Live Blog of #OccupyWallStreet: Day Seven, Other US Cities Launch Occupations
By: Kevin Gosztola Friday September 23, 2011 9:48 am
A march for Troy Davis converges with Occupy Wall Street (photo: ajagendorf25 )
The grotesque murder of Troy Davis by the state of Georgia and corruption on Wall Street may have been separate issues, but last night the separation ended, at least temporarily.
Occupy Wall Street, which had been showing solidarity with Davis, converged with a march in support of Troy Davis in a cathartic and compelling moment that the police did not expect. More than a thousand people were now overrunning the streets of lower Manhattan, and they were able to push their way on to Wall Street together.
Back at Liberty Park, where the occupation has been taking place for nearly a week now, speakers stood up to share their thoughts on the occupation so far. One man explained he wasn’t sure it was a good idea to divert energy and pay attention to the case of Troy Davis. He thought the General Assembly (GA) process (which has been used to make decisions since the beginning of the occupation) had been hijacked. But, what everyone was experiencing was an extraordinary circumstance where something so profound hit people on a universal level. And he understood that the ability of the occupation to latch on to this extraordinary circumstance was what made the GA so great.
Another speaker, an African-American, let everyone know that the occupation has a lack of diversity and not many in the hood that he is from know what they are doing. He explained Mayor Bloomberg just cut funding for subsidized housing so 12,000 will be out on streets. Latinos, Asians and blacks are ready to mobilize if the people in Liberty Park just talk about issues they want to talk about, he said. “Too little of us are here because we don’t understand what this is all about,” he added. Then he said, “You all look like a bunch of white kids who just lost their trust funds.” He told the crowd that black people have been having problems with student loans since the civil rights movement.
I have been live blogging Occupy Wall Street since the moment it began. I think the occupation is really coming into its own. The occupation is moving people who have wanted to rebel to finally take action. And, let’s not forget. The NYPD Police Pension fund was raided in NYC when Wall Street bank executives did their “inside job” on America or collapsed. It is not outlandish to suggest a few individuals within the department have no problem with allowing this to continue as long as it can be carefully controlled.
FDL’s live blog continues. At some point, I will be reporting on Twitter (@kgosztola) from Occupy Chicago. There are solidarity actions popping up all over the country so go to Occupy Together to see if there is an action in your community. If there isn’t, maybe you will be so inspired by Occupy Wall Street that you will get a group to together and start one.
Here’s a Twitter list to follow for the latest. If the blog post is not up to date check the comments thread, as an amazing team of FDL users are constantly feeding this blog new information on the occupation.
LIVE STREAM OF OCCUPY WALL STREET VIA GLOBAL REVOLUTION
http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/---
10:27 PM 27 cities in the US trying to attempt occupations in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street — Place your bets, which city will be the first to get another occupation action established like Occupy Wall Street?
10:15 PM Too bad increased bull statue security won’t keep the Dow from dropping hundreds of points.
10:11 PM Occupy LA getting organized.
7:10 PM Occupy Chicago outside of a TV studio (I think it’s ABC — but the guy who posted seems to work for ESPN)
2:45 PM Paul Weiskel of Coffee Party USA has been posting photos since the occupation began. Here are photos from today.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31167233@N ... 011/09/23/This is a photo of the person carrying the American flag who was arrested today:
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2:42 PM This is part of the inspiration for Occupy Wall Street.
2:33 PM
Counter-demonstration at 4 pm today: “Anti Hippy Protester Champagne Toast on Wall Street” Event is posted on Facebook. They want to bathe the hippies in Good Riddence, a champagne.2:31 PM Video of students occupying UC Berkeley. They too are in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. But the students also are facing tuition hikes and have mobilized to challenge the college’s move. The video was posted on September 22.
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Snobby Illiterati to Protest Wall St. ‘Hippies’ With Champagne ToastAs the first week of the #occupywallstreet protest against corporate stuff draws to a close, some classy capitalists have decided to dust off their favorite Nixon-era jargon and hold a champagne-soaked counter-protest of their own. Free laxative-enriched muffins for all "hippies," LOL.
