Occupy Oakland - I am there right now...

I found myself with an unusual day off in the middle of the week and decided to head on up to see what Occupy Oakland is all about in the aftermath of the tear gas attack.

What I found is a blossoming social community that is staunch in its' efforts to continue te Occupy movement and a revamped 'tent city'...with many people from all different walks of life co-existing just fine.

I talked to several people and wandered the premises (am currently at the library a few blocks away to charge my laptop) and decided to repay their kindness by jumping in to do their dishes for an hour. While the conditions are a far cry from being the best, I did discover that the kitchen was given a rating of "B+" from the health inspector and in even further unreported news, their water has been shut off...which is mildly concerning as they are just repairing their kitchen and the flow of duty as it were.

One of the guys I met has been nicknamed "Nick at Night". He is a war vette who has been homeless for several years. He has taken it upon himself to insure that there is a communal tobacco spot for the Occupiers...making money to buy said tobacco from recycling efforts. He was also one of the guys hit in the infamous tear gas raid...



He took the bean bag (he missed the tear gas) and placed it in a hand sanitizer bottle, hooked it up to his cap and wears it as a badge of honour...he was also wearing the pants that took a grazed tear gas hit (green stain to prove it, not a grass stain as there are green stains all over the sidewalk).

All in all a cool guy.

I dropped off a small donation to help with his tobacco sharing and passed on a couple of smokes of my own while I was talking to him when people came up to get them from him...which lead me to meeting James...a dishwasher for Occupy Oakland for the last week. I figured if I was going to be there getting stories and pictures for ATS that I might as well help out in some small way...so I volunteered my services at the dish washing station for an hour. They needed the help and it was fun...giving me a chance to mingle further with other Occupiers...all good people. And as I said...they turned off their water so as soon as this thing charges, I am heading back out to talk some more and picture take...hopefully their water has been turned back on...I leave for now with a few pics...

Living the communist dream? To each according to their ability, to those according to their needs?

Just saying

Thanks for the pics

S&F

Not so much communist as it is just helping eachother out
Why does 'helping eachother out' and keeping things in working order classify as communism to some people?
Its not communist to care for others and others well being..

Good pictures, glad ATS here has some first hand information about #occupy, instead of the lies they are fed through the news sources which peg the ants getting killed on ows.

reply to post by MemoryShock


Thank you for sharing about (Occupy Oakland).....it is good to hear what is happening in other cities. I have enjoyed the photos too.

reply to post by MemoryShock


what do people do all day??? just sit around???

Originally posted by camaro68ss
reply to post by MemoryShock

 

what do people do all day??? just sit around???

Not even close...it is more like watching a society grow. Lots of meetings, concerns about day to day living and then the usual social drama...Though I do think that they are trying to accomplish to much to fast. One of the items on the docket is too start (legally and financially) occupying foreclosed buildings...

This thing is evolving...

Originally posted by camaro68ss
Living the communist dream? To each according to their ability, to those according to their needs?

Just saying

Thanks for the pics

S&F

edit on 9-11-2011 by camaro68ss because: (no reason given)

I prefer to get out there and experience the world when I get a chance...spouting ideologicalisms was never my style.

You never know what you can learn from a different perspective...just sayin'

Excellent job. One way to get a real feel for what it is like is to subscribe to any of a multitude of Occupy movements and supporters on Twitter. It is amazing to see the wealth of data constantly being updated, actual current events in the growing power of people united in thoughts, needs, concerns, ethics, and technology.

Following many helps one grasp the nature of the movements in a way like no other. It can't even get to mainstream fast enough to be spun, lol. You see it first. You hear what Occupiers are talking about, for yourself and make an informed citizen of yourself at the same time. There is so much expertise in the American public that has been told it is not worth much, but your fellow Americans embrace it in each other, and it is being used for the good of as many as possible. Freely. Not slaved out for a pittance for one more corporation that has no loyalty, no value for human beings' worth, their time, their quality of life, or what they deserve.

Your neighbors, fellow Americans and others similar to yourself, give it freely, and endure cold and lack to push forward and stand on the ground our forebears and countless military died to ensure.

This is what the battle looks like now, civility and intelligence, capable, civic-minded people uniting across every division that has been drawn to herd us and keep us separated and weak.

Some needs are common to all, and that is where both unity and strength lie.

