The State, Occupy and Disaster: What Radical Movement Builders Can Learn From The Case Of Occupy Sandy
Nearly
two years ago a group named Occupy Sandy organized an unprecedented
response to the unprecedented disaster that was Hurricane Sandy. Occupy
Sandy, which was sparked by a few radical activists who knew each other
from Occupy Wall Street, accomplished very significant feats for any
organization, let alone one that was created ad-hoc and spontaneously in
the days immediately following a disaster. Occupy Sandy (OS) dispatched
tens of thousands of hot meals, more than 60,000 volunteers and was in
the hardest hit areas of New York City, often times before the Red Cross
or FEMA arrived and after they left. The efforts of Occupy Sandy
signify a qualitatively and quantitatively impressive achievement for
the radical political activist community in New York City and the
surrounding area and for the “Occupy” social movement more widely. This
novel achievement can be an instructive reference for organizers and
movement builders of all stripes.
