Without further ado, here is what I saw at Occupy Syracuse:
Before I go into my experience at Occupy Syracuse (O.S. from here on), we should start at its beginning. To paint a picture of where the occupation happens in town, it sits about 10
0 yards from a high traffic bus stop/ transfer point. The occupation also sits about 50 yards from the entrance to a Chase Bank (Chase would be behind and to the left of the occupation setup). It is also facing a Merrill Lynch branch (this pic was taken from in front of Merrill's building), and 3 blocks from a Bank Of America. Syracuse is a small to midsize town, but we have our evil financial center, just like the big guys.O.S. started just last Sunday, with a man who goes by the name of "Scoot", staying there with one other person that first night. I didn't ask for any ID, but I'm thinking that is a nickname. That being said, he is the man who started it all off and has stayed every night since. I passed by the setup a few times during the week and talked to Scoot. Each time I visited, the operation seemed to grow a bit more. Its placement is really helpful in this regard. Being on a main thoroughfare and close to many businesses helped. In my visits, I would see people who have passed by during their lunch speaking to them. Bus drivers would stop to speak, if they had a break and people who were waiting for buses, would come to the O.S. desk as well. This bus stop is a great microcosm of the folks most in need. You have union bus drivers there, people on their way to school, people who may not be able to afford a car, etc. It's probably the best location in town to occupy and get your message to those who most need to hear it. Thanks to this, the setup matured quite quickly.
I follow many of the protests across the country and world over Twitter. I'm just addicted to these stories and amazed by what is happening. But, what I have noticed, is that they seem to use the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) model as a guide. O.S. is similar in that regard. They have General Assembly meetings at 6pm each night and again at 9pm (if someone has arrived, who could not attend the first one). A small, but expanding library, is also a part of the setup. These steps were taken by the OWS folks and other occupations across the country. They have a media relations person as well. This was taken before Saturday's rally and march. But, more on that later. A focus is also put on education at the welcome desk of O.S. Literature is given out on a broad range of topics at the welcome desk. An artist even created a 3 dimensional representation of a pie chart to help passers-by understand the wealth divide. It involves sectioning off a portion (based on percentage of wealth held) of a patch of grass near the occupation and placing stick figures that symbolize a percentage of the population.
The reaction in the community has been overwhelmingly positive. The police have been really helpful and supportive, even checking to make sure the occupiers are doing fine. The section they are staying in, is not in the best area of town. So, police support is welcome and appreciated. Because of this, those staying the night actually sleep in shifts. At the end of the night, they agree on whose sleeping first, what time that person is getting up, and no one stays awake by themselves. The night I stayed was special (to me at least). An ex-Special Forces member of the military/occupier willingly stayed up the whole night to keep watch for us sleeping over.
The support has been great from the community. When I was arrived on Friday, they were overflowing in food, clothing, and blanket donations. While there, a gentleman dropped off 3 pizzas. They might actually still be there now. A good percentage of the group are vegans, and no one moved when he set the food down. A couple of women dropped off a large pot of soup. There was a massive cake as well, with a support message for the group drawn in the icing. They are basically running out of room for food. And, there's a tent devoted to storing blankets and other assorted extra items, because they have gotten so much.
Now, I know what you're thinking. I thought it. It's what everybody is thinking. It's the elephant in the tent. Where do these men and women go to the bathroom? As luck will have it, there is a local newsstand that is run by an Egyptian man, whose family protested in Tahrir Square. Bam! Nothing says solidarity like an Egyptian man, with relatives who protested in Tahrir Square, opening his heart and bathroom to you. But, it isn't a 24 hour store, so I guess you just hold it after the place closes. I didn't ask and I'm pretty sure I didn't want to know the answer. But, I guess the current system is working.
Next up: power sources: Scoot, who is a local hero on par with Carmelo Anthony for me, has a solar panel on his tent that eventually provides power for all electric devices. A propane tank is on site as well. I guess for cooking? But, what do I know, I thought all tents had padded floors before my night with these guys. They have also gotten a mobile hot spot on site and created a PC network for the laptops.
