Occupy DC (K Street) Part 1

Yesterday night I spent a few hours among the two camps that make up Occupy DC.

Just as anyone who keeps an eye on the news I heard of the movement starting in New York City, and like any critical thinker I remained skeptical of the movement and its objectives. I also, just like anyone who kept an eye on the news, knew of the Republican skepticism of the protests. I heard the allegations of the group being little more than a mob, of being pampered rich kids with I phones and the like, I have heard the responses from the elite and their supporters that it is the fault of the administrations failed policy's and the protesters for getting  liberal arts degrees and not being able to find work.

However unlike most I decided to go out to the protestors and walk amongst them, taking pictures, taking video and deciding for myself exactly who the 99% where what the movement was about from their perspective. It is not enough to simply trust the national news for a perspective on a subject or a group, one must find out for ones self what a subject is and what a group is about. When the Tea party was in Washington DC I did the same thing, armed with a camera and my curious skepticism I went to find out exactly what the perspective of the tea party was. I even got an interview with Politico's Ken Vogel under the name Alexander. (Another Pseudonym)

What I found at the Occupy K street camp of the  movement was nothing to my expectations. I had gone there with specifically lowered expectations, I purged myself of the intention of something that I wanted to see and went accepting to see what it was that was waiting for me as I crossed the street from the white house. I first saw a group of Jewish youth observing a moment of silence at a makeshift stand, that struck me as an alter. Branch leaves had been placed on the roof of the structure to keep the rain water out and a man stood at the entrance of the structure leading the moment of silence. Around him heads with the jewish prayer caps were bowed. 

In other sections of the park were tents of the protesters that occupied the grass of Mcpherson park. The sidewalks for the pedestrians to walk through was clear and there seemed to be a overall feeling of mellowness. There were plenty of people who were there simply to observe and enjoy the park, as well as those who were there as part of the movement. I felt myself free to ask and talk to whomever I pleased. I spoke with a young man from Chicago who had also been part of the movement in Boston, he spoke of the movement and what it meant to him as well, and better than any sympathetic commentator on TV could. There were many factions within the camp, some the protestors seemed to be homeless residents of the park, some seemed to be out simply to enjoy conversation and enjoy the atmosphere and then there was another smaller group that seemed to be focused on action. It was that group that I focused my attention on and spent the bulk of my observation on.