BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE 7

Published on 10 Mar 2013 ALL INDIA BAMCEF UNIFICATION CONFERENCE HELD AT Dr.B. R. AMBEDKAR BHAVAN,DADAR,MUMBAI ON 2ND AND 3RD MARCH 2013. Mr.PALASH BISWAS (JOURNALIST -KOLKATA) DELIVERING HER SPEECH. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLL-n6MrcoM http://youtu.be/oLL-n6MrcoM

Friday, October 21, 2011

Montek Singh Ahluwalia has Defended Market Economy saying tha Occupy Wall Street does NOT mean Market Economy is bad! India Incs pleads that the Root of Corruption is neither Corporate Greed Nor Market Economy! Indian Brahaminical media has Blacked o

Montek Singh Ahluwalia has Defended Market Economy saying tha Occupy Wall Street does NOT mean Market Economy is bad! India Incs pleads that the Root of Corruption is neither Corporate Greed Nor Market Economy! Indian Brahaminical media has Blacked out the Worldwide Resistance against Capitalism and Free Market Economy Exclusive! What should we Do? Let us OCCUPY NSE BSE! Are we Ready?

Arab Spring: Libya over, Syria next, says France


US will pull troops out of Iraq by year-end: Obama

Anna Team led Brahaminical Civil Society backed by India Incs, LPG Mafia, RSS and Media have DIVERTED the Campaign against Corruption which defends LPG Mafia Manusmriti Rule , Foreign Capital Inflow, Free Market Economy and Capitalism!

Have we the GUTTs to align with Global Anti Capitalist Anti CORPORATE Anti Impreialist OCCUPY WALL Street? Then we  Have NO Option but to OCCUPY NSE and BSE!

Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - SEVEN HUNDRED Forty Eight


Palash Biswas


http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/



http://basantipurtimes.blogspot.com/


www.indianliberationnews.com


Montek Singh Ahluwalia has Defended Market Economy saying tha Occupy Wall Street does NOT mean Market Economy is bad! India Incs pleads that the Root of Corruption is neither Corporate Greed Nor Market Economy! Indian Brahaminical media has Blacked out the Worldwide Resistance against Capitalism and Free Market Economy Exclusive! What should we Do? Let us OCCUPY NSE BSE! Are we Ready?
Anna Team led Brahaminical Civil Society backed by India Incs, LPG Mafia, RSS and Media have DIVERTED the Campaign against Corruption which defends LPG Mafia Manusmriti Rule , Foreign Capital Inflow, Free Market Economy and Capitalism!

Have we the GUTTs to align with Global Anti Capitalist Anti CORPORATE Anti Impreialist OCCUPY WALL Street? Then we  Have NO Option but to OCCUPY NSE and BSE!

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Friday said the United States will fulfill its promise by pulling troops out of Iraq by year-end.

"As promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," Obama told reporters.

He spoke after a video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Libyan girl carries a TV with a drawing of Muammar Gaddafi as Libyan gather for the muslim Friday prayer at Martyrs Square in Tripoli, Libya, Oct 21, 2011. (AP Photo)

With NATO operations in Libya coming to an end with the killing of Muammar Gaddafi, France on Friday said Syria could be the next target as it pushed for UN taking the "responsibilities" and sanction the "bloody repression".

However, France did not intend to launch unilateral military action against Syria but strictly follow international law in this regard, French foreign minister Alain Juppe said.

With the death of Gaddafi, NATO operations in Libya can be considered over and the new government there was in control of the entire country, Juppe said here.

"Turning to Syria, given the crimes against humanity committed by the Gaddafi regime, France is asking the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities and sanction the bloody repression," he said in a speech at the French Embassy here.

"I hope we will soon reach an agreement on multilateral action that can step up pressure on the Syrian regime," Juppe said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday that the United States had held a preliminary meeting with representatives of the Haqqani network, a group of militants Washington has blamed for a series of attacks in Afghanistan.

The revelation came soon after Clinton, inIslamabad with a heavyweight team of U.S. military and intelligence leaders, warned that tough action would have to be taken against Afghan and Pakistani militants if they did not cooperate in efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and pursue peace.

Clinton was asked at a roundtable with journalists about reports that U.S. officials had met with Haqqani representatives directly, even as Washington demanded that Pakistan take a tougher line on the group.

