In this impromptu talk, veteran organizer and movement thinker, Mel King outlines his thoughts about the significance of the #Occupy movement, its potential for radical social change and its methods. Although an enthusiastic supporter of the movement, Mel suggests that in time the movement will have to choose targets (once it is ready) and also consider moments where the consensus process may be less effective. Mel goes on to applaud the movement for engaging in the battle of ideas, "You are occupying minds!"
A few things?! I've asked to say a few things? I first want to say that nobody does anything on their own. I may stand here as one but it is a one that is the compilation of hundreds and thousands of folks who have been involved in various... various struggles. In a way, that is some of the strength of what has been happening in the #Occupy movement.
I stand here as someone who is thrilled at what the movement is accomplishing! I have no questions or doubts about what the long-range impacts are going to be.
People talk about the tent city that we put together [in 1968]...[inaudible] it was about making that land [in the South End] directly available for housing and about the people who were making the decisions about the other land that was in that neighborhood...
This [#Occupy] movement is the best thing that has happened since the students [helped] stop the war in Vietnam. I think that it is important to put it in that perspective. When I see that [inaudible] [of] hundreds cities and towns are across this country are involved in some form of the #occupation movement, that huge. One of the things that I was just saying to my friend here was that you need to lift it up, you know, lift it up! You're in fact doing what I asked your next headline to say [holding Boston Occupier in hand]: occupy minds! Okay? You are occupying minds! You're stretching folks... And if you continue to do that, there's no telling how far you can go.