Where are we now? I would say based on what I saw over my visits and stay, O.S. is an early success. I mentioned earlier that this started only last Sunday (10/2). It did get coverage from a couple of news channels when it was just Scoot at the beginning. But, let me quickly explain Syracuse for those not from around here. It snows a bunch up here, and not much else goes on. So, if there is a story that's not about an upcoming snowstorm, a current snowstorm, or digging out from the last snowstorm, it will probably make the news. That being said, there is no such thing as bad publicity. And, the numbers have swelled in the past week. The night I slept over, there were 10-12 people also sleeping on site. At the time of writing this post (Sunday 10/9), there are 1,031 likes to the O.S. Facebook page. And, the Facebook page wasn't even in place at the very start last Sunday. The rally and march also made the news.
As I mentioned earlier, I arrived at their setup around 8pm on Friday night and got a good look at how things worked. That night, I went to bed (if you want to call laying on concrete "going to bed") at about 1AM. But, in those 5 hours there, I got to speak with others staying overnight and passers-by. And, in that, I saw the true value of what these occupations can do in small and mid-size cities. First off, we were ABLE to talk politics freely. I thought about this, and could not come up with another time where this is socially acceptable. Think about it: you can't talk about it at a bar, at work, at a sporting event, you might even get in trouble bringing it up at Thanksgiving dinner. There might be some safe place where you can talk about it, where it's not taboo. But, I haven't thought of it yet. Although, at these occupations, it's the sole reason we're all there. It's really torn down these fake walls we put up, and allowed people to look for answers. I noticed a sign at the location, that said (and I'm paraphrasing), "Don't Let Them Divide and Conquer Us." These protests have forced us to focus on what we have in common, instead of what separates us.
Let's take a look at today's major political parties. I can ask someone a question on where they stand on gay marriage, guns, religion, the environment, abortion, taxes, regulations, etc. And, based on their answers, I can tell which political party they will invariably vote for. Even worse, when they elaborate on their answers, I can tell where they get there news. Then, based on those answers, we are immediately divided and the conversation stops and nothing gets settled. But, it does not happen at the occupation locations.
In my time I had before heading going to sleep, I just talked to people. The experience was pretty incredible. I spoke to a gentleman, who was maybe 20-25 years older than I am (I'm 35 for any new folks). In our talk, I spoke of great websites I use as resources, books I've read and documentaries I've seen. The whole time he was writing everything down to research later. First time that has ever happened to me. Family members don't care this much about what I have to say. Unlikely, that this would not have happened in a pre-occupied world. Prior to the Wall Street protests, this gentleman and I would have probably argued each of our points, got upset, and then ended the discussion after not getting anywhere. But, there is this new willingness to come together, learn, seek solutions and find common ground.
The other thing you learn, and probably the biggest thing, is empathy. Also in my time there, I met a couple of people with stories that would break your heart. It was the "We Are the 99%" Tumbler site, from yesterday's post, brought to life. One person I met was unemployed, 5 months pregnant, and homeless. She spent as much time as she can at the occupation. Afterwards, she would take the bus to the shelter she was staying at. She was also a college graduate with a degree in IT. And, of course, she did not have a health insurance. I meant another gentleman that needed heart surgery at a time when he was not working. The cost (hope your sitting down) was $500,000. He had to file for bankruptcy, because who has 500K lying around. Meeting these folks makes you see through the numbers. According to the American Journal of Medicine, 62% of bankruptcies in 2007 were caused by medical debts. I knew the percentage was pretty high, but this was the first time I met an affected person. I can tell you, it is very different.
Another under-rated aspect of attending an occupation is that it's strangely relaxing. It's tough to explain, but when you get there, you're just there. You're not burdened by whatever stresses you have at home. There is a really great energy at the meetings. You see and feel the kindness of others. They feed you. You don't have to clean. I understand I'm starting to sound pretty lazy with those last two. But, it's tough to describe not having any worries, even for just a short amount of time. If you haven't been to one, I would suggest attending and experiencing it for yourself. With over 1,300 cities taking part in some way, I think we're all within a few miles of one by now. I promise you will find it tough to leave.
