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Occupy Wall Street marked its two-month anniversary with what organizers called a historic day of action. More than thirty thousand people turned out to rally in New York City and march across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Earlier in the day, Occupy Wall Street pushed the NYPD to fortify the area in and around the New York Stock Exchange as hundreds participated in nonviolent civil disobedience. The morning protests led many police in riot gear to commit acts of violence and forcefully arrest a number of people. And, by the time the day of action was over, around 300 people had been arrested.
Demonstrations also took place in cities like Los Angeles, Portland, and Dallas. In Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Washington, DC, actions were held on bridges to call attention to economic issues, such as the need for jobs and investment in infrastructure repair.
The protests were a top news item of the day and received a mention at the top of just about every news show broadcast on television. However, the focus of coverage centered on protesters “disrupting traffic” to get their message out. News anchors or pundits asked commentators to explain what the movement expected to accomplish with this tactic and whether it would turn off people, who might otherwise support the message.
This idea that Occupy was about “disrupting traffic” or, in the case of New York, shutting down Wall Street likely originated from a spokesperson with the New York Police Department. Most of the movement wants to march. It does not want to stop in one location and hold up traffic. It is the police who are unable or unwilling to keep moving the crowd, who create situations where protesters disrupt traffic.
In some instances, protesters do wish to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience and block traffic. Police can tell when that is the intention. The protesters will march into an area and sit down. If they do not do this, chances are they wish to keep moving or they are gathered around to watch a police force buildup unfold, which tends to happen once police no longer allow a group of demonstrators to keep moving.
The media fixated on supposed plans Occupy Wall Street had to shut down subways and shut down the Brooklyn Bridge. For example, CNN repeated this NYPD talking point multiple times. Anchors or commentators would say this and then go to an occupier, who would inform CNN this was not the plan at all. The plan was to educate and talk to New Yorkers on subway trains on the way to a demonstration in Foley Square. The plan was to use the pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge to march and not to disrupt traffic.
Bloomberg and NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly also told press seven cops had been injured by protesters. Bloomberg and Kelly’s press conference was pure propaganda aimed at defiling and defaming Occupy Wall Street. It wholly ignored the injuries to protesters during the day and the incidents of police violence, such as police dragging people by their hair or giving demonstrators concussions while hitting them with batons.
Tens of thousands of people turned out to exercise their right to peaceably assemble and voice their grievances with government. It clearly showed this movement is not going away any time soon. Whether occupations have encampments or not, regular demonstrations will be taking place from now until next year (at least).
Firedoglake’s live blog continues now. Here is a Twitter list to follow for updates on all things related to the Occupy movement. I will be on the road today from Occupy Boston to Occupy Portland (in Maine). I will be at the Portland occupation at 5:30 pm tonight.
10:23 PM A report from my visit to Occupy Maine in Portland: Very tense at the camp. This morning there was an incident of violence with a man hitting someone in the head with a hammer. I attended a General Assembly where a press statement was read. It was very strong and I will post it tomorrow here for people to read.
Shamus (sp?), a homeless person, had a very powerful and moving reaction to the incident. He said he has no place to go. The camp is his home. He lives here. If the police came crashing down on Occupy Maine tonight, he would have to go sleep in a doorway somewhere. He pleaded with occupiers to make sure an incident like what happened this morning does not happen again because the camp is all he has right now.
The anxiety among occupiers reflects the sort of emotion city governments are creating among occupations. Drug overdoses, veteran suicides, sexual assaults, violent incidents, etc, are all happening because occupations, though utopian in their vision, are not immune to society’s ills. These problems do not happen because the camps themselves are filled with thieves, rapists and vagrants. They happen because the state has failed to adequately provide social welfare to people, who are visiting these camps and seeking refuge. And, occupiers want to help but in many cases the baggage homeless people bring is too much to handle.
More from Occupy Maine tomorrow.
10:11 PM Screen grab from a video of police pepper spraying UC davis protesters
In the video, it looks like this riot cop is spraying Roundup on weeds. Actually, that isn’t a fair comparison. The stream of spray is much more constant and like water from a hose.
Here’s the video:
10:02 PM Portland Police Bureau release video of pepper spraying of young woman at yesterday’s day of action demonstration
4:47 PM American Library Association condemns the city’s seizure and destruction of the People’s Library at Occupy Wall Street:
The dissolution of a library is unacceptable. Libraries serve as the cornerstone of our democracy and must be safeguarded. An informed public constitutes the very foundation of a democracy, and libraries ensure that everyone has free access to information.
The very existence of the People’s Library demonstrates that libraries are an organic part of all communities. Libraries serve the needs of community members and preserve the record of community history. In the case of the People’s Library, this included irreplaceable records and material related to the occupation movement and the temporary community that it represented.
We support the librarians and volunteers of the Library Working Group as they re-establish the People’s Library.
But, the city of New York apparently does not. Police have been seizing or confiscating books from the People’s Library as it attempts to regenerate ever since the raid early in the morning on Tuesday.
4:39 PM Report and video from Adam Gabbatt of The Guardian on Oakland police beating the 2nd veteran that was injured in Occupy Oakland protests, Kayvan Sabehgi
4:20 PM I am now in Portland, Maine. There is actually some news to report on the occupation: City inspectors showed up to the camp on Thursday. They say they found some “issues.” The city isn’t sharing what these “issues” are until a list can be ready.
Also, apparently, in the last day or two, there was a hammer assault at the camp. A man has been charged by police.
4:16 PM RT video of OWS protester bleeding from the head after being hit by a baton
2:51 PM New York churches offering evicted Occupy Wall Street protesters shelter so they can continue to demonstrate regularly are now being spied on by the NYPD.
2:49 PM UPDATE—4:02 PM Someone with AFP made it so video of an AFP journalist getting arrested could not play here. So, go to YouTube and watch.
2:48 PM Muslims gather in lower Manhattan to pray and march with Occupy Wall Street protesters against a decade of NYPD spying on Muslim communities
2:37 PM ICYMI: Occupy London takes over UBS building, calls it “Bank of Ideas.” The Guardian further reports:
They plan to welcome artists and performers, use the space as a replacement for closed-down nurseries, community centres and youth clubs, and highlight government moves to criminalise squatting. UBS and the police seem prepared to leave them there for now, although a UBS spokeswoman did say the bank was taking “legal action” against them.
Follow The Guardian‘s live blog for the latest on Occupy London.
2:34 PM WaPo’s Greg Sargent reports on the SEIU and CWA’s plans for “Occupy Congress.” There is nothing up so far from Occupy Wall Street or Occupy DC or any other occupations on if this is something occupiers would like to do. Unions and progressive groups are proposing this initiative to target Republicans in Congress. They aim to occupy to help President Barack Obama get his agenda through Congress.
2:25 PM Video from Deutsche Welle shows Brookfield Properties security throwing an Occupy Wall Street protester over a barricade.
8:51 AM Not allowed to have tents on the grounds at UC Berkeley, Occupy Cal circumvents the restriction and floats the tents in the air. (via @OccupyColleges)
8:50 AM Occupy Memphis and Tea Party in Memphis sat down together last night and discussed common ground
8:48 AM 21 were arrested at an Occupy Las Vegas protest
8:26 AM Greenway, which owns Dewey Square where Occupy Boston is occupying, wants the encampment gone. They are urging Mayor Thomas Menino to evict the camp. Fortunately, there is a temporary restraining order in effect so technically the city should have to go to court to get an order to evict if they want the occupation removed.
8:24 AM Just one more example of the “professionalism” of the NYPD, which was on display yesterday.
8:23 AM Occupy Wall Street’s roundup on their day of action. They put the “historic day” into perspective.
