The violent disruption of the peaceful “Occupy” protest in Rome by infiltrators who can only be described as thugs illustrates the movement’s weakness: there are no firewalls in place to contain bad behavior. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/15/rome-protests-black-bloc-militants-turn-occupy-protests-violent.html It is distressing that protests in sympathy with Occupy Wall Street occurred worldwide on Saturday, yet the coverage is focused on the violence in Rome.
I’m distinctly a sympathizer with Occupy Boston but have withdrawn because of a bad experience I had as a legal volunteer. That was an isolated instance that cannot be generalized. But it threw into relief for me the contingent character of the community, good will, and inclusion most people have experienced in Dewey Square. The valence of the positive energy could easily be turned by a minority willing to resort to bullying to impose their agenda on a gathering whose structurelessness gives them an open invitation. If there are Nixonian types among the enemies of the protests, what’s to stop them from sending in disruptors in disguise to sow dissension or worse? Hoover’s FBI did that to the anti-war and gay liberation movements two generations ago.
I complained about my treatement as a volunteer responding to an appeal over the Twitter feed to “internal communications” and was met with deafening silence and seeming indifference. Apparently I can go to GA and plead for consensus on respectful treatment of volunteers, but what’s to stop bullying in that venue or later on? I feel emotionally and physically unsafe in an environment where people of good will do nothing to restrain or expel bad actors.
I am now raising my concerns from a place where I feel safe.
johnd says
nt
paulsimmons says
…is that they are profoundly vulnerable to manipulation from within and without. As you said:
I would respectfully respond that a Twitter feed – by its very nature – was a less than optimum response. Only a warm-body response will bring such emotional abuse as you suffered to light.
Accordingly, I would suggest that you contact as many colleagues (concentrating on those sympathetic to the goals of Occupy Boston and the gay bar). A critical mass of bar-card progressives willing to address your concerns at General Assembly might – I repeat: might – nip such behavior in the bud.
While stipulating your desire to avoid further abuse, I would think that you have credentialed folk on your side, willing to address this issue collectively and publicly on-site.
tudor586 says
And have just shared specific details with fellow activists who will make constructive suggestions to GA. To be clear, the Twitter feed was how they solicited volunteer lawyers last Thursday. I was the only lawyer to respond. You are right that Twitter is inadequate as a way to raise my concerns.