Where Are the Women at Occupy Wall Street? Everywhere—and They're Not Going Away

[Beacool]

Creating a Safe Space

For many of the women I interviewed in New York, frustrations arise not from direct slurs or insults but from a lingering feeling that at times they’re not heard in discussions, or not respected when they try to explain their perspective.

How protesters choose to allocate their time is telling, say some women. “On the ground it is a matter of people's daily priorities. ‘Do I spend time working on the way I interact with patriarchy, or do I work on this time-sensitive direct action?’ Feminism gets pushed aside,” says Suzahn Ebrahimian, another regular working group participant.

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In other occupations around the country, skirmishes over racist and sexist behavior within the movements have already led to schisms. A group of LA activists published an online manifesto saying they’d left the main occupation to start GAs in other neighborhoods because their concerns about race and privilege were not taken seriously enough at the main encampment—and they were accused of “hijacking” the movement. In Cleveland, a woman has alleged that she was raped by a tent partner assigned by leaders. Two female protesters at the camp told their local news station that while they take sexual assault and safety extremely seriously and are cooperating with the police, they are a leaderless movement, do not assign tent partners and had never heard the man alleged to have committed the assault. Regardless of the outcome of the Cleveland case, creating an unaccountable environment for sexual assault seriously impedes women's ability to participate—and bluntly illustrating a failure in self-government.

Several New York–based activists say their position as the “flagship” occupation has prompted them to try even harder to create a model society, to be an example to others that are just starting their movements. The “Safer Spaces OWS” initiative and a corner of the park devoted to a women’s sleeping area have attracted notice: I ran into several groups of young college women who had come to the park for sleepovers and cited those efforts as making them comfortable with doing so.

http://www.thenation.com/article/164197/where-are-women-occupy-wall-street-everywhere-and-theyre-not-going-away?page=0,2

Apparently the "Safer Spaces" are not very safe. A woman was raped on Sunday morning in her tent at Occupy Wall Street’s Zuccotti Park. There have been several cases of sexual assaults at various camps, including the woman who was gang raped in Glasgow.

This unfortunately reminds of the "Arab Spring" where social justice was sought for males, but not so much for women.

x(

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. An article is making the rounds in GD about police sending drunks and troublemakers

into Zuccotti Park...of course in hopes of causing a situation allowing them to shut everything down. I am so sorry that anyone was hurt, it is everyone's RIGHT to feel and to be safe. I believe that if there is an issue present, especially one of this significance, that #Occupy will address it and adapt accordingly.

[Beacool]

3. The problem is not limited to OWS in NY.

The incident in Glasgow was particularly heinous as several men raped a young woman. In this particular incident the men were not occupiers, but 3 drunk jerks from a neighboring town.

My fear is that this trend will continue. Women occupiers have a right to feel safe. Maybe some of the guys should take turns keeping watch during the night.

[Fire Walk With Me]

6. There should definitely be security :(

[Cal Carpenter]

9. There is security and they have recently organized it better

There are people awake all night, they are now coordinating with walkie-talkies so others can essentially sleep but be 'on call'. There will be a team of 15 or so people every night, either awake or on-call, from security, mediation, medical, and other working groups/teams.

There are also several cops along the perimeter of the park all night.

[Beacool]

11. If that's the case, what happened this past Sunday?

The assault allegedly occurred at 6:00 AM.

[Cal Carpenter]

23. I don't know what happened Sunday

That's why I asked for details/confirmation/good sources of info elsewhere in the thread.

Like any population, particularly one that is open to the public in a large city, there are some assholes who do nasty shit. As far as I have seen in my time at 2 different Occupy sites including NYC, I can barely fathom how a rape could happen. Everyone is within a few feet of each other. It is crowded at night. There is security, and there are plenty of people awake including crews from the working groups keeping an eye on thing and *trying* to prevent bad things from happening.

I can see how inappropriate comments or touching could occur, and I think it is fucked up, rare, and possibly done by the type of disruptors that are being sent to the park by cops referred to elsewhere on this thread.

