Tweet
As Americans following the increasing number of “occupy” protests wake up this morning, the big news is not happening in the United States right now but in London. An action that you can follow on Twitter with the hashtag #blockthebridge is unfolding as hundreds if not thousands of activists “occupy” the Westminster Bridge to protest a National Health Service reform bill. The protesters have chanted, “We Are the 99%,” in solidarity with occupiers participating in Occupy Wall Street and other “occupy” actions.
UK Uncut is explicitly involved in the action on the Westminster Bridge. Follow @PennyRed for the latest on what is happening on the bridge.
I am headed to Philadelphia to cover Occupy Philly. I will be live streaming at 12 pm ET. Then, I head to New York to visit and report on the current state of Occupy Wall Street and then other occupations in the New England region.
Firedoglake’s premier live blog continues. I’ll be posting updates while on the road to NYC. Here is a Twitter list to follow for the latest updates.
LIVE STREAM OF OCCUPY WALL STREET
LIVE STREAM OF OCTOBER 2011
11:21 PM Fox News poll on Occupy Wall Street – Vote
11:09 PM Parsing the Data and Ideology of the “We Are 99%” Tumblr
11:06 PM Don’t honk in support of occupiers in Seattle! You’ll get a ticket.
11:04 PM Dustin M. Slaughter has snapped this picture of a K-9 unit at Occupy DC in McPherson Square
10:50 PM That stage should be out of Freedom Plaza.
10:39 PM Dance party at October 2011. Permits expired for Freedom Plaza. Some Occupy DC people are there showing solidarity and dancing. Police are likely to make arrests. Embedded live stream so you can watch.
8:38 PM Jesse LaGreca, an occupier from Liberty Park who became an overnight sensation after a video was posted of him confronting Fox News’ Griff Jenkins, takes on the talking heads of ABC News’ “This Week.”
PEGGY NOONAN: …Seems to me the question about Occupy Wall Street is this, what is your plan? Ya gonna spend the next six months blockin’ the Brooklyn Bridge or ya gonna harness a movement into political action, which means getting together with people in living rooms?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: I’m going to have to ask Jesse that. Very quickly, Jesse, are you still there?…Are you going to harness this into a political movement or are you going to hang out for months?
JESSE LAGRECA: What I find amusing is that now people are looking to us to solve the political problems—and they should—but I’m not going to support one party or the other. I’m not going to tell you who to vote for but I will encourage you to be a voter. I think we have succeeded tremendously in pushing the narrative that working class people can no longer be ignored. And I think that it’s very important that we have this conversation because it’s about the future of our country.
You know, right now working class people are being told to sacrifice. We’re being told that our future is going to have to be put on hold in the name of austerity. And I can’t name a single country that succeeded in solving their economic problems with austerity. So I think the more important thing to do is to come out and speak to us. The town halls that you see are very top-heavy. The political leaders that you see try to come and sell a message to us. They should be listening to us.
This is quite a clip and deserves a full media analysis. I’ll just say after listening to Peggy Noonan talk I think the occupiers should invite her to come on down for some southern fried cookin’ n’ some hospitality. They can teach her a thing or two about how real change is made in America. Political discussions in living rooms? You mean like tap into MoveOn and have house meetings? She’s just too elite to come join the lower class Americans in Liberty Park.
9:04 PM Tomorrow on Columbus Day, there are occupiers who will call for the abolition of Columbus Day and they will be holding a speak out at 5 pm in solidarity with indigenous people. Here is the Facebook event posting describing why they plan to do this.
8:37 PM I am in New York City. Just after my visit to Occupy Philly, Democracy Now! contacted me. A producer told me they were looking for someone who could discuss some of the other occupations going on besides Occupy Wall Street. I told them I can give firsthand accounts of Occupy Chicago, Occupy DC and now Occupy Philly. I also told them I have been blogging Occupy Wall Street and the growth of the Occupy Together movement since Day 1. They confirmed with me hours ago. Tomorrow morning I will be on the opening segment of Democracy Now! and I will be on the air with Columbia University professor Dorian Warren.
I am staying on Staten Island. I have to be up very early tomorrow morning so I can make it to the show. But, it is definitely worth it.
8:27 PM Photos of various occupations (h/t Cahokia):
Occupy Portland (via @bogecomm)
Occupy Venice (via @codepinkalert
Occupy Austin
Occupy Minnesota (via @Badgers_Rebel)
7:24 PM Want to follow what the librarians of the Occupy Wall Street Library are doing? They’ve started their own blog so you can track their work and organizing.
3:55 PM Video of my visit to Occupy Philly
12:07 PM I am just getting into Philadelphia. I will be live streaming from Occupy Philly within the next hour.
12:05 PM Report that protesters were allowed to leave one by one but had to be filmed by police and tell them where they planned to go after the protest. Clear example of the UK police state in action.
12:04 PM From earlier, photos of protesters kettled on the Westminster Bridge:
via @101GK and @simontyszko
12:03 PM Charlotte, NC, has an occupation – Occupy Charlotte – receiving wide attention because Charlotte is the No. 2 banking city in the US.
12:02 PM American Spectator editor admits to being agent provocateur at Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
12:00 PM The Uptake makes it possible for you to watch any of the live streams that are up and running from occupations across America.
9:36 AM A surprise? New York Times editorial board endorses
Occupy Wall Street. Editorial concludes:
It is not the job of the protesters to draft legislation. That’s the job of the nation’s leaders, and if they had been doing it all along there might not be a need for these marches and rallies. Because they have not, the public airing of grievances is a legitimate and important end in itself. It is also the first line of defense against a return to the Wall Street ways that plunged the nation into an economic crisis from which it has yet to emerge.
9:32 AM
9:28 AM Tom Morello interviewed at Occupy LA
9:26 AM Occupy Cincy successfully occupies Fountain Square overnight, no arrests
9:23 AM So, it appears there is not a second encampment in Washington Square, although Occupy Wall Street tried to expand. I will officially verify this by going down to Washington Square tonight if I do not get a report on what has happened. There was no confrontation last night at midnight, which leads me to believe everyone headed back to Liberty Park instead of setting up a new camp.
286 Comments
Breaking news: The New York Times gets dragged into reality. LOL
American Spectator Editor Admits to Being Agent Provocateur at D.C. Museum
http://my.firedoglake.com/cgrapski/2011/10/09/american-standard-editor-admits-to-being-agent-provacateur-at-d-c-museum/
You owe TarheelDemocrat a drink lol. He caught this at the end of the prior thread. Good on both of you.
Here’s for you Tarheel!
#occupylondon
http://twitpic.com/6xnz3d
http://yfrog.com/nymtjyj
http://twitpic.com/6xobe5
http://lockerz.com/s/145742651
http://twitpic.com/6x2nx5
Thanks, Eliott. But the real credit goes to Charles Grapski in an humble diary on dKos. Once again proving that it’s going to take the entire left blogosphere to keep up with this story as more communities are involved and more actions happen.
http://bambuser.com/channel/cyclecast/broadcast/2030820
There are a few tweets about arrests happening at Occupy Sacramento last night, but I can’t find any other news (tweet or otherwise) about last night. Might those be recycled stories from previous nights?
