An honest report back on Occupy Wall Street (Nov 9 - 11)

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Apologies for any errors in this. I'm writing on the fly after having gone two days without sleep.

I've visited Occupy Wall Street several times, from the early days onward. On each of the last 3 days I visited at least once, each time going through the whole camp, talking to as many people as I could and trying to promote communist positions, strategies and tactics. This is an honest report of what I encountered this week.

On the train there today, a veteran in full fatigues announced that he was a U.S. soldier and Iraq vet who was giving out copies of the Occupied Wall Street Journal. A group of about 10 people in front of me scoffed and talked down on the protest. One woman said his uniform was a costume, which he heard and replied angrily too. He reminded her that it was Veteran's Day and spoke about his time in the war. About 5 people out of 50+ took papers. Then he bizarrely said we could sell the papers on eBay because they are rare, and announced a mass march for Thursday which he said would be to "Retake Brooklyn Bridge and cause mass arrests" before adding, "don't say you heard it from me."

The train stops a few blocks away from the park.

If you are even one block away from the encampment you would have no idea it's there. Life goes on normally. Countless tourists and office workers flood the area. The nearby historic church and World Trade Center site are packed to the max.

The park is filled with tents, mostly packed in tight and covered with tarps. There aren't actually many visible occupiers. The entire square is fenced in behind police barricades. A steady stream of visitors, who seem to be largely a mix between tourists, amateur photographers and gawkers flood the periphery. All four sides are surrounded by various occupiers most of whom are wearing an assortment of "alternative" "punk" etc., garb, lots of colorfully dyed hair, tattoos, facial piercings. Most of them are also begging people for donations or selling something (spray painted "occupy" t-shirts, fun size candy, shoe shines). One person was offering "Free Psychotherapy." A group of tourists gathered to take pictures of the sign with her offer.

I would say that a big chunk of the spectators are actually opposed to the protest. I heard many people write them off as "filthy hippies," "burnouts," "losers," and more along those lines. At least one group of people started a "Viva Ronald Reagan!" chant. Some others were talking to a group of cops telling them they hoped they would evict the Occupiers violently. The cops laughed and shook their hands.

Many spectators are indifferent, marking the protest off of their list in between visits to Ground Zero and MoMA.

Some seem genuinely interested.

Inside the park are a few walkways that snake between tents. Even less people here look "main stream." Lots of brightly colored hair, piercings, dreadlocks, punk clothing, etc. No shortage of genuine 60 years old hippies. Keep in mind that I have no problem with any of these people at all. I'm just telling you what I've seen here. Most of these people would stand out in a crowd.

An unlimited supply of bizarre signs abound. You would have a hard time making some of them up. I didn't see a single slogan that I could actually get behind (the most common slogan was "Tax the rich"). I saw a lot of stuff about "non violence" and at least a few signs expressing "love" for the same New York City Cops that have been watching these people, beating them and arresting them.

The smell of weed drifts through the air from various directions most times. On one side of the park a makeshift band plays music. In another corner, an awkward attempt at a small group sing along is made. Tables are set up offering info and vegan pastries. There are some people from Greenpeace. A few of the gawkers are brave enough to venture inside. Some voice their support. More look like they are look at exhibits in a museum.

I came across a "class war tent" which looked to be manned by some lifestylist anarchists. Lots of crimithinc stuff on their table (which was actually the only table I encountered with specifically political literature). I gave the three people manning it the benefit of the doubt and tried to talk to the them. The women walked away. One of the guys sat down. The other guy must have been sky high or brain damaged, because he was barely able to get out a complete thought. Continuing the conversation was impossible. Imagine trying to discuss historical materialism with Cheech and Chong.

In the middle of the park one day I saw some IBEW members with signs denouncing Verizon's greed. You'll recall they recently struck Verizon. I tried to start a conversation with two, but they weren't interested at all. Another worker was pleased to hear me bring up the strike. He said I was the first person in two days to mention it to him. We talked about how the media is controlled by the capitalists and so always presents their side against the workers. I gave him my opinion on it all, and he was with it... until I started talking about some of the problems with the way it was carried out, ceremonial pickets that don't even attempt to stop production, etc. He actually said he agreed and knew what I was saying was true but couldn't get behind it. He said he had faith the union could change "popular opinion" in their favor and pressure Verizon, then moved on with another IBEW worker.

