Think Progress has posted a video of Occupy protesters valiantly trying to prevent anarchists from damaging a Whole Foods in Oakland yesterday. They claim the video demonstrates the movement’s commitment to non-violence. But judging by that one guy’s yellow helmet, it is clear some occupiers anticipated such an incident. If you know your march is going to involve fights over property damage, even if you try and stop it when it happens, you are still responsible for that property damage.
More importantly, the most violent clashes did not start until protesters occupied a vacant building near downtown Oakland. Occupying vacant buildings is not the act of some splinter group. The Occupy Oakland General Assembly approved the occupation of vacant buildings the day before. Think Progress even celebrated the passage of the resolution.
The Occupy movement is predicated on the idea of protesters (the 99%) asserting control over something that does not belong to them (Zuccotti Park, McPherson Square, Frank Ogawa/Oscar Grant Plaza etc.). When you assert control over something that someone else owns (Brookfield Properties, the taxpayers, etc), there is eventually going to be a physical confrontation when that owner tries to reassert control. That is what we are seeing in police/occupier clashes across the country.
