Monday, October 3, 2011
Check here for what's going on in your neck of the woods...
I noticed Asheville, NC is represented; same with Seattle, Olympia and Spokane; it's growing fast! And the list is long even now. If you want to join the action in a city near you, click on the one you want, and get details.
Go to: www.occupytogether.org
Keep following here (I'll be updating), and then start leading...
If you want a good "scare" check out this on Democracy Now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buKR5FHCyCEAmy Goodman's Democracy Now
And there are these poignant images....
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/02/1022210/-2nd-time-Ive-fought-for-my-country-1st-time-Ive-known-my-enemy-OccupyWallStreet?via=sidebyuserrec
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/09/30/1019452/-Rubber-Duck,-we-got-ourselves-a-Convoy-to-OCCUPYDC-Oct-6,-2011?via=sidebyuserrec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buKR5FHCyCEAmy Goodman's Democracy Now
And there are these poignant images....
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/02/1022210/-2nd-time-Ive-fought-for-my-country-1st-time-Ive-known-my-enemy-OccupyWallStreet?via=sidebyuserrec
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/09/30/1019452/-Rubber-Duck,-we-got-ourselves-a-Convoy-to-OCCUPYDC-Oct-6,-2011?via=sidebyuserrec
It's More Than You Think.....
Daily Kos member
#OccupyWallStreet - So I Went Down to Liberty Square...by david miznerFollow .
Share7 permalink 143 Comments
...to check out the scene, and what a scene it was. These are the impressions of a visitor; for more authoritative accounts see (among many others) MoT, OllieGarkey, AoT, and Kevin Gosztola, who's being doing great stuff at FDL.
The Place
I took the C to the last stop, Fulton Street, and coming up from the subway got turned around, so I stopped at a newsstand. I said, "Where the protest?" and the newsstand guy pointed and said, "Two blocks on right." Then he gave me $2.25 worth of purchases for $2 because I was, he said, "doing good thing." A OWS fan! Liberty Square is a you-can't-miss-it kind of place, sitting at major foot traffic hub on Broadway, framed on three sides by huge buildings. A ignorant passerby would see the crowd in the square and think: something's happening. The square offers campers no grass, just cement (although there are flowers and newish trees), so the mattresses I saw are surely much in demand. The place can accommodate a lot of people, but one of the campers told me that if people continue to join they'll have to find a satellite site.
The People
I stopped counting at 400 (not including media members: I saw a few dozen reporters) but it was impossible to know how many were campers or even participants. Two of the campers I spoke to estimated that there were more than 200 in their ranks. A diverse lot in terms of gender, race, and age. Most of the hardcore are alternative-looking Phish-friendly folks: dreads, noserings, tats, piercings, patchouli. Deal with it. They're the tip of the spear. In any case, far from all the occupiers fit that profile. There was, for example, a union electrician who'd driven down from Boston to support the effort. "It's key that young people are pushing the movement forward," he said. Attractive and articulate spokespeople seem to be emerging. Hero Vincent -- a 21-year old black artist originally from NYC who'd come up from Charlotte, North Carolina to take part in the occupation -- held a press conference and did well. When a reporter said something about the occupiers opposing the middle class, Vincent said, "We are the middle class. Or we want to be. We hope to be." And I spoke to Alex Carvalho, the occupier who'd apparently just managed to book Radiohead to play there. Carvalho, a 27-year-old doctor from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, cogently explained how his interest in public health had led him to join the protest. (Not all the protesters are quite so sharp PR-wise. Asked on camera who was to blame for the crappy economy, a protester said, "Woo. That's a deep question.")
