A Way To Home

Occupy Bristol 14th October

2011-10-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow at 12pm in Bristol and in cities around the world people will assembly in a central location and attempt to live there for an indefinite period of time. They are doing this because they want to see a change in the current process of the democratic system of government. To make them more accesable and accountable. Inspired by the protest camps that created revolutions across the Arab world, the Spanish 'indigados' movemnent and more recently the occupation of Wall Street; this form of direct action aims to create a liminal space through co operation in order to develop a style political discourse that is truly open to all members of society; uniting people who for whatever reason feel they can no longer continue to acquiesce to the current systems and practices of political organisation.
It is certainly idealistic for only in this kind of communal space can ideals be heard. But here in England it has has been a long time since people have open and honestly expressed these ideals in a public forum. Skepticism is an invaluable tool in politics but we must bear in mind the skeptic is very different to the cynic and I fear it will be cynicism often in the guise of humour that could present the biggest threat to this burgeoning movement. Forget the cops, kill the cynic in your head. This is not to say that we shouldn't be reflective about all the possible criticisms that might be levelled against the camp. It will only be through a self organising critical process that this kind of action will find sympathy a much wider section of society. To be more pervasive than cynicism itself.
I first heard about all this two weeks I was told that the M15 movment which evolved out of the acamapadas in cities across Spain this year made a call out for people to 'toma la plaza' on 15th October. A few days later I discovered, through the internet, the occupy Wall Street camp. I checked out there website and they have this wonderful interactive map where you can co-ordinate meetings. I didn't see any in Bristol so i thought I'd set one up for Thursday night to see if anyone was interested in talking about this at least. About five people joined and then someone left a message with a link to the occupy Bristol facebook page. It seems that over the last few days this page has received more and more attention. Not just willing supporters and attendees but the police and the media. It's happening. But what is going happen and how?
I don't know exactly but there will be a meeting. A long meeting and everyone's invited. This will be called the general assembly. The question will be how the process of this assembly will be facilitated and by who. The content or agenda of the meeting will have to be decided by the assembly itself. I'm guessing that the practical concerns of the camp will be a priority but who knows. We'll see tomorrow.
So let's think about some of the possible criticisms and how they might be answered.
First; this is a copy and paste protest. The Spainish did it first it it was them who propose the date for this action and people are only interested now because of the occupy Wall Street camp going on at the moment. Well we could say that this Bristol camp might not necessarily be in complete agreement with these other camps, it depends on the people of Bristol. The camp is just the structure the content is created by those involved. If you think it's a good idea then forget the Spanish, forget the Americans and besides we did it in London first last year with Democracy village in Parliament Square(resulting in parliament square being completely fenced off ever since). We must also remember that this action supports those in other countries that are also taking to the centre of their cities. It's an act of solidarity.
I mentioned London. There is going to be a camp outside the stock exchange. So why do we need one here in Bristol? That's where all the action will be and we'll all just be looking to London to set the agenda and make the proposals. London is another a city with its own problems. They have a slightly different challenge on there hands as do Manchester, Liverpool, Belfast, Paris, Berlin, Los Angeles. What are the difficulties we face here in Bristol? How can we overcome them?
This is a bunch of unemployed white middle class whingers with nothing better to do than cause trouble and make a scene. The question of class is still a big problem in the UK. Mostly because people still cling to it in order to define others. Is this a class issue? Only if you want it to be.
This is merely an expression of a left wing sub culture that seeks to impose its values on the rest of society. under the guise of accessibility and equality they have the audacity to presume they can represent 'the people'. Fucking hippies. There might be something to this. But lets not be too cynical. Will we see the wavy jazz hands tomorrow? Can we come to a consensus? Will the English masses have a few more hand signals to add to the assembly. We'll see.

