Too Many Protests, Too Little Time

Occupy Berkeley has been underway for almost week. Although turnout has been limited to a handful of people during the day and anywhere from 20 to 40 for the daily general assembly in the evening, organizers hope that Saturday's rally — planned for 12 p.m. outside the — will draw an impressive crowd.

Meanwhile, Occupy Oakland has been thriving since it began Monday, with hundreds of people occupying Frank Ogawa Plaza. So far this week, the atmosphere at Oakland's occupation stands in stark contrast from Occupy Berkeley. During the day in Oakland, protesters weave in and out of the crowd holding their signs, beating drums and dancing. Meanwhile, Berkeley's occupation space has been relatively empty — aside from a few homeless people who, prior to the occupation, called the area outside Bank of America home. 

Some Occupy Berkeley participants have expressed concern that the effort might be more impactful if the group joins Occupy Oakland. Others say that the rally on Oct. 15 — the , before it was changed — will produce a "snowball" effect. 

But then there is Occupy San Francisco to think about, not to mention all the other occupations that seem to be cropping up around the Bay Area — including Occupy Walnut Creek. With Oct. 15 billed as a "global day of action," the Occupy Wall Street organizers are asking protesters in more than 950 cities to stand up and say, "We have had enough! We are a new beginning, a global fight on on all fronts that will usher in an era of shared prosperity, respect, mutual aid, and dignity."

Saturday may prove to be a case of too many protests, and too little time — especially for another movement, unrelated to Occupy Wall Street. 

"Please don't have rally that will siphon folks from the rally for jobs in Oakland," a commenter wrote to Berkeley Patch in response to Occupy Berkeley's announcement of an Oct. 15 event. MoveOn.org and Rebuild the Dream have spearheaded national marches for "jobs not cuts" throughout October, with Oakland's rally planned for 3 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza (aka "Oscar Grant Plaza") on Oct. 15. Danny Glover and the Mayors of Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond will meet at 1 p.m. at Laney College and begin marching to Oscar Grant Plaza at 2:30 p.m., stopping at the Federal Building along the way to nail their demands to the door. The rally begins at 3:30 p.m., and will presumably merge with Occupy Oakland.

Which rally, protest or occupation will you attend on Saturday and why? Let us know in the comments.