The Oakland Commune

On October 10th 2011, hundreds of people in downtown Oakland occupied Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of city hall. They built a self-organized tent city and began to meet some of the community's most urgent needs. They renamed the plaza Oscar Grant Plaza in honor of a young African-American man who was shot and killed by BART Police in 2009. Although the action was partially inspired by Occupy Wall Street and austerity protests throughout the world, Occupy Oakland's particular character resulted from years of struggle and repression in the Bay Area. This short documentary details the ongoing story of the Oakland Commune.

It was produced by Marianne Maeckelbergh and Brandon Jourdan with footage from Caitlin Manning, David Martinez, John Hamilton, and tons of archival footage.

NOTE: The text at the end should read January 2012.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• caitlin manning
• occupy
• occupy oakland
• ows
• occupy wall street
• protest
• financial crisis
• austerity
• marianne maeckelbergh
• oakland california
• united states
• brandon jourdan
• david martinez
• 2012
• january
• bay area
• east bay
• riot
• oscar grant
• university of california

[silversoul7]

Damn, I have radical envy. I wish Portland could be this militant.

[nkmarks]

Very good work!

[wiseoldsnail]

@palm16 this comment has less than a unifying force here in oakland. this is a national and global movement. i'm pretty sure those with roots elsewhere than oakland still have experience with police repression, economic warfare against them, and otherwise ongoing threats to the rights to assemble and protest injustice. why are you so focused on whether people live in oakland? how many opd live in oakland? the city administrator doesn't live in oakland. hope you're protesting that.

[joanpedragosa]

All our support & solidarity from Barcelona. Resist and grow in the battle of ideas and consciousness: another world is possible based in autonomy, comunity and reintegration with nature, a self-governed/determined society. This would be Progress.

State & Capitalism vs. (real) Democracy

[77scapegoat]

my buddy and I pulled a train on that chick at 3:40. Small world lol

[thyjester]

your camera is amazing, thanks for being out there

[TasinAkiwo]

@drsmith963 I want some of whatever you're smoking, bro. Also its "there are".

[drsmith963]

Their is 500,000 Hispanics on welfare in LA alone...insane

[drsmith963]

Time to clean up the US and bring are decnt payong jobs back.

[drsmith963]

I think the Mexicna dont occupy because they are afiliated with La RAZA , and LA RAZA is supported by the corporations , i think they are trying to TURN the US into another Mexico , thats why the feds left the border down...the feds like Mexicans they will serve the Elite.