After the recent nationwide string of evictions, maybe it's time for Occupiers to change tactics. Instead of being visible by virtue of being chased out of downtown parks by police, perhaps they could look for ways to be visible in the neighborhoods where regular people live, work, and shop.
I took the train to downtown Denver last Saturday night after the police had cleared the campers out of the park. The lines of cops wearing black riot gear were reminiscent of Seattle during the WTO demonstrations, but this time many of them were holding rifles (designed for rubber bullets, I think.) A group of about 150 protesters who had not been arrested were marching around the downtown shopping areas, peacefully but not quietly.
What was fascinating to me at that point was the response of all the other people downtown, or rather the lack of response. I was very curious to see whether the presence of the protesters, who had just gone through an ordeal involving rubber bullets, tear gas, and the theft of their camping gear, would inspire any gestures of support. But nearly all of the members of the general public whom I saw merely carried on their activities and conversations as if the protesters weren’t there.
Downtown Denver, especially on a weekend night, is a place where people who have money go to spend money. That night, the occupiers really didn’t manage to be seen by many of the people who are hurting in this economy. The park where they were camping is relatively isolated from where people congregate outside of business hours, and the news reporters didn’t tell a very accurate story about what really happened when the police cleared the campers out under cover of darkness.
After the recent nationwide string of evictions, maybe it's time for Occupiers to change tactics. Instead of being visible by virtue of being chased out of downtown parks by police, perhaps they could look for ways to be more visible in the neighborhoods where regular people live, work, and shop. Instead of putting energy into defending encampments, put it into connecting with potential new supporters.
In every community, there are thousands of people who support the Occupiers in a peripheral way – i.e., they agree with the message, but aren't ready to stand on the sidewalk holding a sign or stay overnight. Those peripheral supporters might give a drive by "support honk" from their car, but that's about the extent of their engagement. Getting out into the neighborhoods and interacting with people can change that. A band of 100 Occupiers can be very visible in a downtown park during the hours when there are lots of people downtown (i.e., during the daytime, on weekdays), but they can be even more visible if they're working neighborhoods in ten packs of ten. In addition, shifting to a method that doesn't involve a permanent base camp makes it much more difficult for authorities to crack down on the Occupiers' activities.
Also in every community, there are thousands of people who just "don't get it." They might be supportive if they understood what the Occupiers are doing, and why. The best way to bring them to that point of "getting it" is to communicate with them.
A few ways that this could go are suggested below. Perhaps others could use this thread to come up with additional ideas and refine some approaches.
1) Support local businesses: Pick some national chain businesses (especially branches of big-name banks, grocery stores, retail stores) and let customers know about some of the great locally-owned alternatives that are just around the corner. Drive business to the local shops, and make it clear that you're doing so in support of THAT neighborhood.
2) Organize downtown rallies to happen during weekday lunch hours, not on weekends. Be seen by more working people.
3) Have contingents of people seek to meet with local community organizations, unions, church groups, etc. Make it clear that you're interested in talking with them because people in the mayors' offices, the board rooms, and the legislatures have chosen to ignore what the Occupiers have to say.
4) Occupy medical insurance companies. Or, in a more subdued (and polite!) way, occupy the waiting rooms of local primary-care medical facilities. Make it clear that there are people who need primary care but don't have access to it.
4) ... add your ideas here ...
And whatever you do, do it in a way that maximizes visibility and positive contact with people.