On Day Two of the Occupation of New Haven, demonstrators found their voice through the movement’s new form of tweet-sized, call-and-response information sharing.
Paul Bass Photo
40 demonstrators marched to New Haven’s Wall Street Sunday, politely, on the sidewalk.
“Mic check!” called out a woman standing on a park bench on the Upper Green.
Thus began one of countless announcements and public declarations, some formal, some spontaneous, that occurred throughout the day Sunday as the “Occupy New Haven” group settled in to a new brand of decision-making and, in a sense, almost a new language. The communication system is not just the medium, but also a position of sorts, for the budding occupation, an alternative to the way business is normally conducted in the American economy.
“Mic check!” called back the 50 or so demonstrators occupying the park in sympathy with the nationwide anti-corporate, economic justice movement launched over the last several weeks by New York’s Occupy Wall Street. Some 25 tents sprang up on the Green to shelter the people planning to occupy the park indefinitely. The New York demonstrators have sparked similar rallies and public-space sit-ins like the one launched in New Haven this weekend, many of them marked by this style of public speaking known as “human microphoning.”
“Jenn T again!” the woman continued, identifying herself.
“Jenn T again!” the crowd responded in unison.
“Announcement!”
“Announcement!”
“United Church …”
“United Church …”
“… Right over there „,” Jenn T. continued, twisting back toward the center of the Green …
”… Right over there „,”
” … is making available …”
” … is making available …”
” … internet access …”
” … internet access …”
” … on your laptop and phone.”
” … on your laptop and phone.”
That was the easy part. Now came the details. Jenn T. pressed on with a string of words that would fit in a 140-character tweet, but far longer than the snippets of duplicative oral transmission evolving on the Green.
“The network is going to say, ‘United music …’” Jenn T. began. Then stopped. This string was already getting too long to call back.
Indeed, a few voices attempted a few of the words. But the echo effectively shut down. It was almost as though the crowd had a collective editor’s red pen.
Jenn T. started over.
“‘United music network,’” she called out.
“‘United music network.’”
“And the password …”
“And the password …”
“… for the next 48 hours …”
”… for the next 48 hours …”
” … is b‑u-x …”
” … is b‑u-x …”
” … w‑b …”
” … w‑b …”
” … 2 – 0‑1 – 0.”
” … 2 – 0‑1 – 0.”
Done. Message sent. Message received. Thanks to the most wireless and basic of all technologies, the nascent movement was now wired, ready to start surfing the Information Highway.
Horizontally Speaking
Those short bursts of spoken text take some getting used to. So do the hand signals that accompany them — the crowd signalling its approval or disagreement with the speaker through gestures, not noise. (If you’re confused, you make a “C” with your fingers.)
Demonstrators have been honing the technique during formal (sort of) general assemblies, planned for twice a week; and on the spur of the moment, whenever anyone wants to convey the latest news about clothing or food donations or an upcoming march, or just wants to speak up about losing a job or challenging a tax system weighted toward the rich.
The technique grew out of necessity, then became a defining feature of the movement, observed Jessica Ferguson, a 30-year-old graphic designer from the Edgewood neighborhood who serves at the gathering’s media committee organizer. At the Wall Street protests in New york, participants understood that using a microphone could get them arrested; amplification without a permit constitutes disturbance of the peace. So they shouted out to address the crowd. And people shouted echoes to amplify the messages.
Ferguson spoke of how speakers discovered brevity through the technique. “It’s working. people are keeping it short. It’s clear. Everybody’s voice is getting heard.”
Additionally, she said, human microphoning — with its anyone-can-speak-anytime, everyone-gets-a-chance, everyone-joins-in ethos — “goes along with horizontal democracy,” the bywords of an intentionally leaderless movement.
Josh Heltke (pictured above), a 27-year-old electrical operative who serves at the New Haven gathering’s “outreach” committee organizer, noted another advantage: people retain the information better than they usually do at rallies with amplified speechifying. “You repeat [the message]. It sticks in your head.”
With his natural voice projection and disarming sense of humor, Heltke helped less-sure human microphoners convey their messages Sunday. He helped Catherine Amon, for instance.
Cookies!
Amon approached the gathering after 1 p.m. A formal twice-a-week general assembly had ended. People milled about, talking, making signs for the upcoming march to (new Haven’s) Wall Street. But anytime is human microphone time for someone with a message.
Amon’s message: Come eat after the march!
Amon works with Chapel on the Green, a religious group that offers free meals on the Green each Sunday. This week St. Ann’s Church of Old Lyme and St. Luke’s of Darien had paid for the meal.
With amplification from Heltke and others, Amon spoke up. (Click on the play arrow to watch.)
“At 2:25 or so,” she began.
“At 2:25 or so,” came the reassuring chorus.
“… We serve lunch.”
”… We serve lunch.”
“And we have made an extra effort to make sure we have one or more lunches available for each you …”
Oops. She was running off script. Heltke offered and others offered abridged snippets.
“We have made an extra effort to make sure …”
The responses came. Amon continued to need some editing. For a while.
Then she got into the microtext groove.
“We have water,” she said. And stopped.
“We have water.”
“Sandwiches.”
“Sandwiches.”
“Fruit.”
“Fruit.”
“Cookies.”
“Cookies.”
“Chips.”
“Chips.”
For the finale, she let a string of words fly.
“And a lot of love and solidarity.”
The full string came across loud and clear. No microphone or bit.ly shorteners needed.
“And a lot of love and solidarity!” the crowd called back.
Then added its own word: “Whooo-hooo!”
“I Am Poor,” Aerial Mitchell, who lives at Recovery House on Howe Street, wrote on a sign …
… which she then carried on Sunday’s march to Wall Street. “I’m glad this is happening. It’s awesome to be part of this,” she said.
Previous Occupy Wall Street/ New Haven coverage:
• 1,000 Launch New Haven’s “Occupation”
• Klein: Occupation Needs To Confront Power
• Whoops! Movement Loses $100K
• New Haven’s “Occupation” Takes Shape
• Occupy Branford: Wall Street Edition
• Anti-Bankers’ Dilemma: How To Process $$
• Labor, Occupiers March To Same Beat
• Protests’ Demand: A “World We Want To See”
• Protesters To Occupy Green Starting Oct. 15
• Wall Street Occupiers Page Verizon
• New Haven Exports “Free”-dom To Occupiers