Some updates from OccupyLSX (see also Indymedia feature + occupylondon wire)
In general the occupation has grown very well with something like way over 300 tents now. NB The space is getting pretty crowded now, so please contact the Shelter working group if you want to bring a tent - some tents are free - pls don't just set up a tent now anywhere you like.
There's an outreach event planned for 11am Saturday - "Meet the movement" type thing. The media re invited to come along and meet the different working groups, visit the kitchen, have a tour of the site etc This is the proposal presented to the General Assembly, and formulated by several working groups in discussion this morning and at the lunchtime assembly.
The afternoon General Assemly on sat is planned to be at midday (scheduled wedding pending) and to be a Public Assembly, starting with updates from news from the occupy movement, from the uk and the world - from the international movement.
Then the idea is to have personal testimonies from activists involved in setting up the OccupyLSX camp and the working groups.
We're also inviting testimonies from social justice movements outside occupation to show solidarity and the links, with people from or involved in:
- Occupy halfterm - a group from cambs planning an occupation during school half term
- A banker who has been sleeping here
- Electricians involved in dispute and strikes and action like the recent Blackfriars blockade
- Disablbed people's alliance against cuts (who are marching on saturday) and involved with atos office occupations
- Dalefarm - after the evictions
- Single mothers self defence campaigning
- Tottenham defene campaign
- Jodie McIntyre
- Queer resistance
- Women of colour
- Student occupations
- Polly Toynbee
The tent city university group is holding daily lecturesd and discussion - this Saturday there's a panel on systemic change and pragmatic ways to bring about change. If you have ideas for workshops email tentcityuniversity@gmail.com
The last two days has seen people from OccupyLSX linking up with the electricians who blockaded Blackfriars station site and protesting at mining company BHP Billitons annual general meeting.
There's been some hassle from the police in terms of health and safety regarding fuel for generators and kitchens and people have expressed concern over police Forward Intelligence Teams photographing and filming people in meetings.
In terms of communication there are plans to schedule specific coverage for the video livestream and to ensure that the main minutes from working groups and assemblies are published quickly.
Interview extracts from wednesday: So what's happening next?
There's some specific things we've got planned.
We've begun a daily lecture series chaired by university lecturers, authors and activists.
Tomorrow we are marching to protest a meeting of large mining company executives in solidarity with the victims who have been displaced by large-scale mining projects in South America.
On Saturday we've planned a rally called "Occupy London, Occupy World" to invite members of the public and community groups to speak out about their lives under austerity. It will also be an opportunity to stand in solidarity with all the occupations around the world and share experiences and new insights.
We're thinking more and more about our strategy. We feel like we're reaching out to the British people - to let them know that their experiences are mutual, that we are the majority, and that there are alternatives - but we're being pragmatic about how we might hold "the system" to account and to meet people's needs.
From reading about other social movements we know that organized people are the only way to create and safeguard our freedoms. The suffragettes and the civil rights movement showed how people don't get the things they need simply by asking the government nicely. Pressure has to be applied and we are a part of a new struggle to create a more civilised society.
I think we should take the following strategy very seriously. For our demands to be met, we have to make the costs to the government of not implementing humane and social policies so high that they are forced to concede. This is the only way we will tackle the power of the multinational corporations.
Hannah:
The first thing to say is that he next move depends on what we as a collective occupation decide to do. and where we decide to take the occupation, where we decide to go next. we don't have a pre-prepared plan, because we are building the direct democracy which allows us to take decisions collectively. I personally would agree with you that it would be great to keep dynamic and doing new things which reflects the newness and the excitement of what we're doing here. There have been loads and loads of ideas about what to do next. At the General Assembly last night about 300 people broke into small groups and shared ideas about things that we could do. These include: direct action, further connections with other grassroots groups and political struggles, e.g. this morning we connected up with the electricians who are currently striking over conditions, this hasn't been reported much in the media and we hope to use the momentum we do have now to make the connection with more working people who are suffering under the current system.
We'd love to hear your ideas, also would like to point out that although it's really great having media coverage, so others of the 99% can hear about what we're doing, we are not thinking primarily about if the papers want to cover us, but want to concentrate on working together collectively to build processes for ways of making the world better.
Postal correspondance or donated kit can be sent to:
Occupy London St Pauls Cathedral, The Chapterhouse, St Pauls Churchyard, LONDON, EC4M 8AD, United Kingdom
Wikis and wishlists:
http://occupylsx.org/?page_id=192
http://olsx.wikia.com/wiki/Wishlist
https://occupywiki.co.uk/London/Wishlist
https://occupywiki.co.uk/London/Tech
General Calendar
http://occupylsx.org/?page_id=176
Live video stream (sometimes live otherwise looped content)
http://livestream.com/occupylsx
Ideas / Manifesto bank (3,363 votes on 102 ideas from 236 people)
http://www.google.com/moderator/#15/e=f76a0&t=f76a0.40
Flickr Pics
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1769303@N20/
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=occupylsx
http://www.flickr.com/groups/15o/
Youtube channels
http://www.youtube.com/user/occupylsx
http://www.youtube.com/user/occupylondon
Original article on IMC London:
