Tag Archives: Occupy

Occupy education: uniting university student protest

Posted on March 2, 2012 by David S. Meyer

University and college student protest returned yesterday (here and here).  Across California, at UC, Cal State, and even some high school campuses, students protested tuition hikes and program cuts, even as schools are raising tuition and cutting programs everywhere.  Now, … Continue reading →

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When the Snowe flies: Tea Party overreach?

Posted on March 1, 2012 by David S. Meyer

When Senator Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican, announced that she would not run for reelection, she demonstrated another of the difficult challenges that movement activists face when they engage electoral politics.  Senator Snowe would cut deals with the Democratic majority, … Continue reading →

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Do movements own their crazies?

Posted on February 22, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Meredith Lowell, a self-styled animal rights activist, was arrested Tuesday in Cleveland for contracting the murder of someone (almost anyone!) wearing fur. Ms. Lowell made the initial solicitation on Facebook, offering somewhat less than $1,000 for a murder that would … Continue reading →

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Occupy Oakland and the militant wing of a movement

Posted on January 29, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Occupy, like all large and successful social movements, includes people with a broad range of political viewpoints and a very diverse range of action strategies.  While some activists are working to move inside the political system by lobbying or contesting … Continue reading →

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Occupy elected office

Posted on January 26, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Is incumbency another word for occupation? Today two self-identified Occupiers announced candidacies for local office in Northern California.  Jeff Kravitz, a lawyer who has represented Occupy Sacramento activists, is running for a county board seat.  So is Gary Blenner, a … Continue reading →

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Occupy Congress

Posted on January 16, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Sooner or later activists in any American movement confront the possibility of trying to adjust the thermostat, and not just the climate. On Tuesday, January 17, when members of Congress return to Washington, DC, they’ll be met by Occupiers.  There … Continue reading →

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Occupy the Constitution

Posted on January 2, 2012 by David S. Meyer

At least several hundred protesters marched after the Tournament of Roses Parade, drawing some cheers, some boos, and extensive media coverage.  (Occupy the Rose Parade and the Hollywood Alist estimated 5,000 Occupy marchers.) Parades are occasions for spectacle and theater, … Continue reading →

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Occupy at the Rose Bowl

Posted on December 31, 2011 by David S. Meyer

A march looks a lot like a parade with demands. Occupy the Rose Parade will present a presence–with floats–at the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade on Monday morning in Pasadena. The parade, patriotic and explicitly non-political, allows cause groups to … Continue reading →

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Is protest contagious?

Posted on December 29, 2011 by David S. Meyer

As the year comes to an end, unexpected and potentially powerful protest movements are appearing in unexpected places, including China, Russia, and Syria, threatening to topple regimes and change the world. Protest movements seem to appear in a spate.  Arab … Continue reading →

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Occupy the Iowa Caucus

Posted on December 28, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Occupy activists are flocking to Des Moines for the new year, in an effort to Occupy Iowa’s Republican caucuses?  Why?  Certainly the Occupy approach has little appeal for the Republican caucus-goers, who veer more toward religious conservatism. But Occupiers know … Continue reading →

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