Occupy Durham – Durham Herald-Sun coverage
Said to be from Occupy Charlotte
Also said to be “evidence of right wing support”.
Really?
(AP) Spreading protests reach No. 2 US banking city
Report on Occupy Charlotte from Chicago Tribune.
Occupy Charlotte 10-8
O/T but not really. Some pics and video of occupy St. Louis: Click on the link at the bottom.
http://bit.ly/r3whJ6 Not as big as NY but were hanging in there.
Occupy Charlotte at Bank of America Headquarters
Brittany Penland and Meghan Cooke: Hundreds come together in Occupy Charlotte protest
– Charlotte Observer
Occupy Charlotte:
100K in debt; I’m 22
Photoshopped troll pic (watch for more of this)
I give my sign to this cutie
The march
March (video)
Another demonstration of your unfailing graciousness. I forgot to mention the Graphski post in my comment.
DC
http://yfrog.com/h3ogbyitj
http://yfrog.com/kk2kabitj
boston
http://yfrog.com/nxtt2qfj
http://yfrog.com/khfxwptj
philly
http://yfrog.com/nwdmdqxj
http://twitpic.com/6xe870
TD, just a query, not requiring a direct or immediate response but just an invitation to think about, with reference to our discussion last night, doesn’t it make you just a wee bit uncomfortable to see how the usual suspects in the media, e.g. Mathews, Schultz, many others, are trying to suggest that the Occupy movement is really a movement in support of Obama?
Wow ~ just jumping in to say, that’s a powerful statement from the NYT about what’s wrong with Congress, huh. Just. WOW.
They are a *bit* out of step, though, on one thing: Wall Street missed hardly a beat, so no need to “return” to their old ways. The real story is no one has stopped them for a second, instead they were enabled, and it looks like there’s no stopping them. Yet.
Save travels, Kevin. This is the story of the century. Fantastic coverage. Better than the liveblogging of the Murdoch scandal at teh Guardian if you ask me and that’s the only thing that comes close for showing how powerful this kind of reporting, sourcing, and distilling in realtime is, if you ask me.
NOT O/T at all!!!!
Go St. Louis!!!
http://www.ianwelsh.net/revolution-basics-1-who-cares-what-you-think/ Worth a read (short post), and some thought. Ian has a way of cutting right to the essence of things, IMO.
That sounds really interesting!
From wikipedia:
AND …
I just might have to ‘tune’ into that LIVE on the livestream!
Solar Panels for Occupy Memorial (KC)
Had this disturbing email show up in my inbox this morning. It is from a dear friend of mixed ethnicity:
The MSM is working the exploits.
The pushback against being identified with the Dem party is not going to help this, as it is easily interpreted as being “against” it (against Obama.)
How can this be effectively clarified?
Žižek is popular because he’s interesting to read and listen to and talks of the need for fundamental change, though he can be a bit all over the place and speaks/writes in continental (European) philosophy style, which most of those from anglophone countries are completely unfamiliar with.
Damn straight. But these guys don’t know squat about most things. Schultz is a useful mouthpiece for the AFL-CIO establishment, which creates some political space for pro-union sentiment. Mathews is bipolar in his political opinions; I guess hr misses Frank Moss and Ed Muskie. And here’s a strange confession from Tweety: “Despite having worked for Democrats, Matthews has said, “I’m more conservative than people think I am. … I voted for George W. in 2000.”
Of course the Wall Street Media will play the Obama card. It’s a tolerant way to repress the movement.
Most folks I know don’t follow Schultz or Matthews or any of the other bobbleheads. The most highly politicized ones locally tend to follow Fox. Highly politicized friends in places like Portland, Chicago, Seattle, and other places tend to follow Democracy Now.
london
http://yfrog.com/nx7f7qj
http://twitpic.com/6xqj4l
http://twitpic.com/6xqm3t
Welsh is most likely correct but getting too far ahead of the story. You have to build those massive numbers of people in order for them to see that the PtB are sociopaths, serious sociopaths. And they have to have alternatives to keep living when things shut down. They have to lose their fear. And the forces that the PtB could use to suppress the people have to be aligned with the people.
Revolutions happen when massive numbers of people stop following corrupt leaders. “Not doing” is a powerful tool.
The process is organic and cannot be forced to move faster than it is going. It can only be enabled to move faster through different forms of cross-geographic support.
I get a little tired of all the 1848-style “to the barricades” kind of rhetoric. You might recall that the 1848 revolution was crushed, but the cultural consequences of that suppression still are with us from Marx to Les Mis.
The real situation is that there are less than 100,000 folks involved in a nation of 300 million, and already the PtB are worried enough to send out police, troll Twitter streams, fabricate stories, send out provocateurs to 1848 it, and try to suppress what is going on.
If you watch the video it is evident that Congressman Lewis honored the process and was more than amenable to coming back another day.
I do have mixed feelings about this because he was on the front lines of the civil rights movement. If you watch the video, people in the GA honored that service and had mixed feelings themselves. And it is definitely an incident that can be used to divide and conquer if there is not accurate reporting and education. But then again the Air and Space incident can be used that way as well, if the media reports it as an Occupy DC supporter, which some have done.
On the other hand, it is a slippery slope. If you let one Member speak, no matter how worthy, then it would legitimize a demand by any Member to speak, and then it would be a campaign rally.
I agree. The Dems in DC would like to co-opt this movement but I don’t think they can. OCCUPY has to be careful not to insult people who can actually help them. It’s walking a knife’s edge in many ways.
It is awesome timing that Steve Jobs’ death occurred just at the moment that OWS was really taking off. In a sense, OWS is the extension of the personal communication technology Apple was instrumental in developing into a new human dimension, where people, rather than silicon chips, are the organizing elements. OWS has shown the potential humanistic force of this technology. Those who oppose this movement with top-down methods are like a tribe using bows and arrows against modern weaponry. The greatest danger to OWS is that it will be provoked into violent actions that play into the hands of the opposition’s overwhelming potential for conventional force. The movement will thereby become vulnerable because violent actions, because of their coercive nature, automatically conform to a top-down model.
All of this is not to imply that Jobs himself is an example for the movement. According to all reports, he was a top-down innovator par excellence, imposing rigid controls over the innovation process. Nevertheless, the wonderful technology he was key in developing has now transcended him.
OccupyMN livestream
It’s up.
Since Comcast took over Msnbc they have been great at @sskissing King Chaos. I quit watching them for this reason. They went from throwing rocks to marshmellows at the politicians. Never could stand listening to Matthews as he was to overbearing and tended to rant. Schultz is more like a weeble who tends to wobble from side to side. For England, we are all 99′ers regardless of where we live, give those royals a severe case of heartburn.
Agree with all those thoughts, and your previous comment as well. Just throwing this stuff out there for consideration. You know I always try to keep one eye out on the horizon, and one eye on what is right in front of me.
The Uptake: Occupy Wall Street stream links
The Uptake has the most usable front end for all of the streams.