329 Comments
Does anybody have links to accounts of how Occupy the Subways went? Pictures?
Hey Kevin, Have you seen this:
Occupy London takes over empty UBS bank
Protesters escalate demonstration with ‘public repossession’ a day after ignoring Corporation of London’s demand for them to leave St Paul’s
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2011/nov/18/occupy-london-takes-over-empty-ubs-bank-live
Occupy Atlanta: Courtland Street Bridge action #N17 arrests
Occupy Atlanta speakout 1
Occupy Atlanta speakout 2
Occupy Atlanta speakout 3
That video was so disturbing. Was this person resisting arrest? Or were the cops being brutal out of control sadists? again…
It seems that every time the cops clamp down the OWE rebounds stronger…
Huh? Sales taxes? The gov operated for more than 120 years taxing the poor but not the rich. Is this a plan?
Glenn Greenwald gives Kevin and FDL gracious kudos.
Thanks for your spectacular work, Kevin! One quibble: I wouldn’t say that the morning protests “led” riot cops to commit acts of violence. That puts the onus where it doesn’t belong. But I’m impressed you’re able to write at all after all your exertions.
Boycott black friday.
Anyone can do it from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
The Big Boy$ will pee their pants.
Kevin I was at the St. Louis march yesterday. Around 12 people were arrested as they sat down at the Martin Luther King bridge. It was a peaceful march and I will post a diary on Monday with pics and video. There were around 750 marchers. Pretty good for St. Louis obviously not enough but were are getting there.
Many, many people become cops to give themselves a way to hurt people without being held responsible.
Any cop that denies that is true, is delusional or lying. They know their peers, but due to the “us verses everyone else” culture they are not going to do anything about the bad ones.
I suppose everyone has seen the pic over at Digby’s place of the anonymous helmeted police crushing in on the demonstrators. It reminds me nothing so much as Goya’s 3 May 1808. It’s iconic.
It was so impressive how the day’s activities gained momentum – particularly as the radio ‘progressives’ did their best to block and impugn – Randi Rhodes was particularly offensive to one caller that I happened to catch. Amy did a great job focussing on the Occupies for the day, with interviews that were really on topic.
Since Ms. Rhodes critique was that the movement is disorganized and has no leadership and no focus, it was particularly telling that the crowds grew and grew and were focused and following the important dictate of the people to be peaceable, to show intent of that nature, nonviolent and as nondisruptive to the general flow of traffic as the police would allow them to be. That was evident. For such huge numbers of people to have a single intent like that is mighty impressive.
I also love how the courts are getting involved in confrontations with mayoral policy. This can have a huge effect and will only increase that as obviously the movement is becoming sophisticated by leaps and bounds in the ways to work, if not within the system, at least with the system.
Occupiers, Randi Rhodes is not your friend. The jury is out on Thom Hartmann as he was absent from the podium yesterday. But Randi used her claws, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. I am so glad you proved her wrong, even as she was spitting out her venom.
OUtstanding, and SO well deserved! Thanks for posting that!
Occupy Atlanta Speakout: Education
Occupy Atlanta Speakout: Apathy
Occupy Atlanta Speakout: What about Penn State
Occupy Atlanta Speakout: On Being Cold, Hungry, and Broke
Occupy Atlanta Speakout: (Un)Representative Government
Occupy Atlanta pickets Verizon Wireless
Occupy Atlanta: Ed Barlow, CWA: Why we protest Verizon Wireless
Occupy Atlanta mic checks Home Depot
Occupy Atlanta: Ben Speight on History and Home Depot
What’s behind this ridiculous new Obama offensive against China (as if the economies of our two countries weren’t now symbiotically joined)? This is the absolute last thing we need. Is O trying to divert attention from Occupy? That doesn’t strike me as a full explanation. What gives?
It amazes me that nobody in the media will point out all the planning and logistical work used to get these great teams of Riot and Military Clad, “Peace Officers” with their vehicles situated at these sites.
Our Government and the Bankstas still allow foreclosures and jobs to disappear. They don’t care if people are left to live in the Streets. They just don’t want the living to happen at Wall Street or in front of State Houses!
Truly MASSIVE and HISTORIC!
Exactly!
We have to stop giving them our money. If you must gift, then gift a locally hand made item, or make it yourself!
Occupy Wall Street 99% Spotlight Signal #N17 #OWS #OccupyEverything
I hope the leaders of OWS nationwide run for House & Senate as progressive independents in the next election. They have shown that they are peaceful, good organizers and visionaries, they know what changes this country needs, and their views are supported by the sane majority in the country. They will make effective legislators, much better than many of the morons (or ‘morans’ according to Tea Baggers) who are reactionary obstructionists at best, lazy & corrupt otherwise, now supposedly “serving” the people!
The New York and LA movements (in particular) should considered staging large demonstrations at the television networks that are responsible for perpetuating the multifarious, fictitious memes. When the Esteemed News Infotainers pose their idiotic questions, the spokespeople need to be well-informed and succinct – so much so, in fact, that it makes it very difficult for the Infotainers to do the usual editing hatchet job.
Did we win? What percentage of wealth does the bottom 99% have today???
Kevin,
It can not be said often enough, or loud enough, your work has been stellar and much appreciated. Thank you.
That was a great article by Glenn
And get swamped with billions of dollars of negative advertising. Until the political culture and means of political communication are changed, electoral politics is irrelevant. Which is why co-option of the movement by any electoral faction–Democrats, Ron Paul, traditional lefties, anarchists, pro-Obama, anti-Obama–kills the possibility of real change.
The big job is changing the political culture and means of communication (cutting out the influence of one-way mass media). Thinking this hard struggle can be shortcutted through premature diversion into electoral politics is a huge and frequent mistake.
The real action is in your local general assembly. It is boring, hard, frustrating, and a whole lot of other adjectives — but it is where the way out of this political cul-de-sac can be built.
Indeed!
He deserves all the Journalist awards there are. This Man is certainly tired, but he has brought the real news to people that never would have had it.
FWIW If you want to watch the St. Louis march it is here.
Only buy from local mom and pop type shops. There are a lot of great people who run lil biznesses who will be put out of biz from a total boycott.
I hope, REALLY HOPE, this is just he beginning. I am, however, concerned over the police behavior. I was involved in the anti-war protests in the 60′s. I am having “deja vu” all over again. They arrested 13 here in Houston yesterday afternoon. And some of it was not pretty.
I am disappointed in how the local media covered it. They reported this like it was a bunch a “crazy” people protesting over “nothing”.
I knew they were not trying to shut down the subway, but I thought a goal was to shut down Wall Street. My sense was that, if the opening of the market had been delayed, a lot of protesters would have considered that a victory. And I would have agreed with them.
Change takes time. Let’s all remember the “motto” of the Stepehn Colbert PAC, “Making a better tomorrow tomorrow.” Remember, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a trip to the bathroom.
I like “Boycott Black Friday”
I was thinking about it recently and “what if the word goes out and not many people do it…it’d be a failure that the MSM would ridicule” but now I’m thinking “Who the fuck cares what the MSM opines, it’s mostly lies anyway, and if one, just ONE person sees a sign “Boycott Black Friday” and does so, it’s a success!!” And if that one mentions it to their visiting fam, it might turn into two people who would rather get a good night’s sleep after eating turkey, rather than going to Target at 10pm (yes, on T-Day)to get that musthave Cabbage Patch doll, or ipad or whatever the musthave gift2011 is.
