Organizers to press on, will 'Occupy Congress'
Posted: Dec 30, 2011 3:00 PM EST Updated: Jan 01, 2012 5:01 AM EST By Matt Quillen -
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Occupy protests are likely to continue into 2012, with a focus on the upcoming elections. (Source: CNN) The Occupy Movement
More>> Organizers to press on, will 'Occupy Congress' Occupy protest follows 123rd annual Rose Parade Occupy Wall Street becomes highly collectible Throng of Occupy protesters appear in NY courts Occupy Wall Street's center shows some cracks Protesters halt operations at some western ports Police remove Occupy Baltimore protesters Police remove Occupy Baltimore protesters Police arrest about 55 Occupy SF demonstrators NY Occupy protest shuts down 'Law & Order' (RNN) – While analysts discuss whether the movement will return with the same gusto in 2012, 'Occupy' organizers have declared they will not retreat until the injustices they protest are corrected.
"In a perfect world, we wouldn't need to protest in the form of
Occupy Wall Street," said Shane Patrick, a spokesman for the group. "But it's unlikely that the conditions will change immediately, allowing OWS to fade away overnight."
Occupy Wall Street (OWS) has proclaimed itself to be a movement both with
no leaders and a movement of
all leaders. Patrick pointed out no one spoke for the group, and his thoughts were only his views and opinions.
He described all Occupy sites and protests as autonomous groups operating under the same "
principles of solidarity."
"We are determined to continue – through our actions – to shine a light on the cruelty of austerity measures at a time of growing income inequality, the lack of accountability and prosecution for those on Wall Street, which crippled our economy, and other such issues of the day," Patrick said.
The 99 Percent anticipates its biggest protest yet, when they
Occupy Congress on Jan. 17.
A release pledges "the largest national unification of Occupiers to date" when the U.S. House of Representatives convene in 2012. Organizers submitted an application, which they posted on their Facebook page, to conduct a demonstration at the National Mall in Washington from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET.
"Though our grievances are many, the common theme that runs through them will be amplified on the steps of Capitol Hill: corporations, special interests and money from the autocratic elite has created a government that is unable to govern for the people," the release stated.
Election campaigns figure to be a central target for demonstrations in 2012, with Occupy the Caucuses protests already taking place in Iowa. Although many view it as a liberal movement, organizers maintain the group is not aligned with any political party.
Occupy Congress declared Jan. 17 to be "the next step in taking power back from a distant financial-governmental elite and placing it where it belongs – in the hands of the people."
People voiced their support for the protest through social media like Twitter, and organizers have planned to launch a
new social network called "The Global Square" in January.
Despite the concept of
satyagraha (Hindi for "insistence on truth") adopted from Mahatma Gandhi, violence has been a part of some Occupy protests since shortly after they began Sept. 17. Scenes of protesters being pepper sprayed at the University of California-Davis and stories of authorities using excessive force in New York's Zucotti Park have become well-known.
But protesters also have been blamed for inciting violence at Occupy sites. MSA Security, a private firm offering services for corporate and government clients, released an analysis Tuesday of OWS.
Based on a
Washington Post commentary written by organizers for the movement, MSA warned "enhanced tactics" could be used to draw media focus and re-energize people.
"If the central core of OWS can stay physically united through the winter; likely that small numbers of organizers will engage in increasingly confrontational actions to resuscitate their movement," MSA stated.
