Why I Occupy
My forest hideaway at Occupy Pittsburgh, night one.
A friend of mine linked me to a post asking “What Would Jesus Occupy?” It sounds like the author didn’t like the way the showdown went down in NYC. I think the occupiers there were right that it was a veiled attempt to end their occupation, and to be honest I was surprised and energized and inspired when Brookfield and the city backed down. It was a decisive moment, and it happened nonviolently. That’s Christian in my book. There’s also the matter that the property is semi-public. My understanding is that there are provisions in city law (at least in Pittsburgh) that say privately-run parks within the city are held in public trust and are open to the public. So it’s not the same afront to private property as camping out on the White House lawn or the mayor’s lawn or my lawn.
In Pittsburgh, relations with BNY Mellon have gotten off to a great start. They’ve said we can be there indefinitely as long as we don’t hurt people or property. The grass was wet and muddy and I was worried that messing it up would give BNY Mellon an excuse to kick us out. I told a guy as much when he started toying around with mud wrestling. But, firstly, the occupation ended up laying down cardboard sidewalks and treating the property with respect. And then the next day BNY Mellon shipped in straw! How cool is that?
My family and I went down for the kick-off rally on Saturday. I got on the human mic, and I camped out the first night. I made a point while I was there to approach the police and get to know them. Ed, the lieutenant on duty while I was there, was quite supportive. “You guys left Market Square cleaner than you found it. As long as you treat Mellon Green the same way we’ll be fine.” He’s on record calling the march and rally the “smoothest” protest he’s ever seen. I saw no police stationed around Mellon Green during the night, but we did get supportive honks from a few driving past.
Village, Forum, and Jester
At 8:00 AM on a Sunday, this small crowd at Occupy Pittsburgh is discussing current affairs. It’s like the Internet, only better.
The reason I’m excited about the Occupy movement is that it brings together the tribal village, the open forum, and the court jester. Yes, it is being birthed in a cloud of negative emotion—anger and frustration and entitlement and self-righteousness. But the thing being birthed is beautiful.
In Pittsburgh as I write this we have a bunch of hippies and dropouts and dreamers and activists setting up a village in the heart of the city. It’s clean and safe and self-organized. It’s like a little tribal village in the heart of the concrete jungle. One of the things I want to see is homeless people brought into the community that is forming there, given a home and a family and a healthier place in society.
The Occupation is a modern Mars Hill, the fora and agora at the roots of democracy in Ancient Greece and Rome. In Pittsburgh I met and talked to people with a wide range of views, though it does take guts to get up on the human mic for the first time. All voices are not just welcome but needed. It’s like the Internet, but face to face, which makes all the difference.
The Occupation is the court jester because it pickets BNY Mellon while living on its land. It’s a strangely symbiotic relationship. The human mic turns the crowd into a single entity speaking its mind to the surrounding towers. Occupation works through persistent juxtaposition. Global society needs big banks to keep the wheels turning, and we need the Occupation to be our conscience and our forum and to help take care of our stragglers.
Seriously, you should stop by your local Occupation and strike up a conversation with someone—especially if you’re in banking. Share your perspective and listen to someone else’s, face to face. And if you’re feeling bold, yell “Mic check!” in a crowd and see what happens. It’s inspiring. If you’re in Pittsburgh, email me and we’ll go together.