Occupy Citizen: Oakland

I never went to the original location of the occupy encampment. The day I visited, a new camp was being erected at 18th and Linden Street.  It was a grassy vacant lot.  According to organizers, the property owner was in foreclosure so this location was perfect. Situated at the corner, it was highly visible to cross traffic, evident by the honking as cars drove by the Occupy Oakland encampment.

I arrived in the early afternoon, just around lunchtime.  The occupiers were moving in, getting settled, and a few news vans were already at the site. The only way into the property was through a hole cut into the side of the fence. As I climbed up to the grassy area, this looked nothing like what I had heard about on the news.

As I stood on the periphery of a group meeting, I was happy to see that they were putting specific plans in place for the next phase of Occupy Oakland. They specifically said that this encampment was there to speak out about the amount of foreclosures that were currently taking place in the neighborhood. They were also very specific about making sure no drugs, alcohol, and trash were found at their site. They had no desire to upset the neighbors.  

I also interviewed one young guy who was there to protest the rising cost of his education and to stand up for the widening gap of financial status of most Americans. Another man showed up passing out flyers. He said that he was there to support all of the causes Occupy now seems to represent:

“...it’s just fine that we don’t have a leader. It’s just fine that we don’t have a specific agenda. For me personally, what’s happened is more than just a need to change our laws. We have a bigger fundamental change in front of us.  To me the Occupiers are testament; witness to the need for change. So, it’s not something that’s going to happen overnight. Like I said, it’s much, much bigger than changing a couple of laws.”


After the meeting convened I looked around again. I saw a covered area with a cardboard sign that read “kitchen”. I overheard someone say that all of the food was donated by people in the neighborhood. At another glance there was a heap of donated clothing sitting in a pile. Another huddle of people were talking about what message they were going to paint on the blank canvas that lay on the ground.  Of the people that were there that day, when I asked if I could interview them for my project, quite a few declined. In fact, while I was at the camp, they barred the mainsteam media from entry into their encampment.

From the people I interviewed, here are some of their intepretations on what it means to be a citizen today:

“I think it’s great that this movement has come out to show people that you can still show your freedom and that it’s limited but we need to stand up for it and show that we’re still here and that we care.” -Ivy, Student

“Means you have to be a participant, a shareholder if you will for what goes on in government. and if you’re a citizen that works in the public sector it’s about government by the people, for the people, right?” -Jonathan, Independent Reporter

”...you have to physically be there and that’s what we’re doing.” -Brian, Oakland Resident

From my interviews, I have a better understanding of what it means to be a citizen. One aspect of citizenry is to stand up for what you believe in. Another aspect is to fight for social injustices against the Government. Being a citizen means being a participant. Although most Americans have been passive for many years, to be a citizen of today is no longer a passive act.

Where does it go from here? How can I, as a citizen of my community, participate in a cause that has so many messages?  Michael Moore and the New York OWS recently came up with a vision statement. Moore goes a step further and proposes a specific list of goals and demands.

I think to keep the momentum moving in a positive direction, Occupy needs some sort of structure. Based on my observations at both Berkeley and Oakland as well as from talking to people both in formal and informal interviews, there’s a lot of confusion about what the Occupy message is really all about. With some type of informal structure that meets the guidelines of all the protesters, the movement can communicate it’s message clearly and directly to the remaining 99% that’s still trying to figure it out.

My next stop is San Francisco. I’m curious to see what the city by the Bay has in store for me. Stay tuned.

The Occupy Intern,
Monica

To see images from my visit there, please go here.