I assure you, I am not one to take rape allegations lightly, but like many others I am skeptical of anonymous reports with no confirmation, especially when there is an active smear campaign about this movement (like allegations of human waste and piles of garbage and all sorts of things that simply aren't true).

To be fair I haven't read the entire article linked in the OP so maybe I am missing something.

As an aside, I was there the night the 'Safer Spaces' area started. It started in the exact spot where I had spent the previous night. I wasn't thrilled with the fact that I had to find myself a new 'safe space' and saw some irony in that, however I politely conceded and moved on.

[TBMASE]

2. an armed woman is a safe woman

all it takes is a few women who are armed to put that doubt into the reptiles who commit these crimes.

It's a shame

[Beacool]

4. Yep, these kinds of occurrences sour the movement.

It's very disheartening to see that sexual abuse of women can even happen in places where the whole point of the gathering is to demand social justice for all.

:(

[TomClash]

5. I have a stupid question

Why aren't the scores of police surrounding Liberty Park (and elsewhere) preventing these horrible incidents? Isn't that their job?

People living in the park and on the streets are often targets, but usually there aren't police omnipresent while it happens.

[Fire Walk With Me]

7. Police are directing drunks and trouble-makers to GO to Zuccotti.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2218205

[Cal Carpenter]

10. I can confirm this

although the particular guy singing and screaming at 3am, referred to on that post, isn't just some random drunk dude. He is a very well-trained disruptor, it wouldn't surprise me if he is getting paid by someone. He is there often, and loudly, for hours in the night and in the middle of GA meetings and anywhere else.

It's a wonder he hasn't gotten his ass kicked yet, and it is a testament to the super-abilities of the mediation team there that he hasn't.

[Fire Walk With Me]

18. Holy crap...please start a thread about this, people need to know this is happening.

:(

[defendandprotect]

36. KR -- for those who don't know about this --- !! Wow --

[TomClash]

16. Amazing nt

[redqueen]

17. Ugh...

they really will try anything.

[Beacool]

12. I don't know.

:-(

[Cal Carpenter]

8. Are there confirmations of Sunday's rape

or any other rape at Zuccotti Park?

I can only find this on RW sources in smear articles and from anonymous comments here and there. I have been to OWS, I have slept there, and I will again in the near future, and I don't know of a single case of rape.

This is obviously an issue of great concern and I do know there have been some issues of inappropriate behavior (eg comments, touching) but I do not know of any rape cases.

You say this with much confidence so I assume you have done your homework. I would appreciate any further details. Thanks.

[Beacool]

14. I'm not sure, but there have been proven incidents elsewhere.

Women are always vulnerable. We seem to be fair game.

Edited to add this article from the NY Post.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/zuccotti_perv_Qd8v3hCAnspzJ7VGC9nJZP

[Cal Carpenter]

25. The NY Post is doing a constant smear campaign on the movement

I'm really not trying to 'defend the movement at all costs' or anything like that. In fact I am actively writing rather critical reports about it at other venues. But there are so many unsourced smears floating around about allegations of sexual assault, violence, etc, yet there have been almost no violent confrontations or other incidents at Zuccotti in the 6 weeks it's been going on.

I understand that women are always vulnerable. I understand that it is possible that there have been serious sexual assaults or rape.

But assuming that it *is* the case is just as dangerous as assuming it's *not*. If that makes any sense.

[Beacool]

31. I realize that the Post is a RW rag, but rape is rape.

Regardless of who is reporting on it. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and I hope that steps are taken at all the OWS sites to avoid other women being attacked in the future.

[seabeyond]

13. pretty damn sad that for a woman to stand up, speak out, be a part of her future puts her in risk

of rape, inappropriate touching and crude comments (per a poster in the thread).

i would hope those in the crowd of BOTH genders would routinely stress the unacceptableness of this disgracefull and disgusting behavior.

[Beacool]

15. read the article, women are complaining of inappropriate touching and sexist behavior.

