Occupy Seattle, the Protest Music Video
YouTube is not short on footage of the ongoing Occupy Seattle protests, which has, to those observing from a distance, become bogged down in a wonderfully Seattle way in argument over the process of protest. You can read all about it on the Slog, whose writers have taken up alternately cheering and deriding the protest.
Confronted by a mayor who welcomed them to City Hall, the protesters have had to weigh the significance of their presence in Westlake Park, even though nothing of any significance has ever and will ever happen in Westlake Park. Even when the protesters bring traffic on Pine to a standstill, they’ve simply managed to revert the park to its ’90s-era pedestrian-only self.
There is also the knotty issue of putting up tents as an act of civil disobedience–again, playing right into the city’s hands.
Still, this feels like a moment with import, just as the Tea Party’s early “days of racist rage” did. That’s not to assert some kind of equivalence, just to note that you don’t have to be coherent or plausible to have a political impact. It’s not necessary, as protesters, to have a 100-point plan or unified leadership.
You just need to be willing to gum up the works while hoping yours is a righteous cause that will draw support. In a democracy, sheer numbers often reframe the debate better than reframing the debate. All Occupy Seattle needs is a few nice days, a band to headline an impromptu concert, and some stiltwalkers.
2 thoughts on “Occupy Seattle, the Protest Music Video”
Leave a Reply
is an online magazine of news & culture. It's a conversation about all the things on Seattle's mind.
- More about us.
- Got a tip for us? We'd like to see it. Just send an email to .
- If you'd like to contribute regularly, .
- Twitter: @thesunbreak | Facebook
- iPhone app download
(Free!)
Regular reader?
Subscribe to The SunBreak for just $1 per month, and help keep the news & culture coming.
Delivery Options
-
Subscribe to all SunBreak Stories -
Daily Email Digest of The SunBreak
Michael,
I was *delighted* to see this video and to read your overview. The video is so beautiful – I immediately wanted to share it everywhere …
THEN …
I listened to the lyrics.
How painful to hear such misogynistic, obscene words. This actually hurts. No, I do not want my beautiful budding protester granddaughter to hear this.
I am so sad. We have so, so much to learn about each other.
Racists Tea Partiers? Much has been spouted about how similiar the Occupy protesters are just like the Tea Party people, which is not even close to reality. Tea Party people had a unifying message: stop spending, shrink the government. Just watching the video you see at least 12 different messages via the usual suspects of the leftists organizations. Now that their Man in power (Socialist Obama with generous donations from Wall Street and the Banks)they are surprised that he won’t bite the hand that fed him. Even funnier is that the leftist leaders in Seattle fawned all over the protesters at first, but now are asking them to move along so retail businesses can make some money ie taxes. Sorry it just seems to be more leftist hooliganism and astroturf mobs to me.