D12 Hella Occupy

D12 - MONDAY DECEMBER 12 2011 - D12

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HERETOFROMHER

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TheNextStepforOccupyWallStreet: OccupyBuildings,OccupyWorkplaces

NEWYORKCITY-Today,aftertwomonthsofoccupations andtheattacksontheoccupationsinPortland,Oaklandand nowManhattan,OWSmightbecrossinganewthreshold–a massiveconvergenceofstudentsinUnionSquareanda working-classconvergenceinFoleySquareattemptingtogive realitytothegrowingcallsforageneralstrike.Thatnew thresholdshouldincludetheextensionoftheoccupationsto buildingsforthecomingwinterand,beyondthat,to workplaces,wheretheworkingclasscanmakethesystemstop, asafurthersteptowardtakingovertheadministrationof societyonanentirelynewbasis.Whateverhappenstoday (November17th)andinthecomingweekofaction,itistimeto assessthestrengthsandlimitsoftheoccupationmovement bothinNewYorkandaroundtheU.S. Thereisnoquestionthatthisisthemostimportantmovement tohitthestreetsintheUSinfourdecades.Thatitswildfire spreadto1,000citiesinafewweeksatteststothat.The avalancheof“demands”hassuddenlymadethesocialand economicmiseryof40years,largelysufferedpassively,with occasionaloutburstsofresistance,apublicrealityimpossibleto ignorefromnowon.Politicians,TVpersonalitiesandvarious expertshavebeencaughtflat-footedbeforeamovementthat refusestoentertheirsuddenlyirrelevantuniverse.Forallthe “grab-bag”qualityofwhatithassaid,themovementhasbeen absolutelyrighttorefusetoidentifytoocloselywithspecific demands,ideologiesandleaders.Dailysocialrealityoveryears haseducateditalltoowellforittofallintothatgame. Underneatheverythingistherealityofwhatthemovement represents:therefusalofasystemthatplacesever-greater numbersofpeopleonthescrapheap.Toidentifyitselftoo closelywithanylaundrylistofdemandswouldbetofall beneaththemovement’sdeeplyfeltsensethateverythingmust changeandthecertaintythatnothingshouldbeasbefore. Inresponse,thelargestforceswithapotentialtoderailthis movementintorespectablechannels(theDemocraticPartyand theunionofficials)arescramblingtocontrol,defuseand repressit,astheydidsuccessfully,forexample,inWisconsinin thespring.Theyarenothavinganeasytimeofit. Therealitiesofoccupationsin1,000citiesdefyeasy generalization.Thenewsmediahasattemptedtoportraythe coreofthemovementasyoung,white,unemployedand “middleclass”–thelattertagbeingafast-disappearing mistakenidentityfortheworkingclass.Whateverthecasein theearlystages,indifferentcities(mostnotablyinthe

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TableofContents

WheretofromHere

NewYorkCity-Page1 Detroit-Page3 Oakland-Page6 Portland-Page7 Portland-Page11 NewHaven-Page12

ReflectionsfromtheStreet

Chicago-Page2 NewYorkCity-Page3 Portland-Page4 Oakland-Page5 Seattle-Page6

HELLA OCCUPY!

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THESTREET

Chicago

byBecca,Xloi,Kingsley

CHICAGO,IL-OccupyChicagohascontinuedtobranchout intoneighborhoodoccupies.Withouteverbeingableto officiallyoccupyaparkorsite,manyoccupiershaveputenergy towardoutreachandorganizingperipherallytoGeneral Assemblies. OnNovember9th,ateamof15peopleoccupiedtheChicago TransitAuthority’s,(CTA)RedLinesubwaycarfrom95thand DanRyantotheGeneralAssemblyatJacksonandColumbus. TheactionwasorganizedbyChicago’sOccupytheSouthside, whichisarecentformationthatcomesoutofastrategyto connecttheoverwhelmingwhitemajorityoccupymovementto theblackandbrowncommunitiesofChicago,includingthe Southside. TheactionstartedatChicago’s95thandDanRyanatanearby McDonald's.Ayoungboyjoinedusaswewereleaving.He wasdrummingonaplasticbuckettomakemoney,butdecided insteadtojoinusaswerodetheRedLine.Ameetingwasheld onshortnoticewherewepracticedguerrillatheaterand discussedourplantoweaveinandoutofthedifferentRed Linecarsinordertopassoutfliersandtalkwithpeopleriding theCTA.Theinterviewerinthetheaterskitaskedquestions like,“WhatisthisOccupythingallaboutandwhatdoes OccupytheSouthsidehavetodowithOccupyWallstreet?” Theresponsewas,“OccupyChicagoisabouteconomicJustice. YouknowifyouliveintheSouthsideortheWestsidethereare somanyforeclosures.Peopledon’thavejobs.Weneedtostop thebudgetcuts,andstopmoreschoolsfrombeingshutdown.” Wewouldthenrepeattheskitonanothersubwaycar.Atthe endofonoftheskits,ayoungmaninanROTCuniform jumpedupontheseatinthetrainandstartedyellingwithus asweexitedthetraintothenextcar,“OccupyChicago, OccupytheRedLine.”FindvideosfromtheOccupytheRed Lineatbringtheruckus.org. TheflyerpassedoutonattheOccupytheRedLineAction, calledforparticipationinanOccupyactionatahearingon transitbudgetcutsintheChicagoTransitAuthority.Indeed, OccupyChicagoandtheAmalgamatedTransitUnionpacked thehearing,andcontrolledtheproceedings.Criesof"mic check",fieryspeechesbybusdrivers,andgeneraldisregardfor the"presiding"C.T.A.Boarddefinedtheevening. Ratherthansimpleeconomicdemandsforprotectionofwages, theprotest,particularlybytheblackwomenbusdrivers,had broadercontent:angerathavingbeendisrespectedbythe chairmanoftheBoardwhohadsaidtheyweretakingtoolong (threeminutes)onbathroombreaks!

