Tweet
Occupy Wall Street help Tasha Glasgow reclaim a home in East NY from Bank of America (photo: VOCALNewYork)
At least twenty-five cities held actions as part of the “Occupy Our Homes” Day of Action yesterday. In St. Louis, Occupy St. Louis held their General Assembly meeting in Anna Quain’s house, where she has lived for 14 years but now faces eviction after bank foreclosure. Sabrina Morey invited Occupy Chicago to support her in the vacant foreclosed home she moved her family into last month. In Southgate, Michigan, Debbie & Robert Henry held an action refusing to comply with an eviction from their home.
In New York, Occupy Wall Street helped the Quincy Family move into a vacant property in Brooklyn. The family “took matters into their own hands and reclaimed property that was taken away from the community.” The action had support from neighbors. Hundreds of people came out to support the family making the action a very special moment.
In Minneapolis, Bobby Hull, a former Marine, received support (and was featured on “Rachel Maddow”). His home was sold at a “foreclosure sale in August,” according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Seventy-five showed up to support Hull, whose family will be evicted in February after the “redemption period” ends. He told demonstrators, “This is just a start, we want to stop it here…Nobody is leaving their homes anymore….We are the people.” The Star-Tribune, in producing their report on the Hull action, discovered neither US Bank nor Bank of America could agree who had authority over the home. (So, in that case, Hull should have the right to live there until they get that figured out, right?)
Occupy Our Homes reported victories in California with Occupy Oakland:
ACCE Home Defenders League and community supporters: A West Oakland mother of three reclaimed her home earlier in the day. A delegation of a family under foreclosure threat met with Wells Fargo officials, who agreed to postpone the foreclosed home’s sale. Disrupted the foreclosure auction at the Oakland county courthouse. More than a dozen homes were prevented from being auctioned.
For a collection of videos and other reports from the day, go to this post at Occupy Our Homes. The short film (below) on the Quincy family claiming the Brooklyn home is extremely poignant and well-produced.
Firedoglake’s premier live blog continues now. Here is a Twitter list to follow for the latest updates. All times are EST. Email kevin.gosztola@firedoglake.com with any news tips or questions.
OCCUPY SF [*Watch as police surround the occupation. Early in the morning, the occupation was evicted.]
11:46 PM Scuffle as occupier throws a duffel bag over police when trying to enter park. The occupier isn’t allowed in and is swarmed and arrested
The police are taking names and IDs and letting some occupiers leaving plaza area where it appears they were maybe detained (?)
11:37 PM 70-80 cops surrounded a GA happening. That GA I believe decided they would demand the cops protect their First Amendment rights. In the past hour, the police appear to have offered to arrest or ticket protesters if they do not leave.
Mostly, the UStream is chaos with occupiers shouting about what they want to do and I think there are two assemblies shouting. Also I see reports that tents are up again in the plaza.
10:30 PM Riot cops are finally letting a medic come help a person who was injured.
10:11 PM About an hour ago, at least three people were arrested. This happened after a march on Market Street. One occupier decided to sit in a folding chair in the middle of the street. Two chose to hold a banner.
Also seeing reports that people who were standing on the sidewalk were arrested. The police gave a dispersal order. Right now, there has just been a standoff. This has been going for at least an hour. And the police are not allowing occupiers to sit or lay down anywhere on the sidewalk or in Justin Herman Plaza.
10:10 PM Here’s another photo of the paramilitary forces of San Francisco out to bring Occupy SF to its knees (via @jmfbrooks):
10:08 PM This is a photo of Chris Jones from @KattOccupySF, an occupier who was injured by police as he was being arrested. His arm is in pain. He asked to see a doctor. A sergeant said the injury is not life-threatening so he will have to wait to get medical attention.
The occupation mic check’d questions to police asking why they were making him suffer.
10:06 PMPhoto from @saghaulor of the paramilitary force deployed to disperse Occupy SF:
And, also @saghaulor posts a photo of an arrest:
9:50 PM If you are wondering what I have been up to for the past three hours, I was looking over the judge’s decision on Occupy Boston issued earlier. I was also watching the Emergency GA. Here is my report on the decision. The occupation plans to file an appeal.
I now see that Occupy SF is being brutalized by San Francisco’s finest so I will add some updates and the live feed that I am viewing.
7:08 PM Random bag checks happening at South Station (which is right by Dewey Square). There seems to be an amping up of security. I suspect there will be a raid tonight. I do not know when Dewey Square closes or if it has a time that people are supposed to no longer be on the premise. In any case, follow this hashtag #OBRaid and this blog for the latest on Occupy Boston.
7:02 PM Reported earlier the news that Judge McIntyre denied Occupy Boston’s motion for a preliminary injunction. Now, in the wake of the decision, Mayor Menino is asking Occupy Boston to “refrain from camping” at Dewey Square. No word on whether a police presence is escalating around Dewey Square.
6:55 PM Official number of arrests at Occupy K St action earlier is 62.
Occupy DC (aka Occupy K St) has now marched to White House to mic-check the unconstitutional implications of the NDAA. The act contains a provision that would likely permit the indefinite detention of US citizens without charges. Though in some ways that authority is already claimed, the Congress is trying to codify it into law.
