General Assembly
STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY
from Occupy Santa Rosa General Assembly to Occupy Oakland General Assembly
Occupy Santa Rosa stands in solidarity with Occupy Oakland!
We are inspired by Occupy Oakland’s transparent January 28 action to nonviolently occupy a long-vacant building and transform it into a vibrant community center serving the people.
On January 28, Mayor Jean Quan and Oakland city officials unleashed a full-scale police assault against Occupy Oakland. We observed the violence that unfolded in the streets of Oakland. The violence was overwhelmingly initiated by, and carried out by, the police.
Of the many hours of recorded video of January 28, the media has chosen to highlight the vandalism at Oakland City Hall by a small handful of people which was not at all characteristic of the events of the day. Balanced reporting would have shown rows of armored police repeatedly shooting stun grenades, tear gas, and rubber-coated bullets directly into crowds of unarmed protesters.
What bitter irony that Occupy Oakland is now being blamed for “costing” cash-strapped Oakland millions of dollars. It is the Oakland city government that has chosen to waste people’s tax money on an ongoing police war–which they will not win–against a nonviolent people’s movement.
Occupy Santa Rosa stands with Occupy Oakland and all of Occupy as we work together to create a truly just and democratic society!
Occupy Oakland: Carry on! We have your back! …or…rather…your North!
With love and solidarity,
Occupy Santa Rosa
Please go to osrga.net to find out how to get more involved in direct and horizontal democracy! Join one of our many active Working and Affinity Groups, attend a workshop, go to a march, rally or day of action! See what others are saying and be part of the conversation in one of our many online forums.
Read past G.A. Notes (or submit them if you were the ever-appreciated volunteer Note Taker for one) by clicking here: OSRGA Notes
Our General Assembly meets Tuesdays at 12 Noon and Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm, Santa Rosa City Hall.
At General Assembly, we discuss proposals and make decisions using an 85% consensus model. Consensus means that each individual has both an opportunity and a responsibility to voice their truth and participate in the decision-making process. Everyone gets their say, but not everyone gets their way! We use hand signals to make process points and express our excitement or concerns about issues at hand. Approval requires that at least 85% be in support of a decision, and that no more than 15% feel that they cannot live with the decision. A “block” is only used when an individual feels that a proposal violates morality or ethics, and/or would damage the group and the movement if approved. If our facilitation team works well, and everyone is patient and listens well, such strong concerns get hashed out early in the process and blocks are never used! If consensus cannot be reached on a proposal at any given GA, it is handed back to an individual or Working Group for refinement and can be submitted again at a subsequent GA, until consensus is reached.
We stand behind a truly inclusive democracy in which everyone can win, not a half-hearted democracy in which losers are considered unfortunate but inevitable facts of life. Please come out and help us build this dream!