Occupy Something, Adelaide

Growing up in South Australia and being a music lover, I've heard things and been involved in discussions about how boring Adelaide crowds are at all kinds of live events. We're the people that stand and maybe tap our feet rather than get up and dance. And with the Occupy Adelaide movement it shows that this apathy extends beyond the Entertainment Centre.
I walked down the path that joins Grenfell Street to Pulteney, cutting across the park in Hindmarsh Square where some 20 tents are set up, adorned with signs protesting corporate bullshit. But their protest is exactly that; bullshit.

I was in Los Angeles when the Occupy movement spread across the United States and hit the west coast. I arrived in Santa Cruz the day after the nearby Oakland Port was shut down for a day because of a peaceful protest (and Occupiers have planned to do so again next month).

I was against any Occupy movements in Australia to begin with because the socio-economic situation in America is so different to here. So in Hindmarsh Square today I walked up to a post with an article from the Adelaide Occupiers and started to read their mantra. I found myself agreeing with a lot of the things (to be honest, it did focus a lot on animal cruelty, and while I think that's an important issue it's superfluous to this gathering). I agree that big businesses are able to do what they want with little resistance from the Australian people (*ahem* BHP), and that something should be done about it. I found myself wanting to join in on Occupy Adelaide.

Until I met a member of the group. A short, portly woman, probably in her mid-fifties approached me wearing a red Adelaide Crows jumper (isn't the AFL a bit of a corrupt corporation, Ricky Nixon, anyone?) and started telling me about Council "making good on its promise to them". As we spoke there was a special meeting of Council in progress to discuss the fate of the group: must they head home, or head to roomier, more visible pastures across the road.

What a dilemma, I thought. Go home and do nothing, (I respect that while Occupiers may have jobs, if you have the liberty to take days off work to lay around in a tent all day, it paints a certain picture) or move across the road and camp in the sunshine all day, play guitar and...? The woman spoke about how Council claim the movement/camp is breaching a by-law of the city, and threatened that if they don't get the new location as promised and end up being evicted, "We've got 3000 people on the mailing list that will come down and do something big".

"If they want to pull us up on this by-law we'll remind them of the other by-laws that are breached every day," she said, elaborating that picking rubbish from bins was a breach of a council by-law.
"Aren't the people picking bottles and cans from bins the kind of people who would mostly benefit from the success of the Occupy movement?" I asked her. "Yeah," she replied, "but Council can't have it both ways."
Further to this, occupyadelaide.org says:

The car-park will be cleared and portaloos set up. We will be allowed to keep all of our resources and equipment, but overnight camping will not be allowed – just a few tents/marquees for storing gear, which will, of course, be attended overnight…. all with a nudge and a wink.

One of my biggest questions, especially when this Occupier told me there were 3000 people on the mailing list, was Why are there only 20 people here? Surely they are up-to-date on other Occupy movements around the globe and know that there's a greater chance of making a difference - or at least drawing attention to an important issue - if the numbers are up? For Occupy Adelaide? No... Occupier Kari writes on the website:

It seems our advantage is in our size – which is certainly non-threatening at the moment. In my view, if we are able to maintain this presence then we will be able to continue to do wonders for raising awareness and engaging the public, while also maintaining positive public opinion and good relations with the police and council.

But what's the point Kari? What's the point in having a small number of people, who when aren't playing hacky-sack are walking up to people and attempting to tell them how hard Council is being on them, do something that requires strength in numbers?
I have expectations of Occupiers working towards a protest that will affect daily operations of these establishments they're so against (none of which are named, but I'm looking at you, Woolworths!). They've got a sign up on one of the posts in the square about NewsCorp owning 70% of the country's media outlets, so why aren't they protesting outside of a commercial news station?
Occupiers in Houston, TX and Hartford, CT shut down ramps stopping people from commuting on freeways to work. Yes, there may be alternative routes, but they're stopping something. For at least a few hours, no matter who you were, you could not get to work. (Read more about the Occupy movement in America at www.occupywallstreet.org)

Sure, America has more than ten times the population of Australia, let alone Adelaide, but our biggest attack seems to be aimed at Council, which, let's face it, do a bloody good job in this city.
It's a little disheartening to see Occupy Melbourne so organised while two Adelaideans sit on camp chairs playing '90s pop songs on guitar. The only people I've seen photographing Occupy Adelaide (apart from giggling teenagers) were Occupiers themselves, and even then, why aren't those photos being uploaded to the website they're advertising on the street corner? But Melbourne Occupiers? They've got the idea! Demonstrations at a BHP AGM? Check! Bi-weekly staged general assemblies? Check! Petition meetings? Evicting the Lord Mayor? Check, check!

Adelaide is excellent at putting on thought-provoking demonstrations. Our marriage equality rallies are heavily attended and supported by more than just the LGBT community. GetUp! has pushed hundreds of people to the steps of Parliament House on North Terrace to support a ban on live exports, and let's not forget how involved those preacher-protesters in Rundle Mall like to get in on the action.
But the Occupy movement is completely lack-lustre, not only compared to other demonstrations we've put on, but compared to what is happening around the country and the world.
Adelaide protesters have set up camp in front of a hotel, when they could move a street over and Occupy Nestle, or they could move in the other direction and Occupy Adelaide Metro. One more late bus and I might just start that!