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Mass mobilizations are in progress at ports on the West Coast. Occupy Oakland, which first put out the call to “occupy” or target ports, and other occupations on the West Coast are marching to picket and hopefully shutdown these ports, which are a part of “the economic apparatus of the 1%.”
Here is an excerpt from Occupy Oakland’s call-to-action that provides necessary context for why Occupy Oakland and other groups are taking action at ports today:
The 1% has disrupted the lives of longshoremen and port truckers and the workers who create their wealth, just as coordinated nationwide police attacks have turned our cities into battlegrounds in an effort to disrupt our Occupy movement.
We call on each West Coast occupation to organize a mass mobilization to shut down its local port. Our eyes are on the continued union-busting and attacks on organized labor, in particular the rupture of Longshoremen jurisdiction in Longview Washington by the EGT. Already, Occupy Los Angeles has passed a resolution to carry out a port action on the Port Of Los Angeles on December 12th, to shut down SSA terminals, which are owned by Goldman Sachs.
Additionally, this is not just about sticking it to Goldman Sachs. It is also about showing solidarity with the struggles of longshoremen and port truckers up and down the West Coast. [For more, here is Occupy Oakland's official video announcement.]
Solidarity actions are being held. Occupy Albuquerque is going to setup a picket at Wal-Mart’s New Mexico Distribution Center in Los Lunas. Occupy Bellingham will be visiting the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company to shut it down. Occupy Boulder, Occupy Denver and Occupy Salt Lake City will target a port used by Wal-Mart. Occupy Greensboro will picket a Wal-Mart. Occupy Honolulu, along with Occupy Hilo and Occupy Maui, is showing solidarity with a banner drop and additional actions at Sand Island. Occupy Houston, with Occupy Dallas, Occupy Now, Occupy Austin, Occupy San Marco, Occupy San Antonio, and Occupy Texas, plans to shut down the Port of Houston. And, Occupy Wall Street is targeting Goldman Sachs headquarters this morning.
Outside the US, the Doro Chiba Railway Workers in Japan are demonstrating in solidarity at the facility of Itochu. Itochu is a “giant Japanese trading company that is a partner in EGT which is trying to bust
the ILWU jurisdiction in Longview.”
Firedoglake’s premier live blog begins now. Here is a Twitter list to follow for the latest updates.
OCCUPY WALL STREET
3:55 PM Occupy Seattle port shutdown action about to get underway. And, Occupy SF has a tent up and is out demonstrating.
3:36 PM For the past hour, occupiers in Houston have been holding their action. Korgasm_ has been streaming live here. Now, police are moving in barricades. Arrests have been made.
Biggest story from this action is police using tent-like structures to block people from seeing occupiers put in handcuffs:
2:26 PM New music for the rebellion: “Film the Police” by B. Dolan feat. Toki Wright, Jasiri X, Buddy Peace, Sage Francis. Paying tribute to NWA’s rap classic “Fuck the Police,” the rap is “a call to action for the digitized media movement” and a response to “the recent explosion of police brutality all across the world.”
2:07 PM Very moving letter from port truck drivers to those engaged in Occupy the Port actions. Here is an excerpt from this must read letter:
We are the front-line workers who haul container rigs full of imported and exported goods to and from the docks and warehouses every day.
We have been elected by committees of our co-workers at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma to tell our collective story. We have accepted the honor to speak up for our brothers and sisters about our working conditions despite the risk of retaliation we face. One of us is a mother, the rest of us fathers. Between the four of us we have six children and one more baby on the way. We have a combined 31 years of experience driving cargo from our shores for America’s stores.
We are inspired that a non-violent democratic movement that insists on basic economic fairness is capturing the hearts and minds of so many working people. Thank you “99 Percenters” for hearing our call for justice. We are humbled and overwhelmed by recent attention. Normally we are invisible.
Today’s demonstrations will impact us. While we cannot officially speak for every worker who shares our occupation, we can use this opportunity to reveal what it’s like to walk a day in our shoes for the 110,000 of us in America whose job it is to be a port truck driver. It may be tempting for media to ask questions about whether we support a shutdown, but there are no easy answers. Instead, we ask you, are you willing to listen and learn why a one-word response is impossible?
1:59 PM Korgasm is live from the Occupy action at the Port of Houston.
1:57 PM Occupy LA clarifies the actions target the dock owned by Goldman Sachs and not the whole Long Beach port
1:48 PM To show what NYPD chooses to serve and protect first, Allison Kilkenny points out the crackdown in the World Financial Center came quickly. Press with credentials were beat up and obstructed from covering action. In contrast, in East New York, a homeless family was able to move people into a vacant home owned by a bank. The police allowed a demonstration to block the street and there was little attempt to crack down and stop this action. Plus, as far as I know, the family that was moved in is still there.
1:31 PM I interview labor journalist Mike Elk on the West Coast port shutdown actions today. He tells me why the rank-and-file union members are not really supporting these actions today. Many of them, according to Elk, don’t know what this is about or why they should protest. There is no clear goal so nothing achieved by shutting down the ports.
Listen:
12:51 PM Logan Price (@kstrel) uploads one of the best examples yet of how NYPD loathes, mocks and targets the press. It shows them actively violating press freedom. First, OWS media is arrested, including Justin Wedes (who many may recognize now from his appearance on “The Colbert Report”). Then, a cop (who looks like Horseface from Season 2 of “The Wire”) moves side to side blocking a member of the press with credentials from getting the photo he wants.
12:45 PM Here is video of cops kicking a protester named Nathan from KTLA. This is when police were making arrests at the Port of LA.
12:00 PM Now, at Occupy Oakland, riot police fall back. They had mobilized and looked like they might be moving on occupiers at the Port of Oakland. Live stream here.
11:58 AM Long Beach police move in on port action Occupy LA and Occupy Long Beach are doing (via @RamonGalindo_RT)
11:44 AM Occupy LA is having most, if not everybody, go back to Harry Bridges Park after successful morning action to shut down the ports.
11:41 AM If at anytime updates become too spotty for you, this is the Twitter account for the day’s action: WC Port Shutdown
11:40 AM Tim Pool on livestream is facing a situation where he has to get into a car and leave or likely be arrested. This is at the Long Beach “Shut Down the Ports” action. Everyone on the road is likely to be arrested. Mass arrest very likely.
