Supportland, a Portland, Ore. group dedicated to promoting small business networking plans has an annual celebration party.

During the party, the group posted a sign with the words What can Occupy do to improve their message? Someone at the party wrote Smile More in gigantic letters. It quickly became the most agreeable comment on the board, with side comments and a group discussion about the movements attitude. This was coming from an organization that is exactly who Occupy claims to be representing. Supportlands comment poster underlies the essential problem with the Occupy Wall Street movement. For every peaceful protest, a brick gets thrown through a small business. Every soup kitchen is accompanied by a heroin overdose, and women feel the need to be on high alert for potential sexual assault. Former Occupier, and Political Science student at Pitzer College in Los Angeles, Alyssa Solis can attest to the tensions between police and Occupiers. Solis is a senior at Pitzer University who participated in Occupy LA more than a few times, and volunteered to cook for the community on occasion. She became disheartened by the treatment of women in her camp,I want to believe that this is possible, but as a woman being there, it was very hard not to be disillusioned. When asked to elaborate on what she meant, Solis said, Because women became targets. Some of the things that were said to me, and actions, were really questionable. It shouldnt have to be an issue that [women] need extra protection. It kind of undermines the whole idea that this community is more efficient than the one we are trying to change. Occupy Portland was doomed by a string of heroin overdoses that required police intervention and Occupy Baltimore had issues with sexual assault, but was unwilling to involve the police. After these problems, it would have been wise to compromise and figure out a positive system of accountable leadership. With significant leadership, they should have been able to overcome the drug use, sexual assault and vandalism, but there was to figurehead to guide them through the tough times. Supportland had realized Occupys problem five months before the national media caught on. Now, it has become clear that Occupy hit a snag over the winter. What was once strongest force in politics in 2011, the movement is a discombobulated mess, with a recent Guardian News study placing their approval rating at a dismal 16 percent. In California, the Occupy Oakland and Occupy Los Angeles movements exemplify the incredible wave of support, which for varied reasons never materialized into long term reform. In Los Angeles, the constant battles with the police gave the movement an Occupy LAPD moniker. While up north in Oakland, the movement missed a massive opportunity during the Oakland Port shutdown, and the city looked elsewhere to solve their problems. Los Angeles During the Los Angeles Art Walk on July 13, 2013, Occupy Wall Street staged a chalk drawing that was meant to regenerate the community interest that had been lost over the Winter. At some point in the event, a bottle was thrown, the cops cracked down, and the Los Angeles Art Walk became a notso-peaceful protest. The LAPD should not be excused for their overly aggressive tactics, but Occupy cannot continuously use community events to build momentum. Art Walks are important community events, and instigating a riot disillusions average community members to the positivity of the Occupy Movement. People attend Art Walks because they are family friendly, they support local artists/businesses, and

they tend to be void of drama. When the July 13 instigation was over, both Occupy and the LAPD had egg on their face and had lost the support of the surrounding community. Alyssa Solis was arrested during the Occupy L.A. crackdowns, and unfortunately the inability for the cops and Occupy to find peace disillusioned her to the cause. When asked if she returned to the movement after her arrest Solis said, No, to be honest, I dont even know whats going on with it anymore. That crackdown blow was so demoralizing. Solis feels that the LAPD should be held accountable because she was charged with a misdemeanor, but held in jail for 36 hours. Unhappy with how LAPD handled her case, she added, Youre not even legally allowed to hold someone in jail for a misdemeanor. I feel like [the cops] could do anything they wanted. On the other hand, the unmitigated arrests appear to be a missed opportunity for Solis, I feel like [Occupy] could have expanded on exactly how bad the crackdown was. The local media considered it a job well done by the police. Nobody talked about how we were treated, because it was really inhumane. In fall/winter 2011-2012 Occupy had the support and sympathy of a large part of the United States, and yet the national media seemed to be an obstacle to overcome, not a tool to be utilized. So why was Occupy unable to create significant media attention to give life to the stories of participants like Alyssa Solis? Solis gives her opinion, To get approval from the public, you have to compromise on the antihierarchical ideas that [Occupy] has. To get momentum would mean getting tangible results and actually negotiating with public officials, which I feel a lot of Occupy people were not willing to do. They were so ant-anything that the idea of accepting anything from the government would never work. This lack of focus is a direct result of the catch-22 Occupy found themselves creating. As a group led by the collective whole, they became a political force that captured the imagination of a nation. However, once the movement left its localized origins, they failed to evolve with their changing social status. Oakland In Oakland, the problem was far less systemic, but again, it was a direct result of missing an opportunity to define the movement. The successful shutdown of the Port of Oakland was one of the most triumphant moments of the movement. Yet, the city never realized how important the moment was. The moment was important for two reasons. First, for a brief moment, Oakland had the potential to anoint a leadership community to guide Occupy through the winter. Second, in a city like Oakland, it is inevitable that extremists and anarchists will take charge if they are not bridled. In Occupy, the movement never had a leader to reign in the extremists. 28-year old Oakland resident Mike Irvine describes his experience at the Oakland Port shut down, and explains his disappointment with the Occupy Oakland movement. When I went to the Port shut down, it was very positive and I was impressed, but then later that night, they set fire to the city. Occupy attempts to distance themselves from these anarchists, and they claim that it doesnt represent the Occupy movement. Yet the fundamental flaw is similar to Los Angeles. Without a charismatic and public figurehead to speak for the movement, everything is put under one umbrella,

and the public cannot distinguish between Occupy and Anarchists. For the sake of comparison, one of Martin Luther Kings most brilliant achievements was his ability to draw a clear line between his movement and the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers were not an accessible group for the majority of society. Kings movement was able to gather such impressive momentum because a diverse group of people decided the risks were worth the reward. The same can not be said about the Black Panthers. In Oakland, nobody stood up to draw that clear line. Anarchists became Occupy and the vandalism turned off the general public. When the Port shutdown was over, Occupy Oakland had no leader, and the vandalism turned off the general public. Today, any visitor to Oakland would have no idea that it was one of the most important cities for the Occupy movement. ---After all of this, Occupy should not be dismissed, and neither should it be looked at with scorn. Rather, this summer should be a lesson for the people who want to create significant social change. The movement had flaws, but it also encapsulated a moment of brilliance that is unparalleled to anything else over the last twenty years. Hopefully, we can grow from our mistakes, and look back on the historical context of Occupy and view it as a precursor to something more important and more permanent. When the fight for social justice reaches a national scale, it is essential to find a charismatic public leader who can speak for the movement and help the public distinguish between the extremists and the ideals of the majority. If a movement like Occupy can avoid being hijacked by anarchists, then there is hope that it can create long lasting and positive change. -Kevin McSpadden