Occupy Boise remains calm, methodical through the madness

BRYCE DUNHAM-ZEMBERI/THE ARBITER

In the words of Buffalo Springfield, “There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.”

The 1967 song, “For What it’s Worth,” discusses the political diversities and struggles of the Vietnam War. Today a similar protest has been born, taking the American conscience in a new direction.

Whether it’s called Occupy Boise, Occupy Wall Street, or Occupy Together, the movement and supporters still represent the same thing: the 99 percent.

The Occupy Together movement is growing at an alarming rate; according to its website, there are assemblies in cities from coast to coast showing support for the movement.

Skeptics argue the movement is disorganized and lacks structure.

“I see mass chaos, I see a band of rightfully angry American citizens who are so chaotic because they do not have a unifying message,” Dominic Gelsomino, Boise State College Republican chairman, said. “A mob of people, with one sect arguing affirmative action, one sect arguing climate change, one sect arguing anti-capitalism and one sect arguing social redistribution. It is just confusing that’s all.”

While each participant has their own reason for protesting, they are all a part of a larger  movement. In order for the organization to run smoothly, assemblies have structured themselves in a way that works for them.

Occupy Boise is divided into five categories that work together to maintain the movement. Each working group is an independent finger that creates the movement’s collective fist and overall message.

The five working groups are the Public Education Working Group, the Media Working Group, the General Assembly Planning Working Group, the Legal Working Group and the Direct Action Working Group, according to Alex Neiwirth, an Occupy Boise orientation instructor.

Each group is responsible for different aspects of Occupy Boise from website management to assembly moderation, an indication Occupy Boise is in for the long haul.

Public Education Working Group

If the Public Education Work Group were to be a finger, it would be the biggest one. Gus Voss, co-coordinator of the group and senior political science major, would be public enemy number one to the one percent.

Voss uses his understanding of politics to invoke the principles of democracy.

The group says it understands no war can be lost so long as the idea never dies. Their goal is to create messages about the one percent and then distribute them to the 99 percent.

This can be accomplished by “teach-ins” and mass pamphlet distribution, according to Voss.

“The Public Education Working Group’s purpose is three pronged: first is to communicate with Idahoans about Occupy Together, then to expose the influence of Wall Street in Idaho and lastly to expose the power of the 99 percent,” Voss said.

Media Working Group

The Media Working Group is the primary coordinator of media for Occupy Boise, such as the website, flyer printing and the welcome table.

The group primarily works with the Public Education Working Group, according to Joshua Christopher, a 23-year-old Media Working Group member. The Media Working Group prints the actual information the Public Education Working Group distributes.

The first press release was written Oct. 11, giving Occupy Boise its first official “collective
message.”

The Public Education Working Group wrote it and the Media Working Group published it online.

Legal Working Group

What would the world be without lawyers? Yes, Occupy Boise has them, too. The group monitors Occupy Boise’s legal stability, according to Robert Stevahn, a 51-year-old Legal Working Group co-coordinator.

“The Legal Working Group provides legal support for the rest of the organizations. Really, we act as a legal liaison between legal counsel and the other working groups,” Stevahn said.

The group is responsible for obtaining necessary permits and offering legal advice to the other working groups.

“We don’t tell them no. We just tell them what is legal and what is not legal and tell them if they (other working groups) might have a problem doing something,” Stevahn said.

The other groups, however, are free to ignore the advice. In other words, the Legal Working Group can point the gun but can never really pull the trigger.

Direct Action Working Group

The Direct Action Working Group is the thumb of the Occupy Boise fist. It has the most dexterity in the sense that it guides the marches like a thumb does a joystick. The group plans the marches, according to a Direct Action co-coordinator Sara Cramer.

“The Direct Action Working Group plans, organizes and participates in public direct actions related to our movement, including demonstrations, general assemblies and bazaars so far,” Cramer said.

The marches are too big to go unmanaged.

“The Direct Action Working Group handles logistics of the marches route, we work with the legal team as far legality and their permitting process with the city,” Cramer said.

Attendees of the Oct. 12 march were unable to walk on the streets and were forced to the sidewalks because of a disagreement between the Direct Action Working Group and Boise City Police, according to Alexis Pickering. Pickering is double majoring in political science and English at Boise State.

General Assembly Planning Working Group

“The General Assembly (GA) Planning Working Group’s purpose is to draft agendas, assign roles, such as facilitators, legal watchers, note takers and all additional roles necessary,” said Matt Haga, a 25-year-old member speaking on behalf of the GA Planning Working Group. “All with the one purpose of shooting for smooth running general assemble where all working groups are on the same page.”

Let’s talk

Occupy Boise meetings, such as the one on Oct. 11 at Capitol Park, are held in a circle where participants sit together, occasionally hug and use jazz hands to vote. These meetings are used to discuss how the assembly can work more efficiently.

The GA Planning Working Group collects proposals from the other groups to present to the general assembly. Proposals can be anything from ideas for streamlining the Occupy Boise movement to demographic surveys.

The proposed ideas from the Oct. 11 general assembly meeting ranged from American flag bearers at the upcoming march to who will operate the welcome tent.

“Within Occupy Boise, anybody can propose an idea. And then that (proposed idea) is presented to the general assembly. From then on we (GA Planning Working Group) test for a consensus,” Haga said.

Decisions regarding proposals are made by using an unanimous consensus decision-making model. Proposals are brought to the general assembly attendees, where everyone votes and addresses concerns before a proposal is passed.

“A test for consensus requires that we ask for clarifying questions or comments so everything is understood with every individual at the GA (general assembly),” Haga said.

Consent is shown by two raised hands and wiggling fingers. Members can address their concerns, by issuing a verbal “stand aside.”

“Stand asides are for people to say, essentially ‘I do not feel comfortable with this proposal, this is why, but I am not going to stop this proposal from going
through,’ ” Haga said.

Proposals are brought into discussion so no member feels left out. And those detrimental to the movement can be stopped with a block—a last resort deal-breaker used to contain radicalism.

“The block is the deal-ender. It is where the proposal at hand cannot go further anymore, cannot be agreed upon, until the block can be resolved,” Haga said.

Blocks force the proposal to be rewritten until the next meeting where another consensus can be drawn.

Whether it’s the Occupy Boise, Occupy Wall Street, or Occupy Together movement, cities such as Boise are setting up the ground work to sustain a 24/7 protest of Wall Street lobbying.

Their most ambitious goal is to have a living encampment at the end of November, Voss said.

For more information, visit the Occupy Boise page on Facebook.

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Posted by brycedunhamzemberi on Oct 17 2011. Filed under Main Feature, News, News Main Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.