Full disclosure: I’m so broke, I’m having fun of the challenge of finding good shit at the second hand store, and am going to make wool mittens from boiled wool secondhand sweaters, lined with lovely paisley flannel cut from a 100% cotton comforter cover I just found yesterday at Goodwill. Time from being unemployed isn’t all about feeling demoralized and depressed. I occasionally dust off my ’09 Master’s degree and wish for better days.
I’d like to “third” that. Sometime in the future, many may compare Kevin to Paul Revere, or Frances Marion, the “swamp fox”.
If the biggest single shopping day of the year is a bust they will feel it BIG TIME.
Yep.
In my area there are only a few individually owned book stores. Some new and used stores are still operating, but for the most part it has been the large conglomerates. We have one Men’s shop left in town with no Ladies or shoe stores left at all.
I saw something yesterday that said if these Trade Packs completely go through that the New Balance Shoe Factory in NE will close and offshore. That really bothers me, as I went on a hunt four years ago to find shoes made in the USA.
It is really difficult to “shut down” Wall street. Trades are all electronic these days. And I read somewhere that things got off to a slow start because of the protest, but the opening bell wasn’t delayed (it probably is electronic too).
It is my understanding that they did Delay the Opening of the Exchange 15 minutes. I still think it was a success. Just look at the troops of coppers there!
I trust that OWS will come up with an appropriate next step for action. So far their dicisions have been very good.
I think that was misinformation. I read that too, but it was later debunked, I think. There also was misunderstanding of when the “bell” rings. It is 9:30 a.m. on the NYSE.
SHARON!
You, Go! That is the spirit. Anything you can do to keep from supporting the destruction of our economy the better.
Heck, many people would much rather have something hand made and thoughtful than a piece of plastic crap anyway.
I was responding to the implication that shutting down Wall Street was not a goal of protesters but something the police said. I thought it was a goal. These responses seem to indicate that, for some, it was. I think that is a good thing.
Oh, okay. Sorry. No, I did not mean they delay the opening bell. They delayed the people from getting into the building by 15 min.
I am headed downstairs to my sewing machine in about 5 minutes, with today’s project making burp cloths for a baby due next week. Flannel scraps, ribbon, and prefolded cloth diapers (unfortunately purchased at a real store).
You, Go!
Hey, will you have time to edit the “Patriotic Progressive” for me after the Holiday?
Oh, that may have been true. I just remember someone commenting with a misunderstanding of the time of the opening bell, and lots of jubilation that it had been delayed, and then later the person was corrected. There may well have been delays in other things because of the protests.
I’m still hoping to read about Occupy the Subway and what effect it had. That wonderful artuculate 84-year-old woman who was pepper-sprayed sure educated a bunch of bus riders!
Sure, anytime. Just ping me when you’re ready.
She certainly did! That was outreach of the greatest proportion!
I will ping ya when I get it ready and thanks.
The preceeding post indicated that the problem with the economy is people aren’t spending money.
How can “Boycott Black Friday” be the answer?
Woman Shows Court Order to NYPD, Gets Punched in Face. #occuppywallstreet
Big Conglomerates measure their yearly success by the largest buying day of the year. If they do not get the sales they expect then they start to look at why and lobby DC to change whatever it is that is causing them to lose $’s.
Keep the faith, Sharon! I know all too well the demoralization one feels when you get the degrees and certifications to no avail (at least anymore. Add that to companies that promised you employment until retirement, GE in my case.
After a project, you are terminated (Thanks, Jack Welch) Then one learns they are “Over-specialized” or “Over-qualified” when they look for work afterwards.
As an aside, great hats can be constructed from old sweaters as well-I have a great example of one made by a friend.
Or more likely, they lay off sales people.
Yea, we win!
They do that every year after the Holidays anyway.
Denis C. Theriault, Portland Mercury: The Moment When the Police Lost the Occupy Portland Narrative
Clip from OWS-NY:
hope they screen money masters so people can see how long they have been lied to and cheated
OWS-NY in about 20 minutes:
Would that be The Money Masters?
The Money Masters – Full
My comment is not about Occupy but about the bigotry against Seattle reflected in this article. Seattle is #15 in population for greater metropolitan area while Portland is #23. Seattle has major league football teams and baseball teams. Portland doesn’t. Seattle is considered the premier U.S. Pacific Northwest city by those who live in the region while Portland, while a loved and adored city, is considered the second city. Like Boston to New York City. Seattle has been the source of major influences on our culture in music and lifestyle. Seattle’s recent Occupy Movement has had important impact on the national Movement, especially with the pepper spraying of Dorli Rainey and her remarkable extended testimony on Count Down.
Yet this article states, “Demonstrations also took place in cities like Los Angeles, Portland, and Dallas. In Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Washington, DC, actions were held on bridges to call attention to economic issues, such as the need for jobs and investment in infrastructure repair.”
Why does it ignore Seattle? This is not just something unique to this article. For some reason it is a consistent pattern in reporting to ignore Seattle as if Washington State were the black sheep state to be quietly ignored. Why? I have no problem with Portland getting press. Portland should get press. But it makes no sense to give Portland press and ignore Seattle, the jewel of the Pacific Northwest and a city whose Occupy Movement has been vital and impactful.
Are we just too far away from where the elites live for them to notice us? What’s most frustrating is to see Seattle and Western Washington totally ignored too often in national weather reports.
Wow. That says it all. “Petty and selective law enforcement for thee, no law for me. I am the State.” Disgusting, but that’s where we are.
I don’t think there is any intentional case of not mentioning Seattle in the article. There has been plenty of coverage from Kevin, from TarHeel, YellowSnapDragon, MzChief, and others here.
Hey, there is an Occupation going on at the National Headquarters of Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. They are rarely mentioned and never mentioned in the MSM! That does not reflect on their substance or effects.
Occupy Columbia
It didn’t stop the eviction, but still:
Police chief and city manager refused police assistance with eviction ordered by Governor Haley
http://www.thestate.com/2011/11/18/2050562/arrests-were-illegal-critics-say.html#disqus_thread
Rule of law. Refreshing.
Yep. That crazy man, er, one of those crazies named Cain got Secret Service coverage yesterday. We get to pay for that too. Yet, nobody is making sure our rights and privacy are not trampled upon.
My heart swelled when I saw that. Teahadist Haley got it handed to her in a bad way.
With respect to Boycott Black Friday, we should think of something positive to call the day instead. My daughter told me last night about a wonderful story (true) she and her five year old are writing to be a Christmas present for the family. That got me thinking, what could I write? Well I could do one on the Occupy movement from a child’s perspective gleaned from all the wonderful posts here – Nana watching the Movement. So, I’m going to do that.
The mittens from Goodwill are such a great idea too – maybe it could be something like Rainbow Quilting Friday instead, or just Occupy Friday. Wonderful idea to buy materials at thrift stores for projects. That’s like shifting money from banks to credit unions, same impulse!
Check his comment history. He’s not arguing in good faith, and never does.
Earlier this week, the Occupiers of Columbia Tweeted that Governor Nikki spent $127,000 to go on a trip in September to the Paris (France, not Texas) Air Show while the total cost for Occupy-related costs was $17K.
Wasn’t….uh, scroll, scroll, scroll!
It’s the availability of reports out of the city, not the importance of the city. In that respect Seattle was either under-(self)reported in comparison to other cities.
And until yesterday’s events in Portland, Seattle was the this week’s poster-child for progressive-city police brutality–bike kettling and pepper-spraying a penned-in crowd including an 84-year-old lady. By comparison, unless you have other information that you can post, Occupy Seattle information consisted of marching to a bridge as part of a labor union action in support of infrastructure. An important event that was in the comments yesterday.
