Hey all,

Thanks for your message, Niki, a few responses are in-line below:

On Thu, Jun 25, 2015 at 2:05 PM, niki <niki.shelley@gmail.com> wrote:
I don't believe we have an explicit policy re: cops but we should probably articulate one. 

Here's a little write-up from an old omni commons email thread that I've added to the wiki for reference: "Cops at the Door: A How-To" https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Cops_at_the_Door

Jenny may have another useful document as well...
 
Regarding this particular conflict, I just went and met with Ranette. 

First of all, I want it to be 100% clear that this email is not meant to condone Ranette's behavior or the ways in which she handles confrontation or engages in transphobic attacks.

Crystal clear, my comments reflect this understanding as well. 

However, to be clear, I want to underscore that the reasons I told Ranette for why she is not welcome in the building is that she threatened violence toward a third party (not Morgan), and even made physical contact with this third party in a violent and threatening manner. There may be other safer space policy or cultural issues at stake here, but above all the Omni Commons must maintain a safe, welcoming environment where participants do not suffer threats and acts of physical violence. I contacted the third party to communicate our policies, and to inform them that (though not required) they may engage in our conflict resolution process that could include mediation, as well as a restorative justice approach.
 
You, Morgan, need to accept accountability for continuing to engage in provocative micro-aggressions and gaslighting - particularly with those who are different from you and who may not possess the best coping mechanisms / most radical politics. I really believe that you intentionally push people you don't like and who you know will react badly in an attempt to get them banned from the space. 
 
I'd like to also ask that you think about the ways in which you repeatedly police people in the space in ways such as inserting yourself into private phone conversations. 
 
We don't need cops, we need people who are compassionate towards one another's differences and who are willing to work through those differences to arrive at some kind of common ground.

Thank you for saying this, I have not been able to coordinate the words as you have, but I feel this same sentiment very strongly. As I stated above, as a member, I have personally focused my response to Ranette's violation of our safer space policy toward the threats and acts of physical violence. Further, I believe that Morgan's actions in this situation, and in several similar provocations, require further examination and serious accountability.

Since Morgan's sudo room membership application is currently being blocked, I want to be clear that Morgan is not a member of any collective and should have no entitlement to access the Omni Commons building at any time, except as a guest hosted by at least one other member. At some point, due to ambiguity and misunderstanding, Morgan received an access card. I will be revoking this access privilege immanently. 
 
I don't personally know that reconciliation is possible either at this time, given our limited capacities and the level of aggression with which Ranette has responded however, I believe your behavior to be a major part of the problem.

Another issue is the fact that the Omni is pretty maxed out with regards to our capacity for conflict mediation / resolution at the moment. Both Morgan and Ranette told me that they'd asked for mediation from several people including the mediation mailing list and no one ever followed up with either of them. I don't really know what to do about this but it should be made clear to members of our community that they cannot rely on us at the time for mediation / resolution. 

I told Ranette I would inquire about mediation. Obviously others involved in this conflict must be willing to participate, a well if there's to be any kind of resolution, which, I understand, some might not be interested in pursing.

I have a similar perspective here and I do not believe mediation will be possible at this time as well. We can always encourage understanding and reconciliation, but it is a mark of true strength to rise to occasions like this to seek resolution over division.

In this exchange, there has been no victory for anyone, we have all lost, and we all suffer the consequences. 

Love and solidarity,
Matt
 
On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 10:08 PM, max cadji <max@phatbeetsproduce.org> wrote:
Does omni have a no police policy?

max

On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 4:56 PM, Pete Forsyth <peteforsyth@gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 4:38 PM, Julio Rios <julio.rios@gmail.com> wrote:
I urge we don't involve the police though.

Just a quick point of clarification -- I wasn't urging Sudo or Omni to do so, but any *individual* who feels threatened. (And actually, just urging them to consider it as a viable option...I'm not confident to recommend anything specific, as my info is limited.)

Pete 



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