Kasim Reed, Occupy Atlanta, and a fresh wave of history
Derrick Younge of Atlanta holds a sign next to Occupy Atlanta leader Tim Franzen, left, during a press conference at Woodruff Park discussing their next move Thursday afternoon in Atlanta. Jason Getz, jgetz@ajc.com.
Fifty years ago, when Shirley Franklin was still a high school teenager, she slipped away from her Philadelphia bed – without telling her mother – for an anti-nuke march on the Pentagon.
The biographical tidbit is necessary to any assessment of last week’s decision by Mayor Kasim Reed, Franklin’s successor, to clear Occupy Atlanta and its tents from a downtown park – and send the bonded-out protesters against corporate greed and economic disparity on a nomadic trek across the city, like some Lost Tribe of Ishmael.
Atlanta may not have realized the implications at the time, but the city crossed a generational divide when Reed was elected two years ago. Born in 1969, he is the first mayor in nearly 40 years who did not spring from a culture of protest.
However inevitable, it was not a fact that some were willing to ignore last week.
“If he wants to be like Bull Connor, then so be it,” one of Reed’s elders, state Sen. Vincent Fort of Atlanta, said shortly before he and 51 others were arrested at the park.
To call up the specter of Birmingham was a vast – the mayor might argue slanderous — exaggeration. No injuries were reported Monday night. No fire hoses were turned on schoolchildren. No German shepherds were sicced on the defenseless. No skulls were cracked by batons. This wasn’t Alabama. It wasn’t even Oakland.
That said, Fort’s 48-year-old reference point was revealing. As was Reed last Monday, when he put Occupy Atlanta on 24-hour notice.
In front of reporters, the mayor first said grace over his city’s reputation for tolerance and the right to free speech. But Reed – a former music industry attorney – then drew on more recent history.
He pointed to a flawed hip-hop concert that Occupy Atlanta had attempted to stage at the small park. With inadequate security and radio spots that advertised at least one rapper whom concert promoters couldn’t deliver.
“You’ve had people killed in concerts where artists who were promised do not show up all across the country. This happens all the time,” Reed said. The mayor judged Occupy Atlanta to be a danger to themselves and nearby residents, and ordered the impromptu campground shut down.
The Occupy Atlanta decision may be the first real evidence that the city is being governed with its changing, more conservative demographic in mind.
In a recent post on “Blogging While Blue,” Democratic strategist Cabral Franklin, son of the former mayor, noted that the three of the four fastest-growing districts in the city were in downtown Atlanta, Midtown and Buckhead – “areas where people vote more conservatively.”
“Midtown in 2011 is not Midtown in 1990,” he said in an interview. Franklin’s assessment of Reed, who stands for re-election in 2013: “I don’t think he wanted the Occupy movement to be that one thing that he didn’t play right. I think he was trying to govern as close to the center as he possibly could.”
Criticism of Reed has been muted, but it exists. Eric Robertson, political director of Teamsters Local 278 and a Reed supporter, consulted with the mayor throughout the confrontation – and disagreed with the decision to resort to force.
“My hope is that we can get into some sort of dialogue where he can understand what’s happening with the movement,” Robertson said.
But if Reed is new to an era of protests, so is Occupy Atlanta. “There have absolutely been mistakes made,” Robertson said. His union members brought U.S. Rep. John Lewis to speak to the protesters in the first days of their occupation of Woodruff Park – only to see the civil rights icon turned away. “Disastrous,” he said.
Occupy Atlanta’s insistence on unanimous decisions paralyzed any attempts to give the movement a sharper focus that the public could latch onto, the union official said.
One of the more nuanced reactions to the removal of Occupy Atlanta came from Michael Julian Bond, a 10-year city councilman and son of ’60s activist Julian Bond.
“I really don’t know why the mayor didn’t act sooner. I believe in civil disobedience. I grew up in a household full of activists,” said the younger Bond. But he also represents the downtown residential district, and spoke of a recent neighborhood meeting.
While sympathetic to Occupy Atlanta, his constituents “pointed out a stark contradiction to me,” Bond said. After years of complaints, police only recently had swept aged, homeless black men out of the park.
“But when it’s twenty-something white kids, it’s allowed to go on. That kind of stuck with me,” he said. “If [police] had been allowed to go out on the first night when the park closed, there probably wouldn’t have been but about five or 10 people who were willing to go to jail that night, and the cost of it would have been considerably less.”
Bond also said Occupy Atlanta may have a rose-colored view of history. Arrest and jail are central points of civil disobedience, he said.
