Shouldn't we support the 99%?

Occupy SF: Around midnight, this double line surrounded the Occupy site.  Everyone in the double line was ready to get arrested.  There was a third line around this one of people willing to stay until dispersal orders were given.

Quick post before hitting the hay.  Had a very emotional response to the news coming out of Occupy Oakland last night.  I hadn't invested any energy in it myself, but I had stopped by a handful of times, and a few good friends had put their all into turning it into a consciousness raising opportunity.  Saw one tonight with six welts on her back from six rubber bullets.  I hadn't felt much solidarity with the occupation before, but last night it really seemed to turn into a state vs. people situation, and suddenly my emotions got involved and I found it impossible not to go down to Occupy SF tonight and show solidarity.  It seems that many San Franciscans felt the same - tonight there were people from all walks of life at the occupy site, many labor activists and union members - some with their families - but mostly, just ordinary SF folks.  It no longer felt like a squat.  Tonight, it felt like San Francisco wanted to protect its people from the violence that occurred in Oakland last night.

Of course, cops are strategic.  They weren't going to pounce when the public energy was at such a high level.  I was tired and cold by 2AM as were plenty of others.  I'm writing this from my arm home at 2:30 AM, and Twitter hasn't blown up with any news of a raid yet.  They waited til four in Oakland.  When I left, the crowd had considerably thinned, and it will thin more.  But at midnight, there was a ring of people, two thick, around the park, all ready to link arms. All ready to get arrested!  And many of those were union people.  There was a third line of people farther back who were not willing to get arrested, such as myself, who had an understanding that when the order was given to disperse or be arrested, they would disperse but stick around to observe.  There were public officials present, and even a senator, who were dedicated to trying to negotiate with the cops. I wonder if they'll stay until four...

Ultimately, I found myself thinking about how I could contribute in a meaningful way to activism in the future.  I feel like this is a moment where class consciousness has the potential to be raised significantly, but I haven't contributed to that.  I care a lot about getting diverse people involved in dialog and finding commonalities and agreeing on modes of action.  But that's to consider later...

I'm prone to fantasy, and I kept fantasizing, how great would it be if there were fifty zen folks out here, in robes, meditating or interlaced with the human blockade?  It would have been a beautiful sight.  In what circumstances would they come out?  What would it take?  In my fantasy land we would have all been out there tonight, steadfastly sitting in zazen until forcibly moved.  It would have been a stunning symbolic action.  There are a lot of dilemmas of course, but at this time of night, I'm happy to let pragmatics slip away....