SeeReflections:Chicago,Page

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R R E E F F L L E E C C T T I I O O N N S S F F R R O O M M

PhotobyLauriel&PaulatThePortlandOccupier

WhereTo

:BuildAGeneralStrike

byFirstofMayAnarchistAlliance

DETROIT-MembersoftheFirstofMayAnarchistAlliance areparticipatingintheCommitteeforaGeneralStrike.This flierisinresponsetotheDetroitcrisiswhichhasbeen highlightedbyboththemayorandCityCouncil'son-going proposalsformasslayoffs,wageandcityservicecuts, liquidatingofunioncontracts,andageneralassaultonthe city'sworkersandourcommunities. Detroithasbeengroundzeroforsuchattacksnationwide. TakinginspirationfromtheOccupymovementandits increasinglyradicaldimensions,wearearguingforapopular resistancetothecrisisandthegovernmentausterityproposals. Weareundernoillusionsandfullyrealizethat,muchlikein Oakland,ageneralstrikewillbedifficulttocarryout. However,webelievethatageneralstrikeremainsapowerful weaponfortheworkingclassandpoor.Byreintroducingits potentialasacreativeandmilitantexpressionofself- determination,webelieveitstacticalvaluewillincreasingly resonatewithinthebroadermovement. BUILDAGENERALSTRIKE OFALLWORKERSANDTHECOMMUNITY CANCELTHEDEBT;STOPALLDEBTSERVICE PAYMENTS TAXTHERICH:MAKETHEBANKSAND CORPORATIONSPAY NOSERVICECUTS;NOLAYOFFS;NOWAGEAND BENEFITCUTS MayorBingandthebankshavedecidedonanewroundof cutsinjobs,benefitsandservicestothepeopleofDetroit. Theyclaimthecityisbankruptsounioncontractsmustbe thrownasideandthepeoplemustendurestillgreatercutsin basicservices.Whyshouldtheworkingclassandpoor continuetopayforacrisismadebythebanks,thegiant corporationsandthepoliticianswhoservethem? Wehavetostoptransferringtaxdollarsandpublicresourcesto thebankswhichcausedthiseconomiccrisis.Thecitybudget providesformorethan$433millioninpaymentstothebanks fordebtservicethisyear.That’swherethemoneyisgoing.We mustdemandcancellationofthedebtsandstopallpayments ofpublicfundsforserviceonthedebt.Thebanksmade billionsbysellingimpossibleandpredatoryloanstoworking peopleinourcommunityandthroughoutthecountry.When thebubbleburstandmillionsfacedforeclosure,the governmenttookourtaxdollarsandbailedoutthebanksto protecttheirprofits.Now,whenhousingpriceshavefallenoff thecliffandthousandsofvacant,foreclosedhomesfillthecity, thebanksdemandthatstillmoretaxdollarsbepaidtothem. Wesaynomore. MayorBing,Ficanoandcompanytellusthatthepublicfunds mustbepaidtothebanks,andthattherestofusmustpayfor thecrisis.Thisisagovernmentofthebanksandforthe banks.Whatresourceswehavefrompropertytaxes,income taxesandothersourcesmustbedirectedtomeetingtheneeds ofourpeople.Taxdollarsfromcasinosandrevenuesharing aretogoonlytoeducation;that’swhatwewerepromised.But 87%ofthosetaxdollarsaregoinginsteadtothebanksfor paymentonthedebt.Ofthe$590millioninstateperpupil aidforDetroit,morethan$512millionispaiddirectlytothe banksforserviceonthedebt.Notonemorepennytothe banks.

SeeBuildaGeneralStrike,Page

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ReflectionsfromtheStreet

:NewYorkCity

byShemonSalam

NEWYORK,NY-OnNov.17th,thedayofnationalactions,I participatedintheattempttooccupytheNewYorkStock Exchange.Thenumberswerebig:severalthousandpeopleat around7am.Themainmarchgotdividedinto3or4smaller ones.MygroupblockedtrafficonBroadwayandPine.Around 50peopleparticipatedinamic-checkstyledebateaboutthe meritsofbeinginsolidaritywiththeNYPD.Whilethe discussionfollowedpredictablelines,Ibelieveitwas productive.Itseemsthatatleasta1/3ofthis50wereagainst seeingtheNYPDasbeingpartofthe99%--anincreasefrom previoustimes. Unfortunately,manysangthenationalanthem.Ididamic- checkandasked,"WhatwouldIraqishavetosayaboutthe nationalanthemwithlineslike'Bombsburstingintheair?'" Thecrowdhadnoresponse. EventuallyweheadedbacktoLibertyPark,wherethecrowd toredownoneentiresideofthebarricades.Evenmore interestingisthatwhenthepolicetriedtopushusbackinto thepark,thecrowdralliedandpushedthepolicebacktothe edgeofthestreet.IhavenotseenanythinglikethatinNYC before.Mysenseisthatmoreandmorepeoplearegetting confidentabouttheirabilitytoenforcetheircollectivepower, althoughIwouldguessthisisafragilecondition. NextIwenttotheGraduateCenterofCUNY,whichisinmid- town/business/touristcentral.30-40peopleattendedit.Iwas alittlesurprisedbythesmallturnout.IrushedovertoCUNY- Huntertoseewhatwasupwiththestrike.Itwasabout1:30pm whenIgotthere,andabout20studentsinsideHunterwere protesting.Soonafter,IwenttoUnionSquare.Veryquickly thousandsofstudentsgathered.Iwasprettysurprised, consideringhowsmalltheothereventswere.