I’ve noted before that Occupy Wall Street has had trouble coming to consensus on a statement of nonviolence (as opposed to, say, the October 2011 movement in DC, which publicized one at the outset). This was an issue both in the planning process and in the early days of the occupation. In my essay on the notion of “diversity of tactics” for Occupy Wall Street, I wrote:
Since the early stages of the movement, it is true, those taking part have been in a deadlock on the question of making a commitment to nonviolence. At a planning meeting in Tompkins Square Park prior to September 17, I recall one young man in dark sunglasses saying, knowingly, “There is a danger of fetishizing nonviolence to the point that it becomes a dogma.” In response, a woman added a “point of information,” despite being in contradiction to what Gandhi or King might say: “Nonviolence just means not initiating violence.” The question of nonviolence was ultimately tabled that night and thereafter. “This discussion is a complete waste of time,” someone concluded.
However, this is long overdue for an update. Every major statement so far issued by the General Assembly at Occupy Wall Street’s Liberty Plaza has included a definitive nod toward a commitment to nonviolence.
Here’s a quick rundown of each document now available in the Resources section of the New York City General Assembly’s website:
As I see it, the upshot is clear: Occupy Wall Street has made a firm and consistent commitment to nonviolence. The question remains, of course, what those participating understand nonviolence to actually mean. As new challenges arise, that will be an ongoing discussion.
This is an issue in Melbourne as well. Although the commitment to nonviolence has been explicit since the outset, people have very different conceptions of nonviolence (such as refusing to exclude violence in self defence, etc). More recently, some from a particular group have questioned the commitment to nonviolence itself. This is very frustrating, particularly since those questioning it only turn up a couple of times a week at best. I wrote an open letter to Occupy Melbourne to try to clear up some misconceptions: http://smoyle.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/an-open-letter-to-occupy-melbourne/
Thanks so much for sharing this, Simon. Really eloquent! I’ve been sometimes cautious to use words like “love” around the movement, trying to keep calls for nonviolence seeming hard-headed and strategic. However, then I listen to the movement itself—calling on people to “occupy your heart” and the like—and I remember that this isn’t out of keeping at all, or it shouldn’t be. There is an internal struggle between demonization, reactiveness and anger, on the one hand, and a spirit of nonviolence—and even love—on the other.
thanks to Nathan Schneider for sharing his thoughts: it is exaclty what I feel when discussing and teaching nonviolence…it is strategic etc. etc. but at the end of the day it appeals because it involves ‘love’…we have to bring back love into politics, not naively, but constructively and passionately…out there there is only hate
This reminds me of how WNV columnist Michael Nagler talks about the etymology of “nonviolence,” coming from the Sanskrit ahimsa. In the original context, it means not simply the absence of violence, the negation of it, but that which emerges in the absence of it, positively, and what one must do to be absent of it.
The Occupation Wall Street’s commitment to nonviolence in word and in its actions has been a great example to Occupy movement across the country in how to be effective in building our movement for radical change in our society. Even a little violence here and there can derail our movement and this is exactly what the establishment wants and hopes. The stronger we can keep our commitment to nonviolence, even in the face of police repression and violence, the stronger our movement will become. That is the way we will reach out and recruit into our movement the active partiipation of the rest of the 99%. Thanks Nathan for your great article.
“The Occupation Wall Street’s commitment to nonviolence in word and in its actions has been a great example to Occupy movement across the country in how to be effective in building our movement for radical change in our society.”
. . . by vandalizing stores, openly assaulting people and publically defecating?
OWS’s “commitment” to nonviolence has been in word, and word only.
All of the incidents you refer to have been isolated ones, undertaken by individuals, and disapproved of by the group. In a large movement, unfortunately, things like this can happen. If we as a society despise murder, and murders occasionally happen, that doesn’t mean our society’s opposition to it is therefore meaningless.
OWS welcomed group that openly defends, justifies, promotes terrorism. Is this the only one or are there other groups in OWS who mock honest non-violent workers for justice and peace?
https://www.facebook.com/OccupyWallSt/posts/211639572238632?notif_t=share_comment
That link doesn’t appear to work. Could you substantiate your claim?
I once supported this group believing they were committed to non-violence, but recently learned they retain terrorism as a justifiable means to achieve goals. I called and emailed OWS with my concerns of how welcoming group who falsely claims “non-violence” to promote their group and cause will harm OWS movement. OWS failed to comprehend, some organizers and members of the group wore their t-shirt of terrorist holding ak47 wearing grenade pin on finger fraudulently stating “resistance is not terrorism” at their OWS event. Their OWS event was held on Oct. 28, their facebook event page was updated to for other events.
Jewish Voice for Peace has collaborated with this group. The recent Jewish Young Proud protest “occupy Birthright Israel” escalated to violence between one of their protestors and a minor. It is possible the protestor who engaged in violence with a minor is one of the co-founders and co-organizers of the group. I’ve asked Kiera Feldman if she can identify the individuals, so far she has not.
