Welcome to Chalkupy by Gloria Lee
According to Occupy Oakland's website, this "group of committees and caucuses" works to "plan actions, mobilize real resistance, and defend ourselves from the economic and physical war that is being waged against our communities." This coalition of sub-groups, based in Oakland, California, has been organizing to address issues like police brutality, economic inequality, and immigration for nearly a decade.
Occupy Oakland emerged through Occupy Wall Street, the movement in New York that employed similar tactics of forming encampments of protesters in public spaces in order to draw attention from the public and force entities like the local government to respond. Occupy Oakland is one of many "local manifestations" of a "massive "Occupy Together" network," as Heather Gautney phrases it in her summary of the Occupy Wall Street movement, that has taken on a life of its own, addressing geographically specific issues through protest and mobilization.
The flyer explains that Chalkupy was started after Occupy Oakland protesters were "forcibly removed" from Oscar Grant Plaza, the site of the first Occupy Oakland encampment. According to the official Chalkupy website, the police removed all traces of the camp, including a chalk "OCCUPY" written on the pavement, for alleged sanitary reasons. Following this eviction, several members decided to continue to use the plaza as a meeting place and protest site, now instead using regular chalk drawings to do so, as "the sidewalk is one of the only places that hasn’t been taken over by the corporate hegemony," the website explains. The artworks, which are erased by the City of Oakland, are replaced by new ones every Friday.
The flyer makes a point to emphasize the accessibility of the "Chalkupations." Refreshments like juice and pizza are provided, and there is no cost to participate in the event. The chalk drawings are legal and less intimidating to partake in than sit-ins or occupations, which makes them more appealing to less experienced or active individuals. The flyer also describes the protest as "easily reproducible," which is another draw for interested protesters to join in on or create their own version of Chalkupy. The website echoes this welcome, saying that anoybody can "participate by either working on the big picture with us or to do their own thing." Overall, this flyer depicts Chalkupy as a community-oriented and welcoming event.
The nature of Chalkupy, as well as its emphasis on art as a medium of protest, is an example of how a movement like Occupy Oakland can branch off into a more specialized form of organizing and protest. Although Chalkupy and Occupy Oakland share similar members and interests, Chalkupy as an offshoot is a way for participants to explore creating a different culture for the organization.
The flyer uses 16 eye-catching images of previous works, which range in subject from local issues like public schools and the homeless to national politics, such as the use of military drones during the Obama administration. This is an effective method for drawing in those who may be interested in the artistic expression of political frustration and beliefs. The website also hosts images of the artworks, and is able to better depict the colors and scope of the work than the flyer is. Clicking on the individual work will lead to a detailed description of the reasoning behind the concept and contextualize it with any relevant background information.
The written introduction to Chalkupy describes how the artworks are made while keeping the layout of the Oscar Grant Plaza's brickwork in mind. Chalk and charcoal as well as shape-specific drawing tools are provided and even often homemade. The free juice is also provided by organizers in through Fresh Juice Party, an activist media group that focuses on political action through music, art, and performance. According to the official Chalkupy website, the Fresh Juice Party has turned more towards music and is no longer running Chalkupy, but has since expressed its ongoing support through social media and songs, including "Chalkupy."