11:38 AM Occupy Oakland right now. Sheriffs in riot gear (@queenasookkim)
11:21 AM Meanwhile, here’s more on what happened with OWS earlier, from Ryan Deveraux of Democracy Now!:
He posts this photo of dozens of protesters being detained in the World Financial Centre. He reports many with electronic devices were brutalized and had their equipment thrown to the ground. They were arrested, especially those standing around tweeting. Journalist Laurie Penny tweets:
11:20 AM Long Beach police lining up across roadway to push back occupiers demonstrating and blocking road. They declared the assembly unlawful and on a loud intercom device they are ordering the demonstrators to leave. Police action imminent. Occupiers, it appears, are risking being hit with impact weapons, chemical agents or dog bites.
11:05 AM Long Beach port action has blocked road traffic in both directions. Drum circle going.
10:50 AM Various occupations are making it clear that if there is police brutality today they will return to block the ports again.
10:30 AM A lot has unfolded in the past three or four hours. Here is a quick roundup by occupations that held morning actions:
—Occupy Oakland: Occupiers mobilize around 5:30 am at the Port of Oakland. Bus loads of riot police show up to handle occupiers. Riot police move out protesters trying to hold a line so they can get buses through. 1,500 estimated to be at the scene. KTVU reports “non-union truckers” are being threatened with no future calls in for work if they did not show up today. The report is the port is closed right now.
—Occupy Portland: Portland shuts down Terminal 6 at the port. Riot police harass PDX Bike Swarm, a group of bicyclists riding to show solidarity with the action. They setup a picket line.
—Occupy San Diego: San Diego shuts down both entrances to the port. They set up a moving picket line and block the road forcing workers to turn away from the 10th Avenue port. The assembly has been declared the north entrance assembly an unlawful assembly. Police van is arriving.
—Occupy LA: There is a report of an incident of police brutality that was caught on video and will be posted later. Perhaps a thousand were at the Port of Long Beach around 6:30. Police have blocked the entrance to the port. Occupy LA and Occupy Long Beach protesters are there and they obey orders. There still are scuffles. Occupy LA are now going to join up with the longshoremen.
@JohnNBCLA posts this photo:
—Occupy Wall Street: Large rally in front of Goldman Sachs. Police quickly block sidewalk. After the rally, there is a banner drop inside the World Financial Center and a flash mob that is cleared out pretty quickly. Lorenzo, who was live streaming for Global Revolution, is arrested. Also, another person whose coverage we’ve followed, John Knefel, arrested.
10:22 AM Occupy San Diego reports that they are blocking the port and workers are being turned around. They’ve let some workers out. They hear riot police may be staging just down the way.
10:19 AM @JohnKnefel, whom we’ve tracked at demonstrations, is arrested (photo). He sent out these great photos from the Occupy Wall Street action:
And, this video before being arrested.
10:15 AM NLG says at least 8 Occupy Wall Street arrests so far.
10:12 AM Occupy Wall Street flash mob in Goldman Sachs. And, the person livestreaming from the action is arrested by police. Police approach and demand he shut off the camera.
9:55 AM Longshoremen are not reporting to work at the location Occupy LA targeted in Long Beach.
9:45 AM Via AlterNet’s Joshua Holland, here is a photo of Occupy Oakland at the port of Oakland this morning:
He reports via Twitter:
Moving towards one of the gates with about 50 others. Sky lightening. 4 choppers hovering overhead…Port acess road is like a horseshoe. Main crowd is in the middle but there are reportedly a few hundred at either end too…I should note there are no trucks moving here in the port…I think that show of force was about moving their bus…Riot police clearing path for a bus…Some pushing. Nothing serious so far…Another busload of riot police have arrived…Police staging…Now 5 vans of riot police pulled up on the other side…Several truckers expressed solidarity. Couple are really pissed…Several vans of ppolice clad in riot gear just drove past. Setting up on far side?…Now passing a long line of trucks awaiting entrance to the port…Maybe 400 or so protesters. Heavy police presence as we approach the port
300 Comments
SHUT THEM DOWN!
Thanks for the updates Kevin. I’m sure we’ll all be watching with interest today. Occupy camps throughout Texas are targeting the ports in Houston. Keep an eye out for tweets on that. I’ll post updates here when I can.
When the peeps are being arrested for taking video or streaming, the cops are acting with impunity. How are they getting away with it?
Following orders?
Defy the national union, Longshoremen! Police: you are the 99%, and our brothers and sisters! You should act like it!
And everyone: stay safe out there. But Shut.Them.Down.
Yeah, my question was rhetorical. Arresting citizen journalists makes the PTB look even more like the hypocrites they are.
The DOJ is responsible for overseeing Civil Rights enforcement. They’re flat not doing it. So the only thing left at the disposal of the 99% are the courts, and those take time. A civil judgement against a police department 18 months from now doesn’t stop them from smashing a camera today.
Occupy Long Beach: TimCast UStream
A new tactic emerges.
Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland already call it a crime to videotape police without their express permission, though some of the sentences have been overturned by higher courts. Look for more states to enact the same legislation.
http://www.dvafoto.com/2010/06/three-us-states-make-recording-police-activity-illegal/
I’ve been considering writing about it, but there are just so many things to write about in these ‘interesting times’.
Report from KPTV includes livestream of action at port.
Occupy Oakland: Trucks idling at port
Occupy Oakland: “Let the car through,” says a guy in a tent in the road. “It can leave but it can’t come back.” #D12
Occupy Long Beach LS (TimCast)
Line of police motorcycles is corraling marchers to port Exit.
THAT’S what I’m TALKING about!
THAT’S the way to frame our movement, they NEED us to gather their wealth in the first place
I do want to believe whoever wrote that might have read some of my work because it’s exactly the way I would put it
In Long Beach, police are trying to block them from setting up a picket line.
That’s the impunity I mean. The PTB are making up new rules as it suits them. The amazing thing is that the new rules contradict every principle that’s been crammed down the throat of schoolchildren for generations.
#TeamOccupyYourMom broadcasting live, I believe on their way to Houston.
