[Street] A new thread to The Meaning of Last Night and Next Steps
Kevin Maley
kevinmaley at gmail.com
Fri Dec 9 16:49:13 EST 2011
amen angela! I am with you all the way, never stop pushing our core ideals;
it is easy to let them slip as priority in the face of chaos but without
them we lose who we are as a movement
On Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 4:17 PM, angela giudice <amgnsm at verizon.net> wrote:
> Dear ones,
>
> I truly wish I knew what to say to all of this. Sadly, my heart is heavy
> and tired--from trying to raise issues and concerns related to all of this,
> while also working with others to tend to the very real, legitimate and
> profound needs of all who are/were within us.
>
> I'm down (as in, "I'm down with this or that :-p). I always have been.
> AND, I need to stand with folks who truly are committed to transparency,
> accountability, and horizontal democracy. Even if it is tedious. Even
> if it takes more upfront time. Even if it's not as compelling as urgency
> or feeling as if I'm "getting things done". Even if it is intimidating and
> scary to ask a small group of mostly white men why they continue to meet
> together, thinking they should be making decisions about the whole
> movement. Even if it means dealing with really difficult and painfully
> sore issues. Even, if, by gosh, I have to confront my own privilege and
> sense of entitlement of wanting things to go the way that I think things
> need to go.
>
> I'm up for continuing to build relationships AND systems that will hold
> us, that will herald the wonderful journey of learning new ways. Of
> challenging the ways that I, and you, and we ALL continue to maintain the
> status quo of oppression, sometimes unconsciosly, certainly
> unintentionally, and mostly by simply doing things the same old way or
> worse, by not doing anything different at all. Or resisting or denying
> that systemic, cultural and interpersonal oppression does in fact exist in
> each of us, at Dewey Square and cyber space, as well as in the corrupt
> society we choose to dissent, protest and transform.
>
> I'm all around. And will continue to be. As soon as I take a hot bath
> and can get down to the site, and figure out what will happen with my
> family, again coping with my absence.
>
> What I'm still, and always was around for is uprooting that with which we
> sabotage ourselves and then look back at and say, why didn't s/he do
> something different. I want to step into an arena where I can learn from
> others, with joy and acceptance, and share my skills and life experiences
> with others to KEEP BUILDING A NEW DAY!
>
> Forever peace and solidarity
> La lucha continua,
> Angela Giudice
> 857-342-0049
>
>
>
> --- On *Fri, 12/9/11, M. Sheridan <occupocalypse at gmail.com>* wrote:
>
>
> From: M. Sheridan <occupocalypse at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Ob-media] The Meaning of Last Night and Next Steps
> To: "Allison Nevitt" <asnevitt at gmail.com>
> Cc: "Anna Aizman" <anna at occupyboston.org>, obexpansion at gmail.com,
> ob-logistics at lists.occupyboston.org, infotent at occupyboston.org,
> occupy-boston-socialist-discussion at googlegroups.com,
> street at lists.occupyboston.org, bdubkwob at gmail.com, occupyeric at gmail.com,
> occupybostonda at gmail.com, ob-media at lists.occupyboston.org,
> occupy-boston-people-of-color-working-group at googlegroups.com,
> check_your_privilege_ob at googlegroups.com, movementbuildingob at masslists.org,
> ocupemos-el-barrio at googlegroups.com, obit at occupyboston.org, "Nicole
> Sullivan" <nicole_sullivan at live.com>, facilitation at lists.occupyboston.org
> Date: Friday, December 9, 2011, 2:23 PM
>
> I agree with all of what you have to say. While yes there were things we
> needed to save before a raid, we made it very obvious to them that we
> didn't plan on staying. They know that the tents that were left are just
> for show, we conceded to their demands. I'm not saying that the movement
> ends with Dewey ending, but we need to make sure that we do things on our
> terms, not on theirs.
>
> -meghann
>
> On Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 2:18 PM, Allison Nevitt <asnevitt at gmail.com<http://mc/compose?to=asnevitt@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
>
> So, in other words, there was an agenda by some which had nothing to do
> with whether it was strategically wise to stand up in face of a police
> invasion.
>
> We have so profoundly failed to address these issues - which require
> physically blocking people from entering the space and having access to
> resources - that a passive aggressive move was made.
