The Occupy Wall Street movement has been incredibly successful in changing the debate in this country, away from austerity and budget cuts and slashing social programs to further enrich the rich, and toward unemployment and the horrible income disparity that is pervasive in our society. The Occupy movement has once again engaged and inspired the young into direct political action, which is wonderful.
I still support the Occupy movement, but it is time the movement rethink its tactics. Today’s Day of Action and the resulting arrests, violence and horrible traffic and transit disruptions in NYC and Philly will probably lose the protestors support they were already losing. How do I know this? I know it when I see my nonpolitical friends who were otherwise sympathetic to the ideas and ideals behind the Occupy movement say this on Facebook:
I AM part of the “other 99%” AND I contribute to the recovery of the economy everyday by working, and then spending my paycheck to ensure jobs at places I spend my money. So how come the protesters get to block traffic preventing me from getting home, and preventing others from getting TO work! Be passionate and protest…just don’t keep others from doing what they HAVE to (like work) in the process!
Today was stupid. And it is time to rethink and change tactics and strategy so the movement can continue and grow rather than flaming out with nothing but the general public’s resentment rather than support. It has been 60 days, and residents in respective cities do want their public parks back so they can use them too. How about this:
We declare “victory” and throw a party … a festival … a potlatch … a jubilee … a grand gesture to celebrate, commemorate, rejoice in how far we’ve come, the comrades we’ve made, the glorious days ahead. Imagine, on a Saturday yet to be announced, perhaps our movement’s three month anniversary on December 17, in every #OCCUPY in the world, we reclaim the streets for a weekend of triumphant hilarity and joyous revelry.
We dance like we’ve never danced before and invite the world to join us.
Then we clean up, scale back and most of us go indoors while the die-hards hold the camps. We use the winter to brainstorm, network, build momentum so that we may emerge rejuvenated with fresh tactics, philosophies, and a myriad projects ready to rumble next Spring.
Whatever the movement does, it cannot again make life hard and difficult on the very people whose support you are seeking. There cannot be police in the hospital in NYC, no matter how much violence they inflict on the protestors. A nonviolent protest has as its hallmark…. guess what…. NONVIOLENCE.