Story by Riley Stevenson
Photos by Cody Newton 
When a small group of Sioux Indians jumped off a boat and began swimming toward Alcatraz Island in 1964, they had no plan, no timeframe—only anger. These Native American protestors called their movement an “occupation,” and were inspired by the injustices wrought against them by the government of the United States, eager to claim their entitlement to abandoned federal land.
The same uncertainty was etched into the faces of those who gathered at Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza at 8^th and Oak to Occupy Eugene on Saturday, October 15th. This crowd of about 1,500 assembled with signs to march in solidarity with the national movement that originated in the Wall Street financial district of New York City in late September. A list of grievances put forward by the group calls for an end to corporate greed, lobbying, and economic inequality. They claim to represent the 99% of Americans that fall victim to the greediness of the top 1% that hold the majority of national wealth. The movement has gained popularity and spread globally. However, with no designated leader, an indefinite time period for protest, and no unified list of demands, the outcome of the occupation is unclear, even to those inside the movement.
Led by senior Sam Chapman, students from the University of Oregon painted signs and joined the occupation. Sophomore and ASUO Student Senator, Jeremy Hedlund, helped to promote student involvement and awareness of the occupation on campus. Hedlund has attended protests before and organized similar events. “In the nineteen years that I’ve been alive, nothing like this has ever happened,” he says. “I wonder if the people who were involved in the civil rights or anti-Vietnam War movement, did they feel the same way?”
Sophomore Megan Comer also showed enthusiasm about the movement, which she described to be “a manifestation of subtle oppression.” Students composed a large part of the demographic in the Occupy movement, as rising student debt has many outraged with nowhere to turn. Hedlund articulates, “The whole idea of the United States is that you can pull yourself up and pay off your debts, but you can’t right now. In my opinion state funding needs to be increased for public universities. Wages aren’t raising 5% every year, so why tuition?”
Students congregated alongside anarchists, democrats, Tea Party members, and environmentalists alike. Signs that read “People Before Profit” and “Banks Got Bailed Out, We Got Sold Out” bounced to the beat of the drums that played throughout the protest. Jasun Wellman, or “Plaedo,” emceed the event, starting chants like “the people united, will never be divided” and “revolution, revolution, revolution.” Because sound amplifying devices require a permit, a makeshift auditory system was established to compensate for the large crowd. In a style similar to a “repeat-after-me-song” the designated speaker at the front of the crowd would speak a few sentences at a time, pause, and the crowd would shout back the same words.
Guest speakers included a Native American elder, a war veteran, a slam poet, a University of Oregon professor, and a former Black Panther member. After rallying for a few hours, at four p.m. the march headed down 7^th avenue, across the Ferry Street Bridge, and back downtown. With little conflict and no arrests, the occupation upheld its non-violent reputation. Many protestors chose to camp overnight in the plaza with the goal of staying indefinitely. The engineer of the camp, says the group will “stay as long as it takes.” Food, clothing, and monetary donations went directly towards campers who braved the Eugene cold and occupied the plaza until October 22^nd, when they moved to Alton Baker Park in order to avoid conflict with Saturday Market.
Five days later, Occupiers swarmed the UO, pitching tents in the middle of the university quad. Because camping is not permitted on university grounds, UO officials and Occupy Eugene representatives met later that day and negotiated relocation for nearly six hours. Both parties agreed to move the occupation to the corner of Franklin Boulevard and Onyx Street. According to the Office of Communications, the UO provided “lighting, toilet facilities and temporary fencing for the Occupy Eugene group.”
The migration to the university represents a shift in ideals for the group. A student movement has formed in conjunction with Occupy Eugene, called the Education Alliance. The group aims to increase awareness among students and faculty about the goals and concerns of Occupy through weekly information sessions and discussions about relevant topics, such as increased tuition and the EMU referendum.
Meanwhile, the Occupy Eugene camp moved again on November 4^th to Washington-Jefferson Park, land owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Although the movement claims to represent the 99%, this tent city is comprised of mostly the homeless or unemployed. In order to care for those present, the camp is complete with medical, food, and alcohol treatment tents and relies upon donations for survival. This egalitarian community collaborates together to attend to both group and individual needs. A general assembly, in which everyone present receives a vote and relies on a consensus model, gathers each night to discuss occupation details and plot future moves.
The group has struggled to maintain a peaceful environment due to internal divisions. Several factions exist within the group, and according to an Occupier who requested anonymity, management is dysfunctional. For example, a man named Ken claims to be the unofficial leader of the group and commandeers meetings with his mafia posse, upsetting all those who believe in equality of opinion. Several groups are heavy methamphetamine and heroine users and have reportedly stolen from other members of the movement.
Although designated, trained peacekeepers do exist, a homeless family called the Pirates call themselves the “de facto security” as “the actual peacekeepers are ineffectual and don’t know street mentality.” These young men and women, who go by names like “Commander” and “Sparrow” carry knives in case of emergencies. Another Occupier, Carol Berg-Caldwell, says, “Folks that didn’t have too much validation in life are here to seek respect.” It seems as though the political turmoil present at the camp is jeopardizing the group’s success.
As for what the future holds, no one can be sure. Every day will be lived in defiance of Wall Street’s claims that the Occupy movement “will disperse as the weather gets colder.” The group insists that as long as Wall Street stays, they stay. So with no end in sight, they will keep on swimming, hoping not to drown.