October 1st, 2011 marked the start of #occupyLA, my first protest, and subsequently, my first Daily Kos diary.
Like many of the millennials (I'm 30), I became politically aware in 2008 with the election of President Obama. I made my first political contributions to his campaign and then grew disillusioned during his years in office. I was frustrated, but never motivated enough to actually DO something.
Then came #occupywallstreet.
I followed the Arab Spring in the news and when something similar happened in my own country I wanted to be a part of it because it felt like something I could relate to. For me, the #occupy movement is about a new generation fighting to take back a stolen future, and along the way, discovering that it's not just young people but a broad coalition of humanity who all believe the 1% have gone too far.
This whole movement feels so fresh and different. Here are the elements of #occupy that enticed me to get get involved.
1. Social Media. The movement's title alone has a hash mark in it, #occupywallstreet, and they'e using every conceivable method to get the word out: twitter, facebook, livestream, youtube and a catch-all website. The broad swath of internet platforms make the movement feel inclusive.
2. Media and Marketing This new generation of protesters is very media savvy. Who can deny the power of "we are the 99%" as a slogan? The livestream cuts to numerous camera angles during the big marches. That's the equivalent of a network technical director calling out shots in a control room during a football game. It's complicated stuff and this movement is doing it all for cheap, basically telling the MSM, "we do not need you."
3. Time and Space. This movement is smart in taking over two of humanity's most precious resources, time and space. I love that they're not organizing a single "million man march", but instead opting for a smaller operation at a single location over a long period of time. This ensures that the movement stays in the media spotlight during the entirety of their occupation.
4. Anonymous. I know very little about this loose-knit organization except that they wield some actual power through the threat of internet attacks. I like that their approach is non-violent and that they actually give the 1% something to be scared of. It gives the movement strength.
So all of these components of the #occupy movement got me fired up, except I couldn't fly out to New York because I'm one of the lucky few with a job. But I could take part in a local #occupy movement if it started up and I finally got my chance last week.
The Los Angeles occupation began October 1st, 2011. That morning, I bought supplies for the campers like vitamins, protein bars, Emergen-C and tea, then grabbed my camera and headed to Pershing Square in downtown.
The energy in the square was amazing and it was great to be surrounded by so many like-minded people. After a few rousing speeches and some words from the NLG about the police, we started off on our march to City Hall.
The air was electric and the cars honked and the passers-by gave us much love and support.
When we arrived at City Hall, the selected location for occupation, the most dedicated of the LA activists had set up a welcoming tent, a first-aid area, and prepared a schedule of events with a rally and speakers.
Toward evening, the numbers dwindled and a few hundred stayed behind to hold the first General Assembly and camp overnight. The GA was disorganized, tense at times, but full of passion. There were arguments over how aggressively to flout the law, where to setup tents, how much interaction to have with the cops, and how to better hear the minority voices in the crowd. As a first-time protester I was taken aback with the level of dissent between groups, but then grew excited at witnessing real democracy in action.
When I went to work on Monday, after spending much of the weekend at #occupyLA, none of my co-workers had heard of it or #occupywallstreet. It's now Friday and after a week of big news items, the whole office is talking about the movement. I stopped by #occupyLA to drop off more supplies yesterday and the size of the crowd and their infrastructure had grown; the place was abuzz with excitement and activity, and the protesters have gained a lot of support from the city council.
I think the #occupy movement is already a success for starting a national conversation, but now we have to finish the job and enact change. Please come out and support whenever you can. I'm so proud of my city and looking forward to getting out there again this weekend.