Solidarity went in search of the face of the Occupy Movement. Here's what we found...
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| Tom S.*, Traveling Occupier |
Tom S.* 22 Describes himself as a traveling Occupier and NYC as the Mecca of the Occupy Movement. He’s a new arrival as of Friday, April 6, 2012 and carries a cardboard sign that reads: Free Hugs. Dallas was his first Occupy experience with 100+ tents and the police force directing and bussing mental health patients and release criminals directly to the encampment. His goals at Occupy is networking, he advocates spiritual evolution of the human species and ideals similar to the Star Trek or Federation of Planets societal structure and compassion-based society. When asked if armed guards deployed under marshall law ordered him to disperse from the Occupy installation, he replied that he, ”would be shot”. Tony believes the Occupy community to be his chosen family via shared experiences, ideals and beliefs which he succinctly phrases as, ”United as one, divided by zero.” He believes the movement is about truth. When asked what he would be doing if he were not Occupying, he explained that he believes that situation in this country is so urgent and his beliefs and opinions to be so strong about these matters that he would be doing something quite similar, expressing his political views and making an effort to change the status quo.
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| Melanie P.*, 7-month Occupy Veteran |
Melanie P.* 21 Maintains a collection of cool cardboard signs with political slogans and catchphrases of her own design. She conceptualizes her participation in the Occupy Movement as an effort to bring attention to social injustice and believes that the media is working in opposition to that effort. Melissa is a 7-month veteran of Occupy. Originally from Virginia, she participated in Occupy DC but found the DC movement to be unmotivated with its participants segregated by age and politics. While Occupy Union Square, Melissa successfully challenged police efforts to have the Occupiers disperse by publicly posting a law she claims grants her the right to sleep on the sidewalk. When asked what she would be doing if she were not Occupying, Melissa explained that she would be traveling. She has a mother in Virginia but she chooses to travel and Occupy.
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| Sean F.*, Farmer and Occupier |
Sean F.* 22 Began Occupying at the inception of the movement at Zuccotti Park. His continued involvement in Occupy is based upon the relationships he’s built with other Occupiers and his spiritual connection to the Occupy Movement. Stefan has visited other splinter Occupy encampments and believes that term ”99%” equates to a conversation about race, gender and class. When asked where he calls ”home” he replied that, ”New York Occupy is sort of like a home,” and there is no other single location that he would describe as ”home”. He conceptualizes ”home” as contextual and relationship-based. When asked what he would be doing if he were not Occupying he explains that he would be, ”farming” some place ”far away”, ”growing something…” and maybe doing ”mountain top removal” in ”West Virginia”. Stefan says there is ”no going back” from here, he would only envision himself ”going forward.”
*Names have been changed to protect Occupier and individual privacy.
