For those who don't know this past week things have clearly heated up at the Los Angeles Occupiers Camp, which is essentially the largest of any such camp in the nation - and so far had been one of the most peaceful.
That is rapidly changing.
When I visited the Camp on Monday, they had just received a written offer from representatives of the city to relocate to an Underground Office space about 300 yards away. Over the next two days they considered the pro and many cons of that offer - some of which I describe here.
Yesterday the City rescinded it's offer, and notified OLA that they would be evicted within 72 Hours, OLA has now responded with a Counter-Offer which takes nothing for themselves, and everything for the People.
Also they were visited by Deepak Choprah last night, who told them they needed to focus on "Love In Action". If you act in "Outrage", you are still acting in "Rage". He also told them if you are evict here, move to a new space and Occupy there. If you are evicted again, Move Again. They can't not stop you, they can only move you.
This advice may have had an impact on the decisions of the General Assembly which ultimately were as follows:
As a collective, Occupy Los Angeles would like to express their rejection of the City of Los Angeles’ alleged proposal that we leave City Hall by November 28th, 2011, in exchange for an apparently now rescinded offer of a 10,000 square foot building, farmland and 100 SRO beds for the homeless.
Occupy Los Angeles believes that as part of a global movement advocating direct, participatory democracy, and challenging economic and social injustices, our position is such that we cannot, in all good faith, accept further material benefit from City Hall at the taxpayer’s expense without seriously compromising our beliefs, our desire for global change, and our commitment to our inherent human rights to free speech and assembly protected in this country by First Amendment Rights. The 1 percent should be paying for any services used by the Occupy Movement, not taxpayers.
I gotta say that's brave. I'm not sure it's strategically wise to go All In like this, but then again - it shows the level of commitment and integrity that has been the hallmark of this movement.
Furthermore they Officially Rejected the Cities Offer:
We reject outright the City’s attempts to lure us out of City Hall and into negotiations by offering us nebulous, non-transparent and unconfirmed offers which fail to even begin to address our local grievances. We will continue to occupy this space, in solidarity with our global movement, until the forces of the few are forced to capitulate to the power of the people.
When the following grievances have been addressed – grievances which we have agreed upon as a movement through our General Assembly as advancing our cause and providing for the people of Los Angeles – we as a movement will be happy to initiate dialogue with the Mayor and Los Angeles City Council. An office space of 10,000 square feet would not have addressed these grievances.
Ok, so what would are their grievances? They spelled them out Chapter and Verse.
GRIEVANCES NOT ADDRESSED
- A moratorium on all foreclosures in the City of Los Angeles. The City of Los Angeles to divest from all major banks, and money to be removed from politics.
- A citywide effort undertaken to solve the homelessness problem which has led to 18,000 homeless people sleeping on Skid Row every night. Rehabilitation and housing must be provided for all homeless people.
- South Central Farm to be returned to the same LA community from which it was taken, and all other vacant and distressed land be open for the community use, and money to the tune of 1 million dollars – taken from Skid Row and given to the multi million dollar NFL firm – to be returned to Skid Row.
- Los Angeles to be declared a sanctuary city for the undocumented, deportations to be discontinued and cooperation with immigration authorities be ended – including the turning in of arrestees’ names to immigration authorities.
- All forms of weaponry used by multiple law enforcement officials – including, but not limited, to rubber bullets, pepper spray, verbal abuse, arrest, foam batons, long-range acoustic devices and more – are not to be used on those exercising their First Amendment Rights to petition our government for redress of grievances. We do not accept interference with freedom of the press and the public to document police actions in public spaces. We will not tolerate brutality.
- We assert our right to an open plaza on the South Side of City Hall for people to peacefully assemble, voice grievances, speak freely, hold our General Assembly and come to the people’s consensus 24 hours a day if needed.
- The City of Los Angeles to pressure the State to start a convention, as provided for in the Constitution, to remove corporate personhood and money from politics at a national level.
- The City of Los Angeles to begin a dialogue at the State and Federal level on the issues of student debt and tuition hikes.
- No cutbacks in city services or attacks on the wages, work conditions and pensions of city employees.
- A world class transit system which addresses our debilitating traffic problem and restores the quality of life in Los Angeles.
There you have it, the battle lines have been set - as has the date of the conflict.
Vyan
11:30 AM PT: For perspective, it's instructive to read the last set of Meeting Notes from Liason with the city
Matt – just came from meeting w/ boss, clear difficulties. We cannot refer to these as negotiations. This is a new situation. We’re trying to work together to best manage this for the city. We are working to secure your first amendment rights, but acknowledge that city hall park is an unsustainable situation
The decision-making and governing process is cumbersome
The mayor WILL CLOSE THE PARK NEXT WEEK
I do not know when that will be, but you will receive notice
The mayor will announce today that we will be making available at least 50, but as many will be required, homeless shelter beds
We’ll continue to be as open and honest as we can possibly be
Difficulty: we wanted to move this forward in a productive way… the issue of whether or not the park is open or closed is NOT A NEGOTIATION
The city has a right to close the park
Some would argue there is a responsibility to enforce the closing
All the issues we’ve been discussing are still on the table, but the closing of the park WILL HAPPEN
OLA – this is almost tantamount to a declaration of war
I understand where you’re coming from, but a hard and fast deadline does not allow for a process where we can really discuss this
THIS IS THE CITY’S FAULT
We will remain nonviolent
Talked w/ SEIU, their message is that an injury to OLA is an injury to SEIU
If something happens to us, something will happen in the streets
We appreciate that the mayor will open up 100 beds
I see no reason to continue this meeting
I would suggest having another dialogue on Monday… let’s cool off, because frankly I’m upset
I don’t like to discuss with a gun to my head
Also OLA is Confront Police in the Streets RIGHT NOW Previously Recorded on Livestream in front of the LA World Trade Center Building on 4th and Figeuroa.
http://www.livestream.com/....
12:13 PM PT:
Here's a fairly telling and interesting quote documented by LA Times reporter Kate Linthicum, whom I met at the Camp on Monday.
City Councilman Ed Reyes acknowledged that unions hold considerable sway. "We do listen to the unions, because unions make up a large part of our constituency," he said. But he said city officials also are sympathetic to the grievances of the Occupy movement because many residents here have been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis.
The council endorsed the protest early on and some members, including Councilman Richard Alarcon, have spoken out strongly in support of it.
But Councilman Bernard C. Parks said Tuesday that he is "concerned with the precedent it sets." Other protesters in the future could employ tactics similar to the Occupy group — and expect to win similar favors from the city. "With the next group of protesters that comes in, do you up the ante?" he said.
He said he wondered whether lawmakers would be equally tolerant if anti-abortion protesters or a Neo-Nazi group set up camp outside City Hall.
He's equating the 99%ers with Anti-Abortionist and Neo-Nazis? Good God Man! I know Park's is a former Deputy Chief from the LAPD but the lack of perspective is astounding. First of all, if Anti-Abortionist or someone like say, Westboro Baptist Church were to show up on the City Hall Lawn, there would be a Significant Counter Protest which would establish an equalibrium to the pressure they would be applying to the city. Certainly the same would be true of a Neo-Nazi Rally. The thing is there is no significant counter protest to the Occupy Movement -- only the backdoor, behind the scene machinations of monied interests pulling the strings of lawmakers who are beholden to them for campaign funds.
Lawmakers like you Bernie, and all of us know it. Try not to pretend we don't.