identified with the structures of various unions is not an accident. While the leadership/bureaucracy of the unions has been playing footsy with OWS, it is obvious that they realize that something has happened that can be used to their advantage. The fact that the OWS was defended largely by union members against Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to “clean” the site, is important. I’ll clarify that below.

10-6) It was instructive to see how the “facilitators,” the leaders of the meeting, combined together to run the meeting. Often, when an unclear issue came up, a quick, informal, sometimes nonverbal consultation between the facilitators and a quick pronouncement from the presiding facilitator, moved things along. There would be nothing wrong with this, except that the facilitators are unelected by the bodies they preside over. The theory is that the only “facilitate,” the meetings they preside over. But this is an illusion based on some extremely bourgeois sociology. Here’s an example of the kind of material available:
dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/MP43-373-3-2000E.pdf

10-7) After some vague discussions about procedures, and introductions, reports were presented on various activities that the Labor Outreach Group is involved with. These included:
(A) the November 17 mass action (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2286595&postcount=3);
(B) support action for the locked out Teamsters at Sotheby’s (https://pastee.org/ffbt3); (https://pastee.org/ffbt3%29;)
(C) a city-wide boycott of Domino’s Pizza;
(D) solidarity with TWU Local 100 in its contract negotiations with the MTA (www.labornet.org/news/0000/twukick.pdf (http://www.labornet.org/news/0000/twukick.pdf)).

10-8) After the reports, the Group broke down into smaller groups by unions. I was in the Teachers group. There was no real discussion in this subgroup, except the general impression conveyed by the three people in the group besides myself (public school and City Univeristy teachers) that there is broad, general support for OWS.

10-9) After the groups reassembled, there were brief reports, mostly pertaining to the actions mentioned above. One significant moment came when there was a report from union workers at WNBC, who have been working without a contract for several months. They are planning a protest at The Today Show, and asked that the OWS support this. Almost immediately, one of the representatives of the Sotheby’s Teamsters said that their action is right around the corner from 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where The Today Show is filmed and offered support for the WNBC workers’ action.

10-11) Present at the Labor Outreach Group meeting was one member of Socialist Action and, I believe, one member of the ISO and possibly one member of LRRP. I could be wrong about the latter two.

10-10) I am slowly beginning to come to a conception of the direction in which the OWS, and especially the Labor Outreach Group should go. I believe that the OWS has already become a focus for mass discontent with capitalism. While I am aware that there are diverse forces with the OWS, including such bizarre groups as the libertarians, the main thrust is anticapitalist, radical and to the Left. (I’m choosing these words carefully.) So what we are seeing is the largest anticapitalist movement in the US in at least forty years and one which has, up to now, garnered a huge amount of positive notice. And, for Leftists, the most important element here is that there is undoubted support from organized labor in the form of individual workers, union officials and material support from the unions.

10-11) It is crucial to notice that, unlike the previous movements in Wisconsin and Ohio, union officials and the Democratic Party have no traction in OWS with regard to their agenda for pulling all movements in line with support for the Democrats.

10-12) The most important element, beyond the fact of labor support itself, is that the unions are “using” OWS. By this I mean that they are participating in OWS activities to further their own agendas, which are not in conflict with those of the main thrust of OWS. This support includes, that I am aware of:
(A) Direct labor participation in OWS actions, such as marches.
(B) Direct, though not organized, labor participation, such as the rescuing of OWS from Mayor Bloomberg’s rather heavy-handed attempt to shut OWS down.
(C) Indirect support for OWS through material contributions, such as the UFT provided toilets for the occuption site.
(D) Participation of unionized workers, shop stewards and lower-level leadership in an OWS group and bringing this group (the Labor Outreach Group) into union activity, including contract negotiations.

10-13) In sum, I believe that it will be possible, in the near future for the OWS, in the person of the Labor Outreach Group to engage more and more in labor actions, including negotiations, strikes, and, hopefully, organizing drives. It is this potential where there exists, I believe, a really fruitful opportunity for labor, the Left and OWS to grow into something much larger and powerful and far beyond the limits of the existing occupations.
RED DAVE

9

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 9TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 5:30 PM TO 7:00 PM

9-1) This visit was to attend the sympathy march for the Oakland General Strike, which was happening that day. Prior to that, though, I spent some time walking around the OWS space. Much has changed. Since the victory over Mayor Bloomberg and his oinks several weeks ago, on, I believe, October 14, the use of tents has proliferated.

9-2) This proliferation of tents has resulted in much less space within Zuccotti Park for debate and discussion. In fact, I noticed that most of the debate and discussion is now taking place in the much-reduced space around the staircase at the southeast corner of the park and in an around the library space at the northeast corner. Also, the space around the media center, the kitchen, the labor table and all other functions is sharply reduced by the tents.

9-3) As earlier, I saw three or four people smoking dope. Bizarrely, I have also seen a proliferation of people smoking hand-rolled cigarettes.

9-4) To put it straightforwardly, the general level of spontaneously joyful behavior and open discussion has been sharply reduced. This has been replaced by a somewhat grimmer, tighter and, paradoxically, more chaotic attitude. This is, of course, my subjectinve impression.

9-5) After some confusion, the march began at about 6:30. There were some preliminary speakers who, in my opinion, did little or nothing to either inform the audience or motivate them. The “mic check” system was used for a relatively small crowd. One speaker, a woman whose name I didn’t catch, gave a speech on the connection between the events in Oakland and those in New York. The other speaker, an African-American man, talked about racism and what could be done t help the people in the ghettos.

9-6) The only left group in evidence was the ISO, which had a lit table in a very good position at the northeast corner of the park, at one end of what I call “the living poster wall,” where people stand with various posters facing the heavy traffic on Broadway, the most traveled street in Lower Manhattan. However, the table had no handouts, pamphlets, leaflets, etc., directly addressing the OWS or the events at Oakland that day. When I pointed this out to one of the comrades at the table, he seemed not to understand what I was talking about. He pointed to copies for sale of Socialist Worker, whose lead article was, indeed, about OWS.

9-7) The march began with a circling of the park twice. There were so many people jammed into the park at that point, and on the sidewalks around the park, that the march was virtually invisible. Just as the second circuit was completed and the march was about to step off towards City Hall and 1 Police Plaza (New York City Police Headquarters), a large, spirited march of students that had come down from Washington Square Park, joined up at the rear and provided a lot of new energy.

9-8) The line of march was north along Broadway to the north end of City Hall Park, where it turned east, marched through the Muncipal Building, to the plaza beyond it which is also connected to 1 Police Plaza. The march covered three city blaocks. I estimate the crowd at about 2-3 thousand. The cops had blocked off all the side streets, so the march could proceed directly to 1 Police Plaza with not stopping for lights. The entire march lasted about twenty minutes. We were flanked by cops on motorscooters and on foot the whole way.

10-9) The only organized political group evident during the march was the Workers World Party, which had a large banner and numerous placards. Once the march reached the end, a rally began. At the point, I ducked out.
RED DAVE

8

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 8TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 5:30 PM TO 7:00 PM.

8-1) This visit also had the purpose of attending a Labor Support/Outreach Group meeting, which I was finally able to do. But before that, let me make some observations on OWS as a whole. The overall situation seems slightly grimmer. (Remember, these are subjective observations of mine.) It is, of course, getting darker and colder. (Snow is forecast for the weekend.) However, with all the talking going on, “mic checks,” etc., there does not seem to be any growth or development at the site.

8-2) The only Left group that I saw present tonight was the Workers World, which had, in addition to the usual boring lit table, a leaflet dated October 19, which manages, on the one hand, to mention the working class, and on the other hand to make it marginal to other struggles going on.

8-3) At the meeting, which was in the basement of District Council 37 (the umbrella group for AFSCME unions in New York), it was cool to actually be in a union headquarters and see the OWS Labor Outreach Group meeting on the bulletin board (to say nothing of the fact that DC is lending its space). As the meeting opened, most of the people there were alter cockers like me. (For you boychiks and girlchiks who don’t know what an “alter cocker” is, it’s a Yiddish phrase meaning “An old and complaining person, an old fart.” http://www.sbjf.org/sbjco/schmaltz/yiddish_phrases.htm). But, gradually, as he room filled up, there were more and more young(er) people. I would guess that at the height of the meeting, there were about 80 people.

8-4) The first order of business involved a sister from Occupy Chicago, a journalist, who earnestly asked permission to attend. There was all kinds of quibbling and nonsense until it was approved. I am always amazed at how important some people think everything they think or have to say is important. (I am an alter cocker, indeed.) It is easy to grow impatient with the hair-splitting over small details. And some micro-discussing (to coin a phrase), leads to bureaucratic mainpulation to keep things moving.

