Mickey Friedman
December 25, 2011
As 2011 comes to a close, it’s fair to say Occupy has occupied the land.
Graphic Image: Alexandra Clotfelter
Far from the opening and closing bells of Wall Street, and its powerful bull, here in the southern Berkshires, Occupy Berkshires demonstrates each Sunday (excepting this Sunday) from 1 PM to 2:45 PM in front of Great Barrington’s Town Hall on Main Street. It then holds its General Assembly at 3 PM at the Quaker Meeting House on 280 Main Road (Route 23 towards Monterey.) There are similar groups in Pittsfield and North Adams.
It’s easy to get rhetorical about the extent and impact of Occupy but a recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) found occupy movements in 143 small towns and cities in California alone.
“Big cities got the movement early. The spatial depth of the movement to small towns is not well-known,” said Christopher Chase-Dunn, a distinguished professor of sociology who is known internationally for his research of social movements.
People in medium and small-sized towns are occupying space, organizing events, and lending their voices to the movement in their own towns, graduate student Michaela Curran-Strange added. “They are focusing on local issues as well as national and regional ones.”
Many have asked what Occupy stands for. And there have been answers artistic and political:
Graphic Image: Adbusters
UCR discovered a movement of many interests:
• A Yreka man who lost his home to foreclosure organized an Occupy group in the small Northern California town.
• Occupy Riverside activists helped an ex-Marine reoccupy the home that he and his family were evicted from as a result of foreclosure.
• Occupy Petaluma protestors successfully petitioned Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to suspend evictions during the holidays.
• Ojai organizers urged participants to move their savings from accounts from large banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America to local banks and credit unions.
• Occupy Davis protested tactics of police who pepper-sprayed students protesting tuition increases at UC Davis.
• Occupy Redding is supporting postal workers who are protesting job cuts.
Graphic Image: Edd Baldry
Today is Christmas. I wish you a Red Crow Christmas. In the very best sense of the word, I hope you and yours Occupy Christmas.
And while this is not traditional Christmas song, in my mind, it best expresses what Christmas 2011 is all about: