[MayDay2012] Proposal re. Building Mutual Respect and No Property Destruction

Proposal

WE ARE activists from different groups with different ideas and organizing backgrounds. But we stand by some common basic principles:

Solidarity starts with Respect. We begin with the assumption that we all respect fellow activists and their life circumstances. Through acting with respect for each other, we begin to build trust. 

Social justice movements must be democratic and accountable. Movements cannot function unless they are able to democratically decide what to do and hold themselves accountable to those decisions. Unaccountable action using other people's lives is the very definition of what it means to be authoritarian. We stand for our right to democratically control our own movement.

Building a social justice movement begins with organizing. Marches and rallies are only tactics; they cannot become the goal or vision themselves. The pillar of organizing is building and maintaining social relationships. If we cannot cherish and honor each other, we have already abandoned the cause for social equality and justice.

We must create a safe space for working class people, immigrants, undocumented, people of color, women, and the LGBTIQQ-identified.We make room for members of marginalized communities to take leadership roles. We take a stand to fight oppression against all.

For all these reasons, we pledge that:

The March for Dignity and Resistance on May Day, 2012 will be a mass, nonviolent action. Those involved in its organization will not engage in acts of property damage while part of the March from Fruitvale to Downtown Oakland and while taking part in the three scheduled  rallies. We request that all autonomous actions take place at a distance (in time and/or space) from the March and Rallies at Fruitvale BART, San Antonio Park, and Oscar Grant Plaza to keep our participants safe.

Our goal is to become comrades in each other’s struggles. The first step is to build trust.

[PS. I did not write this from scratch but borrowed a lot from Occupy Education listserv and recent occupation of the State Capitol]