23 year old filmmaking student Nadim Fateh was born in Cairo,Egypt and moved to Toronto in his early life. After making it onto the Toronto Police's top 40 'wanted' list for his alleged role in the fiery G20 protests, he spent the last spring and summer in Cairo, Athens, and Madrid, participating and documenting the revolutionary movements there before becoming a part of Occupy Toronto.
http://linchpin.ca/content/State-repression-borders/Interview-Nadim-Fateh
excerpts:
"It's the entire system. What we're asking for has never been done before. We're asking for what... real democracy? When have we ever seen real democracy before? So while we're fighting for it, we're also creating it which is making this... I don't know... this 'cycle'... of where we're going. We really don't know until we continue moving and fighting for it, right?"
"I still remember this one moment, I was kind of nervous... this is my first like real battle y'know? I'm walking up and there's this one guy who just looked at me in awe, confused as hell, he's just like "why are you scared? We just went ...through a revolution. You should not be scared anymore." So he helped me with my tripod and took me over to the (laughing) ... it was unbelievable! The power that the people had in them. And you could see it in their eyes. "
"probably the best thing to do is work on ourselves right now. I've been saying this for a few weeks: I want to start talking about the next system – because it's one thing to say capitalism is flawed. It's another thing to say capitalism is flawed – here's a better system... and here's a transition between the two. If we can do that, it doesn't matter what anyone believes, because once that depression hits, they're going to be like... "hey wait a second, these people have a fucking answer."
"The major difference was that at Occupy we went out to create these committees. What happened in Egypt was there was a more fluid kind of way these committees would break out.. Y'know we're almost, within Occupy, trying to re-create through organizations and through these [structures] what was created so fluidly in Egypt, in Tahrir, and I think that's what Spain did especially – was that they heard of these stories in Tahrir and they saw the stuff and they tried to re-create it. In Egypt there was no need for it. "
"It was an unbelievable feat and they risked their lives and they still risk their lives. They are going out there – you know how we put the legal number on us? They would put their name, their phone number, their address, their family nam...e... in case they died and had to be recognized. That's a huge thing, that's unbelievable. That took courage. But at the same time their dictatorship was clear. Their oppressor... they could point their finger at a face and say "you are the problem" and they also had a solution for it: western style democracy. Over here what are we doing? We are pointing our finger at a system? At corporations? At the market? We can't blame just Harper, we can't blame just Ford – it's the entire system. So how do we bring that all together? What we're asking for has never been done before. We're asking for what... real democracy? When have we ever seen real democracy before? So while we're fighting for it, we're also creating it which is making this... I don't know... this 'cycle'... of where we're going. We really don't know until we continue moving and fighting for it, right? "
"I think at this point we can't take any more lessons. Each country has kind of made their own way. They started off with the occupation, then went on... and I think that's what we need to see with the evolution of Occupy Toronto, or Occupy Canada. It was necessary, absolutely necessary. Like... I never would have met you beforehand, and a lot of people wouldn't have met each other. They were all either in different groups, or fighting different battles... but once we got there we realized that the system is the problem. Or people might have known that beforehand, but finally got to meet people who feel the same way. So... not only did that happen in Toronto, but it happened all over the world, and we're now connected with all these people. So we have just created a united front against a failing system – some people would say [a system that is] destined to fail. But since the eviction occurred I think we really need to figure out what Canada's movement will be. Now... in my opinion, I'm watching the European crisis very closely, because I know as soon as that first domino falls, that's it – we're waiting six months until depression. So once we see that happening, I think we really need to ensure that we're organized enough to focus the anger of the people... rather than rioting in the streets like we saw in the 30's with the Great Depression – to focus it in a productive way. I think that's what happened in London. Those riots, although very socially and politically inclined... there was no focusing of that energy. And if they had been able to focus it, there would have been a full-blown revolution. I fully believe it. The cops couldn't stop it for what... like three days? That's unheard of. So I think the main thing is to ensure that our organization is out there, that people know about us... that we're still working. We're still going, but I think occupying again might be going backwards. We need to really push it further – and I think it can only happen fluidly. "
http://linchpin.ca/content/State-repression-borders/Interview-Nadim-Fateh
