Occupy DC distances from Democrats. Or does it?

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:28:00 +0000

The more than 100 DC occupiers who marched from McPherson Square Wednesday night to protest outside two high-dollar fundraisers for 15 House Democrats, including Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, carried what seemed an especially clear message for a movement so often criticized for lacking focus.

As one sign put it: "Democrats are part of the 1 percent."

Occupy DC ostensibly sought to declare its independence Wednesday night from the Democratic Party, the liberal activist group MoveOn.org and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), all of whom, protesters fear, are trying to co-opt the movement to win votes in 2012 and advance an agenda equally as corrupt and beholden to monied special interests as that of Republicans.

But amid the shouts, drums and slogan-chanting, the divisions within Occupy DC surfaced over what to make of a congressional Democrat who makes a quiet, public and strong statement of support for a movement that has come under a violent crackdown from police in Los Angeles, New York and other cities.

Salon.com > Paul Quinlan

Occupy DC distances from Democrats. Or does it?