We arrived in downtown Oakland on bike in the early morning, wanting to scope out the gathering point for the street march/occupation. There were a few people milling around- drinking coffee, smoking, chatting. There were way more cops, private security and television crews than regular people or activists. The television crews were getting anxious and carried around their cameras with bored and foolish expressions. They really didn't know what they were sent to cover, but they ran after every young-ish looking punk person that walked across the park.
I know that the "occupy" thing has gotten flack for being too leaderless and not making any claims or demands. From my perspective, that is what makes it the most authentic and awesome to be a part of. I think that it is great that the mainstream media doesn't know what to do with the "lack of leadership". It was really funny and pathetic to watch the newsmen scurry around trying to cover stories/make shit up that isn't even there.
 |
| This band led the group, wish I could remember the name...they were from Oakland...so, so good and funky. The drum leader lady is bad ass. |
The street protest/dance party/occupation was especially moving and rad. Imagine joining with a TON of other people in a downtown area and taking it over. If you can, imagine doing this in a peaceful, powerful and totally people-positive way. I swear, this street take-over was the most effective action that I have seen in a looong time. There were no permits, no/few leaders and a huge grip of people. It honestly was like a bunch of people woke up, saw the fliers and took to the streets with their friends. People were out protesting the way corporations and jobs take up all our time and money. They were out on the streets because their schools were shutting down. Some people didn't like the racism and illegalism that has crept back into everyday context, so they got out there too. People just wanted to dance in the streets like it was no big deal. It's about liberation for self, liberation for all. My favorite chant of the day- "occupy yourself".
What wasn't funny was the cops. The helicopters circling, droning above my head. The private security people with the generic, corporate military badges and fearful faces. The horses and the arrests. The mass confusion after a day of celebration. These are things that make me scared; make me believe that our current military state is a powerful and sad force to recon with.
We were driving through southern California up to Berkeley listening to a local public radio show, they were talking with some people from the west-coast occupy movements. A lady from Seattle was interviewed and she gave an account of being pepper-sprayed in the face and her tears mixing with the pepper-spray running down her face. Dorli Rainey, an 80-year old activist, talked about her occupy experience and also about her lifetime of resilient resistance to fascism and corporatism. She is pretty awesome and you can watch a video of her here!
Even if you don't know how you feel about people protesting, I hope that most agree that police should not pepper-spray our elders/grandmas/ defenseless fellow humans.
I wrote poems about it.
Occupy I
my heart
your politics
my heart
no matter
is suffering
no matter
grandmas,
grandmas
you are
face-wet
a threat
pepper-spray drool
no matter
if you are ten or eighty
peaceful, violent
no matter
thousands or hundreds
no matter
they will beat you
this time
they will hold you
this time
chain surrounds
around your wrists
they will look at your face
trembling
and spit
no matter
------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
Occupy II
wrist chains
now plastic
to make arrest
more modern
more disposable
now they buy in bulk
efficiency
a roll on the belt loop
enough to chain a hundred
order more
make it a thousand
so many hands need to be held
back and be tied
so many fists that need to be
shackled
make them zip, now
along a plastic slip knot
tight, like
manufactured fascism
xoxo mary
No comments:
Post a Comment