Occupy Calgary, a take-off of Occupy Wall Street in New York, was one of the major events happening last Saturday (October 15th). The other event being the annual Zombie Walk.
Depending on who you spoke to (or which conversation was overheard) the people in front of Bankers Hall were protesting against big banks, big companies, inequality, homelessness, lack of funding for schools, and lack of democracy. When the zombies walked past one fellow holding up a sign twice his height was yelling, "Just because you can vote doesn't mean we live in a democracy!" Umm... zombies?
There was a ton of media and photographers there to capture the event. An overheard conversation between two videographers had one speculating that there were probably 300 people in attendance. I asked them how many they figured there would be if all the photographers left.
I missed the march from Bankers Hall to Olympic Plaza (I was following zombies), where a small tent hamlet was pitched. The camp was still there today.
This afternoon I took photos of the camp just after lunch and then again just before a late afternoon General Assembly (GA). Maybe a couple dozen people showed up for the GA. I read the posters pinned to the ground and observed the general goings on. A reporter from CTV was there to cover something, anything, but the designated facilitators were fifteen minutes late for their own GA.
My feeling about the whole Occupy Calgary event is that it lacks credibility. There were idealist university graduates wanting to change the world into a better place. As if wiser people haven't been trying for centuries. Then there were young people basking in the narcissistic glow of being seen to take a stand on a serious issue, while looking cool at the same time. Impoverished, insane, and unwashed hoards shouted out their entitlement to riches. What would they do with their handed down wealth? What have they ever done with money? In drum circle harmony were people promoting love and peace over money. They all agreed that governments and greedy companies were evil, but I heard a few sour notes in the ranks. For instance, the overheard catty remarks between a couple of women who had a difference of opinion.
It could be a lack of strong leadership or it could just be there are too many issues to fit under one umbrella, but Occupy anything doesn't seem like an efficient way to change an ancient system that favors the wealthy and powerful.
There will always be wealthy. There will always be poor demanding what the wealthy have. My support is for the individuals who work quietly, one selfless act at a time, to change their small space in the world for the better.
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