First Parish Cambridge, which has supported labor at Harvard since the sit-in of Mass Hall in 20011, had a Labor in the Pulpit Service this morning. Workers and staffers from SEIU local 615 testified. Marie-Elena [center] has to clean 140 offices 3 kitchens and 10 conference rooms in 5 hours. It is equivalent to 15 […]
First Parish Cambridge, which has supported labor at Harvard since the sit-in of Mass Hall in 20011, had a Labor in the Pulpit Service this morning. Workers and staffers from SEIU local 615 testified. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2305" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/09/Marie-Elena.png" alt="Marie-Elena of SEIU 615 in the Parlor Room at First Parish Cambridge" width="540" height="405" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/09/Marie-Elena.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/09/Marie-Elena-300x225.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> Marie-Elena [center] has to clean 140 offices 3 kitchens and 10 conference rooms in 5 hours. It is equivalent to 15 family homes. She is an employee of Unicco working at Microsoft. Bread and Puppet Theater appeared on Cambridge Common at 3:00 PM today. <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2316" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/09/BreadPuppetsRoses-540.png" alt="Bread and Roses sketch by Bread and Puppet Theater, Cambrige Common, Sept 2,2012" width="540" height="456" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/09/BreadPuppetsRoses-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/09/BreadPuppetsRoses-540-300x253.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> The Circus of the Possibilitarians is a satirical horse and butterfly circus, addressing pertinent national and international issues in a clownish fashion, including rotten ideas, a wild dancing horse and some mellow lions, a solemn salute to the world’s casualties and much more! The Dire Circumstance Jubilation Ensemble provides a little bit of brass and a lot of noise. Please take note that if some of the circus acts are politically puzzling to adults, accompanying children can usually explain them. If you missed them today, they will be in Lawrence tomorrow from 4:00 – 5:00p. Monday Sept 3: Two Bread and Roses Celebrations Lawrence: 10:30 AM @ Polartec on 46 Stafford St. It’s a full day starting with a march. Boston: 11:00 AM @ Boston Common The Harvard Student Labor Action Movement will be meeting at the Harvard Square T stop (near the info kiosk) at 10:45AM to head over! Lawrence will undoubtedly be cooler, but harder to get to. [Anybody going that way? Look for me on the round [not the pit] in Harvard Square.] 1I’m following the dictum, “Write only what you know.” If somebody from First Parish sees this and gets upset, they are invited to take me aside and undeceive me. In particular, what stance did they take in 1912?
A thousand folks gathered to demand a statewide ban on the use of hydraulic fracturing to produce oil and gas from otherwise uneconomic wells and deposits. The status quo analysis, of course, does not include environmental and health costs which are not “factored in” to the market. I’ve got her back. More after I finish […]
<img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2297" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/statehouse1-540.png" alt="Anti-fracking demonstration behind the state capitol in Albany NY 08-27-12" width="540" height="276" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/statehouse1-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/statehouse1-540-300x153.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> A thousand folks gathered to demand a statewide ban on the use of hydraulic fracturing to produce oil and gas from otherwise uneconomic wells and deposits. The status quo analysis, of course, does not include environmental and health costs which are not “factored in” to the market. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2298" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/cleanwaterislife-540.png" alt="Back of custom made tee shirt, "Clean Water is Life"." width="540" height="217" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/cleanwaterislife-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/cleanwaterislife-540-300x120.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> I’ve got her back. More after I finish my mountain top removal mine at the Puppeteers Cooperative.
Joys and Sorrows of Occupy Boston IV: Big Media Failures, Small Media Successes.
