A concerted effort is being made to close down the Occupations in the US. No doubt this has given reactionary forces the green light to start the process wherever they can. Expect more stories of local business's trade being adversely effected or random criminal acts. After the initial first few weeks when there was little media attention, the growth in understanding and support for this overt challange to neoliberalism has made an impact. This is the reaction.
Above all else the Occupy movement has given progressive political activists and supporters an opportunity to move beyond simple oppostion to the existing political and economic system towards advocating a complete change - not a tweak to stabilise capitalism so we can move on in much the same way.
It would be a criminal waste if the progressive left could not share some of the burden currently carried by the occupiers, work together in a broad non-sectarian way and act to consign Thatcherism to the dustbin of history. Inside the Dail, Assembly and council chambers lay a space that can be occupied by progressive politicians standing (sitting or camping) causing disruption, walking out, whatever it takes to draw attention to the denial of basic democracy that has blighted us for many years.
This is a time for radicalism. A time to create a crisis to meet the crisis. Proceedure and protocal are not the answer. Putting forward parliamentary motions to address this or that issue within the existing paradigm seems meagre and not a little daft in the face of such an opportunity to challange injustice and put forward an alternative based on what brought all of us activists into politics in the first place.
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