How to make a successful Occupation.

I didn't write this guide. I sincerely wish I had. I've read through it twice and I cannot find a single problem or issue he advocates or lays out that I don't feel like I agree with. One of the largest problems I have been noticing in several nights of watching feeds from several cities at once is that guidelines of conduct, organization and the general approach and manner of each location can and does vary RADICALLY from one place to the next. Perhaps, if others find this useful, some general cooperation and unification of various things between camps might help in gaining more public sympathy and support.

1 - Someone owns the square, perhaps it is run by a management company.

2- Dont block paths or pavements.

3 – If the location of the camp is also used as an event space do not interfere with events taking place in the square, as this will really piss off the management company.

6 – Be on the look out for infiltraitors and provocateurs, they will come from many different agencies and organisations, infact they will already be among us from the first meetings.

9 - The most important thing is positive public engagement.

Full Guide

The author says he's been in several extended occupation sites in Europe and has experience with problems and real world solutions to issues likely to be faced. He also goes into considerable detail in explaining his thinking and rationale for the points I quoted above and many more. A total of 14 and some detailed stories of personal experience in European city occupation camps.

I intend to form my opinion about personal involvement in the OWS movement after spending some time in more than one this weekend. However, the guide he put together is something I'm going to make several prints of and keep with me in going to the other events. It all made sense to me.

What say you all, ATS?

(I searched for this and couldn't find it. Forgive me if someone already posted it)

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

whats the point then
nothings going to change unless we take direct action

reply to post by ShortMemory

The way I see things, there are only two ways to make a revolution. The first one is a path that people like Che Gueverra and Ho Chi Minh chose. That had also, in my opnion, better be how far those who want that are willing to go with it. In America? That concept is so far into the category of the absurd as to not warrant further discussion in my opinion. It simply isn't the real world.

The other way is the colored revolutions across Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Empire. I watched those things on CNN as a current event when they happened. They worked. It wasn't direct action, if that means violence. There simply are ways that don't include that, and so far, this has been achieving it.

This is all just my thinking on the subject, of course, but change as a real tangible thing can ONLY come with widespread and sincere support from that 99% that aren't down there. The civil rights movement showed that large scale, coordinated and directed protest like this can work, but only if the protesters keep the high ground on behavior. The civil rights movement also showed how bad things can really get.....and not THAT much has changed.

Wow.. Tough crowd. I sincerely hope people dislike me and my ability to make a thread, and not the guide I found to present here. If the latter is the case, I'm really scared for the movement.

Everything the guy lays out in his few pages looks like an approach to handle the protests logically and without ending the whole thing tragically. At least, that's the case if Law Enforcement doesn't deliberately escalate.

However.... He'd gone into quite a bit about that too and how Law Enforcement and other groups actually have infiltrated places he'd been and what that looked like in actual behavior and result.

See everyone tomorrow or from a hot spot at the one I'd heading out to for the weekend. Best of luck to everyone and stay safe!