Washington, D.C.: Mutual Aid in Mass Mobilizations
Posted 11 years ago on Nov. 25, 2012, 3:44 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags:
mutual aid,
washington dc,
occupy dc
The District of Columbia is the nation’s Capital and therefore a lightning rod for national organizing, but it is also the home of 600,000 people who deal day-to-day with the consequences of many of the important issues that get protested downtown. Often, there is a great divide in DC between locally and nationally focused groups even though these groups encounter the same difficulties, require many of the same resources and often have similar goals. This leads to competing for attention, attendees, media and support while wasting that most valuable of resources, time, by duplicating efforts. Often times there are class and race divides between local and national organizers, adding to the power dynamics and complicated relationships.