Observing Okkupai: Practice, Participation, Politics in Moscow’s Movable Protest Camp

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Anna Grigoryeva

Abstract

These are a few raw reflections on Moscow’s OkkupaiAbai protest as a direct democracy experiment, in relation to organisational process (practice) and to the Occupy movement. Although the specifics of the political visions of the two movements are rather different, they share a basic inclusivity ("if you feel powerless, join us") and a focus on self-organisation. In this context, I evaluate the translation of Occupy's organising tools (primarily the assemblies) into Okkupai and the dynamics of fragmentation and inclusion/exclusion that they contribute to. Finally, I reflect on my own position as a partial participant observer with an activist history. In English.

Keywords

Russia, Occupy, Social Movements, Activism, Consensus


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