Thursday, October 13th, 2011: General Assembly Notes Start at 7:20 with Barabara (facilitator) announcing we will end the GA at 10 pm Committee Announcements: • Medical- four sets of sharps containers can be found at the food, safety, sanitation, and information tents- sharps can go there • Peace and Safety- training Friday between 2 and 2:30 at the safety tent for new volunteers; reminder to watch alcohol intake, remind your neighbors • Sanitation- concern for landfill recycling, cardboard, and compost- they need everyone to help sort their own trash at the sanitation station; need help cleaning bathrooms and grounds; further specific needs can be found online; meeting Friday at 2:30 for new volunteers at sanitation tent • Goals Committee- list of goals on website; Sunday meeting at 3:30 • Winter Strategy and Planning Committee- need participation; need to discuss options for emergency removal, give input online under committee forums--> winter planning • Transportation and Accommodations Committee- need volunteers-- find contact info for Josh at the info tent; need drivers with vehicles and parking spaces near camp; need laundry and shower facilities; retreat at Camp Malala from Friday at 5 pm to Sunday-- non-violent retreat and long term strategy planning • Desire to form an Elder Council- meet Friday at 10 am at info booth • Call Mayor Bloomberg to stand in solidarity with NY and to express their right to peacefully assemble 212-639-9675 Adam (facilitator) reviews hand signals and discusses proposal process Proposal Process: 1. Announcement of Proposal- 5 minutes 2. Clarifying questions (hereby written at CQs)- 10 minutes 3. Concerns- 10 minutes 4. Discussion- 10 minutes 5. Proposal evolution/amendments- 10 minutes 6. Temperature check - IF everyone likes the proposal (as seen through temp check), we will try to get consensus Barbara (facilitator) • Introduces Justin- providing sign language • Suggests small discussion groups- four main topics for networking and forming action groups: 1. on the ground (ie sanitation) 2. political and action conversations (ie relations with police) 3. inclusion (how do we involve those not present at GA?) 4. process (how do we make decisions? What is our structure?) • Suggest that people move into one of these groups in order to network and solve problems • CQ- Will we go through proposals before we break into groups ◦ A (answer)- there are ten proposals on the agenda tonight, and each proposal can fit into one of the four groups • CQ- How are we going to create a solution as a group and get the government to take our solution? ◦ A- We are trying to create discussion space with small groups and use small groups to discuss before proposals are presented. • Stack- ◦ CQ- how will we have time for small groups and ten proposals? ◦ CQ- Can we hear the proposals before groups to know what to talk about? ◦ Temp Check- yes Proposals are briefly stated: 1. set up a fund for the arrestees 2. Statement of solidarity with arrestees 3. mass demonstration every Sunday 4. taking back the street after anti-war march 5. formally endorsing and joining Saturday’s anti-war march 6. press releases from media team must be passed by GA and processed as a proposal 7. ignite session Temp check on moving into small groups- No Temp check on moving on to proposals- Yes Proposal 1 • Statement of proposal: While understanding that not everyone was in support of keeping the street, we should all be in solidarity with our 8 brothers and sisters who were arrested while standing up for us- ask that those who feel so compelled should set up a fund for the fines faced by the arrestees- contact Sarah (contact info at info tent) • CQs- ◦ Do we need to make a decision? Can we just contribute to the fund? ▪ A- there has not been a fund set up yet, need support first ◦ Do you want us to endorse the idea as a GA or can those who are interested support autonomously? ▪ A- do not need a decision from GA, sorry if this is not a proposal • Suggestion: finance committee may move funds to help arrestees * Proposal is withdrawn, working group will be created Proposal 2 • Statement of proposal: Need to clarify our process and the implications of our agreements- the GA needs to decide on methods of implementations for our agreements; We should acknowledge that the GA agreed on holding Main St.; We should stand in solidarity with aresstees and call for their charges to be dropped • CQs- ◦ Are you saying proposals should have the means to enforce in them in the future or are you clarifying the proposal we passed last night? ▪ A- In the future, if we do not have the means, perhaps we shouldn’t