Oakland
Channel just went dark. Keep an eye on it, @Korgasm_ is switching it on and off to conserve battery.
So that’s gotta mean the port closure will be extended, right? Wasn’t there a pledge to extend the closure if police were violent?
Assume you’re referring to this?
I’m not sure. At any rate, I don’t think this could be sustained for more than another day. The bulk of the people out at these demonstrations are people who were wound up over the last couple weeks and planned to be out today. They’ll lose momentum as this draws out. It’s just natural.
Occupy Long Beach LS (TimCast):
Folks are blocking the Exit to the port. Large police presence down the road. Helicopters overhead. Occupiers are dancing.
Here come the police.
Police in helmets with batons are advancing on occupiers blocking the road. Police are in fact blocking the road.
Occupiers are putting up a tent at the entrance.
Portland leading the way again! I’m amazed at the size of their turnout!
Activists at Occupy Houston, joined by folks from Occupy Austin, Occupy Dallas and others, are preparing to march on the port there.
#TeamOccupyYourMom has arrived at Occupy Houston.
Guess they don’t know what’s good for them.
Occupy Long Beach LS
Large group is joining folks in the road. A Marine vet in uniform at the front of the line.
Awwww, Merrilees is butthurt. I haz a sad for them.
My dad was in the San Francisco general strike of 1934 which was spearheaded by the ILWU. This and similar strikes up and gown the west coast helped force FDR to strengthen the New Deal. This shutdown is BS IMHO.
SF Gate:
“Any actions organized by outside groups, including the proposed Dec. 12 shutdown of various terminals on the West Coast, have not been vetted by our union’s democratically led process,” the International Longshore and Warehouse Union said. “Any decisions made by groups outside of the union’s democratic process do not hold water, regardless of the intent.”
The Occupy movements that make a fetish of applying direct democracy and near absolute consensus to its own decision making might want to take note of that.
Richard Mead, president of ILWU Local 10, which represents dockworkers at the Port of Oakland, said, “Our position is in the international’s press release. We’re not facilitating (Occupy Oakland’s strike call) in any way. We just want that clear.”
Jeff Smith, president of ILWU Local 8 in Portland, Ore., went further, telling the Portland Tribunehis union won’t honor picket lines. “This is a third-party strike. We have to go to work,” he said.
Right, as do truck drivers and other members of the 99 percent employed in the myriad other occupations connected to port operations. Chief impact of the earlier Port of Oakland shutdown: “lost work hours, lost shifts and lost wages,” according to port commissioners in a full-page “Keep Our Port Open” ad that ran in Sunday’s newspapers.
Is the Occupy movement OK with that? Seems like it. “Occupies” from San Diego and Los Angeles to Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, have signed up “to join the economic blockade and disruption of the 1 percent,” according to a post on the “West Coast Port Blockade” website.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-12-08/business/30489379_1_shutdown-international-longshore-warehouse-union
Occupy Long Beach LS
Three less-than-lethal weapons spotted as riot police formed. Police moving forward.
Occupy Long Beach LS
Police cars (LBPD) are turning around. An LAPD (Los Angeles PD) helicopter just flew over.
Can you confirm — Occupy LA is at this right? The Long Beach and LA occupations are demonstrating together? Or are these separate actions? I may be covering this incorrectly.
The Unions have contractual obligations to not strike without first attempting arbitration. They cannot publicly endorse what is happening because that would violate the terms of their contracts with the ports. This hasn’t stopped ILWU workers from refusing to show up to work today in Long Beach, or from directing protestors at Oakland to block gates that were allowing traffic into the port.
The rank and file union members are behind this. The fact that corrupt ILWU leadership wasn’t consulted doesn’t mean a damn thing.
This is a friend of mine from Occupy Austin and the son of one of our longtime contributors here, Siun.
Also too, follow @Ghostpickles and @Korgasm_ of #teamoccupyyourmom . They’re on Houston for the action.
Occupy Long Beach LS (TimCast):
The police are giving an order to disperse and saying they will use less-than-lethal rounds, tear gas, and police dogs to disperse the crowd.
Unless one is trying to find a Fijit Friend for one’s 10 year old daughter. In which case they are selling like hotcakes and can’t be found anywhere.
Occupy Long Beach LS (TimCast):
Declaration of unlawful assembly and order to disperse. Risks identified as chemical agents, impact rounds, dog bites.
This is wrt Oakland.
I’ve seen indications ONLY on twitter that OccupyLA is taking part in the actions in Long Beach in conjunction with Occupy Long Beach. I haven’t been able to find anything official.
Occupy Long Beach LS:
Person in wheelchair in front line.
This would be an important diary. In the State of Illinois, there is a man facing 75 years in prison for videotaping police (hat tip Tarheeldem, Dec. 3, 2011). These are anti-First Amendment laws that should go poof and should have never been allowed in the first place except for the fact that we have standing bodies of lobbyists
legislatorshiding behind the crooked might of the state and constantly threaten extortion in one form or another from We The People. Given the power and pervasiveness of technology today, it seems to me that if it isn’t direct democracy, it’s likely that it isn’t democracy at all.Occupy Long Beach LS
Officer just told livecam that he was not official press and that he had to move but was indefinite about where to move.
Looks likes they intend to arrest everyone.
Police flanking by going through the parking structure, enveloping protesters.
Pic – devices to apparently link arms?
SCOTUS walking back Miranda mightta been a Big Fucking Clue as to what this nation really is about now in terms of civil and legal rights.
Paul Krugman pronounced the economy a depression this morning.
Occupy Long Beach LS
Police are moving in. Protesters chanting “We’ll be back”.
Kit tells me he was reading Kevin’s blog post to the group at Occupy Houston action.
Right on!
That’s what Roberts was put on the Court to do. He has a life history of opposing Miranda.
“The …corrupt ILWU leadership” dang, I didn’t realize that this was the case. Those poor union members! Thank Goddess for folks with clarity and courage coming to their rescue.
Occupy Long Beach LS
Police have told livestream that there is no place that they can stand. Go back to your cars and leave.
Occupy Long Beach LS
“Police represent the 1%”
I appreciate your attempt at sarcasm
Occupy Long Beach LS
LAPD choppers overhead.
