Occupying Oakland

I scanned the news this morning and was incredibly disappointed with the coverage of Occupy Oakland, which had taken place on November 2nd.  Images of vandalism, rioting, violence and police brutality once again dominated the news, despite the celebratory and peaceful event I had experienced yesterday.  Friends who weren’t from the Bay Area texted me all morning, concerned that I had been caught up in the mayhem.  Sadly, the rest of the world was viewing Oakland with a critical eye, distorted by the media’s focus on the anarchists actions of the few.

I spoke to my friend, Jessica, whom I attended Occupy Oakland with yesterday, expressing my disappointment, because I felt the riots that ensued that night undermined what I felt was incredible demonstration of grassroots action against corporate interests.  She reminded me that over 50,000 participated peacefully in the event, and that the actions of the 60 or so anarchists should not deflect from yesterday’s achievements.  The extreme actions of the few do not represent the noble intentions of the larger movement to highlight inequality and promote economic justice for 99% of Americans.

I decided to post my images from Occupy Oakland to remind folks that this movement is  about “real people” coming together to shift the status quo in a nonviolent way.  Please, don’t let the media hype distort your perception of what is really happening in Oakland.