Dustin Steele of Radical Acton for Mountain People’s Survival [Photo: RAMPS] First the good news: some high quality blogging came out of OB and continues. My favorite blog of the moment is from the Climate Action, Sustainability, and Economic Justce working group of OB. Dustin Steele, one of the 20 protestors arrested at the Hobet […]
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2288" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/dustin-meme-badass.jpg" alt="Dustin Steele of Radical Action for Mountain People's Survival: "When you fight oppression ANYWHERE you fight oppression EVERYWHERE."" width="526" height="324" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/dustin-meme-badass.jpg 526w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/08/dustin-meme-badass-300x184.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px" /> Dustin Steele of Radical Acton for Mountain People’s Survival [Photo: RAMPS] First the good news: some high quality blogging came out of OB and continues. My favorite blog of the moment is from the Climate Action, Sustainability, and Economic Justce working group of OB. Dustin Steele, one of the 20 protestors arrested at the Hobet 45 mountain top removal mine in Lincoln County West Virgina was released on bond. An e-mail from Craig Altemose [hugging the truck], says that OB CASEJer Dorian Williams [Brandeis 2013] is still in jail pending trial on Tuesday Aug. 7. CASEJ is one of a significant number of OB working groups going good work, but getting very little media attention. Most of OB understands the desperate need for social change, but fails to realize that climate change is an overarching constraint on human economic activity. The danger that, in the future, the earth will be able to support far fewer humans that in now does is very real.1 OB has marched in solidarity with lots of Occupy’s around the country. I hope that OB will come out for jail solidarity with our own Dorian. I met her and her bunch out at Brandeis. They seemed enthusiatic, but I wondered how much they could do. Dan Chavez [Brandeis 2010] pointed out that they are a small isolated community which makes it hard. CASEJ has met regularly at the Democracy Center in Cambridge, so they have not been highly visible within OB. Kathryn did address at least one GA but she’s too much of a lady to grab people’s attention. I’m glad to see her active on the blog. A note on climate language. The bad news, and there is a lot of it, requires much more time to tell. A REAL “alternative media” strategy for OB would be a horizontal democracy of social media rather than a small scale imitation of mainstream media aggregation. It’s starting to look like this should be a separate post. bbiab 1Koch-Funded Study: Global Warming Is ‘Real’ And ‘Almost Entirely’ Manmade ; Game Over for the Climate
Joys and Sorrows of Occupy Boston III: We Brought Trouble to a Friend
Encuentro Cinco was there when we needed them. There is a place in Chinatown, they call Encuentro Cinco. It’s a meeting place on fifth floor, of the building owned by the union UNITE-HERE. It has been a refuge for many a poor soul, and god i know i’m one. Early in our stay at Dewey […]
Encuentro Cinco was there when we needed them. There is a place in Chinatown, they call Encuentro Cinco. It’s a meeting place on fifth floor, of the building owned by the union UNITE-HERE. It has been a refuge for many a poor soul, and god i know i’m one. Early in our stay at Dewey Square, the e5 collective let us know that we were welcome to use their facility free of charge – computers, rest rooms, library, meeting spaces. There was an open door policy. As time went on the relationship became more formal. The media working group became a tenant – contributing financially to e5. Many OB’ers1 regard this as an unqualified good thing. The relationship between e5 and OB changed dramatically after the eviction of the Dewey Square camp. What came with much heavier use of e5 by us was many problems similar to those that had occurred at Dewey Square. Ultimately the trust that owns the building on behalf of UNITE-HERE delivered a Notice to Quit to e5. This story is not finished yet. I’ll come back when e5 has found a new home. 1Some folks in Occupy Boston refer to themselves as Occupiers. On October 10, 2011, known to some as Columbus Daya, Occupy Boston expanded it’s encampment from the Dewey Square Park to the Fort Point Channel Park of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. Shortly after !AM the following morning, Boston Police Department Special Operations personnel in riot gear raided the camp beating a number of people, arresting 147, and throwing all the camping equipment into garbage trucks brought in specifically for that purpose. The next day, we received a communique from an Indigenous People’s organization pointing out that the use of the word ‘Occupation’ is offensive to the many peoples of the world that have been subjugated by colonial powers. A proposal to be “sensitive” to the issue was passed by the General Assembly. Remarkably little has been done in that regard. As part of unfinished business I propose to revisit the issue starting with the language we use. “OB’ers” is not the solution, but it somewhat acknowledges that there is a problem. aIn the U.S., some folks feel that Indigenous People’s Day is better. Rev. Clyde of the OB Decolonize to Liberate working group prefers Invasion Day. International Day of the World’s Indigenous People was deliberately scheduled on a different date – August 9 – to avoid controversy. Why Nagasaki Day is the date of choice is unclear to me. It may be the recognition that empires always benefit the few and are paid for by the suffering of the many.
Joys and Sorrows of Occupy Boston II: Occupy Your Heart
Aftermath of the standoff with Boston Police, Dewey Square December 9, 2011 A Little Opiate of the People is a Dangerous Thing This one’s a joy for me in case you’re in doubt. Some of my anarchist friends will agree and some will be revolted. I’ve been sticking one toe in the opiate of the […]