“I don’t know if that’s been forgotten over time, or just romanticized. But there were real arrests in Atlanta,” Bond said. The difference between Birmingham and Atlanta, he said, was how protesters were subsequently treated by police.
As for the prospect of growing conservatism in the city, Bond was unimpressed. “Atlanta’s always been a conservative place. We have a culture here that’s deeply rooted in church. Atlanta’s always had this very conservative undercurrent, even though – at the same time – it’s been very progressive mentally. But the values have been conservative,” he said.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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243 comments Add your comment
DR GONZO
October 29th, 2011
3:04 pm
Also…I do not believe that the point for many “conservatives” is to be “cool”.
It is often to be effective in what you do.
“Cool” is a facade…the key is does your walk match your talk pal?
Thogwummpy
October 29th, 2011
3:07 pm
Oh, a quick footnote. Every time I hear “charge Bush with war crimes”, I accurately counter: Bill Clinton conducted air war on Iraq over Saddam’s WMD, bombing an untold number of people to death. Charge HIM with war crimes! And incompetence…because if he’d not shrugged off Saddam’s violations after that, Bush wouldn’t have HAD to go to war—Iraq would have been dealt with.
td
October 29th, 2011
3:07 pm
td
October 29th, 2011
3:04 pm
DannyX
October 29th, 2011
2:59 pm
Sorry guys, I gotta take a porn brake. Be back in a few!
I see the biggest coward on the blog is back.
honested
October 29th, 2011
3:08 pm
tiny dog
Why are you so obsessed with promoting the koch comrades?
Why are you so unable to realize that with appropriate selection, an individual can carry on a fully civilized life and never spend a penny that finds it’s way to the kochs, or ever set foot in a walmart?
Are you so divorced from reality that you believe it is somehow ‘patriotic’ to fund those who would destroy your life?
DR GONZO
October 29th, 2011
3:08 pm
DannyX…computers cannot run without electricity bud…just saying.
Man you are one narcissistic dude who is obsessed with Silicon Valley.
News FLASH…the sun does not shine out of the butt of Silicon Valley.
GaBlue
October 29th, 2011
3:10 pm
Good weekend, people! Why aren’t you watching football or enjoying the sunny outdoors? (Just stopping by here on my way to relevant information.) Good grief, some people don’t ever give it a rest, so I’ll offer only the following comment:
Heh… as IF she actually ever feeds anyone but her own hate-spewing PIE HOLE! That’ll be the day!
That is all. Carry on!
honested
October 29th, 2011
3:13 pm
gonzo,
Forget cool, proceed to ‘civilized’.
Many confused who label themselves ‘conservative’ are stuck in the ‘law of the jungle’ mentality. Having said that, many cons are not aware of collective behaviors in the wild (such as wolf packs, elephant herds, etc.) wherein the ‘jungle’ inhabitants have come to grips with the clear fact that working TOGETHER provides a better result that attacking one another to see who comes out with the most of whatever is left at the end.
So, if a confused ‘conservative’ believes that competition for survival of the fittest is a natural order of reality, they have already missed the communal evolution that trumps their contention.
Unless they see the eventual end as dining on the rich.
td
October 29th, 2011
3:14 pm
honested
October 29th, 2011
3:08 pm
Well, please tell us all how you buy gas that was not refined in a Koch facility or sent to your local gas station in a Koch pipeline? What do you use as paper products that were not made by GP (Koch brothers) or cut down in a Koch owned Forest?
You are the one making the claim that you do not use Koch products and I am saying you are not telling the truth.
td
October 29th, 2011
3:14 pm
GaBlue
October 29th, 2011
3:10 pm
Why watch football when there is porn tube?! HAHAHA!!! Back to reality. I will say, however, that eating a hotdog, typing on this blog, and jackin at the same time can get out of hand quick. We are all dudes though so it is cool!!!!
Off de Plantation
October 29th, 2011
3:14 pm
DR GONZO, 2:36pm
Independent Voter…
Get a life and feel free to brush up on your grammar
Hey, Doc, “Independent Voter” is a screen name for some brain-dead Dimocrat. Wait…not even a Dimocrat could be THATdumb! Then…
But, see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWpU8sX10_4
Does that clear it up?
Karen
October 29th, 2011
3:17 pm
I dont like the Tea Party and I dont like occupy Atlanta. They have more in common then they think they do.
yuzeyurbrane
October 29th, 2011
3:18 pm
td-you know your pal Centrist claims to an atheist. Does that mean Jesus would shoot him?
td
October 29th, 2011
3:19 pm
honested
October 29th, 2011
3:08 pm
“Are you so divorced from reality that you believe it is somehow ‘patriotic’ to fund those who would destroy your life?”
