Day 22. Daily liveblog and open thread for #OccupyWallStreet events and news. Updates are below in the diary (with timestamps, newest first) and in the comments from various people. Comments about related events and stories are appreciated.
Resources:
Livestream:
www.livestream.com/globalrevolution
Donations:
Link: All information about donations can be found here: nycga.cc/donate
Physical mailing address:
Do look at the nycga.cc/donate link above for information about sending things.
Re: Occupy Wall Street
118A Fulton St. #205
New York, NY 10038
In person: If you go to Zuccotti Park Liberty Plaza/Park/Square you can also easily deliver money and/or goods straight to the people. They have committees who accept and take good care of your donations immediately and very graciously.
Web sites:
OccupyWallSt.org
OccupyTogether.org (Be patient with this one. They are having trouble keeping up with the traffic).
Facebook:
OccupyWallSt
Occupy Together
Twitter:
@OccupyWallSt
@OccupyTogether
Today's Mothership Resource diary: #OccupyWallStreet Mothership - Saturday 10/8/11
Updates
(All times are Eastern)
8:43pm: Livestream is back to the art exhibit at 23 Wall Street in the old JP Morgan house (when they merged with Chase they stopped using it). There will be some live music later (I thought they said it closed at 9pm, I guess not). The curator of this gallery came to #OccupyWallStreet to offer them the space to do the exhibit after she was harassed by Homeland Security. They said they saw an activist go into the building and did not come out so they stormed in the building, broke into bathrooms, etc. This exhibit was put together in a week and assembled at the gallery in one day. The walls that the art is displayed on were built especially for this and they will be removed. Tomorrow, #OccupyWallStreet will carry the walls in a march tomorrow on Wall Street. It will be a silent art march. Justin said he thinks the march starts at 1pm.
Some screen captures:
8:39pm: Monica and Hero are walking down Wall Street with the livestream camera to show us their art gallery. I think the gallery is at 23 Wall Street and the exhibit is named #NoComment. Some messages on Twitter indicate that there might be trouble there soon. There are mounted police. The exhibit closes at 9pm. Wall Street is barricaded to vehicular traffic and all along the sidewalks. You can't cross the streets. To get to something on the other side you have to walk for blocks and cross, turn around and wlk up the other side.
8:30pm: Some Cops Furious NYPD Officer Flashed Peace Sign In Photo With Occupy Wall Street Protester
8:18pm: From Salon:
Occupy Wall Street: A historical perspective
I think what’s going on is very interesting precisely because this kind of protest has been so absent for the last 25 or 30 years. We are well advanced in what ought to be called the second Gilded Age, resembling the first Gilded Age of the late 19th century when capitalism developed very quickly and powerfully and the extremes between rich and poor became very great. There was a lot of downward pressure on wages and a lot of hardship; we have seen something similar in the past few decades when it comes to growing inequality. The major difference between this Gilded Age and the last one is the relative absence of protest. In the first Gilded Age, the streets were flooded with protest movements; questions regarding economic inequality and the very viability of capitalism were the defining issues of American politics.
7:12pm: Some recent news articles:
"Occupy" protesters garner increased support
Daly responded, "Sympathetic in the sense there is an unfairness. You can wreck the U.S. economy and you don't end up in handcuffs, but if you make a left-hand turn on the Brooklyn Bridge, you get collared. It's not a question of law enforcement, it's a question of the law.
"The law is very clear - if you go and block traffic, you're going to get arrested. The law is not so clear if you're a rating agency and you inflate ratings in order to get more business."
Wall Street protesters look to expand N.Y. presence
(Reuters) - Anti-Wall Street demonstrators said on Saturday they are growing out of their lower Manhattan encampment and are exploring options to expand to other public spaces in New York City.
Occupy Wall Street protesters are American patriots
Do any of these so-called strict constructionists even read the very U.S. Constitution they love to wave in the faces of their critics?
Every American, no matter if you're young or old; rich or poor; red state or blue state; Black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Native American; has the freedom to assemble and freedom of speech, which is at the heart of these protests.
Occupy Chicago protest with anti-war group downtown
Chanting protesters from two different groups have filled portions of downtown Chicago.
The groups eventually joined forces Saturday afternoon.
