A few weeks ago I decided to cover the Occupy movement here in Brisbane. I wanted to do it because they got a lot of harsh critique online, something I had verify the validity of.
At first the critique they had received seemed a bit over-the-top. Basically, people were pissed off because these guys actually had the balls to go out and protest in the streets. Something that is very rare here in Queensland. If you are unhappy with something here, keep it to yourself, have a spoon of cement which you wash down with XXXX beer and harden the fuck up!
When they were told to move-on it seemed like he whole movement, in Brisbane, collapsed on itself. A lot of in-fighting. They try to convince people they have no leader, but there are a certain few who seem to be more than willing to take leadership of certain topics.
I’ve studied history and I’ve been part of a few protests myself. And from what I know and experienced myself, Occupy Brisbane will not last for long, nor will it have any positive impact on society, or any impact at all.
Here are the three articles I’ve written so far:
We can only wait & see how much more peripheral disruption, COINTELPRO-like tactics from LEOs, & factional strife this increasingly-disjointed protest action can endure. More militantcy will bring the heat down quicker, and many ops don’t seem to be willing to work with local authorities. Those that do are attacked for not showing the courage of their convictions.
Long-term, perhaps the actions will serve to “wake up” a few more people, than if they hadn’t occurrred, and at least spur a wider-ranging dialogue, and more participatory democracy than the typical [for the US, at least] 2-party BSfest we normally suffer. Elections will continue to be beset by minor inconveniences such as a plethora of “3d-party” shenanigans that usually only serves to negate 7-15% of the electorate’s votes. Oh, sure, a few will “swing” to Right or Left, but there’s always about 8% that won’t vote for either a Repub or Demo candidate, ever.