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2155" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OBd70-oheart-540.png" alt="The morning after Menino's planned eviction of Occupy Boston" width="540" height="405" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OBd70-oheart-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OBd70-oheart-540-300x225.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> Aftermath of the standoff with Boston Police, Dewey Square December 9, 2011 A Little Opiate of the People is a Dangerous Thing This one’s a joy for me in case you’re in doubt. Some of my anarchist friends will agree and some will be revolted. I’ve been sticking one toe in the opiate of the people thing at Community Church of Boston. CCB was initially founded as non-denominational [1920]. But in the mid 70’s they decided to join the Unitarian Universalist Association. I somewhat understand the Unitarian part having been raised in the Episcopal Church – an egregiously Trinitarian outfit.1 The idea of a universal religion is intriguing but problematic. Is it the cure for the ever increasing factionalism of Christianity or is it a subtle form of religious imperialism? Like most UU churches, CCB does not hold formal sessions in the summer. The last two summers, we had informal sessions. This summer – not. I decided to wander down the street to the Arlington Street Church. I had been in their basement many times. For one thing the Friday night community dinner2 is the best on the circuit. Also, after the eviction, Occupy Boston held the Tuesday night General Assembly there for several months. The food tent operated out of their kitchen until … We seem to have left the stove on overnight . Cheryl Queen of the Universe tells me we have quite the reputation around the church for that. As I approached the front door of the church, I saw a car4 festooned with all sorts of political and inpsirational stickers. One in particular caught my eye. It was a very familiar design that I had seen distributed by the Spirituality Tent. But this one was HUGE. It was Occupy Your Heart. That was also the theme of the sermon given by Religious Educator and Artist in Residence Laura Evonne Steinman.3 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2271" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/174893_345798055442582_2087296039_n_360.jpg" alt="Occupy Your Heart Design by Laura Evonne Steinman" width="360" height="392" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/174893_345798055442582_2087296039_n_360.jpg 360w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/174893_345798055442582_2087296039_n_360-275x300.jpg 275w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px" /> A little opiate of the people is a dangerous thing – but to what or whom? 1I had a conversation with my mother, the daughter of the Rev. Dr. William Henry Kinkle Pendleton IV, about Henry VIII’s declaring himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England. I found the movie version of history quite adequate. Henry did it because the Pope wouldn’t give him a divorce and thereby frustrated his quest for an heir. My mother said, “There’s more to it than that,” but she never specified what that “more” was. 2This is code for “homeless” or “house poor” paying even the most modest available rent. 3I think Laura had the purple highlights in her Mohawk when we were at Dewey, but I’m afraid I didn’t spend much time with her so I’m not sure. 4Yes, as lovely as it is, it is still a petroleum consuming, carbon dioxide emitting automobile! I shall endeavor to convey to Laura the joys of climate justice. “Justice is what love looks like in public.” -Cornell West. “Climate is the most public show on earth.” -the guy by the door.
Joys and Sorrows of Occupy Boston I: It’s Alive!
Reports of our demise are greatly exaggerated. With our eviction from Dewey Square on December 10, 2011, a lot of folks and, of course, the dreaded MSM1 pronounced us dead. Recent events, however, would indicate – otherwise. 1That’s mainstream media for old world types who believe in complete sentences, grammar, linear thought and other annoyances.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2255" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/7173722716_a5ac1f1d9b_z_480.png" alt="Occupy Boston in support of outsourced janitors at 31 St. Mark St." width="480" height="318" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/7173722716_a5ac1f1d9b_z_480.png 480w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/7173722716_a5ac1f1d9b_z_480-300x198.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2257" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/MayDay8_240.png" alt="Funeral for Capitalism Copley Square May Day 2012" width="427" height="240" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/MayDay8_240.png 427w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/MayDay8_240-300x168.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2258" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/178974_752984895629_695639189_n_240.png" alt="Anti-Austerity March Dewey square June 16, 2012" width="427" height="240" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/178974_752984895629_695639189_n_240.png 427w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/07/178974_752984895629_695639189_n_240-300x168.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px" /> Reports of our demise are greatly exaggerated. With our eviction from Dewey Square on December 10, 2011, a lot of folks and, of course, the dreaded MSM1 pronounced us dead. Recent events, however, would indicate – otherwise. 1That’s mainstream media for old world types who believe in complete sentences, grammar, linear thought and other annoyances.
@StudentsOccupy gatherered at the Dewey Square Park of the Greenway where @OccupyBoston had camped. [1][2][3][4][5] We marched through the narrow streets of the financial district often occupying the entire street and blocking traffic. The police used sirens and drove a paddy wagon into the middle of us. We arrived at the State House a bit after 2:00. […]
@StudentsOccupy gatherered at the Dewey Square Park of the Greenway where @OccupyBoston had camped. [1][2][3][4][5] We marched through the narrow streets of the financial district often occupying the entire street and blocking traffic. The police used sirens and drove a paddy wagon into the middle of us. We arrived at the State House a bit after 2:00. With respect for Jane Doe White Ribbon Day to end violence against women. We did not rally at that time. We marched around the Common. We returned to the Hooker entrance of the State House and had a speak out until the Rangers told us would could not peacefully assemble there. So we lined up at the metal detectors and proceeded into the State House. We arrived a half hour earlier than our liason had told the Jane Doe White Ribbon Day folks. A ranger said we could stage in a hall area and headed in. [6][7] Most of us were on the main floor of Nurse’s Hall, but a small contingent from Tactical dropped banners from the balcony.[8][9] Police and Rangers moved in and instructed Tactical to pull up the banners which they did, briefly. Every banner that disappeared, reappeared somewhere else on the balcony a few moments later. This went on for about 15 minutes while chanting and speak outs occurred on the main floor. @StudentsOccupy were careful to connect their core issues with other Occupy issues including the Jane Doe White Ribbon Day and Underwater Subprime Mortgage Debt. The State House News Service was there. We left through the Hooker entrance.
