Having just come from this afternoon's rally at Parade Square, I think it's of utmost importance to consider how Occupy NS can maintain a democratic, inclusive, and focused foundation if people are to move forward collectively.

To pick up where this article leaves off, from my perspective, the crowd had assembled facing the police officer accused of assaulting the two women, and demanding his badge number. I thought this was an incredibly powerful showing of solidarity and community concern to hold the Halifax police's feet to the fire, demanding accountability; in the process, publicly humiliating the police--in a non-violent atmosphere--as a means to return dignity to those Occupy NS participants assaulted and demoralized on Friday.

And then the mood shifted. One of the individuals arrested yesterday, who had earlier today spoken to the crowd about defying their conditions of release (which included not being in any municipal, provincial or federal park), again addressed the crowd and police to tell them "if you're going to arrest me, do it now". The police officers did not budge or approach that person.

I wholeheartedly agree that the arrests were brutal, and the bail conditions set were absurdly draconian and outside the scope of municipal authority--not that the municipality deserves any authoritative control, for that matter. However, I think the tone taken by this individual was intended as provocation and seemed very self-involved. A chant began in support of this person, using their name. [It should be noted that at least a dozen other people were arrested yesterday.]

About ten minutes later, this individual seized the crowd's attention, to broadcast their singular situation again, and announced the intention to "walk home, and if anyone wants to escort me I encourage you to do so". This proposal didn't enter into consensus-based decision making, nor was there a 'temperature check' of the crowd's disposition. The notion seemed driven by some one's personal rage. Having such rage is perfectly understandable for people attacked and arrested by the police; but marrying rage with self-importance is a dangerous combination.

This is not about singling out that one individual. This is about something we all need to keep in mind for eachother and ourselves.

The chants again, as before, centered on that one individual and their conditions of release. ...Not, rather, on the movement, the effects of arrest and physical violence against others arrested including women, or the showing of force and solidarity held by those nameless many who'd stood together in Victoria Park and Parade Square.

Also, people had expressed the need for finding a secure location, drying out wet gear, re-focusing the group, building alliances in the community, resisting against political corruption, capitalism and repressive State apparatuses.

I don't imagine much thought was given to how such a rallying cry may divide the crowd, provoke the police to arrest others, or result in dwindling the numbers assembled at the parade square altogether. Inevitably, it led to all three outcomes.

Three more people were arrested on that "walk home". Many supporters left the square in that time, unsure as to why others were not holding ground in that reclaimed space (as this seemed to be a key objective of the rally). In the end, about 1/3rd of the original crowd met back at Parade Square and discussed whether they should participate in 'jail solidarity' with the three arrested, or continue to meet in the Square and discuss a strategy for moving forward. Some, fed up with waiting, left for the police station despite a lack of consensus on the matter. The numbers dwindled further. People were visibly agitated and uncertain.

Jail solidarity is a fundamental and necessary practice to any social movement. It needs to happen constantly. Not just when friends of ours are arrested. And not just when those incarcerated are held for what we subjectively see as "political" work. All prisoners are political prisoners. There are groups in the city that do jail solidarity and prison abolition work on a regular basis. I encourage people to get involved with them.

Now, let's take a step back here. How did things get to this point? When decisions are made on the fly, or not made at all--but are the result of a person or people working the crowd into a frenzy to make a potentially erroneous tactical decision, we need to stop, listen to each other, and weigh our options. We need to democratically decide how to proceed. We need to think before we act.

Episodes like that which happened today weaken us. They dilute our message. They divide our numbers. They reinforce a cat-and-mouse dynamic with the police (which distracts from any movement's goals). They make us seem disorganized which--who cares how that 'looks'--just makes it harder for sympathizers and supporters to get more actively involved. And, of course, episodes like these threaten a leaderless-but-leading movement, with a vanguardist--if not erratic--element shifting power away from those people most marginalized in society.

This is not a rant. It's a point of consideration raised by another nameless face who thinks Occupy NS has done, and can continue to do, important work for change.

Really?  Homeless campers? Canada does a lot more than any other country i can think of for these people.  

That guy returning to Grand Parade (yes, it's name is GRAND PARADE, not parade square, a parade square is a thing, not a place) when the conditions of parole stated he would not be there?  that makes him not only a criminal, but a lier.  lying criminals have no place in this society, is he was one of the three arrested today, GOOD.

 If the people want to act on their opinions that halifax is native land, and the need to un-occupy north america, move back where you came from.   Whats that?  you're canadian?  then shut up.  your canadian because either your ancestor took the land you live on from the natives, or because your ancestor came here because someone else had cleared the place of natives for him.  if your going to argue white people have to right to this land, move the fuck back to europe or wherever your ancestry is from.  

im so sick of all these protestors.  if you have so much time to stand and chant and smoke pot when the rest of the world is at work, then i have a vague idea why your so poor.  yeah, rich people dont work as hard as the middle class, and my job (in the middle class) is a lot harder than shouting at cops at some fucking protest.  

you know why i work so hard to make ends meet?  to pay taxes.  why are my taxes so high?  because 50 years of socialist whining from motherfuckers like occupy nova scotia about how much the government should give handouts to people who have never earned a damned thing on their own have driven them up!  you want lower taxes?  stop sucking our social welfare programs dry.

the protestors should consider themselves lucky the police only manhandled them.  in many countries the first thing they would have seen would have been a bullet.  ive personally seen in another country a police officer bodily throw a homeless man into moving traffic.  but no, your right, being choked while resisting arrest is just horrible, we should string the loving husband and father up in his own front yard.

I live in the urban core of halifax and i honestly do not feel safe taking my children anywhere near these ONS people.  I want my PUBLIC parks back.