The Atmosphere
You can feel the excitement; the occupiers are palpably thrilled that they've caught a wave (or created it), and that they've taken action. "No more fear," read one of the hundreds of signs. I came away from Liberty Square energized and determined to do what I could to support their efforts. I sensed anxiety among the occupiers as they struggle to keep expanding the movement. On top of the task of trying to manage public perception (a challenge they seem particularly aware of and focused on), there's the task of trying organize themselves, a diverse and ostensibly leaderless group composed mostly of people without organizing experience. And they're extremely tired. Make no mistake: it's not easy camping out, and the weather is about to turn chilly. They're sacrificing. In no way are they satisfied just to have attracted attention: they want to change the country and won't be satisfied until they do so. They're for real. And contrary to the claims of the detractors, they're not trustafarians who have the luxury of protesting; on the contrary, they're exploited, pissed off, broke, uninsured, and unemployed Americans who have taken on the burden of protesting. Mixed in with their excitement is no small amount of desperation. That said, it's a party! At one point I found myself standing among Death (someone dressed as Death), a fake Fox News reporter, and a sparkly haired woman who tried (unsuccessfully) to get me to dance to the beat of the drummers nearby. Donating is easy: you just walk up to the desk at the center of the square and give whatever you'd like. I gave cash and, remembering the newsstand guy, gave another quarter.
The Cause
The occupiers now have a declaration and will at some point present a list of demands. They're in the process of writing them -- no simple task. Dismissing the idea that they should have come up with demands in two weeks, Hero Vincent pointed out, with admirable grandiosity, that it took months to write the U.S. Constitution. My sense is that the effort took off not despite the lack of specificity but (partly) because of it. The protest is channeling the widespread free-floating anger at Wall Street and corporations. People know they're getting screwed and they know who's doing the screwing. And I believe that the perceived singular focus on Wall Street (even if no such singular focus actually exists) also has worked to its advantage. Inferring from the declaration, I assume the demands will include a variety of anti-corporate agenda items; as such, they may not carry the universal powerful appeal of a more straightforward anti-Wall Street message. But the cause, however it manifests itself, is righteous. The occupiers' fight is our fight. No one knows what the budding movement will accomplish; the mere thought that it might accomplish anything significant seems fanciful, a few thousands ragtag protesters standing against the corporate-imperial state. Yet I've come to believe that in this dark and darkening moment, a citizen uprising such as this is not only our least worst hope but our only hope.
.
#OccupyWallStreet - So I Went Down to Liberty Square...by david miznerFollow .
Share7 permalink 143 Comments
...to check out the scene, and what a scene it was. These are the impressions of a visitor; for more authoritative accounts see (among many others) MoT, OllieGarkey, AoT, and Kevin Gosztola, who's being doing great stuff at FDL.
The Place
I took the C to the last stop, Fulton Street, and coming up from the subway got turned around, so I stopped at a newsstand. I said, "Where the protest?" and the newsstand guy pointed and said, "Two blocks on right." Then he gave me $2.25 worth of purchases for $2 because I was, he said, "doing good thing." A OWS fan! Liberty Square is a you-can't-miss-it kind of place, sitting at major foot traffic hub on Broadway, framed on three sides by huge buildings. A ignorant passerby would see the crowd in the square and think: something's happening. The square offers campers no grass, just cement (although there are flowers and newish trees), so the mattresses I saw are surely much in demand. The place can accommodate a lot of people, but one of the campers told me that if people continue to join they'll have to find a satellite site.
The People
I stopped counting at 400 (not including media members: I saw a few dozen reporters) but it was impossible to know how many were campers or even participants. Two of the campers I spoke to estimated that there were more than 200 in their ranks. A diverse lot in terms of gender, race, and age. Most of the hardcore are alternative-looking Phish-friendly folks: dreads, noserings, tats, piercings, patchouli. Deal with it. They're the tip of the spear. In any case, far from all the occupiers fit that profile. There was, for example, a union electrician who'd driven down from Boston to support the effort. "It's key that young people are pushing the movement forward," he said. Attractive and articulate spokespeople seem to be emerging. Hero Vincent -- a 21-year old black artist originally from NYC who'd come up from Charlotte, North Carolina to take part in the occupation -- held a press conference and did well. When a reporter said something about the occupiers opposing the middle class, Vincent said, "We are the middle class. Or we want to be. We hope to be." And I spoke to Alex Carvalho, the occupier who'd apparently just managed to book Radiohead to play there. Carvalho, a 27-year-old doctor from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, cogently explained how his interest in public health had led him to join the protest. (Not all the protesters are quite so sharp PR-wise. Asked on camera who was to blame for the crappy economy, a protester said, "Woo. That's a deep question.")