Thank you. I agree with your points (I posted on it yesterday.)
My concern is how to turn it around. The tweets coming out of #OccupyAtlanta continue to be contentious. For example, is there an active reach-out to the Congressman to help set this right? The emerging perceptions are eclipsing the important concern that you have raised – that of remaining independent of traditional politics. A concern, BTW, that I completely agree with.
Indeed!
Yes, I saw Lewis interviewed by phone on CNN this am. He’s totally on with what happened, in spite of the efforts of even a softball interview to interpret this as a slight. He was offered a timeslot but he had visited as a spur of the moment thing and couldn’t stay. ANY clip of him will reflect well on the situation and the FORMAL process that the occupy groups are using.
Discipline is the mark of maturity.
AND when have you seen any congress member do ANYTHING spontaneous. I am a big fan of Lewis.
CNN also played footage of Rangel being booed in NYC. Very interesting juxtaposition. Clarity, there.
Here’s one right-winger’s myopic take on Jobs & #OccupyWallStreet. (For entertainment purposes only.)
I have to say, listening to Žižek now, this guy will make people think … openly and creatively. A *good* influence.
I love the GA process of repeating the speech phrase by phrase to pass it to the whole crowd without sound systems. Makes me teary.
Occupy Baltimore
Occupy Baltimore
Yay!
Rep. John Lewis Speaks Out in Solidarity With Occupy Wall Street Movement
Quite so. If we didn’t have all those video devices capturing real time video and not subject to editing by the mainstream media, none of the police activity would have gone viral in the way that it did. I saw today that the Wall St. baton twirler has been identified as well.
I had been meaning to write something on this, actually. Thank you for doing it.
A lot of the tweets on the #occupyatlanta stream are trolls and spammers trying to stir up contention. In fact the noise-to-signal ratio on the obvious Twitter streams is getting so high that they are almost useless. You need video of the general assembly to see what has actually happened within the general assembly.
I found the tweets reporting what happen to John Lewis sheer hyperbole compared to how the session actually went down.
I believe that that was issued before he went to the general assembly Friday night. The best presentation of his views is the video of his press statement afterward. He harks back to his SNCC experience with consensus decision-making and offers that Occupy Atlanta will work it out in time. There seemed to be absolutely no hard feelings on his part.
Oops, didn’t look at the date. I agree 100% with the points you are making. I do not think it was a snub.
OccupyCincy At Fountain Square
Nice.
I heard him say on CNN this morning that he has complete respect for the process of the occupy groups, how it reminds him of the process of the civil rights movement, and that he DID NOT INTEND TO SPEAK when he visited the Occupy Atlanta group. He was not assuming he would speak, he was just aware that there was an opportunity near his office to visit to see for himself. Others insisted that he speak ~ so this was an issue among the occupy group and not between the movement and the congressman!!!!!
Transcripts should be available later via the CNN Transcripts page.
On edit: CNN Transcript page is here … http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/
Another reason why the Occupy media teams should be videoing general assemblies in their entirety and posting on YouTube.
Out of the darkness
Kevin, I just read scarecrow’s diary about 350.org planning to ring the WH in November and I’ve got to ask: What’s the thinking among the FDL’ers in DC about leading vs following the#occupiers. Seems that planning a Nov action is a bit stodgy and old school while the younger folks are out doing actions *now*.
Ringing the WH is a great idea, but planning it for Nov seems to miss the spontaneity and energy of #occupy.
Occupy Together’s list of occupied cities as of 10-8:
Wow! Isn’t that the best.
NewBlackMan: Kevin Powell: #OccupyWallStreet: The Revolution Will Be Multiplied
http://newblackman.blogspot.com/2011/10/kevin-powell-occupywallstreet.html
.
.
Congress fiddles while anger at Wall Street burns: Plain Dealing
http://www.cleveland.com/consumeraffairs/index.ssf/2011/10/congress_fiddles_while_anger_a.html
Protesters against NHS reforms occupy Westminster Bridge
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/09/anti-nhs-reforms-protest-block-bridge?CMP=twt_gu
Health reform protesters block Westminster Bridge
http://www.channel4.com/news/health-reform-protesters-block-westminster-bridge
http://entoptika.co.uk/block-the-bridge/ (photos)
Thank you, reader.
Link.
http://yfrog.com/oderxfj
Thank you, reader.
Link.
Germany, France agree on Europe bank bailout
The leaders of Germany and France, the eurozone’s two biggest economies, say they have reached agreement on strengthening Europe’s shaky banking sector.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she and French President Nicolas Sarkozy “are determined to do the necessary to ensure the recapitalization of Europe’s banks.”
Merkel spoke after talks with Sarkozy at Berlin’s chancellery Sunday aimed at forging an agreement ahead of a summit of the European Union’s 27 leaders later this month.
Sarkozy said it was “not the moment” to go into the agreement’s details but said that the French-German accord “is total.”
When asked whether all European banks would be recapitalized, Merkel did not directly answer the question, saying only that all banks across the eurozone would be measured by the same criteria that would be established in coordination with, among others, the European Banking Authority and the International Monetary Fund.
Earlier this week, Merkel spoke in favor of a coordinated bank recapitalization following talks with the International Monetary Fund and other European leaders. The chancellor said that banks must first seek to raise new capital on the market before turning to their government, insisting that the eurozone’s newly strengthened €440 billion ($590 billion) bailout fund would then only serve as a backstop if a member state can’t cope with shoring up its banks’ capital.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44835521/ns/business-world_business/
Thank you, reader.
Thank you, reader.
Link.
wallst
http://twitpic.com/6xs8yf Žižek
http://yfrog.com/kkb8dwffj
http://twitpic.com/6xreyo
http://twitpic.com/6xs32i
burlington
http://twitpic.com/6xs7mm
http://twitpic.com/6xs7mo
Thank you, reader.
“Speaking to CNN on Sunday morning, Lewis said he had visited a rally in Atlanta near his office “to lend my support and to encourage the people because I support their efforts all across America.” He was unable to speak to the crowd, he said, but not because he was refused. Lewis said the group told him he could speak after they finished their business, but that he had to leave.”
Link.
(Note: Kept getting “database error” when submitting this comment using traditional blockquote tag…)
Occupy South Bend
Peggy Turbett, The Plain Dealer: Occupy Cleveland protests continue Saturday
Dallas Star-Telegram: Occupy Dallas photo set
Garret Ellison, The Grand Rapids Press: Demonstrators ‘occupy’ Grand Rapids’ Calder Plaza
Andy Hyland, LJWorld.com: Lawrence version of Occupy Wall Street protest springs up (Lawrence, Kansas)
Jordan Melnick, Beached Miami: Occupy Miami: Brass Tacks and Jazz Hands 10-1
Amber Dixon, ValleyCentral.com:
Over 100 protestors “Occupy McAllen” 10-6
Derek Page, Mace&Crown: OCCUPY NORFOLK
Andrew Schwartz, BearingDrift, Virginia’s Conservative Voice: Observations of Occupy Norfolk: Solutions are not the Solution
Meryl Ann Butler, Op-Ed News: Occupy Santa Fe: Photo Essay
Bob Jordan, Statehouse Bureau, Daily Record: Protests take to road, it’s Occupy Trenton 10-7
KSN.com: Occupy Wichita continues through the rain
WFMY News: Occupy Winston-Salem Went Public In The Streets Of Downtown Winston-Salem On Friday
Thank you, reader.