A "pro-business Democrat" tipster sent us some screenshots of the Facebook event page for today's corporate counter-protest, titled "Anti Hippy Protester Champagne Toast on Wall Street." It starts at 4 PM—a full hour before the work day officially ends! Don't these hard-working realists have jobs or something? Well, maybe yes, maybe no—but the hippies most definitely aren't employed, and by choice! So let's focus on how lazy they are.
Under the "More Info" heading is more info, written in some sort of odd rich-people English:
"Let's toast to all the jobless hippies protesting on wall street and the enitre financial distric about god knows what. They have shown vallient effort and even though we hate them lets give them a free shower! (they havent showered in weeks) So... Tomorrow at 4pm we will be having a byob champagne toast/shower to welcome all the protesters and bathe them in good riddence."
Good Riddence, in case you're wondering, is a brand of high-end champagne. That said, wouldn't a true aristocrat supply all the party refreshments for their guests? Perhaps the organizer is just another wealthy-person wannabe with poor etiquette, or simply doesn't want to seem too socialist. Then again, he is baking for the special occasion! In a comment to his own events page, he writes:
These guys are so pathetic and it was awesome watching them get dragged around and whooped by cops. Hey dumb non tax paying hippies.. You are costing people who actually have jobs more money by making 400 extra police occupy lower manhattan for two weeks ... Can't wait to see you Guys tomorrow - I'll be the guy handing out hippie muffins for free with laxatives baked in so after you shit yourselves uncontrollably we will spray you with champagne like we won a championship game. Only if you haven't been arrested for being a duche before that"
Pretty sure the protesters did not ask for all those cops to hang out with them, guy! Also pretty sure that treating the abuse of other humans is way more pathetic than eating pizza, wearing masks and protesting corporate hegemony. But maybe I've been liberal-blogging from my mom's basement for too long.
And as for those muffins: Not gonna touch that one. [Thanks to our pro-business tipster!]
http://gawker.com/5843209/snobby-illite ... agne-toast=====
11 Things You Can Do to Help the 'Occupy Wall Street' Movement
The people protesting on Wall Street are fighting for the unemployed, the uninsured, and those totally insecure in the face of ever increasing financial inequities.
September 20, 2011 |
Below, writer Chaz Valenza describes 11 things you can do to help out the protesters.
These patriot occupiers are fighting for 99 percent of us. Those who are unemployed, uninsured, underemployed and totally insecure in the face of ever increasing social and financial inequities. They are standing up for those who cannot be there right now.
Here's the good news -- you can help, right now today -- no matter where you are.
1) Spread the word -- there's something going on. People have started a movement -- they're occupying Wall Street. Hundreds of people have been camped out in lower Manhattan for four (SIX) days!
2) If you're in New York and can only spare a little time or money: bring American flags, cardboard, markers, water, etc. down to Liberty Park.
3) If you're in the New York area and have a day, a morning, an afternoon, go down there. The weather appears to be holding. Take the day off and just go. I know it sounds hard to believe but you will be heard. This is an open general assembly effort and you will get your say and be a real participant.
4) If you are a little ways from NYC, organize foursomes to go to NYC for the day. It will cost you the train/bus/car fare. Take nothing but some food and water and your body.
5) Too far to get to NYC? Sign this petition and I will read your name and comments in Liberty Park this week, I promise. Break Up Goldman Sachs Now!
6) Be subversive against the big money interests wherever you are and encourage others to do the same. Don't give the banksters 4 percent of every purchase you make with a credit or debit card -- use cash. See: UseCashMovement
7) Be subversive: max out your credit card on large ticket items and return them the next day. (This one is right out of the Saul Alinsky playbook.)
8 ) Move your money from a big bank to a credit union.
9) Picket a local branch of a bank. When the press asks you what the heck you think you're doing, tell them it's in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street.
10) Send food to the protesters in Liberty Park through a New York friend or go to the live stream chat for information on local eats that will take your order. (Yes, you'll have to use your credit card, big spender!)
11) Do you know anybody who knows anybody who knows a writer, a celebrity, etc. who will show their face at the protest? Get to them now.
Bonus Support Idea 12) Spread the word again, and repeat!http://www.alternet.org/economy/152481/ ... _movement/===
NYC General Assembly
The online hub for the NYC General AssemblyPRINCIPLES OF SOLIDARITY – working draft
Posted on September 24, 2011 by NYCGA
http://nycga.cc/
by 82_28 » Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:14 pm 
