From New York to London, Paris, Washington, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Sydney, Rome, Tokyo, Seoul, Belgrade, Kosovo, Moscow, St Petersberg, Johannesberg, Manilla, Bangkok, Bogota, Caracas, Brazilia, Buenos Aires, Nairobi Kenya, Dakar Senegal, Bamako Mali, Jakarta Indonesia, and countless cities in over 80 countries are now seeing peaceful occupations and demands to end Economic Injustice. They should have kicked us out of the park on day 2.
Not all of these occupations are successful. A lack of organization caused the Jakarta protest to fall apart before it began. In some of the 80 countries, the government will brutally shut down protests and jail protesters. We saw this during the Arab spring. Protests were shut down in Sudan and Saudi Arabia.
Some of these nations are too poor to have the communication infrastructure of the Internet which allows such co-ordination and communication. The lack of smartphones was probably Jakarta's undoing. They couldn't communicate until they'd left the site of the protest. "We were there, where were you?" demanded a number of people - a larger number than held Zuccotti park on the second day.
What we're seeing across the globe is this: where people are connected with the tools of instant mass communication, protests are beginning.
And we're not going home until we have justice.
As I type, the guardian estimates over 2,000 protesters marching to times square, the tourist capitol of New York City. On a Saturday night. At dinnertime. Stay with us, as I'll embed our live stream as soon as it's up and ready to go, and keep you updated with information coming in from our men on the ground.
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Events of the day so far. A NY Daily News photographer just confirmed that over 20 people were arrested at a march to chase bank. They were prevented from emptying their accounts.
The protesters are 25 blocks away from Times Square, with separate groups of marchers breaking off to move on parallel streets. There are a number of people planning to take the subway there, and arrive in times square as individuals. Stopping the marchers will reduce the size of the demonstration, but it will not prevent it from happening.
They're going for the backbone of the City's tourism industry. Updates will follow almost immediately, as this situation continues to develop.
1:48 PM PT: So we have video from earlier today of a peaceful protester being arrested outside of a citibank:
http://www.twitvid.com/...
If you can't watch the video, protesters were arrested for, well, nothing. They weren't interrupting business, they weren't blocking people from entering, they were just there.
1:54 PM PT: Under that old "no masks" law, police are arresting people on 27th street. Guardian reports six people arrested.
1:56 PM PT: For the most accurate map of Global occupation events, check out Mother Jones. Blue represents confirmed arrests:
http://motherjones.com/...
We may be seeing #OccupyThePlanet or #OccupyEarth tags soon. Especially if you compare this map of confirmed events with GlobalRevolution's map of planned events.
1:58 PM PT: http://www.suitsforwallstreet.org/ wants your old formalwear to give to the protesters. Tactical Camoflauge?
2:03 PM PT: It doesn't show on a livecam posted below, but times square is going to get crowded. Some protesters have already arrived:
http://twitpic.com/...
2:04 PM PT:The Live Stream is up and I have some more video for you:
http://yfrog.com/...
Curious Onlookers at ABC:
http://t.co/...
2:16 PM PT: Man claims to have infiltrated OWS in order to discredit it. I wonder what the anons think of him and his private security company "Black Cell"
Gawker: http://gawker.com/...
He's associated with Brietbart, of course.
2:18 PM PT: Henry Ferry (HankNYNY) reports: A few men at @ABC wave, raise a closed fist. Crowd erupts in cheers, applause. Now- "This Is What Democracy Looks Like!"
2:20 PM PT: Video of mounted NYPD on 8th ave:
http://yfrog.com/...
This is new media: from camera to computers immediately. In this day and age, "The whole world is watching" means "The whole world is watching, live, via the internet." Every protester down there has a camera. I don't think the NYPD get it yet.
2:22 PM PT: Both sides of 7th ave in times square are doing a call and response chant:
"ALL DAY ALL WEEK" "OCCUPY WALL ST"
2:28 PM PT: Comment on Gawker's article about Brietbart's pet informant:
"Cry b and let slip the dogs of war."
As I said earlier, anonymous scares the everliving crap out of me. They're the great terror of the french revolution. They're way bigger than 4chan's b message board, and they're way bigger than Brietbart's pet's security company.
2:30 PM PT: Video from earlier today in berlin.
It's night now, and I have unconfirmed reports of police violence. I can't access the live feed for some reason.
2:46 PM PT: Protesters are in times square spanning from 45th to 43rd street. Two city blocks, completely packed. What happens when they run out of space?
http://yfrog.com/...
Thousands are there, and the crowds are still growing. The mood is festive, jubilant. Taxi drivers are honking their horns and pumping their fists in the air.
2:49 PM PT: Times square is almost completely taken over by protesters. On a saturday. At dinnertime.