I believe I read the extension is geographically not time-wise….as in it would extend eastward by Occupiers in solidarity with their west coast brothers and sisters being beaten.
Occupy Long Beach LS
Police are not allowing people to go to their cars, but backing them through a parking lot where their cars are not parked. Their cars are parked elsewhere.
I read about that one, mzchief, and don’t know how it went down. It is important, and I’ll keeping looking for info. One piece I read was entitled: ‘Are Cameras the New Guns?’
gizmodo.com, I think…
The legal ‘justification’ seems to be illegal wiretapping laws, which is…crap nonsense, of course.
I like that concept better! Houston action will start soon. I suppose we’ll see shortly how things develop through the rest of the country.
Police PROTECT the 1%.
One thing folks should know about ILWU leadership. If the ILWU leadership endorses the port closure (strike), the whole contract they are working under gets broken. This would be the first step to breaking the union completely.
So what is going on is that the ILWU leadership is recommending that their workers not cross any community picket line, but not calling their people to strike. So it is up to the community to establish the picket line.
Occupy Long Beach LS
Protest is effectively broken up for now. People returning to their cars. They can move but only in groups of ones and twos.
Geez, what took him so long?
From Boots Riley’s Facebook page:
“ILWU national leadership released a statement saying they “don’t endorse” the December 12th Shutdown.
This is exactly how it was done on November 2nd as well. They participated in and supported it just as much then as they do now.
Here’s how it works:
We block the gates to the docks, the arbitrator comes and declares it unsafe for the longshoremen to go to work, and the longshoremen then go home- with pay.
ILWU has to officially say that they don’t “endorse” the shutdown, this is the only way that they will be able to claim that the blockade is a safety hazard for longshoremen.
If they endorsed it, there would be no safety hazard. How could there be a safety hazard from an action that they endorse? It would be a “strike”, no pay for longshoremen that day, and ILWU would be liable for a lawsuit in the millions.
Do not believe the rumor that this means the longshoremen rank-and-file, and the President of the locals don’t individually support us. They do. ILWU just can’t officially do it as an organization.
This action is in support of Longshoremen in Longview, WA who are militantly fighting union-busting activities by the grain company EGT. The actions of the rank-and-file there are not officially endorsed by ILWU either. These are technicalities for legal reasons, not a measure of support in this case.
Here’s what ILWU Local 21 President Dan Coffman said to Occupy Oakland last week at a public rally: “You can’t believe what you people have done for my people!”
ILWU Local 10 Executive Board member Clarence Thomas said publicly: “These Ports are public. People have a right to come to the Port and protest. The ILWU has historically honored picket lines at the Port.”
The ILWU has always honored community pickets. They understand solidarity. This is all part of how it works.
They supported the November 2nd shutdown under the exact same circumstances. The longshoremen support this one too.
Please let folks know about this. The details of this action have caused some confusion among people that need to be clear about their support.”
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=520078663
You weren’t aware that some union leadership are in it for themselves and would sell out their membership? You must not be familiar with some of the processes and people then.
This last election cycle for my husband’s union, they counted you as a yes vote if you didn’t vote(or get a ballot) when it came to voting for the agreement they made with the company. The cycle before that his local failed to give correct ballots or ballots at all rank and file dues paying members voting for their local. Guess what? They’re allowed to. The only jurisdiction the DOL has over elections are for official titles such as President even though that title doesn’t vote on important things like their next level of representation. Basically you can rig the system by rigging the local and corrupt the process all the way up.
So to sum it up, yes some union members have crappy “representation.”
I read it in a wendydavis post IIRC. She called it “spreading the love”
Thanks for putting up this. That was my point. The ILWU national leadership should not be criticized for not putting up a full-throated endorsement of the action.
LOL! Well…yes I did, SharonMI. ;o)
Occupy Long Beach LS
Line of cars stopped in parking lot. Police ordering everyone to get into their cars and leave.
Not sure, TarheelDem; folks will parse it various ways. Robert McEllarth took it a bit further than I was comfortable with:
“The ILWU shares the Occupy Wall Street movement’s concerns about – corporate abuses and the future of the middle class, but we must be clear that – any actions organized by outside groups, including the proposed Dec. 12 shutdown of various terminals on the West Coast, have not been vetted by our union’s democratically led process,“ according to the union’s statement. “Only ILWU members or their elected representatives can authorize job actions on behalf of the union, and any decisions made by groups outside of the union’s democratic process do not hold water, regardless of the intent.”
He makes it hard to know whether it’s a wink or something else; many union locals have taken the stand with Occupies regardless of what the
leadership says.
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=132259721513080600
rangoon78@41 says:
“My dad was in the San Francisco general strike of 1934 which was spearheaded by the ILWU. This and similar strikes up and gown the west coast helped force FDR to strengthen the New Deal.”
You must be very proud of your dad, rangoon.
Ondelette@61 says:
“Paul Krugman pronounced the economy a depression this morning.”
But, but – Obama touted his accomplishment of ending the ‘recession’ on “60 Minutes” last night!
Thanks, wendydavis, for expanding on the ILWU involvement or noninvolvement. I hear too from one of Thom’s callers this morning that most of the truckers are now independent of union membership so in a risky relationship with port owners.
Well done, Occupiers. Well done.
Hi everybody – just dropping in to say hi (had to come home and pee; you would think the PORT would have some PORT-a-potties but noooooooo). Everything is going smoothly at the Port of Oakland so far. Several gates are shut down and the cops keep lining up like tough guys and then retreating back to their staging area. Empress Quan wanted occupiers to “respect the 99% and keep the port open” but she is not getting her way.
A couple of things to note: the reason everybody keeps walking in a circle is that the ILWU will not cross a “moving picket.” Also harder for the cops to disrupt but that’s the main reason, according to people there who told us all to keep moving. KTVU this morning said they had been interviewing union members and every single one said they would not cross the picket lines.
“This is a friend of mine from Occupy Austin….”
I spoke with him last night in Tranquility Park. At 10:30 last night there were about three times as many people as usual in TP.
All were very fired up about today’s action.
OMG, I just watched Obama say he asked Iran to give our drone back. I think he might actually be working his way up to asking the banksters to give all the fraudulently obtained profits back next.
