THE OSCAR GRANT PLAZA GAZETTE
Wednesday, October 20, 2011 Day 11.
“the commons is back”
FROM A COMRADE
Via Twitter: #OccupyOakland expansion occupation @ Snow Park successfully made it through the night after facing possible eviction by the police!
Notes from Wednesday’s General Assembly :
• Sat 10/22, day in recognition of police brutality * Rally, 11am amphitheater march, noon to grand lake, fmr mrkt, lakeshore banks. Working group to discuss tactics/strategies meeting daily (ask at Info tent).
• A comrade from the Denver occupation speaking at the ga tonight: Oakland is a beacon for other occupations who want stand up against the police.
• A lot of strong, clear anti-police expression tonight – another comrade: “we need to move this occupation into the communities where the police are killing people”
• Also lots of voices speaking to this: people taking action to create a secure space in camp – the women, queer and transgender camp. People encouraged to bring their tents, over to this safe space.
•October is Black Panther Party History Month. 10/20 BPP Legacy @ Laney College, Reasserting the 10 pt Program today / 10/21 Eastside Arts (2227 International Blvd. Oak BPP film, meet & greet from 6-8:30pm / 10/22 Black Repertory Theater 1837 Adeline/Berkeley Workshops from 10-4pm / 10/23 BPP Legacy @ Bobby Hutton Park (18th & Adeline) 1pm-5pm. * Rally and March from Occupy Oakland to Bobby Hutton Park at 1pm
Where to find G.A. and Camper’s Meeting Notes:
You can find general assembly meeting notes by visiting occupyoakland.org and clicking on the “News” tab and clicking on “Meetings”. Find camper’s meeting notes on the same by clicking on the “reflections” tab. Campers meeting happen each morning at 9am & the G.A. meets daily at 7pm.
How to Submit a Proposal to the G.A. :
Step 1: In order to submit a proposal you will need a quorum (group) of at least 3 people with whom you have discussed the proposal.
Step 2: Bring your proposal to a facilitation meeting (meets daily at 1pm on North Plaza) OR put your proposal in writing and drop it off at the info tent.
Step 3: Your proposal will be added to the agenda for that day’s G.A. and will be brought up at the G.A.
Step 4: Once the proposal has been made, people will have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions (Who, What, When, Where, How).
Step 5: The facilitators will conduct a Straw Poll.
Step 6: People will have the opportunity to state their concerns and offer pros and cons.
Step 7: People will have the opportunity to make friendly amendments to address any concerns.
Step 8: People will vote to test consensus. If the proposal reaches 90% consensus, it passes. If not, there will be further discussion of concerns and we’ll vote a 2nd time aiming for 80% consensus. If the proposal does not pass, it will be tabled for future meetings.
Committee Shout-outs:
People of Color Caucus: We will not, as an occupation, cooperate with the police in any way. Please align yourself with and support this statement. POC will be making information available about community groups and resources that can offer alternatives to police involvement.
Media: Stay steadfast, and don’t give into any trivial issues that may arise. Remember that Occupy Oakland is a family. Families fight. The thing we need to remember is that we all love each other and that we will be victorious. AND starting today, Liberation Radio, 104.1 will be broadcasting live from Occupy Oakland from 4-6pm!
First Aid: Reminders: Keep food out of tents, wear shoes, use hand sanitizer frequently and please, get some sleep! Needed: TPI Masks, Water, Gloves. (We do NOT need any more band-aids, alcohol or peroxide)
Children’s Village: Please be aware that we are here and respect the space and the kids. If confrontations arise, please move away from the children’s village. Please also remember that the children’s village is not a place to drop off your child. It is a safe place to hang out with your kids and be part of a movement at the same time. This is not daycare. Needed: walkie-talkies
Security Committee: For the time being, in the event of a police raid, form a perimeter around the camp. Further tactics are under discussion.
FROM A COMRADE
Plaza Call: A Collective Audio Diary for the Occupation
For too long our voices have been stifled, scattered and alone. We were told to call our congressman but they haven’t called us back. Instead they return our pleas with form letters filled with spineless platitudes and empty promises. Here in the plaza we are doing a lot of talking: creating the dialogue for where to go next and where we are currently going wrong. The cynical outside and among us deride these efforts as mere feedback loops without wider consequence. They are wrong. We are planning. In the last 8 days I have been at occupations in Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco and Los Angeles. On day 1 in Oakland I hatched the idea of creating a collective diary of the struggle, in order to allow further dialogue and representation of the multitude of voices in circulation. But I was too scared and nervous. Yet after a week of General Assemblies, group meetings, and simply meeting so many people I have said “goodbye to all that.” Today I began recording conversations with friends, recent acquaintances, strangers and the formerly strange. For too long our media has privileged the experts and ideologues who bloviate their trivial differences, their false dichotomies while everything else burns. While my conversations should not be seen as journalism they seek to create another outlet for the voices that have been waiting to speak to a wider audience but have not had the chance to do so and hopefully those not ready to address the assembly directly. It’s high time that we honor the messy process that is required to resolve in shared understanding. By presenting the conversations in full (with some compromises in sound quality in deference to expediency) we honor that shared goal. Also, I say “like” and “right” and “um” and “yeah” too much. I also finish people’s sentences whoops. Come find me at the occupation <3
To listen to the audio diaries, visit: http://andrewkenower.typepad.com/a_voice_box/2011/10/the-plaza-call-a-collective-audio-diary-for-the-occupation.html
Please send submissions to oscargrantplazagazette@gmail.com or drop a hard copy by the information tent at Oscar Grant Plaza. We will endeavor to publish all materials received. For the purposes of collective self-defense we will reserve the right to decline to run materials which would render us legally liable.
The Oscar Grant Plaza Gazette aims to be a voice & record of the historic Occupy Oakland movement, part of a national & international movement of resistance. Please consider writing your thoughts, reflections, opinions, and what you’ve seen — you are part of this movement & we want to get your words out there!
Comments are closed.