This is going to be short and sweet and is not the world's most important diary in many ways, but I've noticed that there's a lot of stuff going onto the public record inaccurately about Occupy DC, when a group from Stop The Machine now infamously tried to protest at the Air & Space Museum in DC, which was subsequently infiltrated in an almost painful comedy of errors by a right-wing hack journalist named Patrick Howley. The story has been picked up widely.
Yet Occupy DC has vigorously been trying to set the record straight about their non-involvement in that action.
In fact, they were marching to the White House at that time.
They even put out a press release trying to distinguish themselves from the Air & Space protesters, who are a group of what might be called "career activists." Not that there is anything wrong with career activism. Still, it's not the heart of what the Occupy Movement is about; the movement is about involving people who are new to the game, who aren't protesters, but who are creating a new paradigm for involving the public in political participation.
Here is a published reference to their press release:
Occupy D.C., based out of McPherson Square, released a press statement to the media and “Whoever it May Concern” noting several errors in recent reporting regarding the two sympathetic but separate activist groups. The group, which was inspired by the larger Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City, noted that they “stand in solidarity” with Stop the Machine, but that they do not officially endorse them.
You can see their concern very clearly in the repeat twitters from one of their media relations people here:
http://twitter.com/...
Ashley Lowe
@Ashplowe Ashley Lowe
@
@HstreetDC Please correct for your followers. #OccupyDC does not condone the storming of museums. www.occupydc.org Thanks!
You can follow her saying the same thing for a few dozen twitters now.
The group, Occupy DC, itself has addressed the widely publicized article on this here:
http://twitter.com/...
in reply to @cgrapski ↑
Occupy Washington DC
@Occupy_DC Occupy Washington DC
@
@cgrapski That's Stop the Machine- not #occupydc. We are a peaceful movement.
Charles did a fine job on reporting about a tragic incident of inappropriate police brutality, and he deserves strong credit as well for breaking open the agent provocateur situation. But let's be careful to abide by the wishes of the movement itself, who is saying very clearly that...
while they may stand in solidarity with...
the other group...
called Stop the Machine...
A group which apologized for "co-opting" the Occupy DC name out of "ego" (the Twitter's have been removed but other tweets still reference this)...
Nonetheless let us note...
That Occupy DC...
Has put out a press release trying to clarify...
That the two groups aren't the same...
and that they are a "nonviolent group" who doesn't support "storming" the Air & Space Museum.
In my view, I think that we can respect their wishes, and the wishes of 99%'ers, and be careful about those who would, and who will, co-opt this movement, willingly or simply because it presents a fantastic opportunity to speak out. And certainly, one can only see the connections between economic injustice in this country and our military expenditures. So it's no surprise then that this miscommunication has happened. Moreover, in an open movement which represents a direct Democracy, one cannot say "You're in" or "You're out." It goes against the very spirit of the thing. And yet there seems to be some unanimous confusion about this whole matter.
So this diary is an attempt to put on record a few points of clarification.
Enjoy your occupation.
I'm going to go occupy my shower now and then occupy the local cafe.
In full Solidarity with the Movement and with the greatest respect.
And in case anyone thinks, well why does this matter? Really? Is this diary worthy? My answer to that is as the story this morning with Howley showed, we can learn a lot as a movement. And we have a lot to still learn and will go through growing pains for a while. I'd like to see this movement blossom organically with the voices of the 99% shining through fresh and new.
Now that you're done, do me a favor and go read a real, well-written diary. This is just a hasty public service announcement.
Wasn't supposed to be "deleted" just unpublished... for corrections. Sorry! I had the text saved so am REPUBLISHING again. Glitchy stuff. My apologies.