OPOA is not Confused and neither am I

The police violence against peaceful marchers last week was unconscionable. Someone has to be held responsible for the actions of officers who blatantly disregarded the rights of protestors to peacefully assemble, injured so many, and put Iraq Veteran and Community Activist Scott Olsen in a coma.

My organization started a petition last week calling on Mayor Jean Quan and the City Council to pull back the police and let the Occupy movement return to Frank Ogawa/Oscar Grant Plaza. That petition went viral and was eventually picked up by Moveon.org, ultimately collecting over 60,000 signatures. That’s how much support there was in the general public for Occupy Oakland!

We felt that Mayor Quan was on the wrong side of history when she ordered the clearing of the Occupy camp, and that the police actions that followed were at least partially her responsibility. Along with other faith, community and labor organizations, we met with her to state our concerns regarding the raid.  We gave her this message face to face, in no uncertain terms.

But I want to be clear, and help reduce movement confusion that right-wing forces are attempting to create. The effort to recall Quan started before this raid and more importantly did not start inside Occupy Oakland. Conservative elements of the City, mostly those upset that Quan beat out Don Perata in Oakland’s last election, are capitalizing on this scrutiny of Mayor Quan to strengthen their call to oust her. This is opportunism.

Most of those who were calling for Quan’s recall before the raid are pro-law enforcement, pro-gang injunctions, and anti-Occupy Oakland.  Perata’s campaign received major funding from police and prison guard associations.  They are conservative law-and-order types who are using this opportunity to see if they can win support from progressives and supporters of the Occupy movement and camp for the recall. They have not been honest about the reason for their anger at Quan. The language of their petition more clearly lays out their grievances.  They state, “As crime continues throughout the city, she has offered no rational solution to mitigate the chaos. And that she ignored the call of Oakland residents to significantly increase the number of police officers…”.

So let us be careful about what we are actually calling for and what we are not.  Let’s call for police accountability and the right of the Occupy camp to remain. Let’s hold decision-makers accountable for their actions – the Police Chief, the Mayor AND the City Council, who will be discussing their role Thursday, November 3rd in committee. But let’s also avoid being diverted by initiatives that are not actually fighting for the interests of the movement of the 99%.

This movement is about lifting up the rights and aspirations of the 99%. Those of us who are losing our homes, looking for jobs, trying to secure health care and food, struggling to stay in or pay for school, or simply attempting make ends meet as families.

Let’s call on the City leaders to pass policies that prevent foreclosures in Oakland, that make big corporations hire locally and pay more of the fines and taxes that they owe our city. Let’s demand that these elected officials end the gang injunctions, proposed curfews, and increase oversight and accountability of police. Let’s make real change, not get suckered in to someone else’s opportunistic schemes.

Maria Poblet

Executive Director

Causa Justa :: Just Cause