2012 Independence Hall Occupation

Introducing ‘Occupy Unmasked‘. Let’s start with what we know about this group. You can read my early posts on Philly Occupation HERE

Philadelphia was chosen to be the site of a national conference (General Assembly).  What the city has been enduring  a tattered band of roving fringe activists trying to annoy as many Philadelphia residents and visitors as possible.  Organizing marches during rush hour traffic in the city endears you to exactly NO ONE.

Yesterday, 26 Occupation supporters were arrested during a protest outside our beautiful convention center. Again, this activity does not garner public sympathy, just arrest warrants. *sigh*

Looking at Occupy Philly – Updated

OCCUPY PHILLY

1. To fill up (time or space): a lecture that occupied three hours.

2. To dwell or reside in.

3. To hold or fill (an office or position).

4. To seize possession of and maintain control over by or as if by conquest.

Occupy Philly is heading into its third week of camping out at Dilworth Plaza on the west side of City Hall. I’ve put together an overview of Occupy Philly focusing on who supports this occupation, what Philly occupation looks like and why are they here.

Occupy Philadelphia shares the same general idea of Occupy Wall Street, but there are stark differences between Philadelphia and the majority of Occupy (fill in the city) in key areas:

1. Violence: Violent actions are not as resolved to the surface as they are in many Occupy gatherings around the nation. That is not to say it can’t happen but the cast of characters that compose Occupy Philly tend to express their violent ideations through artwork rather than physical altercations.

2. Racism: I would have liked to have reported that racism is as likely as violence within this group. Unfortunately, I read the account of a rather heinous racial attack against black supporters of Occupy Philly. Feminist and Media Activist, Jamia, recounts  a shocking exchange: “Saturday,  two sisters were called Niggers by two of the volunteers at Occupy Philadelphia at the cell-phone charging stations.  They were also told to go back to Africa, and that each white man should own a slave.”   While racism and anti-Semitism can be found at other Occupy events; I was saddened to discover it within the Philly protest participants.  In my years covering Philly protests, I’ve never encountered such blatant racism from Philly protesters. I am going to assume this is an exception, not the norm.

3. More signs and tents then supporters: I received the following email from the director of a Chester County left wing hate group describing the dilemma faced by Occupy Philadelphia:

Perhaps less people is a good thing.  While there is no permit for the protesters to occupy Dilworth Plaza, it really doesn’t matter.  Shortly, Occupy Philly will be evicted from Dilworth Plaza as the area is scheduled for a long overdue renovation.

4. Theatrics. This is where I believe Occupy Philly stands out from the rest.  Without the violence or numbers, Occupy Philly makes up for it with superb theatrical performances and artistic signs. On some levels, this occupation is quite entertaining.

Boston Tea Party Blend…Got Some?

Enjoyed some revolutionary tea as I surfed on forums hosted at the Coffee Party website.

I found a post that seems to capture the essence of the Java people. Destroy Your Enemies..Make Them Your Friend: