it's a new dawn, it's a new day...

I was working from home today and since it was a nice sunny day, I figured I would go out, grab a bite to eat and then go spend some time at the Occupy Ottawa camp at Confederation Park to see what it’s all about.

I am not really sure to begin.  My initial impression was that these were people who were fighting for the lower and middle classes.  That they were perhaps hoping to use their presence to influence positive changes, through protest, presence and education.  I thought that maybe this was one large group, unified under a similar set of goals, likely there to support the NYC movement and our American counterparts who have a financial system that is much, much worse than the one in Canada.  I understand solidarity movements like that and I think they have their place.  But, I didn’t see or hear any of that.  Instead, when I walked into the park, I saw signs denouncing capitalism, signs about solidarity, signs about poverty.  Hmmm.. ok.   So let’s find out more about what this is all about then.

I noticed a flag that had been placed on top of the fountain (which pisses me off because it’s a beautiful fountain that should be left alone).  So I asked one of the guys there about the flag and why it was there.  “It’s the Palestinian flag.”, he said.  Apparently, a group of them protested for Palestinian rights a few days ago.  Wait.  What?  How does this fit in with the whole Occupy movement?  Is the Occupy movement just an umbrella for all causes?

So I walked around and observed.  There are probably two dozen tents… maybe more.  I didn’t count them and most of the people I met weren’t staying at the camp.  They were supporters.  The ones I met who were staying at the camp said that they plan to stay there for as long as possible.  There wasn’t an end goal.  So why were they camping there then?  What’s the objective?  To show defiance?  To wait for utopia?  To fight for certain rights?

I understand the civil rights movement, the anti-war hippie movement, and I even understand some of the Occupy movement in New York.  But this, I don’t understand yet.  This felt more like an anti-poverty movement and the people were there… just because?

I met a man named George who has been fighting for homeless people, particularly kids.  He informed me that there’s only one shelter/living area for homeless youth under 16 in Ottawa.  Ten beds for boys, ten beds for girls.  That’s it.  To me, that’s a worthy cause to support.  And he was particularly worried about GLBT youth.  I understand that and I would get behind something like that.  And if these people were camping out to support the youth homelessness issue, I would call it an honorable and important cause.  As a capitalist, these are the kinds of issues I’d like to support when I have enough income to allocate to things like shelters and food and necessities, especially for kids.  (And don’t get me started on the anti-capitalism kids.  The minute you start spewing anti-capitalist rhetoric, no one will take you seriously, including me.)

But this isn’t a movement.  It’s a fractured group of people with different agendas.  It’s deeply disorganized.  I heard people speaking poorly about other people in the camp.  There was drug use.  There was a pile of dirty dishes.  After inquiring about the flag, the next thing I asked about was a list of needed items.  I spoke to three people and nobody knew what was really needed or where the list was or if it was online or not.. and then someone finally confirmed that it’s apparently online but may not be up to date.  “Who knows.  It’s not one of my duties so I don’t know much about it”, said one girl.  “But we need duct tape!”

So, I bought them a roll of duct tape.  “Why’d you buy us duct tape?  We’re not tying anyone up around here!”, said a man.  I just shook my head.

I also watched a video on youtube, before heading to the park, that showed one of the occupiers saying that he doesn’t need the city, doesn’t need the Mayor… but um, please give us electricity and water!  Well, which one is it: do you need the city’s electricity and water or do you not need it?

As I kept walking around, it was clear to me that this was really a place to squat.  Met a few interesting characters, some which had obvious mental health issues.  That’s fine and I expected it since these are the guys I’d see around the area before the tents were up anyway.  But there were certainly more of them than usual.  Occupy Ottawa has become a tent city.  It reminded me of Vancouver’s downtown east side.

This didn’t feel like a movement at all. It felt like.. nothing.  It felt like the kind of place I’d run across in Fallout (a video game that features a world after a nuclear disaster).  It felt like a survivalist movement – live on little, tough it out, we’ll be just fine in -30 weather, first aid tents, kitchen, porta potties (which I heard were supplied by the unions), crafts, pets, tarps, etc.

Other than the homelessness issue, particularly the push for more housing, there’s nothing there that I would be interested in supporting.  I don’t see this lasting the winter as I think they’re seriously ill prepared to deal with the cold.  When I asked how they were going to keep themselves warm or how they were going to insulate their tents, or even use the pallets that were given to them, most of them had no idea.  Some mentioned building yurts and work was underway to build a giant teepee.  I’ve been in a winterized teepee.  Whatever they were building was not the kind of foundation I’ve ever seen in a teepee before!

All in all, go check it out for yourself.  It seems to me that these people are not the 99%.  They’re a small subset of society with very radical views.  I didn’t meet anyone there who identified as middle class or who espoused interest in issues affecting the middle class, except for one senior who came out to support the movement and who griped about the differences between the rich and the poor.  “I’m here to support them but I’m going home at night in my warm apartment to cuddle with my wife.”