[P2P-F] Fwd: A report from the DC Cemocracy Spring Demonstrations That the Media Is Ignoring

[Michel Bauwens]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Network of Spiritual Progressives <miriam at tikkun.org>
Date: Wed, Apr 13, 2016 at 11:47 AM
Subject: A report from the DC Cemocracy Spring Demonstrations That the
Media Is Ignoring
To: Michelsub2004 at gmail.com


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Read this online at
www.tikkun.org/nextgen/my-democracy-spring-a-report-from-a-tikkunista-at-the-d-c-demonstrations-for-money-out-of-politics
<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=SA0gNdsfv5z60RTZIqp4JKz0ozjsfcji>

Editor's Note: The NY Times has been consistent: ignoring the Democracy
Spring demonstrations in D.C. so we want to give you the insider experience
of one of our Tikkun activists who came from San Francisco to stand for
democracy in D.C. these past few days (and it's continuing all week and
into the weekend).

*My Democracy Spring*

by Michael Kramer

It started with an email many months ago about protesting the fact that
what the people want has no influence in legislation, while money very much
does.  If we could get 1000 people willing to risk arrest for a protest of
this sad state of affairs, then let's do it!  We got well over 1000 within
2 weeks, and 3000, ultimately.

I arrived at the required preparatory meeting (for people intending to risk
arrest) a few minutes early, and there was a group of about 30 people on
the street waiting for the doors to open.  Many had participated in the
march from Philadelphia with a crowd that, reportedly, started at about
150.  The crowd had grown and shrunk along the way, swelling to about 250
on the last day.  There was great praise for the logistics: sometimes there
was enough money to put everyone up at a motel, other times on church
floors.  The food was far better than expected - at least as good as at
home.

Marchers were joined by hundreds of others who arrived to participate in
the protests at the Capitol this week, and the time of action at the
Capitol would start the next day.  Chatting with people waiting to enter
the preparatory meeting, I met some from Washington (state), North
Carolina, Michigan, New York, California, and Florida, converging here to
be arrested for the sake of promoting a change from the existing plutocracy
to the representative democracy that our constitution defines.  I'd be
surprised if any state was not represented.  The attendance at this meeting
was over capacity, so after about the first ~200, people had to be turned
away for another meeting that was hastily set up. Other meetings would run
twice daily for those who arrived later in the week.  Presentations,
discussions, and activities covered the history and effectiveness of civil
disobedience, body language and tactics for dealing with the police, the
legal implications and consequences of the coming action, and connection
with each other, sharing why we had (individually) come.  I was choking
back tears a lot of the time, just over the inspiration of seeing so many
who care about the miserable state of affairs in which we find ourselves -
that big money donors have continued to increase their power in government
at the expense of the vast majority of citizens.  Bribery of our
representatives has been legalized and given pretty names. Lobbyist.
Contribution.  And individual, caring citizens had come together to do
something, when doing nothing about it has become personally intolerable.

That night, I prepared my sign, "DISGUSTED INTO ACTION", got a little
sleep, and, at11AM, joined hundreds of other protestors getting ready to
march to the Capitol building.  We heard from several inspiring speakers
who stoked our hope, pride, and sense of purpose, as the crowd swelled to
about a thousand.  And then we took over the street, marching toward the
Capitol steps.  I was asked, by an observer on the sidewalk, whom we were
supporting, so I stopped to explain what we were about. The idea - that
money has undue influence in legislation - is nearly always met with
understanding and agreement.  (I think I recruited my waitress at breakfast
that morning to join the protest.)  We arrived, sat down, continued our
chants and songs, and were advised that we had received our final warning
from the police.  Those not wishing to "risk arrest" backed off toward the
sidewalk, as over 400 of us remained.  We continued our chants and positive
demeanor as busload after busload of us were taken away.  The police had
started out individually escorting protestors to be cuffed, frisked, and
taken to a bus, but after awhile, as they saw how peaceful and cooperative
we were, they would just approach the crowd and say, "OK, we need ten
more," and people would stand up and present their wrists.  It was
announced that we were the largest mass arrest ever at the US Capitol.
Yet, where were the corporate media?  This action was not in their
interest. But I just saw Jim Hightower's email about it.  His organization,
along with 120 others (including Network of Spiritual Progressives) are
endorsers.  Democracy Now covered the story on Tuesday.

This went on from about 1 to 3PM, until Lieutenant Leonard advised us that
we could sit there awhile longer since there was no more room for us at the
two precincts where we were being taken.  Arrests resumed after about 45
minutes.  We were taken by a bus that would have seemed extremely
comfortable if not for the fact that our hands were bound behind our
backs.  After a 10 minute drive, we were let off into an improvised corral
outside a police station.  As space became available, we were led in and
processed.  They just took some information and IDs - no fingerprinting, no
jail cells. I told the officer, "this is my first time; be gentle with me"
and he laughed. Then, after about 5 hours of processing time, they let
people go with a citation to appear at the central station and pay $50.
During this wait, it was pretty uncomfortable wearing the zip ties around
my wrists.  The police accommodated requests to have them replaced with
looser ones if tightness was a complaint, and to put them on with hands in
front if shoulders were hurting, which I finally asked for.  All those
hours of waiting - I got out at 9:30PM - became trying for many, according
to the remarks going around the room (I counted 200 people seated and about
another 20 standing). In spite of my hunger, I felt a lot of patience,
having become a soldier in a great, peaceful army fighting on behalf of the
99.9%. When I finally stepped out onto the street, I was greeted by about
15 supporters, high-fiving me and thanking me for taking this stand.  They
had food and drink, and led us to bathrooms nearby. What a bunch of
mensches - all of us there.

Michael Kramer is a "Tikkunista" from San Francisco who belongs to Beyt
Tikkun Synagogue-WIthout-Walls www.beyttikkun.org
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