Occupy Charlottesville has taken a turn for the worse, with more radical sub-elements censoring moderate members and ideologically purging others.
Evan Knappenberger, who signed for the group’s first permit, was the first member to speak to city council, and helped to negotiate the group’s stay with police before campers began spending the night in Lee Park, is officially removing himself from the group and warning others away from participation.
“A group of individuals with personal vendettas, axes to grind, has gradually taken control of the park,” Knappenberger said after the Saturday night general assembly. “It is to the point now, where if you watch the videos, they have corrupted the consensus process, and turned the group in an immoderate direction. They are now resorting to personal attacks out of fear and anger, and are censoring those that disagree with them.”
Reaction against the moderate members of the group began Friday morning after an article was published by Graham Moomaw in the Daily Progress describing some of the various dynamics within the Occupy Charlottesville movement. Many members expressed outrage at the tone of the article, especially those whom the article described as “less-experienced,” and as a sub-group wanting to get arrested in order to draw more members. The only agenda item for the Friday night general assembly was the article, according to the group’s website.
Knappenberger publicly speculates a negative future for the movement. “The Occupy Charlottesville that began camping in Lee Park is not the same Occupy Charlottesville that is there now. The general tone of fear and mistrust is so high, they are talking about snitches and moles… they are playing around with unusual definitions of ‘self-defense’ and ‘non-violence’… they have lost sight of their own values and even their consensus process. The revolution has begun eating its own babies.”
Knappenberger, an Albemarle High School graduate, an Iraq war veteran and experienced activist, says that he is “warning people away” from associating themselves with the movement. “Occupy Charlottesville is in a downward spiral that will only end badly. It will end with a handful of anarchists and a few other desperately fearful people getting arrested, fined, and doing community service. But before it ends, it will be dragged through a gauntlet of mistrust and infighting which will leave it broken, and will damage anyone who is involved.”
Knappenberger would also like to publicly distance himself for any personal responsibility for the group’s future actions. “It was good while it lasted,” he said, “but I can’t have my name attached to it any more.”
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