7:25pm: Some photo galleries from the news media:
The Occupy Wall Street Protests In Lower Manhattan Gallery 1
The Occupy Wall Street Protests In Lower Manhattan Gallery 2
Occupy Wall Street-USA Photos, 8 October 2011, Day 22
Occupy Wall Street protest continues in Cleveland
Photo gallery: Occupy Austin takes shape Oct. 7
Photo gallery: Occupy Austin takes shape Oct. 7
5:37pm: From gooderservice in the comments:
We, the Ben & Jerry's Board of Directors, compelled by our personal convictions and our Company's mission and values, wish to express our deepest admiration to all of you who have initiated the non-violent Occupy Wall Street Movement and to those around the country who have joined in solidarity. The issues raised are of fundamental importance to all of us.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
5:41pm: From gooderservice in the comments, a tweet from Michael Moore:
MMFlint Michael Moore
Massive turnout. Massive. WashingtonSqPark NYC. #OccupyWallStreet Growing so fast, NYPD overwhelmed twitpic.com/6x7mzf
52 minutes ago
5:26pm: From OLinda in the comments, an interview with Naomi Klein by Sam Seder: "Occupy Wall Street cannot be Co-opted"
4:32pm: From OLinda in the comments: "Naomi Klein was on Chris Hayes' new show, Up, this morning."
First Hour
"Here's the first hour of our program today. Our focus for the hour is pretty much exclusively Occupy Wall Street, but Chris and our panel -- including Naomi Klein and Van Jones -- take the conversation to some pretty interesting places.
And you don't want to miss Chris responding to CNN's Erin Burnett after her attempt to make it look like she had somehow debunked the reasons for the protests."
2nd Hour
"More on Occupy Wall Street...but also the incomparable Mike Daisey on the subject of his one-man show, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs."
Plus, the former Obama special advisor on green jobs, Van Jones, weighs in on the Solyndra "scandal" and the "scandal" that seems to have escaped Fox's notice...the good, old-fashioned OIL-based scandal emerging around the Keystone pipeline..."
4:17pm: Here is what I transcribed from the latter part of the 2nd General Assembly at Washington Square Park. All of the speaking was done with the people's microphone:
Female voice: Introducing a special speaker who has come from Egypt.
His name is Mohammed.
Mohammed: "From Liberation Square to Washington Square"
many things separate us,
national borders,
homeland insecurity,
armies, corporations and police
they have their laws,
they have their debts
and we have our revolutions
we are the 99%
they can cuff our hands
but they will never cuff our ideas and revolutionary souls
they will never cuff our whole revolution
Female voice: next up is a call to action from our own direct action
one more thing, we would ask that the press please respect the assembly
OccupyWallStreet is a call to action
the future of this movement lies in our committment to create the world
we want to live in
a world where people
are not commodities
a world where attaching value
to our natural environment
doesnt lead to its desruction
a world without hierarchy
and oppression
a world of mutual aid
and solidarity
a world of self determination
and direct democracy
within our community
a world where foreclosed homes
empty buildings
abandoned schools and parks
are occupied by the people
you must start GAs
in your communities
and occupy your own spaces
act now
but remember to have patience
in this process
and with each other
we are all in this together
occupy everything
we are now
going to encourage
all of you
to begin talking
with the small groups
with the working groups
and get to know each other
there will be
space for soap boxes
at the end
there will be
a formal general assembly
at 7pm
in Liberty Plaza
we welcome you to attend
Male voice:
you've all been amazing
and think sept 17
we were waiting
and we were planning
to come to washington square park
to spread
with your help
this movement
the time is now
join us
for now
we are
ending
this special session
of assembly
we are here
to mingle
and help people
plug in
and as usual
with assemblies
we encourage
soap boxing
where people
individuals
have their voices heard
no matter what is said
that will happen
here
and I know
that several people
would like to do that
but no
the assembly
has formally
ended
3:52pm: Livestream is back and at Washington Square Park. Representatives of the different working groups are speaking in turn. Screenshot from the art working group from the livestream:
3:39pm: Screen capture from ustream - 2nd General Assembly at Washington Square Park.
3:30pm: FDL has a livestream going at the 2nd General Assembly at Washington Square Park. The normal livestream is not live for some reason.
http://www.ustream.tv/...
2:14pm: From temptxan in the comments "Protesters want world to know they're just like us":
There are a few common denominators among the protesters: their position on the left of the political spectrum, and the view that the majority in America - the "99 percent," in their words - isn't getting a fair shake.