The march and rally were held early Saturday afternoon. To be honest, I was surprised at what they were able to accomplish in 6 days. I mentioned there was only local hero "Scoot" on Day 1. And, the march/rally had between 100-150 people attend. The rally had some public speaking (using the People's Mic, like in New York).
And, in true democratic fashion, everyone was given an opportunity to speak, if they wanted too. There was one conspiracy theorist and he brought this sign. No protest is perfect, yo
u always get a couple of folks that have gone off the deep end. As you can see in the pic, the group tried to calm anyone attending the rally. There was also a Ron Paul sign hung in plain view. But, in keeping with the spirit of the movement, they do not support individual candidates. The march and rally itself was exciting. We marched around and through the Downtown Syracuse area. Along the way, lots of horns honking, thumbs up from people, messages of support, etc. I yelled a bunch, lost my voice too. The chants were along the same lines as the ones used on Wall Street. "We Are the 99%!" being the main one. Following the lead of the New York folks is the common thread. These occupations that have followed are like franchises of Occupy Wall Street. They are "Mc Occupations". Don't get me wrong. I don't mean that derisively. It actually helps them create these communities everywhere with a proven blueprint. I heard a crazy fact yesterday, that there are occupations are every continent, except Antarctica.I checked in on OS today and they seem to be growing even further. There was another welcome table set up, more tents, more signs. It was encouraging and I'm going to pass by a couple times this week. But, I don't think I will spend the night. Scoot and the others are way tougher than me. If interested in any updates, keep checking in. And, I'll keep you posted on their progress.
This Saturday, October 15th is a pretty huge day if you're inspired to get involved with any of these protests. 10/15 is a day of global change. It s a bit redundant to say that it is happening around the world (hence the "global" day tag), but it truly is. Check this site for details and find one that may be close to you. At the time of posting, there are 662 cities in 79 countries hosting events.If you are in the Syracuse area, the biggest events that will be driving distance from us will be New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Montreal. If you can't travel, you could always support our local group. And, I'm looking to drive to Toronto's event, take some pics, vids, and write about it. Toronto's event should be pretty cool, they are occupying the area right around Toronto's Stock Exchange. If interested in carpooling, just e-mail me. I'm willing to drive too.
That will do it for today, thanks so much checking in
James
I've bookmarked your site. It looks really interesting.
ReplyDeleteYour report is very encouraging. And kind of stunning in that you-all are trying to have respectful conversations about politics. "Don't let them divide and conquer." You know, I hadn't thought about our rabid political divisions that way. My first instinct about the political chasm was to believe that the divisions are just natural and so inevitable. But, if that were true, we wouldn't be so predictable in our affiliations, as you noted. The predictability indicates more that we're being herded toward opinions (as when you note that you can predict which news outlet someone watches by their explanations) rather than just naturally adopting them. My second instinct, then, was that the MSM was dividing us because, as they constantly say themselves, shouting and anger bring more viewers than thoughtful and honest analysis. But that assumes the MSM is just a simple business with only a profit motive. Maybe. Maybe they are indifferent to keeping corporations comfy and safe and only care about the big bucks--no propaganda agenda at all. But, even if that's true, they are still part of the 1%, and their outlook reflects that. And, of course, objectively speaking, even if it's simply motivated by profit, their way of reporting things is hurting us and making us stupid.
I simply loved your report. What you say more clearly than most, but I pick up hints of it elsewhere too, is that this is not politics as usual but a new way. The less we have to do with them the better because, no matter their motives, they are going to make a determined and sustained effort to divide us, box us into their categories, then dispose of us. We don't need them, they're poisonous anyway and, if we can't seem to see how this movement will develop, it's certainly off to an encouraging start.
Thanks for the report, and I'll check you site frequently.
Hi Raenelle,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the kind words, I just write as a hobby (not trained or anything), so I don't know how it reads to others.
I agree with this as a new type of politics. It might sound weird, but I hope this movement can eventually link all of these occupations and we all can tell the lawmakers what we want. That's a really matured view of this, but the synergies are there, the technologies are there, and they are taking the steps to educate in each location. That's why I mentioned the "educated public". I may expand on that down the road.
But, keep an eye on Taryn here, she's working on something pretty incredible, to that end. Thanks again for clicking over and checking my blog.
James