8-5) The chairperson of the meeting was a facilitator from some larger grouping within the OWS and a union member (CUNY staff congress, I think). (It’s amazing how fast a structure has evolved on the one and, in the absence of real organizational democracy, a leadership with a genuinely bureaucratic style has also evolved.) He attempted to run the meeting GA stylebut the meeting was obvious bored by his presentation of the minutia of finger wiggling.

8-6) A retired brother from the longshore union next gave a report on the upcoming general strike in Oakland. I forget his name, but he was obviously an experienced left-winger. He gave a history of the previous general strike in 1946, the last general strike in the US. What was not clear to me was the relationship between Occupy and Oakland.

8-7) Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment, I was only able to stay at the meeting for an hour, and at that point I had to leave.
RED DAVE

7

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 7TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 6:00 PM TO 7:45 PM.

7-1) This visit had a purpose: to attend a Labor Support/Outreach Group and to attend a meeting of the General Assembly. The Labor Support/Outreach Group meeting was postponed to 6:30 PM, Friday, October 28, at DC 37 Headquarter, 125 Barclay Street.

7-2) Practically the first thing we saw when my wife and I arrived was a group from a Brooklyn SEIU local, but they left before I could find out why they were there

7-3) My general impression of the OWS site continues to be one of stagnation. While there was, as before, a large amount of purposeful activity going on, it all related to the maintenance of the site and none of it related to activities to bring the Occupation out from the site.

7-4) Outreach activities are going on in the form of almost-daily marches, but, again, there is no development or escalation. And the marches seem to have heft only when they have labor participations.

7-5) Then General Assembly started promptly as 7:00. I was fortunate to be able to get a spot right next to the facilitators. Unfortunately, I had to leave after half an hour, but I got a pretty good idea of how the GA functions. (This is not to say that I have a bead on the issues it’s dealing with.)

7-6) The GA is perhaps the best example I’ve ever seen of the manipulation of a rank-and-file by a leadership. The fact that this leadership is unelected and supports the illusion that it is in fact not a leadership makes this even more reprehensible. To add to this the cumbersome, rapidly evolving structure, and we get a very gamy situation.

7-7) I have a half hour video which I shot showing the GA addressing the issue of the schedule that the Drum Circle was to adhere to. Much of what went on was familiar: a speakers list, a secretary (a woman) taking minutes, etc. What was different was the weird handsignals and the very blatant manipulation that was obviously occurring. When any kind of problem arose during the discussion, concerning, especially, information about what was going on in other groups, the facilitators quickly consulted among themselves to see who had the information and what the answer would be. The “hidden leadership” of this GA was about 5 people. The attendance was about 60-70.
RED DAVE

6

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 6TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2:45 PM TO 4:30 PM.

6-1) This being a Saturday, there were less people taking a break from work or coming to work or going home. However, the number of people at the site was huge: the biggest I’ve seen yet. Spirits remain high. The overall impression, for me, was one of constant, largely purposeful activity but still unfocused. There is no sense of stagnation or decadence. The only sign I saw of the latter is that the site, in addition to the occupiers, has become a camping ground for some obvious drug users.

6-2) Surveying the geography of the site, it goes something like this: the total rectangular area is, I’ve read, about ½ acre (about .2 hectares). It is bounded on the north by Liberty Street (hence the common name “Liberty Park”), on the south by Cedar Street, on the west by Trinity Place (which changes its name a few block north to Church Street), and, importantly, one the east by Broadway, the major artery in Lower Manhattan. It is one block east of Ground Zero. It shows up on Google Maps as Zuccotti Park. (John Zuccotti is the current chairperson of the Brookfield Corporation, which actually owns the site.)

6-3A) The internal geography of the site is something like this (I’ll divide this into several entries: if this bores you, skip to entry 4): on the east side, facing Broadway, there is free access, and this is the location of what I call the “living poster wall.” This I call the East Sidewalk. Here, people stand facing Broadway with mainly homemade signs on a huge variety of subjects. On the southeast corner, on the sloping steps, under a huge, orange sculpture called “Joie de Vivre,” is perhaps the main speaking area, where, I believe, the General Assembly is held. There is a sidewalk along the north side of the site (the “North Sidewalk”). There are also numerous posters displayed along this side, plus some other activities, such as street theater (which curiously doesn’t seem to be too common). Right behind the North Sidewalk, below the steps leading onto the site from the street level, is a north-south passage, which I call “East Street.”

6-3B) Also, along the North Sidewalk, you can get a t-shirt silkscreened. About 30 feet in from the north sidewalk is what I call the “North Lane,” which runs east to west for then entire length of the site, gradually curving north to meet the North Sidewalk at the northwest corner. Walking along the North Lane, first is the Library, with tubs and shelves of free books on many subjects. Then comes the Media Center, which includes a live feed to a website. Just about opposite the Library is the Labor Table, where a bunch of old farts are generally sitting around talking about the Spanish Civil War and playing pinochle (not really). Just at the Labor Table is a passageway connecting the North Lane and the South Lane (see below), which I am call the “East Street.” Continuing down, on the left is the food areas, which is well-organized and the food actually looks good.

6-3C) Continuing along the North Lane going west, there are sleeping areas on the left and right. Just before the sleeping areas is another passageway connecting the North Lane and the South Lane (the “Center Street”). It was here I saw people who definitely looked like their presence was pre-pre-pre-political. At the northwest corner, of the site is an information table with some basic, very nonpolitical and boring literature.

6-3D) There is a “West Street,” which runs down the west side of the site, separated from the sidewalk on Trinity Place by steel barriers. (This is only place on the site where these barriers reamin.) At the north end of the West Street is the Community Altar, a place for those inclined to spirituality (mostly non-Western) and meditation and such. The altar is attractive and very well maintained. Going south along the West Street is the main music area. During the day, there is almost constant communal drumming and much dancing. This is very reminiscent to me of hippy days in Tompkins Square Park.

6-3E) Just north of the music area, the South Lane starts, which runs east-west connecting Broadway and the East Street and the West Street. It is much narrower than the North Lane, and on Saturday is was difficult to walk steadily. Mostly, the South Lane goes through the sleeping areas, but just beyond the Center Street the space opens up to an area where the are frequent circle meetings, etc. The South Lane continues to the base of the Joie de Sivre statue, where it joins the East Street. Finally, there is the South Sidewalk where there are several literature tables facing outwards. the South Sidewalk. About 2/3 of the way down towards Trinity Place, a low wall begins, which is festooned with posters and with people sitting on top of it. And now, after this little walk around the OWS site, you can buy refreshments from commercial trucks and food stands on Cedar Street, facing the South Sidewalk. J

6-4) Finally there is an actual, if miniscule, LEFT PRESENCE!!!!!! I saw tables from:
• the SWP – One small table, on the East Street, just north of the Joie de Vivre construction, manned by one person; all books, etc., wrapped in plastic. No handouts specific to OWS. No free stuff; finally got a copy of The Militant. The headline did not pertain to OWS. The comrade, a middle-aged woman, told me they, “Try to get down there for a few hours on weekended.” Verdict – BORING! Grade – D
• IWW – One medium-sized table at about the center of the South Sidewalk. Lots of stuff on the IWW, but no handout specifically aimed at the OWS. Two 40ish male comrades (or older). Verdict – BORING! Grade – C-
• PL – Two comrades, along the North Sidewalk, giving out copies of Challenge whose headline did not pertain to OWS. When I mistook them for the RCP, I came the closest I have gotten in six visits to being assaulted. (Not really, but they were mad!) The comrades were both women in their 50s or 60s. Verdict – BORING! Grade – D+
• Socialist Appeal – Medium-sized table about the center of the South Lane on the south side, with three male comrades, 30s-40s, with lots of stuff, virtually none of it free. No handouts specific to the OWS. I was actually able to get into a discussion with a male comrade in, perhaps, his late 30s. Only then was I offered literature. Verdict – BORING! Grade – C-

6-5) The above speaks for itself. The organized Left, at least with regard to a presence at OWS, does not get it. The very fact that not one group had a handout specific to the OWS. I not even going to mention the groups who didn’t bother to have their funky asses present to have a lit table and distribute literature to maybe 5000 people. You got something better to do?

6-6) While there were posters expressing every possible politcal notion and demand, from election reform to revolutionary overthrow of capitalism, the OWS remains pre-political. Except for one UAW lollipop poster, and the guys (all men in their 40s-60s) at the Labor Table, there was no organized labor presence on this beautiful Saturday afternoon.
RED DAVE

5

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 5TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET –THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 8:00 PM TO 9:30 PM.

5-1) There was virtually no police presence at OWS. The police were confined to about 10 cops, mostly concentrated along the west side of the Occupation along, I believe, Church Street, the same number to the east, along Broadway, and a few on the north side, where their vehicles are parked.