6:16 PM Now, Roger Ebert weighs in on Occupy and explains why he thinks he’d be an Occupier but stops short of fully endorsing the tactic of occupying:
My hesitation all along has come with uneasiness about the Occupy tactics. The idea of physically occupying public spaces–parks, plazas, malls and so on–is a questionable strategy. The notion of pitching tents, running kitchens and maintaining libraries on a quasi-permanent basis would have Saul Alinsky tearing his hair out. If you set out to do something that will obviously not work, you’re setting yourself up for inevitable failure. Very few people are mentally or constitutionally able to live in a tent for long, especially with the approach of winter. Young and strong people can. Soldiers do. But the Occupy movement is intended to be populist, and a great many ordinary people have children, families and income requirements that make it inconvenient to camp out.
It is a fair rational take. I would say that what most politicians would call middle America would read that and nod in agreement. I don’t think it is bad for Occupy that people would be skeptical or condescending toward occupying. This reality is just one of the challenges the movement must confront.
5:15 PM I may write more on this later. A Denver police lieutenant has released internal car-to-car text messages that reflect what the lieutenant might call unprofessionalism. These are messages between officers on Occupy Denver. For example, one reads: “I bet if you guys dropped a box of skunks in the middle of the… they would probably scatter real quick.” Another: “The protesters are runnin round with ‘fake’ ARs. If they point one at me, I will shoot. How do we know they really ‘fake?’ Be careful.”
4:20 PM Significant development: Judge McIntyre denies Occupy Boston’s motion for a preliminary injunction to protect the camp from eviction. Also, McIntyre vacates the temporary restraining order that had been in effect. Now there is nothing stopping the city from evicting Occupy Boston. It is only a matter of time, even though city is denying any plans to evict. Greenway, like Broofield Properties, cannot wait for occupiers to be gone. They are likely to be evicted soon.
3:33 PM Last Occupy DC demonstrator in K Street intersection arrested. Civil disobedience action was peaceful. 30-50 people arrested (waiting on exact numbers).
3:32 PM Unreasonable searches of tents at Occupy DC going on right now. Police are clad in SWAT gear and they won’t say why they are there in the camp. (Photo from @MikeElk)
3:23 PM Public Campaign has put together a report that shows 30 corporations paid more for lobbying than they did in taxes. These 30 corporations received $11 billion in tax rebates, despite making combined profits of $164 billion. The companies spent a half billion dollars over three years on lobbying. That means they spent $400,000 each day including the weekend.
3:22 PM Arrests still happening on K Street.
2:55 PM From the K Street action, occupiers lay down in the pedestrian walkway right before being hauled off and arrested (from Josh Harkinson):
2:22 PM Occupy Chicago has joined up with Occupy Columbia at Columbia College Chicago, my college alma mater. They are protesting for fair union contracts and fair college tuition. This is a photo of the picket line that has formed at 600 S. Michigan (photo via @MaxTarlton)
2:13 PM So instead of arresting all those engaged in civil disobedience, DC police decide to run horses into the crowd and get them to disperse. Chaos and disorder happens. More Occupy DC demonstrators join disobedience action in the K St intersection. Arms are linked. This now will last at least another hour. (Photo via @OccupyKSt)
1:56 PM Occupy Ninjas
1:52 PM Dispersal order has been given. Police beginning to regulate where people are standing.
1:44 PM Just added a livestream of Occupy DC taking over K Street intersection. And here is a second stream from an Occupy Boston participant.
1:03 PM Arrests about to happen in intersections of K Street that have been occupied by unions, Occupy DC. (Photo)
12:50 PM Via Harkinson, both the intersections at K Street & 16th and K Street & 15th have been blocked in past hour. Occupiers have a tent. SEIU is carrying this big banner.
12:45 PM Contingent from Occupy Wall Street demonstrating with Occupy DC today (via @JoshHarkinson)
Also, from Harkinson, K Street & 15th is occupied:
12:11 PM Veteran Bobby Hull on “Ed Schultz” last night – video.
12:05 PMTIME names the Occupy Wall Street protests spreading as the #1 US news story of 2011: “The sheer persistence of the occupations, galvanized by incidents of heavy-handed policing in New York and California that shocked the nation, have given the protesters’ appeals for economic justice a weight that may play a real role in the upcoming presidential election.”
Of course, Occupy isn’t primarily interested in impacting conversation during the 2012 election. In any case, congratulations to the Occupy movement for earning this spot on the list.
12:00 PM Astra Taylor for The Nation suggests how citizens can occupy Wall Street on their own street in a write-up on Occupy Homes action in Brooklyn yesterday.
11:57 PM My report on the sneak attack on Occupy SF this morning.
11:50 PM Radiohead’s Thom Yorke supports Occupy London
11:40 PM It is the holiday season. I’ll be featuring music every day here. I’ll be sharing jazz and the blues—the best kind of holiday music if you ask me. Christmas jazz and blues can go well with coverage of the Occupy movement.