"We have reached out to the Taliban, we have reached out to the Haqqani network to test their willingness and their sincerity, and we are now working among us -- Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States -- to try to put together a process that would sequence us toward an actual negotiation," Clinton said.

No negotiations are underway, she said.

A senior US official said later the meeting took place in the summer, before September's attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul that US officials have linked to the Haqqanis.

They said the meeting had been organized by Pakistan's powerful spy agency, the Directorate ofInter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which US officials have repeatedly charged with playing a "double game" with Islamist militants and working with the Haqqanis.

"Pakistani government officials helped to facilitate such a meeting," Clinton said.

Pakistan is seen as critical to the US drive to end the conflict in Afghanistan. Clinton, CIA director David Petraeus and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey went to Islamabad to deliver a strong demand for more cooperation on cracking down on militants finding safe havens in Pakistan's mountainous west and northwest.

"We had a very in-depth conversation with specifics," Clinton said at an earlier media conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. "And we are looking forward to taking that conversation and operationalizing it over the next days and weeks. Not months and years, days and weeks."

Later, in her comments to journalists, she added an unspecified warning to the U.S. demand for action.

"I'm warning if we don't handle these safe havens together, the consequences could be drastic for us both," she said.

Friday's media appearances came a day after what had been described as "extremely frank" discussions Clinton and her team held with their Pakistani counterparts.

Pressure on Islamabad has been mounting since U.S. special forces found and killed Osama bin Laden in May in a Pakistani garrison town, where he had apparently been living for years.

The secret bin Laden raid was the biggest blow to U.S.-Pakistan relations since Islamabad joined the U.S. "war on terror" after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Pakistan's military said the raid was a flagrant violation of sovereignty. U.S. officials wondered whether an ally that receives billions of dollars in American aid had been sheltering the world's most wanted man, which Pakistan denies.

"SNAKES"

The United States had not publicly spelled out exactly how it wanted Pakistan to handle theHaqqanis but Clinton urged them to persuade militants to join peace talks.

"We think that Pakistan for a variety of reasons has the capacity to encourage, to push, to squeeze ... terrorists, including the Haqqanis and the Afghan Taliban, to be willing to engage in the peace process," she said.

Pakistan argues that it can't go after the Haqqanis because the army has its hands full with homegrown militants, like Maulvi Fazlullah, an Afghanistan-based Taliban leader who was driven out by an army offensive in 2009 but who has vowed to return to fight.

Analysts, too, say the Pakistani military could suffer heavy casualties if it attacked the Haqqanis.Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the network, recently told Reuters he had more than 10,000 fighters under his command.

Clinton said Pakistan would suffer if it took no action.

"You can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbors," she said.

Pakistani leaders, however, must tread cautiously because anti-U.S. sentiments run high. In a rare light-hearted moment, one woman in a town hall meeting compared the United States to a nagging mother-in-law, drawing laughter from Clinton and others.

"And you know, once a mother-in-law, always a mother-in-law, but perhaps mother-in-laws can learn new ways also," she said.

Many Pakistanis are angered by US drone strikes against militants in the northwest, and say the country's army is fighting a war based on American interests.

About 90 people staged a protest in the eastern town of Multan against Clinton's visit. In Quetta, capital of the southwestern Baluchistan province, around 150 people burned American flags and hit Clinton's picture with shoes.

BANKS ARE BAILED OUT! PEOPLE ARE SOLD OUT! Who is the 'one percent' rich in USA?

BANKS ARE BAILED OUT!
PEOPLE ARE SOLD OUT!
Who is the 'one percent' rich in USA?

Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:37PM GMT
http://presstv.com/detail/205088.html
Fortune 500 has issued a list of S&P 500 companies along with their 2010 financial details. Along with American billionaires and millionaires, the 500 companies are believed to form a main part of the "One Percent" rich in America. Recent anti-Wall Street protesters blame the One Percent for their desperate economic situation.


Who is the One Percent in America?

The following are the largest full-service global investment banks which usually provides both advisory and financing banking services, as well as the sales, market making, and research on a broad array of financial products including equities, credit, rates, currency, commodities, and their derivatives.