The Atmosphere
You can feel the excitement; the occupiers are palpably thrilled that they've caught a wave (or created it), and that they've taken action. "No more fear," read one of the hundreds of signs. I came away from Liberty Square energized and determined to do what I could to support their efforts. I sensed anxiety among the occupiers as they struggle to keep expanding the movement. On top of the task of trying to manage public perception (a challenge they seem particularly aware of and focused on), there's the task of trying organize themselves, a diverse and ostensibly leaderless group composed mostly of people without organizing experience. And they're extremely tired. Make no mistake: it's not easy camping out, and the weather is about to turn chilly. They're sacrificing. In no way are they satisfied just to have attracted attention: they want to change the country and won't be satisfied until they do so. They're for real. And contrary to the claims of the detractors, they're not trustafarians who have the luxury of protesting; on the contrary, they're exploited, pissed off, broke, uninsured, and unemployed Americans who have taken on the burden of protesting. Mixed in with their excitement is no small amount of desperation. That said, it's a party! At one point I found myself standing among Death (someone dressed as Death), a fake Fox News reporter, and a sparkly haired woman who tried (unsuccessfully) to get me to dance to the beat of the drummers nearby. Donating is easy: you just walk up to the desk at the center of the square and give whatever you'd like. I gave cash and, remembering the newsstand guy, gave another quarter.
The Cause
The occupiers now have a declaration and will at some point present a list of demands. They're in the process of writing them -- no simple task. Dismissing the idea that they should have come up with demands in two weeks, Hero Vincent pointed out, with admirable grandiosity, that it took months to write the U.S. Constitution. My sense is that the effort took off not despite the lack of specificity but (partly) because of it. The protest is channeling the widespread free-floating anger at Wall Street and corporations. People know they're getting screwed and they know who's doing the screwing. And I believe that the perceived singular focus on Wall Street (even if no such singular focus actually exists) also has worked to its advantage. Inferring from the declaration, I assume the demands will include a variety of anti-corporate agenda items; as such, they may not carry the universal powerful appeal of a more straightforward anti-Wall Street message. But the cause, however it manifests itself, is righteous. The occupiers' fight is our fight. No one knows what the budding movement will accomplish; the mere thought that it might accomplish anything significant seems fanciful, a few thousands ragtag protesters standing against the corporate-imperial state. Yet I've come to believe that in this dark and darkening moment, a citizen uprising such as this is not only our least worst hope but our only hope.
.
Just a "bunch of hippies?" Take another look...
Over the weekend, we were sharing a phone conversation with some friends who live on the other side of the country. When MM mentioned our supporting the #OccupyWall Street Movement, calling ourselves the "99%" they were shocked.
"Why....why...that's ANARCHY!" our friend sputtered.
"No, it's democracy," MM replied. "it's democracy in action."
Make no mistake, my friends: this is democracy in action and that is what makes the weekend events so powerful and so exciting. #OccupyWallStreet started as mere kernels of pigeonfeed on the streets of New York. Mostly young, (not trustifarians, as the media would have you believe), but young people whose job and family prospects for the future grow dimmer by the day at the hands of a corrupt and grasping kleptocracy.