As I was standing there gathering my things I overheard the first two IBEW guys talking with what appeared to be a low level union rep. They were saying they didn't want to be there, that the occupiers didn't care about them or their union or know what they even doing there, that they had nothing in common with them and thought it was all a huge waste. The union rep tried to calm them down, told them he agreed but that "we have to deal with who we can get. These people outnumber us now so we have to settle for this." When he noticed I was listening he got very quite and corralled the other two away from me.

Another time I ran into a group of about 12 IBEW and CWA workers from Verizon on the periphery at the bottom. Not in the park but on the sidewalk that surrounds it. I had pretty long discussions with various members. They gushed about the AFL-CIO endorsement of the Occupy Movement but had no answers when I asked when AFL-CIO support, mass marches or anything similar would be forthcoming. They were all pissed off about the Verizon deal, agreed with me that workers were being pitted against each other by job and age, agreed that the unions have big problems. But they were extremely enthusiastic about voting and believed that a huge resurgence in union members was coming any time now (one told me she thought it would come from people like "doctor and astronauts"). They wouldn't have any criticism of the Democrats. They repeatedly said the most important things were "to read and to vote," by which they meant to vote for the Dems. They praised the leader of the Transit Workers who lead the union during the 2005 strike that shut down NYC. They didn't have anything to say when I brought up how he actually sold out the strike 3 days in and marched arm in arm at a parade shortly after with the Democratic attorney general who was planning on jailing him (except for a "nobody is perfect" from one of the more outspoken female workers). They just absolutely refused to address any criticisms of the union tops or the Democrats, no matter how minor.

The Occupation seemed a lot more vibrant after the initial upsurge following Bologna's attack on the young girl and the Brooklyn Arrests. It seems to be accelerating quickly and presenting lots of new possibilities when the labor march came. I'm very disheartened with what it is now.

In content, if not in form, it really looks like the typical activist zombie protest that pops up over and over. It's become quite depressing.

The only way this can move forward is if it extends to more workers, employed and unemployed alike.... If it escapes its self-imposed isolation and begins bringing in workers who can assert their power and carry out coordinated work. Barring a conscious attempt at that, there will be some sort of spark needed (like the Bologna incident, the Brooklyn Bridge incident, the Oakland attacks, etc.).

I would love nothing more to be proved a cranky old doctrinaire sectarian who had no idea what he was talking about. I would love nothing more than for this to be the beginning of a genuine revolutionary change. But if things stay how they are that will not be the case.

[RedTrackWorker]

The only way this can move forward is if it extends to more workers, employed and unemployed alike.... If it escapes its self-imposed isolation and begins bringing in workers who can assert their power and carry out coordinated work. Barring a conscious attempt at that, there will be some sort of spark needed (like the Bologna incident, the Brooklyn Bridge incident, the Oakland attacks, etc.).

Thanks for the report. I agree with you about the fact that the OWS phenomenon seems to be on a downward grade in momentum. I get the impression that many are so satisfied with what has happened so far that they think the same things will keep the movement going forward. For the point on other "sparks"--I think very few such things can have much of an effect now--or the effect they have will be a more narrow window of opportunity than before as momentum fades. That would mean an even greater burden on a conscious outreach...but the very basis for that conscious outreach seems to be fading. The occupiers and most of the socilalist left seem satisfied with how things are going (of course everyone wants "more"--I mean satisfied with the basic direction and method).

So there's this Nov. 17th day of action endorsed by the unions, but designed as best I can tell to be more of a "radical" window ornament for the union leaders to burnish their credentials and get some PR mileage out of this and maybe pressure Cuomo to keep the millionaires' tax....but not designed to actually mobilize the ranks or raise their expectations of what is needed and possible in any way. It's not pointing to a way for OWS to break from its isolation and transform this into a working-class movement.

I think OWS is at a critical point and the prospects don't look good.

[Fawkes]

The other guy must have been sky high or brain damaged, because he was barely able to get out a complete thought. Continuing the conversation was impossible. Imagine trying to discuss historical materialism with Cheech and Chong.

Yeah, I remember spending 15 minutes 'debating' with a self-proclaimed member of the "Free Consciousness Movement" who rambled on about everything from the power of FEMA to assassinate every person at Occupy and stage a coup at will to how everything from communism to capitalism to fascism can coexist as long as people learn to respect one another and "think freely". You'd think debating someone like that would be equivalent to shooting fish in a barrel, but it's surprisingly hard to address statements that are just that far out of touch with any semblance of reality. Rich kids being rich kids.

[RedTrackWorker]

Fawkes, you share an anecdote that backs up NHIA's report--my impression is that you've been down there a lot and heavily invovled, does your anecdote mean that you, with your greater experience of OWS, agree with NHIA's overall assessment?

