I'm asking for ideas for tonight's GA. Occupy Portland is at a cross-roads.

[Rabblevox]

As most of you know, the nation's largest ongoing Occupation was evicted from the parks yesterday. There is currently no base camp and no infrastructure. We still have thousands committed to the Occupation.

Tonight's General Assembly (7 pm, Pioneer Square) is going to be focused on next steps. Proposals floated so far include Occupying another park not in Downtown, calling for a General Strike, Occupying forclosed housing, mounting rolling street protests and shut downs.

There will be 100 ideas brought to the GA, 90 of which will be either offensive or impossible.

I'm leaning towards a 2-pronged approach, but I'm open to other ideas. The GA tonight is probably going to be the most important since the very 1st, and I want to bring my "A-game".

My idea:
#1, We DEMAND a city-owned vacant as a base of operations (and we have plenty of them in town)not as a place to camp, but as a place to organize, communicate, and plan. If they refuse, we promise to keep shutting down the downtown shopping/business core, over and over again.

#2: We focus the Occupation on Occupying evictions/foreclosures for now. It would be both a powerful statement about the Occupation's values, and relatively easy to pull off. (would only take 10-20 Occupiers to either block an eviction, or provoke a tactical response that would draw a media shit-storm).

Feel free to poke holes in it, fine-tune it, or suggest something completely different. Like I said, I want to bring my "A-Game" to the GA tonight, and our brains in concert work better than my brain alone.

[NYC_SKP]

1. First, thank you for your service, Rabblevox...

I think one of the things Portland's Occupy needs is a permanent space to exist that doesn't draw attacks, that has the support (if tenuous) of the city, and that can be kept clean and safe for occupiers.

I don't see this as having to hold thousands, maybe just dozens or one or two hundred, but with health and safety given the foremost attention.

Whatever other details need to be addressed, I trust they will be.

Stay strong and thank you!

:patriot:

[yurbud]

2. when you are arrested, ask every cop you come in contact with if they don't side with you...

who will side with them when the rich demands their pension, health benefits, and pay be cut? Who will side with them when their mortgage is falsely foreclosed?

Did you sign up for this job to protect wealthy criminals from their victims and from democracy itself?

And so on.

Start a thought virus.

[yurbud]

3. keep going back to the same spot with more and more people until they can't afford to arrest you

[yurbud]

4. tell them you'll leave when the state or even city figures out how to indict Goldman Sachs execs

and you see one of their top guys get the perp walk.

[yurbud]

32. you could even hold up signs with the address of Goldman Sachs & other Wall St crooks offices

in Portland to help the cops out.

[TheKentuckian]

11. I like this one for now.

[FarCenter]

5. What is the point of occupying Portland?

[Rabblevox]

7. What is the point? WHAT IS THE FUCKING POINT??? (excuse me while I take my blood pressure meds)...

The POINT is that our country is broken. The POINT is that under the current system, democracy is sold to the highest bidder. The POINT is that to many people who have worked hard and paid their dues are now living on the street.

The POINT is that we are many, they are few. The POINT is that we have truth and love on our side, they do not.

That is the point.

[jtrockville]

13. PREACH it Rabblevox! Right on!

[FarCenter]

14. That may all be true, but how is camping out in a park in Portland, OR going to affect that?

If you could actually answer the questions, you might know what to propose to do next.

The media is bored with the campouts. Violence will get the media back, but it will also alienate the public.

Presumably you are trying for some newsworthy, but positive, social action story that will engage a broader public.

[Rabblevox]

15. Try actually reading my OP, then get back to me. /nt

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. What is the point of doing anything? What is the point of voting?

We should all occupy coaches and let those more worthy than us (The 1%) decide all...

:sarcasm:

[Earth_First]

23. Your screenname must indicate far *right* center?

:shrug:

[TygrBright]

6. I like #2, not so much on #1.

Demand only from a position of strength, in my experience.

I think you could establish a position of strength by initiating rolling street protests: Constantly moving, constantly mobile. Establish a mobile "organizing pod" that occupies legit public spaces, and also keeps moving. I'm thinking, places like coffeeshops, libraries, bus stations, parking ramps/areas, etc. Then just form into a set of rolling groups and when Group X has completed its 6-hour mini-occupy of location (name), Group Y starts up in location (different), and when they're done Group Z takes over in location (different again), and so on, until it's Group X's turn again.

Depending on how you play it, this could be both effective and maddening for the local authorities.

If you can get a list of foreclosed/evicting locations, you can have each group that isn't staging/protesting squat at a different one for a few hours sleep/meals, etc., and keep moving them around as well.