I found out during the 2008 election that misogynist and sexist attitudes are still very pervasive in this country. It was an eye opener and a disappointment. What was even more shocking is that some of the perpetrators were women themselves.

;(

[seabeyond]

19. couldnt agree with you more. it is old and tired, just really old and really tired.

eough with the threads that always point the finger at the rw macho mentality. it is not only our repugs...

[MedleyMisty]

20. I left another left-leaning political forum years ago

because of the disgusting sexism in discussions about Anne Coulter.

They couldn't just call her an asshole, or some other non-gendered insult. It was all bitch and the c word and drawing pics of her in a skimpy Nazi outfit and talking about how they wanted to rape her.

I haven't seen it get that bad here, although I certainly notice a lot more comments on clothes and hair for female politicians than for males.

Prejudice of all kinds is thick on both sides of the political spectrum.

[seabeyond]

21. yes.

this site is good with moderating. that is the difference.

[Number23]

27. "Prejudice of all kinds is thick on both sides of the political spectrum."

You could not be more correct.

And it's worth noting that those who sought to bring up the issue of privilege (both white and male) were accused of highjacking the movement. Issues of racism and sexism are part of what OWS should be fighting. Most of the victims of the sub-prime mortgage fiasco as well as daily victims of discrimination are minorities and women.

But this is a common complaint. During the Equal Rights movement, black women were shut out so completely they had to start their own. Even the most noble of causes are susceptible to human frailties.

[Beacool]

30. Nope, plenty on the left are just as sexist.

;(

[ZombieHorde]

22. White-male hegemony really needs to be addressed.

Feminist propaganda needs to be distributed throughout the movement.

[Cal Carpenter]

24. Efforts are made but they aren't good enough

Efforts are made organizationally - for example the 'progressive stack' - when people want to give input or express concerns at General Assembly or smaller group meetings, women, people of color, and people from other traditionally underrepresented groups are given first priority.

But on an individual level, it is clear that white dudes talk more, talk louder, and with more (assumed) authority. It is a real problem.

I don't know exactly what the solution is other than better enforcement of the progressive stack and somehow encouraging those who are intimidated to feel more comfortable speaking out, but I will say many people are aware of this and working on it.

There are 2 or 3 different women's/female-identified working groups with different agendas/purposes, hopefully they can make some headway. Not to put the impetus on the women for the problems of the men, mind you, but it will clearly take a concerted effort.

[seabeyond]

26. white dudes talk more, talk louder, and with more (assumed) authority

then start talking more, talking louder and with more authority consistently and constantly that rape, assault and vulgar comments to women IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. at all. not a little. not a joke. not cutsey. NOT ALLOWED.

and keep it forefront. want a movement for 99%, that better damn well include women. and it is ALL of our responsibility. not just the women groups.

[Number23]

28. "it is clear that white dudes talk more, talk louder, and with more (assumed) authority."

Yep. And unfortunately, many are so uncomfortable with even the DISCUSSION of racism, sexism and other issues or the thought that they may exhibit any of these -isms, they minimize or ignore all attempts to discuss or educate them of their shortcomings in these areas.

And unfortunately, when you hold all of the keys to the castle (as white men have in this country since its inception) it's difficult for others to get past you in order to be seen or heard.

[seabeyond]

34. but when this point is stressed, the talk more, talk loud and with authority,

silences...

always

[Odin2005]

29. I read that back in the 60s movements...

...A lot of young women trying to participate were dismissed as "little girls" and derided.

Sexist Assholism is non-partisan. :(

[Beacool]

32. Back in the 60s?

Try now. During the primaries a couple in Iowa said that they couldn't vote for Hillary because women didn't belong in positions of power. Sexism was rampant during the 2008 election by both parties. That is one thing that brought out bipartisanship. Hillary and Palin were treated equally poorly and I don't mean due to their position on the issues, but because of their gender.

That is one of the reasons that I'm now an Independent. A pox on both parties!!!

:-(

[defendandprotect]

33. kr

[Beacool]

35. Thank you.

:hi: