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Title: Occupy Solidarity? Author: Prairie Struggle Date: 2013 Language: en Topics: Occupy, Canada Source: Retrieved on July 8, 2014 from https://web.archive.org/web/20140708225416/http://www.prairiestruggle.org/news/occupy-solidarity-0
For the past month, organizers in Prairie Struggle, and the ASSE Support
Committee have been mobilizing around the Quebec student general strike,
and the ideas of combative unionism promoted by L’ASSE. A significant
part of this combative unionism is the constant escalation of protest,
and the use of direct action to disrupt the economy of the employer.
Over the past month, the Regina pots and pans rallies have been almost
exclusively a show of solidarity for this movement. However, on June
22^(nd), community members responded to calls for greater disruption,
and graduated from wearing the red squares to living the combative
unionism that the red square represents.
The night started innocuously enough with small number of people
collectively deciding to go to the Ramada Hotel in Regina to disrupt
business, and the work of scabs in solidarity with striking UNITE HERE
workers. This was in conjunction with calls for a night of solidarity
with the Quebec student movement. The message of the striking students
in Quebec, including support for combative unionism and a call for a
broader social revolution, is something that Prairie Struggle identifies
deeply with. No gains have ever occurred without the people fighting for
them, and unfortunately we find ourselves having to re-fight the same
battles just to keep what we’ve won.
However, just as the Charest government in Quebec has shown its true
colours in their response to the massive student uprising, so too, did
Occupy Regina members during this action. A quick point to note, we do
not speak here of all supporters and participants of Occupy Regina, nor
of a broader Occupy movement. We speak only about the core group of
leaders that has developed within Occupy Regina and were in attendance
at the Pots and Pans rally on June 22^(nd).
Rather than participate in the agreed to action, these Occupy Regina
members negotiated with Ramada security on behalf of a group of people
they had no mandate from and no right to speak for in order to ensure
the ability to protest off property for an issue completely disconnected
from both the Quebec Student strike, and the Ramada strike. Our position
is that by agreeing to participate collectively in a direct action, you
take on a collective responsibility (in one of the simplest senses) to
do what you said you would. By talking to security forces while the
majority of people were inside performing the direct action, Occupy
Regina put the action at risk, as well as members of the community
participating in the action. In fact, Occupy Regina members themselves
used the term “negotiated” in their description of what they did with
security forces on site. Great job, Occupy Regina, in your staggering
ability to negotiate yourselves right off the damn property.
Let’s look at this in a broader sense though. Occupy Regina members were
there to stand in solidarity with the striking students in Quebec and
with the striking workers at the Ramada. Not only did Occupy Regina
members “negotiate” with security so they could engage in a separate,
non-strike related act of protest, but when challenged on this choice
they told someone participating in this action to “go back to Quebec”.
Who, exactly, is Occupy Regina standing in solidarity with? Certainly
not with the working class, whom they have shown utter contempt for;
certainly not with the student movement in Quebec, with their racist
remark to our comrade; and certainly not with other organizers in
Saskatchewan, with their willingness to act as collaborators and
infiltrators.
What is at stake here is more than just the safety of those
participating in a movement, or in an action. Acting as Occupy Regina
did risks division and a lack of trust. We need to be able to work
together for our lofty common goals. Occupy Regina had no right and no
call to talk with any member of security for anyone, and when
questioned, they responded with racism. When a group does this, they
show where their loyalties stand.
Prairie Struggle will not work with these Occupy Regina members in the
future, nor will they be welcome at any actions or events. We encourage
you all to do the same. We fight with the entire working class and will
give zero space for people that knowingly betray the very collective
they claim to fight for.
You can’t co-opt a social revolution!
Against racism on all fronts!
In solidarity with the Québec student strike!
Prairie Struggle Organization & the ASSÉ Support Committee