GA: Minutes - 18/2/12

General assembly – 18/2/12
People: 15/16
Facilitation team

Facilitator – Scott
Co facilittator– Rohan
Tim keeper – Jacob
Proposal&Speaker taker – Nicky
Minutes – Che

Announcements
Mayday parade: A call for May 1st global General Strike. Conference at Jura bookshop on March 8th Wednesday 7pm. Flyers released today. IWW Jura books and Black Rose co sponsoring meeting @ Jura Books.
Next thurday @ blackrose 7pm: screening – of film ‘burn’ about colonization and racism in west indies in the 18th century
Alains outdoor cinema happening every Friday. Political movies. Need more people and publicity. Cycles from Maroubra.
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Reportbacks
Police raids – half an hour after property was returned from council the police raided and took everything again. The cops have been raiding very often.
The black trolley is very important as it has the original templates of pamphlets. Please take it for a walk if the cops are raiding.
Grab the trolley and banner first if a raid happens whilst you are at the site.

6 people went to the Greek Embassy. A styrophone box was left when the Occupiers left.  When the occupiers left  they were stopped and arrested. Didn’t know what they were arrested for. Two were charged with public mischief. Outside the police station people were supporting the arrested. Police gave move on orders and two were arrested.
Supporters were drumming in  support. The police came out and said that the drumming was intimidating.

Agenda
Goal setting
A need for long term and short term goals. Achieve by consensus. Needed to keep the movement going.

Hard to pass a proposal without specific goals. Individual goals should be decided as proposal. Could be contentious. Discussion could go on forever.

Nothing wrong with having objectives. Isnt time for setting goals.

Organizing actions are seen as goals. The stage we are at is awareness and information. Some people haven’t heard of Occupy Sydney yet. Reason why list of demands hasn’t been set yet is because the politicians may try to cover them up. Until enough information and awareness is released no body will want to help. The movement isn’t going to happen overnight and its disappointing that people have already given up.
Do some brainstorming about the goals before. Set working groups/about goals.

Changing the world as a goal is very ambiguous.

Main goal at the moment is raising awareness. Eg: when the minutes are released: are they released in a place that every one can see what we’ve been discussing?

Suggestion: Change the root of money. Money is evil.  The more money that is printed the more value is lost.

We have time so theres always capacity for multiple strategies. Looking for people to do hybrid direct action. Create our own media rather than relying on the mainstream media.

We are a diverse group of people. Its hard to come to consensus on a list of demands. We need to improve the level of conversation among society. Start publishing some material in the form of magazines. We need to project our conversation outward. Its hard to change the world but we can start by having a conversation.

Proposal:
We want/need to change the world
We want change
4 stand asides

Ideas for Direct Action
The need for constant promotion/awareness. We need media attention around the actions upcoming.
We should have a day where we go and collect furniture and bring it all back to the site.
Do banner drops off buildings.
Have the homeless wear signs about needing a home.

Have a newsletter that we print once a fortnight and hand out at train stations. The newsletter will highlight why we are protesting and who we are etc.

Have articles in media that already exists.

The mainstream media already ignore us the above idea may not work.

The public are always telling us what we should do – why don’t they go and do it?
If you have ideas go and do it. It gives you an opportunity to help out whilst not actually being at the site.

No ones been posting on Indy media. We should embrace what is already there for us to use.

Everyone who has been updating the occupysydney.org.au site has burnt out.

Get a documentary film library together.

Mayday
A number of occupations around the world have called for a general strike. We can call for a general strike but its doubted that Australia will actually participate.

Mayday working group to take place on Wednesday @5.30pm.


Proposals:

Occupy Sydney continue with the daytime protest. But only occupy 1 or 2 nights a week.
Weve been harrased by police continuously. Were not doing the political things we aimed to do. Were not really doing a protest because we sleep all night and have no energy to do protesting in the day. Had initial participation and support. Successfully engaged in conversation for four months and were no longer doing this because weve been defending a lot of the time.

No expectation that we would become a political party. We have achieved conversation. Havent successfully gained enough conversation/support of the public whilst here.

Purpose of occupying is to fill or take up (a space or time). Concern for people sleeping away from occupy in fear. Must enforce our rights. Many people have been pushed around by police for many years but we must continue to stay strong and defend. Life wasn’t supposed to be easy.

We are a collection of sovereign individuals. Suggestion go and do everything you want to do. We should not be voting on rules for other people. People can do whatever they want to do. If you think that maintaining an occupation is important then do it. If you want to hand out pamphlets do it.

Agree with points made so far. Weve already been occupying for four months. To stop occupying would admit to defeat. But the constant harassment by police has scared people. Midday to midnight would still cover what we do already but the logistics would need to be done aswell.
The site needs a desk, banners and pamphlets. Don’t give the cops an excuse to take stuff.

Although we have had the above the cops have already seized the stuff.

This isn’t going to be resolved right away.

Some people are going to occupy 24/7 because they can. Others have the energy to support them. We need to accept the limits of what other people can bring to the movement. People should find ways to support each other.

Constant advertising would gain more support for Occupy.

Don’t stop occupying before you’ve been completely evicted. Good on the people who have dedicated time to occupy already.

This is a police state we have to resist the cops. We have to stand up for our rights and for the rights of the future children.

We should have lots of value to the people who give a lot of time to occupy and helping defend against the cops.

Seems to be a diversion between occupiers who stay overnight and people who visit throughout the day. There is no difference. People who put in a huge effort in maintaining the occupation are just as equal. All the stuff that we have here has been donated or been bought with donated money and we need to defend the stuff out of respect.
We encourage people who cant stay overnight to help out in the day. They probably have a better mindset to help out.

We dont need a proposal for what we are already doing.

Have a list of stuff that the cops are happy with. Film the cops signing – Blocked.
Cops are not to be trusted.

Occupy Sydney is a fulltime occupation – Blocked
The occupation will remain for as long as people continue maintaining the occupation. The proposal is blocked because we’re not going to make rules about the occupation.

Occupy Sydney calls for a strike on the 1st of May. – Complete consensus

Occupy Sydney supports any other calls for a general strike – Complete consensus