The Diggers, Eating in Public
From Mod Mania
In November 2003, 20 papaya seedleings were planted in a 'public' area in Kailua, Hawaii. This was classified as illegal activity according to existing laws that regulate how public space must be used. The seeds were planted for two major purposes: one is to grow and share food; the other is to problematise the concept of 'public' within public space.
Commonly owened property is the quickest defenition of a 'public' space. However we must all strongly consider what we do actually own. By definition we are all part owners of public spaces and should therefore have the right to do what we want with the space. This should include leisure activities such as sports, picnicking, admiring the view, walking a dog, being edified by the display of commissioned artworks. Sadly the true sense of the word has been tweaked to favour the government and its capitalistic ideologies. We are able to use parks and other public land, but only in ways that suit the land owner. This means we cannot sleep, work, have sex, or grow food in this case.
When the seeds were planted they erected a sign that read: "These papaya plants have been planted here for everyone. When they bear fruit, in about a year, you are welcome to pick them as you need. We will return to feed the plants with organic fertilizer once a month. Please feel free to water and weed. Do not use chemical weed killers as this will poison the fruits and those that eat them. The Diggers"
They associated themselves with a movement from seventeenth century Englnad called 'The Diggers'. Thier signature actions were to sow the ground with edible foods like carrots and beans as a means They were later destroyed by the violent land reforms and privatisations, similar to the period of industrial capitalism and the ongoing consolidation of European colonialism. Planting the papayas in a 'public' space was a continuation of the diggers struggle. By making many of the same points, they were trying to recall and revamp similar methods of resistance.
After three months of monitoring the palants, they found a note next to the plants that read: 'Dear Diggers, Sorry, I’ve been instructed to remove papaya plants by March 2004. Please transplant.'
The diggers then replied: 'Thanks for the notice but we can’t think of any other place better than here where everyone has easy access to the free papayas. If your bosses have a better use for this spot I guess they will have to kill the plants. We are anxious to see what they have planned. The Diggers'
I think this was a bold and powerful statment. It is also a clever form of activisim or "sybolic protest" that that forces the opposition to clearly state their oppinion. The outcome is sadly a predictable one. Several months later the trees were cut down and the fence that formed the boundary of the public and private space was moved right over the location of the papaya stumps.
The authoritative repositioning of the fence was clearly a shamful move that cannot be denied. From a governing point of view, it can simply be described as another problem swept under the rug.
On the contrary, i dont agree with the statment that "neither capitalism nor State power have or will provide people with the stuff of life." I think they will happily provide the stuff of life, only it comes at a price of $9.95 +GST (only while stockes last). It should be realised that state powers are not out to kill, but to expliot. This is a form of collective consciousness as a means of survival. The state powers may have decided that the public must be "protected" from the public for its own good. A type of greed with good intentions similar to Thomas Hobbes Leviathan doctrine.
