i'm sad to hear that people think the occupy london thing is becoming insular etc as well, because it was really positive to see how they linked up with the electricians and other stuff at the beginning ... hopefully this will change with the Nov 30 stuff and some of the major protests coming up? ld did you go to any of the camps and what were your impressions?
Morning
...Gonna answer you a bit more fully now FW.
The other stuff has not stopped, links are still being made, the outreach teams at both camps are actively contacting local organisations/community groups/centres etc and finding out how they can take the 'occupy' message/support/energy into local neighbourhoods etc.
For example; they are willing to help local communities in ways that are needed, whether that be to support a particualar campaign, right down to redecorating a community hall even..I think this is an important thing to be doing, and have decided to help out where possible with this outreach stuff. The cuts we have all talked about for so long will be biting even harder in the coming months....there will be a lack, the occupy camps want to do what they can to fill it.
The educational input is very interesting too. People are running lectures and/or offering to do so everyday. The 'academic' support is growing, many teachers, lecturers, students etc are visiting, actively engaging and planning to organise things in there colleges/universities.
Yes a lot of current attention is being focused towards the media shitstorm at St Pauls, that doesn't mean however that other things are not happening at the same time.
The camps are gaining lots of support and attention from the 'average' person on the street too...every day there are people wandering in during their lunch hour or after work for a chat and/or to drop of donations of food/essentials. They are also actively making suggestions also.
I hear more and more people on the street/bus/train etc talking about the occupy protest each day....whether they agree/understand fully or not, they are engaging with it.
Last night for example 3 young lads (14) came along. They asked me what was going on, I invited them in and introduced them to some of the info team, it turns out that the lads had came over from south london specifically to visit the camp and find out a few things and to talk about what is going on more generally with regard government policy/the cuts/the bankers etc. I thought it was amazing that they thought the the occupy camp would be a place where they could find answers and/or that at least people woulf discuss these things with them there.
Another visitor last night. An Egyptian corporate lawyer, said he was in Tahir Square, wanted to discuss the aims of the movement and offer suggestions to be put before the GA etc...
A few small examples of the little, yet significant things that happen daily.If you speak to anyone else that has visited the camps/is camping on either one etc you will hear of thousands of other instances of such things happening...all of those things are 'victories'.
All I ask is that people check out the camps themselves instead of sniping from the sidelines. If anyone thinks the Occupy movement is missing a trick, go down there and let them know, chances are someone/others will agree. The camps are not a closed cliquey group...they are open to all who want to engage, the residents and participators in the GAs are pretty fluid and ever changing. Everyone is welcome! This is the message the camps has been sending out from the very start, nothing has changed on this point.
I think the focus on 'waggly hands' is a deflection technique...a way of dismissing what is going on and justifying personal non-involvement.
I understand that not everyone can sleep out etc...there are multiple opportunities to participate on other levels/in different ways however.
Also, as you rightly pointed out, there are demos/protests coming up which the Occupiers will of course also be involved in.