Acampada de Puerta Del Sol

2011-06-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

On Sunday evening 29th May at around 8pm over 3000 people gathered in Puerta del sol for a general assembly. These assemblies are held every evening but this evening the assembly was to decide whether the camp was to remain in this the most central plaza in all of Spain or would it be disbanded and if so on what conditions. From the beginning of this movement the call for participatory democracy and non hierarchical methods of organisation have been diligently adhered to throughout the development of the camp.[1] This poses many challenges to an assembly of this size but it is the very process of over coming these difficulties that is most inspiring aspect of the protest. These assemblies more than anything are facilitating this process of transforming public debate. All participants are asked to be conscious that the development of these popular assemblies should be peaceful, respecting all views and leaving prejudices and ideologies aside. A meeting should not focus on ideological discourse but rather on practical matters of what needs to be done and how it will be carried out. This idea of collective thinking in order to reach a consensus is radically different to the shade of democracy of this current political system. It is the indignation over the corruption, prevailing sense of powerlessness and lack of accessibility in the current democratic process that bought people onto the streets of Madrid before the election two weeks ago. And now there is a community within the city that is co-operatively organising a response to every aspect of their day to day concerns. And these concerns are not just limited to the camp itself, or the city, or even only the country of Spain; the acampada has a truly global perspective on what it understands as the system.

There were three main issues to be presented to the assembly. First what conditions would have to be met if they were to leave Puerto del Sol. Second was a question concerning an issue about the process of the assemblies with respect to those individuals who continuously ‘block’ a resolution. And thirdly there is an ongoing tension within the movement is on what points or demands can they all agree on, some calling for at least four points that would clearly define the movement.

For many one of the most novel aspects of this movement is the manner in which these meetings and assemblies attempt to reach a consensus. Everyone is able to express themselves at any time during the assembly through a system of hand gestures (one of the chants is “estos son mi armas” while waving hands). If you agree wave the palms of your hands, if you disagree cross your forearms with clenched fists, if you think a speaker returning to a point already discussed you can revolve you hand in a cyclical motion signalling change; and to call for a speaker to draw their speech an end with arms outstretched join the palms of your hands above your head. This methods allows everyone to gauge the feeling and progression of the assembly but not least the moderator of the meeting. There is no chairman or secretary or any other officially appointed leader but the assembly is moderated and facilitated. Moderators are rotated during the meeting and are supported by a number facilitators in charge of helping the person moderating to synthesize and reformulate the proposals in an objective and impartial manner.[2] The diagram in figure 1 below shows how Sunday's assembly was structured.

Before the points of discussion are presented to the assembly there is a chance for each of the commissions and work groups to report to the assembly. The commissions are concerned with the day to day running of the camp whereas the work groups are there to provide a forum to take opinions and proposals from the public and articulate this to the assembly. Each commission has set up a stand within the camp, some commissions have more than one in order to engage more effectively with the flow people constantly moving through the camp. For example when you enter the camp from Calle de Las Carretas you will come to the information commission on your left. They have maps and leaflets explaining the organisation of the camp and some basic information about why they are here. Next to them is infrastructure with materials for building the makeshift stalls and stands of the camp. It is here that you can report to if you want to help with the maintainance and cleaning. If you continue and take a right around the fountain you’ll find the majority of the work groups along with the music commission and environment commission. Opposite them is the extension commission. Between the work groups the central statue there is the largest of three alimentations; kitchens constantly prerparing food and drink (water and juice only) that have been donated to the camp. Around the statue there is also a library with now over 1000 donated books catalogued and shelved and further on two creative art spaces with people participating in the design of banners and sculptures. The central statue is also home to the generator and PA system keeping the camp updated with news and calls for assistance from the various commissions. From here camp goes on and on with stalls and spaces as sites for the comssions and work groups all surrounded by tents. Here is a list of the commissons and work groups.

The work groups:

Economy

Political

Architecture and public space

Social and Immigration

Science and technology

Feminism

Sanitation

Environment

Thought

The commissions:

Library

Childcare

Health

Infrastructure

Food

Legal

Art

Documentation

Hacksol – Internet logistics

Proposals

Extension

Participants

Analysis

Internal Co ordination

Communication

Respect

So the assembly began with an announcement of proposals and issues from the commssiones and the work groups, intermittently interrupted by reports from camp Paris (the police had surrounded the square in bastille and were moving in). These reports were met with chants and cheers of support and solidarity with the camp in Paris. Later on a protesters gathered outside the French embassy to hold a minute silence . This practice spontaneously arose on the 22^nd, the day before the election, when there was a possibility that the authorities were going to try and remove the camp on the pretext that the day before an election is traditionally a day of reflection and all campaigning ceases on all sides. But of course the camp had made no claim to any campaign or political affiliation; for many here it was the whole inadequency of the whole electoral system that had bought here to Puerta del Sol. And so as a symbolic gesture of appeasement it was suggested that a minute of silence to be observed in reflection of the state democracy, for some out of respect for the death of democracy. On Saturday's assembly the question was raised over why the minute of silence hadn't been observed for previous two days. A few people gave there opinion all in favour of the continuation of this practice and after a unanimous wave of hands the motion was carried forward.

