[Street] [Ob-media] The Meaning of Last Night and Next Steps
Sage Radachowsky
sage.radachowsky at gmail.com
Fri Dec 9 15:17:58 EST 2011
Well, the camp is much cleaner and whatever happens will be ask the more
powerful for that. I think we need to talk seriously tonight about
strategy. We need to focus and not waste time on other business - only the
essentials. We have cut to the bone.
Peace,
Sage
617-406-8842
Sent from a phone type thing.
On Dec 9, 2011 3:09 PM, "Anna Aizman" <anna at occupyboston.org> wrote:
> Agreed, Alex. If dancing and demonstrating in the street is all that
> holding out means, according to Alex and Allison, then we should definitely
> do it.
> Last night, for the first time in all my time at Dewey Square instead of
> running past a drum circle, trash bag or radio in hand, I joined in and
> danced (I know, nobody forces me to clean etc but, like John, I just find
> that if I don't do it no one else does this - where are you, activists??
> camp should be chanting "help us, help us" not just to the cops, but to the
> rest of the movement!!!) For camp-centric working-group people, holding out
> has meant on so many levels just perpetuating drug use, sexual harassment
> and violence -- enabling some people and giving others a captive audience
> on which to wage their aggression. I think that as we hold out we should
> keep in mind that we are still concentrating on Dewey, instead of coming up
> with strategies to move beyond it.
>
> To Meghann: we've been doing things on their terms for a while now: it was
> incredibly convenient for the cops to have all the dangerous folks they'd
> been aware of on the streets of Boston now camped out right there in Dewey
> Square, helping to bring down a protest movement. I heard stories of the
> cops directing dangerous individuals to the camp site (and in New York the
> cops practically bussed people to Zucotti Park).
>
> And, to Allison's point about the secret agenda of self-evicting: I don't
> think it was thought out and strategized like that. For my part, I felt
> relief in thinking that we can now move on and plan a camp that is a
> working branch of the Occupy Boston movement, not its violent and
> unsustainable entirety.
>
> I want to point out that the violence exists also on the level of dialogue
> between camp activists. Last night's GA saw some of the worst scenes of
> campers attacking each other without any compassion for each other's
> position and experiences. And then so many people showed up to defend the
> camp last night, but of the on-site occupiers I counted only four were
> willing to get arrested for the defense. Let's keep such disparities in
> mind. Let's ask ourselves what the symbolic camp actually was. And why of
> all the people who came through last night, so few had come in the past
> weeks to make the Dewey Square camp function (Logistics, Food, Safety --
> all asked for volunteers constantly) -- and so few were willing to stay
> there, at camp.
>
> -Anna
>
> On Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 2:30 PM, Alex Pearlman <alex at occupyboston.org>wrote:
>
>> I'm totally with Anna here. I think Brian's email makes a lot of great
>> points and was exceptionally eloquent. I also supported the principle of
>> Anasstassia's block because I thought she was right, so this is difficult.
>>
>> But I have to go with the opinion that we should stand our ground until
>> they come in and take it, at which point we declare a victory of
>> non-violent, tactical retreat, and find a place to Occupy that's indoors,
>> until we can recamp in the Spring.
>>
>> I also have to add that the only tents that were dismantled in
>> anticipation of a raid, agreed on by the group, were the expensive tents:
>> food, library, womens caucus, and the equipment therein and logistics...
>>
>> Most of the other tents were taken down by individuals because they
>> didn't want their stuff taken in case of a raid. And whether they came last
>> night or give us the weekend, they're coming.
>>
>> Rebuilding a livable camp to defend is a great idea, but rebuilding
>> completely without looking past Dewey is silly. We must not enable apathy
>> and drug use, which is what Dewey devolved into. Let's move on, and realize
>> Occupy Boston is a lot more than tents in Dewey Sq, despite our strong
>> emotional attachment to that physical space.
>>
>> Quoting Nicole Sullivan <nicole_sullivan at live.com>:
>>
>> Anna- I totally understand where you are coming from. Dewey, in many
>>> ways, was incredibly draining. Its more that I wish we kept the physical
>>> symbol for last night and the upcoming ones. Dewey is not sustainable not
>>> only because of drug addicts and violence, but because they are going to
>>> forcefully evict us.
>>>
>>> If they allowed us to stay indefinitely, then I would most likely be
>>> with you. However, given the circumstances- I think it is extraordinarily
>>> important we hold our ground.