Consider Birthright Israel occupied
by Kiera Feldman | November 10, 2011
“A fresh-faced girl of about 17, apparently a neighbor, pranced into our chanting sidewalk cluster while doing a little dance, her long hair flowing behind her while she chanted in a singsong voice, “You guys are all douchebags who don’t know shit about Israel.” Soon she was shouting and being shouted at, the rage level of the whole group rising, the crowd becoming a mob. The next thing I saw was the girl hitting a Palestinian woman named Nancy in the face, to which Nancy replied with a flurry of fists. They were pulled apart, no one hurt. I wondered if those had been the first blows between an OWS protester and counter-protester in New York to date.”
http://dev2.wagingnonviolence.org/2011/11/consider-birthright-israel-occupied/
Worth noting, Kiera Feldmam is facebook friends with the group, if she does not know they openly defend, justify, promote terrorism, she needs to use her journalism skills to investigate the group. If she does know she cannot call herself a non-violent justice and peace worker.
The group has harassed me, circulated my photo, address, date of birth and made false claims that I’m a “convicted thief”, group members wrote they wanted to spit on me and smack me. There is much more than I can communicate here. I’ll be in NYC soon, hoping to connected with honest non-violence justice and peace workers in OWS movement.
Sorry, I am with Jewish Voices for Peace, I was at this birthright occupation. The altercation which occurred was simply a crazed Zionist (looked 20 or so) attacking one of the demonstrators who was doing nothing but filming the event. In face the person who was attacked was only filming the entire time. Obviously when she was punched in the face for no reason whatsoever she rightfully defended herself. Even the police were looking for the other girl because the footage clearly showed the attack. the other girl had disappeared by that time. I do not personally know the group you refer to but have seen them work on many amazing projects. I did my research after you posted this. They do not seem to “support terrorism”. I saw that they have organized a demonstration today against vulture fund owner Peter Grossman along with a group called “Friends of the Congo”…. that’s pretty progressive no?
Facebook
Existence Is Resistance
“Some came and took our land, forced us to leave, forced us to live in camps. I think this is terrorism. Using means to resist this terrorism and stop its effects – this is called struggle.” – Leila Khaled
November 10 at 9:40am
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Existence-Is-Resistance/118088514913687?sk=wall
Co-founder and members wearing their t-shirt of terrorist holding ak47 at their Oct 28 OWS event.
http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/photo-essay-existing-and-resisting-for-palestine-at-wall-street/
Facebook
Existence is Resistance Kuffeya Day
Renee Wendy
In response a small few at OWS: Leila Khaled is one of my heroes. Not all resistance is peaceful and non-violent and that is ok with me. I do not like killing and hurting anyone but a myriad of techniques need to be used to successfully dismantle oppression. I had the honor of meeting Ms. Khaled in 2001 in Amman and I fully support her and I love the Existence Is Resistance tshirts designed by Kyle Goen. In the words of Malcolm X -“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”
October 25 at 1:56pm
7 people like this.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/274632612568909/
Malcolm X never called for or condoned what the group does. He only called for self-defense, never harming innocent people. The group often quotes MLK while making a known terrorist holding an ak47 and wearing grenade pin their main image. Not comforting knowing OWS and JVP collaborate with these not “non-violent” folk.
Facebook
Occupy Wall Street
Renee Wendy
For me OWS is not just a fight for economic justice, as a woman of color, a mom, a nurse, an american and a human it means more to me than that. I want to see better education opportunities for my children, health care for the 50 million uninsured, an end to police brutality, and end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and an end to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. I see the bigger picture of a world that is safe and peaceful for my kids, and unfortunately it may take some violence for it to get there, and that is the fault of the oppressors, not the fault of those who want freedom and justice.
October 25 at 2:16pm
https://www.facebook.com/OccupyWallSt/posts/211639572238632?notif_t=share_comment
“Leila Khaled is one of my heroes. Not all resistance is peaceful and non-violent and that is ok with me.”
Right, murder and violence is perfectly acceptable as long as they are committed in the name of your personal dogma.
Khaled is a violence-crazed terrorist who thinks that her fanatical, totalitarianism-based religious beliefs entitle her to threaten to murder entire planefuls of innocent men, women and children. No wonder she’s your hero.
I commented on Waging Nonviolence facebook wall, including link, for this post:
Waging Nonviolence
See how every major statement so far issued by the General Assembly at Occupy Wall Street’s Liberty Plaza has included a definitive nod toward a commitment to nonviolence.
November 13 at 10:49pm
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001467823934&ref=tn_tnmn#!/wagingnonviolence
” Occupy Wall Street has made a firm and consistent commitment to nonviolence.”
Sure, if assault, arson, vandalism, rape, murder and the forceful and illegal occupation of land both private and public by use of numbers and force fits into your personal perception of “nonviolence”, which seems to be exactly the case for most Leftists.