If you're planning on sitting on the sidelines, think again if you ever loved this country. It's no longer about "the young people." It's about US. There are convoys heading to DC on Wednesday. The transit workers' union in NYC will be on the streets marching with OccupyWallStreet, telling them "we've got your back." Move-on.org is sponsoring a virtual march on Wednesday to parallel and support the on-foot ones, for the likes of us out here JOTOLR. To sign up and participate, go here:
http://www.civic.moveon.org/c4/joinvirtualwallstreet/?registered=1&referred_by=&petition_id=1144&track_referer=&posted=1&redirect_url=%2Fc4%2Fjoinvirtualwallstreet%2F&id=-19878551-0RfT3_x
Some may criticize the first "official" declaration from OccupyWallStreet issued this past weekend. Yes, it was a little fuzzy, perhaps, but read below for rebuttal, and keep in mind that the Declaration was written to encompass the widest of grievances. And check out the photos...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/02/1022197/--occupywallstreet-Photo-Diary:-Just-the-beginning?via=sidebyuserrec
Occupy Everything from socially_awkwrd on Vimeo.
This is part of an organic process. There are no leaders. There is no Astroturf. There are no spokesmodels. There is no agenda. There are no printed signs. There are no ssponsors. There is no umbrella organization. There is no elite directing events. All of this is process. This is what organic, intrinsic democracy looks like.
The arguments against this are entirely arguments against the process. Signs of impatience. Allegations that there should be a hierarchy. Suggestions that those who are attempting to confront enormous disparities, inequalities, injustices should somehow be able instantly to boil it all down into a 140 character phrase. Sniping by the Traditional Media. Judgments that those who have assembled are inarticulate, stupid, wasteful, misdirected, ignorant. I reject all of that. Let the process continue. Let everyone be heard about everything.
If this were happening in, say, Chiapas or El Salvador or Nicaragus or Buenos Aires, the people who have always been screwed would rise up instantly against the latest outrage, and those who watch would know what the latest outrage was. The price of tortillas. Water rights. Kidnappings. Brutality. Unemployment. The price of fuel. No, I'm not going to enumerate the long list bad things that happened and virtually nobody, that's right virtually nobody reacted to directly or immediately. Elsewhere, you would know what the problem is because those who have been perpetually screwed would react. Swiftly. The reaction would be close in time to an event, so you could connect the two if you wanted to. The grievance would be manifest. But in the US it's different. The people haven't reacted for more than a decade to wars they didn't want, economic policies that screwed them, unemployment, financial manipulation. The token reactions for the last decade have been just that, token, ephemeral, easily dismissed. The people have been somnolent.
As a result of that trance, that numbness, that ennui, that unresponsiveness, the torpor, when the reaction to all of this finally erupts, when it finally at long last boils over, it takes a long time to categorize and organize all of the events and all of the reasons for towering, explosive discontent. Be patient. Be patient with the process. Let the process work. And let the tactics and arguments evolve from a democratic, free exchange of proposals.
It's nice that organized labor is expressing support. It's nice that the Traditional Media have broken their embargo and now tell some of the story, albeit twisting it, bending it, judging it, criticizing it. That's to be expected. They are stooges. But allegedly organized labor and the media are only a reaction to the intrinsic, organic process that is unfolding. And they aren't that important to it. No. What's important is the process, being faithful to it, honoring it, participating in it, supporting it. No, there's no 140 character phrase to summarize the movement. That may not be forthcoming. What is important, and deserve support today is the process.
In the meanwhile, Twitter and FB and the Blogs serve as the media. And the process continues. I support it, and I stand in solidarity with it. Please join me. Occupy Everything.
"Why....why...that's ANARCHY!" our friend sputtered.
"No, it's democracy," MM replied. "it's democracy in action."
Make no mistake, my friends: this is democracy in action and that is what makes the weekend events so powerful and so exciting. #OccupyWallStreet started as mere kernels of pigeonfeed on the streets of New York. Mostly young, (not trustifarians, as the media would have you believe), but young people whose job and family prospects for the future grow dimmer by the day at the hands of a corrupt and grasping kleptocracy.