>
> While I completely understand it, that approach fed into a lot of
> confusion about what we were doing and what the message was.
>
> A raid means the end of the camp. That raid will come soon. We couldn't
> hold out until the entire camp was going to be gone anyway, at this point?
>
> We need to get our act together folks. I don't say that in a chiding or
> accusing way. We're struggling with some hard stuff, as a newly-formed
> community. We're learning together. Now, we're at a transition. We need to
> learn some lessons fast and find a more unified way to address things.
>
> I'd like to see us have some meaningful community dialogue about this and
> find better ways to resolve things.
>
> In solidarity,
>
> - Allison
> Una at DailyKos <http://www.dailykos.com/user/UnaSpenser><http://bostonlyme.blogspot.com/>
>
> <http://kossacksnetworking.ning.com>
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 2:00 PM, Anna Aizman <anna at occupyboston.org<http://mc/compose?to=anna@occupyboston.org>
> > wrote:
>
> Ironically many people who worked at Food, Logistics, Safety, and Medical
> were the most adamant about de-camping, and hoping that if we take time to
> strategize we could come back with a stronger, safer camp. Dewey Square was
> and will remain unsustainable - dangerous for women, houseless people, and
> recovering drug users. There are several drug rings at camp, and many more
> tents where people could stay and use hard drugs. We have been enabling
> people who'd been trying to stay sober, and offering a space for violent
> individuals who threatened, sexually harassed, and assaulted vulnerable
> homeless people and female activists. We failed to figure out a way to kick
> out the people who (though they are undoubtedly part of the 99%) did not
> share our goals and, instead, widely abused our community. We've been
> watching activists leave the tent city, and leave fewer and fewer people to
> take care of the daily functioning of the camp. We've been turning
> activists away from camp because we have no tent space for them to stay in
> -- the tents were increasingly occupied by people who had no interest in
> contributing even in the smallest way (insulting us when we asked for
> help). As a result, the energies of most on-site occupiers were divested
> from the movement, and towards camp maintenance, conflict resolution,
> substance abuse counseling (when none of us are trained in it).
>
> None of the people who stood for striking down tents were actually
> interested in ending the movement or parting with the idea of a camp site.
> Rather, we believe we need time to figure out how to have an occupation
> that is sustainable, an occupation that allows the activists who camp to be
> part of the larger movement as well as of the daily running of the camp.
> Maybe this means involving professional social workers or counselors
> on-site, or maybe it means having a vetting system to ensure a truly
> substance- and violence-free camp. I hope that we can keep in mind the
> difference between what we'd like for camp to symbolize and what the camp
> experience actually was -- especially for vulnerable people.
>
> There are a lot of meaningful relationships at camp but there is also an
> incredible amount of negative energy that's another reason for the
> exhaustion of so many OB activists. If we are defending Dewey Square and
> re-building it, I hope that, in addition to the faith of so many people in
> the tent city symbol, we take into account the experiences of the people
> who found themselves struggling to keep the camp from dissolving in violent
> conflicts or getting raided by police for drug use, violence, or sexual
> assault. I hope we do something different this time, because the Dewey
> Square camp never looked as beautiful as it did last night, when people
> demonstrated and danced in the streets. In reality, Dewey Square version
> 1.0 was far from festive and communal.
>
> -Anna
>
> On Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 1:29 PM, Nicole Sullivan <nicole_sullivan at live.com<http://mc/compose?to=nicole_sullivan@live.com>
> > wrote:
>
> Brian, I agree.
>
> While last night was a huge success in so many ways and I so proud of
> that, we also decamped ourselves. My tent (the mike tent) is a filth hole
> but it is still standing. Democracy isn't clean, it isn't sanitary. Its a
> messy process that takes a lot of trial and error. Our encampment is a
> symbol of our freedom. I do wish we did not capitulate so early.
>
> Thank you to all who are rebuilding today. I wish I could be there with
> you, however I do need to get some life stuff done before tonight.
