Transforming Harm & Building Safety: Confronting Sexual Violence at Occupy Wall Street & Beyond

We are also concerned that segments of the media have attempted to use this incident as another way to disingenuously attack and discredit OWS. It is reprehensible to manipulate and capitalize on a tragedy like this to discredit a peaceful political movement. OWS exists within a broader culture where sexual assault is egregiously common: someone in the US is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes, most assaults are never reported, and most rapists are never held to account. We live in a culture of violence in which sexual assault is often ignored, condoned, excused and even encouraged. We note that it is particularly difficult for survivors of assault at OWS to feel confident in reporting crimes to the NYPD – the NYPD’s unjustifiably aggressive and abusive policing of OWS has undermined trust in the police force amongst protesters.

As individuals and as a community, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to create an alternative to this culture of violence. Advocates, some of whom are survivors themselves, have worked for decades to address sexual violence generally. We are working for an OWS and a world in which survivors are respected and supported unconditionally, where they are supported to come forward, and where every community member takes responsibility for preventing and responding to harm. We are redoubling our efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence. This includes taking preventative measures such as encouraging healthy relationship dynamics and consent practices that can help to limit harm.

We are creating and sharing strategies that educate and transform our community into a culture of consent, safety, and well-being. At OWS, these strategies currently include support circles, counseling, consent trainings, safer sleeping spaces, self-defense trainings, community watch, awareness campaigns, and other evolving community-based processes to address harm. We encourage survivors to connect with support and advocates, and to access medical, legal, and social services, as well as available community-based options, many of which are listed below. We stand together as a community to work towards the prevention of sexual violence and harassment, and to provide unwavering support for anyone who has been assaulted. We commit to creating a culture of visibility, support, and advocacy for survivors, and of accountability for people who have committed harm.

With hope and solidarity,
Members of the survivor’s support team at Occupy Wall Street

Below we have included a list of trusted local resources that provide a range of options for survivors and allies. We recommend the services of these organizations, but we have not contacted them for endorsement of this statement.

Contact the Safer Spaces Working Group: saferspaceows@gmail.com

Audre Lorde Project’s Safe Outside the System Collective: http://www.alp.org/community/sos
Center for Anti-Violence Education: http://www.caeny.org
CONNECT NYC: http://www.connectnyc.org
NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault: http://www.svfreenyc.org/resource_list2_New_York.html
New York City Anti-Violence Project: http://www.avp.org

Rape Crisis Providers in NY:http://www.health.ny.gov/community/adults/women/violence/rape_crisis/rape_crisis_provider_report.htm
RightRides: http://www.rightrides.org
Rock Dove Collective: http://www.rockdovecollective.org
Safe Horizon: http://www.safehorizon.org
STEPS to End Family Violence: http://www.egscf.org/services/steps/
Streetwork Project: http://www.safehorizon.org/streetwork
Support New York: http://www.supportny.org