Link.
Paul Bowers: Meet the Occupiers:
#OccupyCharleston doesn’t want to be ‘a Democratic Party front’
Read the article and you get the sense that South Carolina has become thought-policed like Eastern Europe in the 1980s. There is a palpable sense of fear to come out in public.
Kevin’s Cincy livestream in new post.
If at first you don’t secede, try, try again lol.
Kevin just did an excellent interviewer with an occupier who is constructing a sustainable dwelling out of recycle materials (cardboard, bamboo) and duct tape. With a tarp over it for now to provide some protection from the weather.
Well that sure seems to be what Nikki Haley would like to do.
What struck me was the tentative baby steps on Facebook to a face-to-face meeting. That sort of fear wasn’t present in SC when I was working against the Vietnam War forty years ago. It speaks of a social conformist conservative thought-police like that that existed for white people of good will during segregation.
Have to agree. I think the viewers of the partisan MSNBC shows are likely older and watch these shows somewhat for entertainment, not solutions, like people watch sports. The rest of the population has a billion other channels to watch, plus the Internet, plus the job(s) they’re working their asses off at to survive.
Totally missed it. Just caught the end of the LS. Can’t wait for NYC LS and interviews. Is David Graeber still in NY?
Josh Harkinson: Meet Four Middle-Class Americans Who’ve Been Politicized by #OccupyWallStreet
– Mother Jones magazine
Occupy Wall Street
And the LS is worthless on this. Can we get someone who can cover what’s happening?
Recommended cmaukonen diary over at myFDL.
Dance, freedom lovers everywhere, dance!
I have also always sensed a certain “specialness” to the quality of conservative thought and behavior in South Carolina. Stopped going there years ago.
Anyone watching Egypt? 17 dead today.
Thanks. Fascinating.
Christians at Occupy Wall Street
You mean there are groups that are excluded? Nominally Christians are 76% of US population. In fact, that number ignores the large number who are not active. The nominally largest denominations are these:
From Religion in the United States:
The Occupy Together movement is the most likely vehicle to wean evangelicals, Roman Catholics, and Southern Baptists away from the plutocracy. And you want to diss them?
Agreed. That tweet was disrespectful.
wallst
http://twitpic.com/6xu5bp crowd
http://yfrog.com/oej6voj crowd
http://twitpic.com/6xu7sm ows bull
http://twitpic.com/6xtpcq fox news crew
Well, I just got home from a visit to OccupyMN in Minneapolis.
Lots of good folks being patient with each other and learning how discuss what they’re doing and why.
I listened in on a couple of committees, and in each case people were very good about listening to each other’s point of view and showing every one respect.
There were a few folks displaying impatience with what they seemed to think was a slow and probably indecisive process, but the groups skillfully handled all attempts to heat up the rhetoric and/or sidetrack the process with poise and firm but civilized direction.
All together a very encouraging experience.
The Minneapolis City Hall bell tower has a wonderful carillon and as the meetings were happening the bells sang out This Land is Your Land, and then Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies and Minneapolis Police seemed very relaxed and low-key, and coupled with the music of the bells and the beautiful weather made for an almost idyllic scene.
I’m not naive, and I know we’re going to see hard times ahead, not the least of which is going to be Minnesota’s winter weather, but I’m encouraged by the quality of the people I listened to today, and have no qualms about supporting their efforts.
Mother Jones Occupy Wall Street Map
Based on a check of locations, this is the most reliable one at the moment. It does miss some, like South Bend OH.
More catnip for the media.
I am trying to follow #egypt and #scaf on twitter. Appears 19 dead and ay least 150 wounded, military attack on Coptic and Muslim demonstrators. Seems military has closed down independent TV and trying to sell it as Copts attacking soldiers (!).
portland
http://lockerz.com/s/145842912
la
http://twitpic.com/6xus3f
venice
http://twitpic.com/6xueo2
sanjose
http://twitpic.com/6xuaac
austin
http://yfrog.com/nv973gmj
stl
http://lockerz.com/s/145796149
chicago
http://twitpic.com/6xt34x
mn
http://twitpic.com/6xt6xy
philly
http://yfrog.com/ntkl4cnj
boston
http://yfrog.com/nz6j4cj
DC
http://twitpic.com/6xua9h
Christians protesting the golden bull of Mammon
Occupy Philly Day 4: A Hunger Strike Begins
http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2011/10/09/occupy-philly-day-4-a-hunger-strike-begins/
Got it Right
Golden Bull False Idol – Trinity and Cedar
I saw a sign like that at DC march yesterday. …that covers it in a nutshell!!
That was from the DC Wall of LULZ per K_orgasm
Occupy Raleigh
Crowd
Occupy Raleigh
The Trickle Down
Occupy Durham
Occupy San Jose
LOL. Somebody needs to smash some Ten Commandments tablets on it.
Parsing the Data and Ideology of the We Are 99% Tumblr
http://rortybomb.wordpress.com/2011/10/09/parsing-the-data-and-ideology-of-the-we-are-99-tumblr/
Reich: The Wall Street Occupiers and the Democratic Party
http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2011/10/reich-the-wall-street-occupiers-and-the-democratic-party.html
Alan Grayson Shreds P.J. O’Rourke on #OccupyWallStreet
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/10/alan-grayson-shreds-p-j-orourke-on-occupywallstreet.html
The Rortybomb article is very interesting for taking the “We are the 99%” tumblr site and doing a content analysis of the words on it and for this:
Occupy Raleigh
Crowd
Occupy Chapel Hill
hi gang,
check out this awesome little video of day 1 of occupyaustin from thursday.
take note towards the end of the guy holding the “Free Hugs”. And then Police Chief Acevedo hugging him. this video caught the energy of thursday perfectly.
something else to share with y’all: music for the occupation.
portland
http://twitpic.com/6xwucx big march
http://twitpic.com/6xvo3j
http://yfrog.com/nzpiioj
http://lockerz.com/s/145887845
seattle
http://yfrog.com/kjbyveujj
http://twitpic.com/6xxbtw
http://twitpic.com/6xwtl5
la
http://twitpic.com/6xwe0t
http://twitpic.com/6xwj7w
http://twitpic.com/6xwsbl
sf
http://yfrog.com/h8v8aopkj
http://yfrog.com/h0864uhj
http://twitpic.com/6xwhg8 Conal poster
http://therumpus.net/2011/10/occupy-sf-art-and-performance-festival/
Nice!!
Tweets trying to confirm 40K peeps in Washington Square, 20K at Liberty Park.
Have you watched the cheers for Alan Grayson talking about #occupy on Bill Mahr? *That* was amazing!
