zn t vil Why No Demands? Occupy Wall Street is a Rebellion, Not a Protest. Bh a New America Media [URL: http:www.newamerlcamedia.ora/], Op-ed, Michael Levitin, Posted: Oct 11, 2011 Lets get something straight: this movement has Issued no demands. It's nota protest. Ife an occupation. Rebelons don't have demands. ‘As we wrote in the editorial hat appeared inthe second ection of The Occupied WallStreet Journa (URL: hp tips /docs.google.comiewer? /Apid=explorerchrome=truesrcd=O8-ARX423.)UIYWEy¥jayNTHMGJjOCOOMigL WIMZIIMzJZmOOVWUz¥mFkani=en_US} on Saturday: "We are speaking to each othe, and listening. This occupation is frst about partcpatin.” ‘That said, take look at the largest support base that has thrown is muscle behind Occupy Wall Stet during the past weekorganized labor—and the direction of this movement Decomes somewhat clearer ‘America’s unions have been so sidelined and mismanaged in recent years that Tea Partirs last winter thought they could run them off the cif altogether. The workers! revolt in Wisconsin showed that wasnt about to happen—and what we're seeing now in Manhattan i further proof that labor s retooling, its ambitions sharpened and emboldened by the participatory assembly in Liberty Park, “The occupation movement in America] was started by labor in Madison when they occupied the capital, and that has given labor the go-ahead to do mare, to become more active, more miltant, and to support things tke tis,” said /acke Di Salvo, who teaches English at Baruch College and is a member ofthe Professional Staff Congress, a union of faulty and staff representing 18 colleges in ne CUNY system. Since Occupy Wall Street began more than three weeks ago, Oi Salvo has been instrumental reaching out to organized labor and gaining insttutional suppor; the unions that have endorsed the movement are many, and they are growing. Naional Nurses United. United Federation of Teachers The Retall Wholesale and Department Store Union. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees. Laborers’ Intemational Union of North America, Amalgamated Transit Union, United Steelworkers, Industrial Workers ofthe World. Transport Workers Union Local 100. The lst goes on, ‘What we saw last Wednesday, Oct, 5, when 30,000 people filed Foley Square before marching en masse to Liberty Square, was the unions’ st visible show of solidarity wit the occupation, and it counted. Alongside thousands of students (with many teachers) who engaged in ctywide ‘walkout that afternoon, their voices added pawer tothe call resonating across the nation: thal big finance and big poltics need to gear up for a big change. CCementing that support, two days later AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka vstted Liberty Square where he stated his support and his union {federations unanimous decision to back Occupy Wall Street. Feeling betrayed by fee trade agreements that hobbled domestic manufacturing (under Clinton) and a false promise to allow workers to unionize via “card check” (under Obama), organize labor nas been on the ropes: the assault on pensions and collective bargaining diminished i further. ‘What Trumka's endorsement of the occupation means i that unions, wth millons of members and a formidable poltical apparatus. now have the green light to make nose. The responsibilty fs on their shoulders along wth ours to grow this movement nationally. ‘As we wate in the latest OWS Journal “The exhausted poltical machines and thei PR slices are already seeking leaders to elevate, messages to claim, talking points to move on. They, more than anyone, vil attempt fo seize and shape this moment. But how can they run out infront of something that i infront of them? They cannot. For WallStreet and Washington, the demand fs not on them lo give us something that isnt thers to give. Its ous. I's onus. We arent going anywhere. We just got here ‘The occupation, which has now spread to more than 100 cites across America, grew rom the desire to reshape a criminal and bankrupt francial- poitcal landscape that favors the 1% aver the 98%. Where precisely i this movement going? Pernaps that isnt as important asthe question about ‘Where isnot going, Sald Di Salvo: We're not going to sete for one reform demand that can be conceded and then lets us shut down the movement—no one demand could meet the goals that nave been set by this group for readjusting the balance of power inthis country. “The other place we're nel going is we're not going to go into electoral politics, weighed down into waling fr the next election when everything wil be okay. We're going to Keep engaging in dect action, the marching, the occupation.”Labor's traditional power is mebitzing bodies inthe stet and in he balot box. How much theyre engaging in support forthe movement—and how much theyre becoming as yel fo be seen. The nex! date to ee on your calendar: ths Saturday, Oct. 15, when new encampments and occupations spring up across the nation, and across the world. Some are caling ta global day of revolution. One that wil, t appears, be televised. Michae! Levitin is the managing editor of The Occupied Wal Street Joural URL: ht: hips acs. google.comviower? a vpid=oxplorerchrom=truesrcid=08-1RX423 JUVE YQyNTIMG JOCOOMgTL Wi4M2itMzJ2mG0YWUz¥nFk&hi=en_US) and former assistant news edfor atthe San Francisco Public Press, He was a Berin freelance correspondent for Newsweek, the Daly Telegraph, the L.A Times and others arava io serch agian ani romainin th archives you dora wan youre cnmactado comment onthe te pase retain fem commenting Now Anca Mesa, 209 (9) SBBLECE 0, sn France, cA94109