How to Start a Revolution Page #4

written systematically on one place

was quite an amazing thing.

One of Otpors first tasks was to create a

symbol of resistance to help unify the people.

Its obvious that we are a majority.

If we can just recognize all of

those who are against Milosevic

by saluting each other with a fist, he would

probably be over within a few years.

Lesson 2:
Overcome "Atomisation"

Atomisation is

when a regime attempts to make

every individual in this society

an isolated unit.

Its one of the main ways that took over their

systems, seek to control their populations,

make them all fear each other,

fearing to speak out and to act together,

never telling your neighbor or even sometimes

a family member what you really think.

By seeing the example of the demonstration

and bravery by other people:

Now its "we", now its "we",

and we can do something that I alone could not.

During the 96-97, we were walking

day after day after day,

and the police was walking streets,

and our numbers would start falling

because it was obviously too boring for the

people to demonstrate every day in harsh winter.

So we said:
Okay, why wont we go home and

try to make noise from our balconies.

We were doing it from 7:30 until 8:00 pm,

as a response to the state TV news.

That was the answer...

we dont watch your crap.

We do our own thing.

From the pots and pans to doing the stickers,

so the stickers can be doing in every building,

and also the things like,

Will you go and prosecute the

kids for wearing Otpor t-shirts

when there is not one single law which

bans wearing anything on a t-shirt?

So for the policemen, getting inside high schools

and arresting high school kids only

because they were wearing the t-shirt,

and then going home and talking to their wife

whose friend was complaining

because her son was arrested.

Getting a dialogue of your kids

was coming now from his school

where nobody wants to spend time with him or her

because their father is now beating

kids from my neighborhood.

And now, this systemic oppression doesnt work.

Lesson 3:
Pillars of Support

These pillars are holding up the government,

like my fingers are holding up this book,

and I developed a strategy to

undermine each of those pillars:

the police,

the [???], the religious

institutions, the workers,

whatever, every organization.

And as they weaken and start to

collapse, the government will collapse

when those pillars are broken.

Ideally we want those pillars not destroyed,

but transferred over to the democratic movement.

If you want these pillars to shift sides,

you need to co-opt people.

Its exactly what Otpor has done.

We were telling the police that we

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