Also yesterday, there were a half dozen or so people protesting in the public square of Provo, Utah. A dozen protesting in a park in Huntsville, Alabama. A pre-emptive police raid on Occupy Dallas. And the start of the occupation of several places.
Yes, the 1% are in charge of our consumer driven economy, stop consuming and we will get their rapt attention.
The mayor of Columbia also weighed in.
Occupy Columbia made lots of friends in standing up for small downtown businesses and demonstrating against a public/private development deal to put a WalMart across from the State House.
The immediate motive for the eviction was the lighting of the State Christmas Tree. The long-term motive was having protesters away from candidates in the SC primary. Think of the terror that mic-checking has for politicians used to totally controlling their message to the public.
There fixed it for you:
Did OWS really want to “shut down Wall Street”?
Kevin, you write, “This idea that Occupy was about “disrupting traffic” or, in the case of New York, shutting down Wall Street likely originated from a spokesperson with the New York Police Department.”
But if you look at the Nov. 16 posting on the protest at the Occupy Wall Street website, it specifically says (bold in original):
The poster for the event also says across the tops, “Mass non-violent Direct Action! Shut Down Wall Street – Occupy the Subways – Take the Square”
I’d note the definition of “shut down Wall Street” sounds innocent enough (“confront Wall Street with the stories of people…”), but the language “shut down” also sounds clear enough.
It is precisely this kind of double message that confuses people, and represents political confusion and/or struggle within the movement as to tactics and overall strategic outlook. Most commenters don’t note any of this, as they have polarized into for OWS or against it, and do not stand back and look critically but sympathetically at the movement
Speaking of Seattle, former police chief during the 1999 WTO battle has a great article up about the disastrous use of paramilitary policing.
Go Seattle–and let us hear more from you.
Thank you.
Thank you for the insightful correction. Capitalist make money with money which is why labor comes before capital. What if labor was self financing? We could get all the pension funds and 401k investments to finance infrastructure repairs and then we could charge the Capitalists for landing their GS5′s on our renovated runways and to drive their Maybachs on our repaved roads?
That looks a little like Pink Floyd’s Animals album cover (which if course was based on Orwell’s Animal Farm).
I don’t think you are in the “we” camp.
Jeff,
Thank you for that perspective. I miss your posts. It is that exact perspective and others that we need. Please show us more of your work as well.
I admit that I’ve been confused about the goals of the actions — does occupy the B Bridge mean march on the traffic lanes of the bridge (ack! this is a really unpopular tactic in the SF Bay Area), or walk on the walkways (for what real purpose)? Same with occupy the subway.
However, shut down Wall Street I *always* took to mean disrupt trading rather literally shutting down traffic on Wall Street.
Yes, isn’t mic-check becoming a powerful protest form? Even if the protesters don’t get to finish what they had to say, or if there’s an attempt to drown them out, it’s exactly clear what’s happening. It seems to send so many messages beyond the words.
Tree guy in Oakland about to be evicted:
I noticed yesterday that some of the usual day time hosts on progressive radio where missing yesterday, I’m thinking they might be getting their new marching orders.
That’s okay, msmolly – cloth diapers! Boycott disposable diapers! (I had a big family way back when – only used cloth diapers, very proud of doing so.) The environment will hug you for that!
That is an excellent point.
What Occupy Wall Street New York City does strategically does not determine an overarching strategy of a very diverse movement. The common message of the movement is that the struggle isn’t left-right, it’s top-bottom. Anyone who is concerned about the 99% in that struggle is in the movement. Those who choose to participate in figuring out how to deal with the issues that need to be deal with meet in general assemblies to sort out the issues and determine practical strategies of economic, political, and cultural engagement to grow the movement to the point that a global consensus can be reached. That means that confusion and struggle are features, not a bugs.
Separate that out from the ambiguity in the announcement.
Consider these announcements that caused massive state paranoia and brought disproportionate police force and significant instances of police brutality:
“Levitate the Pentagon”
“Put LSD in Chicago’s Water Supply”
“Shut Down Wall Street”
“Occupy the Subways”
“Take the Square”
“Retake the Brooklyn Bridge”
All of those demonstrate that the state and its police are no longer rational actors in defending the privileged. This fact cannot be lost on the folks carrying out the orders. Especially in a persistent sustained campaign of nonviolent resistance. And it is definitely not lost on the public as long as the protesters make their case and are meticulously nonviolent.
So on that score, yesterday was yet another win for Occupy Wall Street.
So, what would have happened if the NYPD hadn’t tried to disrupt the protests? Likely this:
In the morning, the protesters would have occupied all of the streets around the New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street itself, preventing many workers and executives from getting work and forcing executives to work from their limousines until they could work from home.
Those folks who did make it to work would see circles of protesters at every intersection, using the people’s mic to broadcast individual witness to their experiences as being part of the 99%. For three hours, folks on Wall Street would have to hear from ordinary people affected by their actions. Even through the double- or triple-paned windows.
At noon there would have been a mass rally at Liberty Park for lunch and gathering for a major march up Broadway and to Union Square, where students who walked out of class because of education budget cuts and tuition increases would join them mid-afternoon. Along with people from the neighborhoods who conducted brief mic-check explanations of Occupy Wall Street at major subway hubs.
Then there would be a more massive march down Broadway to Foley Square where they would be joined at the end of the work day by labor unions and other workers for a rally before crossing the Brooklyn Bridge for a monstrous general assembly in Brooklyn.
No doubt, police informants reported most of this scenario to NYPD. Essentially a major parade permit sort of situation. So now, add the fear of “anarchists” and “terrorists’ and the desire not to inconvenience the 1%. And you get a NYPD pre-emptive strategy off evicting the tents from Zucotti Park and acting to create a narrative “violent situation” with “police in riot gear” in the morning in order to suppress participation.
What is impressive is how much of this series of tactics actually took place in spite of the NYPD counterstrategy. Turning out 36,000 people is no small accomplishment in the midst of the propaganda and intimidation that Michael Bloomberg unleashed. (and that doesn’t count the large number of police who turned out).
If that’s tactical confusion, let’s have some more tactical confusion.
Years ago, I wanted to make a set of puppets for my nephews: King, Queen, Princess, Jester, and Frog. The remnants at JoAnn Fabrics (the only fabric store available) didn’t have much selection and I was on a budget. I raided the secondhand stores, and my puppets were phenominal with velvets and satins and sheer fabric. I think I had more fun making them than my nephews had playing with them!
Thom’s still missing today – and the interesting thing is, usually when that happens there’s an explanation. No explanation today or yesterday that I heard.
Clarification of many things is the gift we are getting, amigo.
That’s the best we can do right now to keep the narrative “fair and balanced” lol, but I agree that we need to retain awareness of the difference between reality and propaganda.
Wow, great idea! Along with my ‘occupy’ story I think I’ll make handpuppets. Already can’t wait to have one of Mayor Bloomberg – think I’ll call him Mayor Bloomy in my story. So far got the tents going up in the air, people’s microphone, police disrupting traffic. Horses. Kettling. I have plenty of old sweaters crying out to be used for something…Nana with her laptop…Kevin with his supplies! Dump trucks! books! And then yesterday’s triumphant marches (and they stayed on the sidewalks of the bridge, that’s very important to kids.)
[Gonna make mine a poem I think.]
Occupying the Brooklyn Bridge has several things going on. It shows how large your group actually is. The PBA occupied the Brooklyn Bridge with 10,000 cops in a labor dispute with NYC some years ago. Filling the bridge from end to end is an indication of the size of support.
Yesterday was a labor union day of bridge actions to highlight the need for infrastructure repair and jobs. This aspect is where the coalition with labor came in.
