Occupy movement needs to focus not on violence but on creating a single political identity

UCLA students took their first measures to join the Occupy movement with the accompaniment of brightly pitched tents on Wilson Plaza. Beginning with a sensational speech in front of Kerckhoff and ending with a sit-in at Wilson Plaza, superficially, it seemed as though the campus had finally gotten the attention of the 1 percent.

But the truth is, a very small percentage of people seem to be taking part in these protests at UCLA, and even more do not seem to care at all for the entire Occupy movement. The greatest number of people at one time during the movement totaled 250, a majority of whom were graduate students. But it seems that the undergraduate population has come to grow indifferent to the movement.

And why should we pay any attention to these protests? Why should we bother? Has it worked in the past? In 2009, a similar protest occurred in order to fight the then rising tuition hikes; fast forward two years, those hikes have come and gone, and new ones have taken their place.

As great as protesting may appear, it seems to have lost its power to make substantial change.

Recently, the violence occuring at the protests has taken the forefront of the movement. UC Berkeley and UC Davis are shrouded in controversy in response to police brutality to peaceful protesters.

The use of pepper spray by the police on peaceful UC Davis protesters has gone viral. UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, who initially supported police presence, deemed these police actions unnecessary, and it has led to many calling for her resignation. Meanwhile, police forces in Berkeley took part in violent baton beatings in order to quell the Cal protesters.

The Occupy movement has become more about the violence taking place than the goal these protesters were initially fighting for. Even at UCLA the attention has been more focused on those arrested during the Wilson Plaza and Wilshire protests rather than the ideals of the movement.

“Protesting and being angry won’t solve the problem of the wealth inequality, a real diffence must be made,” said Peter Lewis, a second-year chemical engineering student.

These protesters have drawn massive media attention to their cause, a great feat indeed, but now what? The top 1 percent will not be so quick to change their ways ““ not after years of comfortably living in this society.

Protesters should be trying to take steps to improve the future of society instead of attempting an all-out war. The best attempt would be for these protesters to solidify a political identity for themselves. In less than a year, the Tea Party grew from a sect of the Republican party to its own entity. Now, candidates are altering their positions to appeal to these Tea Party voters.

If the Occupy movement can unite to form a political machine, candidates and the government would have no choice but to change their stances in order to appease the 99 percent.

We cannot change Congress at this very moment, but promoting political awareness and urging the youth of the nation to vote for a candidate that has their interests in mind should be the main goal of these movements. California is in this current economical debacle because of these poor voting choices; have we forgotten recalling Gray Davis, electing the Terminator and then watching as he further thrust the state into economic disparity?

If the 99 percent are truly the 99 percent, then theoretically they should wield a majority of the voting power.

Educating the youth on political intricacies will aid them in making well-informed political decisions. Solidarity in the movement will be the key in bringing forth any tangible change.

Protesting does serve a purpose but it is only effective if we are envisioning a bigger picture. Let us not lose the message this revolutionary movement is making by focusing on the violence. We must protest today in order to set up a better system for tomorrow; let us use the government as our ally in order to triumph over the 1 percent instead of relegating them to be our enemies.

Do you think police response to the protests is overshadowing the movement’s purpose? Email Viswanathan at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].