Keep moving and Being Inconvenient, girlfriend! Love to you all, and great respect.
Obama hasn’t found comfortable enough shoes or you know he’d be out there with y’all.
(sorry bad joke)
Saw that.
There’s a really great poster of Obama out there with the headline “Sellout” – I will try to get a picture. Thanks for the love – more news later. All Power to the People!
The squid wants to go to work! -OSMinNYC
h/t Occupy Springfield MO
These are comfortable shoes…
Dude, at least your 10 year old daughter doesn’t want a $100 JLX rc motorcycle thingy from Santa.
Occupy Oakland: First tent
It has to fit certain economic criteria, principal of which includes deflation. The U.S. wages shrank 10%, the European wages are shrinking, the combined U.S. housing prices and the European goods and housing prices are shrinking, so I think the deflation criterion has been crossed. The European economy really is collapsing and they are going into recession no matter how much it is being hid. Which means so are we.
Mission Accomplished for the morning shift at the Port of Oakland: this is a FB message from an OO facilitator who is there now:
ILWU just announced we SHUT IT DOWN! All Longshoremen for the morning shift at the Port of Oakland have been sent home! We still need people to come down and be there for the second wave so we can shut down the evening shift! It took A LOT of people to do this and we will need even more this afternoon and evening. WE DID IT! The ILWU rep came out and thanked us from the bottom of his heart when he made the announcement. OCCUPY WINS AGAIN!
“News print” and TV in Portland, OR is pretty much Wall $treet propaganda like the Portland Tribune and my neighbors see it as such.
#occupyoakland morning #portshutdown pickets are a success! arbitrator rules in our favor! COME BACK FOR EVENING SHIFT #d12 #oo #ows
Classic footage. Makes me nostalgic for progressive unity in loathing our jerk of a leader.
#occupyoakland morning #portshutdown pickets are a success! arbitrator rules in our favor! COME BACK FOR EVENING SHIFT #d12 #oo #ows
Sorry for double post, I forgot the link.
WOOT! Did you go?
Yes, I was there until a little while ago – came home for a minute and was planning to go back. There is other stuff happening and then we’ll go back this afternoon to shut ‘er down again.
Yes, thank you. This is what I was looking for when I posted last night. Clarification.
WOOT WOOT!
Never saw that before. Bush is pretty quick with the duck…he must have gone hunting with Cheney a few times.
Very cool. I’m there is spirit today…
Two thumbs up…and the fingers up wiggling!!!
Sounds as if the shutting down of ports is pretty successful. Go, team!
Yes, and the media are clearly driving wedges; *but* I have seen the quote all over. Still don’t know what it really signifies. Nor if it matters one iota. The workers’ actions are what matter in the end, no?
Trumka, Stern, et.al. are still trying to pretend they are leading on Occupy, when they are clearly racing to get to the front of their locals’ march. IMHO, of course. ;o)
OWS is our only hope!
I was hella impressed with my comrades – the march started right on time at 5:30 AM with hundreds of people (I have heard total counts of 1500 but not sure about that just yet). Hubby and I had to catch up because we got stuck behind a ridiculously excessive convoy of police cars, jail buses, unmarked squad cars, white vans, drug cartel suburbans, etc. I really think there may have been as many of them as there were of us. But the people prevailed and we will do so again tonight!
Occupy LA Port Closure:
Shrubya has nice housing, fancy food, vacations, an exercise program and the best health care money can buy courtesy of the 99 Percent.
Pretending is a very lobbyist thing to do but it doesn’t make it so.
Dana Guthrie, yourBellaireNews.com: Harris County attorney slams Port (of Houston) Commission, calls for transparency
Check out the list of Occupy-ae participating in the West Coast Port Shutdown.
I’m also watching the split screen of the West Coast and NYC at http://occupy.elementfx.com/occupytv.
RAW arrests at World Financial Center
“PROPAGANDA does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.”
~Eric Hoffer
;o)
Oakland:
Port officially shut down by arbitrator. The view from here just got a whole lot better!
There are days when I think the Bots will be the last to join us, I swear. Some creepy psycho-sadness avoidance or something… ;o(
From #shutdowntheports:
Attempted snark.
If the 1500 number is correct, that is a *huge* turnout for such an early action!
Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports: An Open Letter from America’s Port Truck Drivers on Occupy the Ports
Some of my dearest, bestest friends are still Bots. I have to stop myself from ranting at them because they’re just not ready to be deprogrammed yet. I don’t know if the denial will last through 2012 but I am afraid it might.
Very true, I read a comment at DK agreeing with a Union leader that OWS should have worked with them and got their approval. They are consensus builders to a fault. A true Democracy would allow for action A if 51 out of 100 voted for it. O and his bots are compromising right and wrong to get a consensus and there are not two sides to right and wrong.
Interesting quote. I just read the confessions of a Canadian radio person about how the programming is designed to emotionally manipulate angry white guys to keep them angry. You’d think the individual complaining about the ethics of the business would quit rather than continue to make bank on it.
Union leaders have already compromised away any power they had. OWS need not consult with them to take an action.
Most of the unions have contracted themselves out of being able to strike. That’s the reason OO had to go through this little dance of having a picket line so that the union arbitrator would rule it unsafe for them to go to work. OO/OWS is leading the union in this regard, not the other way around. The unions must be reminded that collectively withholding labor is their only tool against the oligarchy.
Twain and I are on the same wavelength. *g*
More split screens at http://occupyportland.org/livestreammedia.
My comment was meant to show that Obots at DK were eating up the Union Leader BS and criticizing OWS.
Yup.
Awesome open letter from America’s port truck drivers.
Obots appear to me as authoritarians so I’m not surprised.
@caulkthewagon returns to Dewey Square:
Yes, I got that. The Obots are in denial about all of their so-called allies and they can’t stand that OWS refuses to use its power to prop up the Democrats.
Houston Port Action: Korgasm’s UStream
Re Houston, TX:
Some of them don’t have the ability to “strike” even if they want to. Withholding labor isn’t an option if “the rules” state that you automatically go to arbitration once a strike has been declared.
As it stands may unions worry that the arbitration results would likely be worse for them. And considering that our government is “pro corporate” that probably isn’t that far of a stretch.
