Holding Down the Fort?

Backed up against the imposing fountains and flying staircases at Pratt and Light Streets, "Occupy Baltimore's" McKeldin Square has taken on the appearance of a fortress, albeit one open at the front to the public its occupiers wish to engage.  When viewed from above earlier this rainy day, there was little movement.  Stations set up to serve food, distribute books, recycle trash and generate printed material were covered over with large blue tarps.  People were not visible at all. Squares of color that might yield protetors tucked in to sleeping bags dotted the area like scattered pieces of a quilt waiting to be gathered up and seamed together.  There was a dreary stillness that caused me to wonder if perhaps the occupation is almost over.  Is this a movement whose time in Baltimore has come and gone?  Will the sleeping protestors wake up, pack up and go home?  Given the organization and fierce commitment of the folks I met last week, I think not.

Curious about Occupy Baltimore, my husband and I spent a couple of hours at McKeldin Square last Friday night.  Though married for almost ten years, folks who know us well still consider us to be an odd couple, in a "Dharma and Greg" sort of way (except Ralph's Dharma and I'm Greg, a dear friend once teased).  Ralph is a lifelong community activist, committed to working and speaking out for the poorest of the poor.  I'm a lawyer devoted to representing corporations and organizations in all manner of matters.  But, we connect completely on issues of human rights and civil rights.  And it's that connection that drew us to "Fort McKeldin", as I now call it.

I was impressed that Occupy Baltimore has built an entire community in this small square.  There's an area dedicated to the convening of the group's nightly "General Assembly".  There, group decisions are made about the kinds of things that affect many communities - food needs, healthcare issues, establishing priorities, deciding on the next action, addressing childcare and legal needs, getting the word out.

There's a small library that offers up literature, laptops and desktops.  The internet is alive here and the group stays accessed, sending out regular updates of activities and decisions made at General Assembly.  The "Comfort Station" offers up deodorant, razors, condoms, toothbrushes, soap....just about anything one needs to maintain one's humanness in good order.  This is an egalitarian community so you don't need to be a sworn "Occupier" before helping yourself to what you need. 

Same goes for food.  The kitchen is stocked with crunchy loaves of bread, foil pans of pasta and, beverages.  Available to all - if you're hungry you eat.  No need to present your bona fides but you MUST recycle.  Composting is encouraged.  Child care is available.  Smokers have their own area in which to gather.  On Friday, a large group of smokers was hunkered down, choosing to smoke rather than join the General Assembly.

And the General Assembly was awesome.  Organized and respectful, the participants definitely can teach Congress a thing or two.  Non-verbal participation only - agreement is signaled by the wiggling of fingers, disagreement by the crossing of arms like an "x".  Most fascinating was "mic check".  Because microphones are limited, speakers amplify their comments by first asking for a mic check then, delivering their comments in small bites.  Bite by bite, the crowd's mutiple voices repeat back every word.  Amplification without electronics.  Marvelous.

But, I'm not sure what Occupy Baltimore participants want. The young woman sitting next to me at General Assembly said that she was there because she had participated in Occupy Wall Street and felt she should support her hometown effort.  A recent college graduate, she has a job but wants a better one.  Is this what it's all about?

I anticipated that Ralph and I would have wildly divergent views of the experience.  Not so.  We both feel that Occupy Baltimore, like the other occupations spreading across the country, expresses the frustrations of many regarding the economy, the lack of jobs and the deep desire for something else.  We were both impressed by the organization, the creation of a caring community in a charming slice of Baltimore and, the protestors' fierce commitment to "the cause".

Still, it's the non-specific "we want something else" nature of this occupation that makes me wonder if Occupy Baltimore can continue to hold down the fort.  Though inartful and ill-timed, the guy who slurred "what do you want the government to do?" during General Assembly makes fair inquiry.  He was escorted away from the assembly by Occupy Baltimore security.  But, the question remains.  Can this group press on to create a better.....what?  Fill in the blanks, please, because there's everything else going for this group and a lot of folks ready to go there with them.  Or, help them roll up their sleeping bags and move on.  Which will it be?