THE MOVEMENT LIVES
The Occupy Movement is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.
OccupyMN.org was the first ‘officially unofficial’ website for the Occupy Movement in the state of Minnesota. Our goal at the time – as website administrators – was to provide an accurate reflection of the Occupy Movement in Minneapolis and to also provide solidarity & support to the global movement – locally, nationally, and globally.
As such – the OccupyMN.org network has branched out to basically become an Occupy Media Network. We’re still a grassroots collective network of individuals, activists, and website curators operating in affinity and support of of the “Occupy” movement, however we recognize that as time passed the OccupyMN and Occupy Wall Street movement (along with it’s energy) had evolved.
This has allowed our collective energy and the resources built originally during the beginning of the Occupy Movement to continue to be utilized in support of a world that the OccupyMN movement saw possible.
Today we still provide tools and curate content to support the collective global movement of individuals continuing to work against all corrupt systems of control – be it governmental, corporate, or societal. We continue maintain this page – and other social platforms to continue the revolution.
This page and the OccupyMN.org domain name remain actively curated in homage to all comrades who met upon The People’s Plaza and to continue to be utilized as a resource for our Minnesotan and global movement alike.
What is OccupyMN?
A. We are a volunteer collective of individuals that are standing in solidarity with the Occupy Movement and are working to connect Minnesota with the Global Revolution Movement. We stand with the principles of both Occupy Wall Street and our local OccupyMN networks.
The Occupy Movement is an expansive network of individuals and groups working together to fight for economic justice in the face of rampant criminality on Wall Street and a government controlled by monied interests. We, “the 99%”, are trying to wrestle government control out the hands of the “1%”. OccupyMN is a people’s movement. It is leaderless and party-less by design. It is not a business, a political party, an advertising campaign or a brand. It is not for sale.
What is Occupy Wall Street?
What is the difference between Occupy Wall Street & Other Occupations?
A: Occupy Wall Street is the occupation near Wall Street in New York City. There are other occupations around New York City including Occupy Brooklyn, Occupy Queens, Occupy Staten Island, and Take Back the Bronx. All occupations are autonomous. The media often refers to other occupations, such as ours, as Occupy Wall Street because Wall Street companies are at the heart of the of the many injustices that ties the movements together.
OccupyMN refers to the original occupation in Minneapolis, MN. but may refer to one of the many other occupations that took place within the state of Minnesota. Cities such as Duluth continue to hold Occupy gatherings on a frequent basis while other occupations, such as Occupy Minneapolis, continue to stay active and stand in solidarity with a broad variety of other movements.
Who are your leaders?
A: Occupy Wall Street is structured on anarchist organizing principles. This means there are no formal leaders and no formal hierarchy. Rather, the movement is full of people who lead by example. We are leader-full, and this makes us strong.
Instead of picking leaders, which you would then have to follow, leaders emerge organically. These people become leaders because others choose to follow them. At anytime you can choose to follow someone else. You can follow more than one person. If people like your ideas, they may choose to follow you. Anyone can become a leader.
Whose side are you on? Democrat or Republican?
What are you protesting?
A: We oppose all forms of injustice and oppression, especially those stemming from Wall Street’s crimes and abuse of control. Economic exploitation and injustice has many faces, therefore we tackle many issues. Yet, we are not merely a protest movement. We communicate not just outrage, but a full-on call to action. Get your city to transfer its money out of corrupting banks. Sing at the auctioneer until they cancel the illegal foreclosures. Join groups writing letters to the SEC exposing the Corporations’ lies they use to beg for mercy for their crimes. Teach shareholders the power of shareholder activism. Don’t just protest. Take action. Direct action.
What are your goals & demands?
you doing about it?
How long will this go on?
What have you accomplished so far?
Will I get arrested if I come to an action?
A: During marches and actions, it is unlikely that you will get arrested (unless you are prepared to) as usually police give clear announcements prior to any enforcement, allowing participants to make a choice to depart from the action at that time. Sometimes, in protest, you will see individual participants engage in direct actions that basically ‘secures’ their arrest. Participants engaging in these actions understand they are ‘pushing boundaries’ and typically have support for themselves arranged prior to acting; for instance; foreclosed home occupations, bridge blockades, events held on pseudo-public/private lands (MoA) all come with the risk of potential arrest or law enforcement action, thus when we personally plan these actions we try to arrange support for those who participate. That said – most of our actions are held on public grounds and such direct actions are often within our constitutional rights, minimizing the need for such enforcement measures.
That said, police and other law enforcement entities have been known to make mass arrests, incite violence, and it is realistic to say that the entire atmosphere of an action can change in a moment – without notice. Some participants do not come with the best intentions, or are there to intentionally agitate, create harm, or incite violence. These individuals and their actions speak for themselves and not the movement itself. Given our actions are public and we invite out all who may be interested, we sometimes find ourselves making strong allies and we sometimes find ourselves facing an unexpected situation.
It is important to be aware of your surroundings, stay calm, and do your best to maintain non-violence when you are on the streets. We typically invite some of our allied services to our actions in the realm of having legal observers, street medics, and media teams recording events to ensure transparency and document instances where an arrest or act of police aggression does occur. Prior to your participation one should ensure they have the phone numbers of their local NLG or ACLU on hand, along with a choice lawyer, and potentially a person to ensure bail if required. At some actions you’ll likely see marshals in vests guiding people along as well, typically acting as a barrier between the law enforcement and the people participating, these people are typically volunteers with other allied organizations within the activist community who have helped plan the event itself. Feel free to utilize these resources as you find them. Remember – keep security culture in mind always and if you do go on the streets, always bring a trusted friend along.
Where did you all go during Winter?
A: Occupy Wall Street continued to organize all winter as did Occupy Minnesota. Participants from the original occupations continued to meet in public spaces all over New York City, some occupations continued to have general assemblies, distribute mutual aid, feed individuals, and organize actions weekly.
During the winter Occupy Minneapolis first retreated into and occupied the Minneapolis Skyway system for our general assemblies and various meetings. The location was just adjacent to The People’s Plaza, attached to Hennepin County Government Center, and provided heat and a great view of our continued presence on the plaza. While we were banned from sleeping, chalking, and erecting signs upon The People’s Plaza and many of us simply returned to our homes for sleeping, many of us continued to keep some sort of presence within The People’s Plaza until our Spring Re-Occupation.
Committees, working groups, and allied autonomous groups continued to be involved, meet, and interact with the movement in other venues as well. Many meetings and events were held at nearby coffee shops, restaurants, churches, free spaces, that were open to our presence. We also met in public rooms available in places like the local library. Some of us were actively occupying foreclosed homes as well. Occupy Minneapolis later gathered in other spaces to avoid weather, such as the Walker Methodist Church (2012) prior to it being damaged by arson and quickly demolished. Occupy Minneapolis continued to meet frequently at the 4200 Cedar community space (2013/14). Other Minnesota occupations too continued to meet in spaces within their own city, such as Occupy Duluth which met weekly at the Coney Island Cafe during winter. While our continued physical occupation ended in The People’s Plaza, it is important to note that our continued presence did not end due to a failure within the movement or due to the cold weather. Minnesotans prepare for the weather, and we turn out when needed. The continued occupation was ended by various governance and representatives, who woorked together to coordinate, selectively enforce or interpret, and create new ordinances which restricted the people’s right to continue to occupy The People’s Plaza. (See OccupyMinneapolis v. Hennepin County).