Sorry to be late with the daily update! I was fortunate enough to be able to head down to Occupy Seattle late this afternoon, part of the larger Occupy Wall Street movement, which has now spread to cities throughout the world. My participation today was as an observer and documenter, and I have just a few things to tell you from my experience there:
-- At all times, it was an entirely peaceful protest. All discourse was held respectfully.
-- Westlake Park was cleaner than it usually is on an average, non-protest-gathering day. I saw several people cleaning the park of their own accord.
-- Police presence was minimal and very relaxed, mainly some cops on bikes hanging out in small groups around the edges of the gathering.
-- Food was available at all times at a central table for whomever needed it.
-- I witnessed the crowd's power harnessed for a "human mic," where one person calls out a message and the crowd repeats the message so all can hear, in this case for a lost child alert.
-- In making my way through the large, diverse crowd with my camera gear, I can't tell you how many times people smiled at me, made room for me, posed for me, or gave me a thumbs-up or peace sign just for being there. Polite, focused, determined, and good-humored folks are what I saw, of all ages and types.
It's up to you to figure out how you feel about the Occupy movement, the value of visible protest, civil disobedience, and how and why the world got in such a serious economic mess. That's YOUR job; don't leave it to anyone else. What I will add other than the above is that it is a great honor to live in a country where you can have a say in how your life is going to go. Seeing people leaving their homes to participate in their country's political processes is damn heartening.
You may view all the photos I took today on Flickr by clicking here. Thank you!
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman