Got Solidarity?

Phil Polizatto,WWH

By Phil Polizatto,WWH – This past Saturday was the Global Day of Action and I wanted to take part in the march and rally and to witness firsthand the Occupy Seattle movement. Their “base camp” is Westlake Mall Plaza, a large area in the heart of downtown. I’d expected a larger crowd, but it was still early. A band was playing on the stage and a young man under a large open-air tent was at the sound board surrounded by a medley of electronics. In another tent were medical supplies and people whom I assumed knew first aid. But the open-air tent that really grabbed my attention had two big signs hanging on it. One read, “Occupy Seattle is not affiliated with any political party or organization.” The other sign identified what the different colored armbands represented that some people were sporting.

These were the Work Groups: Internet and Communications, Outreach, Food Services, Media, Medical, Arts and Entertainment, Legal, Peace and Safety, Sanitation, and a few others. I was surprised. I had expected a much less organized event. I was about to approach a young woman who was wearing the armband which meant “Information.” We had barely begun a conversation, when the march started. She said, “Hold that thought and meet me here after the march.” She laughed and disappeared into what now had become thousands of people and growing in number every minute. It was intense, beautiful, and inspiring. If ever one wanted to see people from all walks of life, this was the place to be. Well, not quite all walks of life. It seems there were about 1% who chose not to show up. Can you guess who?

The march was, for me, emotionally invigorating and encouraging. I had done my best to keep up with the news, pictures and videos of the Occupy Movements happening all over the country and world, but nothing can take the place of experiencing being among so many different people all sharing the same anger and frustration. I was there to report and observe, but I was soon yelling at the top of my lungs with the rest. There was a sizeable police presence, most of them on bicycles, but they all behaved themselves, some even smiling and laughing and others more than willing to stop for a sidewalk chat. Very polite, almost to the point of being empathetic, but one must never let one’s guard down, right? Police are well-trained in the art of “being your friend” only to lie once they get you to the jail. Maybe with the next round of layoffs, they will realize they too are part of the 99%.

We were so thick with people, we spilled onto the sidewalks. It was as if we had turned into one very fat and very long snake. At one intersection on the way to Chase bank, the snake stopped for a small fire ceremony… burning credit cards! Well, melting credit cards to be more precise. Credit cards these days just don’t burn as well as the good old paper draft cards did. Ah, those were the days. Or should I say, “These are the days!” While the pile of plastic still smoldered, the protestors resumed their march. The route was approximately 12 blocks long: Three blocks west, three south, three east, and three north back to the plaza. When the snake made the last left turn to go back to “base camp,” we could see in the distance the last of the protestors just starting to march. We could see the snake’s tail. It was thrilling.

When I got back to where we started, I rested and watched as the throng walked by. There were the young people, their energy so vibrant and contagious. There were kids in strollers being pushed by their parents. There were the middle-aged, elderly, disabled,
disenfranchised, and marginalized. There were people of all colors and from all ethnicities. There were colorful costumes, drumming, and chanting. But most telling of all, most revealing at what is at the core of this movement, were the signs. It seemed every other person brandished a sign. Many were things we’ve already heard over and over. Many were clever and creative. And many were very personal. About losing their homes, being unemployed, catastrophic illnesses; signs that in a few words told their story of personal hardship and suffering… and the realization that the personal hardship and suffering was unnecessary.

It was totally unnecessary. Yet we took it for so long, blinded by our faith in our leaders, faith in our economic system, faith that our “democratic” government would never play so unfair as to harm its own citizens. Falling for the lies about banks too big to fail, yet fail they did. And now they continue to get bigger. Wars of choice foisted upon us by creating totally fabricated fears to which too many succumbed. And the ridiculous lie that you too can make it rich or be a star, and live the very good life that was promised you if only you’d work harder and get luckier. We took it for so long, it was only natural it should come to this: the awakening. Some were awake decades ago just waiting patiently for the rest. Others still need to be slapped in the face before they wake up. But it is inevitable. As Anonymous says, “We are legion, we do not forgive, we do not forget. Expect us!”

I saw the young woman I had briefly met upon arriving. She was in a lotus position pouring over some papers, pen in her mouth. I was glad I hadn’t had a conversation with her yet. If I had, I might have revealed some misunderstanding of the Occupy Movement. I wanted it to be something other than it is. I wanted it to have goals and demands and mission statements. But that is because I was trying to “understand” the movement. Once you “experience” the movement, it all becomes clear. The march alone answered many of the questions I would have asked. But I still wanted to learn more. I went over to the Information tent and sat next to the young woman. Her name was Mia. I’d guess she was 23 or so.