Beyond that, though, there's a diversity of age, gender and race - in part due to the recent injection of labor union support, and fueled by social networks - that is striking to some who study social protests.
"Most people think this is a bunch of idealistic young kids," said Heather Gautney, a sociology professor at Fordham University and an analyst of social protests. "But the wider movement is remarkably more diverse than it's been portrayed. I've seen a lot of first-time protesters, nurses, librarians. At one protest, the younger element seemed actually to be in the minority."
http://hosted.ap.org/...
And another article found by temptxan:
Why the Washington Establishment is Heeding Occupy Wall Street
Notice anything there? All three men, the very essence of the ruling political elite, are both embracing the basic thrust of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and, in their way, trying to channel it. They are not dismissing the crowds as a bunch of trust fund hippies and anarchists, or know-nothings deserving of disdain, as CNN’s Erin Burnett and several Fox News talking heads have done. They are saying this is a legitimate thing. That it makes sense. That it is part of what this country is right now.
2:06pm: From Greg Mitchell at The Nation via frandor55 in the comments:
11:50 As I reported earlier today, Occupy is planning a General Assembly at fabled Washington Square Park in the heart of Greenwich Village this afternoon at 3 pm, in move to “take back” the park. I don’t know if this suggests a long-term encampment or not, but I’d have some concerns about doing it in that particular park. Having lived very nearby for a dozen years, I know it (unlike Zuccotti) is very widely used by locals, especially people with young kids, the elderly and many more, and it’s ringed by apartment buildings. So if not handled very well it could really turn off people in wide area who use the park. Just saying.
1:10pm: Photo from downtown Boise from frandor55 in the comments:
1:08pm: Photo taken by kayakbiker (from the comments). More photos by kayakbiker can be found here:
1:05pm: From m16eib in the comments, "Occupy Hartford - March and Occupation Start 10/7/2011":
1:03pm: From temptxan in the comments, #OccupyDallas:
12:37pm:
City of Philadelphia Rolls Out The Welcome Mat For Occupy Philly
Police Chief Charles Ramsey is having the First Amendment read regularly over the police radio, and reminds his officers that citizens have the right to record or take pictures of police activity.
And the city even blocks traffic for them and lets them march around City Hall during rush hour. So far, so good. We'll see.
11:56am: Video by Alex Mallis: "Right Here All Over (Occupy Wall St.)"
Right Here All Over (Occupy Wall St.) from Alex Mallis on Vimeo.
11:44am: Livestream:
- Todd from Comfort Working Group: "If you can help with any of these it would be appreciated:
thermals, shirt and pants, especially smaller sizes mens and womens, blankets, toiletries esp toothpaste, camping pads that go under sleeping bags, towels for showers, hats, gloves, things to keep people warm. Thank you."
11:39am: Apparently the Sarah Palin who was at Zuccotti yesterday was a Sarah Palin impersonator
11:30am: Livestream:
Monica: "There are so many people here. We want to show you." (She shows a tshirt someone gave her yesterday, a pink I <3 NY t-shirt with "occupy" written before the NY and "global revolution" below").
Jay: We're goint to try to "snowflake" into Washington Sq Park. Police are already there waiting for us. We'll have the livestream. The whole world's watching and we need you guys out there to watch"
Monica: Here we have Julio who came from Puerto Rico. He came here twice.
Julio: We occupy PR, we started yesterday. I'm going to take as much information as I can. (Continues in Spanish). "Lo quiero mucho."
Female name?: Things are getting bigger here... We've been here since the first day and it's amazing how much it has grown... we have a kitten, nursing it back to health... Try to come down and visit us if you can
Thoren: Zuccotti Park is waking up... Oh my God I look terrible, four days no sleep... going to put this camera up on a tripod so you can see.
11:20am: Livestream:
We are having our general assembly meeting today at 3pm, we are not marching. A lot of reports from our outreach group, NYPD are aware and are coralling some buses. It is a peaceful movement. IF there is anyone doing anythng -- it's not us. People are getting really excited about it. Gonna have some awesome speakers and events there. Be aware, there will be a big police presence. When we did our student march yesterday the police were actually helping us, taking our safety seriously. We've seen the macing, the Brooklyn Bridge, bu they really are here helping us because there are a lot of people who don't want to hear what we have to say. 3pm Washington park. People are really, really, really pumped up about this. If you can get down here... anyone that is not participating in a nonviolent protest, they're not one of us. There are a few things that we are 100% united against and for -- nonviolence. Alsok, we are not the Democrat's answer to the Tea Party. Absolutely not. We are nonpartisan.
