HARM Withdraws Support for Occupy Indianapolis

Hoosier Anti-Racist Movement is withdrawing it’s support for Occupy Indianapolis. SOME of the reasons are listed below.

1. Occupy Indianapolis has failed to establish or maintain a substantial physical occupation. Though there are a few people making the symbolic gesture of standing in front of the state building, there has not been a reclamation of public space or creation of an open forum in which economic injustice can be addressed. Because there has been no substantial physical occupation, Occupy Indianapolis exists predominantly as an internet presence.

2. Because Occupy Indianapolis has fractured into so many groups, most of which subsist only on the internet, we find Occupy Indianapolis to consist primarily of armchair activists and internet warriors who will never have more than their non-involved sympathies to offer.

3. Because this collection of various websites and social media pages are unaccountable to any general assembly and keep confidential the names of admins, they are in violation what might be the two core values of the Occupation Movement, namely transparency and horizontal structure.

4. Because the primary point of contact for Occupy Indianapolis, the Occupy Indianapolis facebook page, is ran almost exclusively by a single person, namely one Ryan Kruze, who runs the page as one would their personal facebook page, we find that the lack of validity or tie to any physical occupation or coalition of activists disgraceful to the intentions of those who began protesting in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park on September 17, 2011.

5. Because Occupy Indianapolis has systematically alienated, disenfranchised, and censored radical voices both during it’s physical occupation and via it’s online presence it becomes clear that the occupation is not about compromise and consensus between disparate elements, but rather a hierarchical neo-liberal co-option of a movement in support of the status-quo.

6. Because online censorship has been focused on antifascist and radical voices rather than all “fringe” voices, Occupy Indianapolis has become a safe place for conspiracy-theories, antisemitism, racism, anti-worker sentiment, pro-sweatshop propaganda, and religious intolerance.

7. Because comments made by the admin of Occupy Indianapolis’s facebook page, Ryan Kruze, that “race is a distraction” from the goals of Occupy Indianapolis are completely false, ignorant of the well-documented research linking economic injustice and racism, as well as completely contrary to the efforts made by Occupy Wall Street, we find Ryan Kruze’s self-appointed leadership completely unacceptable.

8. Because we have received several reports of racial bigotry against minorities within the remaining scraps of the physical occupation including ties to white supremacist and neo-nazi groups, we find Occupy Indianapolis, whether through negligence or intent, not to be a safe space for minorities.

9. Because research indicating that the extreme-right was actively trying to infiltrate Occupy Indianapolis has been censored, we conclude that this infiltration was either to some degree successful, the “leaders” of a leaderless movement are sympathetic to their cause, or at best that they are ignorant to the potential dangers of fascist element’s involvement with the Occupy Movement

10. Because the dogmatic Pacifists have neutered any chance of direct action coming from the occupation, we find their to be no chance at revolutionary change stemming from Occupy Indianapolis’s actions.

11. Because the dogmatic Pacifists and others whose actions directly reinforce the status quo have collaborated with our oppressors by obtaining a permit and then used this permit as a justification to issue orders that occupiers: “1. First and foremost, do not break the law. If a police officer tells you to move, be polite and move on—do not argue with the police. Remember, the police are not the enemy; they are doing their jobs,” we find their to be no chance at reform stemming from any occupation which prohibits civil disobedience

Most of our members have been active in their local occupations and the majority of us have participated in Occupy Indianapolis actions. As long as people are fighting against injustice we will stand in solidarity with them,  but we believe that Occupy Indianapolis has little in common other than a stolen name with the original Occupation strategy. This strategy was not completely in line with all of our views but radical opinions had been an integral part of the greater Occupy Movement until recently. Sadly “Occupy” Indianapolis is not the only occupation facing similar problems. We urge any antifascists, radicals, and militants still involved with the Occupy Movement to be vigilant about similar issues at their local occupations.

-HARM