After the police riot in Oakland on January 28th, Mayor Quan said that she would call up Occupy leaders across the country to have the disown Occupy Oakland.
If she has reached these mythical people, she has yet to let anyone know. But General Assemblies of various Occupies and others noted her request and decided to respond. I do not think it is quite what she wanted to hear. Judge for yourself.
Occupy Los Angeles.
Statement of the General Assembly of Occupy Los Angeles, Feb. 1, 2012:
Occupy Los Angeles has always stood in unwavering solidarity with Occupy Oakland. After Occupy Oakland’s most recent victimization by the illegal and brutal tactics of OPD, Oakland City Council and Mayor Jean Quan, we feel it necessary to restate our unequivocal support for our comrades.
We consider every horizontally structured, autonomous group fighting for social and economic justice, and intent on providing services for the community that the government has failed to provide, as our brothers and sisters. As long as the civil government of Oakland remains derelict in creating an equal and just society, it falls to the people to provide for themselves. We support and respect Occupy Oakland’s courage and collective state of mind that we must strive for in order to enact real change in our world.
Oakland, Los Angeles and the United States have been the "playground" of the 1% and their lackeys in government for too long. We will not tolerate police brutality, the oppression of free speech and the systematic violence used against our comrades in any situation, and we will certainly not denounce or declare ourselves against those who fight for justice in a police state - particularly those adhering to our shared principles and values. An injury to one is an injury to all, with this call to denounce Occupy Oakland being only the latest in an ever-growing list.
There are only so many injuries we will allow you to inflict upon us.
An Occupy Boston awesome mic check in solidarity:
Official Occupy Tulsa Statement:
To the City of Oakland, Oakland Police, and Mayor Quan,
... Your request for Occupy Wall Street and the other occupations to "disown" Occupy Oakland shows a failure to understand the nature of this movement and does a disservice to those you were elected to represent. Oakland wants change, and so do we. Rubber bullets and tear gas are violence, opening a social center is not. The use of physical violence against Occupiers, including children, is a disgrace. We stand with our fellow Occupiers not with a city and mayor that condones the use of violence against non-violent protestors and those building community in the face of struggle. It is you, Mayor Quan, who must answer to the rest of the Occupy movement and not our brethren at Occupy Oakland.
If our cities spent as much money providing services for the hungry and homeless as they did cracking down on Occupy and if the federal government spent as much money on confronting social and environmental problems as it does on waging war and bail-outs for the financial industry, then we would not have nearly as much cause to Occupy in Solidarity with one another. Until our elected leaders, including you Mayor Quan, stand with those who are building community and peacefully assembling rather than with those who are injuring and bullying citizens on the streets of Oakland we will Occupy in Solidarity with one another. Until you respect the right to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press, we will Occupy in Solidarity with one another.
When Occupiers anywhere are confronted with police brutality, Occupiers everywhere will stand with them. We issue the following statement to law enforcement and city government engaging in the silencing of dissent or asking us to disown our brethren everywhere:
When you use chemical weapons, rubber bullets, bean bags, or other violence, when you kettle and arrest in mass non-violent protesters, we will not be silenced or divided. When occupiers anywhere are brutalized, occupiers everywhere will stand with them.
Occupy Wall Street editorial or op-ed
On Saturday, January 28, thousands of parents, families and engaged citizens gathered together to open a community center in the heart of downtown Oakland. The Police, under orders from Mayor Quan, responded to this peaceful demonstration of direct democracy and community building by arresting around 400 people. Hundreds more were injured when an army of officers marched on these unarmed families, raised their guns and fired bullets, tear gas canisters, smoke bombs, concussion grenades and other explosive devices into the crowd. Mayor Quan, on the same day as solidarity marches were organized by dozens of occupations across the nation, has called on the Occupy Movement to denounce Oakland’s show of bravery under fire and community strength. We stand with Oakland and call for the immediate resignation of Quan, who on Saturday made it clear that the state has abandoned democracy and joined the 1% in declaring war against the people.
...In Oakland, thousands of active community members chose to engage in true democracy by supporting the real and pressing needs of the people. The state, which supposedly represents these people, exercised extreme police brutality and violence to protect the 1%'s vacant assets.
... On Saturday, Mayor Quan's actions again demonstrated that open war has been declared on the spirit of democracy and the people of Oakland and this nation. We call for the end of Mayor Quan's administration and a regime change in Oakland. We continue to stand in solidarity with Occupy Oakland and will support them as they continue peaceful protest and community building until this and all other authoritarian administrations have been ousted from their place of illegitimate power. Together, we are building a stronger world, a stronger community, a stronger promise for the next generation.
Our very own Jesse LaGreca:
Dear Mayor Quan
First and foremost, I denounce ALL violence.
If a citizen is found to be engaging in violence against another person or their property you have the right to arrest that person and give them a fair trial. You do NOT have the right to use tear gas against a public gathering of American citizens who are exercising their Constitutional right to the Freedom of Assembly.
If you allow police to tear gas American war veterans, I will stand against you.
If you are an elected official of the people of America, and you authorize or condone the police use of tear gas, tazers, firearms, rubber bullets, police brutality or other violent and potentially lethal means against American citizens, I will stand against you.
I consider this freedom to be a non-negotiable.
Frankly, Madame Mayor, your police force is out of control and you are entirely out of your element. You've lost total control of your city and your police, Mayor Quan. It is time for you to resign, with what little grace you have left...
and last but not least, a tweet from an Occupy Austin peep:
KitOConnell Kit O'Connell
If there's quorum at #GA, I'll ask #OccupyAustin to officially stand in #OaklandSolidarity, oppose OPD violence & Quan's call to disavow #OO
On the streets of Oakland, January 28th. Photo by Millicent Somer
From Occupied Oakland -- back at you.
I am collecting solidary statements. If you find others, please point me at them.