On the movement in D.C., I finally put up a post about my experience yesterday at McPherson Square, OccupyDC.org, here (quoting TarheelDem):
http://my.firedoglake.com/femblog/2011/10/09/driving-conservative-provocateurs-away-from-the-occupy-movement/
Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. That P.J. O’Rourke really gets under my skin. He’s a slippery ‘un, the rare right-winger with true wit, and it seems like he mines the misfortunes of others for laughs much like the speculators mine them for cash.
It really irks me that he was a friend of H.S. Thompson.
Maher. Expletive edit.
a.k.a. we want change!
More arrests in week-long Occupy Seattle
Casey Grove, Anchorage Daily News: Occupy Anchorage protesters point to empowerment, jobs
Chad Blair, Honolulu Civil Beat: Wall Street Protests Reach Hawaii’s Shores
Adelyn Baxter , The Daily Californian: Occupy Berkeley protest starts one week early
Fresno Bee: Occupy Fresno protests continue at River Park
Gil Diaz, KESQ: ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Movement Reaches Coachella Valley
Pamela Hale-Burns, Long Beach Press Telegram: Occupy Long Beach marches downtown
Jack Nounnan, Salem-News.com: The demonstration happens at the Courthouse, 5th and I.
Brian Triplett, Examiner.com: Occupy Spokane protesters on Facebook and YouTube
Jessica Crandall, LocalNews8.com: Folks Come Out To ‘Occupy’ Idaho Falls
KRTV: Missoulians gather in support of “Occupy Wall Street”
WILLIAM BROWNING Casper Star-Tribune: ‘Occupy Wall Street’ rally spreads to downtown Casper
Megan Lowry, KXNet.com: “Occupy” Protest (Bismarck, ND)
Andrew Duffelmeyer, Iowa Independent: Occupiers begin campout near Iowa Capitol
progressivetoo: SEIU Pledges Support for Occupy Wichita
LYNN HORSLEY, Kansas City Star: Hundreds march in KC ‘Occupy’ movement
Mike Donoghue, Burlington Free Press; Several hundred rally in Burlington to support Occupy Wall Street movement
Seth Koenig, Bangor Daily News: US Revolution: Occupy Maine group digs in, shows support for Wall Street counterparts
You folks sure know how to party
Oh, that is fabulous!!
Wow, what a party! No wonder you were so amped up when you reported back to us. Send some of those folks to Atlanta, will ya?
So much to absorb, finally got around to that video. So beautiful, wet my eyes.
Yep, there’s a whole lot goin’ on. I’m crying now just having watching the video over at Lisa’s.
It’s been pretty quiet since Thursday with MUCH less people. I wish I could send some, but, right now, we don’t have any to spare.
Where are you in relation to Atlanta?
OMG there’s more? Don’t know how much more a man can take.
(Seriously, though – this last three weeks has done more for my soul…)
It’s just so wonderful to have some hope again. I still worry A LOT about the PTB coming down with truly brutal force. And, at the same time, the possibility that OWS has awakened is truly nourishing. Occupation love and commitment to respect are feeding my soul too.
The Moral Authority of Occupy Wall Street
http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2011/10/the-moral-authority-of-occupy-wall-street.html
Occupy Wall Street: An Early Assessment
http://www.belgraviadispatch.com/2011/10/occupy_wall_street.html
The Moral Authority of Occupy Wall Street
http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2011/10/the-moral-authority-of-occupy-wall-street.html
Occupy Wall Street: An Early Assessment
http://www.belgraviadispatch.com/2011/10/occupy_wall_street.html
Banner hung on NYSE
Kerri Provost, Real Hartford: Occupy Hartford: After the March
Patricia Daddona, The Day: Mystic rally echoes national movement
SHAUN SMITH, Shore News Today: ‘Occupy’ protest Sunday in Somers Point (South New Jersey)
Nick Gaudio, Cumberland (MD) Times-News: An ‘Occupy Cumberland’ protest
Tony Rutherford, Huntington (WV) News: Occupy Huntington Demonstrators Range from 20somethings to Retired CEO
Nicole Young , Nashville Tennesseean: Occupy Nashville protesters camp out downtown
great!
Krugman on The Panic of the Plutocrats
About 45 miles from the park, to the northwest. The people at the park were very nice, but very restrained when I was there. I could not attend a GA.
DC permit now expired. Livestream. More of a dance par-tay than anything.
My prediction (I’m always wrong): they’ll wait for the old hippies to get too tired to stay up and clear the park in the wee hours.
盛噶仁波切 姑娘．曲吉卓瑪 MV (music video)
Truly amazing. Thanks.
That picture may be a prank. Man, I loathe twitter hoaxes.
Just added it to the blog so people can watch.
Can’t wait to see Democracy Now in the morning! Good luck.
!De nada! as I want folks to see how the world is now turning. For Oct 18 – 19:
Both of these analyses are on point. Best analysis of our overall situation I have seen in some time.
http://map.15october.net/
http://15october.net/
Damn– that’s a heck of a dance party! I’m chair dancing!!
Oh, that was nice!
Thanks. I submitted a comment:
“northwest” reminds me that I facilitated a community meeting in the C&S Bank building in Buchanan in 1978 as part of an American Revolution Bicentennial program. That was before the suburban and exurban ring around Atlanta became Gingrich country.
WoooOOOO HOO!
I’m thinking that what shuts everything down is not so much a general strike as a general par-tay.
Yeah, his college, is it Reinhart, is 20 minutes north of me. We got some serious, pickup-driving mofo’s up here. But I spend the weekends with my lady intown, in the most liberal area in Atlanta, Candler Park/Little Five Points. I work at home, so I don’t have to mix with the caveman types too much. BUT, I could tell some stories.
Link
I did another meeting during the same time period in Ball Ground. Found out at that meeting that most of the towns in that area in the 1920s were “sundown towns”.
Yeah, after Krugman, read the link @159 (don’t know if it’s legit, but dang it makes ya think…)
General Par-tay. Maybe *that* should be called for on October 15.
Back, but I’ve been checking comments here from work.
First thing I did was go find pics of the Golden Bull…
I read that analysis (the whole article) in the post I’m replying to (113), and between that and the the appearance of a symbol with deep roots in the Old Testament, I feel somewhat vindicated that months ago I was starting to wonder if the long-term trend was slipping in the direction of some sort of modern-day feudalism. Glad to know that other people are starting to wonder about that too.
I have read lots about the Dark Ages & Middle Ages, and other historical periods and cultures as well over the years (legacy of being a D&D nerd when I was younger…).
The thing is even though life was harsh and unforgiving for the vast majority of the population during the Middle Ages, the people had community support institutions to take the edges off – guilds and the Church and even sort of neighborhood associations that looked out for each other.
Over the last couple of generations most of the “support structures” for a middle-class society have been eroded away, unions, fraternal lodges, etc. This means that when times are harsh & unforgiving, we feel we have no one to turn to and feel helpless.
To me the great thing about OWS is that it has shown us a new path to hopefully build a new type of support structure, and possibly shore up what’s left of the old ones.
