The Atrium, Wall Street Area, Meeting With General Assembly, OCCUPY WALL STREET. Saturday, February 4, sometime after 7 p.m.
I’ve been working with an ad hoc group that wants to do a mass action rally against the blatant political suppression – via NYPD – of OCCUPY WALL STREET in New York City and the attack on the movement in general across the country. The purpose of the nonviolent rally is a quick infusion of visible energy and support to OWS in this time of crisis, to stir up the spirit of millions in the wake of the NYPD attack on Zuccotti Park, evicting OWS. I was concerned that though the spirt of OCCUPY is manifest, the NYPD eviction could be interpreted as a defeat for OCCUPY and that the movement has been thwarted.
Members of the ad hock group believe that a quick response is necessary as a response to the police eviction. So, I was there in the Atrium with the ad hoc group seeking approval to move forward with the plans: An interesting experience for this writer who did not participate directly in the Zuccotti Park action. Most of the 50-plus GA members seemed generally supportive of what we wanted to do. There were at least four who didn’t and, based on the rules formulated by OCCUPY, one could block the support. And, of course, there were four.
The guy holding the white form ins his left hand showed up well after the discussion began and, complaining that an OWS Facilitator treated him with disrespect, voted to block the plan. He was invited to address the assembled audience; there were hopes that he could be swayed to be supported. He wasn't.
It would be easy for me to heap criticism on the OWSer in the picture above but I won’t. That goes to the three others who also blocked. I am new to the game. The blocks, we eventually learned, reflected internal discord in OWS. There were attempts by the Facilitator and members of the ad hoc group and others from the audience to try to ameliorate the block of the OSWer in the picture above and the blocks of the others but it was to no avail.
So, it was decided that the proposal be tabled. The ad hoc group is to meet this coming Thursday to work on, discuss the Friendly Amendments of the four blockers and to re-appear before the General Assembly as soon as possible.
The creator of the sign was one of the <em>blockers</em> and he was insistent that the proposal include include information that there would be no burning of the American Flag at the rally.
For a variety a reasons, I have not been as detailed about the February 4 OWS GA as I would like. One reason, timeliness: I am publishing this today when I should have done it last night but was beat and need to whip it out today, thus no time for many, many rewrites. Another, I haven’t discussed with the other members of the group what they thought and are thinking.
And one more reason: I Don’t wish to offend anyone until I have a great grasp of what I’m involved. Not that I’m saying I would offend anyone after I had the grasp.
Tags: Civil Liberties, NYPD, OCCUPY, OCCUPY WALL STREET