Here’s a wonderfully cynical but appropriate mistletune by Bob Dorough and Miles Davis called “Blue Xmas” to get us going today.
143 Comments
Occupy Columbia is livestreaming a concert by jazz artist Cherrie Maree. Check the link at the bottom of yesterday’s thread.
Occupy Minneapolis
Petition to Save Bobby Hull’s Home
Homeless Family Occupies Foreclosed Home in Brooklyn (Inside Story)
Occupy Poughkeepsie Eviction
And that’s a wrap. This woman being escorted to jail is a priest.
Mike Baker, AP: Occupy gets early legal win over State Patrol
Hopefully it stays that way. Some are already expressing concern that there will be disturbances at the Democratic convention in Charlotte. Occupy would be wise to shun the convention. Shunning it would send a more powerful message than a physical presence.
Occupy Richmond at the Senate debate between Tim Kaine and George Allen:
Not sure whether this tweet rant was an actual transcription of a mic check, but if it was…
I think that’s poorly worded. I think that Occupy Wall Street is about affecting the conversation about fundamental process issues – corruption, failure of due process, paramilitary policing…but not the conversations about the team-sport conversations about parties or ideology.
BBC: Occupy demonstrators storm Washington’s K Street
I should have expounded more. The concern is that there will be disruptions in Charlotte similar to what happened in Chicago in 1968. The difference between then and now is that today there is a near-monolithic media than can portray the dissenters in a negative light, downplay their message, and legitimize and suppression that will take place.
The conversation about fundamental process issues should continue, but outside the confines of the team-sport Charlotte arena.
Any other info???
There is another difference. By August 1968, there were militant groups within the movement that saw violence as the only way. And there were groups like the Yippies who played on the paranoia of the pols and police; the CPD took seriously the possibility of a city blissed out LSD in the water supply without asking themselves exactly how much LSD that would have to be and how a bunch of scruffy kids in the park actually would get it into the water supply.
There are folks within the Occupy Wall Street movement who seek to deal with that paranoia and more effort to isolate folks who actually would do damage, either from philosophical differences about violence or because they are paid provocateurs.
There will be large protests at both the Tampa and Charlotte conventions and they will have the same message. “We’ve had enough of corporate greed and public corruption.” Neither city has experience handling large protests. That can be helpful or harmful depending on how paranoid they become for the safety of the convention-goers who are bringing in big bucks.
Expect to hear about long general assemblies of folks planning these actions.
The police fleet
The point I’m trying to make is, the 1968 Chicago demonstrations did not help that movement’s cause, and I do not see the Tampa and Charlotte presences helping Occupy’s cause much either.
Apparently the ball is rolling and it’s too late to stop it, but I still feel boycotting both conventions would send a powerful message that both parties are corrupt.
Here’s a cute innovation to be aware of. Large medical systems are installing biometric palm scanners to access patient records. Can you think of some reasons why this obvious solution to due diligence might be a bad idea?
You’re relying on the American people to see something that isn’t there. Our populous doesn’t get subtlety much. Occupy has been fairly “in your face”, which is the main reason for all the media attention. Not showing up wouldn’t draw any coverage.
Also, too; I think the Occupy movement is headed towards making the 2012 elections a moot point, or an exercise in futility. I can’t see why they’d bother to show up, but I don’t think that will matter in the greater scheme of the movement.
People in autonomous action movement decide where they will be. That’s the rub, isn’t it. Even if there is a collective decision to boycott, there will be people there anyway. Like I said, long general assemblies about this.
Cataloging biometric information that can be subpoenaed or accessed without subpoena by our Federal government?
For the record, I witnessed the ’68 convention live, and I never heard the references about the LSD and militant Yippies. What I was was a large group of young people passionately against the atrocities of the Vietnam War. Your references, which you must have picked up from the MSM, demonstrate how the MSM can falsely tarnish a noble cause.
I will be advocationg strongly for a collective decision to boycott.
That is my hope, but if there is violence in Tampa or Charlotte that can be tied in any way to Occupy, it will be a big negative for the movement. I don’t feel it is worth taking that risk, because I’m certain there are many who would love the opportunity to exploit that.
If you know your history, what happened in ’68 in Chicago was a big factor in Humphrey’s defeat.
I’m not so sure about that. If the protestors stick to the meme so far and stay non-violent, any violence would be on behalf of the police. Police violence so far has only raised awareness and grown support. Violent suppression of any Occupy protest so far has resulted in a mostly positive outcome. (Not to sound insensitive to the victims of violence, just to say that the attention they’ve drawn has helped the movement as a whole)
“A temporary restraining order constitutes extraordinary relief,” Blackburn wrote in his decision, adding that the plaintiffs did not meet the requirements necessary to gain that relief in his view.
http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/12/occupy_denver_temporary_restraining_order_denied.php
The LSD thing was a Yippie press release prank. One of many. And it mindfucked the CPD.
There were some militant folks there who did stuff that the huge number of other folks paid the price for. Some were CPD provocateurs; some were just folks with a lot of anger issues. Maybe a couple dozen in the huge gathering. The commission report that labeled it a “police riot” cataloged reports from witnesses who were peaceful and not happy with what was going down with a few people. It wasn’t all MSM bias. Indeed some of the MSM reporters got pretty roughed up themselves by the CPD.
