Storm Effort Causes a Rift in a Shifting Occupy Movement

[hack89]

Not long ago, the Occupy Wall Street movement seemed poised to largely fade from the national conversation with few concrete accomplishments beyond introducing its hallmark phrase, “We are the 99 percent.”

Then Hurricane Sandy struck. In its aftermath, Occupy Wall Street protesters rushed to apply their rabble-rousing hustle to cleaning out houses, clearing debris and raising more than $1.5 million for relief efforts. In some minds, Occupy members had become less a collection of disaffected class warriors than a group of efficient community volunteers. Occupy Sandy, as the effort came to be known, became one of the most widely praised groups working on the storm recovery.

As Occupy members around the country plan the movement’s annual May Day protests, a central question has emerged: whether Occupy Sandy represents a betrayal of the Occupy movement, or its future.

But the shift away from the core message of income inequality has contributed to a growing rift within Occupy, which once seemed poised to become a leftist alternative to the Tea Party. The storm response brought a more mainstream contingent into the shrinking movement, as Occupiers were joined in mucking out houses by people who shared their values but had found their tactics too radical. But now some members say in the process the movement has sold out, that by soliciting donations from corporations like Home Depot and applying for government grants, it has allied itself with the very forces it was formed to fight against.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/nyregion/occupy-movements-changing-focus-causes-rift.html?ref=nyregion

I thought Occupy's Sandy efforts were an incredible display of compassion, energy and organization. It is sad when helping your fellow American's is deemed selling out.

[pinto]

1. Interesting piece.

Seems natural that parts of the Occupy movement would evolve or change, especially in light of the widespread damage caused by Sandy in the NY region.

Thanks for the post.

[rsmith6621]

2. The Bankers on Wall Street are Still....

.......LOOSE.......

[socialist_n_TN]

3. A social movement, especially an anarchistic one....

will morph and split like this. Since neither wing will ever accomplish what the country needs (a revolutionary change of economic system to one of economic democracy), it's not going to matter much which "side" is ascendant. Occupy, like the Wisconsin struggles the year before was merely a reaction to capitalism without it's mask. Since capitalism has no intention of ever putting on the mask again, something else will arise pretty soon and it will be more militant than Occupy or the Wisconsin struggles. I just hope it's more organized too.

[HappyMe]

4. It is sad to think

that helping others out is considered 'selling out'. I would much rather give a helping hand to those in need and risk being called a 'sell out', then stand by and do nothing.

[KittyWampus]

6. let me add this here> cynics & political idealists can be weirdly similar at times.

Cynics say nothing ever changes and hate anything that indicates progress or helps progress because it invalidates their worldview.

Political idealists hate change because it never goes far enough to reach their perfect ideal. The perfect, for some, is the enemy of the good.

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. I don't think humanitarian and radical are incompatible.

The Molly Maguires did a lot of charity.

Occupy was not radical enough from the get-go to effect change.