And the news of actually occupying the Brooklyn Bridge is a bookend with the “failed” attempt on October 15 in which 700 folks were arrested on the roadway. And made sure that police or nitwit provocateurs didn’t lead people who hadn’t deliberately decided on civil disobedience to be arrested.
And the projection on the Verizon building was a shout out to the CWA.
The best tactics do a number of things.
And it slowed vehicle traffic without being on the roadway. Especially when some supporters in cars stopped their cars on the bridge.
Occupy Columbia
Noelle Phillips, The State: ‘Occupy’ arrests were illegal, critics say
I just saw the video of Kevin’s trip to Occupy Madison. The gentleman (who is actually from Chicago) talked about the wonderful diversity of folks there who otherwise might be at each others’ throats but are all together in their camp getting along. Somewhere else I read of homeless people gaining dignity and the kitchen tent was the #1 place: all people could go to cook, clean, and be helpful. I find it funny that people talk about people being lazy and not wanting to work when it’s the lack of labor that people find so discouraging. I hope your story talks about the kitchen tent. I’ve always found sharing food is so hearwarming.
Other bridge occupations to draw attention to deteriorating infrastructure *and* joblessness were more effective for messaging, IMO. However, I can’t argue with demonstrating size by taking the bridge…although as a West Coaster, I’ve no idea how many peeps can fit on the BBridge.
Occupy Atlanta has a good relationship with homeless people–so much so that they are currently occupying the 4th floor of a homeless shelter they helped save from a real estate deal.
lol. Ya mean sockpuppets? Oh, man…I’d *pay* for a sockpuppet Bloomberg and a lot of other infamous characters.
This just in…
Love this comment, maybe that shining city on the hill that Reagan preached about is being populated right now with OWS supporters. As a group we seem to be people who embody the best of Human traits and accepting of the frailties and foibles of us all.
“As a group we seem to be people who embody the best of Human traits and accepting of the frailties and foibles of us all.” Indeed. Better stop that shit right now. /s
It’s about a mile long – 1760 yards. How many people does it take to fill a yard, standing side-by-side? Maybe 2. Maybe 3 lined up behind one another like trying to get into a cultural event. So, with 3 per yard you have 5280. And 36,000 requires 7 folks wide. Actually folks were 10 to 12 or so wide with gaps, not packed tightly. If they had been allowed by NYPD to stop, stand, and light a flashlight, it would have been an impressive display.
This is the sort of math that folks have to do in planning whether to walk on sidewalks or try to take streets, for example. How tight do you have to be for safety from small groups being picked of, how many have to be there for visual effect, and how many have to be there to deter arrest.
You know, it’s odd reading the comments of the form “when will the mayor get a spine and flush these vermin out” on various newspaper articles. There seems to be a distinct preoccupation with the use of firehoses. That seems so last century.
The projector thing is great.
Also this week’s new slogan “We are unstoppable, another world is possible.”
Video of Bham GA rep speaking. He’s making some explosive claims like police dogs used on children and protesters “disappearing” amid media blackout.
Report on Committee Meeting and Occupy Springfield IL response
Firehoses satisfy two desires of the conservative mind. Firehoses wash the unwashed vermin while simultaneously flushing them out.
I still cannot get over the video of Journalist Faith Laugier getting arrested.
Just a plain act of evil.
OT Are you free of MFG
You talking about those Firemen that the Con-selfservatives want to lay off and get rid of?
link?
Self-servatives. Hehehe.
Kevin had it up yesterday or last night. I saw it. True evil.
Here you go.
Tarheel, you once again make a post that I feel compelled to respond to. I am getting to be a very bad lurker, indeed. I have noted over the past few weeks, a video documented trend for the “hooligans in blue” to be especially nasty and aggressive towards those demonstrators of the female variety. I am also recalling, in my musings, the incidents of reports from those in Tarir Square, of women being not only likely to have the snot beat out of them, but also reports of sexual assaults, if memory serves. Is this blatant misogyny? Or perhaps a tool in order to evoke a violent response from those around her of the male variety? These actions are really sickening to watch, regardless of gender. But the propensity for females, to receive the first blows … leaves me wondering.
No offense, but 3 people per yard is WAY too close for me.
Oh! Did you enjoy the movie last night?
Do you have a personal aversion to being ‘nuts to butts’ with other folks?
Just poked my mind’s eye out. Thank you very much.
Kevin, your work has been exemplary. As well as your stamina. I have been wondering how many showed up. The images portrayed a “massive crowd” to my eyes. Yet, there is little mention of it. Yours is the first I have seen. No wonder they are not reporting it. Thank you for efforts that are keeping me so well informed.
Am I being cynical thinking that this is a story manufactures specifically to change the subject from Occupy?
Oh…that’s video of the journalist arrested with press pass clearly showing in the still photograph! Totally missed it. Thnx.
Yes, they are. It is traditional warfare tactics to do that. The Congo rapes along with torture and rape all over the world have been noted for that warfare practice. The movie, Deliverance highlighted male rape as a punishment/war tactic.
Er…what are we talking about? I’m a lil slow this morning.
That is Kenneth Lipp, whose tweets we have been following since Occupy Wall Street began. He made a bit of a ramble through time, drawing parallels between what Bloomberg is doing in NYC and what Bull Connor did in Birmingham during the Civil Rights era. The police dogs n children was a reference to Birmingham in 1963.
He does this in announcing an individual action, a pilgrimage really, of retracing the routes that the marches during the Civil Rights movement took around Birmingham.
He also mentions that a friend was picked up by the NYPD during some Occupy Wall Street action and who hasn’t been heard from since, although he thinks they will eventually hear from him.
And he talks about the communications blackout around Zucotti Park, which he attributes to the sensitivity of its location relative to Ground Zero.
Finally, he describes the way that the developed world uses the rest of a world “as a toilet for greed”.
Nothing “explosive”, just a guy profoundly worried about the state of the world. And who has figured an action to speak out in a very difficult environment. And inviting others in Occupy Birmingham to join his pilgrimage.
Stop lurking and do more comments like this one. That’s a very good analysis. There is a cultural element in who self-selects to become NYPD no doubt. But the tactical element is a good insight, given that the guy with flag is who provoked their anger with his toying with them. The world does not exclude multiple explanations.
GOOD NIGHT, CHARLIE BROWN!
So sorry. I’m the one that is fuzzy today. It was Kris that I talked with last night. My apologies.
Okay, I noticed that the movie, “V for Vendetta” was on and mentioned it. It was very late here on the East Coast, but I stayed up to watch anyway.
Yeah, I’m the sleepy brain today.
That was Kenneth Lipp!?!! His twitter avatar is so Rebel Without a Cause and his real person is a lil Hip Hop.
Huh. I swear I hear that the children/dogs was at OWS, but I may have supposed it to be after seeing pictures of kids behind police barricades yesterday, which are *still* disturbing me today. I found it explosive to use the word “disappeared” even if he softened it with but of course we’ll hear from them again.
If you know folks active in the religious left, have them check out these resources:
Interfaith Worker Justice
Interfaith Alliance: State of Belief (Welton Gaddy)
University Temple United Methodist Church, Seattle
“War tactics”… interesting. War on drugs… War on crime … War on poverty.
OWS-NY will host a class today on, “Direct Democracy”.
I’m thinking we should familiarize ourselves with the principles or outline of the subject.
According to the notes on the YouTube, it was. And he had put up some YouTubes when he was at Zucotti Park in the early days with Citizens Radio of someone who looks like that guy, complete to the ballcap.
Kevin just tweeted this guy getting thrown over the barricades at ZPark by Brookfield security peeps.
