Social Change is Messy

Copyright the Portland Tribune

It has been two-months since the Occupy movement landed in Portland, Oregon.
October 6, 2011 began with a march of hundreds of people through downtown Portland’s streets carrying signs and shouting for a change. Since then encampments have been created and evicted, rallies and marches have permeated the streets, and stories of clashes between OccupyPortland and the civil servants in City Hall have made headlines.

In a matter of 60 days a country that was at one time fixated on the United States’ massive debt has shifted focus to who is controlling the money that got us there. Alex Pio, 25, a committee member of Occupy Portland, knows their goals are on a broad base and encompass a massive amount of problems. He feels that by choosing to focus on getting corporate money out of politics and encouraging citizens to rise up and reclaim the government, it will help to get the more specific harms adequately addressed. Those problems include the unemployment rate, education and tax reform, food security, foreclosures, and clean energy.

Occupy Portland's Activities on Prezi

Creating a Conversation

While the Occupy Portland movement cannot state any concrete successes, the intangibles are what they are focusing on. Simply starting the conversation about corporate personhood, political corruptness and improper banking practices is one thing they hold as a token of progress. Illona Trogb, a member of Occupy Portland since September 27^th, stresses how crucial it is that these topics have moved beyond people’s living rooms and out into the streets. The movement is banding people together and creating a network that was never possible before. Pio states, “I am now part of a network of over 400 activists who are dedicated to changing the world. Two months ago I didn’t know any of them.”

Two-Pronged Approach

Most members of Occupy Portland are eager to express they are trying to work in a two-pronged approach; both within the system and outside of it. Committees and strategy teams work with City Hall to organize tackling corporate personhood, as well as drumming up support for Run-off Voting.  

The tactics outside the system are the ones most publicized and tend to attract the most attention. These include encampments, Move Your Money and Foreclosure rallies, the N17 march, and the calls for actions against banks. These demonstrations tend to draw police presence and even riot or SWAT teams despite pleas from both sides of the movement to remain peaceful.

The Impact on Portland

Closed Chapman Park - Adolph 2011

Because encampments and marches garner the most media attention, more of these kinds of demonstrations are planned in coming days. In a statement released in response to a letter by Occupy Portland by Mayor Sam Adams on December 2, 2011, Adams states he supports the movement’s objectives by writing, “we have learned a lot in the eight weeks since the first Occupy Portland camp set up … the camp shone a bright light on important national issues of economic equity, it also showed the on-the-ground local impact of state and federal cuts to social service funding.” He is clear to point out however, that another camp would be detrimental to the city. Adams says he “would much rather spend our finite dollars on direct services to those in need, rather than patrolling and cleaning up after an encampment.”

Protester outside the Justice Center - Adolph 2011

It is unclear how the struggle between those in power and the Occupy Portland protesters will resolve. Police will continue to enforce park rules and make more arrests where they deem it necessary. Occupy members will continue to march, rally, chant and gather in places to make sure their message is heard. The general public will undoubtedly be affected: commutes may be interrupted, parks may be closed, and when walking the streets of downtown one may find them more crowded than before. Occupy Portland asks you to remember social change is messy. Pio comments, “Sometimes disruptions are necessary to make people aware they’re on a sinking ship… it’s time to realize the hard, uncomfortable truths and try to rectify them.”