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Occasional Dispatches From The Deep East Of The Far West By An African-American Progressive Traditionalist

 

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Website Operated By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor During The 2010 Oakland Mayoral Campaign To Highlight The Political History Of Oakland Mayoral Candidate Don Perata

 

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COUNTERPOINTS: THE CHANGE IN FOCUS AT OCCUPY OAKLAND


January 11, 2012

For some months now, our friends over at Occupy Oakland have appeared to be changing their focus from opposing the banking and financial industry—where they began—to opposing the government of the City of Oakland, and, most especially, the Oakland Police Departmen           

A quotation from an Occupy Oakland participant in a January 9 Oakland Tribune article following a chaotic Saturday night march in the downtown area highlights that trend.

"The rising importance of police conflict and government crackdowns on citizens trying to exercise their First Amendment rights is becoming a much higher priority for people inside the Occupy movement," the article quoted 59 year old protester Diane Reiner. "For people like me, who originally joined to focus on national broad financial issues, media and politicians being controlled by corporate money, now this direct oppression by extreme policing is becoming a higher priority." (“Oakland Police Arrest Six Occupy Protesters In Saturday Night March”)    

This is not an “official” position of Occupy Oakland, which, in principle, at least, has not given up opposing the 1% as their main goal. But it’s in Occupy Oakland’s actions, not their official rhetoric, by which they must be judged. And since Ms. Reiner has been identified by the East Bay Express as an “Occupy Oakland member,” and has posted frequently to OO’s facebook page, her views have to be taken as reflecting at least some of OO’s activists and members. [More...]