Dispatch from #OccupyBoston: Less Than Two Hours To Go Before Dewey Square Eviction
It's a
mob scene at Occupy Boston tonight. A peaceful mob scene. The terrain
is mostly muddy, with remnants of more than two months of revolution
scattered over Dewey Square. The signs are packed up. So are most of
the larger working group tents, including the enduring food
operation, which now consists of just a table with some meager
offerings. Someone brought bucketfuls of communal coffee for
tonight's long haul though.
As I'm
filing this post, a General Assembly of several hundred-and-then-some
is hashing out proposals for how Occupiers will handle tonight's
looming, City of Boston-sponsored eviction. The seemingly prevailing
game plan is billed as the “Dance Party” proposal, and will
essentially call for the entire square to be cleared by midnight, at
which time they'll have a dance party to celebrate evacuating on
their own terms.
Whether
or not that precise arrangement is stamped and approved, there are
too many moving parts to squeeze tonight's proceedings into a single
vote, or even into several. Some Occupiers will and are already
refusing to move their tents, making it likely that police will
forcibly evict them. There are also a number of rumors that, come
midnight, a number of direct action-minded activists will unleash a
torrent of creative non-violent resistance.
PHOTOS: Occupy Boston defies Menino’s order to vacate Dewey Square, by Ariel Shearer
Police
sources tell the Phoenix that while cops will certainly bring
a significant presence tonight, they're not likely to actually raid
(at least not in the nasty sense). They don't want a confrontation –
especially now that they've seen Occupiers make efforts to clear out.
Instead they reportedly plan to move in early in the morning –
between last call and the morning news – sometime this weekend.
That's hardly a surprise, of course, as such a move would minimize
exposure to press and opposition.
As for
the city line on this . . . Mayor Tom Menino said on radio earlier
today that he's “implementing the judge's orders.” But according
to the ruling regarding Dewey Square: “This decision clears the way
but does not order the plaintiffs and other protesters to vacate the
site.” That's all legal smoke now though. There's not even an
appeal filed, and if there was – Occupy Boston attorneys say it
wouldn't change the reality that some hammers are about to swing down
on the encampment.
At the
time of this filing, there's less than two hours left – to the
dance party, to the eviction, to the “Great Raid of 2011” –
whatever you want to call it. They might do the chicken dance. They
might do the margarena. Word is they might take the party to the
streets (though not everyone agrees on any of this – the specific
Dance Party proposal is currently blocked). Whatever Occupiers do
though – whether it's group pandemonium or a concert of autonomous
engagements – there's no doubt that there will be some fireworks
this evening. Stay tuned.
Oh –
and a two-year-old mic-checked that he will change the world...