The Turning Move

     I'm not against police. I like every single one of them, even when one of them pepper sprays two girls in the face. Erm… I take that back, I have no comment on police who pepper spray indiscriminately.
    Occupy Chicago has been going extremely well. Every day our numbers grow and we are one of the most diverse sections of the Occupy movement. I have met lifelong friends at this, not all who share similar beliefs, but individuals that know something has got to change and we have to unite to change it now.
    What compels me to write this is the tactics that police have openly used against peaceful protesters. The first days, we were up against the Federal Reserve walls, building our Occupy movement. Then we were told to move to the planters across the public walkway.  Then we were told that we could only use a portion of the public walkway. After that, we were told that our stuff must be mobile. Our solutions to each of the police's attempts to create chaos were to consolidate and strengthen our organization. At one point we were moving our mobile carts back and forth every five minutes to maintain our space. Soon after, the police almost issued us a citation because we weren't mobile enough. Now we are across the street on Bank of America territory. We must all remember the people that have kept this movement alive. Many thanks to the organizers who have put in their time and livelihood into making this happen and allowing us to continually grow.
    At every point where our movement begins to pick up organization, the police decide that we are unable to continue doing what we're doing. One two hour shift of a police officer can tell us to move our stuff, and then the next officer will tell us we're doing alright. When peaceful protests are cajoled into chaos, we are unable to build up steam to begin a true movement.
    Compared to any other movement section, Chicago has wonderful relations with the police. We have had no arrests as of the time of writing this article, and we have a police liaison committee for the direct interaction with our brothers and sisters in uniform. However, they will stop at nothing to make a movement nothing more than a baby step.
    Our movement needs solid ground on which to stand on and organize from. We have two storage spaces for our equipment in dire need of a home. And soon enough that home will come. Let us take baby steps towards objectives, for we are not fully grown yet. Perseverance and discipline are what is needed at this point in everyone's hearts and minds. If we are truly to make a lasting impact on the society we wish to change, we must be as dedicated to the change we wish to see as the Egyptians have demonstrated. Hold strong, we shall succeed soon enough. This wave is greater than the day to day struggle with the cops, and soon it will wash us all forward into the world we will into existence every day. It is a game that the powers are playing with us. In chess, what makes a grand master is not every move, but the one move that changes the game. Let us not get frustrated with sparring, but revel in it, and grow, and learn from it. How far down the rabbit hole are you to true revolution, and when will our fledgeling movement make the move that changes the game?


Best wishes,
Anastaz