Occupy Boston held it’s second of two trial Action Assemblies last night. The idea is to be more focused than the General Assembly and the focus is on action. A lot of future actions were discussed, but we adjourned early. We had a commitment. Occupy Boston Marchers sitting down in the street in front of […]
Occupy Boston held it’s second of two trial Action Assemblies last night. The idea is to be more focused than the General Assembly and the focus is on action. A lot of future actions were discussed, but we adjourned early. We had a commitment. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2224" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OB122-pru-540.png" alt="Occupy Boston marchers sitting down in the street in front of the Prudential Center" width="540" height="338" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OB122-pru-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OB122-pru-540-300x187.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> Occupy Boston Marchers sitting down in the street in front of the Prudential Center. Occupiers carrying the banner ‘Occupy Oakland, Occupy Everything’. A single tent for old times sake. The Federal Reserve of Boston is in the background. StudentsOccupy organizer Bea has a pointed question. Occupiers under court order to stay out of Dewey Square Park reading, “Whe We Occupy.” Marchers occupy Atlantic Ave. next to Dewey. The closeup shows a variety of fashion statements.
Occupy UMASS Boston hit the “ground” Monday. On Thursday 1/26/11, they were served an eviction notice by the Administration. As off 10:30 AM Saturday 1/28/11 they are still standing. The Monday night “landing” had extensive support from StudentsOccupy and OccupyHarvard, with well over 50 supporters present. In fact, the tents shown above were contributed by […]
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2214" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-tents-540.png" alt="Tent city on Level 1 of the Campus Center at UMASS Boston 1/28/11" width="540" height="144" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-tents-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-tents-540-300x80.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> Occupy UMASS Boston hit the “ground” Monday. On Thursday 1/26/11, they were served an eviction notice by the Administration. As off 10:30 AM Saturday 1/28/11 they are still standing. The Monday night “landing” had extensive support from StudentsOccupy and OccupyHarvard, with well over 50 supporters present. In fact, the tents shown above were contributed by OccupyHarvard. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2221" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-solid1-5401.png" alt="" width="540" height="313" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-solid1-5401.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-solid1-5401-300x173.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2218" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-sign1-540.png" alt="Sign and view of the harbor from level 1 of the Campus Center at UMASS Boston 1/28/12" width="540" height="262" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-sign1-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2012/01/OUMBd6-sign1-540-300x145.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" />
Denver ReOccupies; Berkeley on Eviction Alert
Denver ReOccupies. A bit of history of Women in Occupy Denver. Berkeley was served an eviction notice yesterday. Occupy Oakland Live is livestreaming at Occupy Berkeley as of this writing. On the stream, occupiers said that the Mayor of Berkeley had announced on TV that there would not be a raid tonight, but the police […]
Denver ReOccupies. A bit of history of Women in Occupy Denver. Berkeley was served an eviction notice yesterday. Occupy Oakland Live is livestreaming at Occupy Berkeley as of this writing. On the stream, occupiers said that the Mayor of Berkeley had announced on TV that there would not be a raid tonight, but the police would go through and cite people. This is expected at midnight. Update: The police came at 1:10 AM. It looked like a raid to me.
Folks from the Jewish Labor Committee met at Dewey Square. The light rain did not dampen spirits. Nor did it dampen the lights on the Menorah – electric. Looming behind is the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. I’ve met these folks before. The U Miami hunger strikers ended their fast on the last day of […]
Folks from the Jewish Labor Committee met at Dewey Square. The light rain did not dampen spirits. Nor did it dampen the lights on the Menorah – electric. Looming behind is the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2200" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OHnkkh1-540.png" alt="The Jewish Labor Committee and friends Occupy Hanukkah and the Holidays at Dewey Square Boston. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is in the background." width="540" height="303" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OHnkkh1-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OHnkkh1-540-300x168.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> I’ve met these folks before. The U Miami hunger strikers ended their fast on the last day of Passover with them. Being hideously monolingual [unless you count computer languages], I didn’t do at all well with the squiggly print, but I did join in on “Light One Candle.”
Occupy America: Anarchists, Socialists, Communists, or Keebler F*cking Elves
I don’t want a huge bloody revolution. I mean who does. The system’s gotta change and frankly you know there’s talk about the anarchists, and the socialists, and the communists, all these ists and the isms and all this stuff and frankly I don’t give a rats ass if it’s the Keebler f*cking elves that […]
I don’t want a huge bloody revolution. I mean who does. The system’s gotta change and frankly you know there’s talk about the anarchists, and the socialists, and the communists, all these ists and the isms and all this stuff and frankly I don’t give a rats ass if it’s the Keebler f*cking elves that comes up with the solution to the problem. To: Chaser From: the Guy by the Door Subj: OB Caucuses Thought you’d like this video. Went with the Socialist Caucus from Gummint Center back to Dewey. It was a pretty good action. Joe consensus checked us out of confrontation with the police on a fairly deserted part of Beacon toward Charles. Quick sit down in Downtown Crossing. Superintendent Evans was at Dewey. Last thing before going over to the Fed, Lady Dr. F jumped in the circle and mentioned the LRAD and the police claim that it “wasn’t supposed to be there”. Evans confirmed to me that it “wasn’t supposed to be there.” tgbtd “You mean someone in your command is out of control?’ Evans: “No it was just a miscommunication.” He looked pretty cowed. Kinda enjoyed myself. Was ok at the Fed. The guy from the Thursday night tent arrest1 was one of three people very in the face of the police. Looked to my like they were a little carried away with themselves. What can I tell ya? I’m old. The Greek from SC wasn’t there. I saw him later at H. Said there was a lot of dissension in SC. AC too. Sorry to hear. Good to hear you at G.A. After you left a guy from I.W.W. said he understood your comment but felt he could go along with SC anyway. I tried to get to your meeting at the bandstand, but with the free clothing store gone, I couldn’t pass up a pretty classy London Fog and some rain overalls at the Fountain. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you more at camp. I found the bandana a little bit of a put off. My bad. But I noticed your contribution to the day to day running of the camp – dishes, garbage, safety. Thanks. How about getting the band back together.? Tell ’em you’re on a mission from Bakunin or somebody. I’d know who you like if I’d talked to you. I said some good things to Bloomberg News. Say hey to Nat. Hope to see you around the propertyless Occupy Boston. Well the less property OB anyway. Gotta go. Meeting up with CLVU bunch in the North End. Will be at Open House tonight. randy 1 I don’t know anybody who thought that was a good move. Do you? I mean does “quit with a win” mean anything in DA?