Yep. Looking for links to help you I ran across this post of Today! I’m a little put off by Huff. Post, but have nothing against some of the contributors:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-newcomb/libya-women-rape_b_843156.html
I’m disappointed because I imagined him as a James Dean lookalike. Damn.
I love the principles of direct democracy… cannot envision how we could get there from here. Yet, with enough people learning about it, perhaps ways will “appear”. Congress has a fabulous approval rating of 9% these days. IMHO, they are the problem. Direct democracy would address that problem, as I understand it.
Mouth Dropped Open!
Those are just a group of Brookfield hired security hands. I see a major lawsuit coming up on that. Tossing him over the fencing like a piece of garbage!
As a matter of fact, no. Latest news is that BFG will return 60% of my client’s money soon, as for the rest, maybe never. That means, practically speaking, I won’t be able to trade for that client anymore, because there won’t be enough money there to meet the margin requirements for futures trading. Plus, he’s scared shitless now, and who can blame him? So, you can probably imagine my state of mind WRT that. I have been directing trades for a buddy since the MFG shutdown, and have done three trades so far based on that market call I originally shared with you. We’ve cleared $7,600 on those trades, basically $2,500 pr trade, but that’s much less than if I was trading for my client, because my friend can’t trade futures, and that’s where the big leverage is. Also, instead of getting 40% of all profits, with my friend I just get, essentially, tip money. A few hundred dollars. Something’s gotta happen for me, because I can’t really live like this for very long.
LOL. That’s a keeper. “Self-servatives.” Says it all.
Smart messaging by Banksters against OWS. Good way to divide the 99%.
Occupy Nashville mic-checks Donald Rumsfeld
First hurdle is to re-awken people to the very idea that they can and should have a voice that gets heard and listened to.
This should stir up a little media discussion:
Occupy Delaware flyer inviting participation of unemployed
Handing them out at employment offices.
WHOOP!
I hope they will be discussing Co-Ops and Worker Owned business models.
Meh. Not my favorite OWS song, or my fave 3rd eye blind song.
Bank of America announced layoffs of about this same size back in the summer. No doubt banks will try to spin this as the result of Occupy Wall Street at the same time that they argue that Occupy Wall Street is not having any effect on them.
There are two counter-arguments, cutting from the top could preserve some of those jobs. And not spending so much to buy the politicians to protect the banks from accountability could preserve more of them. There is maybe as much as a couple of billion in those two expenditures. And $2B works out to 40,000 BSS (BackEast standard) jobs of $50K.
Targeting women is a useful tool ESPECIALLY when confronting non-violent movements. If the oppressors can cause some of the protestors to rise up in a chivalrous defense, it will allow them to paint the movement as a violent group and justify preemptive action to shut it down.
That is of course made easier with a complicit media. And, as we have seen, made harder for the oppressors by the work of non-WSM journalists such as Kevin and the army of video-equipped protestors capturing unprovoked violence from the police. How many times has the NYPD spokesman Paul Browne had to walk back statements he made about “justified and necessary force”? The guy needs a sashimono emblazoned with the words “I’m going to regret saying this.”
And as TD pointed out, there can be multiple motivations.
I agree. This actually “backs” OWS stances.
Yep. That is what terrifies the bankers more than 36,000 protesters in the streets. A rapid increase in co-op and worker-owned businesses that are competitive with capitalist enterprises.
There however is a catch. In order to enjoy all the corporate tax-break bennies, you have to incorporate as a separate person or risk predatory suits against a partnership. Even co-op forms require some primary officer to sign stuff. Which evolves into a de facto leadership with all its temptations to the ego.
I loved her, and remember where I was when I heard it on the car radio in 1981 so yeah, I have the same thought as you.
But doesn’t it also, include a bit of “humiliation” factor as well, because of the impotence of the males around her to do anything about it? A way, perhaps not just to anger, but to demoralize? And should they move into a violent reaction, all the better. I am still amazed at how nonviolent the young men, in the videos I have watched, have remained. But am saying this as one who has fallen in love with the OWS, and all the satellite occupiers.
KEVIN – Your 2:49 video embed now reads, when I hit play, “This video contains content which has been blocked on AFP”.
In general, yes, and given the questionable hygienics of persons who sleep in parks, definitely.
I’m thinking that OWS forcing 75,000 layoffs from the poor maligned banks who’s only wish is to employ people will rule the battle of messaging. Fortunately, I’m always wrong on predictions.
I wouldn’t discount that as a possible motivation. But if history is any guide it indicates that violence against women provokes a vigorous reaction from men, more so than a demoralized one.
Either way, it serves the oppressor’s purpose.
The dedication and adherence to non-violence is a wonder to behold. I am far less familiar with Indian history than I would like, so I do not know if OWS has been practicing satyagraha as opposed to civil disobedience, but even if they haven’t I still think Gandhi would be proud of them.
Hmm, someone with AFP didn’t like the fact that we embedded it here. Updated the blog.
SHARON OTTERMAN, New York Times: Even in Churches, Wall Street Protesters Can’t Escape Watch of Police
Uh-huh.
Lomi Kriel, Miami Herald: Occupy Miami protesters march as part of nationwide “day of action”
Occupy Austin March – #N17
Ben Cohen (Ben&Jerry’s) at Occupy Atlanta
The Onion: Bank Executives On 15th Floor Gambling On Which Occupy Wall Street Protester Will Be Arrested Next
Jacob Katel, Miami New Times: Occupy Miami’s March On Brickell In Pictures
Dan Horn, Cincinnati.com: First Occupy Cincinnati cases dismissed
Occupy Spamtown (Austin MN) Faces New Restrictions
From “Wells Fargo and other Wall Street Firms Help Drive Criminal Justice Polices while Profiting from Prison Privatization” (PrisonAfterShock.Com, by forrest_hill, Nov. 9, 2011; my bold):
Be sure to read about Pennsylvania’s “Kids for Cash” kickback operation and the 2009 court decision against two judges involved in the scheme in “Unholy Alliance: How the private prison industry is corrupting our democracy and promoting mass incarceration” by PICO National Network and Public Campaign published on Nov. 15, 2011.
So I can see why incredible stinking, shrinking Bank of America’s recent announcement could be seen as follows:
Justin Schiess, Ball State University Daily News: Occupy Muncie raises money for winter
Except the 30,000 who were laid off weren’t the welfare queens. The welfare queens still run the place.
I think exactly this is the beginning of something new – a “not-commodified” economy. Boycotting multinationals or any corp that won’t pay taxes, and buying/bartering directly with the craftsperson/farmer/baker/woodchopper/fisherman. Back to the future, indeed.
I have no sympathy for those who insist on being “Good Germans.” This will and does have a mitigating effect on the reach and activities of the 1%.
Who do you serve? Who do you protect?
I’m waiting to be able to barter with my computer manufacturer who will barter with the chip fabricator and board manufacturer who will barter with the plastics maker and solder make and printed circuit board fabrication machine maker who will…
Or with the broadband co-op who will barter with the fiber optic cable maker and IP switch manufacturer…
I’m worried that the ability to communicate globally to coordinate the new world might contradict the buy local trend. Which means that I would be hoeing under my garden or in my craftshop instead of commenting on a blog that is seen globally.
It mostly hinders their retail branch banking and call center activities. And all of us have been “good Germans” to one extent or another. I find fault only with those who clearly understand they are in the 99% steadfastly act like they are in the 1%. The rot at the top is not apparent at the bottom except as mid-level managers fail to shield it.
But the issue you raise is a good one because one the things that immoral top-down systems do is a form of initiation through moral entrapment. The most graphic example of that technique was how Joseph Stalin conducted the first purges of the top party leadership. He asked them to decide who was disloyal and then ordered the executions of those people. The architecture of the situation was that of a double bind. It would take extraordinary exertion of will and consciousness to avoid passive acceptance.