>
> Nicole
> ------------------------------
> From: asnevitt at gmail.com <http://mc/compose?to=asnevitt@gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2011 13:08:37 -0500
> Subject: Re: The Meaning of Last Night and Next Steps
> To: bdubkwob at gmail.com <http://mc/compose?to=bdubkwob@gmail.com>
> CC: ob-media at lists.occupyboston.org<http://mc/compose?to=ob-media@lists.occupyboston.org>;
> facilitation at lists.occupyboston.org<http://mc/compose?to=facilitation@lists.occupyboston.org>;
> obexpansion at gmail.com <http://mc/compose?to=obexpansion@gmail.com>;
> ob-logistics at lists.occupyboston.org<http://mc/compose?to=ob-logistics@lists.occupyboston.org>;
> check_your_privilege_ob at googlegroups.com<http://mc/compose?to=check_your_privilege_ob@googlegroups.com>;
> occupy-boston-people-of-color-working-group at googlegroups.com<http://mc/compose?to=occupy-boston-people-of-color-working-group@googlegroups.com>;
> InfoTent at occupyboston.org <http://mc/compose?to=InfoTent@occupyboston.org>;
> occupyeric at gmail.com <http://mc/compose?to=occupyeric@gmail.com>;
> movementbuildingob at masslists.org<http://mc/compose?to=movementbuildingob@masslists.org>;
> ocupemos-el-barrio at googlegroups.com<http://mc/compose?to=ocupemos-el-barrio@googlegroups.com>;
> street at lists.occupyboston.org<http://mc/compose?to=street@lists.occupyboston.org>;
> obit at occupyboston.org <http://mc/compose?to=obit@occupyboston.org>;
> occupy-boston-socialist-discussion at googlegroups.com<http://mc/compose?to=occupy-boston-socialist-discussion@googlegroups.com>;
> occupybostonda at gmail.com <http://mc/compose?to=occupybostonda@gmail.com>
>
>
> Thank you for this, Brian.
>
> I'm sorry I cannot be there today to "rebuild". I have vast appreciation
> for those of you with the stamina and the wisdom to do that work this
> morning. I will be there as soon as I am able.
>
> I hope we can all remember that what we're standing up for - to demand the
> end of profound corruption of democracy and the beginning of true democracy
> for the first time in this nation's history - is far more important than a
> pristine encampment which meets codes. As adults, we can make a choice to
> take more risks than we would normally take because we find it worthwhile.
> The city stops us from having sanitation, lowering fire hazards, etc. and
> still we stay because this is about something bigger: a just and
> sustainable society for all.
>
> No one here complained that Egyptians didn't have permits or weren't
> meeting safety codes when they occupied Tahrir Square. I bet their tents
> got dirty, too! We encouraged them to stand up to bullets and fire hoses
> and tear gas, even though there was trash on the ground. They did the best
> they could to manage it while they were protesting and we do, too.
>
> We, the 99%, have had enough of the oppression of the 1%. We will stand
> until they forcibly remove us. Then we will stand again.
>
> - Allison
> Una at DailyKos <http://www.dailykos.com/user/UnaSpenser><http://bostonlyme.blogspot.com/>
>
> <http://kossacksnetworking.ning.com>
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 7:00 AM, Brian K <bdubkwob at gmail.com<http://mc/compose?to=bdubkwob@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
>
> Brothers and sisters,
>
> I just got home after spending over 2 hours cleaning and renovating the
> occupation in Dewey Square AFTER all the events of the night, so sorry if
> this email isn't totally clear....
>
> *Last night was a major moment in the development of our movement. It is
> ripe with tactical and strategic lessons, and we must understand and act on
> them IMMEDIATELY. What follows is my assessment of what we got right, what
> we got wrong, and what the next steps are.*
>
> *What we got right: *
> *
> *
> *Sensing a major threat to our movement, we mobilized the masses to
> defend us! *We must have had a thousand people come and rally to support
> of our movement. There were tons of people following the marching band,
> tons more in a state of perma-rally by the north wall, tons more practicing
> civil disobedience, and tons more just milling around, talking, sharing
> ideas, and showing their solidarity in many ways.
> We ended up taking the streets and shutting down Atlalntic ave. We had
> only 2 arrests (that I know of), and everything was peaceful, jubliant, and
> energizing. People of all kinds, young, old, abled and disabled, people of
> color, students, union and non-union workers, and all segments of the 99%
> all came out for unity and solidarity with Occupy Boston. Mobilizing our
> social base all-out like this was the right thing to do and that is (in
> part) why it was so successful.