If you're planning on sitting on the sidelines, think again if you ever loved this country. It's no longer about "the young people." It's about US. There are convoys heading to DC on Wednesday. The transit workers' union in NYC will be on the streets marching with OccupyWallStreet, telling them "we've got your back." Move-on.org is sponsoring a virtual march on Wednesday to parallel and support the on-foot ones, for the likes of us out here JOTOLR. To sign up and participate, go here:
http://www.civic.moveon.org/c4/joinvirtualwallstreet/?registered=1&referred_by=&petition_id=1144&track_referer=&posted=1&redirect_url=%2Fc4%2Fjoinvirtualwallstreet%2F&id=-19878551-0RfT3_x
Some may criticize the first "official" declaration from OccupyWallStreet issued this past weekend. Yes, it was a little fuzzy, perhaps, but read below for rebuttal, and keep in mind that the Declaration was written to encompass the widest of grievances. And check out the photos...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/02/1022197/--occupywallstreet-Photo-Diary:-Just-the-beginning?via=sidebyuserrec
Occupy Everything from socially_awkwrd on Vimeo.
This is part of an organic process. There are no leaders. There is no Astroturf. There are no spokesmodels. There is no agenda. There are no printed signs. There are no ssponsors. There is no umbrella organization. There is no elite directing events. All of this is process. This is what organic, intrinsic democracy looks like.
The arguments against this are entirely arguments against the process. Signs of impatience. Allegations that there should be a hierarchy. Suggestions that those who are attempting to confront enormous disparities, inequalities, injustices should somehow be able instantly to boil it all down into a 140 character phrase. Sniping by the Traditional Media. Judgments that those who have assembled are inarticulate, stupid, wasteful, misdirected, ignorant. I reject all of that. Let the process continue. Let everyone be heard about everything.
If this were happening in, say, Chiapas or El Salvador or Nicaragus or Buenos Aires, the people who have always been screwed would rise up instantly against the latest outrage, and those who watch would know what the latest outrage was. The price of tortillas. Water rights. Kidnappings. Brutality. Unemployment. The price of fuel. No, I'm not going to enumerate the long list bad things that happened and virtually nobody, that's right virtually nobody reacted to directly or immediately. Elsewhere, you would know what the problem is because those who have been perpetually screwed would react. Swiftly. The reaction would be close in time to an event, so you could connect the two if you wanted to. The grievance would be manifest. But in the US it's different. The people haven't reacted for more than a decade to wars they didn't want, economic policies that screwed them, unemployment, financial manipulation. The token reactions for the last decade have been just that, token, ephemeral, easily dismissed. The people have been somnolent.
As a result of that trance, that numbness, that ennui, that unresponsiveness, the torpor, when the reaction to all of this finally erupts, when it finally at long last boils over, it takes a long time to categorize and organize all of the events and all of the reasons for towering, explosive discontent. Be patient. Be patient with the process. Let the process work. And let the tactics and arguments evolve from a democratic, free exchange of proposals.
It's nice that organized labor is expressing support. It's nice that the Traditional Media have broken their embargo and now tell some of the story, albeit twisting it, bending it, judging it, criticizing it. That's to be expected. They are stooges. But allegedly organized labor and the media are only a reaction to the intrinsic, organic process that is unfolding. And they aren't that important to it. No. What's important is the process, being faithful to it, honoring it, participating in it, supporting it. No, there's no 140 character phrase to summarize the movement. That may not be forthcoming. What is important, and deserve support today is the process.
In the meanwhile, Twitter and FB and the Blogs serve as the media. And the process continues. I support it, and I stand in solidarity with it. Please join me. Occupy Everything.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The Marines Are On Their Way!
Facebook message: Marine(s) Headed to Wall Street to Protect Protestersby BenjaminwiseFollow .
Share589 293permalink 133 Comments
I'll let this message speak for itself. Posted on Facebook earlier today:
The Marines are coming to Wall St...(to PROTECT the protestors)
"I'm heading up there tonight in my dress blues. So far, 15 of my fellow marine buddies are meeting me there, also in Uniform.
I want to send the following message to Wall St and Congress:
I didn't fight for Wall St. I fought for America. Now it's Congress' turn.
