A stand on the national mall

WASHINGTON, D.C.--With militant tactics and flexible actions, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) brought 3,000 labor, community and Occupy activists to Take Back the Capitol (TBTC) December 5-9.

Based in a tent city on the national mall, the diverse gathering stormed 99 Congressional offices (all Republican), shut down K Street (home of lobbyists for the 1 percent) and employed small hit-and-run "seal" teams to create chaos at a half dozen Congressional fundraisers (hosted by the 1 percent for their favorite Republican candidates).

Under the banner of "Good jobs, no cuts," protesters focused on America's growing economic inequality and adopted the language of the Occupy movement, demanding that Congress represent the 99 percent instead of the 1 percent. While about 500 of the participants were SEIU members, the rest were drawn from Occupy groups across the country and from newly politicized unemployed and underemployed workers, and people facing eviction and foreclosure.

These marginalized workers were the spearhead of a demonstration at the office of House Speaker John Boehner, with 99 unemployed sneaking up and sitting in, while thousands chanted outside. A specific demand at all Congressional offices was the extension of unemployment benefits (which was passed by Congress the following week).

In the past year, SEIU has directed resources to its Fighting For a Fair Economy (FFFE) campaigns in a number of cities. Out of this effort to take working-class organizing beyond the workplace has come local eviction-resistance groups and unemployed councils.

But the SEIU effort is also designed to stake out a position for the 2012 election season. At a time when many in the Occupy movement are discussing and debating this issue, the SEIU has already endorsed Barack Obama, despite the fact that he was the largest beneficiary of Wall Street campaign donations in history.

SEIU organizers are keen to capture the language, energy and, most of all, bodies that the Occupy movement can mobilize in order to strengthen support for Democrats in November. That's why the Take Back the Capitol demonstration focused on the Republican-controlled House, rather than challenge the White House--even though Obama specifically has been the architect of the attack on federal workers' wages and benefits, to name one example.

Beyond the disruption of corruption as usual, Take Back the Capitol was meant to bring together the organized and unorganized, employed and unemployed workers, longtime and new activists, Occupy campers, community organizers and union members.

It was these new grassroots activists who stepped into the limelight during Take Back the Capitol. More established groups such as Take Back the Land (Miami), Good Jobs (Houston), Action Now, Jobs with Justice, Citizen Action and City Life (Boston) were also part of the mix. At each Congressional office, in speak-outs and in small groups, the jobless and homeless told their stories and discovered they were part of a national movement.

Even if SEIU's national leadership wants to turn such actions into support for Democrats, the experience of direct action produced a different dynamic, with new bonds of collaboration forged at marches, rallies and sit-ins, and important discussions taking place at teach-ins, trainings, open mikes and cultural events.

Despite the many logistical snafus and communication breakdowns, the week of TBTC helped to strengthen the experience and collaboration of various grassroots activists committed to the struggle of the 99 percent.