This is incredible.
2:52 PM PT: NYPD Trucks are pulling up and unloading barricades. Guardian reports that the orange mesh used for kettling in on scene. What are the barricades for, I wonder?
Are they making more space for the protesters?
http://yfrog.com/...
Protesters chanting "Whose Streets? OUR STREETS!
2:54 PM PT: ABC News Ticker: "Occupy Wall St Goes Worldwide" met with cheering.
2:55 PM PT: Santa Rosa California.
Population? 160,000
Occupation Size? See for yourself:
For such a small community, that's huge.
2:57 PM PT: Times square is packed, and the marchers from Zuccotti haven't even arrived yet! Guardian reporting.
What's going to happen when another 2,000 people march in? There's no space left.
3:06 PM PT: Things are getting tense in times square. The police are blazing through. I just watched two scooters head the wrong way down a one way street.
I'll keep updating with pictures for those who can't watch video:
http://yfrog.com/...
3:11 PM PT: Lots of police coming in now.
http://yfrog.com/...
3:15 PM PT: Two trucks filled with barriers and mounted police are stationed at 45th street.
http://yfrog.com/...
3:24 PM PT: Multiple reports of arrests incoming. Our reporters have seen two and the guardian has reported a third.
3:24 PM PT: Make that four arrests. Hundreds of police are marching into the square as I type.
3:28 PM PT: The barricades are getting pushed back. There are too many people here, now. Things are getting very, very tense.
Our reporter says he can feel the barricades being knocked over.
3:32 PM PT: Guardian and our reporters report multiple sightings of riot police. We've lost our live stream and are trying to reacquire it.
3:33 PM PT: Protesters chanting "Police Are The 99%"
3:34 PM PT: Video from earlier today: Woman arrested for closing her bank account.
3:39 PM PT: Our live stream is back up.
The Guardian: "Police open barriers on 46th... But only to let detention van through. Hint they expect more arrests? #OccupyTimesSquare"
3:41 PM PT: Beach ball being bounced around by crowd, police bounce it back:
http://yfrog.com/...
Tense, but friendly it seems.
Our reporter estimates the numbers to be over 9,000 at this hour. Times square is completely shut down, with police blocking anyone else from entering.
3:43 PM PT: Guardian reports new arrival of 25 riot police, more than 10 mounted police, and 50 regular officers.
3:46 PM PT: Crowd chanting: N-Y-P-D YOU BELONG HERE WITH ME!
http://yfrog.com/...
3:49 PM PT: Still getting rumors about violence in berlin, but I cant confirm them yet.
Our live stream will go up and down intermittently. Apologies for that. Stay with us, it should be back soon.
3:52 PM PT: New Chant: WALL ST, TIMES SQUARE, OCCUPY EVERYWHERE!
3:55 PM PT: We now have unconfirmed reports that the police intend to clear times square. Stay with us.
4:03 PM PT: Images from times square are incredible. Protesters completely boxed in between 46th and 47th.
Livecam: http://www.earthcam.com/...
4:07 PM PT: Gawker has a great photodiary up. I'm still waiting for more info from Times Square. http://gawker.com/...
4:08 PM PT: Got it: Dancing and drumming in front of toys r us.
http://yfrog.com/...
4:11 PM PT: Hundreds are now sitting in front of the ABC studio, chanting "Whose Square? OUR SQUARE!"
http://yfrog.com/...
I can't find evidence of times square ever being shut down by a protest before.
Our live stream should be up shortly.
4:19 PM PT: Things are calm in Times Square, but it still looks like the police are up to something big.
4:20 PM PT: We have unconfirmed reports that teargas equipment is on site.
4:21 PM PT: Protesters singing "We're not gonna take it! No we're not gonna take it anymore!"
4:31 PM PT: While there are rumors of teargas, I tend to doubt they would use teargas on a crowded tourist area.
4:32 PM PT: Live Pics: http://yfrog.com/...
Protesters chant "Wall St, Times Square, Occupy Everywhere!"
4:35 PM PT: Mounted police heading south on broadway:
http://yfrog.com/...
4:36 PM PT: For those who can't see this video, that last one showed mounted police marching down the street, while the protesters chant "NYPD YOU BELONG HERE WITH ME!"
4:42 PM PT: The scale of these protests is incredible:
http://static.guim.co.uk/...
4:45 PM PT: WNBC reporting 10-20,000 protesters in times square.
4:47 PM PT: The protester who tweeted this filmed it upside down, but we have video of a number of riot police marching down broadway:
http://yfrog.com/...
4:51 PM PT: RIOT POLICE ARE FORCING PROTESTERS DOWNTOWN AWAY FROM 46th STREET, VIOLENTLY:
http://yfrog.com/...
