Sexual Harassment and Theft?
That’s just a banning from camp.
Occupy Raleigh is just like all those other Obamavilles you’ve been reading about. They have lying, theft, sexual harassment and arrests. They even had one of their own go postal in a grocery store looking for his boyfriend as part of a domestic dispute and then commit suicide. All in all, Occupy Raleigh has proven itself to be a big pile of Fail.
I’ve been reading their General Assembly minutes semi-regularly. It’s ideal for those who are having trouble sleeping as most of it reads like a script for a bad soap opera. A few paragraphs and you’ll be nodding off. Every so often though, there’s that post of two where you hit a vein of comedy gold.
For example, in their minutes from 12-29-11, there is discussion about welcoming a new guy named “Shawn” who prefers to go by the nickname “Wingnut” –I laughed out loud reading that the first time. Right after they bring up problems with one of their campers, “Robert”:
2. Banning Robert:
“So there’s this occupier named Robert. We had a deescalation meeting with him last night. We had several members of the occupation come forth ahead of time with grievances. Those were:
1. Panhandling in the name of Occupy Raleigh on Hillsborough St. for “donations.” 2. Panhandling at the occupation from visitors, guests, and weekenders. 3a. Sexual harassment both in the form of asking the those guests, visitors, and weekenders to sleep in his tent 3b. AND a failure to maintain personal space and appropriate touching. 4. Theft $180 from camp from local on-site donation.
Sounds to me like Robert is a thief and a passive/aggressive rapist in the making, so I am sure Occupy Raleigh will report him to authorities, right? *LAUGH* Oh Hell no! Occupy Raleigh apparently has its own set of laws and its own little court set up to deal with their criminals. How very Lord of the Flies of them. They of course don’t call them laws, it’s called “deescalation”. Politically correct Lord of the Flies — the hilarity is drowned out by the horror they are basically enabling a thief and at a minimum someone who has been inappropriately touching others without their consent at this point. Factor in this camp has invited families and KIDS to visit in the past and my stomach is now churning.
The next day’s GA minutes show “Robert” has joined the conversation and is questioned. The post is long, so these are the key excerpts, but I encourage you to read the whole thing. Check out the Marcia Clark style questioning:
Robert denies any guilt in stealing 180 dollars from the camp, even though we have witnesses who say otherwise. As such, the 180 dollars will not be recovered and therefore we cannot do a 48 hour probationary period. In light of this, deescalation temporarily banned him until Friday’s GA could discuss further action. In the meantime, we know who donated the $180 dollars and will be double checking with them to make sure Robert is the offender in question.
This further action is to ban him permanently at the GA on 12/30.
Robert: I will pay back the $180.
Jes: Does that mean you’re saying you did it?
Robert: Yes, I did. I will pay back the $180 I was accused for. I will take a 48-hour probation.
Chris: You just said “accused.” Are you going back on admitting guilt?
Robert: Yes.
Jes: Robert, did you take $180?
Robert: Yes.
Chris: Will you change that answer?
Robert: No.
Robert goes on to say he took the cash for booze and smokes. Robert then says he will pay them all back out of his next disability check. Nice. The part that really made me roll my eyes and forward this to the Raleigh Police was this:
Margaret: Can I ask Robert what we can do to prevent this from happening again?
Robert: Put me on a three-week probation.
Angela: Robert, what do you need to have happen in your life so this doesn’t repeat itself?
Margaret: That’s a different question. I want to know what Occupy Raleigh can do to protect the donors.
Robert: Keep me away from all the women and donors.
Are you freaking kidding me? He repeats that last statement again not far down in the conversation. “Robert” also makes it known he’s only at Occupy Raleigh because he has no where else to go and he knows next to nothing about what their movement is about. I think he knows at least half of what it’s about given he has already stolen and sexually harassed several women. “Robert” has a host of problems:
Robert: Yes. I have a tendency to forget things I am told. I have ADD. I also have bipolar and brain damage. I never really tell anybody. I have a problem with myself. I can’t comprehend certain things very well. When I was born, my umbilical cord was wrapped around me.
Angela: That makes a difference, thank you for telling us. That doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have a responsibility, but that helps us.
The rest of the group then goes on to discuss what to do with him.Banning him from camp until he pays back the money seems to be the big idea. Their signature ‘shame’ tactic is also proposed:
Phoebe: POI: Asking him to leave or shaming him out is the next step if you don’t want him at an action.
Not calling the cops or getting him to a facility that can help “Robert”, but shaming him and banning him from camp until he hands over the money he took. Not much is said about the fact he’s molested people. The group agrees to get in touch with “Robert” and asks him how to do that. His reply:
Robert: I have Facebook.
But of course you do.
They appoint “Angela” to be his liaison. Smart diplomacy there. “Robert” has been touching people inappropriately and you assign a woman to him. Epic fail. The overall verdict is that for stealing and molesting people, you are temporarily banned from the Raleigh Obamaville camp.
They can if they are paying rent on it apparently.
LL1885 