The critical issue was the Jackson-Daley-Humphrey caucus of the convention. Daley was personally pissed that the DFH’s were ruining his convention. I think everyone older than 50 understands that the failure was that of the Democratic Party to allow an open debate about LBJ’s war.
All noble causes have flaws. And cross-currents. Consensus never is unified. Which is why there is a lot of advocates with the Occupy Wall Street movement for linking means and ends. And intensified nonviolence training. And still a general assembly like Oakland cannot come to a consensus on nonviolence.
If you are advocating for anything in the movement, you better be active in your local general assembly and hit the stack often.
It’s the “you gotta be a mindreader” defense on the part of the Denver authorities. They have to have evidence that the City/State intend to shut down free speech and assembly. Or that officers acting in anger at the presence of the protesters.
The national conventions are hightly charged atmospheres. Organizers can do their best to promote non-violence, but as Tarheel points out, there will be provocateurs.
For the energy that would be expended against an overwhelming police presence, I just don’t see how there can be any substantial net gain.
Apparently the Catch-22 notice about bringing stuff in wasn’t sufficient proof of intent.
Your comment is false.
When OWS decided to team up with DECADES OLD ORGANIZED SUPPORTERS OF THE CORRUPT DEMOCRATIC PARTY…Move ON and AFL-CIO… then they tipped their hand as to which of the corrupt political partys they are associated with. AND this information was HIDDEN from the public and their supporters.
OWS is a front for the Corrupt Democrats… the whole thing is an evil scam… and is putting the lives of their duped supporters at risk.
Wake up people. BOTH the Democrats and Republicans are corrupt to the core… and they can no longer be allowed to run the country.
Oh, cut the spamming. You haven’t been watching DC for the past 24 hours at all, have you?
Typical Obamabot response… you dont deny the facts do you?
All you have is the old changing the subject scheme.
Would you support OWS is they had teamed up with organized Republican supporters… we both know the answer to that.
Both the Democrats and Republicans are totally corrupt.
And what exactly do you think the Occupy Wall Street movement’s action at the Podesta lobbying firm was about except highlighting the fact that the Democratic Party caucus in DC is corrupt.
So, what are you going to do about it, given that the electoral process is frozen between the two parties? Or are you going to continue to sling baseless charges at a very diverse movement just because I have cut President Obama a lot of slack in the past.
I’ve got better things to do than continue this trolling conversation.
Yes, I’m struck by that, too. Completely turns protection from the state on its head.
The answer is yes. Like the folks at Occupy Memphis who are actively meeting with Tea Party representatives to determine common ground so they can move forward together. Like the folks in Rhode Island who Occupied a B of A branch while Tea Partiers maintained a picket line outside.
I’d support them aligning with Republicans, Democrats, Greens, or fucking Whigs if that’s what it took.
You’re missing the point. The people at MoveON? 99% of them are the 99%. The folks that make up the greater body of the AFL-CIO? They’re the 99%.
OWS isn’t endorsing candidates or rallying voters for any party. If that’s what you’re seeing, you need to take your shit-stained glasses off.
Ken Scarboro, CSUN SunDial: How the LAPD broke the law and you were denied the truth
Jesse LaGreca Introduces OccupyEducated.org – Launching a New Online Library that Can’t Be Destroyed
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy: Free Enterprise Rally held in Grand Rapids today to “counter” the Occupy movement
Braun is or wants to be the 1%.
OWS has “teamed up” with no one. In fact, they have rejected that entirely. They are not about parties. Get a life.
Adrianna Iwasinski, News 9: Judge Hears Arguments In Occupy OKC’s Battle To Stay In Park
I smell some third parties frustrated at not being able to co-opt the Occupy Wall Street movement or even local general assemblies.
9News: Internal texts show officer frustration with Occupy Denver
Now you tell us.
My comment directed to 9News which withheld this until after the court decision.
DHS 1 block from HQ last thurs/fri. Just sayin… #TheWarOnOccupy #OChi #ows @occupymarines
DHS Federal Protective Services parked by Chicago City Hall and across from the Thompson state office building. (i.e. not by the Federal Reserve)
Occupy Chicago: The police talking to an occupier
Occupy DC: AJWatch Ustream is up
Wilmington DE
TD… thanks for your reply.
I appreciate your admitting to being an Obamabot. You see Independents know that an Obamabot will “cut Obama al lot of slack” even though he is doing the Exact same things as a Republican would be doing. If a Republican president were doing the things Obama is doing… you would not cut that person any slack, you would be SCREAMING AND YELLING at the top of your lungs… and Independents know that as well.
A Bushbot… which is the flip side if the exact same coin you are on… will cut a Republican president ‘a lot of slack” even though if a Democrat were doing it they would be screaming and yelling non stop. Independents know that as well.
Both political partys are 1% owned and TOTALLY corrupt. So why do Obamabots/Bushbots support 1% owned and totally corrupt political partys…?
Because you are a BRAINWASHED IMBECILE !… just like the Bushbots.