5:03 PM PT: Protesters chant USA! USA!
Small scuffle going on at 46th street.
5:05 PM PT: 30+ Kettled at 46th and broadway, including one reporter from the guardian.
5:05 PM PT: NYPD Bus En Route.
5:07 PM PT: Guardian reporter escapes through construction site and snaps photo of arrests.
http://yfrog.com/...
5:09 PM PT: Protetsers at 46th warned they face arrests.
5:13 PM PT: Orange mesh is unrolled, and being moved in. Our Livestream is up. Multiple reports of kettling north of our reporters.
Protesters chant: OVERWORKED UNDERPAID WE'RE DOING THIS FOR YOU!
WE ARE THE 99% (SO ARE YOU)
5:15 PM PT: It's an uneasy standoff where our reporters are right now. These Occupiers have been completely peaceful.
5:20 PM PT: Things are eerily quiet at Times Square...
Riot police are marching into the square.
5:22 PM PT: Paddywagons and riot police keep marching into times square. The situation is incredibly tense.
6+ arrests that we know of.
An anxious energy fills the air.
5:29 PM PT: Massive police force, 200+ marching into the crowd and forcing dispersal. Megaphone is on, no one can hear what it's saying.
5:30 PM PT: We are the only Livestream left, the rest are shut down.
5:36 PM PT: NYDAILY NEWS! 71 Arrests at times square.
5:36 PM PT: Henry Ferry: "Riot Police have backed up, no longer at crowd. Large police presence still here, protesters continue to chant.."
Protesters chanting "NYPD YOU BELONG HERE WITH ME!"
5:39 PM PT: Guardian Reports:
"At 46th and Seventh, at least two people have been arrested and in the last 10 minutes some 50 extra police have moved in to reinforce barriers keeping people off the street.
Clashes began after police introduced 12 officers on horseback. They didn't seem to serve any real purpose – soon the crowd was riled and they were being deployed to drive protesters back on the east side of Times Square. There seemed to be confusion within the police about the horses' presence, with officers almost getting caught by hooves as the
animals moved around.
Two people were arrested and taken away. S ince then a secure van designed to house those arrested has arrived – perhaps suggesting police anticipate more arrests. There's a lot of chanting from the crowd here, along with the occasional, and usually singular, hurling of abuse at police."
5:47 PM PT: Police open 46th street to let protsters cross.
6:02 PM PT: Trapped protesters are released by the NYPD into the larger group.
Huge feeling of relief.
Mass arrests appeared imminent. Now, protesters are hugging.
6:03 PM PT: Henry Ferry is about to talk live to the BBC.
6:06 PM PT: Things seem to be winding down at this point. The protesters appear to be leaving peacefully in large part in order to avoid a major conflict with the police. Sections of Times Square are still occupied.
6:09 PM PT: Guardian reports occupiers at 46th, our reporters are en route.
6:13 PM PT: Times square seems to be opening up again. Protesters are calm and orderly. http://yfrog.com/...
6:16 PM PT: Protesters still kettled in at 46th. Their livestream is back up:
http://www.livestream.com/...
6:19 PM PT: Kettled protesters chanting "We Are The 99%!"
Tourist: "There's a mistake! I belong on that side!"
Protesters: "Show me what a police state looks like!"
NYPD may be opening the kettle to let protesters leave.
6:24 PM PT: Great sign from earlier:
The invisible hand is fisting us.
http://instagr.am/...
6:26 PM PT: Our live stream is down, so is theirs, if you head to our channel at http://www.ustream.tv/... you can see some pre-recorded footage. I'll update if our stream goes back up. Guardian is silent now. It seems like time square is clear at this point. Lighter foot traffic than usual.
6:28 PM PT: Our coverage now moves to #occupyberlin. Police have given the protesters 30 minutes before they're cleared.
6:38 PM PT: Unfortunately, the place I've been occupying to bring you information is closing. I'm getting kicked out, very politely. I'm going to re-base now. It will be at least 30 minutes till the next update. I promise that's incoming as we follow the situation in Germany.
Riot police are on site:
http://www.facebook.com/...
6:43 PM PT: One last update as I stand outside of the bar with my laptop. Our team is heading to the occupation at the center of NYU at Washington Square park. I'll be bringing you what info I can, but our batteries are drained.
More updates soon.
6:59 PM PT: Standing outside of a starbucks whose wifi is on, I leave you with this bit from the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
8:27 PM PT: And we're back. I have a lot of information to dig through. Expect updates shortly. I may re-start the liveblog in a new thread.
8:35 PM PT: We have restarted our coverage in a new liveblog: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Stay with us.
9:14 PM PT: At least four officers on horseback are on the south side.