Tag Archives: police

Occupy unbound

Posted on November 23, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Zuccotti Park, home for Occupy Wall Street for two months, is completely irrelevant to the future of the Occupy movement.  Now that the activists have been cleared out, we’re watching to see what the most important place will be. In … Continue reading →

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The Occupation trap in history

Posted on November 16, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Occupation isn’t a new tactic.  Protesters have established permanent encampments to make political claims and support activism many times in the past.  (See our Veterans Day discussion of the Bonus Army.) The camps, dramatic demonstrations of commitment, provide an ongoing … Continue reading →

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Occupy without the Occupation

Posted on November 15, 2011 by David S. Meyer

The police in Oakland and New York City have cleared out their local Occupy encampments.  Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, who claims to be a supporter of Occupy efforts, saw the downtown encampment as unsustainable–and dangerous.  The shooting death of one … Continue reading →

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Veterans Day, Occupy, and the Bonus March

Posted on November 11, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Occupation isn’t a tactic that started this fall. In 1932 US military veterans of the Great War (now World War I), facing a job market even worse than today, demanded that the Federal government pay them their promised bonuses–no more … Continue reading →

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Violence, democracy, and a general strike

Posted on October 29, 2011 by David S. Meyer

The efforts to clear out Occupiers in Atlanta, Oakland, and San Diego emphasize the difficult stalemate between local governments and the emergent Occupy movement. Although local officials may be mostly sympathetic to the concerns of the Occupiers, they’re also responsible … Continue reading →

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Irvine City Council adopts Occupation

Posted on October 27, 2011 by David S. Meyer

City governments have options in dealing with dissent, including the Occupy campaigns.  In Irvine, the heart of Orange County where I live, the City Council unanimously endorsed an agreement that will allow an Occupation in front of City Hall indefinitely. … Continue reading →

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Occupation is a tactic; violence demands innovation

Posted on October 26, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Police and Occupiers in Atlanta and Oakland have engaged in violent confrontations, with the protesters getting the worst of it.  What’s all this mean?  What happens next? Let’s start at the beginning.  Protesters are occupying Wall Street–and hundreds of other … Continue reading →

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Wall Street still occupied!

Posted on October 14, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Maybe it was the petitions to stay the eviction bouncing around the internet (Moveon.org had one) and gathering tens of thousands of signatures in short order.  Maybe it was the Occupiers’ new Good Neighbor program–accompanied by vigorous cleaning efforts.  Maybe … Continue reading →

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Pushing out Occupy Wall Street

Posted on October 13, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Political and practical opponents to the Zuccotti Park Occupation are now visible on the horizon. The political opponents probably help.  National Tea Party organizations have begun to use Occupy as an occasion for fundraising (as Robin Pravender and Kenneth P. … Continue reading →

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Occupy Wall Street needs an exit strategy

Posted on October 11, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Starting a large enterprise without having a clear idea of how it could end is risky and dangerous.  (Ask George W. Bush about the wisdom of plotting an exit strategy.)  Now that Occupy Wall Street has succeeded in getting public … Continue reading →

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