The Passion That Fuels Occupy – An Untelevised Conversation Between the MSM & an Occupier

Occupy Oakland celebrated it’s six month anniversary with a public gathering Tuesday night in Oscar Grant Plaza, near City Hall.

Despite the rain, an estimated 50-75 participants joined together and danced into the evening before dozens of riot police crashed the party to confiscate the unpermitted sound system.

Live streamer and independent journalist Jessica Eiko-Hollie was among the party goers when the police began handing out printed rule sheets to people in the plaza early on. Apparently the police department was under the assumption that something much larger had been planned. The rule sheet, dated April 10th, 2012 read,”The city of Oakland is committed to facilitating peaceful forms of expression and free speech rights, and protecting personal safety and property,” across the top of the first of two pages. It also said, “We are aware that there is a planned activity in Frank Ogawa Plaza. We have tried to work with the organization that is planning the event, with no success.” The fourth rule on the list was a reminder that “no person shall operate, or permit the operation of, any sound amplification system (including portable or car audio equipment) with out a permit.” The handout also warned that all “activity in the park must cease by 10pm.”

“People gathered in the rain and the police were passing out these papers with the rules on them to everyone,” Hollie said. “A little while later they began staging around the plaza before giving a two minute warning to turn off the sound. Then about 60 riot police came to confiscate a little speaker and to give Leo a citation.”

Back in February, the OPD sent in a team of riot police to confiscate the sound system protesters were using to speak out against police brutality during an anti-oppression rally in the same plaza near City Hall. The over the top force and large amount of resources being deployed to silence dissent is largely ignored by the main stream media.

From day one, occupations across the country have faced negative perceptions as a result of the corporate media bias against the true message ‘Occupy Wall Street’ promotes. One of love, unity and anarchism. A young man by the name of Trae’z had the opportunity to express his true feelings to members of the media later in the night when a camera crew from KTVU was finishing up their report. Luckily, Hollie was there to capture his message, which is likely to never be shown or reflected in the main stream media.

As Trae’z approached the camera crew he assured them he was not a threat, he was just “heated.” Within the first moments of the conversation, the reporter snapped at him and yelled, “I’m tired of being poor too! I’m out here in the rain!” The reporter’s comment that she was “tired of being poor too,” threw Trae’z into one of the most beautiful rants I have ever heard, even with some of it’s religious notes.

The soulful speech by Trae’z was a great reminder of why we occupy, to take care of other people and to create a better society. The question “why do we have to pay for food” came up during the conversation. This is something that has had me baffled since childhood. Why the hell do we have to pay to survive? At which point did I agree to participate in a system designed to separate humans into classes in which some are able to eat and the rest are left to beg? Everything we need is already here, all we have to do is get it and share.

Social revolution in today’s society of propaganda wars is an uphill battle. Children are trained to be selfish competitors in order to become “productive members of society.”  Though it is an uphill fight, there are many who are willing to use their lives and talents to create a new, human friendly world. The entire ‘system’ needs to be shifted away from personal profit motivation, and to achieve this, the masses must break free of the illusionary MSM world of conflict and hate and join the rest of us in creating a society based on human needs.

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