5-2) Because it was relatively late (the Occupation observes a quiet time from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM), there was no drumming at the southwest corner, but there were some folksingers, who could have come right out of the Sixties.

5-3) The OWS has put out a document: The Occupied Wall Street Spokes Council Proposal.
http://www.nycga.net/spokes%20-council/ (http://www.nycga.net/spokes%20-council/)
It contains a detailed plan for the structure of the Occupation. There is a revleft.com discussion of it here:
http://www.revleft.com/vb/important-ows-structural-t163086/index.html (http://www.revleft.com/vb/important-ows-structural-t163086/index.html)

5-4) Without getting into the document itself, let me say that it represents a very cumbersome but sincere attempt to deal structurally with the ephemeral nature of those supporting the OWS, those actually occupying, passersby and, weakly, organized groups, especially labor. It should be seriously considered and discussed as this is actually, as for as I know, the first actual "official" document of the OWS.

5-5) The OWS continues to struggle with the issue of demands (or goals). This is not an accident. The demands or program are close to the heart of any movement. And a movement so new as the OWS and largely run by people with little or no political experience should have difficulty with them. However, this difficulty also conceals the fact that this is a petit-bourgeois movement at this point, which makes it almost impossible for it to focus on a concise set of demands. Until the labor movement, organized and unorganized, and the organized left become involved, giving the OWS a "social weight" it currently lacks, this problem with program will persist.

5-6) There was still no sign whatsoever of organized left-wing activity. We can no longer call this an accident. What few forces the organized left has should have been thrown into this struggle wholeheartedly. I am not talking about actually sleeping down there (not that a few resident comrades from each left-wing group wouldn't be enormously useful), but maintaining an active presence. I saw no evidence of left-wingers engaged in debates (although this was after the nightly General Assembly) or of left-wing stickers, leaflets, newspapers, etc. It is obviously to me that the organized left, with few exceptions, is taking an abstentionist attitude. I mean, Comrades, not even one mass distribution? I know that some groups are working within their unions or with unions they are in touch with, but this needs to be publicized, especially at OWS itself.

5-7) Kudos to the LRP for pushing through a motion at the New York Central Laor Council for a mass labor march on march, I believe, November 5th.

5-8) The discussions that I heard going on, and I witnessed two or three of them, involved someone who was obviously a "leader type," explaining to others the function, purpose and necessity of the structure as mentioned in "3" above. A leadership is emerging, as any leftist knows it must. However, it will act informally, without sanction, undemocratically, even clandestinely, so long as a real structure does not evolve, which is probably impossible at this point.

5-9) The site, in general, is clean but had a generally disorganized look. However my overall impression was a heightening of discussion and more political focus.

5-10) Reports I have read indicate that the reason Bloomberg backed down on clearing the site was the massive, if somewhat uncoordinated, organized labor presence on the morning that the clearing of the site was to take place. The occupiers were dug in to resist arrest, but the entire site was encircled by union people, with union jackets and hats, ready to resist the cops. The cops were vastly outnumbered by the workers.

5-11) To summarize, the Occupation remains at a pre-political stage. There is more indication of labor presence. Still virtually no indication of a presence of the Left. The illusions of petit-bourgeois radicalism: extreme spontaneism, an absolute rejection of an effect structure geared for action, a lack of demands, persist.
The beat goes on.
RED DAVE

4

UNCOORDINATED NOTES ON MY 4TH VISIT TO OCCUPY WALL STREET – MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 4:30 PM TO 5:30 PM.

4-1) Compared to a few days ago, the attitude of the police is noticeably different. They are not standing close to the edge of the site. They are not hurrying passersby along. They are mostly just standing around passively.

4-2) Barriers remain along the west and north sides of the site. There is a stone wall on the south side. The east side, which faces Broadway (the busiest thoroughfare in Manhattan) is open.

4-3) There are two focuses of energy: the southeast corner where the general assemblies are held and the southwest corner where there is constant drumming of about 6-8 drummers.

4-4) Finally, there is a labor table. It was not manned nor was there any organized activity going on. The half a dozen people who were sitting around the table were all self-identified as union members, including one man from the structural ironworkers and one from the painters. This latter is interesting as during the time of the Civil Right Movement and the Vietnam War, the construction workers unions were the most reactionary.

4-5) There was no sign whatsoever of organized left-wing activity: no stickers, posters, newsletters, tables, individuals leafletting, etc. THIS IS A FUCKING DISASTER, A SHAME AND SERVES TO EXPOSE THE WEAKNESS AND COWARDLINESS OF THE ORGANIZED LEFT.

4-6) The site was noticeable cleaner and better organized. However, it should be noted that when I visited it last, it was disorganized but not particularly dirty.

4-7) There is a noticeable absence of tension, probably having to do with the fact that the cops have been faced down and the mayor, may he rot in hell, backed off. I have read that the mayor's live-in girlfriend is a stockholder in the company that actually owns the site.

4-8) There is still virtually a complete absence of politics in the sense that the Left defines it. While there are constant little groups of people forming, reforming and talking, the issues are scattered and the discussions are unfocused and have a kind of casual nature. I may be projecting, but I get the distinct feeling that people are waiting for someone, some group, to make a definite statement or, at very least, provide a focus for the discussion.

4-9) There is no indication of a coming together on a set of demands, goals, whatever. I heard people talking about: bribery of public officials, taxing the rich, use of hydrogen for power (I kid you not), etc. The self-identification of the occupiers as the "99%" is everywhere, but there is little beyond that in terms of a class analysis.

4-10) The occupiers are mostly young, women and men, and beautifully ethnically mixed. Compared with a week ago, I would say there are less people hanging around the edges, less curiosity seekers and passersby. The novelty has worn off, but there is no "feeling" of jadedness. I do get an underlying feeling of impatience.

4-11) To summarize, the Occupation is still at a pre-political stage. In my opinion, without the presence of organized workers, as part of their unions or as independent delegations from the unions (NYC is the most unionized city in the USA) and without the presence of the organized left, stagnation and frustration will soon begin to increase.

4-12) Also, it should be noted, the weather is noticeably colder and it is getting dark markedly earlier than a month ago when the Occupation began.
RED DAVE

3

Uncoordinated notes on my third visit to Occupy Wall Street – Wednesday, October 12 – About 9:00 PM

3-1) The sensory impression of the Occupation at night is completely different than from the day. People are entirely within the barriers (still a large area of a full city block) and everything feels more concentrated, more intense.

3-2) The impression is of even less politics at night than during the day. I had hoped to see a General Assembly or some large-scale discussion going on but no such.

3-3) People are talking, talking, talking to each other. But there are few buttons, leaflets or any common method of conveying points of view. We are still at a very pre-poltical stage.

3-4) The music and dancing (it shuts down at 10:00 PM) were intense, almost frightening. My wife, a professional singer and song writer said that the music was neither angry nor fearful by a way of avoiding anger and feear: "pure trance," she called it.

3-5) Absolutely no indication of the presence of organized labor or the organized Left.

3-6) People are well supplied with food and plastic tarps against the weather. It rained briefly tonight, and the temperature is about 60 F with a wind blowing.
RED DAVE

2

Uncoordinated Notes on My second Visit to Occupy Wall Street – 10/11/11

2-1) Compared to 8 days ago, the Occupation is slightly larger.

2-2) The attitude of the cops is slightly more hostile. Parts of the Occupation space are now enclosed by steel barriers.

2-3) The space retains a distinctly hippy quality; however, the space is neither dirty nor does it have decadent feel to it. People appear positive and engaged.

2-4) Dope smoking is going on relatively openly on the site.

2-5) People with a "spiritual message," i.e. yoga and meditation, are very much in evidence.

2-6) While many of the slogans on the numerous signs are political, the Occupation does not have a political feel to it. It remains "pre-political."

2-7) While I was there, roughly at rush hour (4:30 PM to 6:30 PM), there was no evidence of a presence of organized labor.

2-8) The only presence of the organized Left was a single, rather forlorn, individual giving out a leaflet for Socialist Appeal.

2-9) Hostility to the Democrats is obvious.

2-10) Hostility to the banks is prevalent, to other corporations less so.

2-11) Generalized hostility to capitalism is evident and open.

2-12) Use of the "human mic" is common. Whenever anyone speaks, people gather around and the human mic comes into use. It is quite amazing to see.
RED DAVE

1

Okay, here are my impressions, that's impressions and not any kind of systematic observations, based on a brief visit of less than an hour to Occupy Wall Street in New York. [October 3, 2011]

1-1) The site is terrific: one block east and north of Ground Zero and a couple of blocks north and west of Wall Street itself. The park is a large open space with some trees with Broadway on the east and very tall building to the north and south.

1-2) When I was there with my wife, about 4:30 this afternoon, grey skies and kind of cool, there were, I guess, about 4000 people there. There were a large number of tourists and people who work in the neighborhood and a group of about 500 who were engaged in the business of the occupation.

1-3) The overall impression of the occupation is very positive. It looks and is very large for such an undertaking.

1-4) The occupation itself, remember I'm viewing it from the outside, reminded me of the May Day Tribe demos in Washington in 1971. There was a purposeful, cheerful disorder. There are no tents allowed but there are make-shift one-person shelters (this is an inadequate term; think plastic sleeves with sleeping bags in them).

1-5) There was a meeting going on when we were there, being carried out in Amislan (American Sign Language). It was difficult to discern if this was a group of deaf students just temporarily at the site or a permanent group.

1-6) The most important communication medium for people there is large numbers of homemade signs on the ground on the north side of the site. People are encouraged to put make their own signs.

1-7) There is a media center with a generator that connects the site to the Internet.

1-8) There are tables, more like long, low platforms, where vegetarian food is served to all comers.

1-9) Unfortunately, while we were there, the only group activity besides the Amislan group was a bunch of dancing Hari Krishnas without orange robes. It reminded me of Tompkins Square Park ca. 1968.

1-10) There were no cops visible at all. None.

1-11) My overall impression was of an activity more turned in on itself at this point. There was no systematic attempt to engage passersby. Since there is no coherent "official" line and not much organization, this is not surprising.

1-12) There was no sign of organized leftist activity or organized union presence.

1-13) I was surprised at how fast the whole thing has taken on a definite hippy look.

1-14) Through my eyes, this occupation is at what I would call a pre-political stage.

I'll try to get back there in a day or two, but I work full-time, and I have a lot of stuff on my plate.
RED DAVE

Mark V.

2nd December 2011, 18:31

If this is the wrong place to post this, then mods should feel free to move this post.

I attended the first Occupy action on my university. There had been a small group working in the town but not many university students go involved, which is surprising given how small the town is and how high the student population is.

There was an Occupy page on Facebook for my university but nothing really happened until one guy decided to make a "Occupy the Administration building on December 1st!". Then people started saying they would show up and people started circulating a list of demands that made it's way to the President of the University.

We demand that the CSU Board of Trustees become democratized. We demand that their campaigns be publicly funded and rid of corporate donations. The Board must be accountable to the citizens of California and the students they serve for their actions, not corporate, bureaucratic, special interest groups.

We demand that for every tuition increase, we also see tangible educational benefits, including, but not limited to, more classes and smaller class sizes.

We demand increasing the weight of student evaluations in the tenure process. We demand that the student evaluation process not be privatized into the hands of external interests.

We demand full transparency of where and how our tuition and tax dollars are being spent. Full disclosure of use of funds should be made available to students, community members, and tax-payers.

We demand that a more localized pay scale be used that reflects the Average Per Capita Income of our city. We demand a salary limit of $150,000 (still more than five times the 2009 annual APCI for Chico) for any CSU, Chico employee. The money saved should be used to cut students’ tuition and increase the salaries of lecturers, educators, professors, and non-instructional staff who are all working harder than ever.

So the day before the occupation, there was a timely bomb threat. Then, the day of the occupation, the University President sent out a letter stating that due to the threat yesterday, we could no enter the building. So when the pre-occupation rally reached the admin building, we had no idea what to do. The main doors we're locked and police we're guarding the open side entrance.

Some people argued that attacking campus admins was pointless and we should all go down to Sacramento. Others wanted us to go find another building to occupy. After nearly two hours of debate and arguing, the GA decided on occupying the space around the admin building. The University President was present so he could cover his ass personally. He spoke several times and tried to deflect criticism by ignoring it and dancing around it with some nice rhetoric. He didn't directly address any of the demands. The most he did was say he would start a petition and send it to some other university presidents.

So about 20 people stayed over night in tents around the admin building. Among these people, the majority of people agreed that Capitalism sucked and needed to be replaced. One Chilean, raised in Los Angelos, was up late at night saying "Man, fuck the Republicans and the Democrats, but especially the Republicans, but the Democrats can fuck off too". The most eventful occurrence was a couple of of drunk Republicans walking by who decided it would be fun to scream at us and yell insults. At first no one cared but after they decided to call us "hippie niggers" we called the police and they got removed. Don't know if they we're just told off or arrested.

Hoping for some positive movement forward at today's General Assembly. This is my first protest some I'm still getting use to the process.

Os Cangaceiros

5th December 2011, 20:15

I don't agree with everything in this article (certainly not with the part about the libertarians), but I think it's thought provoking none-the-less:

http://www.zcommunications.org/contents/183070

Welshy

7th December 2011, 15:24

Was anyone at the home forclosure re-occupation march?

Here are some pictures someone on reddit posted. http://imgur.com/a/vLApD#0

scourge007

9th December 2011, 05:58

I just joined my first protest and march at my college today. Felt good to finally start voicing my anger instead of bottling it up. I noticed a few fellow comrades at the rally too.

agnixie

9th December 2011, 08:46

Leftsolidarity

9th December 2011, 13:39

So what I get is that a number of places are starting to be organized at more local levels and there is apparently an increasing presence of anti-capitalism in those ranks, along with rejections of parliamentarism and bourgeois career politicians. This make me feel warm inside but I admit that it's possibly partly rumors and partly believeing our own propaganda (I really hope it isn't though). My info is mostly in the north eastern US tho

Will have more info as I get back in the fray.

I think the larger occupations are going that direction. Some of the smaller ones are over-run with Ron Paul supporters and other strange conspiracy theorist kinds of people. I could be wrong though but that's how I've seen the progression. I have a lot of hope for the future potential of these larger cities.

PolskiLenin

23rd December 2011, 03:48

http://www.revousa.org/an-open-letter-to-the-occupy-wall-st-movement

ckaihatsu

25th December 2011, 19:51

OPEN LETTER IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE OCCUPY WALL STREET MOVEMENT
FROM THE JERICHO AMNESTY MOVEMENT TO FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS

The Jericho Amnesty Movement (JAM) is in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street Movement (OWS)! We come to you at a time when the corporations, which run our government, place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality. As we gather together in solidarity to express opposition to mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We want all the people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world to know that we are your allies. We acknowledge the reality that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and that upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect our own rights, and those of our neighbors. Corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth. No true liberty is attainable when the process is determined by corporate economic forces.

Those who are imprisoned are locked up because of the same economic forces that fund Wall Street. For example there are private prisons and ICE detention centers that are run by companies such as GEO Corporation who are funded by big banks such as Wells Fargo. There is also a struggle to free people who are incarcerated for their political beliefs and actions and who have resisted this monstrous economic system. And it is the same economic system that locks them up. This is our struggle for u.s.- held Political Prisoners (PPs) and Prisoners of War (POWs) and invites your participation.

OWS has and will continue to have Political Prisoners itself as long as there is a state to repress THE PEOPLE! OWS has taken the initiative to confront the state head on just as the PPs and internal POWs who fought and continue to fight from captivity the good fight for Indigenous rights, Black Liberation, Puerto Rican independence, Chicano/Mexican people, Hawaiian sovereignty or Earth and Animal Liberation. These revolutionary causes all intersect in confronting state repression and addressing racial and socio-economic inequalities. Just as today's bankers and corporate/political elite are committing a grave injustice by turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the grievances of the 99%, the majority of the Amerikkkan body politic did the same thing to those young people who were at the forefront of the popular revolutionary movements of the 60's, 70’s and subsequently. It is time to right those wrongs.

The Americas have been colonized for the past 500 years. In other words Wall Street itself has already been colonized. This means that the indigenous lands of the Native people also have a first priority. We decolonize because we know this land is already occupied. We decolonize because communities of color have been on the front lines of the 99% here and globally for centuries. We decolonize because the system is not broken; it is working exactly the way it was intended. We decolonize because any movement that doesn’t acknowledge this replicates oppression. International law recognizes people’s right to struggle for decolonization.

10-15-2011 marked the 45th anniversary of the date Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton wrote the first draft of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense (BPP) 10 - Point Program and platform. That program became representative of the aspirations of many revolutionary groups of that era who were fully committed to eradicating the rampant injustices inherent in the bogus Amerikkan capitalist system as they were dedicated to ushering in a social order of genuine peace and prosperity for all children, women and men transcending all class, cultural, ethnic and racial distinctions. They were driven by a set of standards and values rooted in genuine brotherhood and sisterhood. Likewise, they were motivated by a desire for an equitable distribution of wealth and a fair economic, political and social system; not, at all, unlike the one envisioned by those who are part of today's OWS movement. Some lost their lives in that struggle in the u.s. domestic war known as COINTELPRO, such as Fred Hampton. Others were forced into exile, such as Assata Shakur. Others have been imprisoned for decades, such as Leonard Peltier, Oscar Lopez Rivera and Sundiata Acoli.