Initiation into the workplace is very much the implementation of a similar double-bind that ensures the worship of the divine right of “the boss”. Rule 1. The boss is always right. Rule 2. When the boss is wrong, remember Rule 1. That’s the gallows humor about the double bind. Indeed, most work humor and jargon, if taken seriously, tells explicitly the psychology of what is going on.
Occupy UC Davis livestream
Cops are evicting them right now.
LS – Occupy UC Davis
Being arrested in quad. Police in riot gear and with batons. Occupiers in circle sitting on the ground.
LS – Occupy UC Davis
Large crowd of supporters
LS – Occupy UC Davis
Livestream picture froze; only audio available at the moment. Chants of “Let them go”…Screaming…”Don’t shoot them…” not sure what is going on. Now “Cops off campus..”
Still no video.
LS – Occupy UC Davis
“From Davis to Greece.. Fuck the Police” not cool
Someone changes it to “You use weapons…We use our voice” “Whose university…Our university”
90 total viewers – Other 99 says they are restreaming it.
LS – Occupy UC Davis
“Don’t shoot students…”
Unfortunately the live cam guy seems to be too much a participant to reset the video.
LS – Occupy UC Davis
Correction, it was NinetyNineTV that was restreaming them.
Now audio is gone too.
Occupy Chicago #N17 photo set
Occupy Newark livestream
Currently not online.
KO is on now here in the East. He is giving Mayor Bloomie what for!
LS – Occupy Newark NJ
Great general assembly going on in the park. Live cam panned around to show seven police cars and a van parked on a road.
Sharon Sullivan, Grand Junction Free Press: Arrests made as Occupy GJ disrupts foreclosure auction
Are you seeing anything on twitter about Vancouver? I lost livestream, but they had a scrawl on the chat about it.
More from this article:
Occupy Columbia MO:
For folks who know folks there.
OWS-NY Spokescouncil back up now:
http://www.livestream.com/occupynyc
Occupy Atlantic City NJ:
Police pepper spraying and arresting students at UC Davis
It’s just pure fun when Occupiers in Berkeley float tents above the building because they’re not allowed to put them on the ground.
OMG! Shoved pepper spray down her throat!
People. The police has simply gone too far. This is outrageous!
National Lawyers Guild: In the wake of Occupy crackdown, NLG taps feds for information
Check out the YouTube on the link. It is UCPD bad.
Another generation of Amerikan youth being educated about what kind of regime we actually live under.
Or initiated into being sheeple, depending on the relationship they take to their experience.
I think these young folks are showing that they will not be silenced or retreat into submission.
Even moderates become radicalized when they feel the hand of repression personally.
Jason Cherkis, Huffington Post: Lobbying Firm Memo To Advise Wall Street Clients On Occupy Movement
Snippets from the memo:
Watch out for the counteroffensive from Wall Street. My guess is that it will try to force the movement into a Democratic-Republican frame or a left-right frame instead of a top-bottom frame.
Plus they want a future which is not in sight currently.
UC Davis Protesters Pepper Sprayed
A better angle.
Jerry Rubin became a stockbroker.
Great reporting TD, thanks for keeping us informed. The politicos will and are going to try to co-opt this movement but i have faith in these young and not so young Revolutionaries.
It will be hard for the Vichicrats to claim the Movement when there are thousands calling for a Mic-check at their convention next year.
Occupy Raleigh Teach-In
Good words for anyone anywhere:
Occupy Radio
h/t Occupy Utica
Even Radical Yippies had to make a living, he was selling vitamins when he died. He would have been pleased with what is happening today.
OMGx2. I didn’t see pepper spray down the throat of a protester in the video. Did anyone else see it?
KVAL: Video shows Portland Police pepper spraying protester
Police response to yesterday’s iconic photo.
I watched both videos, but did not see that. However, there is one person on the first video that is laid out on the ground with cops before a large group of college people come to aid.
Yeah, I saw that bit and wondered if that was the student who got it down the throat too.
This is pepper spray they are using. Imagine how the police handle tasers. Fucking scary.
Delicious irony. Although surely this violates noise ordinances in 1% neighborhoods.
Those rifles being pointed at students upset me just as much.
I’d love to see some medieval style trumpeters start it off with a town crier that says, Emporer Bloomborgais has no clothes.
Huffpo article that sounds like it’s based on a Democratic Party press release until the #occupy guy is quoted at the end. Lulz.
Surely 1% neighborhoods also have ordinances against nekkid uglies, so that might help get Bloomberg behind bars.
WDAY: Occupy Fargo-Moorhead holds downtown protest
The cop at UC Davis looks like he’s watering the fucking lawn in the ‘burbs. Jesus Christ on a crutch.
Occupy Boston mic-checks Newt Gingrich
Alan Levine, National Lawyers Guild: Letter to Judge Stallman
I have been going through past reports from Occupy Poughkeepsie and found this from the 300+ person march & rally on November 12:
“Occupiers everywhere embody the message of the Sermon on the Mount says Mayor West in an electrifying speech at the Occupy Poughkeepsie Rally- 11-12-11. ”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnld37rBfsU&feature=related
Jason West was mayor of nearby New Paltz NY a few years back; made national headlines by performing same-sex weddings long before the state came around. He was also one of the youngest mayors in NY history, as he got the students of the SUNY campus in New Paltz to organize and vote for him.
They are not tweeting but have a Twitter ID that apparently was set up by someone at Marist.
Occupy Charlotte #N17 photo set
Occupy Maine #N17 Rally
https://twitter.com/#!/OccupyPK
Only one person seems to be using it for sparse updates.
They don’t appear to have any power-generation capability onsite, as one of their requests is for a bicycle generator. (Reminds me to plug the http://www.k-tor.com/hand-crank-generator/ again… wish I had time to get one and get it to them to at least keep their phones charged … they are about 1 hr 15 min drive each way and I am only getting one day off work every 2 weeks at present… spent today working in 40 degrees for 4 hours moving stuff from one storage bldg to another as have to free up living room for Thanksgiving… and yes I have to work half of Thanksgiving too…)
8 of them went to the Nov 17 action in NYC and 2 were arrested, all reported free and back now.
I once attended a vocational school only a couple blocks from where they have set up their camp.
I’ve been watching library dvds of NYPD Blue. apparently they have a bagpiping corps. I think Bloomie’s neighbors would like such a concert. Bagpipes were played at my Scottish aunt’s funeral, and they be LOUD!!
The Raid on Zucotti Park 11-15-2011 (The Musical)
Occupy Miami’s Candlelight Vigil for Occupy Wall Street NYC
Occupy Charlotte’s Information Booth
Occupy Pensacola #N17
Shawn Gaynor, San Francisco Bay-Guardian: The cop group coordinating the Occupy crackdowns
I wish there was a way to find out exactly Who at the DOJ and FBI advised the militarization and Why they felt it was an appropriate response to peaceful protests.
I understand there will be law suits filed, but America deserves the answers and accountability.
Moana site hit with high winds. Help these folks winterize.
Occupying your Occupy
No comment
Jack Ryan, J.D., Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute: Pepper Spray
Thank you for that link. Stunning, really. I also read some of the comments and one of the commenters mentioned the Taser which this organization pushed. Also, the funding and backing of this group is questionable as well.
John Cassidy, The New Yorker: Obama and Zuccotti Park: What He Didn’t Say
If you have information about the specific funding of PERF, put it up. We know it gets federal grants from DHS and DOJ, state and local consulting contracts, and other funds.
