"It’s time to make a stand, On the 4th Of February 2012 we will Occupy Petrol Stations across London. We call on you the activist to organise yourselves into small affinity groups. Make banners, get sound systems and pick a target. Let’s send an opening shot in our war against the global elites"


Can you really decide that it 'is time to make a stand' when people worldwide are already active against oil companies and the death culture they bring?

Who is the 'you' that you call upon? Activists? Why 'activists'? The world needs less self-defined activists. The Ogoni people resist Shell not because they are activists but because they have no real choice in the matter.

So who is the action for? Car drivers, petrol station workers? It's not that people don't know the world is getting more and more fucked. The problem remains that we don't really have much sense what to do about this collectively. Activist actions such as above wilfully neglect this reality. They just keep on doing what activists have done for ever with little consequence. But these actions feel to the activists that they are doing something.

It seems like we can now affix the 'Occupy' tag now. The point of Occupy might be to recognise that the movements we seek to build will come about slowly through learning together and this is a painful process that right now is in it's most slow but useful stage we have to pass through - basic rethinking of what capitalism is. The validity of Occupy this - learning, listening, organising from this in the places where live with the eye to occupying these spaces and thus to start taking back the social wealth - housing, transport, food, parks and so on.

Continuing to 'do' for the sake of doing feels well-intentioned but is just more of the same activism (Stunts, 'actions', camps, occupations, flash mobs) that has been around since the the (mis-titled) anti-capitalist 'movement' began around 1999.

This Open Letter to Occupy London had some good things to say on this especially on the idea of 'consequences' and 'stakes'

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/12/490403.html

It's good to know Shell is due to feel some heat at its petrol stations.

It could be though that the Shell brand is best perpetuated at sponsored cultural institutions like the British Film Institute, Royal Festival Hall, National Gallery, National Maritime Museum, National Theatre, Natural History Museum and Science Museum (where it sponsors the 'atmosphere' climate exhibition -
 http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/environment_society/shell_in_the_society/social_investment/science_education/science_museum/)

Good luck!

Your friend Pete