The role of the police in many of the occupations and related actions has been one is one of brute force, bullying, tasering and jailing. We have seen them carry out, as ordered, various forms of brutality, political repression and other forms of state sanctioned terrorism. Although the police are working people, for the state, we must remember that there might be potential allies within the police and intelligence services and probably a good number of them would rather not be doing their jobs. Perhaps they would rather be farmers, ranchers, or small storeowners. Moreover, all are not unconscious of the difficult moral and psychological sacrifices they make to carry out their job. They really are human, despite the uniform that many hide behind. We can only hope that those people will break their own shackles and rid themselves of the galling yoke of capital. And we must help them do that by defending our own human rights and those of others locked down during previous periods of struggle for equality, justice and human rights!

OWS has rightly refused to tie its movement to one or another demand that the system could try to satisfy while ignoring the fundamental problems that produce such symptoms. However OWS would be justified in raising the demand for freedom of those who have tread the path of resistance and, remain, to this day, unjustifiably imprisoned for pursuing the very same basic human rights that are at the center of the platform of today's popular movement. We express our deep sense of mutual support and the spirit of mutual aid.

We are our own liberators! Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
The Jericho Amnesty Movement 12/16/11

For more information contact:
NW Regional Jericho representative to Occupy Wall Street/Decolonize Movement
Adam Carpinelli [email protected] (503)-750-0523

Jericho Co-Chairs
Jihad Abdulmumit [email protected]
Paulette d’auteil [email protected]

--
SIGN THE JERICHO COINTELPRO PETITION!

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/jerichocointelpro

Free All Political Prisoners!
[email protected] • www.jerichony.org

Ele'ill

17th January 2012, 21:13

http://alethonews.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/occupy-belfast-seizes-bank-building/

The UK’s Occupy protesters have occupied the vacant building of Bank of Ireland in Belfast city centre, Northern Ireland, media reports said.

Police said that a number of youths broke into the disused former headquarters of the Bank of Ireland on the city’s main thoroughfare, Royal Avenue, the daily The Guardian reported.

They said that about a dozen protesters, some of whom were masked, remained inside the building at the corner of North Street and Royal Avenue.

ckaihatsu

18th January 2012, 05:28

“Occupy Belfast have taken control of the Bank of Ireland on Royal Avenue in opposition to soaring homelessness, lack of affordable social housing and home repossessions”, said a statement from the anti-capitalist demonstrators.

Stating that they hoped for the “building of a housing campaign”, the protesters added: “Banks take our houses so we take their buildings. This is a repossession for the community!”

http://alethonews.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/occupy-belfast-seizes-bank-building/

Besides the obvious stress being lumped onto people's lives from the artificial shrinking of the pool of available humane resources like housing, we should keep an eye on just how far up the ladder social discord is rising.

The only thing that keeps the capitalist class unified is the degree to which they benefit from the system, on a more-or-less individualistic basis. They don't enjoy an intrinsic *political* commonality, or ideology, as leftists do, but rather are merely economic "associates" only as long as material conditions (profit-making) exist for it.

This recent development from Standard & Poor's exhibits a state of conditions that may either be an act of economic-pragmatic *solidarity* and group discipline, or may be an act of contrived economic authoritarianism and *desperation* in lieu of sufficient growth-based / empirical financial standards -- or it may be some combination of both.

S&P downgrades and social counterrevolution in Europe

17 January 2012

The downgrading of nine euro zone countries by Standard & Poor’s is a politically motivated decision. The rating agency represents the interests of an international financial elite for whom the destruction of working class living standards is not proceeding far or fast enough. This is clear from the official rationale for the downgrade.

“Today’s rating actions are primarily driven by our assessment that the policy initiatives that have been taken by European policymakers in recent weeks may be insufficient to fully address ongoing systemic stresses in the euro zone,” the agency declared.

[...]

http://wsws.org/articles/2012/jan2012/pers-j17.shtml

We should consider that the ruling capitalist class is at risk of imminent political and social irrelevance if they can't squeeze out continuous profitability from their attacks on working-class living standards -- it may be likened to a rising water level of politics-from-below that gradually but steadily swamps the desert island of ruling-class "economics", such as it is.

Greater numbers of those who once felt safe on dry land -- even if relatively closer to the water line -- will have to reconsider if their near-future interests are closer to the remaining elite at the top or if they should have to "take the plunge" and cast their lot in with the populist 99% majority and the ideological politics of societal overhaul.

ckaihatsu

21st January 2012, 02:55

http://www.progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2012/01/20/southside-organization-gives-occupy-new-meaning

HOT TOPICS Debt Ceiling| Medicaid| Labor|

QUICK HIT

David Milton Brent Friday January 20th, 2012, 1:07pm

Southside Organization Gives “Occupy” New Meaning

Liberate the Southside – an ad-hoc group of Chicago clergymen, community organizers, and local residents – do not believe the “Occupy” movement should be limited to geographic locations like streets and cities.

They are interested in a more literal form of occupation: placing homeless families in abandoned houses that have been foreclosed on by big banks.

The group gathered yesterday near the corner of 87th and Kenwood in the city’s South Chicago neighborhood for their first public action: moving single mother Tene Smith and her two children into a newly renovated house. The building, a handsome two-story brick unit with white shutters, is legally owned by HSBC. Since the bank foreclosed on the property nearly two years ago, it has remained dormant – making it the perfect target for Liberate the South Side’s new experiment.

After speaking with neighbors and receiving their support, Liberate volunteers entered the abandoned property last year. They spent months renovating the house by hand, preparing it for Ms. Smith and her family to move into – all this, despite the fact that their charity work might legally be considered breaking and entering.

“It’s legal in the sense that it’s been illegal what they’re doing to the community,” said Rev. Booker Vance.

Vance is a member of Liberate and a leader of SOUL, another Southside grassroots community organization. He believes that putting homeless families in foreclosed and abandoned bank-owned properties will send a message to big banks and local government: “Tax the one percent, house the ninety-nine percent, and redeem our community.”

More than 93,000 Chicagoans were homeless in 2011, according to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. As of 2010, the city contained more than 15,000 vacant buildings, 85 percent of which were in various stages of foreclosure.

Shani Smith thinks there is something wrong with that math.

Smith, who is also a member of SOUL and Liberate, says home foreclosures have created a rash of vacant properties in her South Chicago neighborhood: “Neighbors are having to shovel the snow and cut the grass” in front of abandoned homes, even as the buildings are stripped by vandals and the houses “fall into disrepair.” She noted that the resulting blight has driven down property values on her and her neighbors’ homes, without any corresponding reduction in property taxes.

Meanwhile, many Chicago families remain without homes - including Shani’s sister, Tene, the recipient of Liberate the Southside’s home takeover. Shani refers to her sister and others like her as “displaced”, a word she prefers to “homeless” because she believes it carries less negative connotations.

Tene Smith has been gainfully employed for most of the past several years. After the sudden death of her children’s father, however, she could no longer support a family by herself on her income. As a result, she was forced to move her family into her sister Shani’s home - a situation known as “doubling up,” which is counted under broader definitions of homelessness.

Shani Smith says that Tene and her family should be accorded the same redemptive opportunity given to big banks, which were bailed out by the government after suffering heavy losses during the sub-prime mortgage crisis. “They were given a second chance. Now it’s time to give working families a second chance.”

Liberate the South Side members have taken it upon themselves to grant second chances, in what Rev. Vance referred to as a “non-violent protest” against home foreclosures. Vance said the group has been speaking with local government officials about how to handle an eventual legal action by HSBC. “Ultimately, we’d like to sit down and talk with them about making [Tene Smith] a homeowner.” Vance admitted that, in part, the decision to occupy foreclosed homes was a way of gaining attention for problems in the community. Yet he was quick to add that the ultimate goal was not just protest, but actual results. “Action sparks conversation,” said Vance. “The goal is to have conversation and negotiation, in order to bring about resolution.”

Whether or not Tene Smith actually owns her new home, she and her children are now officially occupying it. Yesterday, in front of family, volunteers, and media representatives, Ms. Smith entered the formerly vacant house in South Chicago and ceremonially hung on the wall a painting she had made for the occasion – a symbol of her new residency.

“We plan on reoccupying more vacant houses,” said her sister Shani. “This is only the first step.”

Image: IIRON/Liberate the Southside

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TheGodlessUtopian

22nd January 2012, 00:01

I think the larger occupations are going that direction. Some of the smaller ones are over-run with Ron Paul supporters and other strange conspiracy theorist kinds of people. I could be wrong though but that's how I've seen the progression. I have a lot of hope for the future potential of these larger cities.

