The Night Before the Stanford Occupation

The protesters had five minutes to move before they were arrested.

"Can we have some more time? We're a big group," one of the protesters asked politely. But the police officer was firm: five minutes.

So the group—part of the Occupy movement—anxiously huddled together trying to come to a consensus. Despite initially being split, the protesters eventually decided they would not move. One protester was arrested. 

At least, this was one of the many scenarios role played by Stanford students and Palo Alto activists on Monday night, just before launching an 'Occupy Stanford' campout on the university's campus. The activity was part of a non-violent, "direct action training" led by long-time activists and community organizers, and focused on using peaceful means to resolve conflict and promote dialogue. On Tuesday evening, the protesters will continue to demonstrate against a Goldman Sachs recruiting event.  

"It's helpful to get some perspective from people who have been in the business of activism for a very long time," said third-year political science student Zach O'Keeffe. "Violent confrontations with police or other people are absolutely awful for any kind of peaceful demonstration." 

In addition to resisting authority, the activists learned how to diffuse tense situations and resist peer pressure.

As a private university which has remained largely immune from the state's higher education budget cuts, Stanford may at first glance seem like an unlikely place for an 'Occupy' protest - but O'Keeffe says this idea is misplaced. 

"(Stanford) may be elite in terms of its education, but that doesn't exclude us from being active, and also engaging with the rest of society," O'Keeffe said. "I think it's a common misconception here that everyone belongs to the 1 percent or the elite class because they go to Stanford, and I think that's mainly a result of ignorance."

Most students do not have a "one percent" background, he said.

While about a dozen activists practiced, activist Jay Blas was tuned into a national Occupy phone conference. Hundreds of people were on the line taking turns sharing strategies and organizing for the next big protest day: Nov. 17.  

Palo Alto resident and community organizer Mary Klein was one of the trainers, and stressed the importance of the movement. "It's been 40 years of growing economic disparity in this country," she said, adding that financial regulations desperately need to change. 

O'Keefe will be camping out Monday night along with around seven others, and staying at the campsite all day except to attend classes.

"I think a lot of students have expressed skepticism about the seriousness about the people involved, and the dedication, and so I think it's really important that we actually have some concrete action," he said.

Stanford's occupation comes on the heels of ," when Palo Alto demonstrators marched against large corporate banks.