Looks like a bunch of homeless people to me.

reply to post by Carseller4
Because they aren't at home but at an Occupy event, or the fact that they are staying in tents? Just fyi, OWS events don't happen at home.

To the OP, as a former resident of Oakland, CA, thanks for allowing me to have a closer look at what's going on there recently... Those taking part in this who have managed to (and hopefully will continue to) remain peaceful and law abiding throughout have my utmost support. In a way I am not surprised to see Oakland as one of the big participants in this.

At the same time I could see Oakland being one of the first cities to take this whole OWS movement to the next level, so hopefully some good leadership takes hold from within it.

The trouble with Oakland is why I showed up to take a look.

FYI...they have turned the water off. Not sure when other pics and videos will be uploaded as I am trying to gain attention to this right now in hopes that the water is turned back on soon...for the kitchen...-Sighs-

Hey!
Cool to see you're in the area too.
I was there around 3pm today.
I stopped by to drop off some food and other donations.
I walked in the food tent to drop off a bag around 3:30ish. Were you one of the guys in there around that time?

I've been coming almost everyday for the past 3 1/2 weeks now, but in the past like half week, I'm
beginning to see a lot of negative things sprout. I don't know if you've been there as often as me and noticed this also, but lately I am seeing more and more people constantly arguing, more and more people causing trouble and getting kicked out, sanitation getting worse and worse, etc...
I had a lot of fun in the prior weeks coming and watching everyone get along... but now things have been changing...
Participating in all the marches will be something i'll never forget though. Fun times

Nothing to say about the rampant drug use? Were you raped? I hear rape is a huge problem? How many fist fights were there? How often were people in suits or business owners being harassed?

Not much negativity to post from a first hand view of OWS? I guess that means this thread will be missing comments from some of ATS's top posters.

reply to post by AzureSky


Because for some people, basic human empathy is a totally alien concept. Acting in the interest of others is something they cannot comprehend. Even less so if acting on behalf of others puts you at a loss of some sort. They don't understand - and possibly can't understand - the satisfaction and happiness that can arise from being of assistance to one's fellow human beings. For these people, totally isolationist self-interest is the only understandable force in the universe.

Medically they're called sociopaths.

Here is the difference between communism\socialism and what the Occupiers are taking part in.


Governments take your money and spread it evenly in the name of being humane to society.

The People "without government" keep the money they make and help people out when they need help.

Socialism\Communism only exists when the government is in control of "human rights".

Originally posted by camaro68ss
Living the communist dream? To each according to their ability, to those according to their needs?

Just saying

Thanks for the pics

S&F

edit on 9-11-2011 by camaro68ss because: (no reason given)

what do you do when you go camping with friends, do you all charge for your services? Do you pay the guy that cooks the breakfast for your meal? Does the person who cleans the pots charge a fee? Does the friend who collects the wood charge for his time?

I don't want to live in a world where every human interaction requires a financial transaction.

reply to post by TheWalkingFox

Because for some people, basic human empathy is a totally alien concept. Acting in the interest of others is something they cannot comprehend

This coming from someone who ruthlessly attacks other people who have different view points than his own?

Interesting statement, maybe you should start practicing what you preach.......


OP interesting Pictures and insight to that area............my issue with one of the points on their "docket" was the living in foreclosed buildings item.............Isnt that called squatting? To me this just shows that this is moving into something totally unrelated to the protest, and more about homeless people occupying places they have no right to....

One does not make a situation better by continuing to foster the activities that keeps them in their current position

reply to post by ManBehindTheMask


There are thousands of empty houses in the US and thousands of homeless people. That just goes to show the madness of the system we live in. If you don't have enough money you have to sleep on the streets, even though there are perfectly good houses to live in which remain empty. It makes more sense in this system to let humans sleep outside in the freezing cold as it does to let those people sleep with four walls and a roof.

in my country they also are now occupying empty buildings
the police didnt even do anything about it to
nice thread

Originally posted by camaro68ss
Living the communist dream? To each according to their ability, to those according to their needs?

Just saying

Thanks for the pics

S&F

edit on 9-11-2011 by camaro68ss because: (no reason given)

Erm, communism is the government owns everything. The U.S. is a republic ruled by the rich and we have an Aristocracy disguised as Democracy.

The Founder Fathers are rolling in their graves. Once you have an Aristocracy a Monarchy isn't too far behind.