On the ground at the Oakland general strike
An account by K.R. about the November 2nd Occupy Oakland 'general strike'.
On Wednesday morning, Nov. 2, I sent a text message to my boss that read “Cough, cough. Capitalism is making me sick. I will be seeking treatment in downtown Oakland today.” He wrote back, “Nice try, you communist.”
Thousands march & shut down port, Oakland
An article by Bruce Valde about the November 2, 2011 Occupy Oakland 'general strike'.
On Wednesday, Nov. 2, we arrived at the intersection of 14th Street and Broadway in downtown Oakland. It was 5:30 a.m. The sound truck was already parked at the corner and the sound system was being set up. The encampment was still pretty quiet and most of the activity centered around the news vans parked along 14th Street. We deployed a pop-up tent and an IWW literature table and banners.
Whole Foods shut down in Oakland
An article about the shut down of a Whole Foods during Occupy Oakland's 'general strike'.
In the weeks leading up to the Oakland General Strike on Nov. 2, Wobblies across the bay in San Francisco circulated agitational leaflets calling on workers in unorganized shops to “sick out” for the day. The city, under pressure from local labor groups, adopted a sick leave policy in 2006 which entitles most employees to paid days off if they’re sick or caring for a sick family member.
Under the riot gear - Rust Bunny Collective
An account and analysis of the Oakland Commune and wildcat general strike attempt of 2011 by the Rust Money Collective in Sic.
We would therefore suggest that Gemeinwesen [community] be each time substituted for State; it is a good old German word that can very well do service for the French Commune. (F. Engels, letter to A.
Coming Full Circle: Creating a Three-Pronged Housing Justice Strategy
Submitted by Eviction Free Zone on Dec 12 2013 19:44
Direct action is at the center of the housing justice, but what do we need to see a movement that is fully realized and can target housing-for-profit at its very core?
The housing justice movement saw an explosion after the financial crisis of 2008 and the housing bubble collapse in 2010 for reasons both obvious and esoteric. The primary one for the general public is the absolute scale of the crisis. First, communities not normally affected by mass rates of foreclosure, the white middle class, started to be hit in unprecedented numbers.
Kshama Sawant and Capitalism's Shock Absorbers
An analysis from Black Orchid Collective on the recent election of Socialist Alternative candidate Kshama Sawant to Seattle City Council, and this election's relationship to the broader social movement forces and conditions of the city.
“While you waitin’ for the mention in the pages of ‘The Stranger’
You can find me in the basement makin’ heaters for later…
we’ve been living in conditions we’re tired of
Come on and rise up”
- Blue Scholars, “North by Northwest”
Intro: the shifting political terrain
Occupy City Council!: Minneapolis and sewer socialism
Submitted by Juan Conatz on Dec 5 2013 02:56
A mostly finished writing on Ty Moore, Socialist Alternative, Occupy and SEIU in Minneapolis. For the 'sewer socialism' reference in the title, see this Great Moments in Leftism strip.
[i]This was originally written in October 2013, but then I decided not to publish it or even adequately finish it because I thought the immediacy I felt when I wrote it was overblown. Also, putting something out like this before the election would have just made me look like a jerk, which I probably do a good enough job with any way.
To the party members
The sound and image of a drum circle may be one of the most easily-mocked moments associated with the Occupy movements. But the role of music in the movement, and its relation to protests and political action in general, bears closer investigation, beyond the drum circle.
Occupy the workplace: organized labor and the occupations movement
The Occupy Wall Street phenomenon has achieved a stature and longevity unrivaled by recent demonstrations in the United States, and has understandably struck a chord with a wide range of people dismayed by the barbaric level of inequality that is the defining feature of contemporary American society.
Insurrection, Oakland style: a history
An article by Matthew Edwards on the roots of Occupy Oakland, which includes the movement and riots that happened in response to the police murder of Oscar Grant in January of 2009.
This is an unfinished work – a snapshot of history as it occurred, experienced by me, reported on social media, or retold by trusted comrades. It will lack the finality of hindsight. Contained within is my account of the Oakland Insurrection, as it has unfolded over the past days and weeks. Both the insurrection and this essay are works of hope.
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