In regards to the smaller ones you are correct: libertarians and conspiracy theorists (really one in the same in my area) have really over run things.I couldn't even count the amount of times when I was occupying I heard absurd shit being sewed from the large Libertarian minority (aside from their usual shit).

Leftsolidarity

22nd January 2012, 15:44

In regards to the smaller ones you are correct: libertarians and conspiracy theorists (really one in the same in my area) have really over run things.I couldn't even count the amount of times when I was occupying I heard absurd shit being sewed from the large Libertarian minority (aside from their usual shit).

I have been hearing good things from comrades in larger cities though. I talked to one who flew out from NYC the other day and she says that the progression of getting rid of the right-wingers and bringing in more people of color/having a progressive voice has been going well.

TheGodlessUtopian

22nd January 2012, 15:50

I have been hearing good things from comrades in larger cities though. I talked to one who flew out from NYC the other day and she says that the progression of getting rid of the right-wingers and bringing in more people of color/having a progressive voice has been going well.

Yes,I have heard similar things.I was uplifted a bit when one of the larger occupy's voted to reject non-violence for it shows an increase in consciousness among the population in regards to the police and state.

Tabarnack

25th January 2012, 21:38

Time and time again those advocating and using violence have been exposed as agent provocateurs, using violence only serves to isolate activists from the vast majority who will not support violent actions, it is meant to give authorities justification in using it's favourite and most effective tool against any democratic movements.

Conspiracies is how capitalism works, it cannot justify it's greed and wars so it invents various narratives for public consumption, the "tin foil hats" might not recognize the source of the problem but at least they are bright enough to understand that most of what is shown in the corporate news are lies.

TheGodlessUtopian

25th January 2012, 21:55

Tabarnack

26th January 2012, 05:49

http://agamsterdam.wordpress.com/teksten/how-nonviolence-protects-the-state/

I haven't yet read it all but the police will do what they do regardless of what the protestors do.

Since yourself haven't read it, no thanks, but I did read, "read my blog the queer project" YOUR blog... and on the first page I saw the following...

"Before you go off and battle the forces of hatred though, I have some advice for you: keep it non-violent! Why, you ask? Because non-violent struggle has always produced greater results within a quicker time frame than those of violent struggle have. Those who have taken up arms to force the change they wish to see historically have initiated a process which often takes decades before any progress is seen; this progress is also highly contingent on bloodshed and unnecessary carnage. In short: do not grab a rifle and start shooting the nearest Pig you see! Wait, and read the rest of my article!

I propose Nonviolence; I will educate you as why I do and while doing so provide you with historically examples, tips, and advice on how to sweep aside your local Pig influence and battle for a queer friendly world."
:rolleyes:

more on non violence at http://thequeerproject.wordpress.com/

One of the reason OWS has had support from the general public so far is because they have remained non violent in spite of the repression, the moment they react violently it's game over for this movement, anybody that under the present circumstances recommend the use of violence is either very naive or working for the other side.

TheGodlessUtopian

26th January 2012, 10:06

Since yourself haven't read it, no thanks, but I did read, "read my blog the queer project" YOUR blog... and on the first page I saw the following...

"Before you go off and battle the forces of hatred though, I have some advice for you: keep it non-violent! Why, you ask? Because non-violent struggle has always produced greater results within a quicker time frame than those of violent struggle have. Those who have taken up arms to force the change they wish to see historically have initiated a process which often takes decades before any progress is seen; this progress is also highly contingent on bloodshed and unnecessary carnage. In short: do not grab a rifle and start shooting the nearest Pig you see! Wait, and read the rest of my article!

I propose Nonviolence; I will educate you as why I do and while doing so provide you with historically examples, tips, and advice on how to sweep aside your local Pig influence and battle for a queer friendly world."
:rolleyes:

more on non violence at http://thequeerproject.wordpress.com/

One of the reason OWS has had support from the general public so far is because they have remained non violent in spite of the repression, the moment they react violently it's game over for this movement, anybody that under the present circumstances recommend the use of violence is either very naive or working for the other side.

The two aren't the same: one is advocating violence in a revolutionary situation (being used by a revolutionary class) while the other is a manual for teenagers who are new to political activism.Naturally one does not wish for violence the first time one does something.

How do you define violence? Is self-defense violent? Is the destruction of private property violent?

TheGodlessUtopian

7th February 2012, 21:37

Yesterday, a branch of Occupy Wall Street calling itself “Queer/LGBTIQA2Z Occupy Wall Street” announced that it was protesting http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/New_QueerOWS_Logo-150x150.jpgthe Human Rights Campaign Gala (http://www.hrc.org/events/entry/greater-new-york-human-rights-campaign-gala)on Saturday at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel because the HRC was honoring Goldman Sachs.
In a statement to the press, the group explained:

“The Queer Caucus condemns HRC’s decision to honor Goldman Sachs in a time of financial collapse caused by their unethical business practices and greed, and deplores the use of our cause and suffering for corporate public relations. HRC honoring Goldman Sachs at this time reveals all one needs to know about the corporate LGBT lobby, and its disconnect from the 99% and the LGBT people it purports to represent.”
The Caucus also took HRC to task for failing to get any federal non-discrimination laws passed and “not even fil[ing] a bill for equal non-discrimination protections” under current civil-rights laws. “Equality and non-discrimination are universal values that define basic human dignity” says attorney and grassroots activist Todd Fernandez, “It is our civic duty as Americans to protect and respect the LGBT community immediately.”
While gala attendees are shelling out $650 for fine dining and the chance to rub shoulders with bigwigs, QLGBTIQA2ZOWS is offering a “guerrilla potluck” outside on Park Avenue. “Bring flashlights,” the flyer advises.
We support these activists’ desire to bring a grassroots element back to the gay movement, and can understand their frustration http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2012/02/anna-wintour.jpgwith Big Gay, but do they know who they’re up against?
Anna Wintour is getting an award that night. Anna. Fucking. Wintour.
That ***** has had blood thrown on her, shot down editorial coups, and seen her life threatened by people with serious mental illnesses (designers, photographers, models, etc).
We doubt she’ll even look down as her Louboutins smush right through a plate of quinoa and broccoli.
Good luck with that, folks!

Source: http://www.queerty.com/oh-snap-queer-occupy-wall-street-to-occupy-hrcs-gala-at-the-waldorf-astoria-20120202/

workersadvocate

7th February 2012, 21:56

Source: http://www.queerty.com/oh-snap-queer-occupy-wall-street-to-occupy-hrcs-gala-at-the-waldorf-astoria-20120202/

Awesome!
What the fuck is HRC doing honoring Goldman Sachs?
Those bankster pigs have been dropping major contributions to the Republican presidential candidates' super-PACs, and likely a bit less donated to the Democrats' campaign fund.
So what does that mean for working class LGBTs and our class generally?
Good for these LGBT occupiers for confronting capitalists and their hypocritical sellout false 'advocates' who obviously have forgotten the spirit of Stonewall (or the original Mattachine 'tempermentals' like Harry Hay) now that they're middle class and more mainstream/coopted.

TheGodlessUtopian

7th February 2012, 22:08

Awesome!
What the fuck is HRC doing honoring Goldman Sachs?
Those bankster pigs have been dropping major contributions to the Republican presidential candidates' super-PACs, and likely a bit less donated to the Democrats' campaign fund.
So what does that mean for working class LGBTs and our class generally?
Good for these LGBT occupiers for confronting capitalists and their hypocritical sellout false 'advocates' who obviously have forgotten the spirit of Stonewall (or the original Mattachine 'tempermentals' like Harry Hay) now that they're middle class and more mainstream/coopted.

Means that the queer working class is relearning some class consciousness like back during the start of the Stonewall Rebellion.

This initiative started by this queer occupy group needs to spread to other large occupations.With luck it could be a vanguard type of example on how to move forward in the future with more radical activity.

TheGodlessUtopian

15th February 2012, 22:02

Activists Arrested After Austin, Tex., Marriage Equality Occupation

By Winston Gieseke (http://www.advocate.com/authors.aspx?searchterm=Winston%20Gieseke)
http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/NEWS/2012/2012-02/2012-02-15/OCCUPYX390.jpg

Three LGBT activists were arrested Tuesday morning for occupying the Austin, Texas, county clerk’s office after being denied marriage licenses.

The Raw Storyreports (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/14/austin-lgbt-activists-arrested-for-occupying-county-clerks-office/) that as part of an annual Valentine’s Day marriage equality protest organized by GetEQUAL Texas, approximately 40 people showed up outside the offices of Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir to request marriage licenses for their same-sex partners.