Houston Port USTream
Police filming from car in parking lot. HPD present.
Houston Port UStream
SWAT units, command center, fire trucks, couple of buses
Wow.
“We have been elected by committees of our co-workers at the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma to tell our collective story. We have accepted the honor to speak up for our brothers and sisters about our working conditions despite the risk of retaliation we face. One of us is a mother, the rest of us fathers. Between the four of us we have six children and one more baby on the way. We have a combined 31 years of experience driving cargo from our shores for America’s stores.
We are inspired that a non-violent democratic movement that insists on basic economic fairness is capturing the hearts and minds of so many working people. Thank you “99 Percenters” for hearing our call for justice. We are humbled and overwhelmed by recent attention. Normally we are invisible. [snip]
Then a long section on degrading and hideous working conditions and pay…hard to read, really. Then this plea and declaration:
“The more underwater we are, the more our restlessness grows. We are being thoughtful about how best to organize ourselves and do what is needed to win dignity, respect, and justice.
Nowadays greedy corporations are treated as “people” while the politicians they bankroll cast union members who try to improve their workplaces as “thugs.”
But we believe in the power and potential behind a truly united 99%. We admire the strength and perseverance of the longshoremen. We are fighting like mad to overcome our exploitation, so please, stick by us long after December 12. Our friends in the Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports created a pledge you can sign to support us here.
We drivers have a saying, “We may not have a union yet, but no one can stop us from acting like one.”
The brothers and sisters of the Teamsters have our backs. They help us make our voices heard. But we need your help too so we can achieve the day where we raise our fists and together declare: “No one could stop us from forming a union.”
Thank you.”
http://cleanandsafeports.org/blog/2011/12/12/an-open-letter-from-america%E2%80%99s-port-truck-drivers-on-occupy-the-ports/
Houston Port UStream
About as many cops as protesters.
A half dozen horse cops
One of the local news stations trotted out a few “small trucking company owners” yesterday who were boo-hooing about the blockade. These are the people who exploit immigrants and pay them slave wages. Grrrrrrr. As we were chanting this morning, Union Busting Is Disgusting.
Occupy Denver UStream
Walmart Distribution Center action
Re Portland, OR:
DamaskPortland‘s Ustream live stream is getting piped through to the Occupy Portland live stream.
A women got pushed by a truck earlier and the video footage was captured. Occupiers can use coffee, tea, some hot portable food and relief people to covered the shifts. Take it down with you or have it delivered to:
Port of Portland, 7201 N. Marine Drive, Portland, OR, 97203
Occupy Denver USTream
SWAT officers giving tickets
People who cross street when cars coming gets you an “obstructing traffic” ticket
Houston Port UStream
Horse cops are directing traffic. Trucker getting annoyed because the horse is in the way.
Houston Port UStream
Trucks being slowed down. Mounted cops blocking off regular entrance to where trucks usually go in.
Houston Port UStream
Honk of support from truck coming into terminal
Occupy Denver UStream
Occupiers reading the call for shutdown from Occupy Oakland.
Occupiers are admiring a very cute dog at the Port of Portland (Portland is a *very* dog-friendly town). About 150 folks there. Romania and Scotland are on the live chat.
Houston Port UStream
Five protesters with linked arms blocking the entrance road.
Houston Port USTream
Linked protesters now lying down in the middle of the exit ramp that goes to the Port.
Cops telling them they are blocking the roadway and need to move.
I count 7. Lying in the road blocking port traffic. Way to go, Houston!
small group of about 5 people lying in the street at Houston port. The police in Houston seem fairly mellow.
Houston Port UStream
A standoff. The road is stilled blocked.
Officers are covering their badge numbers and names.
It’s actually kind of humorous because police mounted on horses seem to be obstructing just as much as the 6 in the street.
Houston Port UStream
Horse cops have been replaced by foot HPD officers facing the protesters who are on the side of the road.
Re NYC:
23 Squidoo!
Houston Port USTream
Two protesters who were blocking the street elsewhere have been arrested.
Police still don’t seem to be doing anything.
Houston Port UStream
Honks of support from trucks on the freeway.
Houston Port UStream
Horse cops kettling live streamers to block view.
Houston Port UStream
HPD brought in a structure to cover protesters on ground so that witnesses can no witness the arrests.
HPD covered names with duct tape; no badges.
Can’t have transparancy of poh-lice action at these things. I’m not sure which is worse PR, the violence by police or stomping on the freedom of the press.
From the Houston Chronicle:
These steps taken by the police to remain anonymous and unidentifiable are extremely troubling to me. It opens the door to all kinds of bad things. I’m just wondering, if one is getting physically manhandled by someone not properly identified as a police officer, and one fights back, might there not be a valid self-defense defense if the cop gets injured? I’m asking because I know how wide your experience and knowledge base are and, even though I have the legal credentials, criminal law was never my area except for sporadic exceptions.
Houston Port UStream
Bringing up barricades to barricade protesters out of the area.
Houston Port Action UStream
Third group of protesters have been given final warning
Got a photo of that which I added to the blog.
Haha. The Pentagon asked WikiLeaks to give back the classified information they had. US government just doesn’t get it.
The first responders need to remember how disposable they are to the 1%. Just look at how the “heroes” were treated following all the physical problems they had following 9-11.
The police covering their badges doesn’t look good for them at all, nor tenting the area so their behavior can be publically viewed.
Houston Port Action UStream
Houston Fire Department deflated the tent that the HPD was using to hide what they were doing during the arrests.
Kitt is wonderful on the livestream
I’ve been having a blast watching them. The tents placed over demonstrators before arrests must have been illegal. Can’t believe I just watched that shit happen in America.
Obama and the drone makes me think of a rapist asking to get his sperm back lol.
Thanks again, Kevin, for the wonderful work you’ve been doing.
Looks like Houston LS went dark. Battery dead is my guess.
I would love to see video of that.
Dontcha know? That’s not Amurka; that’s Texas, and ya don’t mess wid Texas.
NM, back up.
Hooray for Houston Fire Department!
From http://occupyportland.org/livestreammedia:
Eugene vets pulled up in a bus to support the Occupiers at the PDX Port shutdown.
These incredible people make me
Hope they are all safe.
