drew dellinger - planetize the movement

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Kevin Army on Occupy Oakland's "Move-In Day," j28

"One of the remarkable things about Occupy is how kind people are to each other. As I have at other protests here, I met many good and decent people with whom I had great conversations. Most of these people really care about the state of our world, and have embraced this movement with gratitude for having a place where they can figure out ways to take that caring and turn it into tangible action.

I point this out because no matter what the mainstream media says about Saturday’s action, there’s a big piece of the story that can only be absorbed by walking with these people and getting to know them. The heart of Occupy Oakland is so good. It’s been a bit broken by all the repressive police actions, ranging from waging war on the Occupiers the day of the first raid, to arresting people for things as petty as taking a blanket out of a garbage can. In spite of all the attempts to break the the movement’s heart and destroy it, it continues on, beating strongly and moving forward."

--Kevin Army, from his article in Salon.

...

"There were some bright moments too: Marching to happy dance music at dusk, just before the police corralled everyone. A group that broke into a nice version of the Star Spangled Banner at the Y in front of the police. A man I didn’t know who smiled and waved at me, just being friendly. All the kind people I met, and all the people I’ve met before who came up and said hi. The good people I walked with throughout the day.

Right or wrong, I knew I was marching with people who care, who care enough to risk being assaulted by the police, to risk arrest and injury. Some might look at that and think it’s insane. I think insanity is looking at how things are these days and doing nothing. I’m open to other ideas. But for now, Occupy is the best idea around. Even when it’s a mess, and things don’t go right, and I’m not sure what I think, it’s a great, inspiring idea."

--Kevin Army, from his article in Salon

Filed under Activism, Politics, Culture

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