Forum Post: Denouncing Oakland

Ive been on these boards a little while. I've been helping organize our small local camp (town of 150000). Im a Mexican who became a US citizen 19 years ago. (legal immigration, its really easy.) Im also a tea party supporter because they've been working to get corrupt officials out of our government already (just a different way.) Our local occupy has been good work, and we are working well with our community. Community people have been supportive, but the winds of change have started blowing since Oakland. I see we are going to lose the moderates, I see we can lose the people who started believing. So I am speaking out against violence.

In Oakland, we kept them from earning their paycheck that day that they need to feed their children. We did that to THEM. We forced a day of no money on them the same way that the big banks forcibly take away their money. On that day, in Oakland, we were no different. We forcibly took away their money. From the little guy. The 99%.

In our home camp we have told the major and police chief that if violent types take us over, we're out and they can have them. We have our right to peaceably assemble. But that does mean peaceful. When we insist on doing something that breaks another persons rights, its not peaceful assembly anymore. Like for example, if we block a road and it keeps other people from using it. Then we are violating their rights and the police can take back their rights for them. If we take a park and keep the kids from playing in it on the swings, then we are violating their rights and the police can take back their rights that we took. when we blockade a port and close it and keep people from earning their paycheck, we are stealing their rights and the state can come in and take back their rights for them that we took. Just to be clear. peaceful assembly does not equal forceful occupation. We are forcefully occupying. so far the cities are being really good about working with us so we can get the message out by occupying. But in Oakland it went past the fine line, it went into destruction. I'm not going to be part of escalation, and hope that wherever you are occupying, even if you are occupying in spirit, you don't let it happen either.