Where do we stand? and Thoughts.
What movements are active? - Oakland - New York: Wallstreet - ???
What topics are they addressing? - Wage Inequality - Tax Inequality - Re-domestication of jobs - Home foreclosures & The homeless
What tactics are being used? - Non-Violence is a tactic - Shields are not weapons
What message is being sent?
What message should be sent?
Where are the breakdowns and how can they be addressed?
--- I still believe Tent Cities and Kitchens when both are properly maintained, kept cleaned, and organized provided the greatest image and message for Occupy. It was the most diffinitively non-violent and community centric form the movement ever took. I strongly urge the consideration that the movement reverts to this stage.
I know complaint 1 and 2: "But tents have been outlawed and we would be arrested." and "The kitchens get over-turned, food destroyed/wasted."
1) Marches get organized daily/weekly and are often kettled and arrested. Especially large marches announced weeks in advanced, such as #J28. In that specific example 409 people were arrested. Did it further the movement, did it garner notable positive MSM coverage? No. It was a complete failure to further the movement. What if tents had been errected to shelter homeless and a kitchen started to feed them before the OPD came in and leveled it? What would it say that 409 people were arrested for feeding and sheltering the homeless? That's something you can share with people to get them fired up for your cause.
It was long discussed that abandoned, foreclosed, and otherwise empty property was going to be taken back by #OO (specificly) and implied by various OWS outlets in general. But that hasn't happened. If the goal is to forcibly (as in "against order to leave" not nescisarily as in "violently") detain these properties and give the homeless a home, they'd be easier to defend (though easier to be kettled in) than an open tent city and provide better enviromental protection. If enough empty properties existed on a single block, one could make a well entrenched community. If enough of these reoccupations happened concurrently, with enough support at each, there is a good chance that properties could be held for a substantial time.
2) I kind of rolled it into the first paragraph but the food being wasted by police over-turning it isn't on Occupy, its on the police. It means that we have the message to spread: Look the police don't want you to eat, and don't want you have to have shelter. Not only is it polarizing and great at getting people to join-- its true. If the cities and police wanted to actually help people, they'd be working with them on a mutual solution and not against them in the manners that they are now. The more they destroy, the more we win.
NV) Non-violence vs Violence. I can not understand why this is such a difficult topic to be honest. I support Non-Violence, and Diversity of Tactics (using all tatctics, including NV as appropriate). I believe that Violence begets violence, but since police show blatant disregard for the safety of protesters both during kettling/arrests and at the jails as well. I fail to see why anyone should voulentarily submit to such abuse. I believe every Occupier has the obligation to attempt to free a fellow protestor if they can reasonably do so. Since such an objective would undoubtedly be met with substantial force and resistance that brings me to another point, which I will address in a second. The point in this section I wish to bring to light is that yes Non-Violence will attract the greatest numbers and give the MSM and police as little ground to stand on to justify their actions as possible, but so long as protestors are being brutalized, other tactics need to be embraced. It is what we owe to fellow protestors.
SHIELDS and ARMOR) I can not believe how many times this has been addressed and misunderstood. Shields are not weapons unless intentionally used as such. Armor is not a weapon. When individuals are being brutalized, a shield is no more illogical than putting your hands in front of your face to deflect a baton blow. Same goes with armor. Football pads are a basic example of armor capable of stopping tazer prongs, deflecting baton blows, etc. Gas masks aren't questioned to combat tear gas, so why are sheilds and armor looked down upon with such ignorance.
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-- Echo