American Autumn has arrived; the encampment in NY that began on September 17th has spread to dozens of cities across the United States. In the nation’s capital, two occupations of public squares have started five blocks apart; Occupy DC and Stop the Machine. For now the two remain separate, with Occupy DC located in McPherson Square and Stop the Machine in Freedom Plaza. ‘We are the 99%’ is the unifying message that bridges occupations across the country.
Stop the Machine has been in the works since before the Occupy Together movement began and organizers say its objective is to put a spotlight on the unequal distribution of wealth, the government’s funding of wars instead of jobs and education. The anti-war movement veterans are seen leading the marches, holding small meetings and camping out. Since the start of the “Occupation of Peace”, an audibly popular term to differentiate themselves from the military occupations of Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan; an estimated one hundred people have been sleeping in Freedom Plaza and hundreds more come for the rallies and marches. The encampment has spaces for food, media, first aid, legal, arts & crafts, a stage and hundreds of excited activists. Many banners promote simple messages of increasing money for education, for social welfare or calling for the US to disengage from war, others will never make it to the mainstream media because of their overwhelming insight: “I’ll believe corporations should count as people when texas executes one”.
In the Occupy DC encampment, 20 to 50 people can be seen hanging out at McPherson square. Organizers say their occupation will remain separate from ‘Stop the Machine’ because of internal structuring; the activists want to maintain a non-hierarchical consensus process rather than adopt the already defined leadership of the other camp.
For now, the Occupy Together movement lacks the power to be more than symbolic. Those joining the movement represent a sliver of the 99%, which remain either un-politicized about the injustices being committed or too busy working three minimum-wage jobs to support their family. The numbers are unthreatening and the demands are broad and vague. In the uprisings of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, the demand was singular and the epitome of all other demands, oust the dictator. The accessibility of the message was arguably a reason for its popularity. In the US context, demanding Obama’s ouster would make little political sense, because the problem spans the legislative branch, the reach of corporations, the bloated budgets of the military and hundreds of other factors that contribute to an inadequate distribution of resources.
For now the efforts of the Occupy Together movement, though largely symbolic, is providing a fresh counterpoint for the national discourse. Challenging the notion that the 99% will continue to be silent, many peaceful occupiers hold on to the belief that their presence can change this country for the better.
Sasha Gelzin is an anti-war activist and a resident of Washington D.C.