Independents know that and thats why we all left our respective partys. We refuse the brainwashing and progaganda. We can think for ourselves. We can see clearly that neither one of the political partys represents the American people. We can see that they are ALL corrupt, self serving scoundrels.
But becuse you are a brainwashed imbecile… you think you see corruption in the “other” party… but you turn a totally blind eye to the coruption of the corrupt party you support. Independents know this. And brainwashed imbecile Bushbots do the exacts same thing in reverse.
The political party you brainlessly support is TOTALLY CORRUPT AND 100% owned by the 1%. So why do you support them? Why do you choose to take the side of a corrupt political party… and AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT ? WHY?
Because an Obamabot is a brainwashed imbecile… just like a Bushbot.
Often is seems like there is no hope for people like you. You are so hopelessly brainwashed that… like followers of Jim Jones and David Koresh… you will blindly follow your fake, corrupt, self serving and criminal “leaders” to your doom.
Independents have no intentions of doing that.
That person you replied to at36 (independentvoternews) has been making that same comment for days now. He/she or it is like a Brietbart clone in the way that Brietbart continues to speak about the now extinct ACORN funding OWS, and about OWS being an astroturf organization, which is a front for the Obama campaign. It’s insanity in the way that insanity is defined: Repeat the same debunked lie again and again, and no matter how much of a headache you get from the repeated debunked lie, repeat it again. Don’t stop until banging your head against the wall stops hurting.
Edit: My comment was supposed to be in reply to Twain at 48. I think I forgot to click ‘reply’.
That is absolutely not true, ghostof911. What defeated Humphrey was his last minute support of Johnson’s policies. There was huge sympathy for the protestors in Chicago, who were very like the Occupiers today – they were nonviolent but were attacked by Mayor Daley’s goons and even I remember John Chancellor right in the hall being roughed up as he attempted to report on these things. The media did a good job – I left Chicago right before the convention and was coming west with the hopeful protestors streaming in the opposite direction. We of that generation all feared what might happen in Chicago, brutal tactics and all, and we of a liberal persuasion were not scandalized but very supportive of the aims of the protestors, even if we could not be there.
Humphrey could have taken that support and won – Robert Kennedy would have. The support vanished when Humphrey foreswore his own liberal and antiwar stance and came out behind the discredited Johnson.
Kevin, you say in your list about the Ebert critique:
” I would say that what most politicians would call middle America would read that and nod in agreement. I don’t think it is bad for Occupy that people would be skeptical or condescending toward occupying. This reality is just one of the challenges the movement must confront.”
I don’t know if I am part of middle America at this point, but I would strongly disagree. I am in no way skeptical or condescending and I am on a very low rung economically speaking. I love the Occupiers just as I loved the ’68 protestors. You are all heroes to me. I am sure that is true for others, because we know our government is not our government. We know it.
Hey mods?
What’s the deal with this dishonest thing calling itself independentvoternews? It repeats the same lies over and over again and calls everyone names in the process.
The way the Movement is accelerating i wonder if we will already be under Martial Law by next September. The ramping up of direct actions is happening much faster than i expected. The creativity of the Movement is outmaneuvering every repressive action of the PTB.
Whenever one of our so called leaders opens their fat mouth they are going to be mic-checked. How long before they grow angry enough to call for real suppression of the unruly terrorist mob?
I like this tweet from Occupy Boston twitter feed http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23OccupyBoston:
by Conor Yunits (@conoryunits)
Wonder if Senator Kerry (D-MA) and his Beacon Hill neighbors who live at least parttime in Louisburg Square could provide warm drinks and electricity to a tent city springing up outside their front doors.
BTW Livestream of Occupy Boston emergency General Assembly going on now
http://www.livestream.com/occupyboston
I think you’ve got the gist of the Democrats’ problem in 1968. Humphrey would not admit that he and LBJ were wrong and change direction. But rank-and-file labor was very much for the Vietnam War and there were powerful MIC shills like Scoop Jackson. And Humphrey was beholding to them for the votes that put him over the top.
Anyone who has been around the Occupy liveblog for any length of time, as many of us have, knows that TarheelDem is not a brainwashed imbecile.
If you wish to go off and try to get independent candidates elected, be our guest. A good many people here are well aware that a good many politicians of both major parties are bought and paid for, as you say.
Kindly do your work without ad hominem attacks. That procedure will not win you any adherents on this blog.
KrisAinTX… nice to meet you.
Speaking of shit. If there is one thing Independents agree on and see and know clearly it’s this… WORDS MEAN NOTHING… NOTHING… AS IN NOTHING…!
The only thing that matters… are the ACTIONS of people… you know the things they actually do… as in the only things that really matter.
OWS is participating in an ‘event” in Washington that is being sponsored by Move On and the AFL-CIO… both decades long organized supporters of the corrupt Democratic party. The fact that these two hugely organzied supporters of a corrupt political party are sponsoring the event was KEPT A SECRET FROM THEIR SUPPORTERS… that would be their actions… you know, the only thing that matters… tells you everything you need to know.
