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Occupy Brookes kicks off despite monsoon weather

Samantha McSamantha | 18.04.2012 21:53 | Occupy Everywhere | Education | Free Spaces | Social Struggles | Oxford

The occupy camp outside Oxford Brookes Uni started up today amid crazy downpours.

Some 10-20 people set up camp at the front of Brookes Gipsy Lane campus, with large banners, several tents, and a couple of communal structures (hurriedly obtained and erected within a v.short time of experiencing the weather!). The group includes mostly Brookes students but many others of various backgrounds too.

This evening we had a lively samba workshop; Breach of the Peace samba band came and ran it; lots of people seemed to enjoy it and will probably get involved in the band, which means there's more chance they'll have the numbers to play at demos and actions all over the place. Even better, making some noise was good in terms of drawing attention to the camp.

The idea is to stay at least until Friday, and then review the situation and see whether people want to stay longer. Many sympathetic people have mentioned that they hadn't heard about it in advance, so hopefully it has the potential to grow quite a bit in the next few days. That effect may be offset a bit by the weather forecast, though, which promises even more rain to come.

Hopefully people will have the energy to do actions using the camp as a base, so that this can become something dynamic that gains attention and threatens the authorities. If we only have enough energy to maintain the camp itself (understandable, if people are cold and damp!), there's probably less chance of inspiring a wider movement.

Everything is possible! Come and join us :)

 http://occupybrookes.wordpress.com

Samantha McSamantha

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Inside is dryer

19.04.2012 07:19

Surely better to occupy the actual college and stay dry. As some one keen to seize the wealth of this country and re-distribute it to us lowly types, the idea of having to live in a tent outside a mass of safe warm and dry buildings makes me tingle with despair for the imagination and dynamism of the movement. Let's up the game and go for what we want. Seize the nosh, the togs, the grub and the hang-outs of the rich!

@


well done

19.04.2012 12:10

please make sure you allign things in aim with the rest of occupy movement against Bilderberg oil banks bailouts & their engineering of the bailoout, Occupy is about positive change not just protesting. Being in camp its easier to hold& getr dialogue going+ get peoples attention for change without messing normal people everyday lives up too much, which is why it has had so much support.

occupy nottinghamer


correction

20.04.2012 14:28

Based on a conversation I had at the camp yesterday (Thurs) I believe people are now planning to stay indefinitely; there is no plan to leave on Friday.

anon