And so after the announcements from the commissions and work groups and before the first question was proposed to the assembly a minute of silence was observe with people raising their hands above their heads. The silence was followed by a round of applause and then the first issue was handed to the assembly. Should we stay for just one more week? Not a popular idea. Should we call for the camp to remain indefinitely? A more positive response. If so on what conditions would have to be met if the camp were to be finally disbanded? If the camp was to remain then there are several issues with regard to the infrastructure some of which had just been raised by the commissions and work groups. Five people had asked to speak and they were heard. One speaker, an older man from the Basque country had after a few words of praise for what he saw here as an unpresidented situation for genuine change and called for the camp to consolidate into a political party. Instantly crossed wrists and clenched fists were raised along with groans and whistles. But he was heard out with respect.

Before an they attempted to reach a consensus and in response to the second issue it was suggested that after a proposal the people take a few minutes to talk to others around them and form a consensus before the whole assembly respond. As one person can in veto a proposal it happened that many assemblies were impeded by just one individual. By calling them to express their grievances to their immediate companions before they block the proposal the thinking is that they can come to a compromise to offer to the assembly upon blocking the decision. And of course if someone is blocking merely to be disruptive it may be harder for them to genuinely express the reason for there disagreement to their peers. Who knows? It’s a working solution.

The assembly went on well into the night. It was agreed that the camp had to remain as it was the principle symbol of the acampada movement not only in the other cities in spain but in other cities around Europe. But the camp needed restructuring and a greater share of the responsibilities in the continuous presence required to hold the space was called for.

As for the question of the four points and understanding is emerging within the movement of the most important and prescient issues. However there is a question of whether they even need a list of demands that would define the movement. It seems that these general issues are being addressed in more detail by the working groups. Of course as this continues a form of manifesto will inevitably emerge. But there is a question as to whether the formation of political party would be the most effective way to act upon these proposals. Its telling to the point of absurdity that no politician from any party has come her to address the assembly. When I ask people why this could be they say with a look of disbelief, “well, they must be afraid”. It is perhaps this lack of defined boundaries so at odd with party politics that is leaving not only the politicians but the media as well completely clueless as to how to respond and interpret these events. Everyone is welcome in this process of consensus but with so much diversity of opinion there are many difficulties and it takes time, patience, trust and respect. For the time being at least all those who have taken the opportunity to take part in the assemblies are learning the skills and values needed to actively listen, to understand one another and co operate to come a consensus of how to take the responsibility of your own future into your own hands.

The next morning is was in a cafe in Oporto and on the television in the cornet there was a report on a national breakfast tv show about the acampada. The headline read, "Los organizadores de la protesta han decidido quedarse"(the organisors of the protest decide to stay). I pointed it out to my friend Jacobo who’d been involved in the movemnet since the 15^th May. "Los organizadores?” he said shaken his head, “no tienen ni idea!”. The revolution will not be televised.

Diagram of the assemblies structure(sorry, I used arrows to make a diagram in a word document but it won't copy. Basically everything feeds into M the moderator):

T

T CT T

I M I

M1 M2

F F F F F F

A1 A2

T - Turnos De Parablas ( Turn to speak of anyone in the assembly just put your hand up)

CT – Co-ordinator of the Turnos de parablas

M – Moderator

I – Interpretors

M1 / M2 – Suplimentary moderators

CF – Co ordinator of the Facilitators

F – Facilitators

A1 – Tomador actas escrita

A2 – Tomador actas informatador

[1] There was concern early on that the communication commission whose task it is to co ordinate the response with the media were beginning to take decision that had not been agreed upon by the assembly, exclusivity and a power structure were beginning to delevop and step were taken to rectify this. I’d like to know more about this.

[2]Follow this link for a more detailed explanation of the assemblies: http://madrid.tomalaplaza.net/2011/05/31/guia-rapida-para-la-dinamizacion-de-asambleas-populares/