Why was that kept a secret..? Would it possibly be that if it had been known… that the LEADERS of the OWS movement were claiming [with words} to not be affiliated with either political party... that their ACTIONS would prove that to be a LIE.... as in a BIG F'ing LIE.
Have the totally partisian Move On or the AFL-CIO renounced their support for the 1% owned Corrupt Democrats. No they havnt. Have they showed by their actions that they no longer support a corrupt political party that is the enemy of the American people...nope.
I will say again... as I have said for the last couple of days... OWS supporters... the people who have been severly injured and permanently injured and are putting their lives at risk are being USED by the LEADERS of OWS. I have no problem with the followrs... they have been used just like Republicans use their followers and Democrats use thier followers.
Why would the LEADERS of an organization that claims [with words] to be grassroots feel compelled in their ACTIONS… to keep secrets from their followers? Why?
I am a registered Independent. I refuse to be played. I refuse propaganda and brainwashing. I know the difference between words and actions.
Which brings me to my final point. 87%… let me repeat that…87% of Americans disapprove of our congress [government] and they do not approve of any of the corrupt Democratic or corrupt Republican presidential candidates.
That was true long before OWS came along… so you are not teaching or showing the American people anything. The American people are way ahead of you.
So waking up the people is not whats necessary. Whats necessary is an ALTERNATIVE to the corrupt Democats and corrupt Republicans. What difference does any of what you are doing make if come November 2012 there are only 2 names on the presidential ballot… one a corrupt Democrat the other a corrupt Republican. How will anything EVER change when the same people are running the government?.. it wont.
Do you think these scoundrels will listen to you… are you f’ing stupid? They dont give a SHIT what you think… what I think… what any of us think. They work for the 1% and they dont give a shit.
If OWS was legit they would be working nonstop at offering alternative candidates to the corrupt Democrats and corrupt Repbulicans. But they’re not… because the OWS leaders are full of shit.
87% of Independents favor a third party candidates to the corrupt Democrats and corupt Republicans. We are way ahead of you.We are ready and willing to vote for candidates other than corrupt D and corupt R’s.
Someone will step up to the plate… and they will be legit. They wont have to claim to be something they are not [with fake words]… and they wont have to keep secrets from their followers.
A good many…?
Well then my comment would apply to you as well.
Jeez
Whatever. Good luck to you in your efforts.
Occupy Portland: Press Release: Portland Public Schools shut down Occupy Portland Panel
Geez, did you rupture anything?
(searching. searching for my fly swatter. where did that thing go?)
Got IT! FwwwaaaaaPPP!
how are you feeling today? better, I hope.
Yes. I am feeling better and thank you for thinking of me. A little weak, but getting better.
Anyone know what this is about?
Oh boy… i love this subject.
One of the sadest spectacles of all is people calling themselves “Democrats”…
Who would gladly take away soemone elses FREEDOM OF SPEECH just like a Republican would do to anyone who disagrees with them.
Very sad what has become of my former party… and it’s followers.
Of couse you dont say what “lies” I have told or how I am wrong… you just want to take away my right to speak.
You may speak all you like. When you degrade or call people on this post names that is where the line is drawn. It is against the rules of Commenting here.
What Peasant Party said.
Here’s the thing.
The American people have now realized what damage brainwashed Democratic followers and brainwashed Republican followers have done to the country.
This is not to minimize our corrupt government… but D followers and R followers keep voting for these scoundrels… thus ruining the country… and guaranteeing that nothing will change.
D and R worshipers are not just voting for these scoundrels… they are REWARDING them for what they are doing. They are in effect telling corrupt politicians… we like what you are doing and we want you to continue doing what you are doing. Why would they do that?
Myself and my fellow Independents have lost patience with this… as we should. There can be no more patience with this absurd destructive bahavior that is ruining the country. It’s ruining the country… this cant go on.
If you saw a loved one doing things that would ruin there own lives or that was ruining the lives of others… as a responsible person you would not tolerate it. If you saw a loved one put a gun to their head you would not stand there and do nothing. This cant go on. This has to stop.
This is not a game. This is our country and our future thats at stake.
Thread hijacker.
Here’s what I’m seeing going on. There is a grassroots movement called Occupy Wall Street, Occupy K Street, Occupy Chicago…..that is getting the shit kicked out of them by Democratic mayors. This groups camps out rain and shine for weeks in parks and city hall plazas and conduct general assemblies that allow anyone who shows up to participate in building a 99% consensus, regardless or ideology or party, on what the issues are and proposals for solutions. They discuss issues with disaffected Republicans, Ron Paul supporters, libertarians, anarchists, socialists, communists, MoveOn people, Rebuild the Dream people, and people who’ve never participated in politics before. It takes direct action to protest specific organizations and to deal directly with problems. It has to go to court, sometimes successfully, sometimes unsuccessfully just to keep assembling and speaking out. And it spreads over several hundred communities in two months. And attracts the attention of the media by getting beat up by police.
And then there’s a SEIU-MoveOn-Rebuild the Dream (Van Jones) thing called Occupy the Capitol who thought they they would put pressure only on Republican members of Congress. This group goes to DC and lives in hotels and and houses of friends and gathers in four separate triple-peaked banquet tents on the freaking National Mall with no hassles (natch).