It will require some logistical planning, but you probably have some folks who could set up centralized data sharing locations/procedures. Think of an open "cell" organizing system. Doesn't need to be secret or spooky, but if everyone knows which group(s) they are participating in, they can sign up for updates/communications relating to those groups.

Could be do-able.

helpfully,
Bright

[Rabblevox]

8. I like that. I actually like that a lot. Let me think it through a bit, I'll get back. /nt

[TygrBright]

9. Yeah. PM me if you want to discuss in any detail. But the point is to use your strongest assets.

And apply them to their weak points.

Mobility and communications can be enormous assets.

Think guerrilla warfare without the violence. (Well, on your part, anyway.)

helpfully,
Bright

[patrice]

10. OccupyKC > Town Planning work group created a volunatry chores-list & is considering how

to initiate a co-operative economy that would, amongst other things, implement the work of volunteers who do Occupation camping chores.

[Vincardog]

12. Why not have "Flash Occupations"? Choose a place (say the business district) Have a few thousand

folks show up and shut it down. Then after a reasonable interval dissolve into the population.
Tomorrow choose another place (Say A dock, transport hub or a vital transportation link) Shut it down. Then after a reasonable interval dissolve into the population.
Then after the dark forces have started to organize a strike force to respond to you .... Do nothing for a few days.
Then choose another place or thing.... rinse and repeat

[renate]

28. I like that!

I've been starting to wonder, with the Occupy movement losing its newness and getting less media attention, whether it was really serving a purpose for people to be staying in tents, freezing and without facilities, all winter.

I like your idea of flash occupations much better than my own thought, which was for the occupiers to go home at night when the parks close and show up again early to be visible again the next morning. The police wouldn't have any justification for bothering people in a public park who were sticking to the hours that the public were free to be there.

I'm probably missing something really obvious with my thought--which, again, is part of why I like your idea so much. The other part of why I like yours is that it's awesome. :)

[Vincardog]

36. Thanks very much

[chaska]

16. Think constituent services. It's why Strom Thurmond was in office for a thousand years, and....

why Hamas is so popular with the people in Syria. It's why one of our local tv stations is so popular. People call on the tv station, they send out a crew with cameras ... shit gets done ... damn quick!

"Occupy" the homes of those about to be evicted due to foreclosure.

Our local Occupy group just stopped the sale of property for a new Walmart. They have a max of 50 members!

Get creative.

And don't ask for a place to occupy. Just occupy it. Make them chase you all over the freakin' city. The people will get it.

[Rabblevox]

17. Nice! (and we do have the media and tech folk who could do that!) I disagree about one thing...

though. Even in liberal cities like Portland, most people still don't get it. Most still get their info only from the RW daily paper, or the equally RW 5 broadcast news channels.

More people are "getting it" all the time, but I don't think we are anywhere near a critical mass or tipping point yet.

YET!!!

[FirstLight]

18. It's not just Portland at the crossroads...

I think the camping out thing is getting on a lot of people's nerves.... (not me, but I hear my parents and family siding with the MSM, so i know what of what i speak) and i personally worry about your health and safety out there in the elements over the winter too.

Is there a way to take the movement to the next level somehow? I heard one of the Livestream folks saying that even though the Unitarian church was a temporary solution, since it is winter, maybe it could be a base of operations somehow...?

(I am going to make an OP about this (camping thing and the MSM POV) in a while, just need some breakfast first!)

[Downwinder]

20. How about a rolling Occupy on the sidewalks?

5,000 people would give you 100 people per block for 50 blocks. It would also spread the police out and they would not want to be seen all over downtown in their storm trooper garb.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

21. You definitely do need an offsite space for working groups

There may be someone out there who is willing to donate a space to you ( we have been lucky in that aspect). It really streamlines projects and such. Infrastructure is a must. I pmed you about the Freedom Tower, this will be a great piece for OccupyPortland. I like your idea for blocking evictions, maybe you could propose a working group dedicated to that cause- reach out into the community and have a way for people to contact you about impending foreclosures, evictions, and maybe families that have already been kicked out and their domicile is still vacant. Perhaps you could be the magnet for that?
Solidarity
OccupyAustin

Please feel more than welcome to bounce any ideas off me or ask any questions.

[musiclawyer]

22. Occupy the offices of every GOP politician in the city

And any corporate Dem. Plus every mainstream media organization. Then leave. Get a good nights sleep Wash rinse repeat. With a different set of people on schedule, you should be able to go all the way through winter this way.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Fire Walk With Me]

25. #OccupyForeclosures/vacant buildings.