It started at noon today. Andrew Katz from Columbia School of Journalism twitpicd from about 4:30 PM on. [l]Scene at 6th Avenue and Canal St. [c]Detained protestors who rushed the space at Sixth and Canal [r]NYPD are currently taking photos of detained protestors Arrests in many parts of lower Manhattan. These are in Herald Sq. […]
It started at noon today. Andrew Katz from Columbia School of Journalism twitpicd from about 4:30 PM on. [l]Scene at 6th Avenue and Canal St. [c]Detained protestors who rushed the space at Sixth and Canal [r]NYPD are currently taking photos of detained protestors Arrests in many parts of lower Manhattan. These are in Herald Sq. There was also an attempt to occupy Juan Pablo Duarte Park which is owned by Trinity Church a bit north west of Zucotti Park. Archive of Livestream footage of other action from The Other 999 A protester named Austin was arrested in Times Square about 6:50 PM. I believe it was Austin Guest ’05. A report from AP about the day. An exercise in journalism: A mic check announced that police officers were covering their badges with electrical tape. Livestream Tim [The Other 99 above] observed that badge names and numbers were clearly visible. Officers are wearing black ribbons on their badges to mourn an officer who fell two days ago. Good job Tim.
Boston Mayor Tom Menino had a problem from the beginning of Occupy Boston. We, unelected, gave a clearer voice to Boston’s 99% than the manufactured consent that dubs him as “elected”. His first attempt to discredit us, was to claim that the movement had been hijacked by anarchists. There were, off course, skirmishes on all […]
Boston Mayor Tom Menino had a problem from the beginning of Occupy Boston. We, unelected, gave a clearer voice to Boston’s 99% than the manufactured consent that dubs him as “elected”. His first attempt to discredit us, was to claim that the movement had been hijacked by anarchists. There were, off course, skirmishes on all levels. A working group, is in and of itself an aggregation of some amount of power. But it is the thoughtful anarchists who understand that there are methods of organization that can limit aggregation. Power is fraught with peril. Leadership is an aggregation of power, but if it is moderate in magnitude and transitory, the unfortunate effects can be avoided. Occupy Boston is leaderless in the sense that no-one has a permanent tenure in any position. But it does have a class structure, clicques, and other imperfections. We have challenged a corrupt system riddled with contradictions. We occupied the 1/3 acre Dewey Square Park, we had nowhere near the resources to establish an entirely independent society. Medical acknowledged this is some important ways from the beginning. Serious conditions led to a call to EMT’s. Because of these limitations, it was abundantly likely1 that we would have a complex relationship with capitalist society. It was abundantly likely1 that we would have our own contradictions. I would hope to deal with all of these issues in the future, but for now I’ll confine myself to the conspicuous failures of both capitalist society and our attempt to do better. Tom Menino abandoned the “hijacked by anarchists rhetoric”. Instead he said that we had an “element” in the camp. By the time he said it, it was commonly held within the camp that we had a number of people who’s challenged lives were a threat to the well being of the entire camp. Discussion about the “element” included homelessness, malingering, and substance abuse. Of these, substance abuse is by far the most damaging. I know because I am a homeless alcoholic. I am not a malingerer because I have not had a drink in 26 years. I have been very busy in those 26 years. Since the Occupation, I have been even busier. A number of people believed that a more supportive environment would help the “element” to heal. When healing occurs in capitalist society support is a big part of the story. Our mistake was a serious underestimate of the amount of support needed for the large number of seriously challenged people we had. We also had a serious overestimate of the magnitude and efficacy of the tools at hand. When I announced the 12 Step Substance abuse Working Group at a GA, I asked to talk with people who, like myself, are in recovery. Standard practice for a 12th step call on a single alcoholic is to have two people in recovery. There were 4 people who told me they were in recovery. One offered to help. None of them were living in the camp. I decided on the equivalent of calling the EMT’s. We would go off site. The one other member of the working group made a map of the nearby AA meetings. We did get one notorious person to an AA meeting. I suspect he thought it would prevent him from being thrown out of camp. Fine. Capitalist courts require people to go to AA. It is a challenge for the Fellowship, because it disavows alignment with the state. Individual members follow their conscience in signing court slips. When we encamp again, do we want to have an agreement between us and a person or persons we know to have been a problem due to substance abuse. Will we insist upon an action plan of recovery for them to stay with us? [There’s more, but it’s time for GA] 1One of the traps that ideological left groups fall into is the idea of historical inevitability. Revolutions do happen but they are very hard to predict. They often frustrate people’s messianic urges. I too would be God, but if i understand my Hindu friends even remotely, we are all part of the godhead. The problem is not so much that i think myself to be god, but that i think that you are not – i have forgotten our unity with each other and the universe that gave birth to us.
A mirror of the OccupyBoston.org Eviction liveblog for the period 5:01 AM – 7:41 AM of December 10, 2010: 7:14 am: Traffic resumed on Atlantic and Constitution Aves. Small group or protestors still outside South Station. Dewey Square still barricaded and surrounded by police officers. Front-loader clearing remaining tents from square. 6:35 am: Intersection of […]
A mirror of the OccupyBoston.org Eviction liveblog for the period 5:01 AM – 7:41 AM of December 10, 2010: 7:14 am: Traffic resumed on Atlantic and Constitution Aves. Small group or protestors still outside South Station. Dewey Square still barricaded and surrounded by police officers. Front-loader clearing remaining tents from square. 6:35 am: Intersection of Atlantic Ave and Constitution Ave shut down by Boston Police Department. Occupy Boston protestors amassing outside South Station. 6:34 am: All male prisoners are being taken to B4. All female prisoners being taken to C6. 6:20 am: Confirmed: Long Range Audio Device (LRAD) in back of Boston Police Department truck at Occupy Boston raid now. 6:15 am: Dewey Square completely barricaded. All protestors cleared and arrested. Bulldozers moving in to clear tents. 5:57 am: Boston Police Department are shining flashlights into video cameras to prevent them from filming. 5:55 am: Livestreamer just arrested. That leave stream has ended. Another liverstreamer is on site, further from GA area. 5:50 am: Occupiers singing “Solidarity Forever” while waiting for their arrest. 5:48 am: Veteran about to be arrested at Occupy Boston: “I took an oath to defend the constitution and here I am.” 5:01 am: Occupy Boston is being evicted RIGHT NOW. A mirror of pertinent twitter handles and a link to the main feed [I cannot tell/predict when it is/will be live]: We continue to livestream on our main feed. On Twitter, follow @Occupy_Boston, @DeweyGA, @caulkthewagon, @Fara1, #OccupyBoston, and #OBRaid for live tweets throughout the day. We will hold a General Assembly tonight at 7 pm at the Band Stand on Boston Common. Here is our main feed: I had to go green to keep my not terribly rewarding job at Harvard. Kathy Hoffman told me at Non-Violent Direct Action training that we might well feel survivors guilt. I do.
Occupy Boston: Standoff! Still Standing.
Mayor Menino’s plans to evict Occupy Boston at midnight last night ended in a standoff. WHDH estimated the assembled crowd of supporters at 1000. Pat Scanlon of the Smedley Butler Brigade estimated 50001. Superintendent William B. Evans who commands the Special Operations Unit of the Boston Police Department took a nap in the pre-midnight hours. […]
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2155" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OBd70-oheart-540.png" alt="The morning after Menino's planned eviction of Occupy Boston" width="540" height="405" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OBd70-oheart-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OBd70-oheart-540-300x225.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /> Mayor Menino’s plans to evict Occupy Boston at midnight last night ended in a standoff. WHDH estimated the assembled crowd of supporters at 1000. Pat Scanlon of the Smedley Butler Brigade estimated 50001. Superintendent William B. Evans who commands the Special Operations Unit of the Boston Police Department took a nap in the pre-midnight hours. The expected announcement to leave the park or be arrested did not occur. A band was playing in the Dewey Square proper just outside the camp. Crowds of supporters lined both sides of of Atlantic Avenue which bounds the park on the south. Among them Quakers in silent support and a large contingent of protest chaplains in choral support. There were drummers drumming. And of course, there was a very substantial presence of Occupy Students many of them willing to risk arrest2. Young people in black lifted the fork-lift palettes that had been Main Street and moved them to the periphery of the park to form barricades. There was debate between the YPiB3 and people with a more conservative notion of non-violence. But, I did overhear one YPiB argue that putting up barricades is non-violent.4 The crowd moved off the sidewalks into the street. The half block near the congress street end of Atlantic Avenue was solid with people. Superintendent Evans pushed his way through the crowd. After a couple of round trips of the site, he released a statement that there would be raid that night. The question then for the demonstrators, “Should we believe him?” The chanting, the singing, and the drumming continued with no diminution. After about an hour my affinity group, homefuls of about my age, decided to leave. The block party continued slowly dwindling in numbers. I slept under the stars5. I awoke to see Steve Anderson of the Greenway surveying the site. A few police were around, but not a lot. They were fairly solicitous to us. I’ll tell you about the preparations before the standoff and the reconfiguration of the camp in the wee hours. But it will have to wait. I have to get back to my peeps. 1 I don’t have pictures to show you or get a better count. I had stashed my camera to avoid confiscation during a possible arrest. A word picture will have to do. 2My thanks to Occupy Students organizer Bea for lifting my spirits. When I returned from a day long Non-Violent Direct Action training, I found that half the tents were down it didn’t seem worth defending. Bea and senior anthropology major Dr. Fail convinced me otherwise. 3YPiB is admittedly an imprecise characterization. In the terms of the tabloid media, they are Generation Z. Black is the usual color of anarchists. I was told that the older anarchists, those between 25 and 30, were somewhat concerned about some of these folks because nobody knows who they are. Some are always wearing masks, appear only for actions and are not seen around camp at other times. There are others who have a relationship with encamped anarchist groups. 4One of the benefits of non-violence training, of which there are many flavors, is the understanding of the intrinsic ambiguity in the notion of violence. I highly recommend such training to everyone, whether you intend to be in an action or not. 5It was an overcast New England sky. Literary license – work with me.
