General Assembly

The General Assembly is open to all, from Tent City residents to first-time visitors. Every voice is equal, but because effectively only one voice can be heard at a time, the assembly has agreed upon a procedure to minimize chaos. If you want to speak but can't make it to Dewey Square, submit your ideas to the GA on the GA/Proposals page.

For a detailed description of the General Assembly process, please view the Facilitators' draft of Occupy Boston's Consensus Process.

Explore the archive of GA/Minutes.

Meeting Times

• The General Assembly meets at 7:00 PM tonight, Saturday Dec. 10, at the bandstand in the Boston Commons. Regularly scheduled GAs (Tuesday & Thursday, and 5:00 PM every Saturday & Sunday) are suspended for now until new space can be obtained to replace Dewey Square. Extra GAs may be scheduled for mornings when needed.
• Additional Discussions may occur on other days. Check the Calendar for all events.

Important Aspects

There are no 'governing' authorities at the General Assembly, but there is an established process that is directed by a number trained facilitators.

• Facilitators are trained to guide the assembly without imposing their personal views. Training is offered regularly for anyone interested in volunteering in this role. Check the calendar or listen for announcements of training times.
• Floor monitors help participants determine the correct method and time to speak.

People's Mic

The People's Mic serves as amplification when there is no bullhorn or microphone. It is typically initiated by repeatedly yelling "Mic check!" until the crowd repeats in unison. The speaker then dictates a few words at a time, pausing for the crowd to recite each phrase. For larger crowds, there may be a second echo of each phrase by those farther out in the group. This method was designed and employed on Wall Street because electronically aided amplification was not allowed. In addition to being more fun than just listening, the People's Mic has been invaluable to the movement because repetition promotes understanding.

Temperature Checks

To informally assess the crowd's support for an idea, the Facilitator may request a Temperature Check. Assembly participants can show either 1. agreement, by wiggling their fingers upward ("twinkling" or "jazz hands"), 2. disagreement, by wiggling their fingers downward ("squid fingers"), or 3. neutrality, by wiggling fingers horizontally.