This is about need and about how TPTB do not care about those who need. It is crucial for homeless Vets, for the homeless, and for sending the message about need trumping banks and money. This is about human values, not robber barons' will. Some who are willing to be arrested should repeatedly #Occupy empty homes and buildings and purposely push the conversation.

It seems essential to remain in groups and to not be separated. The energy is in groups. Remember the synonyms to "Occupy": Sieze, hold, use. Easy for me to say sitting at home, but #Occupy is about PROTEST, not allowing them to split us up. The focus is beginning to come upon police versus protesters, not the protest message.

Perhaps some #Occupations can buy open land or be donated open land and start living there. I'm talking cheap, outside of the cities. Have an Amish barn-raising!

More power to you for what you are doing!

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. My two cents, and since I am not there please use huge grain of salt with this

1.- ASKING government for a place to occupy changes the dynamic completely. Now you become subject to rules and regulations. Why this point should not be there.

2.- Occupy foreclosures will lead to violence, and not from OWS, the state, but it helps to highlight the economic plight which is partially the message of OWS.

That said we are entering phase two where more militancy will be needed, no less, and that can be confused by the state and friends and allies of the state as violent. Remember chiefly, keep calm and peaceful. There are forces afoot now looking for violence as a choice and that will give the state all the excuses it needs to come down like a sack of bricks.

[mike_c]

29. stay in the parks....

It's a nonviolent protest movement, not an accommodation of the city leadership's desires. They don't want occupiers in the parks, therefore that's where the occupiers need to be. Getting arrested, coming back, getting arrested, coming back. Rinse and repeat. Don't lose track of your original purpose-- occupying public space until our grievances are redressed. Occupy!

[FirstLight]

30. +1000

but the logistics of having a 'backup' space is to be considered. If you had a space nearby where you could take certain valuables when you anticipate a raid, or somewhere to shelter in REALLY bad weather...it may be a good idea.

[yurbud]

31. Read Saul Alinsky: the point of a non-violent protest is to get your opponent to fuck up

and make themselves look bad by issuing threats or even resorting to violence.

That makes people on the fence or even against your cause to rethink their position.

[Rabblevox]

33. I LOVE me some Alinsky (should be required reading in school) Here's what I'm bringing to the GA...

Mic Check!
(Mic Check!)

I think the movement
(I think the movement)

Of the Occupation
(of the occupation)

needs to give up
(needs to give up)

on the idea
(on the idea)

of permanently occupying
(of permanently occupying)

public space
(public space!)

We won that battle
(we won that battle)

Short-term
(short term)

But for the long haul
but for the long haul)

We MUST think strategic!
(we must think strategic)

I propose
(I propose)

That we need two things
(that we need two things)

#1
(#1)

A permanent base
(a permanent base)

Not for camping
(not for camping)

For coordination!
(for coordination!

Secondly
(secondly)

We should be planning
(we should be planning)

rolling protests
(rolling protests)

designed to hit them
(designed to hit them)

Where it hurts!
(where it hurts)

The holiday season is here
(the holiday season is here)

When downtown makes half it's money
(when downtown makes half it's money)

and they are very fucking afraid
(and they are very fucking afraid)

that we can paralyze downtown
(that we can paralyze downtown)

And we will
(and we will)

if we must
(if we must)

That is not our goal
(that is not our goal)

Our goal
(our goal)

Though I only speak for myself
(thought I only speak for myself)

this is nonviolent revolution
(this is nonviolent revolution)

I promise
(I promise)

to remain nonviolent
(to remain nonviolent)

Even in the face
(even in the face)

Of extreme force
(of extreme force)

I also promise
(I also promise)

To remember
(to remember)

That love and courage
(that love and courage))

Are the best weapons
(are the best weapons)

At our disposal.
(at our disposal)

and we will win

and we will win.

and we will win.

[Downwinder]

35. Also gives you a chance to win the Mom & Pop businesses

to your side. If Portland is like other parts of the country, walk in traffic is almost dead. If people go in as well mannered customers even if they are not purchasing they can recommend the business to someone else. Shop owners should appreciate the traffic. If anyone has been watching the videos they will know that it is not Occupy people that are blocking the streets, but the police.

[patrice]

34. OccupyKC also did Charlie Chaplin's speech from The Great Dictator, as peoples' mic, in one of our

club districts recently. It was a flash-mob of occupiers, 8 of whom lead people's mic for his/her own portion of Chaplin's speech from the end of TGD that begins with "I don't want to be emperor . . . "

Club and restaurant goers stopped and listened, almost all with pleasure, many cell-phones were up and open for the internet.

We will do this again in other areas of town.