Phil: Mia, the sign says you are not affiliated with any political party or organization, yet I see tables representing all kinds of organizations around the plaza. Unions, The Radical Women, The Freedom Socialist Party, the Seattle Solidarity Network, Rebuild the Dream, and others. How do you explain their presence?

Mia: We welcome their support, but we try to make it clear… do not attach your movement to ours, do not try to hijack it… just support us if you feel as fed up as we do. You probably noticed contradictory signs. One says, “Capitalism sucks,” and another says, “We are not against capitalism, we are against corporatism.” We have no control over that. People are free to express their anger as they wish.

Phil: I imagine that the first few people to occupy Wall Street or Seattle had no pre-meditated plan, but that it was a visceral rage and frustration needing to be expressed. I imagined those first few people attracted others who were equally enraged. And that is the organic growth we talk about. Yet I see you have color-coded workgroups, a stage, and a sound system. You have a medical tent and supplies. All of this requires logistics, money, and people negotiating with the city… and somewhere along the way, someone must have come forth as a leader, someone had to have organized this.

Mia: It’s kind of a leaderless organizing. We have general assembly meetings every day. People volunteer for work groups. Everyone gets to vote on everything. We model the pure direct democracy we want for the world. It’s the media that wants us to come up with “demands” and “declarations.” We will not be told what to do. We just want all those who have had enough to join us until the streets are jammed and the traffic can’t budge.

Phil: Do you see the Occupy Movement morphing into a political party? And if so, don’t you think it’ll take at least another four to six years?

Mia: Who knows? The movement is too young. It’s enough to be angry and show it. If everyone were visibly enraged, those in power would be trembling. But you have to stop thinking nationally. This is a global movement. This is a whole new mindset. You have to leave all this bullshit behind. A political party? Maybe. Four to six years? No! It is happening now! We are the change we want to see. Now! And right now no organization or group of people lead it, therefore no organization or group of people can stop it. We all own it. You should know all this. You’re a hippie! We learned from you! Do you think we’re lacking in something? What do you think we need?

Phil: We need visible solidarity at all times.

Mia: ‘Visible solidarity!’ Good one. Can I have it?

Phil: I’m flattered. Be my guest. May I ask if there is anything in particular that you’re angry about? Know what I mean? Not just anger in general, but something specific?

Mia handed me the sheet of paper on which she’d been writing and signed it. This is what she wrote:

I am angry that we live in a world where those who have the most are expected to give the least. I am angry that those with power do not accept the responsibility of rising up against that which destroys us – violence, corruption and greed. I am angry that our system of justice favors punishment over rehabilitation, and will condemn thousands to a gluttonous institution for a single moment of human weakness.

I am angry that we consider our future so irrelevant that we spend the least amount of time, attention and money on the education of our children. I am angry that we are so enamored of fear and ignorance as a means of control, that the pursuit of truth has been reduced to the quest for authority. I am angry that rather than work together, our government has succumbed to the petty and ultimately unproductive conflict of “us against them.”

I am angry that we attempt to treat the illness rather than the person, so that our right to life has become our right to a cure, if we can afford it. I am angry that we are denied liberty through knowledge by the hoarding of information which would set us free.

I am angry that our happiness and security are being sold to us, and that we’ve forgotten that money is simply a means to an end. I am angry that we have lost the wonder and humility of our existence, so that our need for consumption is on the brink of consuming us, and the life with which we share this planet.

And I am angry that each human being is not awarded the respect of worth and dignity of purpose they deserve, and that instead of sharing all that we can, we continue to fight for the space we can occupy.

• Mia Jacobson

I thanked her and told her how proud I was of her… that we were counting on the young people to save us, but we older folk would help in any way we could.

Mia said, “You were here. That’s all we ask right now. Visible Solidarity! Thank you.”

As I walked away I could feel my eyes watering up. I ask everyone to join this burgeoning movement, lend your bodies and voices in unity. Let the movement become so big, no one dare treat them violently. May our governments, local, state and federal, quake with fear; may they scurry to right the wrongs before it is too late. Remember, they work for us, we the people! Occupy!

To contact Phil or find out more: check out his website and blog For a copy of HUNGA DUNGA
Phil Polizatto – Worldwide Hippies Bureau Chief – West Coast USA, is a graduate of The School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. He was a feature writer for the overseas division of UPI, a copywriter for CBS, and an award-winning corporate film producer. Mr. Polizatto is a published poet and a regular contributor to Worldwide Hippies as well as a variety of other arts and literary journals. Hunga Dunga is his first published novel. He resides in the Pacific Northwest.