On my way to work this morning, I heard on my car radio an interview with somebody during the big march yesterday as it was passing through Greenwich Village; the best part was in the background I could hear a pretty large group singing “We Don’t Have to Take It Anymore.”
The book Bowling Alone was about the erosion of community institutions and relationships under the increased working hours and automobile culture.
My take, FWIW – clever, but no. It looks to me like the author is trying to do exactly what he is cautioning against. False equivalency w/the tea party in the name of keeping the MSM from doing false equivalency. Maybe my tinfoil hat is on too tight, but at the end of the day his advice is really too trite to take it to the level of thinking that the tea party “movement” was astroturfed after the fact, rather than from the get-go.
No, the DNA of #Occupy couldn’t be any more different.
It’s good advice.
Thanks, I just read it. I can see a lot of it being relevant to attend to in general, but if he sees us with so much in common, how come he’s not enthusiastically joining in the occupation?
I’ve got them bookmarked and plan to read tomorrow.
It’s time for my beauty sleep if I’m to be up in the morning to watch Kevin live on Democracy Now!
See youse all in the morning.
From October2011 live stream …
Just announced, 500 DC area HS students will be staging a walk-out:
Again, my opinion – what realitychecker said at @168 is true – it is good advice, but I’m submitting that it is trite and disingenuous, in a self-serving way. On the other hand, if that is one way that a repentant tea-partier is trying to crab-walk his way into the #Occupy movement, well, that ain’t necessarily a bad thing…
He’s too busy in his ivory tower?
I respect him, I really do, I have read “The Return of Depression Economics” and used to read his NYT columns before the paywall went up, but after a while he is just preaching to the converted.
Where he is useful is in tipping people like me to realize just how bad things are, and that they are not likely to improve soon. A couple more steps along that path, and I ended up here.
Think I’ll go read that analysis then before making more specific reply.
Regardless of who it is or what he/she does, it’s pretty much the same thing we’ve been saying to ourselves, isn’t it?
Exactly.
+2660 viewers of Oct2011 via Global Revolution live stream.
A movement opens itself to co-optation when it starts being seduced by the idea that there is some shortcut or some easy way — and the co-opting force offers that easy way. It is way too easy to get fixated on one possible co-opting forces when there are likely many different hidden agendas. Smoking out hidden agendas is one of the best things that general assemblies can do. If it’s an agenda, it needs to be surfaced in the general assembly.
Bill Zeiser, American Spectator: Live From Wall Street
There is more to be concerned about than co-optation. This was a guy in a Johnny Cash tee shirt.
Sandman beckons. Goodnight, freedom lovers.
White supremacist agitator
White supremacist agitator
Get some good zzz;s rc
Niters realitychecker.
Cincy sorta got themselves established tonight.
Freedom Plaza and McPherson Park are the ones that need watching. Not clear what’s the situation in SF, Sacramento, and Seattle.
I’m going to get some shuteye too. Night.
Nite rc.
Niters TarheelDem.
Nite Tarheel.
Ok after reading the Krugman piece I read the TP memeber piece and the comments thread under it…
It was interesting how even some other TP folks who were suspicious at first seemed to come around, there was at least one OWS supporter in there too and they were talking and communicating and trying to find common ground.
The MSM is already trying to pigeon-hole OWS as against “Wall St” when right from the start it had a heavy focus on “Wall St is using its money to buy the govt to make itself richer by taking our money.” I’m reading a lot of articles when they pop up and the second part is starting to get left out in coverage about OWS.
@OccupySanJose OccupySanJose
Before you sleep tonight, think of all the people you have ever loved, and know that our cause shines a light of hope into their futures.
48 minutes ago via Twitter for Android
@OccupyIowaCity The 99%
Live Tweets from Des Moines Occupy IOWA reveal anywhere from 20-40 arrested and dragged out.
26 minutes ago via Facebook
@leahbolger Leah Bolger
Dance party still going strong 90 min after our permit expired. Police keeping low profile so far. #oct6 #stopthemach2011 #occupydc
1 hour ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
@leahbolger Leah Bolger
Police told NBC reporter that they would leave us alone tonite. #occupydc #oct6 #stopthemach2011
1 hour ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
I’m checking this out:
Anyone else with confirmation of what’s going on? Looks like an impromptu dance party on the Austin live stream.
@OccupyWallStNYC #OCCUPYWALLSTREET
Can’t get your hands on a copy of the #OccupiedWallStreetJournal? PDF: breakingcopy.com/occupied-wall-…
#occupywallstreet #sep17 #OWS
3 minutes ago via Twitter for iPad
http://www.breakingcopy.com/occupied-wall-street-journal-pdf
better quality PDF of Issue #1 now available
I’ve got #OccupyDC #FreedomPlaza and #Oct6 open to monitor seems pretty quiet
@Occupy_Boston Occupy Boston
#occupyboston needs more medics! Anyone willing to join up please visit our camp today! occupyboston.com
10 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone
Issue #2 also available as PDF
@IowaPolitics IowaPolitics
Drake Law Professor Sally Frank estimates 30-36 arrests at #occupydsm for trespassing. She says police brutality including pepper spray
21 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®
@TanyaKeith Tanya Keith
This is the guy that got pepper sprayed and was taken by ambulance from #occupydsm peaceful protest. twitpic.com/6y2ja2
@OccupySacto Occupy Sacramento
You’re invited to monitor our streams as we approach curfew at Cesar Chavez park and we are once again forced to… fb.me/1bv7wkgf0
2 minutes ago via Facebook
@IowaIndependent IowaIndependent
Iowa State Patrol now confirming that arrest has been made, but no other details available at this time. #OccupyDSM
34 minutes ago via web
@iowacci iowacci
. @OccupyWallStNYC At least 30 arrests confirmed, including 14 yr old. Not sure about pepper spray. #occupydsm
3 minutes ago via web
keep seeing this about 14 yr old but no other info or confirmation of age
http://www.livestream.com/occupysacto
Good amount of different livestreams here
http://www.livestream.com/guide/search?search_tag=occupy
I’m looking 4 more info …
Meanwhile, instead of #OccupyDadalStreet there’s Occupy_Mumbai:
Update: Police arrest Occupy Iowa demonstrators
http://iowacci.visibli.com/share/3fsprR
I have too many twitter feeds open so I’ll stop monitoring DC all seems quiet there for right now
10 mins to curfew for #OccupySacto
I have the livestream open but it just is the view from inside a car can’t really see anything
now marching about and chanting
Kinda dark but the audio is clear. News10 is now on-site.