My true hope, though, is that we Veterans can act as first line of defense between the police and the protester. If they want to get to some protesters so they can mace them, they will have to get through the Fucking Marine Corps first. Let's see a cop mace a bunch of decorated war vets.
I apologize now for typos and errors. Typing this on iPhone whilst heading to NYC. We can organize once we're there. That's what we do best. If you see someone in uniform, gather together.
A formation will be held tonight at 10PM.
We all took an oath to uphold, protect and defend the constitution of this country. That's what we will be doing.
Hope to see you there!!"
.
Before you click away from my blog today....
You should know ....
...that JPMorgan Chase, two days ago, GAVE the New York Police Department 4.6 MILLION DOLLARS to go after the #Occupy Wall Street participants and stage mass arrests. And you think "they" aren't scared? If you have a Chase credit card, cancel it. All vendors take checks. It just takes a little longer when you order anything online.
...that JPMorgan Chase, two days ago, GAVE the New York Police Department 4.6 MILLION DOLLARS to go after the #Occupy Wall Street participants and stage mass arrests. And you think "they" aren't scared? If you have a Chase credit card, cancel it. All vendors take checks. It just takes a little longer when you order anything online.
Now....here is the first official statement from Occupy Wall Street and it explains why the group was formed.
What follows is the first official statement released by Occupy Wall Street. It was voted on and approved on Thursday night:
Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.
They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.
They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.
They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*
To the people of the world,
We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.
To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard!
*These grievances are not all-inclusive.
Or, summed up by a chant today: "We're young, we're poor, we're not gonna take it any more!"
Daily Kos has become a Mothership for The Movement. I highly recommend you go to the following link and read the stories
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/02/1022051/-Occupy-Wall-Street-Mothership-The-Time-Has-Come-to-Organize#comments What follows is the first official statement released by Occupy Wall Street. It was voted on and approved on Thursday night:
Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.
They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.
They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.
They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*
To the people of the world,
We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.
To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard!
*These grievances are not all-inclusive.
Or, summed up by a chant today: "We're young, we're poor, we're not gonna take it any more!"
Daily Kos has become a Mothership for The Movement. I highly recommend you go to the following link and read the stories
According to one source, Veterans' groups in NY and DC are joining the fray. Rallies and marches will be held this coming week October 5th and 6th. Several Unions are also joining and will be marching with the protesters this coming week, along with the veterans and will be lending expertise in organizing. The Electrical Union workers, the Teamsters, IWW, TWU, United Federation of Teachers, Verizon's 38,000 members, NYC transit workers union...all are supporting Occupy Wall Street.
This is not going away, folks. It is gaining traction rapidly. Yesterday I began watching the Live Feed at around 9:00 a.m. At that time, there were perhaps 2,300 viewers. By 3:00 p.m. there were 22,000+. To track the live feed go to
http://www.adbusters.org/ and click on Occupy Wall Street
This is not going away, folks. It is gaining traction rapidly. Yesterday I began watching the Live Feed at around 9:00 a.m. At that time, there were perhaps 2,300 viewers. By 3:00 p.m. there were 22,000+. To track the live feed go to
http://www.adbusters.org/ and click on Occupy Wall Street
Saturday, October 1, 2011
#Occupy Wall Street--Coming to a Town Near You...
Thanks to Christopher Scott for the above image...
We're the 99%. Spread the word. And did you know that over 100 New York Police Department officers REFUSED to work against the protesters because they sided WITH the protesters?
If you think the protests are a flash-in-the-pan, think again. They've only just begun....Check out http://www.adbusters.org/ under Wall Street Protests. I've supplied a link, below and added a few others:
http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/occupywallstreet
(and be sure to read the banner below as it travels across the screen....lots of support!)
http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/five-ways-occupywallstreet-has-succeeded?utm_source=wkly20110930&utm_medium=yesemail&utm_campaign=titleEngler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6jdkpQjueo&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln1QILrnFzQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSn-IgwQAGY
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