My Advice for Occupy Delaware Today
From the News Journal:
Members of Occupy Delaware reached Friday said they hadn’t decided whether to accept the state’s offer to occupy the portion of Brandywine Park near the rose garden. That’s a mile from the more centrally located H. Fletcher Brown Park, where the group requested to stay. The state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which oversees Fletcher Brown and Brandywine, also agreed to waive the $75 per day park fee and the $500,000 insurance requirement.
“My understanding right now is that we will meet tomorrow in Fletcher Park and decide there about Brandywine Park,” Dan Halprin, a member of Occupy Delaware’s media committee, said on Friday. Because the movement has no official leader, it takes action when members gather and vote.
The fight over Fletcher Brown Park is a loser with the public. It is a PR disaster waiting to happen, one that will certainly lead to the crib death my colleague Liberalgeek spoke about a couple weeks ago here. The movement will not garner sympathy for its First Amendment rights nor its grievances by picking a fight with daycare children who use the park during the week. In fact, it is the perfect distraction for opponents of Occupy Delaware to use to make the movement fail.
Listen, the fight for visibility and centrality was lost when the Rodney Square permit was denied. There is no other centrally located park in the business district with the visibility of Rodney Square. Once the city denied that permit, it did not matter if the Occupation occurred at the Riverfront, Fletcher Brown or Brandywine. Because the later three all have one thing in common: they are not Rodney Square.
So please, good folks at Occupy DE, avoid a public relations disaster that will cripple the movement and camp at Brandywine.
Just my two cents.
I agree. Stay anywhere they tell you, as long as it is a short march from the banking district. Consider it a base camp.
There’s no reason to be in Rodney Square at night or weekends anyway; just be there for the morning rush. Focus on the individual activities each day, not the campsite.
The area is rich with sites where you can show up and spread the message each day. And it is perfectly legal to be there on a workday, no permits needed.
I agree, DD. Turning this story into protestors vs children (and we know the odds of the NJ reporting it this way are high) is a PR nightmare.
Good points Alpha and Puck. Something for Occupy DE to consider as they meet in Brown Park. Hopefully they will make the right decision.
“Turning this story into protestors vs children”
It was no accident that the State’s letter focused heavily on that. They know the PR deal.
Exactly, puck. That’s why DD’s advice is spot on.
round one to the banks and their apparent ally, DelawareInc.
I love this story. Young Republican counter-protesters show up ready for an argument, but Occupy Nashville sprinkles hippie love dust on them (via dKos):
I have been telling the OD folks the same thing. The daycare issue is not a small one. If you were a parent, would you want to have a large group of adults suddenly sleeping & spending the day by the daycare where your child is? I certainly wouldn’t. The protesters would have found the sympathy of the people with the governor and not them. Christina Park sounds like a good place for them and they can spend the daytime in much more highly visible locations.
Here’s an idea: Maybe someone could scope out this park and see exactly how much of it the kids use and how often they use it.
Then maybe someone could get around to asking why this daycare center — is it privately owned? — is using a public park on a daily basis in what sounds like a preemptive manner.
The number of ways this could be worked around is almost endless. Sad to see abject surrender is the first option chosen by so many here. Obama fans, I guess. That’s his tactic, isn’t it?
Many city day cares and public schools use public parks for recess and after school sports. Warner uses the Brandywine Park playground (Located at the top of Monkey Hill) for recess.
This isn’t caving, it’s about picking your battles.
Besides there really isn’t much physical difference between H. Fletcher Brown park and the rose garden area. Is this really the fight we want to have? I think it would turn into a big distraction issue.
From what I’ve been told from one the Occupy Delaware negotiators, the Markell administration’s initial proffer on Thursday was a location miles (driving distance) from the city’s center. Given that they could have offered Brandywine Park initially but did not, I think there is little doubt that the Markell administration’s aim was to marginalize the movement by removing it from the environs of Delaware’s corporate center. It’s proffer of Brandywine Park represents a concession that an occupation that symbolically matters to some extent is an inevitability. As such, I think Occupy Delaware should accept Brandywine Park.
picking battles is fine, letting the Governor control the venue and spin? That’s a long winding trip down capitulation road…..been there.
Who is in that tall building just south of Fletcher? (this one’s for you, JSG…) Maybe they don’t want their employees looking at Occupy all day, and they had something to say about it.
It would be a good idea to document the day care use of Fletcher each day, to shed some light on the true motivations for that letter. If it turns out the park is devoid of children, the issue should be reopened.
Also I think children use every park in the state at some point; that does not shut them down for everybody else, as can be proved by a quick review of parks. The parks are intended for multiple simultaneous users.
a tactical retreat to re-group should NEVER be seen as a surrender.
sometimes a tactical retreat is the best thing to do, especially when one is unsure and garnering support.
doing the “right” thing only gets them popular support. and popular support is what they need to make this work. If they defied government and public sensibilities they would not have support. They take the high road, they look reasonable and mature.
this is Delaware, not Oakland or Berkley – they gain nothing except public ire if they make life miserable and any sympathizers may not be so sympathetic
sometimes charging in like a bull is not the right tactic – I just wish I could take my own advice. I still say compromise is a good thing, camp on place at night,be visible another place during the day.
