New England Occupy "temp-check"

[ellipsis]

I am an Olde New England native and am curious what people's experiences with local occupies in new england. do people think they have potential to adopt more radical tactics, like those used by occupy oakland?

[gorillafuck]

I am a new hampshirite.

the occupy in manchester is dead (though I never actually went to it).

I was talking with a friend of mine who organizes a lot of shit and is the type of anarchist who is an anarchist but also supports every single lefty or liberal cause, and based on what I know the new hampshire occupy was really a vague thing intended on getting people to show up. like a lot of occupies, no direction at all, and a complete unwillingness by organizers to give up their vague populism.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Hard to say really as the only "radical" presence at my occupy was a Anarchist who said that not all cops were bad. But I think if the movement grows large enough and occupiers do a decent job at propagating what it is locally about than in time I think there might be potential to adopt radical tactics. Still, it seems unlikely from my perspective since the occupy I was at, before we were evicted by the pigs, was in the capital directly across from the state house so radical tactics there might not gain much while the group is small.

[marl]

OB does, definitely.

[Raúl Duke]

I am a new hampshirite.

the occupy in manchester is dead (though I never actually went to it).

I was talking with a friend of mine who organizes a lot of shit and is the type of anarchist who is an anarchist but also supports every single lefty or liberal cause, and based on what I know the new hampshire occupy was really a vague thing intended on getting people to show up. like a lot of occupies, no direction at all, and a complete unwillingness by organizers to give up their vague populism.

The one in Ft.Myers, Fl was kinda like this too

Sorry to interject, since this thread is specifically about the New England states

[ellipsis]

Mmmm, occupy Boston will have to be checked out. I think I'm going to have to start my own shit, do a building occupation etc.

[La Comédie Noire]

The problem is the left in the United States is too afraid to say anything definite, lest we end up being wrong or being arbitrary. The right is not hindered by this at all and is completely unapologetic in its world view.

Now I'm not saying we should be close minded, but what we think is wise aloofness is actually more often than not seen as a sign of weakness.

[ellipsis]

apparently occupy burlington vt is still active and re-encamped recently. in other words, bump.

[Welshy]

I was involved with two occupy groups in Western Massachusetts. The first one had a larger turn out than I expected on the first couple of GA's (like 30-50 people max and 100 at our rallies), but then died about a month later. The second group lasted longer but couldn't keep up steam after winter. The first one was very liberal in nature and the second one was mainly anarchists and ISOers but the anarchists were of the more liberal flavor (some liked Ron Paul too) or were more of the primitivist/individualist types and the ISO was the ISO. We only were able to do a couple things and GAs were like 10-15.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

I just went to an Youth Occupy Gathering and there are still GA's held in many of the cities which once had actual occupations but the thing is it is all just a skeleton structure.The gathering was sponsored by simply activists whom only had sparing contact in the actual occupations and never "confirmed" such a gathering with whatever GA the town had (so it was essentially a political free for all, though many were quite progressive).Ontop of this the GA's are just small groups of maybe like a dozen people at the most.It is approaching Summer and though some gossip has been made about re-occupying some spaces nothing has been coordinated for sure.

Personally,I do not see much hope left,if any,for the occupy movement outside of introducing youth to activism and politics in general.

[ellipsis]

I was involved with two occupy groups in Western Massachusetts. The first one had a larger turn out than I expected on the first couple of GA's (like 30-50 people max and 100 at our rallies), but then died about a month later. The second group lasted longer but couldn't keep up steam after winter. The first one was very liberal in nature and the second one was mainly anarchists and ISOers but the anarchists were of the more liberal flavor (some liked Ron Paul too) or were more of the primitivist/individualist types and the ISO was the ISO. We only were able to do a couple things and GAs were like 10-15.

I am going to be organizing in that area in the next month or so. I plan to touch base with whatever occupy elements are around.

[ellipsis]

Apparently there are occupy groups which have no regular physical presence around, a weekly meeting in Northampton. It seems like all occupy work in the region has morphed into a regional Occupy Western Mass banner...

[Rocky Rococo]

Occupy Holyoke morphed into a support/solidarity network for the Lyman Terrace residents fighting the eviction and destruction of their public housing. Occupy Springfield was from the beginning a shared cats-paw of some different local groups, a couple conservative union leaderships and the more grassroots "Nobody Leaves" anti-foreclosure group.

[agnixie]

The problem is the left in the United States is too afraid to say anything definite, lest we end up being wrong or being arbitrary. The right is not hindered by this at all and is completely unapologetic in its world view.

Now I'm not saying we should be close minded, but what we think is wise aloofness is actually more often than not seen as a sign of weakness.

Plus the inability to move beyond vague populism and be definite about anything just ends up with liberals thinking their ideas are welcome.


apparently occupy burlington vt is still active and re-encamped recently. in other words, bump.

The federated occupation groups in Vermont, not sure how they call themselves, presumably have a plan for the federal elections, consisting of planning assemblies in various towns, workplaces, etc, as a mix of electoral boycott and show of how things could be done. I wish them luck but doubt it will amount to much.