The modern day bastions of democracy – sprawling tent cities which have sprung up in nearly every major city in North America – are under threat from the establishment. Several of them, like those in Oakland, Denver and London, have all seen their property demolished and/or seized. Others, like Vancouver, are desperately fighting court orders for their removal.
Yet one wonders, do the front lines of the #occupy movement really deserve such scorn?
Sure, for those people whose understanding of this movement comes from what little information trickles through the mainstream media (or the MSM as the kids are calling it) it can be easy to dismiss the encampments as major nuisances deserving the boot.
Unfortunately, with such contentious issues on the line, the potential for violent clashes runs high. Plus it’s just all around bad publicity when politicians crush free speech and squash the right to protest.
But whether or not to evict is really beside the point. The powers that be can clear out the protesters all they want – this uprising isn’t going anywhere. Any demonstrators forcefully removed will come back, in greater numbers, even more mobilized and determined than ever before.
What we see right now on the streets is just the initial call to action. These young, engaged activists from everywhere around the world are simply lighting the beacon. Over the coming years, as the world’s inherent injustices become further exposed by our newfound interconnectedness, more and more of us will be awakening to answer the very same call.