The point gets made, civil unrest and anger is avoided.
Could we please not take Occupy Delaware down the “not good enough” path?
As far as the PR spin… it’s already been spun. Everyone, please try and keep up.
Who is in that tall building just south of Fletcher?
The Hercules Building. (is it still called that?)
JSG is unavailable yes its the old Hercules Building. Ashland has it mostly for lease it was a helluva place when it was new.
No new name unless they use cardboard signs:)
Here’s an idea: Maybe someone could scope out this park and see exactly how much of it the kids use and how often they use it.
Then maybe someone could get around to asking why this daycare center — is it privately owned? — is using a public park on a daily basis in what sounds like a preemptive manner.
The number of ways this could be worked around is almost endless. In other cities the movement has been able to set up kitchens, day care centers and libraries; could ours really not be able to come up with a workable solution to leave the children undisturbed? Perhaps I have more faith in them than others, and perhaps it’s misplaced, but if we all recognize the lame PR stunt for what it is, why wouldn’t others?
I’m dismayed that abject surrender is being endorsed by so many here. At some point, if you give in without negotiation on every issue, is it even a protest anymore?
You should also consider that the day care use is something of a proxy for a possibly larger problem — and that is a fair bit of pushback from at least one neighborhood close to Fletcher Brown Park.
The OD folks need to stop listening to Liz Allen.
“it was a helluva place when it was new.”
It should have been. I may not recall correctly, but I seem to remember Giocco managed to squeeze about $20 million from the public, about a third of its $60 million price. Do I have that right, Joe? I don’t have the archive access (or the memory) I used to.
Geezer – if you ever charge up a hill at the head of the line – look behind you and make sure you’re not alone every few minutes.
I dont see abject surrender – i see wisdom, maturity, and the ability to pick ones battles.
There will be more in the coming days and weeks, goodwill now, maygo a long way then.
But remember — “We are the 99%”.
Homeless people? Not “the 99%”.
Kids in daycare? Not “the 99%”.
People wanting to use the public parks as they are intended? “Not “the 99%”.
Owners of vandalized property? Not “the 99%”.
Workers losing jobs because of negative impact of Occupy movement? Not “the 99%”.
Folks offended by public urination, defecation, and sex? Not “the 99%”.
Sounds to me like “the 99%” is a pretty exclusive group — and getting much closer to being the true 1%.
Delaware Constitution First Amendment puts it this way:
“Although disobedience to laws by a part of the people, upon suggestions of impolicy or injustice in them, tends by immediate effect and the influence of example not only to endanger the public welfare and safety, but also in governments of a republican form contravenes the social principles of such governments, founded on common consent for common good; yet the citizens have a right in an orderly manner to meet together, and to apply to persons entrusted with the powers of government, for redress of grievances or other proper purposes, by petition, remonstrance or address.”
The U.S. Constitution puts it this way:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Even though strict Constitutionalists might argue there’s no mention of getting permission from the Governor or the Mayor or the King to exercise this Right, and no mention of requirements to jump through the hoops of government regulatory red tape, the operative word is “peaceably”. In the world of instant PR that means with respect for the community.
Let’s hope Occupy takes all the good advice they’re getting from the comments here. You have a lot of latent support, don’t blow it being obnoxious. Look out for outsiders here to blow it for you.
Instead of proffering advice from on liberal high Olympus, why don’t you come down to the General Assembly at 3 in H. Fletcher Brown Park and put in your two cents there and see where it goes. While I don’t necessariy disagree that there are benefits to moving, there are considerable disadvantages as well. There will always be negative spin to contend with. Why feed it?
The funny thing is, it is 100% legal for anybody to walk into Fletcher Brown park without a permit during the times the kids are there. If in fact they are there.
I didn’t realize taking one’s kids to their swim lessons and football games was “liberal high Olympus.” I am humbled.
This blog is the Mt Olympus. Puck is merely Pan.
I am at the HF Brown park now and there is not a single piece of playground equipment here. The park is much bigger than has been publicly portrayed. There is absolutely no reason why the children couldn’t use 3/4 of playground the park and leave the remainder to the occupiers.
This is precisely why the Occupy movement will not result in a long-term movement, but fizzle out within a relatively short time.
The Tea Partiers and Patriots, once they got together, focused on building an organization – meetings, working groups, committees, action.
The Occupiers focus on occupying. That’s it! Occupying itself is seen as the action. So you get a bunch of hippies and union members and war protestors together – all the usual suspects who want to chant and march and wave signs and talk about process – and you don’t get any actual action.
The message is excellent, and really needs to be heard. But Occupying isn’t the way to spread it.
There are really two 1 percents – the 1 percent described by the Occupyers, and then the Occupyers themselves. The other 98 percent of America needs to be shown the message, unadulterated by all this crap about general assemblies and democratic processes and people’s microphones and all that oh-so-earnestly-fake hippie bullshit.
