ALL POWER TO GENERAL ASSEMBLIES!
Abbas Goya November 5, 2011 To understand what the Occupy movement is seeking, we must examine it objectively: its background, characteristics, form of protest, political content, and—crucially—the way it organizes and governs its occupied spaces. What follows is a concise outline that leads to a clear conclusion about what the 99 percent want. Characteristics of the Occupy Movement The first defining characteristic of the Occupy movement is negation . It openly rejects the capitalist system, a stance clearly expressed in its slogans: “End capitalism,” “Abolish capitalism,” “This society doesn’t work—let’s build a different one,” “Another world is possible,” and “A better world is possible.” These slogans are not rhetorical excess; they articulate a fundamental refusal of capitalist social relations. Form and Content of Occupation The second defining characteristic is the occupation itself . Occupation is not merely a tactic; it is a polit...