Occupy..?

“It takes courage to step out of your comfort zone and stand up for what you believe. Too often people say there is something wrong with the community and that something should be done but don't take steps to do anything.”

-Phil Bryson

I am just going to say this right off the bat, I am all for people fighting for what they want, for what they think they deserve. I respect people that believe so passionately in a cause they rally with others and voice their opinions and participate in demonstrations. This is different, in my perspective.

I work downtown and since October I have been privileged to be an observer of the Occupy Pittsburgh movement.  At the beginning I was all for them protesting in Pittsburgh. I thought it was great that these individuals banded together and were going to fight against Corporate Greed… or was it the war… or was it the bailing out of banks…? Regardless, I was excited because I had never witnessed a protest on this scale first hand before. This was living history to me. This would be a ‘I remember when...” moment that I would tell my kids someday.  I was excited.  

Everyday I would scan Mellon Green and try to identify the new tents, the tents that left, and see what the Occupiers were doing.  This was fun, for a few weeks.  At the beginning there was a lot of activity going on in the park. A march was conducted down city streets, signs were plastered around the campsite (some where hysterical), people were sitting on the corner engaging with pedestrians. They were sticking it “to the man.” There were involved and they were demonstrating.   . At this time Occupy was going viral, it seemed like they were everywhere in the country. I believed that this was going to be big and I was going to witness it.

Then the snow came. I thought to myself, ‘How many of them will actually stay?’ I was surprised to see that tents actually went up after the snow storm.  However, at this point, the participation from the Occupiers was dwindling. There were still signs posted and individuals might be walking around the camp, but they did not have daily rallies nor did it look like a highly populated area. A few days after the storm, I took a run through the city and I intentionally ran passed the site to basically say I did.  I’m not sure if I’m the only one, but as I ran by, there was a stench that was horrific. I was shocked with the smell; however, I was more shocked with the amount of people I didn’t see. The street corners were empty; people were walking through the park without being spoken too. My disappointment with this movement was beginning.

After Thanksgiving, I thought surely, they would be leaving, but the Occupiers are resilient. I noticed some tents left, some tents came, some tents moved, but where were the protesters? I really began to think that the camp was just for show and nothing more. I did observe that desks and filing cabinets appeared, so someone had to be there. Right?! Conversations would occur daily, and began to talk about the destruction of the park and question the purpose of the tents along with the lack of people we had seen.  I won’t lie; Mellon Green was one of my favorite places in the city. It had lush grass, the flowers were meticulously kept, it was truly a beautiful place. In recent seasons, I’ve noticed more and more people sitting on the grass eating their lunches and enjoying the outdoors during the day. Would the Occupiers ruin this? It was evident at this point that the park was nothing but a mud hole.  

As the days drag on; we witness less and less people around the campsite during the day.  The cleanup occurs and a really nice tent is put up to serve the food, tents are on pallets, and closer together.  The best is yet to come as Occupy Pittsburgh files an eviction notice to Bank of New York Mellon and renames the park to the “People’s Park” and put up a sign that read “We’re not going anywhere.”   A rally was held on the “Steal” Plaza, but it was attended by maybe 20 people. At least during this time, there is some movement, not at a lot but people are actually being seen. Maybe this is the start of the rejuvenation of the movement.

 I was supporting their efforts, their attempt to change the world, but honestly, I am ready for them to leave the park.  What once was a beautiful park is now nothing more than an eye sore.  The support that people had for the group has deteriorated to a daily joke. I rarely see anyone from Occupy walking around protesting.  I would support them in their efforts at staying in their current location, but no one is on the corners talking to people, proving their points, enlightening people. The gentleman on Smithfield street (if you’ve been downtown during lunch hour, you know who I’m talking about) is more dedicated than the Occupy Pittsburgh people. He’s on that corner almost every day preaching his point of view.  Hate him or love him, he shows up preaching the same message. I can’t say the same for Occupy Pittsburgh.

I hate to side with Bank of New York Mellon, but at this point in time; I do not see what Occupy Pittsburgh is trying to prove (although, I do admit, their message was always a little unclear to me).  If they were active and protesting a cause, I would fully support them, right now losing that park would be more of a detriment to me (and many others) than the loss of the protestors.   

Occupy Pittsburgh was not all bad. It did teach me that there are some really nice tents available for purchase, if you make a fuss people will show up (at least at the beginning), Pittsburghers typically aren’t bothered by protesters, and people can create some pretty funny signs when they want too (Biggest regret of mine is not taking pictures of the signs, there were some classics).  The most important lesson that I learned from observing this escapade is if you are going to fight for something, make sure you know what the ‘something’ means.

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions with the Occupy group for me, but I’m at the end of the ride. I’m still not sure what I witnessed during the ride, but I’m at the platform getting off, a little disappointment It was a good effort and I applaud your enthusiasm at the beginning, but I’m sad to say… It’s time to pack it up.

 Take it easy.