The first group talks to the second group and coordinates what they are doing. But what happens is the first groups and some rank-and-file members of the second group go to see members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats and find that (1) the Congressman/woman will not see them, (2) they are prevented from waiting in the office of their member of Congress for the Congresscritter to drop by, (3) Capitol cops are called to remove them from the office, and (4) the door to the Member of Congress’s office is locked. And what the first group does is livestreams and videos all of these results. Hint: When the door is shut, it doesn’t matter what the party is, the system is broken. That’s pretty graphic.
The first group on the second day conducts a march to a mystery lobbyist site in the K Street area. They get SEIU and MoveOn and Rebuild the Dream folks to go along. And the mystery lobbyist turns out to be the largest Democratic lobbying firm in town, Tony Podesta. And then they march and occupy K Street shutting down traffic and getting 60-70 people arrested. And then maybe 50 people from the first group march to the White House, call out President Obama on the need to veto the National Defense Authorization Act, goes to the big tents of the second group to pick up whoever from that that group will go protest the Citizens United decision. And then they go to get arrested for sitting on the steps of the freaking Supreme Court. Nothing tells you where this country is right now more than the fact that you, like Cornel West, can get arrested for assembling and sitting on the steps of the Supreme Court of the United States, the supposed protector of the Bill of Rights.
This is a disciplined bunch of people that there are a host of folks would just like to co-opt for their purposes. Notice that the Democratic Party progressive interest groups have tried to do that. But also notice that so has the Ron Paul field staff, even initiating a few midwestern and southwestern Occupy Wall Street groups that immediately took the reins and refused to be co-opted. The anarchists and socialists are similarly frustrated that these people will not just drop everything and pick up their agenda.
So after being called dirty hippies by the media, after having their ribs busted and being pepper-sprayed by police at the orders of Democratic mayors, after being treated as health hazards by the hazmat crews of Los Angeles and San Francisco, two liberal Democratic cities, after all this, some folk who calls himself independent but really seems only to be independent of Democrats has the gall to claim that group one has been co-opted by group two and we should just ignore group one and get behind the “independent” program, whatever that is besides “screw Democrats” and uses the facts that I go by the handle TarheelDem and have been in the past supportive of the Democratic Party and President Obama to attack me and being willfully blind to the obvious fact that my presence is proof that the OWS has sold out.
That person obviously has not researched it, has not seen even one general assembly, has no clue what is going on that is diffferent, and is not willing to listen gets offended when we tell him/her to take his spamming comments elsewhere. At which point we get the tell of all trolls. Accusations that we are denying his freedom of speech.
When actually what we would like is for him/her to do enough homework about Occupy Wall Street to have an intelligent conversation in this liveblog.
I just wrote a report on the decision and what a member of the legal team said at the Emergency GA.
I sense the raid isn’t coming today. Now, I need to get some updates into this blog on SF’s finest brutalizing peaceful protesters.
Occupy Iowa mic-checks Chris Christie
Is there a limit to what I can say…?
I am responding to other peoples comments to me. You are free to say whatever you want… just like soemone did to me above about some shi.. stained glasses… i didnt complain.
Don’t whine. You may say whatever you like in a civil tone. You may not call people names and rant and rave about how wrong we are. We’re not stupid and all get to have their own opinions.
Occupy San Francisco; punkboyinsf UStream
One of the folks injured during arrest will not be treated until he is completely processed. Barbaric.
Occupy San Francisco could use some more eyeballs to witness the SFPD arresting Occupy San Francisco people again at the instructions of the Democratic mayor.
And likely in an attempt to disrupt the planned West Coast Port Shutdown.
LS – Occupy SF
Riot cops finally letting medical aid come to the injured.
700-1000 occupier. 40-50 kettled in the inside of the plaza.
Occupy SF:
Occupy SF:
SFPD is receiving no mutual aid from surrounding communities.
Occupy SF:
Police gave an inaudible order to disperse before moving in–earlier tonight
Occupy SF:
Occupiers singing Silent Night
You love what subject?
1)I’m not a Democrat.
2)Asking that someone tone down their horse shit and name calling on a privately operated message board has nothing to do with freedom of speech – not even when you scream it with all caps.
3)But you probably know that, just like you probably know that the Brietbart level of nonsense that you’ve been posting over and over again about OWS is horse shit.
Occupy SF:
Occupy SF:
Chanting “Cops, go home” “You can leave”
UC Davis, Middle East/South Asia Studies: Faculty Statement
To Chancellor Katehi
Don’t let this type of nonsense get you down TD they will fade away and you will remain. It’s to be expected that this and other confused or counter-revolutionary interlopers will try to disrupt the dialogue here.
They are very afraid of the growing power if the Occypy Movement and will continue attacking on all fronts.
Wasting your time, TD, but thanks for the great fact summation. I engaged this guy previously, asked him what he was FOR. Crickets. even here, he says he’s just waiting for SOMEONE to come along as a third option. No hint as to WHERE he expects that someone to come from.
Joe the Plumber, is that you? Seriously, dude, check your manners.
