Anonymous Watch: Yes, We Camp

by Lieke Kessels

On the 17th of September you are all welcome to join some urban campers near different stock exchanges around the world. There are going to be campsites in Madrid, Tokyo, London, Amsterdam and New York. They follow suit of other “Yes, we Camp” actions that have taken place around the world in the aftermath of the financial crisis, such as the protests in Spain last May.

The protesters want real democracy and oppose the position of the structures and institutions that have brought the world to economic despair. They are a voice against a system that rewards the cause of economic destruction. By going to the bastions of the real power - the capitols of finance and commerce - and creating a campsite, they hope to inspire other people to also join in. For a generation who supposedly has lost the means to demonstrate, they want to show the opposite and fuel a new wave of protests.

On September 1st there already was a minor trial-run at occupying Wall Street. It consisted of a couple of people sitting around, playing music, having discussions and giving Yoga lessons in the morning. It was a stark contrast against bankers and other suits who continue with something that has clearly failed some time ago. The demonstrators ask for a right to not only know what went wrong but also that something should be done with this knowledge.