When Occupy sentiment first emerged on my college campus last semester, I viewed the movement as a welcome re-invigoration of American political life. Finally, I thought, people were taking action and airing their grievances instead of simply griping. The movement may have been naive, it may have been misguided, and it may have encompassed such a wide range of perspectives that it was not able to fully articulate its goals, but I’ll take engagement over apathy any day of the week. As the movement began to wind down, I speculated on whether or not it would resurgence in the warmer weather, but, perhaps foolishly, never considered that such a reemergence probably re-characterize the movement entirely.
If the first wave of Occupation was broad and vague in its demands, the new protests operating under the movement’s orifices are anything but. As Marc Tracy reported in Tablet Magazine, they’ve taken on a new character, and their objections are squarely pointed at Israel. While controversy over Israel and America’s support of it is certainly nothing new, it pains me to see this idealistic movement taking it under its wings. Yes, the Occupy movement was inspired by the events of the Arab Spring, but part of the reason I, and hopefully many others, grew attached to the movement in the first place was its sense of inclusion. As my classmates trickled back from New York and Hartford, as well as Boston and New Haven with stories of the incredible and open communities gathered there, my optimism for the future of the movement stemmed from the inspiring ability of an amalgamation of seemingly incongruous groups working together. Take away the sense of inclusion, and Occupy Wall Street is little more than an informal Political Action Committee. This is why I refuse to allow the future of the movement to become characterized by the vitriol of these “new-wave” occupiers. For they may say they are acting under the banner of Occupy Wall Street, but in reality they are simply co-opting its language without holding true to the principles that propelled the movement in the first place.