Pepper Spray used on protesters in Des Moines, Iowa
at least 22 preparing to stay and risk arrest – 2mins to curfew
@benjaminw85 Benjamin
Great video of this afternoon’s #OccupyDSM event BEFORE folks got arrested tonight. My signs my an appearance! youtube.com/watch?v=_m3lZ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m3lZ37LFwE
updated head count is 24 still there
11:03 PM @OccupySacto w/ 24 people sitting down in Cesar Chavez Park & risking arrest. News10 apparently still on-site. Police rolling in now. Chanting “We R the 99%” Advised to be a little farther back. Now chanting “You R the 99%”
cop cars pulling up
“we are the 99% chanting”
“you are the 99%” directed at PD
Police state “Unlawful assembly under law of the State of California” … given the order to disperse 11:10 PM Pacific Time. Protesters no longer sitting (“assembled”) and are slowly circling the periphery of the park on the public sidewalk. This is only the MO for tonight. Not allowed to chant. No arrest so far. Police blocked off entrance to park and patrolling the park ground on the public property.
bullhorn “you must disperse”
“those who resist risk serous injury” mention of plastic bullets?
occupiers have dispersed from park
also was something that sounded like “chemical agents” or something
guess they decided not to risk getting gassed or shot at with plastic bullets
they are now circling around the outside of the park, but have been ordered not to do any chanting
Police statement (order to disperse illegal assembly) implied use of electronic devices (e.g. tasers) and the possibility of injury to those being arrested.
The occupiers elected to keep up #s of the GA rather and therefore elected no arrests tonight.
Interview on Occupy Sacramento in progress with very articulate gentleman, Shawn (sp?). Discussing how police positions recently downgraded and that they too are part of the #99Percent.
if you were monitoring the TV feed it was probably clearer than the livestream quality pretty bad and froze every so often
@occupybuf Occupy Buffalo
Video: Apparently WGRZ was at OccupyBuffalo’s first GA! Short video, but at least we know we’re gaining… tumblr.com/ZZzpmwASDdow
15 minutes ago via Tumblr
http://occupybuffalo.tumblr.com/post/11210751162/apparently-wgrz-was-at-occupybuffalos-first-ga
Britney interviewed. Then Brian, legal observer, being interviewed – the what and why of legal observers (making a video, audio and written record of event). Police have blocked a portion of sidewalk between I and J.
@OccupyDayton Occupy Dayton
Now showing V for Vendetta at the occupation site. We have about 15 people here right now. We would like to see… fb.me/1hZoSNBF2
18 minutes ago via Facebook
OK… wanna-be Anons ?
Then again when I was a teenager one of my favorite movies was John Carpenter’s “They Live!” famous for the quote “I’m here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m alllll outta bubblegum.” Too bad our reality isn’t as simple as ETs taking over the world and brainwashing everybody.
“Total of 35 arrests for ‘OccupySacramento’ protestors” (News10, by Edith Sumaquial, Oct. 9th, 2011, 6:30pm)
City Manager’s direction to the police discussed by single mom just interviewed. Homeless woman agitated b/c protesters not sleeping with homeless people. Katie is the next interview. She is unemployed, can’t go to school and is tried of the superior rights but w/o accountability given corporations versus people.
Sarah Beth, head of security of occupiers state that (2) patrol units left at the park.
@skymama65 Sky
We’re all thinking the police won’t try 2 clear us out til the tourist r gone& b4 politicians return Tues. #OccupyDC #FreedomPlaza #OWS
5 minutes ago via Twitter for Android
I know this will be different in different places, but does Sacto even do GAs or just protest?
If they were really in the spirit of things they should declare solidarity with the homeless that spend time in the park.
News10 just left as there were no arrests. Apparently took no interviews.
See 221 – the strategy being used is only for tonight they said. They will risk arrest with the homeless subsequently. Those assembled give all perishable to homeless at the end of each night when they’ve had to leave so far.
New person manning the live stream and (3) others that had been had to leave have now gone home. One police car left at the park.
I need zzzs pulled 11 hours at work then almost 3 hours on here.
https://twitter.com/#!/kgosztola/occupy-everywhere
https://twitter.com/#!/OccupyTogether/occupy-together
main unexpected thing tonight was the arrests in Des Moine, Iowa
DC seems quiet for now
https://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23occupyDC
did SF and Seattle have any more PD trouble?
Wow– thank you! Seattle and DC are OK for now. Please get rest. I’m good from here on out and will scan the groups. Niters, ny40something!
{ LOL } Interview of a mobile tent on the Occupy Sacramento live stream!
From Occupy Sacramento live stream …
Interesting extended video sequence ending at 12:28 AM PT of a volunteer with Crime Watch and Patriot Watch (named Dave & wearing a vet hat) that might be an excellent subject of fact checking/legal research regarding Sacramento, CA and prior incidents that may have involved agent provocateurs.
Occupy Sacto live stream playing previously recorded video.
Use of the parking lot is every other day as per this video:
Video here at time point 1:40:00 – 2:30:00 .
From “Day two of protest outside Central Bank” (IrishTime.Com, Oct. 10, 2011):
NHK [Japan]: “Noda: Free trade decision due soon” (Oct. 10, 2011)
“ACM Media Statement/Video on Overnight Coptic Massacre – Calls for Expulsion of Egyptian Govt Reps from Australia” (ACM, by Mina, Oct. 10, 2011):
“NLG: Cops and Informants Cause Most Protest Violence” (FireDogLake.Com, by Phoenix Woman, Oct. 9, 2011)
UK criticized for keeping arrested teenagers in prison before sentencing (RawStory.Com, Oct. 9, 2011)
Good morning, folks.
Demonstrating in front of a closed bank is a first step.
O. Kay Henderson, RadioIowa: “Occupy Des Moines” protesters arrested late Sunday
Regina Zilbermints, Des Moines Register: Update: Police arrest Occupy Iowa demonstrators
Lisa Martone and Jessica Daley, myABC5.com: UPDATE: 32 Arrested in Occupy Des Moines Protest
Neil Offen, Durham Herald-Sun: Crowd “occupies” Durham with a raft of ideas
Tara Lynn, WRAL: Hundreds ‘occupy’ Raleigh, Durham to echo Wall Street protest
Scott West, South Carolina Green Party: Occupy Columbia Meets In Finlay Park
Derek Legette, The Daily Gamecock: Occupy Columbia group assembles for protest
And in related (as in “they fight you”) news:
CRISTIAN SALAZAR, Associated Press: Seasoned activists critique Wall Street protests (In The State, Columbia SC daily newspaper)
Jesse LaGreca, on the corporatist media’s reactionary “show”, ABC’s “This Week” did a good job of saying what the Occupy movement was for, which is real democracy, but this will not stop the endless red-herring question of our “demands” and what the movement is confronting.
We are 100% correct that the goal of the 99% has nothing to do with the shill Obama or the ‘Vichy’ and collaborator Democratic Party, BUT the fastest, easiest, and most compelling way to PROVE that Occupy is not and cannot be co-opted by the Obama shills, the Democratic Party shills, or any other shills is to state that the inclusive goal/demand/revolt of the Occupy movement is “Against Empire”!
The compelling advantages of this underlying goal and demand of being against Empire are:
First, being against the causal cancerous disease of Empire is the totally effective way in laying low Obama, The Democrats, and any other authoritarian or astroturf group of shills that might try to co-opt the Occupy movement —- because all of them, all counter-revolutionary and reactionary groups, are scared to death and will never say they support being “Against Empire” — In fact, they can never even whisper the very term ‘Empire’, because this 1% IS the EMPIRE!!!!