So setting up tents will get you evicted even if the evictors set up the tent? Can we find out who makes these tents like the teargas cannisters from PA. Are these tents for this purpose? Or just creative problem solving on the HPD’s part?
NYC temporarily piping through on the Occupy Portland live stream:
Demonstrators chanting: “What’s disgusting? Union busting?” and “Everybody pays their tax. Everyone but Goldman Sachs.”
Also, from earlier:
Irony always eludes fascists.
Leslie Bridgers, The Portland (ME) Press-Herald: Portland police search for bomb at Occupy camp
Re Houston, TX:
Sorry, but there are no anonymous government officials or employees.
Supreme Court has held many times that a citizen must comply with police but should take down names and badge numbers if one feels the police are acting illegally. It would seem logical they therefore can’t cover their badge numbers legally.
I kept a list of citations about resisting arrest about illegal arrest written by a reader at Naked Capitalism awhile back. I’ve been working with a couple others creating an Occupy Legal sub-site at my other blogging home. We’d been writing up the various suits brought against cities, states, etc. and following the decisions, etc. to see if there were patterns to what worked, etc. and listing legal help available, all that. Now it looks like we’re going to have to abandon it, a real shame. But we may see (once we get our heads together) if some other folks might like to use our work, administer the site…something.
Anyhoo, this is part of what the commenter wrote (then gave all the court decisions) in response to the Berkeley police saying that linking arms and resisting attempts to clear a space is an act of “violence”:
“It is every citizen’s duty to resist false arrest.
There is no such crime as “resisting arrest.” This is a fictitious crime dreamed up by law enforcement to accuse a citizen of a crime when they refuse to surrender to the illegal demands of the police.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on numerous occasions that resisting a false arrest is not merely a citizen’s right, but his duty! In fact, the Supreme Court has gone so far as to rule that if a law enforcement officer is killed as a result of actions stemming from a citizen’s attempts to defend themselves against a false arrest, it is the fault of the officer, not the citizen.”
Occupy Seattle reports that their march is by the stadiums. Anyone know of a livestream?
On #3OccupySF with punkboyinsf in Oakland, CA:
Tent monster, solidarity dance party and Rev. Billy Talen.
Co-option in Oklahoma?
I only googled not shepardized the subject but since you have expertise is there a case that is on point regarding police covering their badge numbers?
Re British Columbia:
Tent Monster spotted in Oakland.
Re Vancouver, British Columbia port shutdown:
http://www.livestream.com/owsoccupyseattle
seems to work, though a bit jerkey…jiggly?
Korgasm is live again.
I just returned from UnOccupyabq demonstration at the Wallmart in Los Lunas NM. There is resistance on the Rio Abajo, about 20 ppl were picketing in the freezing rain.
The local Protectors of Liberty were out in force with the Los Lunas Police, State Police and Valencia County Sheriffs protecting Wallmarts right to sell import junk to the consumer class. The police also had the entrance road to the distribution center blocked with cruisers with lights flashing.
Occupy Seattle LS
About 800 people marching.
Mike Hager, The Vancouver Sun: Occupy Vancouver rally stops trucks from reaching port
Oh, goodness; I am not even an attorney. I’ve just been doing the collection, googling, and typing up the cases. I don’t have a clue on case law on hiding badges, and a quick google search only mentioned complaints, not lawsuits. A site called ‘first amendment coalition’ looked promising, but it crashed my connection three times, so…I bailed on it.
It’s exactly why a go-to Occupy Legal site would be so useful. Bugger all.
But a monumental project.
I did a quick search at Aclu.org, but didn’t find anything on topic; their archives are huge, and the main section was a long one on police and racial arrests, brutality. A scan didn’t even seem to speak of hiding identities. Sorry.
Occupy Seattle LS
Approaching port. Trucker honks in solidarity. Another honks.
Occupy Seattle LS
Joined with other people coming in. Now about 1000 people.
“Who’s port. Our port.” One trucker honking in rhythm with the chant.
Frankly, I’ve never heard of such behavior on a large, concerted basis before. Used to be the kind of thing only rogue cops would do. Suddenly, it looks like official policy. I can’t imagine how any court could condone it, but maybe there is no case law on it yet. I posed the question above whether you could claim self-defense if you hurt a cop who put hands on you and was not properly identified as an officer of the law. Lots of questions raised by this behavior, anyone got any authoritative answers?
So…more of the same tomorrow, I presume?
Occupy Seattle LS
Have arrived at rally point by the water. Police boat on the water.
DHS truck.
Occupy Seattle LS
Have divided into three zones, setting up the picket line. Green zone for observers picketing; yellow for pickets minimally risking arrest; red for those blocking entry/exit for the port.
Report that police have rubber bullet guns.
Occupy Seattle LS
Police coming out in riot gear.
Occupy Seattle LS
Protesters now using barricading from sidewalk to block off entrance to port.
Occupy Seattle LS
One entrance shut down. Now moving to next entrance. There are four entrances in all.
Occupy Seattle LS
Picketing outside terminal because inside of terminal is jurisdiction of DHS. [TSA maybe]
I’ll raise you –
Occupy Seattle LS
Entrance at Terminal 18 barricaded off with an improvised barricade and orange smoke. Will allow workers to leave from the terminal.
That’s three of four entrances.
Guy on livestream.com/occupyHOUSTONtranquilitypark just gave a shoutout to Occupy Supply, held up a hat!
Aloha, ya’ll…! Occupy Hilo is outside the main gate of the Port of Hilo waving signs and all…! My connection is too slow to handle the Occupy Hilo Livestream, but, I’ve shot some video and will post it later…! *g*
A page of links to live streams of port closures across the US West Coast:
From Toronto:
Political cartoon and article, “A modest proposal for Harper: Why not ethical landmines?” (Globe and Mail, by Brian Topp, Dec. 11, 2011).
Awareness campaign/petition for the Palestinian Freedom Riders.
Well, you can bet your booties case law will be coming soon. ;o(
ACLU and National Lawyers Guild both advise *not* resisting arrest or engaging with cops physically, but…they may need to update their ‘What are your rights’ documents.
