An open space for global conversation
This was posted on the Occupy Portland Facebook page a bit ago-the camp is being evicted tonight and tensions are obviously high. Like other Occupy encampments, they have become the focal point for many of the ills that have resulted from the dysfunction of our system. I have been tremendously impressed with the level of dialogue and communication that has gone on between the Occupiers and city officials, as well as police. This particular Occupier does a really good job in conveying their frustrations and hopes at this critical moment in the effort:
What I'd love to see tonight: A majority of people come together to peacefully make just two demands of this Mayor, this city, and our local media - and they go something like this:
"Ok, we will peacefully pack up and leave these parks tonight. We are rebooting - we're going to create Occupy 2.0. And we will be organized, cohesive, sending out regular, clear messages to the public, engaging in direct actions, and strategically connecting with our sisters and brothers across this country and around this world - holding the physical and psychic space for the reclamation of our rights, our government, our systems, our dignity, ourselves. We thank this city and our Mayor for everything you've done to support Occupy Portland. We know the camp has failed in some ways, but, we reject your attempts to make this solely an OP failure. This is a city, state, and national failure. This is a travesty. We will leave peaceably, on the following condition: The city, the Mayor, AND the Portland Business Association work with all relevant local nonprofits and interested occupiers to create a real plan to help our houseless, drug and alcohol addicted and mentally ill populations. You work with us to create a plan to carry on the work we were not prepared for, but we have, to the best of our ability, undertaken. We create this plan, it is shared widely, and this city, this state, our businesses, take these needs seriously. We start changing our world by changing it at home. By changing our attitudes, and our notions of participation.
Demand #2: To the local media - you have done us a great disservice. In keeping with the corporatized, sanitized, travesty of a mainstream media machine, you have chosen to focus on the most vulnerable elements of a movement that is the first thing in most of our lifetimes that actually has the chance to CHANGE OUR WORLD. You have ridiculed us. You have painted us almost solely in a bad light. While we admit that key mistakes were made along the way while working with strangers at warp speed, YOU, local media, caused this fragile, beautiful, amazing spark of hope a good measure of harm. You choose surface over substance, ugliness over the fact that - through Occupy Portland - people from all over this state, from all walks of life, from completely different experiences and economic backgrounds, have met one another, shared coffee and lunch and conversation on corners and in living rooms - disparate people, come together over a common hope and goal - to restore our world and to create systems that make sense for us all. To defiantly hold our goverment and corporations accountable. To turn the tide so that we ALL have reason to hope for a better future. THIS IS WHY WE ARE HERE. THIS is why we hold this space for you. And we ask you to do your due diligence, and dig deeper and tell the REAL story behind Occupy Portland, and Occupy Everywhere. If you don't we will. And we are. We will change this world, our governments, and our systems, with or without you. We urge you to join this call for a global paradigm shift, a nonviolent revolution - a reclamation of our humanity on a mass scale. Join us, media, Mayor, and people of Portland. We've a long road ahead. And we need you.
I like this VERY much. It communicates the heart and spirit of an emergent expression that is really just forming its words. This communication is resonant with the heart and responsibility that we, and the world, can trust to guide this infant, yet rapidly growing, embodiment of dignified reclamation and restoration of humanity.
I have witnessed more intelligence emerging from #Occupy airwaves in one month than I've witnessed cumulatively over years from our "official" legislators and governance officials. This phenomenon, more than anything else, ought to spark and fan a magnificent flame of hope that success, time withstanding, is inevitable.
I have to say that Sam Adams has totally redeemed himself in my eyes at least. Recognizing that its not good public policy to hurt people is pretty basic and fortunately for folks in Portland our mayor and police chief are on the same page about this.
I also have to say Debra - I was home last night watching tv - lots of good views for hours of Chapman. The commentary by local news folks was consistently positive. When a person in the crowd threw an explosive out at the police and injured a mounted officer the tv folks reminded their listeners that this was just one person who behaved in a violent way. The media spent lots of time interviewing all likes of people. There was very little judgement. The one negative that I saw was some fear on the part of a camera man and male reporter after a really obviously drunk male grabbed the camera and the microphone and was verbally abusive. Still after that the discussion was about how the majority of folks are not drunk or disorderly - they kept reminding folks that the majority of folks are peaceful. Chief Reese was videoed stating that everyone's safety was the most important thing and that the charge to police is to practice patience. I feel very proud of our mayor and police have done a good job keeping it together.
Having followed alongside Occupy St Louis through their "eviction" on Friday night, it has definitely been a roller-coaster experience of many hues. My heart/mind thoughts go out to Portland, I understand there is good support for the movement but that the situation is intensifying.
Solidarity in hope for a better tomorrow for all people.
They have cleared out the Parks in question in the last two hours& had people in a small section of SW Main Street with several warnings to disperse to allow the street to be opened to vehicular traffic or face spray or physically being removed. I'm at home on my sofa. My view is that this is not about claiming parks & that people should let it go & re-group, but we each must do what we feel is right.
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