That is in your belief system. I believe that they are trying to help save the world from pure evil (communism/socialism).
Jim Bean
October 29th, 2011
3:20 pm
I do not understand you td. One second you are a terrorist, then the next second you become a pervert…get help bud.
DannyX
October 29th, 2011
3:21 pm
I never said conservatives are good for nothing. Like td said, conservatives give us a great way to clean our butts.
Liberals give us movies to watch, computer games to play, software for our computers, music to listen to, search engines, fancy i phones, you know, all the cool stuff.
We do need oil, and something to wipe with.
Have you hugged your bank today?
yuzeyurbrane
October 29th, 2011
3:22 pm
Centrist, I don’t really mind your labelling and name calling. I get a good laugh out of them. Actually, I kind of enjoy your posts. They reflect a pretty smart guy. If you could only get past your ideological biases and into pragmatic fact based analysis, we might even agree on some things.
td
October 29th, 2011
3:22 pm
yuzeyurbrane
October 29th, 2011
3:18 pm
“you know your pal Centrist claims to an atheist. Does that mean Jesus would shoot him?”
Jesus was a carpenter moron. He would stab or throw something! They did not have guns back then!
td
October 29th, 2011
3:22 pm
yuzeyurbrane
October 29th, 2011
3:18 pm
Maybe, I do not know, because I am not to judge the sinner just denounce the sin.
DannyX
October 29th, 2011
3:22 pm
“I believe that they are trying to help save the world from pure evil (communism/socialism).”
How many times has Governor Deal been to China this year?
Screw red state
October 29th, 2011
3:26 pm
I would advise you to be careful td. You are pushin it.
td
October 29th, 2011
3:30 pm
Screw red state
October 29th, 2011
3:26 pm
What are you going to do about it big boy. I will let you know what I am going to do right after this commercial break. PORN BREAK! YYYYOOOOO HHHHHHOOOOOOOOO!
td
October 29th, 2011
3:33 pm
Jim Bean
October 29th, 2011
3:20 pm
The conservative is the real me the other is a coward that thinks its funny to hi jack a persons screen name. Just another typical lib tactic. If you do not have the intellectual capability of defending your philosophy then find a way to bash your opponent. Same tactics Obama will use next year because he can not defend his record and will lie about his true philosophy.
Next years Presidential campaign will be the dirtiest, meanest and nastiest since Andrew Jackson ran for President.
Carla Hayden
October 29th, 2011
3:33 pm
Eww
td
October 29th, 2011
3:37 pm
td
October 29th, 2011
3:30 pm
You doubt if you would be smart enough to know what to do on a “porn break”. Well maybe I take that back. You libs are good at producing things to make the rest of us take care of.
DannyX
October 29th, 2011
3:40 pm
Conservatives love to watch pornography.
Another liberal contribution that conservatives eat up.
Independent voter
October 29th, 2011
3:51 pm
Td dont vote because Obama going to win 2012
td
October 29th, 2011
3:59 pm
Independent voter
October 29th, 2011
3:51 pm
Td dont vote because Obama going to win 2012
I have every intention in voting because I know my vote will be counted. Your vote for President is not going to be counted.
td
October 29th, 2011
4:05 pm
What if judges were replaced by constituent assemblies?! Judicial review is suppressing everybody! The court system worked in the beginning, but times are calling for a modern justice system. Instead of giving a judge the power to decide a person’s fate and basic laws, let accumulate the masses for a more perfect society! Everybody deserves a chance! Just imagine how much better of a world we would have if people were able to decide their own laws. Considering the fact that we live in a civilized society, constituent assemblies would benefit everybody.
double
October 29th, 2011
4:54 pm
Thought Eve was a carpenter.Guess TD goes to Hall county for his porn break.Before Koch’s we used corn cobs.Reason they are red/white.
Michael Marr
October 29th, 2011
4:56 pm
I enjoy how the pundits say the protestors are not protesting correctly. Hey pundits, they are protesting against you, the 99%! Get it?
cartoon
October 29th, 2011
5:08 pm
I simply wouldn’t have put it quite that way.
Double
October 29th, 2011
5:23 pm
I have decided to come out of the closet and tell everyone I am jealous of td. He is smarter than I am. The conservative way is the best way and democrats are just a bunch of people that only want welfare and keep the blacks on the plantation.