Occupy Boston: Superior Court Rules Against Us.
The decision forwarded by Kade Crockford of the Mass ACLU. [You’re the best.]
1 This came on an @Occupy_DC tweet, but the folks are blocking K Street in Washington DC. This is the lobbyist district of DC. At the height of the protest, occupiers shut down 4 blocks of the street. Ryan [OccupyBosRyan] and Acacia livestreamed it. There is archive footage of the first 82 minuteswhich includes the […]
1 This came on an @Occupy_DC tweet, but the folks are blocking K Street in Washington DC. This is the lobbyist district of DC. At the height of the protest, occupiers shut down 4 blocks of the street. Ryan [OccupyBosRyan] and Acacia livestreamed it. There is archive footage of the first 82 minuteswhich includes the 4 block shutdown. The archive footage of the second 74 minutes includes arrests of the protestors holding the final 1 block. 1Twitpic has a fairly nice feature for hotlinking which normally includes a thumbnail for the source end. The html is there but the thumbs are not available at the moment. Hopefully this will be fixed.
Occupy Boston: Building Alliances; Encuentro 5
Occupy Boston would not now exist if it were not for the support of a large number of often unnamed benefactors. We also benefit from relationships with supporting institutions and supporting groups at rather unsupportive instituitons. I’l mention the latter after discussing with them their exposure. Strong among the supporting institutions is Encuentro 5. They have […]
Occupy Boston would not now exist if it were not for the support of a large number of often unnamed benefactors. We also benefit from relationships with supporting institutions and supporting groups at rather unsupportive instituitons. I’l mention the latter after discussing with them their exposure. Strong among the supporting institutions is Encuentro 5. They have given us a place to meet, get warm, dry off, and blog. So as not to over tax their resources, our media group has become a tenant. They have a desk. I’m forming a relationship with Tecschange: Technology for Social Change. People at Occupy Boston certainly know about it, but I don’t know if they know what TecsChange can actually provide. One occupier had her laptop stolen and asked TecsChange to get her a new one. TecsChange usually gets donations of used equipment and most of them are desktops. But at least one occupier has benefitted from having a relationship with them. I could have done a real repair on my laptop’s AC adaptor if I had been able to find their soldering iron. But my pliers1 disappeared along with my SLR2. So with Charlie’s pliers I could improve greatly on the wire and tape repairs I’ve been making. 1It was actually a multipurpose tool – an imitation of the famous Leatherman. it cost $30 and has much lower resale price, but it was worth much more in allowing my to repair my sleep gear. Being homeless has put me into a strange relationship with property. I don’t have a TV and don’t miss it, but if someone nabs my sleep gear on a cold night, I could die. 2It was a Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I had some hope it would help me become homeful. I also lost 3 Sigma lenses. The f/1.4 allowed me to do low light photography – i.e. police raids in the wee hours of the morning. It’s a thing, but I miss it.
Occupy Harvard: The Hood Responds to Lockdown
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2131" src="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OHdxx-nabe-540.png" alt="Open letter from Harvard Neigbors decrying the lockdown of the Yard to isolate Occupy Harvard" width="540" height="405" srcset="https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OHdxx-nabe-540.png 540w, https://archive.blogs.harvard.edu/fensterm/files/2011/12/OHdxx-nabe-540-300x225.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" />
Denial, anger, and bargaining1over the loss of Our Beloved OccuSink to the urge to march. @arieloshin met up with the carpenters and continued on to the #99unity rally in Copley Square. There is a broad range of social justice issues on the agenda for today, including the mother of all social justice issues – […]
Denial, anger, and bargaining1over the loss of Our Beloved OccuSink to the urge to march. @arieloshin met up with the carpenters and continued on to the #99unity rally in Copley Square. There is a broad range of social justice issues on the agenda for today, including the mother of all social justice issues – abrupt global climate change/climate justice. 1No one is in acceptance. We are confident that the court will realize that it was an unreasonable seizure.