>>>
>>> Nicole
>>> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Anna Aizman <anna at occupyboston.org>
>>> Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2011 19:00:54
>>> To: <nicole_sullivan at live.com>
>>> Cc: <asnevitt at gmail.com>; <bdubkwob at gmail.com>; <obexpansion at gmail.com>;
>>> <ob-logistics at lists.**occupyboston.org<ob-logistics at lists.occupyboston.org>>;
>>> <infotent at occupyboston.org>; <occupy-boston-socialist-**
>>> discussion at googlegroups.com<occupy-boston-socialist-discussion at googlegroups.com>>;
>>> <street at lists.occupyboston.org**>; <occupyeric at gmail.com>; <
>>> occupybostonda at gmail.com>; <ob-media at lists.occupyboston.**org<ob-media at lists.occupyboston.org>>;
>>> <occupy-boston-people-of-**color-working-group@**googlegroups.com<occupy-boston-people-of-color-working-group at googlegroups.com>>;
>>> <check_your_privilege_ob@**googlegroups.com<check_your_privilege_ob at googlegroups.com>>;
>>> <movementbuildingob at masslists.**org <movementbuildingob at masslists.org>>;
>>> <ocupemos-el-barrio@**googlegroups.com<ocupemos-el-barrio at googlegroups.com>>;
>>> <obit at occupyboston.org>; <facilitation at lists.**occupyboston.org<facilitation at lists.occupyboston.org>
>>> >
>>> Subject: Re: [Ob-media] The Meaning of Last Night and Next Steps
>>>
>>> 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 <mailto:nicole_sullivan at live.**com<nicole_sullivan at 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 <mailto:asnevitt at 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 <mailto:bdubkwob at gmail.com>
>>> CC: ob-media at lists.occupyboston.**org <ob-media at lists.occupyboston.org><mailto:
>>> ob-media at lists.**occupyboston.org <ob-media at lists.occupyboston.org>> ;
>>> facilitation at lists.**occupyboston.org<facilitation at lists.occupyboston.org><mailto:
>>> facilitation at lists.**occupyboston.org<facilitation at lists.occupyboston.org>>
>>> ; obexpansion at gmail.com <mailto:obexpansion at gmail.com> ;
>>> ob-logistics at lists.**occupyboston.org<ob-logistics at lists.occupyboston.org><mailto:
>>> ob-logistics at lists.**occupyboston.org<ob-logistics at lists.occupyboston.org>>
>>> ; check_your_privilege_ob@**googlegroups.com<check_your_privilege_ob at googlegroups.com><mailto:
>>> check_your_privilege_**ob at googlegroups.com<check_your_privilege_ob at googlegroups.com>>
>>> ; occupy-boston-people-of-color-**working-group at googlegroups.com<occupy-boston-people-of-color-working-group at googlegroups.com><mailto:
>>> occupy-boston-people-**of-color-working-group@**googlegroups.com<occupy-boston-people-of-color-working-group at googlegroups.com>>
>>> ; InfoTent at occupyboston.org <mailto:InfoTent at occupyboston.**org<InfoTent at occupyboston.org>>
>>> ; occupyeric at gmail.com <mailto:occupyeric at gmail.com> ;
>>> movementbuildingob at masslists.**org <movementbuildingob at masslists.org><mailto:
>>> movementbuildingob@**masslists.org <movementbuildingob at masslists.org>>
>>> ; ocupemos-el-barrio@**googlegroups.com<ocupemos-el-barrio at googlegroups.com><mailto:
>>> ocupemos-el-barrio@**googlegroups.com<ocupemos-el-barrio at googlegroups.com>>
>>> ; street at lists.occupyboston.org <mailto:street at lists.**occupyboston.org<street at lists.occupyboston.org>>
>>> ; obit at occupyboston.org <mailto:obit at occupyboston.org> ;
>>> occupy-boston-socialist-**discussion at googlegroups.com<occupy-boston-socialist-discussion at googlegroups.com><mailto:
>>> occupy-boston-**socialist-discussion@**googlegroups.com<occupy-boston-socialist-discussion at googlegroups.com>>
>>> ; occupybostonda at gmail.com <mailto:occupybostonda at gmail.**com<occupybostonda at 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://www.dailykos.com/user/UnaSpenser>>
>>> <http://bostonlyme.blogspot.**com/ <http://bostonlyme.blogspot.com/>>
>>>
>>> <http://kossacksnetworking.**ning.com<http://kossacksnetworking.ning.com>
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 7:00 AM, Brian K <bdubkwob at gmail.com <mailto:
>>> bdubkwob at 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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>>
>>
>> --
>> Alex Pearlman
>> Occupy Boston Media Team
>>
>>
>
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