In front of the incredible silence of the media about the Occupying Wall Street Movement -the New York Times had a very small article in the NY section about it five days ago bias(ly) entitled “Gunning for Wall Street, With Faulty Aim“- I feel obliged to talk about this extremely interesting micro-society existing right in between Ground Zero and Wall Street in New York. About this very eloquent silence in the press, you might want to read the excellent article by Gaston Gordillo on the never disappointing Critical Legal Thinking. Silence is indeed their best weapon to fight against their fear of this movement increasing.
The Police should know that its brutality is only bringing more reasons to resist the injustice that capitalism develops in its implementation and that now reach summit in the social inequalities. Nevertheless, the movement voluntarily remains absolutely non-violent and leaderless. Organization is the key notion here. A computer lab on site is relaying information directly on the Internet, a kitchen supplies food for the American indignants, and several working group gather everyday to discuss and create how this micro-society could sustain itself in time and implement outreaching actions. At the end of each day, a General Assembly is gathered in which propositions and votes are effectuated in a very communal way characterized by the mean used by the indignants to make themselves heard: one person speaks and the rest who could hear repeat for the crowd further, in a very symbolic union of voices. Here again, the organization is impressive, especially as far as the domain of law is concerned with competent lawyers -some of the National Lawyers Guild- and other Cop-watchers who make sure that nobody is left alone if arrested.
Some people outside of the movement seem to blame the lack of specific demands. I, however, would claim that this group seems to have understood something about revolt: in fact, they create a micro-society, two blocks away from their antagonistic way of life’s embodiment (Wall Street), which implements de facto the democracy and the solidarity they are calling for as a model of society. Just like for the recent Egyptian Revolution, the moment of liberation is not so much the achievement (and therefore the termination) of the resistance movement but rather the process of this movement which forces people involved in it to develop a collective identity.
Here is the minute of the General Assembly I assisted to tonight
Here is a nice short film about and by the indignents
And even more importantly, the legal rights of the protester.
Thank you for posting this !!!
i agree with this:
“the moment of liberation is not so much the achievement (and therefore the termination) of the resistance movement but rather the process of this movement which forces people involved in it to develop a collective identity”.
yes, we need to develop an identity as we the people. one of the best ways to do this is to take back the power of governance. to realize that we can do it ourselves. i suggest, and i ask you to bring it up at an NYCGA meeting, that facilitators for the meetings be chosen using sortition. elections remove ‘the people’ from governance and create a ruling class. the NYCGA has the opportunity to demonstrate sortition in action. it is already used for jury duty but people are hesitant to use it to replace the electoral system even though it is clearly not working (for us, at least). if the NYCGA successfully uses sortition it could inspire other groups, like city councils or school boards, to use it.
that would have more impact than any electoral reform. to learn more about sortition please read this:
http://www.talkmorocco.net/articles/2011/03/for-egypt-are-elections-the-way-forward/
and if you have any questions please ask. i’ll subscribe to the comments here so that i can reply.
i’m not in america anymore so YOU are my representative there. please raise this issue.
Thank you Sa’ada. I’ll be down there tonight and will see if I can bring it one way or another at the General Assembly or in a working group.
Pingback: # POLITICS /// Mic-Check Human Technology on Liberty Square | The Funambulist
1. “Nevertheless, the movement voluntarily remains absolutely non-violent and leaderless.”
2. “…protest non-violently, because violence begets violence. They’ve got all the weapons; they’ve got all the money. And they know how to fight violence because they’ve been doing it for years suppressing us… and the only thing they don’t know about is non-violence and humor” – John Lennon
1:34 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmR0V6s3NKk
3. “The Police should know that its brutality is only bringing more reasons to resist the injustice” – It’s like chess, all moves hence become eventually in the benefit of the people.
4. I remember two things as i go thru this article: a) a previous article that was also posted here about Tahrir square as a temporary communist/communal society; and b) the pictures of Liberty Sq could very easily be taken for pictures from Tahrir (Libaeration) Sq. The same ambiance, the same feeling of solidarity, the way that each person would post a small note/paper/banner that would manifest them and their demands, in a very humble way. I remember one of the best moments i’ve had there, was waking up early morning, opening the sleeping bag, turning around and realizing that i am sleeping among comrades very ‘comfortably’, below Cairo’s most famous landmarks, in the center of Cairo’s metropolis!! Enjoy it
One thing i predict will happen later: they will try to stall you and tell you that your demands will be met, and they will tell you that you need to trust them, go home, and if they didn’t deliver, you can always return to the square. This is not true. Returning to the square later becomes very difficult, and even the square itself takes on a different meaning, whereby returning to it, is something completely different than if you would have stayed. It was the same dilemma that the occupants of puerta del Sol in Madrid fell into. So my advice would be: Stay in the square as long as you can, as long as it takes, as if you’re really waiting for capitalism to crumble before you go home.
Thank you for your precious testimony. I agree with you that the time will come when we will have to be very careful.
regarding the last point, pearl roundabout was where bahrainis staged their occupation and some lost their lives. they can’t go back now because it doesn’t exist anymore. the sculpture was torn down and all of the entrances are closed and heavily guarded. i had seen pictures of it when it was occupied but when i went to bahrain i rode past it 5 or 6 times before i even realized that it was pearl roundabout.
Reblogged this on Estética e Arquitetura.