Day 8 was just beginning when I dropped by Pioneer Plaza this morning to get a first-hand look at Occupy Dallas. It was about 8 a.m. and many of the residents still appeared to be in their tents, where they were shielded from traffic and noise by the line of longhorns that define the monument. Two protesters were manning different corners at Young and Griffin, the face of one hidden behind a clown mask and a bandanna depicting the American flag. The occasional commuter in a passing car honked in approval.
I have been struck by the tone of the some of the media coverage of this movement of late. In four weeks it has gone from exuberant and exhaustive to just plain exhausted. Get on with it, seems to be the message from the critics. In Dallas, the debate is now over whether protesters will be allowed to stay at Pioneer Plaza. As in other cities, the logistics of protesting, or the consequences of being in place for days, are defining the movement, which is probably not how it should be.
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