I waste my time a lot. I guess I cut folks too much slack until they prove what they are.
Your work here is invaluable, and much appreciated. This guy is against everything, and apparently for nothing. Maybe he is planning to declare his own candidacy soon lol. More likely, he thinks he’s “discovered” something, and is too unbalanced to appreciate that he is misperceiving. In any case, I’m quite certain that his unjustified and scurrilous attacks on you have lost him any credibility he would ever have had here.
Occupy SF:
The general assembly decided to move to the south side of the park. As they turned a riot cop rushed out and randomly tackled someone. Chaos ensues.
Facilitator gets attention of the crowd. And general assembly continues.
Occupy SF:
Soapbox. Lady says she feels so angry that she’d like to break the nose of all the corporations….LS freezes
After long kabuki in the Portland ME City Council:
Permit denied.
That vote was decided before the meeting; all of the testimony at the meeting did not affect it. Classic city council BS.
Oh Reeeely…
This is what I have been called on this thread… and I have’nt asked for anyone’s comments to be moderated… or told anyone to stop speaking.
I’ve been called a liar… a dishonest thing… as having shit stained glasses…a fly…a spammer… a troll… and a thread hyjacker…and a Briebart clone.
The hypocricy is at another level. Amazing how all this only applies to the person who dares to speak out here.
You all dont like anyone who speaks out… unless they agree with you… or if they point out facts that dont agree with your contrived agenda.
This kind of stuff is why I left the Democratic party.
What are you all afraid of…?
And another thing… If you had read the thread you will see that KrisTX was the one who used spicy language first [her shi. stained glasses comment]… NOT ME.
But it’s ok for that to happen…?
This all smacks of doublestandard and an inability to accept other opinions and pointing out of facts you dont like.
I’m not sure what your agenda is indie but you need to work on your presentation. Some people here may have over-reacted to your pompous declaration of facts about the Movement but it appears that is what you wanted.
If you want to get into a shouting match you’re waisting time here. If you want to learn about the Revolution that is the Occupy Movement stick around. This is not about any party or politics this is about people rising up and starting a revolution to change the whole system.
BTW i’ve been an Independent for 40yrs.
I’ve seen all I need… hiding and keeping secrets from your supporters and siding up with organized supporters of corrupt political partys exposes OWS for what they really are.
Again you seem to think that I can be played with words… sorry… I cant.
OWS offers no REAL change… just a continuation of the status quo… which appears to be their intent… to pacify the people and make it appear that someone is standing up to power when in fact they are not.
I know the difference between real change and fake change.
Nothing will change as long as we have the same corrupt politicians in office… nothing. Both partys are totally corrupt and working hand in hand to protect the 1%… and they have no intentions of changing.
Open your eyes.
And I would add… my agenda is REAL change… not fake change.
There has been no real change of any kind brought by OWS… just a lot of noise.
My heart goes out to the supporters in the street… it hurts to see them being used.
‘The Albatross of Obama’s “Rule of Executive Order”‘ | Posted on December 7, 2011 by emptywheel
***
Re Houston, TX:
New Occupy east of Portland, OR and organizers tell me they want everybody– the African-American, Spanish-speaking and Russian-speaking communities– to please participate!:
***
OccupyEducated.Org and NationalGA.org:
***
Re South London, UK:
Re Ireland:
Louisville Courant: Coalition for the Homeless Director identifies Occupy Louisville as community resource
Coco Courtois, The Oklahoma Daily: Occupy Norman participants protest in front of local bank
Occupy Norman (OK) photo set
Bankers – 0
Occupy Springfield, MO – “Mic Check! The police seem to have locked themselves out of their van!”
MyNews3: Occupy Vegas Protesters go to Washington
OccupyCharlestonWV: Becca from OccupyCharlestonWV gets arrested on Washington D.C.’s K Street.
Occupy Philly: The Panic Hour: Panic on K street arrests (raw footage)
Upside down laughing! 707!
Still scratching my head over those arrests with charges of unlawful entry to a Congress members office. Boy! They are really making up some new and nifty laws.
First March through Sag Harbor by Occupy the Hamptons
Tell the cops that America has paid the banks for that house. Let the people stay, We have Paid!
Occupy LA: Open letter to Mayor V (6)
Ryan Deto, LA Weekly: LAPD’s Choreography of Occupy L.A.
Remember this:
Jean Quan Memorial Lake
Occupy Carrollton (GA) 1st Action
Another classic example of how to mic-check. Focused on clearly related issues. I’m surprised the management let them go as long as they did. The plug for the GA was a nice touch.
JP Morgan-Chase Mic-Checked at Princeton University
LOL! If the weather was warmer it could be the Jean Quan Mosquito Reserve.
Allison Kilkenny, In These Times: Occupy Goes Underground
The general assembly process is the key to (1) avoiding having targetable leadership and (2) avoiding co-option. There are lots of general assemblies in small cities that have never had an encampment but have slowly been gaining strength and popular support.
By Occupy DC, am I correct that Kilkenny is referring to the folks in McPherson Park?
{ Mods, look like comment 114 got stuck in the hopper. }
New liveblog upstairs.