Hundreds of thousands of people have recently responded to capitalist
dispossession by taking space, occupying sites that, ostensibly open
and public, the process of occupation reveals as closed to the many and
belonging to the few. As a tactic, occupation responds to communicative
capitalism’s ideology of publicity. Communicative capitalism announces
the convergence of democracy and capitalism in networked communication
technologies that promise access and equality, urge participation, and
celebrate creative engagement. Occupation accepts that promise. The
resulting disturbance – pepper spray, riot gear, eviction – reveals the
incompatibility at communicative capitalism’s heart. At this point,
though, the tactic of occupation is compatible with the system it
ostensibly rejects. Thus, it is necessary to consider the gap between
occupation and its politicisation, between occupation as a tactic and
occupation as a form.
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