The group included members of Occupy Austin.

According to the story, even though DeBeauvoir denied the requests, she “openly empathized with the couples applying for licenses, even putting an arm around one woman who began to cry.”

She also helped the cause when three activists decided to stage their own occupation in the office. When the activists announced that they were staying put until after closing time, DeBeauvoir reportedly suggested that they maximize coverage by acting while the reporters were standing by. The activists agreed, so DeBeauvoir called the police and had them removed.

“We wish the law was different,” the clerk told Raw Story, “but until it is I’m bound by the laws of the state and will not break the law. One of these days, I hope that all couples have the same civil rights.”

Read the full story here (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/14/austin-lgbt-activists-arrested-for-occupying-county-clerks-office/).

Source: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/02/15/Activists_Arrested_After_Austin_Tex_Marriage_Equal ity_Occupation/

I am happy to see members of the occupation movement stepping up and assisting in such activism.

TheGodlessUtopian

10th March 2012, 21:07

Love Among the Tents: Two Women Marry at Occupy DC Site - Video

By: Neal Broverman (http://www.shewired.com/users/neal-broverman)
Fri, 2012-03-09 16:18

http://www.shewired.com/sites/shewired.com/files/imagecache/category-featured/stories/dcwed480.jpg (http://www.shewired.com/soapbox/2012/03/09/love-among-tents-two-women-marry-occupy-dc-site)

Two women closely associated with the Occupy DC movement were married on Saturday at the site of the former encampment.
Marina Brown and Laura Potter were wed by a Presbyterian minister and wore head scarves to show respect for all religions (Brown and Potter were previously married in a Pagan handfasting ritual 11 years ago). The ceremony took place among 30 people at McPherson Square, site of the Occupy DC movement until protesters were evicted in February. Brown and Potter pitched their tent at Occupy DC on the first day of the protest, only returning to their Virginia home twice a week.
After the women were married--Washington, D.C., does indeed offer marriage equality--guests enjoyed a low-key reception with pizza and Girl Scout cookies. Watch below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l83rvX08ZuQ

Source: http://www.shewired.com/soapbox/2012/03/09/love-among-tents-two-women-marry-occupy-dc-site

If you can't see the video than see the source.

marl

12th March 2012, 20:19

Upcoming events:
14th: https://www.facebook.com/events/185675944879348/ (Mitt Romney protest)
15th: http://www.facebook.com/events/321471804566675/ (BoA protest)
16th: http://www.nycga.net/events/event/weekly-wall-street-marches/ (first of this springs weekly marches)
17th: http://www.facebook.com/events/342769625743716/ (reoccupation, anniversary)
31st: https://www.facebook.com/events/273154729429391/ (#M31 anti-capitalist day of action)

marl

17th March 2012, 00:03

The first of the re-introduced weekly marches of #OWS:
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/419542_306817902719314_184749301592842_789329_2885 83599_n.jpg

marl

17th March 2012, 19:56

Okay, not giving any estimates, but at 1 PM there was a very big march. They got to Zucotti at 2 PM and there's ~300-500 reoccupying atm.

The cops were looking for a fight, and assaulted a few people (made 6 arrests or so). Councilman Rodriguez was down and told the media. The cops seem to of fucked off.

Ele'ill

17th March 2012, 20:57

Spring.

marl

17th March 2012, 20:59

Indeed. Not quite sure what's going on atm, but shit's going down.

Cops are bringing in barricades to stop the reoccupation.

Ele'ill

17th March 2012, 21:01

Indeed. Not quite sure what's going on atm, but shit's going down.

Cops are bringing in barricades to stop the reoccupation.

http://occupywallst.org/

The live stream seems to be up and running- don't know how 'live' it actually is.

marl

18th March 2012, 00:24

Tons of comrades from the Left Forum joined up :thumbup:
http://p.twimg.com/AoOa6OUCQAAbeIx.jpg

There are three waves of mic check - such a thing hasn't been seen since fall.

http://www.ustream.tv/timcast
3rd wave of reinforcements en route

anticapitalista

18th March 2012, 05:47

The spring version of OWS has definitely taken a turn in the radical direction (influenced by anarchists, of course). There is less "we are the 99%" whereas journalist @RDevro notes the "increasingly-popular 'a-anti-anticapitalista' chant."

Yesterday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjIBJdhIaP8

Today there were hundreds chanting "anticapitalista" in Zuccotti.

Paulappaul

18th March 2012, 09:42

powerful shit

marl

18th March 2012, 14:06

To be fair, last night, the Left Forum shipped a lot of anarchists and communists to the front.

During the eviction last night, a woman suffered a seizure (we don't know the exact details, she seemed to of elbowed an officer), a medic had his head smashed through glass, and there was lots of baton hitting.

Leftsolidarity

19th March 2012, 05:36

Os Cangaceiros

19th March 2012, 05:49

I'm very glad to see this latest round of news from OWS.

marl

22nd March 2012, 01:11

Epic march for Trayvon Martin. Not organized by OWS, but picked up and supported by OWS.

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg640/scaled.php?tn=0&server=640&filename=19215201.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640
http://p.twimg.com/AojKog9CIAEBkuq.jpg:large
http://p.twimg.com/AojB0_hCIAIwhCn.jpg:large
http://p.twimg.com/AojBESyCMAAA-qd.jpg:large
http://p.twimg.com/Aoi_3PzCQAAv86v.jpg:large
http://p.twimg.com/Aoi_4qKCQAEUa8w.jpg:large
http://p.twimg.com/AojGOcpCMAE86vx.jpg:large
http://p.twimg.com/AojM4J7CQAAjXWH.jpg
http://p.twimg.com/AojIPriCIAAt5mN.jpg:large
http://p.twimg.com/AojOasXCIAAJKeg.jpg

Ele'ill

22nd March 2012, 06:16

http://occupywallst.org/

stuff still going on in New York, heard as of about an hour ago there were 500 cops surrounding the park after that big march

this is current I think - the guy on this live stream said it's 1:15am

http://www.ustream.tv/timcast

Why not, I'll post this wall of text here

12:19 AM: Occupiers discussing whether to simply march to a new park.

12:13 AM: Union Square, a public park owned by the people is now barricaded similarly to last night. Instead of enforcing the law and guaranteeing use of public property they are instead obstructing it.

12:10 AM: Occupiers chanting "Circle the park!"

12:09 AM: The NYPD is beyond confused. The march appears to have taken them by surprise.

12:03 AM: Whiteshirted officer of the NYPD using a flashlight to try and blind streaming cameras. Marching beginning. NYPD does not have the agility to follow!

12:02 AM: NYPD has not yet made arrests. Barricades are being dragged out. Tim guesses that they are using barricades to conduct a mass arrest. Chants and shouts followed a countdown until midnight.

11:59 PM: In the next 60 seconds, the NYPD will face the choice of whether to continue to exist as an organization, or to cement its own immediate dissolution.

11:54 PM: NLG is saying 500 police present.

11:51 PM: Community Affairs attempting to order people to leave the park. Why do we have to leave the park? We own this park. Reports of a pre-commandeered bus waiting for mass arrests.

11:49 PM: Several hundred NYPD are gathering in the park, assumably to admit defeat and engage in violent repression. You were warned, NYPD.

11:34 PM: NYPD gathering at both sides of the park in loose, sloppy lines. Tonight, the NYPD has a choice to make. Every failing regime has the choice whether to engage in civil dialogue and negotiate the terms of its surrender, or to engage in brutal, violent repression. The NYPD is warned that its actions tonight will be seen by the whole world, and that should the NYPD choose violent repression, that it will have admitted its own defeat and surrendered all authority to use force.

11:24 PM: Unconfirmed reports of another thousand people inbound to Union Square. Officers reported talking amongst themselves stating that there will be arrests. Police, is your job not to enforce law, not make it? Under what justification can you quota arrests on peaceful protesters? I suggest that you read the crash course again, maybe you didn't get it the first time.

11:23 PM: Roughly 100 NYPD in north park, according to ground intel.

11:01 PM: Massive NYPD presence at Union, flashing patrol car lights as far as the eye can see. Obvious show of force is still pathetic versus the strength of an idea. When will the NYPD understand that the raised fist is stronger than the swung baton?

10:57 PM: Former NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly has been spotted in Union Square in a windbreaker.

10:44 PM: Police bus reported to be on scene. Send help! Come help!

10:33 PM: Reports coming in 1,500 in Union Square, more marches incoming.

10:24 PM: Two more groups converging at Union Square, according to stream. Verify?

10:16 PM: Occupiers chanting "No justice? No peace!"

9:55 PM: I have my wi-fi back, will add updates from intel reports between later on.

8:20 PM: I am losing wi-fi, back in a bit.