It’s the specific contracts and consulting projects currently in place, and a list of he sources of other funds that we need to know.
I don’t currently have that info. I may spend some time on the research on Monday. Also, I’d like to find out if this org has approval of the Secretaries of State to operate in such a way. It is shameful for America to have this organization promote that type of brutality in the Land of the Free.
Segway Jeremy Ryan, Addicting Info: Facebook Opens Doors To A New Way of Suppressing Information, Activists Constantly Banned
The money quote:
Look for donations from equipment manufacturers or their trade groups–or foundations associated with equipment manufacturers. And of course, the usual suspects.
Well said:
PERF grants
3 from 2011, one from 2009, 2 are PDFs – sorry I don’t have the link formatting thing conquered yet
Topics are respectively immigration, school violence, using recovery act funds to decide how to spend recovery act funds (?), and the last one speaks for itself – and notice it includes funding to universities.
http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/News/carnegie_results_fall_11.pdf
http://ojp.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2011/OJP_PR-110911.pdf
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/recoveryact.html
http://www.nij.gov/topics/technology/less-lethal/safety-of-conducted-energy-devices.htm
Wow. Thanks for that link. In the article, it mentions the name of the publication and that the journalist downloaded it. So I googled it and downloaded it from this site: http://www.policeforum.org/dotAsset/1491727.pdf
I haven’t read it yet, but it says the publication (for the 65 page PDF manual–which is apparently part of a series)was supported by (I assume funding was provided by) the Motorola Solutions Foundation–with the usual disclaimer about the views presented in it may not be those of the foundation.
A quick perusal the table of contents found that chapter 10 is entitled “Advice from Federal Agencies” and at the beginning of that chapter it references that representatives from the FBI, Secret Service, and ATF attended their summit. I noted that DHS is missing from that list….seems odd…which makes me think they play a stronger role than just appearing at a summit. I’m now going to read the manual and see if I can glean any other info.
Sorry about the formatting issues at #299…I had tried to put in the link and it didn’t show up so I edited and pasted in the website address and in the process, the spacing and paragraphs went away.
Am I the only one thinking that PERF may perform the same ‘service’ to police chiefs that ALEC performs for right-wing state legislators? Except instead of templates for cookie-cutter legislation that is introduced almost simultaneously in multiple states (where initially the legislators who introduced it said they wrote it), police take the same violent approach to Occupy sites and pretend their actions were their own response to the Occupiers in their city?
Secret Service is DHS.
I don’t think the analogy with ALEC holds because it is the police chiefs themselves who through their board control the agenda, the projects, and which federal initiatives to support. To the extent that they lobby in concert with other law enforcement entities for specific legislation, they behave somewhat like ALEC.
It can be a vehicle of corporate influence, but that is not its primary purpose, as I read it.
The response to the protests is rooted in a long-running (is 100 years or more enough) bias of the police against public protest because it is hard for spontaneous public protests not to become riots (or at least that was the case prior to Haymarket). So spontaneous large gathering of people “without adequate security” =
“riot” to the police and the politicians that coddle them.
PERF was created in 1977, which an interesting time in that “law and order” had become a major concern primarily as a result of Nixon’s 1968 campaign, but the 1968 police riot in Chicago had raised concerns about police “professionalism”. PERF seems to have originated as a way of sharing “what works” so as to “build capacity” for “professional operations” in police departments. It’s original purpose is probably irrelevant in the post-9/11 law enforcement frenzy. Plus over time, staff in organizations like PERF gain trust and thus authority over the thinking of their boards and members.
The major “breakthrough” (see Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point) in reduction of crime in New York City was seen to be the policy of “zero tolerance”. If police cited or arrested for every single infraction they saw, the presence of the police in neighborhoods would be felt (“and welcomed by law-abiding citizens”). Coupled with the charm offensive of “community policing” and the eyes of neighborhood watch organizations, the crime rate went down. Major breakthrough, they said. And the crime rate has continued to drop in most cities even as police forces act as if they are perpetually under siege.
And then came 9/11 and the blurring of the police, military, and the national intelligence community in the name of “interoperability”, “communication”, and of course “homeland security” (Joe Lieberman’s boondoggle). So zero tolerance meets national militarized homeland security state. It’s baked into the mindset; you don’t need anyone in DC or elsewhere telling mayors and police departments what to do. You have walked down the long-forecast slippery slope. And a police chief know what to do to develop coordination with other cities to broaden local interoperability agreements to regional or national agreements for sharing evaluation of “what works”.
So all PERF did was propagate the Hickenlooper-Hancock zero-tolerance strategy to other cities as something that seemed to be working. Oakland’s application of that strategy turned disastrous for the OPD. So the mayors asked for a conference call to discuss a more coordinated approach.
This isn’t inside information. It’s based on the way that these organizations work. Pretty much like any office in any multi-location, multi-divisional corporation. If you’ve ever seen how IBM, or GE, or one of the other “well-managed” corporations work, you would recognize this self-organizing pattern.
Thanks. You’re right….and it’s the combination of miliarizing the police and using a corporate mindset, plus DHS (and of all Lieberman’s terrible legacy I think that’s the worst…created something with very scary potential and doled out grants to local PDs to get all the new military gear and equipment.
I left the corporate world in 2002 because of that kind of one-size-fits-all thinking that I see employed by PDs in reaction to peaceful protests….it removes way too much decision making (based on the actual conditions) from anyone lower than the HQ execs. And that corporate world was banking…I’d been in it for 25 years and when the ‘big boys’ — in this case Bank One under the leadership of Jamie Dimon — came in, it was time for me to exit.
As you saw on the LS, the first raid by the Tulsa cops where they sprayed the guy who was already face down on the ground, and more recently the wholesale pepper-spraying that has been used as a ‘first response’. Props to Keith Olbermann for headlining the Tulsa raid and for his incredible segment with the 84-year-old. But most people never see these egregious actions because the MSM keeps telling them that the protesters caused the cops to react. If it hadn’t been for this live blog every day since Sept 16, I would have felt very alone in my frustrations.
Thank you and the others for all the posts…first thing I do each morning is catch up on what happened on the liveblog while I was asleep. You have captured and documented the true history that will someday be written, which would have otherwise been lost were it not for your efforts to collect and compile it all in one place as it happened.
The one thing I forgot to add because I’ve mentioned it so much in this regard. It is not the DHS superstructure (Napolitano et al) that drives this. It’s the ghost of J. Edgar Hoover at the FBI.
On my role. I just transcribe from Twitter, Facebook, Occupy web sites, and the meager media coverage. It’s mostly just a cut and paste job. As the Occupy Wall Street movement grows, there will be a need for more folks watching these media streams. And filling in gaps. And scouting out where new Occupy Wall Street local groups have formed and are active.
On behalf of the team here, thanks for the kind words.
Xeni Jardin, Boing Boing: Memo to American Bankers Association from lobbyists spells out $850,000 anti-OWS plan
Occupy Columbia SC Livestream
Eli Clifton and Ali Gharib, ThinkProgress: EXCLUSIVE: Funders Behind NYPD’s Mysterious Private ‘Counter-Terrorism’ Foundation
Radio Free Nashville audio stream
As a lurker may I add my thanks for what everyone here is doing to supplement Kevin’s great coverage. It seems like much more than cut and paste – the time and judgment that you all bring to reviewing the sources, and the analysis, especially from THD are very valuable to me and I’m sure many others.
Mayor Jones Meets with Occupy Richmond – Nov. 18, 2011 – Richmond, Virginia
Occupy Milwaukee / Recall Walker Protest Nov 17 National Day of Action Recap
Wonder what HRC will have to say? Crickets I’m sure.