make the agreement ◦ What are the charges? ▪ A- misconduct 2, obstruction, and interfering with a police officer ◦ Is everyone charged with the same charges? ▪ A- Don’t know • POP (point of process)- Not the time for the details of the arrests to be discussed • Concerns- ◦ Has to do with process ◦ When are we going to talk about marching on banks, etc? ◦ Movement doesn’t have a consistent message- we need to abandon ownership, currency, etc ◦ Work in language that we are in support as long as we are acting in non-violence ◦ POP- could we submit a verbal amendment clause to GA ▪ (facilitator- not a POP) ◦ Outside of GA there are committees that have worked directly against decisions made by the GA ◦ if 8% of people don’t agree with an action, it would get accepted by GA, but we should expect that those 8% wouldn’t participate in that action • Discussion (time 8:10 pm) ◦ CQ- are we discussing the proposal that was just made ▪ A- yes ◦ this is about charges made against people arrested today? ▪ Proposal is read again ◦ To who is this statement going to be directed towards? ▪ A- it will be part of the GA’s agreements ◦ In support of announcement- it is vitally important to show solidarity when we make decisions to those decisions- solidarity first! ◦ Question about implementation part- ▪ A- if we make an agreement, we should have means to act- should be part of discussion ◦ If we make a decision, we stick to it? ▪ A- yes and discuss implementation ◦ I hear two proposal and I would like to have them handled separately ▪ Temp check- no ◦ reminder- Tecate park will go into fight tonight- show solidarity • Temp check of proposal as stated- large degree of support but still not consensus • Discussion/Amendments- ◦ Why aren’t people in support of this proposal? ◦ What is the action to be taken to implement proposal? ▪ A- need to send press release and make a statement of solidarity- in the future we will talk about this at all future proposals ◦ All we want is solidarity, shouldn’t we always be in solidarity with the GA? ◦ Facilitator- no amendments so far ◦ How many who did not raise their hands were standing aside and not showing opposition? ◦ Main St. is not a good poster child for solidarity because there was no solidarity at the GA ◦ Say that the police themselves will be asked to drop charges ◦ After taking amendments on future proposals we discuss implementation- discuss whether we agree in principle ▪ Temp check- no ◦ Amend language to strike language that would indicate that implementation applies to all future action ▪ Temp check- no ◦ Separate into 2 motions ▪ already proposed and not supported • Temp check- (attempt) • POP- temp check do not take into account stand asides • Temp check- Agreement: 90%; Disagreement: 7 people; Abstentions: 3 people * Proposal Approved with no amendments Statement: that last proposal took 35 minutes, we cannot go through 9 other proposals by 10- suggest small groups and discuss POP- already suggested and declined, facilitators should respect that Proposal 3: • Statement of proposal: join and endorse Saturday’s anti-war march and create feeder march- need people to organize feeder march (presenter suggests that we could just endorse the anti-war march and encourage people to); feeder march would be an action to march collectively from OP to join the rest of the march • CQs: ◦ Does this march have any connection  with the world wide Oct. 15th movement? ▪ A- didn’t initially this so but could be an amendment- it is the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan ◦ This Saturday? ▪ A- yes ◦ Do we know what all the other cities are marching for on that date? ▪ A- the protest the 10th anniversary of Afghanistan war • Temp check- Almost 100% *Proposal Accepted We march on Saturday, meeting at 12:30 at OP camp and marching to the 1 pm rally Implementation- there will be a statement online regarding details Organizing- talk to presenter Proposal 4: • Statement of Proposal: mass demonstration every Sunday, details of which will be announced using social media and a press release; the march details (where, when) will be decided at Saturday’s GA and published by Sunday morning • CQs- ◦ This is for unpermitted spontaneous marches decided the day before? ▪ A- yes ◦ Are we endorsing specific issues as a collective? ▪ A- could be decided at Saturday GA ◦ How will you implement marches? How will you organize, decide, publish? ▪ A- I am member of media- I will publish; GA decides at Saturday GAs ◦ What time will the march be announced? ▪ A- 9 am? ▪ Enough time? Give media the info to publish that night, after the GA ◦ Seeking permit? ▪ A- no ◦ Decide upon unpermitted march hours before implementing every week? ▪ A- the night before ◦ Standing invitation every week on website? ▪ A- yes, people will know to check the site for exact times and locations • Concerns- ◦ time frame is too rushed- discuss at Thursday GA and announce on Saturday or something ◦ marching on Sunday will miss banks’ operating hours ◦ announcing unpermitted marches the night before; if we do not draw significant numbers, it might be inviting adverse consequences ◦ wants to march every day- will propose tomorrow ◦ Sundays shoose march location • Discussion- ◦ put onto facebook events ◦ weekend marches will allow more people to come- but should be on Saturday to target banks; permanent marching time and meeting point ◦ message really important- moving towards a cash free economy should be included in march • Evolution/Amendments- ◦ Move decision date to Tuesday GA, info will be published on Social media Tuesday night, and have march on Saturday to get enough people informed about where we start and to get more people to march on banks ▪ Temp check- yes ▪ Amendment Accepted ◦ March committe to start smaller demonstrations ▪ facilitator- this is a new proposal, not an amendment ◦ Weekly march should meet and start at same location to increase attendance ▪ Temp check- yes ▪ Amendment Accepted • Temp check- consensus *Proposal accepted with two evolutionary amendments Proposal 5: press release proposal -no presenter *Taken off agenda Proposal 6: PR process -no presenter *Taken off agenda Proposal 7: • Statement of Proposal: forming a committee to directly communicate with government and authorities; GA to sanction a committee to present GA’s agreements to relay that information to parties that need to be informed (ie government and police) • CQs- ◦ I think he’s right but the proposal is vague- should we form a tactical  committee to figure out specifics? ◦ (facilitator describes method of progressive stack that will be used) ◦ How do we determine qualifications? Campaign? ▪ A- all those concerned should come together, then nominate people within that group ◦ How does GA decide on qualifications? ▪ A- don’t need qualifications, we need to get involved to learn, and those that know can teach those that don’t ◦ Seems like a proposal that is actually maybe an implementation on other proposals. This proposal is about implementation (referring to proposal 2)- are you willing to bring ideas to part of the implementation process instead of being its own proposal? ◦ 12 weeks ago we decided against appointing liaisons with different agencies within government- have we abandoned that? ◦ Temp check- 30% participation, mostly no’s ◦ How does this proposal differ from the police liaisons? ▪ A- that the whole point- when police liaisons come back and everyone asks who asked them to talk to cops... we need elected officials to talk to cops • People encouraged to continue dialogue directly with Ron • POP- must do Temp Check correctly (yes, no, stand asides) *Proposal taken off the table- to discuss further go to info tent and inquire about working group and Ron’s contact info Emergency announcement- march in solidarity with NY at Obelisk at 11 tonight (Thursday night) Announcement: • Observation- why are we looking at our peers before voting? Vote on your beliefs • Brain- proposal online tonight about the protest marches and organization, to give stability; its a complicated proposal, please read online; wants feedback • Justin- sign interpreter- wants to put together group of interpreters in all languages- find Justin to participate • talk with everyone in camp- get different opinions, attend facilitator meetings • Concern about safety in camp, including sexual assault and women feeling safe being alone • Cameron- proposal for ballot system- info at library; meet at 1 pm tomorrow (Friday) at coffee shop to discuss • Grievances- people meeting with police without permission of GA; social media postings not approved by GA; by alligning with police we are alienating people of color; oppose removal of baracades without agreement of GA-- interested? meet tomorrow at 4 at 4th and Salmon • Eliana- GA is not bringing us together; creating intentional space to get to know each other and discuss (not make decisions)- meet Saturday at 11 am before march • Eric- problems finding notes- proposal to post GA notes on site within one mouse click • Mayor Bloomberg text #- 311692 • Suggest proposal (info on which to be found at library at tomorrow) that addresses general public being about to have transparency with committees Next GA at 7 pm tomorrow (Friday) and Terry Schrunk Plaza