The Tea Party got its message out. Why can’t we?
shorter
“you’re doing it wrong, but i have no idea how to do it right, stupid hippies”
The occupy movement seems to be getting an awful lot of press attention. Id also remind you that the Tea Party from it’s birth was NOT an organic grass roots movement, but a Fox News Creation. so of course they seem to have “Stronger message”
The Tea Party seems to have lost a lot of organizing ability since Glenn Beck went off the air.
They had so much success influencing Congress because it’s not that hard to convince a Republican to do what he (or his patrons) wants to do anyway. They just gave them cover.
Democrats on the other hand have a more uphill ideological battle.
Does anyone know what location Occupy Delaware decided on?
Just my opinion, I think Fletcher Brown is worth the fight. It is a much better location, much, much closer to Rodney.
the rose garden on the other hand would provide a base camp in full view of i-95 and all the commuters. It would also be a roughly 1 mile march from Rodney… every day.
Great opportunity to march from the I-95 off-ramp to the banking district parking garages during the AM rush. Take your time and carry plenty of signs.
When it gets really cold, maybe a vehicle-based protest would be in order. Ever see a taxi-drivers protest?
That’s a really good idea, puck. That route has way, way, way more traffic than Market Street.
It’s starting to sound like the group should occupy a Park-N-Ride and commute in every morning.
Ironically, I suppose is that the occupy movement is fighting to end the need for daycare.
We are the 99%!* *except for you in the liberal Mt. Olympus
It appears they will spend the night in Fletcher and move perhaps to Brandywine tomorrow.
An agreement under negotiation stipulated that if they were out of Fletcher by Sunday sundown, restraint would be shown and they would not forcefully be removed in the wee hours of this morning. All sides agreed it was too cold and too late for any other option to make sense.
The future of the movement will be voted upon tomorrow at 12:00 pm. If they engage in a true democratic process, they might have their answer by 5:30.
Where exactly in Brandywine Park is the state offering? If I am not mistaken, this WDEL report says it is “across the river.” Which would mean a handful of Girl Scouts could block the bridges and bottle up any march. Is that the idea?
The rose garden (Josephine gardens) is at the bottom of Monkey Hill. DD pictured the Van Buren St bridge in his daily Delaware. You can cross there or at the Market St. bridge.
The OD folks are’nt listening to Liz Allen!
1.If they did they would’nt have asked for a permit in the first place, it’s their consitutional right. After they were encamped if the police tried to remove them, an injunction would have been filed, like Nashville, Cleveland and other cities. The Judges ruled in the occupy movements favor. 2.They should have called themselves a “consitutional assy”, and therefore have all the rights under the amendment. 3. My advice was to pick a camping site and do “moving protests”…bank to bank, park to park and be visible all over the city. 4. None of the occupy movements have asked for a permit! How can it be referred to as an “occupation” when you ask the State for a permit?
Citizens asking the city and state government for permits after they unconsitutionally turned our public parks over to
corporations, is laughable? 5. The OD’s should have had the advice of a consitutional lawyer who would have advised them similiarly. Nope Liz Allen had nothing to do with this the OD group did this all on their own.
Oh and by the way, how many donations did Delaware Liberal collect to support Occupy Delaware?
Sadly, most Occupy movements are small and underfunded until some outrageous police action starts drawing in people, money, and support. The pattern is well known now; let’s see if our local leadership is smart enough to avoid it.
Btw, found Markell’s retort on-line for not issuing the permit for Brandywine Park’s Rose Garden….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4wcNVbYOQ
Speaking of video, anyone with video from the Occupy meeting should post it.
I and others have noticed that there is a large number of videos out there of where things with the movement have gone wrong.
There are few of democracy in action; arguments among smart,responsible people respectful of others, deciding a course of proper action.
Video of the working meeting would calm a lot of fears and counter those accusations that the Occupiers are anarchists and vandals. No. They are your next door neighbors who are just fed up, and see the Occupy movement as one vehicle that can push America to the reality where it realizes that people are getting hurt by big business.
Video would help reinforce that statement if anyone is up to share. Sending it to this blog would probably mainstream if faster than you put it up on your own.
Occupy DE has tweeted a photo of their official warning for occupying HF Brown after hours and there is at least one youtube up.
Charlie Copeland makes a funny: “the “Occupy” rabble”. BWWWWWWWWWWWaaaahhhhhahhahhha! It wasn’t too long ago that the likes of Pete duPont and Tom Kovach were rallying with the the Tea Party “rabble”.
http://resolutedetermination.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/what-if-they-had-a-protest-and-no-one-came/
That’s what Charlie’s ancestors called the protesters in France, right before they fled the country.
No response MJ, you know nothing.
All the large BANKS ane down by the Train Station
All the large BANKS ane down by the Train Station
Um… no.
I hope they don’t give up Fletcher. It is a much better strategic location than Brandywine,