It will shortly have been five years since tents first appeared on Oscar Grant Plaza on Oct 10th 2011; almost five years since OPD turned downtown Oakland into a war zone on the 25th of October.
Since then farms and Post Offices have been Occupied, freeways, bridges and City Council meetings taken over. Battles have been lost and won, while, arguably, the hurly-burly continues unabated.
Many themes Occupy called attention to — including student debt, massive economic inequality and police violence — have risen to the front pages of newspapers and into our consciousness, if only we can ignore the sex tapes.
But has anything changed?
If you are in the Bay Area, come to 'Beyond Occupy - Five Years Hence' at 6:00 PM on October 8th in downtown Oakland to reminisce about the past, debate the present and discuss what the next five years will bring.
Beyond Occupy, in the Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th & Broadway (like, where else?) will be an art and photography show with music and speakers, celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Occupy Movement, highlighting its achievements and the work that has continued since the heady days of October and November, 2011.
It has been organized primarily by Kelly Johnson, a professional photographer who spent many of her spare hours shooting Occupy and other Activist events around the Bay, with aid from many associated with Occupy Oakland and Occupy San Francisco.