The Occupy movement has been occupying the news as of late. People have also taken to their Facebook walls and Twitter feeds about the movement as well.
I had been reading up on Occupy Toronto and spoken to some people about it. Some people supported it while others did not. But I found that those who did not support the protests did not just state their opinions or throw out statistics and other facts to back up their views; oftentimes they came across as ignorant judgemental priveledged fucks (for the most part).
Now, let it be said that at this point I was only relying on media outlets (as majority of people do) to get my information about the protests taking place in St. James park. However, being me, I am fully aware that the media project their own biases into this information (sometimes falsifying facts, editing out critical information, or simply only showing certain aspects).
So, what did I do? I went down to St. James park to see for myself (well...I had a buddy). I wanted to see if the park was, in fact, filled with homeless/jobless/uninformed/hippies (as all those opposed had been telling me).
We entered the park and the first thing I came across was a large tent that had boxes and make-shift shelves full of books. Each bin was labelled with a genre. There were some people sitting and reading, others going through the books, and two other individuals at a table that had a bunch of reading material pertaining to the causes of the Occupy protest. There was also a whiteboard set up that had a "discussion" schedule scribbled on it - various discussions on important topics and at what time they would be taking place.
We continued walking down the path that was lined with tents and porta-potties. Yes, it did smell like urine in a few spots but usually porta-potties do give off that smell. If you haven't experienced this then you've probably never been camping, or to a large outdoor concert or to any other environment where outdoor toilets are needed. To you I say: it's time to crawl out from under your rock.
We came upon the gazebo in the middle of the park. A group of about 10-12 people were seated there and a discussion was already underway when we approached. A younger man saw us, motioned for us to come up and join, and handed us small pamphlets. "Who is the 99%: An Occupy Toronto Workshop Series", it said on the front. It contained the dates and times of other discussions they would be having and short blurbs about the various topics (for example: "Why the 1% Likes Austerity", "Sexism in the 99%", "Labour Unionism in Canada: Legacies and Limits", etc.). On the back, there was this:
"As the Occupy Toronto movement gains momentum in Toronto, participants are eager to think through what we're doing. We know there are differences within the 99% and that one of our greatest challenges will be to strengthen our ability to communicate with each other. This workshop series is intended to be a forum within which assembly members can talk through urgent organizational and political questions, develop careful analysis of the systems we aim to change, and strategize on the basis of shared common ground."
And who said they movement wasn't somewhat organized?
The gentleman that was mid-speech when we arrived was discussing police brutality and those who are victims of it (usually people of colour who live in low-income neighbourhoods). He cited many case studies (one of which included a pregnant woman who was tazered when she failed to tell the police the whereabouts of her thirteen year old son).
He then threw out a question in which anyone could speak up and share their opinions: "Are police officers a part of the 99%?"
This led to an open discussion about police officers and their moral responsibilities to protect and serve the people. The group noted that obviously not every police officer is immoral, but at the same time, what happens when they see their fellow officers behaving negatively? Do they speak up?
The one thing that really stood out to me was when a younger guy raised his hand. He told the group that he is a full-time teacher. He said that if he, as a teacher, ever witnessed one of his co-workers, a fellow teacher, doing something to a student, a child, then he would be morally obligated to speak up so as to ensure the safety and well-being of students and others at the school. It is a part of his job to do so.
I agree with him. Others would argue that police officers could lose their jobs if they were to speak up and that there is some type of "brotherhood code" they follow once they join the police force, yadda yadda yadda. I can understand that - no one wants to lose their job, especially at a time like this. But at the same time - I say bull.shit. If this is true, then we cannot put our trust in the police to keep us safe. No fucking wonder majority of sexual assault or rapes are never reported! But nevermind, you can go back and read my thoughts on SlutWalk in regards to that.
Anyways, back to the main topic of this post!
My buddy and I stood and listened for about 45 minutes and then decided to leave. BUT. I want to make the point of saying that the people in that group HAD jobs. That guy I mentioned above is a teacher, two women were lawyers, some individuals worked for non-profit organizations, some were University or College students. It was not just a bunch of homeless, jobless hippies sitting around in a circle banging on a drum. And even if there were some homeless individuals there, that does in no way mean that they don't have valid arguments to make or that their employment status can render their opinions invalid.
Did I see homeless "crazy" people in the park? Sure. Most of the ones I saw were just walking around or hanging out conversing with others. If an environment like that is available to them - of course they are going to congregate there. Because they have no where else to go.
So what did I learn from going down there myself? Well, I learned that you cannot generalize about a group of people. Not only is that incorrect but it's also extremely ignorant. You also can't rely on the media to give you all of your (mis)information. If you don't give two shits about the cause because you think it doesn't affect you or you don't agree with it, that is fine. But don't be ignorant and try to lump everyone together in order to nullify the protest/cause and silence them.
It really irks me when I hear people say that they are pissed off or annoyed because the protest disrupted their daily commute to work or school or interrupted their nice evening stroll. Stand back and acknowledge your own fucking priveledge. Atleast you have a job to go to. You're lucky to be able to afford to go to school. Oh, I'm so sorry that a group of people - protesting for basic rights, protesting to make things better for not only themselves but for YOU as well, protesting for things that they believe in - are getting in the way of you enjoying your daily walk through the park to go to Starbucks and get your venti low-fat vanilla machiatto.
You think they should find a different outlet for their protest? Okay. That's fair. What would you suggest?
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