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Neither Storms Nor Police Dampen the Spirit of the 'Tarpaulin Revolution' #OccupyDemocracy
Other | Wednesday 26th November 2014 | Izaradz
If they can’t have the square, they will take to the streets. Yet Occupy Democracy is still failing to make the headlines.
When the Occupy movements began a few years ago at the peak of the economic crisis, thousands of people rallied to protest in the name of the 99%. To many, this is probably a vague and distant memory. Why? Because there has been a vast media silence on recent events. Some consider this as a governmental deterrence strategy, alongside over-policing of the events themselves. Of course, thanks to social media and a defiant spirit, this omission has only fuelled their frustration even more. We heard whispers that Occupy’s ally Anonymous are planning on marching on the BBC early next month.
Nevertheless, let us attempt to fill you in. Back in October, Occupy Democracy set up camp in Parliament Square for nine days, before being efficiently ‘removed’ by the authorities. Aside from asserting their intense concerns over the practices of the government, the protesters wanted to bring certain issues back to the forefront of debate.
On 21st November, Occupy Democracy echoed their October rally. This time it consisted of an organised programme of talks on current issues and policies, workshops and entertainment, including lectures by Natalie Bennett from the Green Party and Donnachadh McCarthy, one of the leading personalities of the movement. Furthermore, on the night before the demonstration was scheduled to begin, some participated in a 24-hour sleep out outside the House of Commons in protest of privatising the NHS.
Having followed the #occupydemocracy Twitter feeds throughout the day, we cautiously approached Parliament Square not knowing quite what to expect. The square itself had been fenced off in anticipation of the activity about to ensue, so we wondered where the occupation would end up taking place. Among the growing crowd of participants, you could hear bursts of passionate debating keeping the authorities on their toes.
We arrived just as things began to heat up. The seemingly calm collection of demonstrators began to march into the middle of the street, energetically waving signs and banners, and chanting “Whose street? OUR STREET!” with a shuddering conviction. A long green banner reading “Real Democracy Now” separated the fiery ‘occupiers’ from the glaring yellow jackets of the police. Suddenly, a confusing mix of angry accusations, stern warnings and raging car horns boomed throughout Westminster.
The fencing may have kept them off the square, but rather than disheartening the protestors, it was instead seen as ‘imprisoning’ the statue of Nelson Mandela. The activists noted the symbolic significance of this image and #FreeNelsonMandela quickly began to trend on Twitter, closely followed by #CameronMustGo. McCarthy stood by the fenced off statue and declared, “Mandela being imprisoned here by Boris Johnson, demonstrates the power of the corporate society.”
The police were aplenty and on constant standby, closely following the protesters as they marched around the Houses of Parliament. Despite their constant relocation, within an hour of tensions escalating, a handful of ‘occupiers’ were unsurprisingly arrested for ‘obstruction’. Nevertheless, the programme of activities went on as best as it could. The group braved the cold weather and set up camp for the weekend outside the Supreme Court.
Some made their activism even more prominent. On Sunday afternoon, one supporter used a bicycle lock to chain himself to the railings outside the Houses of Parliament. This same supporter was arrested in the October rally for sitting on a piece of tarpaulin.
Whatever your opinion may be about Occupy Democracy, the group organise peaceful and non-violent protests. The rallies’ attendance numbers may fluctuate, but never disappear. They continue to spread their message with demonstrations, sleep-outs, and on-going social media promotion despite being shunned by the major news channels. According to their Twitter, the protesters are planning their next demonstration on 20th-21st December. If you are interested in finding more about the motivation of the movement and the inspiration behind their democratic vision, have a look at the group’s website and Twitter.
Izy Radwanska Zhang @izaradz