8:19 PM: March is currently at Prince and Lafayette.

8:17 PM: Chants of "Shut it down!" Indeed, shut it all down!

8:16 PM: People hanging out windows banging pots and chanting in support. We are the people! Taxis are honking their horns in support!

8:15 PM: Reported full three blocks of NYC ground to a halt.

8:14 PM: Broadway group has turned on Vaughn, rejoined together the marches.

8:13 PM: Unable to independently verify. Receiving reports of 6,000+ in Union Square! Bring your friends, bring your family, bring everyone to come see and participate in the American Spring!

9:11 PM: March has been split into two.

8:09 PM: March has gone on to Lafayette Street. Numbers are swelling, beyond counting at this point. This definitely looks like a new 9/24. With any hope, the NYPD learned from 9/24. Given last night's brutality, this is unlikely.

8:01 PM: NYPD attempted to seal off Union Square by netting corners and streets. It didn't work. March has left Union Square along Broadway.

7:57 PM: NYPD has closed the Union Square subway station again. Unknown how many commuters have had their freedom of movement constricted.

7:53 PM: March has re-entered Union Square.

7:51 PM: NYPD plant is wearing "81 Cardinals outfit", seen walking with NYPD and talking extensively before joining crowd.

7:48 PM: Someone is drumming out their window to show support!

7:45 PM: March has turned on to Broadway, according to reports. Still strong, still proud.

7:44 PM: The march has turned up 5th against traffic.

7:40 PM: Sorry about the delay, I had trouble getting wireless signal to my laptop. In the time I was away, the march has moved. Reports are coming in of the march beginning at 2,500 people, and swelling upwards to 3,500 people in solidarity. The march is encountering much of the same attempts at repression as the 9/24 police riot did, where police are attempting to block streets. Last I have received, 7th street is illegally blockaded by the NYPD in an attempt to stop the mass of people. Remember, people flow like water. You cannot stop us, Raymond Kelly. You will resign.

6:15 PM: Hundreds have gathered in Union Square, chants ongoing of "No justice, no peace!"

6:11 PM: On another note, if you have intelligence about things that are happening on the ground you may also post them in the comments here. We will be updating as best we can.

5:59 PM: Welcome to the live updates, this space will be updates as events on the ground unfold. Are you on the ground? If you can, get on the Freenode IRC channel #occupywallst and keep us informed if the streams go down!

marl

22nd March 2012, 21:45

Upcoming events:
23rd: http://www.facebook.com/events/418183058198818/ (Spring Training 2)
24th: http://www.facebook.com/events/229501653814774/ (Let Freedom Spring)
24th: http://www.facebook.com/events/413909995301412/ (VFP/Occupy Marines March against Police Brutality)
29th: http://www.facebook.com/events/312141005519331/ (Anti NDAA rally/march)
30th: Spring Training 3
31st: https://www.facebook.com/events/273154729429391/ (#M31 anti-capitalist day of action)
April 1st: http://www.nycga.net/events/event/a1-brooklyn-bridge-commemoration-march/ (March on Brooklyn Bridge)

Also, I bear fantastic news!

Thanks to last night's Trayvon march, Union Square still has many working-class African Americans and youthes in it. The Occupy presence worked out fantastically for good PR.

anticapitalista

23rd March 2012, 05:03

marl

24th March 2012, 18:07

700-1000 people in today's march.

KurtFF8

28th March 2012, 17:02

I should add that just as OWS appears to have been radicalized, so too have I. I went to Zuccotti Park on Sept. 17 as a disillusioned liberal, convinced that our "one demand" should be "getting money out of politics". I now realize that this isn't sufficient and am now a Marxist/communist.

I doubt my radicalization would have happened without the implicit anti-capitalism of OWS. Some of you veteran leftists have had harsh criticisms of OWS for not being explicitly revolutionary enough, but IMO the brilliance of it is that it was always quite non-intimidating/inclusive (e.g. "we are the 99%") while being deeply revolutionary under the surface (e.g. the entire idea of having direct democracy in the shadow of wall street).

The question now is whether it can be simultaneously radical while retaining broad support in the face of a propaganda machine that will be ramped up.

Firstly: that's awesome to hear for us Lefties!

And secondly, I totally agree. The outright dismissal of OWS as "not being revolutionary so not worth our time" stance was absurd to me. OWS opened up a "space" for these kinds of things that was quite important. And as it has progressed, the Leftist elements have remained the most dedicated in the "leadership" positions to this point.

OWS was started and carried through by anti-capitalists (anarchists and Communists). A popular chant now is the "ah-anti-anticapitalista" chant.

marl

1st April 2012, 21:40

http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/551563352.jpg?key=32642448&Expires=1333313395&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIYVGSUJFNRFZBBTA&Signature=LpupbQnxVVaErWQNJ4hLs3hQvIdAx8GIb%7E7h%7 EleHsYZHqWD0Spf9Xg2oCEM6T5rueJfJEXTJdO47c5McaRKJHV gxZSCAD-tn1GJ2JCfNyGFtxAm5L7XGi%7E3bLawpcTbwcAhj%7EcN1qaP8 g5OX7Hybg78PqMaIVFeg9cPBkhlCoF0_
http://p.twimg.com/Apa6w7iCAAQYMT6.jpg

200+ marchers across the bridge, helicopter above, general assembly. I'm actually surprised because there was very little mobilization for this.

The Douche

1st April 2012, 21:51

What are those two big towering things being carried? Guillotines?

marl

1st April 2012, 22:07

I wish. It's a very, very long Brooklyn Bridge puppet-thing headed by a giant NYPD officer puppet.

Upcoming shit
Daily marches from Union Sq at 4:20 PM
Weekly marches (Friday) from Liberty at 2 PM

April 4th: Clean up State Politics - Brooklyn (http://www.nycga.net/events/event/ny-state-public-campaign-financing-town-hall-brooklyn/)
April 5th: Clean up State Politics - Manhattan (http://www.nycga.net/events/event/ny-state-public-campaign-financing-town-hall-manhattan/)
April 10th: Confront Rep. Joseph Crowley (http://www.nycga.net/events/event/confront-wall-street-stooge-rep-crowley-jackson-heights-town-hall-meeting/)
April 14th: #A14 People's Summit (http://www.nycga.net/events/event/spring-awakening-2012-occupy-new-york-city-peoples-assembly/)
April 17th: TaxDay - Day of Action (http://www.facebook.com/events/348623445190332/)
April 25th: ACT UP! Tax Wall Street and End AIDS! (http://www.nycga.net/events/event/tax-wall-street-end-aids/)
April 25th: 1T Day National Day of Action Against Student Debt (https://www.facebook.com/events/191447254304375/)

marl

2nd April 2012, 19:59

http://gothamist.com/upload/2012/04/4212BB1.jpg better photo from #A1

marl

11th April 2012, 01:03

Big Treyvon rally today, a nation-wide protest I think. This is notable because they got a proper mic check going, they couldn't do that on March 21st.

marl

17th April 2012, 23:17

Thousands were out in today's Union/OWS Tax Day protest (against corporate loop holes and war) - reformist, but good show of strength before May 1st.

https://distilleryimage10.s3.amazonaws.com/f82a33e688d911e192e91231381b3d7a_7.jpg
http://distilleryimage5.instagram.com/8ac0998e88da11e1989612313815112c_7.jpg

Also, check out The Tax Dodgers (https://twitter.com/#!/TaxDodgers).

marl

13th May 2012, 20:38

Mass days of action:

Mass Rally at Times Square (note: this is by the coalition which organized May Day)

We are here today coming together for a city where housing is a human right, a country with good jobs for all, and a world where our basic needs are met
We are coming together for a city with healthy food for all, a country with justice for its food workers, an for an ecologically sustainable world
We are coming together for a city where no child is stopped and frisked, a country where no mother is deported, and for a world without war
We are coming together for a city with quality public schools and after school programs, a country without student debt, and a world with free education for all
We are here in solidarity with the people of the world who fight against the global financial system that pits people against each other and elevates profit above all else.
We are the 99%, we believe that the liberation of one requires the liberation of all and we will fight for justice until we end the tyranny of the 1%.http://www.nycga.net/events/event/mass-rally-at-times-square/

1 Year Anniversary - Shut down of Wall Street (note: details to come)

We will form a massive moving picket line on our 1 year anniversary, and continue the conversation we started One year prior with boots on the ground. People from all over the world get ready to shut it down.
https://www.facebook.com/events/427429037268207

Ele'ill

1st August 2012, 23:12

Video with some neat clips

zRyzyMMU_R0

JussBox

10th November 2013, 03:41

Occupy Cleveland pretty much ended after infiltration and the entrapment of the Cleveland 4. Sooo yeah. Cleveland4solidarity.org