From NLG observer in Pittsburg, 2009:
“Later, while some protests were ending, riot-clad officers surrounded an area at the University of Pittsburgh, creating an ominous spectacle that some described as akin to Kent State. Guild legal observers witnessed police chasing and arresting many uninvolved students.
Among other questionable tactics, officers from dozens of law enforcement agencies lacked easily-identifiable badges, impeding citizens’ ability to register complaints.
Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the National Lawyers Guild, said: “Accountability and chain of command is virtually impossible to establish given the lack of visible individual identifying badges on officers. The small, paper armband badges that law enforcement are wearing are difficult to read, and many wore black chest coverings with absolutely no identifying information. We’ve seen many law enforcement personnel, including Pittsburgh Police Department officers, deliberately covering up the arm IDs by rolling their shirt sleeves up over them.”
The National Lawyers Guild is a progressive bar association, founded in 1937, with chapters in every state. Its national mass defense program includes education about laws and practices that affect individuals engaging in dissent, criminal defense of protesters and civil litigation to curb unconstitutional police practices, and its legal observing program. Resources detailing police tactics are available on the Guild’s website, http://www.nlg.org, including Punishing Protest and The Assault on Free Speech, Public Assembly, and Dissent.”
Did any of that make it to court? I can’t find a thing. Lexis/Nexis, maybe? Maybe just knowing the right search terms would help. I’m just flailing around, really, in my ignorance.
Re Occupy Nova Scotia:
“Activist Communique: Occupy strikes back — West Coast port blockades” (Rabble.CA, by Krystalline Kraus, Dec. 12, 2011)
Re Bellingham, WA rail yards:
Writing…Post will go up and updates will resume shortly.
Looks like I need a new live blog post…
Occupy Portland live stream featured an interview of a mortgage underwriter who worked in Portland, OR, was in the business for more than 20 years and reveals the corruption in the business. You can also see the interview here:
Video: “Why A Big Bank Fired Me – A Whistleblower’s Account of Predatory Lending” (Dec. 11, 2011)
Occupy Bellingham, WA live stream: Police grinding locks off of demonstrators. 12 people arrested. Need bail money for arrestees. Donations happily accepted at Needs of the Occupiers.
Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/BhamOccupy
Occupy Seattle LS
Marching to Terminal 5, the last open entrance. Traffic is backed up.
Occupy Seattle LS
Someone just got run. Car tore through march, hit two people and kept going; license plate number recorded.
Police car has rolled up; talking with them about hit and run.
Ambulance here.
Occupy Seattle LS
People who were hit are OK.
There are nine police cars on the scene.
Good Evening!
I’ve been in solidarity with the Protesters. Sending out good vibes to them from this ex-shipping line employee.
Tip: Container ships come in port most of the time in the middle of the night our time or early morning hours. Ship Manifest is reviewed and then offload starts. From there the Logistics teams direct truck or train to either warehouse or train lot for pick-up to delivery.
Occupy Seattle LS
Second gate at Terminal 5 yet to be shut down to shut port down.
Occupy Seattle LS
Last working gate is blocked.
Mic-check a story about a worker who was denied medical coverage after being electrocuted by an exposed wire.
Group at first gate has been teargassed and cops used flash-bangs.
Eight cop cars are head to this group.
Occupy Seattle LS
About a dozen police cars pulled out a parking lot and is now at the gate that was just closed.
There is a lot of confusion about what is going on right now.
Occupy Seattle LS
Police gearing up in riot suits.
Occupy Seattle LS
Police are moving.
Re Bellingham, WA:
From “Reminder: Dec 12th Action in Bellingham” (Occupy-Bellingham.Org, by ErinH, Dec. 11, 2011):
Folks were actually locked to the tracks … some with Ulocks around their necks. Occupy Bellingham had the highest numbers of arrests today! They stopped the trains from noon to 5 PM. The live stream has gone to the jail for solidarity with arrestees. Pizza en route to the jail house!
How do you #OccupyYourStreet ?
Occupy Seattle LS
A car pulled up. After much consideration, the consensus is to let it through.
Then the mic-checked comment was that the barricade would stop them and they could only park. “If they want to get teargassed with us, let them.”
Occupy Seattle LS
There is a picket line set up at Terminal 5.
Cops moved to be less noticeable.
Occupy Oakland
Scene at Port of Oakland
“Massey CEO Set to Open More Coal Mines” (FireDogLake.Com, by Tula Connell, Dec. 12, 2011)
Kudos to Bellingham, WA for bringing it today it like a big town! Just moments ago, folks with the live stream sprinted over to the Whatcom County jail in time to honk their horns for arrestees delivered. Four of the arrestees hung Ulocks around their necks and locked them to the railroad tracks before police came to cut them off the tracks.
***
Anyone know the content of this change?:
Occupy Seattle LS
Story from Terminal 18. Police used horses, And threw flashbang grenades and teargas grenades at people. Two medics were were arrested and thrown into a car. But work at Terminal 18 was canceled for the night.
Terminal 5 is the last remaining blockade. Circular picket line going. Police are beyond the picket line inside the terminal parking lot.
Occupy Seattle LS
“Down with Goldman Sachs. Occupy strikes back.”
I caught her tweet, but I don’t have the info.
I’ve been busy with Stevedore and Longshoremen support of Occupy Ports.
Occupy Seattle LS
Paddy wagon here. Riot cops here. “Makings of a party”
Current TV has a new documentary on right now about OWS.
Occupy Seattle LS
KING-5 and KOMO-4 are there.
Occupy Seattle LS
Singing Solidarity Carols.
Now “Solidarity Forever”
Occupy Seattle LS
Media just left.
Occupy Seattle LS
Correction. Media are still there.
Cops are suiting up.
WOOT!
Hip Hop Video (adult adult language warning for those at work): “FILM THE POLICE” – B. Dolan feat. Toki Wright, Jasiri X, Buddy Peace, Sage Francis
Occupy Seattle LS
Cops seemed to have left for now.
Expecting an announcement from the Port soon.
Kevin has a new post up.
We’ll learn more presently. This issue ain’t going away.
Occupy Seattle LS
There was an announcement. The workers for the night shift are at the union hall waiting for the arbitrator to decide whether they can get paid if they refuse to cross the community picket line.
Just came back to give that message.
You’re on top of it and beat me!