- Alex Zielinski
- GTFO
I never thought I would be in favor of arresting people at a peaceful protest, but I have to say I’m with the mayor on this one. And with the majority of Occupy Portland, it seems, in saying, “THANK YOU for arresting the eight people who were blocking Main Street.”
They were really pissing me off. The whole showdown over barricading Main Street, which ended this morning with eight exceedingly peaceful arrests, illustrates exactly what Dan was discussing the other day about how you kill a movement: You let the fringe lunatics control the actions of the majority. After a four hour general assembly meeting last night and a majority (about 80 percent, depending on who you ask) in favor of getting out of the street, the Occupiers still couldn’t agree on opening the road entirely. So, the city stepped in and opened it for them.
The occupation of Main Street wasn’t necessary any more. On Thursday and Friday when there were hundreds of people at the camp, it was good to have the street for spillover and symbolic presence. But now the Occupiers can easily fit into the two parks. Plus, barricading Main Street irritated a portion of the population the protest was supposed to help represent—bus commuters. More importantly, in the large scheme of things, there are plenty of battles Occupy can stage with its support and soapbox. Holding onto one city block is a waste of energy and momentum. It hurt the protest’s image, making the whole movement look like whiny and unreasonable nitpickers.
The mayor and police actually did Occupy a favor by removing from the protest the small number of people who refused to work with the group and who were determined to make an idiotic stand that undermined the whole protest’s image and focus. They’re not crazy kids—the average age of the arrested people was 30—but, in my opinion, they’re really not helping the cause.
Now, hopefully, the Occupiers can actually get some shit done. Stay tuned for a march this Saturday and workshops this Sunday (descriptions below the cut).
Workshop descriptions from Rising Tide Portland:
A day of workshops focused on building critical skills needed to empower activists in the occupy movement to battle oppression and create real change in our communities and beyond. There will be a chance to implement your new skills at an action on Monday targeting corporate greed! Coffee will be served, bring a mug!
10am -11:30am “Power and Privilege: Dismantling Hierarchies within Activist Communities” A guided discussion focused on understanding and deconstructing the multi-faceted dynamics of privilege and power that enormously impact our daily lives yet go largely unnoticed.
12pm-1:30pm “Strategic Campaigning” Have you ever planned a campaign? Learn techniques on target selection, long term planning, and how to cause the most impact for your efforts without burnout.
2pm-5pm “Non-Violent Direct Action Training” Learn the basics of NVDA including the history of civil disobedience and how to use it in your movement. Leave with skills to confidently, safely and smartly plan and implement a direct action of your own.
Hey Sarah, when did this vote happen? The vote I saw was a 90% consensus to keep the street closed to cars. Granted it wasn’t the greatest consensus, because unhappy people may have left, but what you are ‘reporting’ is not true.
The only way we have right now of ascertaining opinions and building consensus is voting at the assembly. Unproductive sniping by people who can but don’t vote or speak (including the mayor, journalists, and the police) undermines the only process we have and hurts the movement. But thanks for applauding the arrests for our own sake.
How many Occupiers remain?
@Dasen – I’m pretty sure the mayor, journalists, and police ALL spoke.
Well said Sarah.
BIG **twinkles** for you.
There needs to be a better way of taking action within the group, because this ‘consensus’ BS obviously ain’t working. And I didn’t see any class on this offered.
Also, defining goals would help.
I think this was a good move. The city isn’t writing the occupiers a blank check to do what they will. Popular opinion, including people who would otherwise support you, are against blocking a street indefinitely.
THE OCCUPIERS ARE REMAINING IN THE PARKS DUE TO THE GOODWILL OF THE STATE. IF THE STATE WANTED THEM MOVED, THEY’D GET MOVED. THIS IS NOT THE BATTLE FOR LIBYA WHERE YOU NEED ACTUAL BATTLE LINES AND TACTICS. THEY NEED STRATEGY AND PLANS AND MARKETING. THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE 99%, NOT FOR THE BODIES AND SPACE THEY OCCUPY.
LOOK AT THE AMAZING WORK FOOD NOT BOMBS DID BY JUST FEEDING ANYONE WHO WANTED FOOD. THAT TYPE OF STRATEGY SCARES THE ESTABLISHMENT (FOR REFERENCE, ALSO LOOK INTO THE BREAKFAST PROGRAM USED BY THE BLACK PANTHERS CIRCA 1969, OAKLAND). THE #OWS NEEDS TO FIND THEIR VERSION OF THAT. MAYBE IT’S CLEANING THE STREETS, MAYBE IT’S FEEDING PEOPLE. BUT THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING BETTER AND MORE MEANINGFUL THAT JUST HANGING OUT IN A TENT IN THE MIDDLE OF CITY.
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH TROLL GRAHAM?
If they clean the streets, they’re taking jobs away from street cleaners!
@Dasen—The 80 percent I’m referring to comes from a KATU story (linked below). I’ve talked to numerous people at the protest who all say that a large majority of people supported getting out of the street, though getting an exact count is always going to be inaccurate.
http://www.katu.com/news/local/131602353.h…
The goal of consensus is to hear everyone’s concerns not meet them.
In the consensus training I had the way to break these deadlocks is to have everyone line up in a continuum of the degree of their preference then you remove the outliners on both ends.
@CC: YOU CAN TAKE MY TROLLNESS; BUT YOU’LL NEVER TAKE… MMYYYYYY CAAAPPPPSSLLLLOCCCCKKK!!!!
