It’s close to nine months since Occupy Wall Street came onto the scene and caused a stir by peacefully sitting in Zuccotti Park. In this time, several different Occupy groups have sprung up around the nation.
I remember going to Milwaukee in November for a convention and stopping by Occupy Milwaukee. The weather was frosty and my fingertips were chilled to the bone. Yet here was a group of people who had built a whole community and, despite the weather conditions, were standing their ground.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Occupy movement was its lack of demands. Yet once presented, it seemed media continued to hark this point. However, what I think the media didn’t press upon was the effect that the Occupiers had upon the general population. Their demands no longer became important. Instead, the reaction toward the Occupiers by the ones in power was what became highlighted in the mass media.
In national news I began reading about mass arrests, pepper spraying and general police brutality. The powerful picture of Dorli Rainey, an 84-year-old Occupy Seattle activist, with pepper spray covering her face as two men attempted to wash it off, has been ingrained in many people’s minds. What threat did Rainey pose to the police? It makes one wonder about the hyper-power that the ones at the top hold and the ease in which they are willing to apply violence to their own citizens.
The incident at University of California, Davis has sparked outrage. The student protesters had linked arms and overstayed their welcome, which prompted the arrival of the police. The protesters were vocal and stood their ground. Still, the officers lined them up, sat them down, and sprayed them with pepper spray. An officer walked back and forth several times, keeping the the nozzle close to the students’ faces. These protesters by that point had submitted and were sitting down. Was this response from the officers justified? Of course it wasn’t. These students had a right to assemble and speak their minds.
The vehemence displayed while dealing with these protesters brought about a stark contradiction in the actions of the respective parties. While the protesters remained calm, the authorities showed their ugly side.
The abuse of power from the authorities resulted in lending credence to the movement. It exploited the contradictions of peaceful versus the powerful, the poor versus the rich, and of course the truth versus the lies.
You can disagree with Occupiers and their stances. You can call them whiny, unhygienic or lazy. However, you can’t deny that since their movement started, the level of awareness of the U.S. citizen has risen.
The Occupy movement may have not made a drastic impact on our social order, but we have to acknowledge the sheer dedication to the cause.
As citizens we are powerful and, as the Occupiers have taught us, we can’t be cowed by the authorities.
Remember, there is strength in numbers.
Michela Martinazzi is an art history junior at UF. Her column appears on Tuesdays. Contact her at opinions@alligator.org.
