The US government was concerned about OWS.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Leaked documents reveal that federal government tracked Occupy Wall Street protesters because it feared the movement could turn violent.

An internal Department of Homeland Security report (http://www1.rollingstone.com/extras/13637_DHS%20IP%20Special.pdf) (PDF) titled “SPECIAL COVERAGE: Occupy Wall Street” was part of 5 million leaked documents published by WikiLeaks and examined by Rolling Stone contributing editor Michael Hastings (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/exclusive-homeland-security-kept-tabs-on-occupy-wall-street-20120228).

The report indicates that the department monitored protesters’ social media activities to assess the movement’s impacts in individuals sectors, including financial services, commercial facilities, transportation, emergency services and government facilities.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/29/dhs-tracked-occupy-wall-street-to-control-protesters/

hmm, I initially thought (like others) that OWS would be almost entirely ignored by the political establishment. Guess I was wrong.

[Vyacheslav Brolotov]

Occupy Wall Street was not going to do anything. I have been to one of those demonstrations (the one in Zuccoti Park), and no two people believed in the same thing. The only things close to unity for them were their common "leadership" under their weird General Assembly and the fact that they were all mad at the current financial system. OWS=harmless. If only a vanguard arose to court this populist anger and provide it with true leadership. Then the U.S. government would have had reason for fear.

Here comes the shitstorm......

[Os Cangaceiros]

Well let's see, thus far in the lifespan of OWS, they've managed to re-invigorate an actual interesting national debate on political issues...before OWS, if one were pressed to name a grassroots political opposition, the answer would be "the Tea Party". They held an event on October 15th that featured solidarity rallies in hundreds of cities internationally, many of which were well-attended such as the one in Rome, in which tens of thousands came out. They disrupted a critical piece of infrastructure in November in Oakland (the port of Oakland). They've had subsequent partial success in later port shut-downs on the west coast. They provided valuable assistance to one of the major labor disputes in recent years (the EGT/ILWU dispute in Washington), which resulted in victory (kinda). They re-invigorated struggle related to homelessness/foreclosure in various cities, probably most notably in Oakland and Atlanta.

I'd say that's a modest but somewhat impressive record over the course of one year. I know some people are itching for the new storming of the Winter Palace, though.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I mean, I'm a bitter cynic like everyone else, but I admit to being impressed by much of what happened in 2011, OWS included. Realizing that something won't lead to some kind of fundamental re-organization of society doesn't mean that you can't appreciate it on some level...it's the same view I take on labor disputes that revolve around "economistic" demands.

[Ele'ill]

It's certainly an opportunity. I didn't like the specific linear theme of some of the actions like the 'shut down the corporations' (F29) and think a more socially interactive 'people' focus on wage and workers of those corporations would have been better, like an early May Day march, perpetual May Day marches all the time, and this was done to an extent by radicals on the 29th however the main message and intentions of the vast majority of people seemed to involve going up to the corporation's suites in their towers on their terms without actually recognizing the vertical climb and how it's the problem we need to address. I tend to be an optimist and would like to think that this is going to rapidly change (already is from what I've seen over the last year or so) and this is why it's an opportunity for radical agitation.

Keep in mind of course the area I live but not even this is an excuse, with Oakland acting as an inspiration and example in a lot of ways I see how discontentment can be realized and spread while turning into action. Occupy's model isn't successful because it's some elaborate theory or strategy, it's successful because it allows for everyone to participate with any level of education and experience and thus has an 'anything can happen at any time' atmosphere to it. As a side note, it's for this reason that I do not understand the diversity of tactics debate. If property destruction is abolished forever, the next shit flinging event will be between the peace groups regarding some other aspect of strategy, they'll split, then groups will split etc..

That was my morning coffee rant.

[Ele'ill]

Also want to point out that Occupy hasn't waited for events like summits to draw in mass participation, it has gone on the offensive and made its own events and obviously the camps were the beginning of all that. Oakland move-in and the EGT stand off being great examples too. I am really excited to see what these warmer months bring.

[bcbm]

federal government tracked Occupy Wall Street protesters because it feared the movement could turn violent

lets examine this statement. when does the federal government fear movements?

[Decolonize The Left]

lets examine this statement. when does the federal government fear movements?

When they shout "shame" loud enough.

- August

[bcbm]

the whole world is watching!

[Ele'ill]

After the front quarter of the very successful march has been brutalized while pushing through ten police lines and standing against two horse charges for the last three hours in the freezing fucking rain, some lackwit with a $400 megaphone shows up at the front from the back and passionately reminds us that the police are part of the 99% and they are our friends. This is followed by a jovial mumble from the back -

Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Prote!3($ Peace!!!HAdkh Peaceful Protest! AHAHAH PEACE OEACE PEACE PCEA Peaceful Protest! PEACE PEACE PCEAP CPEAPCV CPEAPCPEPACJadlkgj;askgj;lkjg THBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTTT.

[Ele'ill]

It'll change when people start to realize that it's not 'diversity of tactics' because people want to use certain tactics but because certain tactics have to be used and it all makes up and builds one strategy.