@smirk, this may not help (because I am just another “he said”) but the GA did get a 90% consensus vote on a proposal that would open the street to bikes, emergency vehicles, and would begin talks with transit unions and address general public concerns. The KATU article is just quoting someone speculating on something that wasn’t voted on. Please contact the facilitators or media people from last nights GA and get the actual results of the assembly’s votes and correct the inaccuracies of this article. I understand KATU is content to spread this rumor, but I would hope Blogtown could actually enjoy some real reporting.
Well said Sarah. I also think that the kids should stop tagging “Occupy Portland” on stuff, and writing “Pig” on cop cars, it’s making them look bad and feeds the anti-hippie fire that conservatives love to ignite. Thanks for a great entry, I look forward to reading more. -Meg
TROLL GRAHAM IS DEAD, LONG LIVE CAPS LOCK GRAHAM.
‘defining goals would help’
That’s what the ‘workshops’ are for
LOL
dasen, I guess the 99% doesn’t drive cars through there, right?
Is this a protest over tax policy and greed or a umbrella for environmental causes?
That’d be a sure way to further whittle down the 99%.
“Plus, barricading Main Street irritated a portion of the population the protest was supposed to help represent—bus commuters.”
Just bus commuters? There are no car commuters in the 99%?
This whole thing is already over. It is now just the latest thing for the perpetual protesters who have always been in Portland.
Regular weekly marches with defined goals and meaningful destinations (i.e. outside downtown banks) would be much more effective.
Nowhere close to 99% of the population can identify with people living in muddy tents in the park blocks. Occupying Wall Street makes sense (like actual Wall Street, in New York). Occupying downtown Portland indefinitely makes no sense.
Aw man the movement lost Blabby.
@BLABBY: I HATE IT WHEN YOU’RE RIGHT, BUT YOU’RE RIGHT.
I have to agree with that blocking the street served no useful purpose and needlessly pissed some people off. If the street is to be blocked off, it should be because of some significant political reason, not to increase safety or convenience of protesters. Then the issue becomes protesters vs police instead of 99% vs Wall Street. I hope the movement can get back on track because this is a distraction.
‘the way to break these deadlocks is to have everyone line up in a continuum of the degree of their preference then you remove the outliners on both ends’
/ / Reason 456 why this crowd never accomplishes anything constructive.
“10am -11:30am “Power and Privilege: Dismantling Hierarchies within Activist Communities”
Which will be led by two white 25 year old PSU grads with MSWs. they will have to take time off in the middle to pay the parking meter for their BMWs.
On the plus side, if you let slip that you are jobless, homeless, without health care, etc, they will feel your pain with you… they are nice that way.
Basically, the protestors can’t win. If they march, they are blocking public roads and are the bad guys. If they stay in the camps, they are “sitting around and being lazy hippies”. If they protest banks they are blocking sidewalks or trespassing on private property. If they giving out leaflets or holding seminars they are indoctrinating or brainwashing people. If they don’t hand out leaflets or give talks, they are a movement with no goals. If they obey the rules of the police, they are gutless losers who should stay home, they don’t obey the police they are anarchists who should be crushed.
This is how you create a narrative so a group who wants to change the economic narrative of this country has no way to win.
I think this movement does need some leaders. Some who can present meaningful, logical arguments to the rest of the population to spur them on to action.
Ardennes – you CERTAINLY ain’t that one.
Your attitude is all wrong.
@Ardennes
Exactly. No matter WHAT kind of activism you do, large- or small-scale, passive or assertive, for humans, other animals, or the environment, there are ALWAYS going to be hundreds of people telling you you should do something else because _____ is more important, or criticizing your tactics, or whining and complaining that you’re going about it wrong, or assuming that you’re a single-issue activist (seriously, do those actually exist?). Funnily enough, these comments seem to tend to come from people who are not activists and do not fight for change. The naysayers may have helpful things to say, but they are not helping anything by criticizing rather than doing. Best to ignore them and work with people who inspire you.
” Funnily enough, these comments seem to tend to come from people who are not activists and do not fight for change.”
..or, they could come from someone who has done more for change than the both of you together.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT CORRECTION. I have been at most general assemblies- with an exception of two. I was present for the general assemblies where we voted on what we were to do in regards to Main Street.The decision was officially made at wednesday evening’s general assembly by approximately 95 percent consensus, in favor of KEEPING the street CLOSED with exceptions made for emergency medical vehicles, fire trucks, and bicycles. The evening before this, there was an 82 percent vote to do this very same thing, but it did not reach the required 90 percent consensus. I am extremely disappointed to read this blatantly false information. The people who were arrested were carrying out the will of the general assembly. To try to frame them as wing nuts is divisive at best. I’m thankful some folks are willing to stand up for what we agree upon in these general assemblies. It’s not easy to stand around for four or five hours trying to reach an agreement that suits everyone and to disregard these decisions is a slap in the face to anyone who puts the time and effort into reaching the agreements. I ask that you please look further into your ”facts” and please make corrections to this article immediately.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT CORRECTION. I have been at most general assemblies- with an exception of two. I was present for the general assemblies where we voted on what we were to do in regards to Main Street.The decision was officially made at wednesday evening’s general assembly by approximately 95 percent consensus, in favor of KEEPING the street CLOSED with exceptions made for emergency medical vehicles, fire trucks, and bicycles. The evening before this, there was an 82 percent vote to do this very same thing, but it did not reach the required 90 percent consensus. I am extremely disappointed to read this blatantly false information. The people who were arrested were carrying out the will of the general assembly. To try to frame them as wing nuts is divisive at best. I’m thankful some folks are willing to stand up for what we agree upon in these general assemblies. It’s not easy to stand around for four or five hours trying to reach an agreement that suits everyone and to disregard these decisions is a slap in the face to anyone who puts the time and effort into reaching the agreements. I ask that you please look further into your ”facts” and please make corrections to this article immediately.