Forum Post: Encampments and Getting Political

Just want to say, I support the spirit of this movement 100%. While I do think the movement has every right to camp as a form of protest, I think perhaps not having them is better for the movement. Support for the movement swelled in the beginning, but people soon began to see the static encampments as trouble waiting to happen.

A headquarters would be preferable, encourage rolling protests morning noon and night. You don't need an encampment to create a permanent presence. With the "trouble waiting to happen" perception of the camps out of the way, many who are unsure but would otherwise support the spirit of the thing will be more likely to join or give their support.

Also, I agree that maybe the movement should get political. In your fear of being co-opted you are denying yourself a very powerful weapon in this fight. In the end, if they are to be any solutions, they will be political ones. The protests get attention to the issues, but to make changes you are going to have to start engaging the system.

I know, the idea is to create micro-systems that operate on different principles. That is well and good, and it should be done, but think of getting political as fighting the battle on two fronts. One by designing the social systems of a new and better society; and the other by influencing the political system that opposes it, but under the right circumstances could support it. There are very serious political movements that raise the same issues and share many of the same goals that OWS does. The Coffee Party Movement comes to mind. There others I know. You guys have a remarkable networking ability. Get involved in the movements and seek out the various dispersed movements that share similar goals and try and get them to unite their efforts.