The city of Philadelphia has already issued several permits to pro-Sanders organizations that look to be for huge groups of protesters, and one of the largest groups promises to be “Occupy DNC,” an offshoot of the Occupy movement from 2010 that expects 20,000 protesters to flood Philly streets the day before the DNC kicks off with signs, chants and a truncated performance of Les Miserables.
Occupy DNC will occupy FDR park just down the street from the convention center. According to their Facebook page, they’re already organizing travel to the conventions as well as room and board, with instructions on how to take Greyhound buses, where to camp and how to survive three days in the wilderness of Philadelphia.
Here are some things we learned we’ll need when we show up to lead the progressive revolution —or at least a semi-organized chant.
1. We’ll need to brush up on our Les Mis. According to one planning doc titled “What to Bring to the Protest,” besides our smiles, passion and heart, we’re required to know the chorus to the song “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Miserables and be prepared to sing it as a group as we march. Because nothing says “we’re serious about socialism” like a mildly inaccurate work of fiction about the French revolution (they haven’t specified whether any Hamilton songs will also be part of the repertoire).
2. We can get housing through BernieBnB.com, an Airbnb for Bernie Supporters. If Airbnb is a little too capitalistic for your taste (even if it does disrupt a heavily regulated market), there’s a progressive alternative called BernieBnB, where you can build your DNC commune. Unfortunately, according to organizers, BernieBnB moves slower than Airbnb and is decidedly less reliable.
3. Want to contact Superdelegates? There’s an app for that. The march’s goal is to sway Superdelegates who might be partial to Sanders, but the pressure starts well before anyone sets up in Philly. Two young Bernie supporters (one of them is 12) designed an app that lets you lobby Clinton delegates directly, right from your smartphone. Thanks, free market (and remember to bring your charger)!
4. Despite Bernie’s opposition, Wal-Mart is a top choice for gearing up. Sanders has had a decades-long feud with Wal-Mart over its anti-union stance and its profiteering, but his supporters aren’t so closed-minded about the retail giant. Once the pro-Bernie protesters get to the DNC, they plan to stock up!
There’s no word on what sort of environmentally friendly clean-up procedure is available for what they can’t bring home, however.
5. They’re a little sketchy on the math. Their recruitment videos are impressive, and their operation is ambitious (as are their marching chants: “Bernie it Down!” is creative, but “There Ain’t NO “F” in Hillary!” is downright confusing). Yet the theory that Bernie could get nominated in a surprise vote at the DNC is almost entirely without merit even if you add 10 participation points for every primary he’s named in, give him six percent for Larry David’s SNL appearances and concede that he’s probably more beloved by woodland creatures.
But Occupy DNC is looking to get a million people into the streets of Philadelphia and they just might do it. Only about 970,000 more group members to go!