[R_P_A_S]

Nothing Human is Alien,

You were there 2 days you said? And you didn't attend any committees nor the General Assembly meeting?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

No I didn't say any of that. Try reading the post.

[Fawkes]

Fawkes, you share an anecdote that backs up NHIA's report--my impression is that you've been down there a lot and heavily invovled, does your anecdote mean that you, with your greater experience of OWS, agree with NHIA's overall assessment?

To be honest, I haven't been down there in the past couple of weeks as a result of a lot of stuff in my personal life going on, so I can't comment on its current state, but much of what he stated I witnessed when I was down there, though maybe not to as great of a degree then.

Nothing Human is Alien,

You were there 2 days you said? And you didn't attend any committees nor the General Assembly meeting?

Why so presumptuous/accusatory?

[#FF0000]

Yeah, honestly this is similar to what my friend experienced there.

[Os Cangaceiros]

So is OWS turning into the anti-capitalist version of the "black Israelites" or something? Just a weirdo subculture for tourists to gawk at?

That's kind of what it seems like from what I just read.

[black magick hustla]

i bailed out from calgary occupy because it was typical zombie activist shithole that smelled like BO. i have a tight schedule and cant afford to waste my time on activism. i think the center of OCWS is now in oakland, not nyc.

[RedTrackWorker]

i bailed out from calgary occupy because it was typical zombie activist shithole that smelled like BO. i have a tight schedule and cant afford to waste my time on activism. i think the center of OCWS is now in oakland, not nyc.

it should be in oakland...but I haven't seen any indications that it's going to be able to "break out" of its isolation and be able to boost momentum nationally. I don't necessarily have any good way to judge that from afar though, just wondering if you have reasons to suspect it may present a hope for OWS as a whole.

[kashkin]

Thanks for the report, it is very interesting. Unfortunately, Occupy Melbourne has become even worse, it is barely an occupation. At least OWS is still getting attention.

[Teacher]

Our occupy protest was very similar but probably even much smaller. So much subculture nonsense.. it was really depressing.

[R_P_A_S]

No I didn't say any of that. Try reading the post.

wtf? lols I totally missed that part

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Interesting report, can only hope that events pick up.

My occupy will be slowing down with the winter but that is to be expected.When spring comes is when I am expecting real growth.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Fuck if i had unlimited time and soem money to stay alive i would be down at my local one trying to get people to go out on the streets. 2 weeks ago i was talking to a guy who said they were starting to do outreach. which was a great development. i dont know what it is at now.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Fuck if i had unlimited time and soem money to stay alive i would be down at my local one trying to get people to go out on the streets. 2 weeks ago i was talking to a guy who said they were starting to do outreach. which was a great development. i dont know what it is at now.

My group is constantly trying to do outreach but constantly we have had group drama and events push things aside.I am hoping the long winter will cool tempers down and reveal a organized core come warmer whether.

[RED DAVE]

The OP's observations more or less mirrors my observations, which include 12 visits to OWS in the past two months. For those who haven't read it, I'm posting my first 10 observational reports as an attachment to this post.

HOWEVER, the real action is in the various committees. The Labor Outreach Committee, which I've been working in, has people in it from over 20 unions and is very active.

I find it fascinating that people are willing to bullshit endlessly about the Black Bloc, but very few are actually involved in concrete occupation work.

I'm posting this on the fly. More later.

RED DAVE

[GPDP]

Yesterday, I went to look at Occupy Austin, and though it wasn't as bad as what NHIA describes OWS to be, I did have a few issues with it. For one, I don't think I saw a single union at the camp site (which is right outside city hall, btw) represented, but plenty of activists and sub-culture hipster types. There's also more than a fair amount of homeless people present, which is actually understandable, really. Most of the signs were at least progressive, though there were a couple of "End the Fed"-style signs and other Paulista wankery. Their agenda board was all over the place. One item called for "using capitalism to bring down Bank of America to demonstrate our power," whatever the fuck that means. Another item called for sending out a Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

This is based on what I saw at the main encampment, though. I didn't get to stick around for the GA, so maybe there's some worthwhile politics being discussed there for all I know.

[black magick hustla]

h I've been working in, has people in it from over 20 unions and is very active.

I find it fascinating that people are willing to bullshit endlessly about the Black Bloc, but very few are actually involved in concrete occupation work.



RED DAVE

plenty of people who are really active "defended" the blac bloc. i find it weird that you rant endlessly about a bunch of kids smashing a few windows.