Occupy Cleveland canceled May Day protest plans to march in the city because of this:

[ellisonz]

41. "unlawful force"

Occupy does not have the legal authority to expel any group from a public space, and the distinct impression I get is that you have not been at a street protest lately. That's not bad manners and that's not avoiding the debate topic. That's stating the obvious.

25. Point-n-mock works well. If a hundred (or two hundred) people surround, isolate and shout at

troublemakers to leave, while filming them and putting it up on the net, they'll pretty much know they aren't welcome. (Impractical, illegal)

The "that's not cool, man" paradigm of the sixties doesn't work in this day and age. You've got to get up in their grille--non-violently, of course, but with extreme purpose. Remove their little hoodies and disguises so we can see them--that'll help, too. (Impractical, illegal)

Your hypothetical confrontation is absurd, I don't know why you're in the Occupy group telling posters that they need to initiate a confrontation that is likely to become physical and suggesting acts that are by definition assault. Why are you here?



P.S. The Personal is Political!