Second, and very important for the 99% of the Occupy movement/revolution, is the fact that being “Against Empire” is totally inclusive of all the important, and valid problems, issues, and reasons that Occupy has organically formed to address problems in our world like; vast economic inequality, Wall Street looting, foreign imperialist wars, domestic spying, oppression, and violence, environmental destruction, killing debt, lack of good jobs in a fair economy, etc. etc.
What the Occupy movement/revolution can learn, borrow, expand from the October 2011 movement is that the inclusive but non-specific answer to the corporatist media and other entrapment claptrapers question of what the goal/demand of Occupy is.
Kevin Zeese and others in the October 2011 movement have leveraged the realistic, attractive, inclusive, and non-constraining message of being against Empire — just as the first American Revolution was a broad and inclusive people’s confrontation against the empire that was oppressing them in all aspects of their lives; economic oppression, political oppression, military oppression, legal oppression, cultural, media, and social oppression by the British Empire.
By suggesting a goal/demand which is nominally focused on one simple and underlying (but never mentioned) cause of all our economic, political, war, environmental, social, legal, and other restraints by the un-mentioned, taboo, but deadly oppression(s) of Empire, the Occupy Together movement/revolution can describe a single goal/cause/demand of being “Against Empire” — and yet inclusively combine all the varied and valid symptom problems and indictments that we, the 99%, have against Empire and the deadly problems that the undiagnosed global Empire serving only the 1% is causing.
In the First American Revolution the visible and detested British Empire was causing all the political, economic, military, social, and legal oppressions to the freedom of the 99% of future Americans in forming their own democratic self-government.
Today the much more guileful, disguised, undiagnosed, and invisible global corporate/financial/militarist Empire — that is never mentioned by the corporatist media — hides like a cancerous tumor beneath the surface and is the proximate cause of the same political, economic, military, social and legal oppressions on we 99%, that the British Empire had caused before we broke free of Empire.
Alan MacDonald
Liberty & democracy
over
violent/’Vichy’
empire
Hi TD..
Demonstrating at the White House is akin to showing up in front of closed bank. There’s no indication that anyone in the WH is paying attention. It’s symbolic.
A closed bank building on a city street attracts attention of traffic and passersby.
Right now I’m listening to Democracy Now broadcast from this morning, waiting for Kevin Gosztola’s segment..
Robert Wilonsky: Occupy Dallas Sends a Mayor Mike, City Officials a Note: They’re Gonna Be Here a While
Eric Folkerth, Senior Pastor, Northaven United Methodist Church, Dallas TX: Spiritual Reflections on “Occupy Wall Street”
Occupy Dallas: Public Letter to City Officials
No reports of march at Bank of America yet.
Good morning, TD, and all you Firepups. And thanks to all the night owls who kept us up-to-date as we slept comfortably in our beds. You guys are all FABULOUS.
Marc Beja, AM New York: Video from protesters and cops plays big role at Occupy Wall Street
Good Morning, Freedom Plaza: Occupiers cleaning up DC
Kevin Zeese, October 2011: We Danced Waiting for the Police Who Never Came
Oakland Commune in Bay of Rage: Plaza – Riot – Commune
Peelskill candy store creates Occupy Wall Street diorama
Oakland Education Association Backs 4 p.m. City Hall ‘Occupy Oakland’ Rally Demanding Economic Justice
John Zaremba, Boston Herald: Tensions rising in ‘Occupied’ Hub
That lil’ diorama was fab. Too bad it wasn’t made of candy.
Here we go with the co-opting. DCCC feeding off #occupy. Fuckers need to be stopped in their tracks.
Someone tell DCCC.
Only the beginning. And not just the Dems. The Greens are making a play as well. And Ron Paul.
The DCCC is about to get caught in a bind as Democratic mayors have been the most aggressive about removing protesters. The poster child is San Francisco.
Democrats co-opting is particularly odious because if they’d been doing what they were elected to do, occupation would be unnecessary. Greens aren’t part of the duopoly.
Today’s show on democracynow.org with Amy Goodman -
Intro to Kevin Gosztola and Dorian Warren (professor at Columbia Univ) segment begins at 21:26.
Dorian Warren -
Dorian speaks about populism in the U.S. and the OWS movement is the 1st populist movement on the Left since the 1930′s. Later in the segment Dorian is very clear that he believes OWS has the potential to be a transformative movement for the U.S. if Progressive groups don’t try to take it over, and especially if Dems or GOP don’t try to take it over. Labor’s support in the form of people and resources is good, but unions likewise should not try to take over the movement. Dorian believes OWS is 1st anti-authoritarian populist movement. “We are in uncharted territory” with a 21st century movement, he said, including internet technology. Both Dem and GOP have contributed to making system corrupt and created conditions for movement. Dems especially should not try to co-opt the movement.
Kevin’s opening comments (beginning at 22:52) characterize the movement as people wanting to establish their own community, holding a space, and having a large vision to change the system for a better society overall. At 32:00 minutes in Kevin speaks about what he has seen/written about in occupations in Chicago, D.C., and Houston.
In Chicago, the police don’t allow protesters to stay in one place. OccupyDC at McPherson Square has 75-100 people sleeping overnight, but police wake them up each morning at 5 a.m.
On D.C., Kevin addressed what happened at the Air & Space Museum on Saturday and that an FDL diarist exposed conservative Patrick Howley/American Spectator as having infiltrated D.C.’s Occupy2011.org/Stop the Machine group and provoked security guards at the museum. Kevin pointed out that Howley said he was the only one who got in the doors of the musuem, but that’s not true. Occupy2011 protesters had gone in and unfurled a movement banner inside the musuem. Howley laid his hands on the guard and that is what provoked the pepper spray.
Kevin also noted that someone in D.C., he thinks it’s the Stop the Machine/October2011 folks, is calling for Occupy Congress to form — people from other cities’ occupations would come to Washington and form a People’s Congress.
Kevin clarified there are two occupations in D.C. — the Freedom Plaza/October2011/Stop the Machine group and OccupyDC at McPherson Square group. He said there is synergy. (good to note on a public broadcast; on the ground it is a cautious synergy, I think)
Kevin also commented that the movement is best represented as We are the 99%. Look for it on Tumblr. Here’s a link to the OccupyDC page:
http://occupywashdc.tumblr.com/
You start letting political parties co-opt it, regardless of how involved in the duopoly they have been, you will divide and lose people. It is way too early for any decision about political alignment. And different places might have different political alignments.
Democrats are in too deep at the federal, state, and local level to co-opt it. Just look at your own reaction and the reactions of the occupiers. They are quick to slam down Democrats. The behavior of Democratic mayors is not a trivial obstacle for all Democrats to overcome. They think that Richard J. Daley had the right approach in 1968. They will learn that this time is different.
No livestream up so it’s hard to determine what’s happening.
Now Cincy. Is there a coordinated effort?
Buenos dias, ya’ll. I’m catching up and looking for a video feed on Chicago.
Meanwhile,