Occupy Boston - The Last Night of its First Incarnation at Dewey Square

I was invited to go down last night to lead a radical visions workshop. Here's how I described it: "Radical Visions: Anarchism, Socialism, Pacifism, Feminism, Multiculturalism, Environmentalism, Globalism (http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/radical-visions-anarchism-socialism-pacifism-feminism-multiculturalism-environmentalism-globalism) -- In this workshop we first briefly explore the slanders made against each of these philosophies of social change. I'll provide alternative definitions of each perspective which casts each, not as competitors, but as complementary tools which can help us re-create our world. We'll then break into smaller groups to imagine together what kind of economic, educational, environmental, cultural and social systems we might want to build."

The General Assembly (GA) had about 150 people in it when I got there about 10 pm. It was a diverse group, but Suren said there had been many more activists of color there the night before. There were few police, and they seemed relaxed, so it didn't seem that an eviction was imminent within minutes. On the other hand, garbage and recycling trucks would periodically show up during the 4 hours I was there, indicating they were at least trying to give the impression that the eviction was impending. I'm not surprised that they waited for a low point in attendance and did the eviction around 5 am.

After the GA, I wasn't sure if this workshop was what people were in the mood to talk about. A drum circle began, and hula-hooping dancers, and, as Katie pointed out, they had been standing around talking with each other for a few hours during the GA. But Katie and a few others there said that many people had been asking to talk about long term vision, and that we could just ask and see if folks were interested. So we did a mic-check announcement that it was about to begin, and I did a mic-check announcement that whatever the police decided to do, we would still work to create a better world, and that this was an opportunity to discuss the shape of the better world that we would work to create.

A group of initially about 20 people circled around. I started and someone began reading a poem by Shelley. My first impulse was to be annoyed: we start a workshop, and someone interrupts it with their favorite 19th century poet. What's with that? But then I listened closer, and it was wonderfully apropos. I found it online this morning. He read from "The Mask of Anarchy" - "And these words shall then become Like Oppression's thundered doom Ringing through each heart and brain, Heard again—again—again— "Rise like Lions after slumber In unvanquishable number— Shake your chains to earth like dew Which in sleep had fallen on you— Ye are many—they are few." from http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/21675

It was actually a beautiful introduction to the workshop, and a great verse to repeat today now that the eviction has cleared the Dewey Square occupation out -- for now. I'm glad I got a chance to experience Dewey Square in this incarnation of the Occupation before the eviction. I was heartened to hear components of a few people's visions and dreams. At it's height about 35 people were participating, and though it began to drizzle, the participants didn't want to stop. The discussions ranged from Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, to Joyce Trebilcot's proposed poly-androgyny as an ideal of flexible gender identities, to Pollan's writings about good food. I was pretty dazzled to be part of a circle of folks willing to earnestly discuss what an anarchist agricultural system might look like (the group chose to discuss visions of alternative agricultural systems) under a full moon in the rain in downtown Boston at 12:30 at night -- with eviction looming. By the time we wrapped up at about 1 am or so 15-20 were still talking.

Thanks, Katie, for arranging the talk, and I'm grateful to you also for reassuring me that some folks really might want to participate, and for helping to motivate those folks to gather 'round. I hope you're safe this morning - and I hope everyone else is too.

In solidarity with the 40some folks who were arrested in Boston last night, and in appreciation of all the hard work that went in to maintaining and developing the Occupy Boston community over the course of the last several months, and with the folks around the world who are struggling against domination, exploitation, and violence of all kinds,

In Peace, Sam