Occupy Boston goes to court tomorrow. A Temporary Restraining Order prevents the Boston Police from removing the tents from Dewey Square Park. Superior Court Judge Francis Mcintyre ruled that tents constitute symbolic free speech. The hearing will determine if the TRO will be replaced by a Preliminary Injunction or simply expire leaving the BPD to […]
Occupy Boston goes to court tomorrow. A Temporary Restraining Order prevents the Boston Police from removing the tents from Dewey Square Park. Superior Court Judge Francis Mcintyre ruled that tents constitute symbolic free speech. The hearing will determine if the TRO will be replaced by a Preliminary Injunction or simply expire leaving the BPD to do their will. The National Lawyers Guild lawyer representing us is optimistic. Another member of the Guild told me, “the case will be over.” Folks went out tonight to rally public support. @gvmiii tweeted using a photohost with a less than obvious “intellectual property” regime. You Can’t Evict an Idea @LejlaOWS Boston University ’15 tweeted. This is what alternative media looks like.
Occupy Boston: Today’s Economics Lessons
Left: The fine print says, “When people have more to work with, they can make more stuff with the same amount of work. The extra amount of stuff you can make with an extra dollar’s worth of capital is called the marginal product of capital. In ideal markets, it would be the INTEREST […]
Left: The fine print says, “When people have more to work with, they can make more stuff with the same amount of work. The extra amount of stuff you can make with an extra dollar’s worth of capital is called the marginal product of capital. In ideal markets, it would be the INTEREST RATE.” Right: Preparing for Christmas at South Station. Under the chicken wire is a collection of milk crates from at least a dozen different dairies. They all warn the misuse will be prosecuted. An older lesson that I missed while doing the dishes although I have been beating the same drum for a while now‘
Occupy Wall Street: No Business as Usual
It was November 17. A number of us from Occupy Boston responded to the call from Occupy Wall Street. My affinity group arrived at Liberty[ Zuccotti] Park at 5:30 AM. The park had been mostly cleared. There were no tents. There were more police and sanitation workers than occupiers. We were able to get in […]
It was November 17. A number of us from Occupy Boston responded to the call from Occupy Wall Street. My affinity group arrived at Liberty[ Zuccotti] Park at 5:30 AM. The park had been mostly cleared. There were no tents. There were more police and sanitation workers than occupiers. We were able to get in at one very small opening lined by police. We didn’t stay in the park very long. As the early morning light filtered between the buildings, we joined the crowd gathering across the street on the east side of the park. Within minutes I was separated from my affinity group. After several circuits of the crowd. I crossed to the north side of the Park. I ran into a friend from the Mass Hall Occupation of 2001. She invited me to join her affinity group. I thought it was OK to use her name, but I see that another member of our affinity group Keith Gesson, kept her name out of his article in the New Yorker. And probably because he could not reach me for comment, he didn’t use my name either. I met Mark Rudd and didn’t know it. Have to get to Dewey for GA. Will have pictures, honest. -r
Occupy Harvard: History in and out of the Yard
A number of folks from Occupy Boston went down to Plymouth to join with the Native American community in their Day of Mourning. I didn’t go with them. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to sleep late. Rather, I felt my place was at Harvard1 Selamat datang, Sat sri akaal Flickr tells me that […]
A number of folks from Occupy Boston went down to Plymouth to join with the Native American community in their Day of Mourning. I didn’t go with them. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to sleep late. Rather, I felt my place was at Harvard1 Selamat datang, Sat sri akaal Flickr tells me that this how to greet people in Malaysian and Punjabi respectively. The thumbnail pictures are links to larger images hosted on Flickr. The world holds enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed. Folks at Occupy Boston gave Ghandi a floral wreath for the Thanksgiving/Day of Mourning holiday. The ranks of Occupy Harvard were swelled by the arrival of Romance Language faculty, family, and friends. A small sample of Romance Language faculty. They were quite good at mingling. I’m glad to see Harvard hasn’t squashed the romance out of their spirits. The spread on Thanksgiving/Day of Mourning brought by occupiers and supporters. There was more than one flavor of occu-pie. My apology to Dr. Allen Counter and family. They showed up with a heap of provisions. When Dr. Allen said smoked turkey, I kind of forgot to take pictures. It was greatly appreciated throughout the day and into the next day. We clearly heard him say it was from the administration. Some folks thought they had heard the President mentioned. I think we should assume the best and thank her. As John Miller, CEO of Intermetrics, Inc.2 pointed out, “Thank you’s are cheap.” Occupy Harvard encampment with the skeleton of the geodesic dome in the center. On the left Massachusetts Hall is in the backgound and on the right Harvard Hall. 1At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 2Intermetrics was a spinoff of the MIT Instrumentation Lab which specialized in missle guidance. I*2’s claim to fame was that they wrote the compiler for the Space Shuttle. I*2 is no longer in business. The Instrumentation Lab is now known as the Draper Lab.