Where to begin? First, let me say that of course I went down there with some preconceived notions and certain expectations, based on everything that's been in the news and online about the Occupiers. My intentions were twofold: show what was going on without prejudice or cherry-picking, just letting the scene speak for itself, as well as engage in conversation with as many people as I could, asking questions to learn not just their motivations and what they expected to accomplish, but how they expected to achieve their goals. Needless to say it was fascinating, and very educational. I realize this is an exceedingly lengthy post (probably an hour's worth of stuff to get through), but there's a lot to talk about, and I believe that this is important. As I'll show here, all of my suspicions have been proven correct over the last week or so. Furthermore, I believe this will show just how much the BBC has failed on this story. Two protesters from Occupy Birmingham - Chico and Thomas - were the studio guests on this morning's BBC West Midlands 9am phone-in showwith stand-in presenter Adrian Goldberg. Towards the end of the programme someone called in to offer advice to the guy claiming to be an ex-serviceman. Something about Chico's response didn't quite ring tre. Luckily for him Goldberg was not interested in pressing the matter. Quite the opposite in fact. (Hat tip DavidHanson)
Experience Occupy Wall St.: In Person, In Their Own Words And Mine
>> SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2011
I spent over two hours walking in and around Zuccotti Park - the epicenter of the Occupy movement - taking photos and video, talking to as many people as possible. I tried as much as I could not to be like Mark Mardell or other Beeboids at a Tea Party event, and honestly tried to listen to what these people had to say, taking them at their word, and not let my prejudices color anything or prevent me from changing my mind. I'll let others decide for themselves how successful I was or wasn't on that score. Unlike a professional interviewer, although I did think of a few things in advance, I didn't have a prepared list of questions written down, or notes to refer to while we talked. The result was that I often strayed off topic, missed opportunities, and struggled for the right thing to say. I realize I was trying to cover too much at once, something that wouldn't happen if I was doing a report aimed at getting a specific angle or story. I also didn't get professional-quality video, as I was using only a little cheap handheld camera, and spent more time looking at the person with whom I was speaking than into the screen to see what I was shooting. I got bumped into a lot, people walking in front of me, etc. Quite frankly, I'm pretty sure that if I did have any of that proper prep, I'd never have gotten in and up close like I did and had so many candid conversations.
Apologies in advance for the frame drops, etc. Final Cut Pro didn't like some of the files. I didn't always get the best shot, either, as I was just walking around with my little camera, trying to engage in conversation rather than act like an instigator cameraman constantly looking at the screen.
So what did I learn? First, I discovered that, just like Katty Kay said, many of them were nice, and willing to talk. And they nearly all seemed to be rather intelligent, which is refreshing. I'll chalk that up to this being New York City, though. That doesn't mean they aren't filled with rage, or willing to do whatever it takes to get their way. It just means that they're nice enough to talk to on a one-to-one basis. Many came across as well-meaning, hearts in the right place. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that their heads were located a couple of feet below that. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and I heard a lot of those good intentions expressed by the Occupiers.
However, there were quite a few who were not so nice, who clearly resented anyone questioning their opinions. I didn't get a chance to talk to any of the leaders. Oh, wait, sorry, this is a "leaderless" group, right? Yeah, well, we'll get to that later. In any case, I found that the people with the worst attitude were those who were just stopping by to show their support. Quite a few typical Left-wing fascists milling around, who were convinced that anyone who didn't agree with them was evil and ignorant, even when they were shown up to be woefully lacking in their own command of the facts. But this is about the Occupiers themselves.
Here's what I saw walking around the encampment. Full report follows afterward. There are also clips of conversations below the fold. All video hosted by EyeTube.WE HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT WHAT WE'RE TOLD BY OCCUPY PROTESTERS
>> FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011
Now Chico may just be suffering from memory problems, but shouldn
Saturday, 29 October 2011
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