Occupy the Horse ... Legally?

[Lucki]

Sometimes civil obedience speaks even louder than civil disobedience. This is a potential way for us to “take the Horse” – which would do wonders for our morale – make a home for ourselves while avoiding curfew violations, and still increase our visibility. It’ll mean a little more work for everyone, but that would still beat the stress of getting arrested and enduring CPD’s “special” treatment.

 

With a little prep and two 2-handled platform hand trucks to start with, we could begin doing things this way either from the Horse on Halloween Night if we have a Halloween bash there, or else from LaSalle and Jackson the morning of November 1. We should commit to trying this out for 15 or preferably 30 days.

 

It’s called “Nomadic OC”. We set up our encampment at the Horse and stay there all day. We hold both the afternoon and evening GAs -- as well as teach-ins, spiritual activities, and the like -- at the Horse … our new HQ.

 

At select times, we leave a skeleton crew – and a large sign saying something like “Welcome to the home of Occupy Chicago. Most of us are currently out taking part in a direct action.” -- at the Horse and march over to demonstrate at LaSalle and Jackson. Examples of effective times are 8:30 to 9:30 AM to catch people going to and just get settled into work, 11:30 to 1:00 AM to catch people on lunch-hour, and 4:30 to 5:30 PM to catch people leaving work. As our numbers grow, that would expand to ongoing demonstrations in other places and at other times.

 

At 10:30 PM a bell/gong/mic check (or whatever) announces the time. We strike camp, load everything on the hand trucks (and our backs, if necessary) and clean up the area. At 11:00 PM on the dot -- or perhaps five minutes before – and led by our hand trucks, we leave the Horse and move lock, stock, and buckets over to the Thompson Center plaza. There, we set up a quiet camp for those who want to sleep – being careful not to block any of the doors and to leave clear pathways between the doors and the street -- with those staying awake moving away from the sleepers to have soft conversations or whatever.

 

At 6:00 AM, or perhaps 6:30, the bell/gong/mic check announces the time so that people can get up, eat, visit the latrine tents, and so forth. Thirty minutes later, the bell/gong/mic check announces that it’s time to strike camp, clean up the area, and move back over to the Horse for the day.

 

If this works for us, it will give the appropriate committee up to a month to secure an indoor HQ for us for, say, December through March. Then in, perhaps, the beginning of April, we can decide do we want to once again institute Nomadic OC and begin establishing informal enhancements such as at-the-Horse children’s activities like cooperation games and storytelling and face painting, shows by artists and musicians, barter meets, and other free goings-on that will attract media, locals, and tourists alike. And we can scale up to increasing numbers of nomadic occupiers just by adding more hand trucks.

[MGF]

I agree that we can't get bogged down in this battle for the horse. I was arrested this past weekend - and I'll get arrested again if necessary. But I'll do it for the movement, not to escalate a feud with the police. What is this movement about? Is it about our grievances and demands? Or is it about how the #takethehorse hashtag is trending on twitter?

 

Is there a reason we can't make the Thompson Center plaza our permanent home? We could still use the horse for rallies and stuff, but if we can occupy the Thompson Center without being dragged off to jail, why not do that? I don't know all the legal stuff, and occupying the Thompson Center might be just as illegal as occupying the horse. But let's think strategically about this.

 

We might have to accept a tactical defeat to further a strategic victory. We NEED a home, so we can start building a loving community, an alternative society, and bring people into it with our positivity. That home DOESN'T have to be the horse. And if we keep sitting down for mass arrests every Saturday, we're going to burn through our energy and resources too fast.

[Lucki]

MGF said:

Is there a reason we can't make the Thompson Center plaza our permanent home? We could still use the horse for rallies and stuff, but if we can occupy the Thompson Center without being dragged off to jail, why not do that? I don't know all the legal stuff, and occupying the Thompson Center might be just as illegal as occupying the horse. But let's think strategically about this.

Good question. I set it out the way I did because I don't think we'd have a chance in blazes of occupying the Thompson Center plaza during the day when business is being done. But the State of Illinois might let it slide if it's obvious that we (a) totally vacate during the day and (b) keep the place clean and undamaged. OTOH, no one can accuse us of blocking access to businesses when we're at the Horse during the day.

That's part of why I proposed "Nomadic OC" as a 2-week or 1-month trial, not a permanent decision  … to see if we can actually pull it off (both logistically and legally) and to give folks working on finding us a winter home more time to do so. If "Nomadic OC" works in November, we can revisit it in the Spring when the weather would start letting us do it again.

"Nomadic OC" is also something I believe we can pull off with our own current occupiers, not needing help from anyone else who may or may not come through. In fact, it's well suited to a small community to begin with. And, you know, small nomadic societies tend to become very close-knit communities by virtue of what they do together just to survive living "on the road".

[Rojo]

I still don't know why anyone would really need to camp out, but I like the proposal. I think it maintains the "symbolism" while alleviating the tensions between the Mayor and the CPD. I'm all for it.

[TheRealCitzUnited]

I think this is a much better idea than getting repeatedly arrested. However, I have a question. I don't understand the point of camping. I cant see any elected official saying "gee, we should really change our ways because people are sitting in tents." How about engaging with voters, nominating our own candidates and canvassing on behalf of them. Truth is real change happens in the voting booth. What is our end-game? What do we want to accomplish? Tents in downtown Chicago? Or a change in the mindset of our elected officials?

 

 

MGF said:

I agree that we can't get bogged down in this battle for the horse. I was arrested this past weekend - and I'll get arrested again if necessary. But I'll do it for the movement, not to escalate a feud with the police. What is this movement about? Is it about our grievances and demands? Or is it about how the #takethehorse hashtag is trending on twitter?

 

Is there a reason we can't make the Thompson Center plaza our permanent home? We could still use the horse for rallies and stuff, but if we can occupy the Thompson Center without being dragged off to jail, why not do that? I don't know all the legal stuff, and occupying the Thompson Center might be just as illegal as occupying the horse. But let's think strategically about this.

 

We might have to accept a tactical defeat to further a strategic victory. We NEED a home, so we can start building a loving community, an alternative society, and bring people into it with our positivity. That home DOESN'T have to be the horse. And if we keep sitting down for mass arrests every Saturday, we're going to burn through our energy and resources too fast.

[sheryl]

Lucki, have to say it's an interesting idea.

[JimBWise]

THE CHICAGO RIVER WALK, JUST EAST OF COLUMBUS AVE. IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT! IT HAS PLENTY OF SPACE FOR ALL AND IS TECHNICALLY ZONED AS A PEDESTRIAN THOROUGHFARE, WHICH MEANS, LIKE A SIDEWALK, IT MUST REMAIN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 24 HOURS A DAY. IT DOES NOT CLOSE LIKE A PARK! 

 

SOMEBODY WITH SOME CLOUT GO TO THE CORNER OF WACKER AND COLUMBUS, WALK DOWN THE STAIRS TO THE CHICAGO RIVER WALK, AND LOOK AROUND! PLEASE!

[seemoreglass09]

The Riverwalk is a beautiful idea except it has 0 visability. Most people don't know it's there. But Jim, you're right it should be considered.

The point of camping is building a cooperative community, demonstrating by our actions an alternate way of structuring society.

[BackSeatEconomist]

The riverwalk also closes at 11.  You can still be arrested for being there between 11 and 6. 

[JimBWise]

I own a small business on the riverwalk, and I have been told explicitly by both the park district and the Chicago department of transportation that it "technically" does not ever close. It is patrolled like a park, but the laws regarding pedestrian thoroughfares are very clear, they must remain open 24 hours a day.