DannyX
October 29th, 2011
5:25 pm
td is right. I am a 25 year old college dropout living on foodstamps in my parents basement. I do not want a job and I will vote for Obama if he promises to give me more welfare.
Independent voter
October 29th, 2011
5:28 pm
td is right and I am not goin to vote next year. I will tell all friends not to vote for Obama too because our vote will not count.
GaBlue
October 29th, 2011
5:32 pm
After careful consideration, I have decided to come on this blog and tell everyone that td is 100% correct. If you are voting for Obama next year then you are just wasting your vote. The only way our vote will be counted is for all of us to move to Florida or Ohio. I call on all Democrats in Georgia to leave the state during the next year and move to one of these states or just to not worry about going to the polls next November.
luangtom
October 29th, 2011
5:33 pm
I still have one question that does not seem to get answered….why are the Occupy protest leaders in Atlanta not from Atlanta? Why import protestors? Are NYC protestors being led by non-residents? I am just curious……
honested
October 29th, 2011
5:36 pm
I am one of those liberal white plantation owners td talks about. I want all blacks to stay brain washed and keep voting for us so that we can turn the United States into the next greatest communist country.
DannyX
October 29th, 2011
5:41 pm
DannyX
October 29th, 2011
5:25 pm
Thanks for the attention! I feel honored. One other thing, if Obama agrees to throw in some free video games I will vote for him 48 times, I’ll register 10 new names.
td
October 29th, 2011
5:52 pm
DannyX
October 29th, 2011
5:41 pm
Looks like we have more than one coward on these blogs.
Patrick M.
October 29th, 2011
6:23 pm
DannyX: Conservatives love to watch pornography.
Word on the ‘net is that you do more than get your jollies as you watch it with them! Shame on you and your deviant sexual desires, “DabbyX!”
double
October 29th, 2011
6:39 pm
Hey I’ve never doubted TD being smarter than me.(notice than)If you are wealthy, or upper middle class, then the conservative way is best for you,or if ge or coke,any corp.Democrats are more for us poor dudes that live in a trailer.I have never wished anything except good for the poor Black any color.We can identify we travel the same road.And I would never talk down to you,try to tell you how to vote,or confuse you,and hope I stopped you from voting.Yeah TD I’m so dumb I thought you and Centrist were the same person.
td
October 29th, 2011
6:48 pm
double
October 29th, 2011
6:39 pm
You do not have to come after me. If I have something to say then I post it under my screen name. I am not a coward that will hi-jack others screen names. I am proud of my philosopy and will stand up and defend it to anyone.
Kasim Reed, Occupy Atlanta, and a fresh wave of history
October 29th, 2011
6:55 pm
[...] Article source: http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2011/10/29/kasim-reed-occupy-atlanta-and-a-tide-... [...]
Denise Caldon
October 29th, 2011
7:50 pm
Before you judge those voicing their concerns in protests across the nation, please take a moment and read the article about our own “State” of affairs. Perhaps then you may begin to understand why our state’s higher education system is known throughout many of the halls of USG campuses as the “Southern AIG” – http://www.atlantaunfiltered.com/2009/10/05/university-execs-deferred-pay-often-hidden-tops-7-million/
JR
October 29th, 2011
8:02 pm
Kasim Reed 2013!
John
October 29th, 2011
8:18 pm
Sen. Fort is nothing but aloud mouth poverty pimp. He will never get my vote again!
John
October 29th, 2011
8:20 pm
Sen. Fort is nothing but a loud mouth poverty pimp. He will never get my vote again!
Ray
October 29th, 2011
8:28 pm
I just don’t get it. Why do critics of the Occupy Atlanta (and all the other locations for that matter) feel so threatened, or so quick to give advise about how “the group” can become a political force that would more respected? Why can’t we just accept the various expressions for what they are, opinions? If this country stands up for something ,overall, it should be for the 1st Amendment. Peaceful demonstrations should be celebrated and encouraged, as it only takes one passionate person to change the world for the better.
Dr. J. Williams
October 29th, 2011
8:40 pm
Kasim Reed has put the city on its soundest fiscal footing in a generation. Under his watch, Atlanta’s reserves has grown from $7.4 million to more than $70 million. While many cities were cutting services, Mayor Reed has managed to reopen recreation centers and pools, added 100 new police officers to city streets and even instituted a modest pay raise for police and firefighters. The City is safer and cleaner. Kasim Reed is doing a great job! He has earned my vote in 2013!
Sick of Vincent Fort
October 29th, 2011
8:56 pm
Sen. Fort is a joke.