Occupy SD

I visited Occupy San Diego on the evening of November 14, 2011 with a fellow classmate. The movement was not at all what I anticipated. The small amounts of protestors were outnumbered by the many police officers. I questioned if I was in the right location. Fortunately, we were able to speak with some protestors. The first young man we approached had valid arguments for why he was a part of the movement. He explained that he never felt impacted by the economy since he is a traveler but expressed that the economy will affect the future generations. He is worried that his children will not be able to obtain an education without attaining massive loans. He believes in free education and healthcare for all. Many of the protestors we spoke to felt that the rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer.

Unfortunately, many of the other individuals we conversed with were extremely intoxicated. One young man slurred his speech, was unclear, and started a fight with other protestors while screaming that he spent his last ten dollars on her bottle of wine and all she could do was pee on him. Another young man decided to kiss both me and my classmate on our foreheads to say goodbye….. :/

We were also able to speak with one of the SDPD Sergeants. When asked his perspective on the SD Occupy movement and he responded, “I’m bored”. He said that he is disgusted by the human behavior he has witnessed here. He also shared that many of the protestors are disrespectful as they have kicked and spit at officers in the face. He stated that some of the San Diego protestors (not all) can at times be very hostile and many have threatened his family. He expressed that the SD protestors are getting their message out the wrong way here in San Diego and that he would rather be elsewhere as he feels he is babysitting people who do not even know what the movement is truly about.

My Occupy San Diego movement experience helped me understand Conflict Theory. According to conflict theory, conflict is inevitable and is a result form the inequalities of social class differences. It was noted that many of the protestors were homeless veterans and young adults who admitted to being homeless for several years now. Support from people from different socioeconomic statuses may help the movement. The individuals I spoke with appeared to be aggravated with the wealth’s need for power and control. One protestor commented, “I believe that Humans are naturally good, but the wealthy just keep on wanting more; it’s all about greed and control”. Also witnessed was the idea that authority leads to conflict. In this movement, there is no clearly defined leader yet it seems disorganized in San Diego. Many of the protestors felt that the police officers had a small amount of power/ authority and would abuse it. However, my experience told a different story. The police officers were peaceful and it was actually the protestors screaming obscenities at the officers as they walked their rounds. The police brutality around the country cannot be generalized to the SDPD.