>
>
> *What we got wrong: *
> As painful as this truth may be, we have to face it squarely and honestly:
> *we dismantled most of our own occupation without a fight. *In this sense
> we really punched ourselves in the face. Needlessly.
>
> By 4 am, Dewey Square had only about 30% of the tents it did 24 hours
> previously. There was trash and debris strewn on the sidewalks
> and perimeter. And there were only about 30-40 people left from the 1,000+
> who had been there at some point earlier. In other words, we weren't raided
> by the police, but by 3:30 am, it looked like we had been.
>
> This was demoralizing because it looked like a post-apocalyptic occupy
> that I saw in Denver, after they had been raided twice. But we did it to
> ourselves. The Mayor/City/BPD/RKG achieved much of their desired outcome
> basically WITHOUT LIFTING A FINGER.
>
> This was a strategic mistake. Period. Things like this sometimes are only
> clear after the fact: the Mayor said "jump" and we jumped as high as we
> could. This contrary to the very essence of the movement insofar we are
> occupying to STAND UP and OPPOSE the dictates of the powerful, not tremble
> in fear before them...
>
> *Next steps:*
> Luckily, there were about 5-10 of us who were able to salvage the
> situation a bit. We moved a bunch of tents on "weird street" that had been
> left for destruction by the (non-existent) police raid, and moved them into
> the main square to fill in some of the gaping (and depressing) holes.
> Another 5-10 of us cleaned up the sidewalks, swept, and restored some
> semblance of order to the outward appearance.
>
> But there is more work to be done. This means *anyone who can needs to
> return to the Square ASAP* to help re-organize the space, re-purpose the
> tents, re-allocate the pallets and walkway planks. Not for permanent
> occupation, but for the next 24 to 48 hours of the struggle. Yes, the cops
> can come Friday night (tonight) or Saturday night or Sunday night. We
> should be ready for them to come on any one of these nights, but we can sit
> on our hands and wait; we have to keep struggling, keep assembling and keep
> speaking out against injustice.
>
> I'm not saying we need to bring back everything to the square. We can do
> without the library books and other valuables in Dewey. But we need to
> CONTINUE occupying until some decisive event that forces us into another
> space. Otherwise they can effectively shut down our occupation with merely
> the ever-present *threat* of shutting it down. Let us not allow ourselves
> to be paralyzed with fear like that.
>
>
> *Why we messed up: *
> Part of the problem is that strategically, many of us were thinking in
> "post-Dewey" mode, yet we were not (and are not) yet there. We are still in
> Dewey Square. And we must defend it.
>
> By dismantling our occupation, we essentially tried to shortcut the
> difficult and painful midwife between where we are now and the birth of our
> next phase: the police raid. This reminds me of a quote from Hagakure, the
> book of the samurai from feudal-era Japan:
>
> "There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a
> sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. By
> doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet.
> When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though
> you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to all
> things."
>
> Pick up on that. By trying to avoid the police raid, we ended up doing it
> to ourselves. This had the desired outcome of our enemies (a massive
> dismantling in Dewey), but we got nothing to show for it. Many of us may
> feel "perplexed," but need not be if we "are resolved from the beginning"
> to stand our ground.
>
> Just like the first raid on us, and so many other raids happening around
> the country, raids are not pleasant, but they are a necessary part of being
> an occupation that does NOT jump when the powers that be tell us to.
> Otherwise we might as go home now.
>
> Remember: when people see the violence of the police officers arresting
> veterans, manhandling priests, hog-tying peaceful 99%ers, this rightly
> causes OUTRAGE. And it is that outrage that can help feed our movement for
> the next phase. We must not evict ourselves; make them do it.
>
> As of now, we have a damaged (but not un-salvagable) occupation. Please go
> to Dewey Square ASAP and see why. Especially Logistics and Food. We need
> your insight, experience, and steady hands the MOST during the day. Today.
>
> As for everyone else, see you at tonight's GA...in Dewey Square.
>
> Revolutionary love and solidarity,
> and now sleep.
>
> Brian
>
> p.s. please forward this to any groups/lists/folks I left out.
>
>
>
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