10:59am: From the livestream:
- "This is absolutely 100% in every way a peaceful protest." Having a meeting/training on peaceful protesting. "This is one thing we are all absolutely unequivocally behind - peaceful protest." "You want to learn how to do civil disobedience in a peaceful way, come on down."
Yesterday Greenpeace donated to us a gigantic solar array system.. we used to use clunky old generators and now we have some badass solar array donated by Greenpeace. It's on the street, powering the entire occupation... School of Design is here making our posters... Today there is not a march, we are just happening to meet today at Washington Square at 3pm" "Sort of a flash mob"
- "We are not a front for anybody - not affiliated with anyone - I don't think anyone could take us over - we're a front here for the 99%, nothing more than that - we're not the Democratic answer to the Right's Tea Party - we're just a bunch of people who got pissed off and came down here"
9:19am: Livestream is live (just said the date and time). Sounds like Jason on the livestream. Says he and Thoren just woke up, things are amazingly organized, doing a big clean up. He's answering a few questions, will ask someone to change the date on the screen as he doesn't have control over that. Says the park is filled out to the edges for the first time with people who slept overnight there. Some screenshots:
- Another person on the livestream says they are not going to march today, instead will do a GA at Washington Square Park at 3pm. Said the march last night was okay, he thought the police were actually trying to protect them and things are going well with the police. "The police are actually behaving themselves very well." He is asking about events and marches for tomorrow.
- Is astonished at the generosity, everyone's so much behind us. I can't believe how much support we've had. WE have a google calendar on our nycga.net site. We don't know who does the calendar. We send emails. No one has ever seen or met the mysterious calendar updater so take it with a grain of salt. General meeting going on right now. Our schedule is pretty simple. (Does not come back with info about march tomorrow).
Sanitation guy says: "we need backpacks, thermal underwear, blankets, no more clothes right now just warm jackets, pants, shoes"
Another guy: "We absolutely need tarps, a lot of them. Inclement weather on the way. Tarps, tarps tarps. We need tarps, tarps tarps because these people are sleeping on the ground. Someone came along and put a blanket on me while I was asleep. Mama is great. She came by with a space blanket and she helped me out. Okay, apparently we can use cots -- little beds off the ground... There's a solar truck out here soaking up rays and we haven't had to use the gas generator. There is a march today by the college? (Audio breaking up). There is talk about renting a warehouse where we can have space heaters. The McDonald's bathrooms... the manager was getting upset for awhile but seems to be okay now. I guess he realizes how much revenue we're giving him."
9:15am: Some footage from last night is on the livestream. Text says 11:50pm Oct 7 (Text is not always reliable):
- Announced (via megaphone!) Video just went viral faceoff at 55 Wall Street
- White shirt NYPD comes in and tells them that signs on outside walls must be taken down immediately
9:10am: MSNBC is doing a segment live from Liberty Square.
9:03am: What? Did I just see an eHarmony ad on the livestream? Was it from the beginning of a YouTube video or something?
9:00am: From Occupywallst.org: 3pm General Assembly at Washington Square Park. Anti-Flag will play a set in solidarity at Liberty Square.
#ows is growing. We will be in a thousand cities in this country by the end of the month - hundreds of cities in other countries. We will see General Assemblies on six continents.
Liberty Square has grown exponentially over the last three weeks. It is time to form a second General Assembly in Manhattan. We expect more to follow.
On October eighth at three in the afternoon a General Assembly will convene in Washington Square Park. At the same time Anti-Flag will play an acoustic set in Liberty Square in solidarity with our movement's expansion.
We are growing. Block by block – city by city. We will see change in this country, in this world. It will happen sooner than you can imagine.
Anti-Flag is a punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States, formed in 1988. The band is well known for its outspoken political views. Much of the band's lyrics have focused on fervent anti-war activism, criticism of United States foreign policy, corporatism, U.S. wealth distribution, and various sociopolitical sentiments.
[ ... ]
Anti-Flag is known also for their advocacy of progressive political action groups such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International. Most recently, the band has focused criticism on the United States bailouts.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
8:55am: Livestream: Not live right now
#OccupyWallStreet Diaries
Click here to see all diaries tagged with the "Occupy Wall Street" tag