15 Years of Activism: The Journey of Cliff Potts

By Staff Reporter
Published July 6, 2025

When you ask Cliff Potts about his path through social activism, he speaks candidly about the obstacles and moments that shaped his journey. A veteran activist with deep roots in the Occupy movement, Potts has been fighting for justice and accountability long before “Occupy” became a household word.

“I was in technology for years,” Potts recalls, “but after the Y2K scare and the bursting of the dot-com bubble around 2000, things just collapsed.” The post-9/11 recession hit the telecommunications industry hard, and Potts found himself without work, support, or direction. “In tech, if you’re over 35, they basically tell you you’re too old. It was a brutal reality.”

He points to broader systemic failures as well. “The H1B visa issues, the scandals involving what some call the ‘Hindu Mafia,’ and the jobless recovery under George W. Bush’s administration all fed into a growing crisis. Then came the 2007 Great Recession, which crippled the nation.” Potts suggests historians may one day see this era as a period when government simply stopped governing effectively.

His path eventually led to activism. “In 2011, I stumbled across Day of Rage and Occupy Wall Street. I got involved in July that year, even before the movement took to the streets in September.” By late September 2011, Potts had joined Occupy Chicago, helping to establish Camp Downpour near key financial institutions in the city.

“I stayed active until mid-2012,” Potts says, “but I was asked to leave when new leadership in Occupy Chicago wanted to shut down dissent. It was disappointing, but it didn’t stop me.”

Beyond street activism, Potts has been prolific in his writing. He penned Spiritflight in 2004, examining religious practices within Occupy. In 2006, he published Conspirator Confederates and Cronies, an analysis of Southern Christian influences in government. His 2007 work, Wealth, Women, and War, is a reflective piece on his 50 years living in the USA. These books, along with newer editions, remain available on Amazon.

His more recent works include a biting satire, How to Avoid Vaccines and Die Like a Medieval Peasant (2025), and Paranormal Patrol: True Tales from the Night Shift, chronicling experiences from 2020 to 2025 during the pandemic.

Potts also contributed to Why We Protest under the pen name Just Another Friendly Occupier, echoing Occupy’s principles of solidarity and peaceful dissent.

“I’m not often in front of the camera,” Potts admits, “but I keep working—writing, producing videos, and pushing for change behind the scenes.”

As Occupy 2.5 and related movements gain traction, voices like Cliff Potts’ are crucial reminders of the long road activists travel and the resilience required to keep fighting.