I am thankful that Albany authorities did not go the way of the midnight raid on Occupy Wall Street. From the beginning, Albany has been a model for protestors and city officials to work together in peace.
For a while now, Occupy Albany has been preparing for the winter transition. With fierce upstate winters coming soon, health and safety of occupiers is of utmost importance. The question remains, what will this next phase look like?
I'm reminded of an emergent pastor from Ireland whose "church" holds worship in a pub on Sunday night. They have no building and are in many ways non-traditional. This alternative approach worked well until some members started having kids, and there was no place for them during worship at the pub.
Playing off of the familiar sermon catchphrase "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming", this pastor named their church's transition "It's Sunday, but Monday's coming." The church had done Sundays really well for years. Now it was time to deal with some of the everyday practical details they had avoided.
It looks like Monday is coming for Occupy Albany, too. Yet Monday is only the beginning.
The momentum of this movement has caught the imagination of people across the city and country. Occupy Wall Street's creative next phase serves as an example of the many possibilities that lie ahead.
My hope is that Occupy Albany truly sees Monday as a beginning so that they can continue to fight against greed and corruption.