1. Bank of America
2. Barclays Capital
3. Citigroup
4. Credit Suisse
5. Deutsche Bank
6. Goldman Sachs
7. JPMorgan Chase
8. Morgan Stanley
9. Nomura Securities
10. UBS
11. Wells Fargo Securities

Diversified Financials

The following are the top eight diversified financials in the U.S. in terms of revenue in 2010. Fortune 500

1. Fannie Mae .......... $153.82 billion
2. General Electric .......... $151.62 billion
3. Freddie Mac .......... $98.36 billion
4. INTL FCStone ........... $46.94 billion
5. Marsh & McLennan ........... $10.93 billion
6. Ameriprise Financial .......... $10.04 billion
7. Aon .......... $8.51 billion
8. SLM .......... $6.77 billion

Commercial Banks

The following are the top ten commercial banks in the U.S. in terms of revenue in 2010. Fortune 500

1. Bank of America Corp. .......... $134.19 billion
2. JP Morgan Chase & Co. .......... $115.47 billion
3. Citigroup .......... $111.05 billion
4. Well Fargo .......... $93.24 billion
5. Goldman Sachs Group .......... $45.96 billion
6. Morgan Stanley .......... $39.32 billion
7. American Express .......... $30.24 billion
8. US Bancorp .......... $20.51 billion
9. Capital One Financial .......... $19.06 billion
10. Ally Financial .......... $17.37 billion

Petroleum Refining
The following are the top ten U.S. petroleum refining firms in terms of revenue in 2010. Fortune 500

1. Exxon Mobil .......... $354.67 billion
2. Chevron .......... $196.33 billion
3. Conoco Philips .......... $184.96 billion
4. Valero Energy .......... $86.03 billion
5. Marathon Oil .......... $68.41billion
6. Sunoco .......... $35.54 billion
7. Hess .......... $34.61 billion
8. Murphy Oil .......... $23.34 billion
9. Tesoro .......... $20.25 billion
10. Holly .......... $8.32 billion

Oil & Gas Equipment, Services

The following are the top U.S. firms active in oil and gas equipment and services in terms of revenue in 2010. Fortune 500

1. Halliburton .......... $17.97 million
2. Baker Hughes .......... $14.41 million
3. National Oilwell Varco .......... $12.15 million
4. Cameron International .......... $6.13 million

Aerospace & Defense
The following are the top ten U.S. corporations in aerospace and defense in terms of revenue in 2010. Fortune 500

1. Boeing ........... $64.30 billion
2. United Technologies .......... $54.32 billion
3. Lockheed Martin ........... $46.89 billion
4. Northrop Grumman .......... $34.75 billion
5. Honeywell International ........... $33.37 billion
6. General Dynamics .......... $32.46 billion
7. Raytheon .......... $25.18 billion
8. L-3 Communications .......... $15.68 billion
9. ITT .......... $11.15 billion
10. Textron .......... $10.52 billion

Motor Vehicles & Parts
The following are the top ten U.S. manufacturing companies of motor vehicles and parts in terms of revenue in 2010. Fortune 500

1. General Motors .......... $135.59 billion
2. Ford Motor .......... $128.95 billion
3. Chrysler Group .......... $41.94 billion
4. Johnson Controls .......... $34.30 billion
5. Goodyear Tire & Rubber .......... $18.83 billion
6. TRW Automotive Holdings .......... $14.38 billion
7. Navistar International .......... $12.14 billion
8. Lear .......... $11.95 billion
9. Paccar .......... $10.29 billion
10. Oshkosh .......... $9.84 billion

American Millionaires
The number of Americans who are millionaires is about one percent of the population. NPR

Of the 435 members of the House, 244 current members of Congress are millionaires - that's about 46 percent and that includes 138 Republicans and 106 Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group that tracks money in politics. In fact, there are probably many more millionaires in Congress, since lawmakers don't have to include the value of their family home and other details. NPR

In 2010, the average winner of a House race spent $1.5 million for his/her campaigns. The average Senate winner spent close to $10 million. Closely contested races are much more expensive. And about half of that money, on average, comes from an elite group of very wealthy donors. NPR

Wealthy Americans have more access to lawmakers than most regular voters and constituents do, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. NPR

The median net worth for a current member of the U.S. House of Representatives was $725,000 in 2009, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, and the media net worth of a U.S. Senator was $2.4 million. Open Secrets

The richest member of Congress is Darrel Issa, whose net worth was valued between $156 million and $451 million. Open Secrets

Here is a list of the 20 wealthiest current members of Congress and their average net worth, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, based on their financial reports covering calendar year 2009. (The Center plans to unveil its analysis of lawmakers' 2010 financial disclosures later this fall.) Open Secrets

1. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) .......... $303 million
2. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) .......... $238 million
3. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) .......... $174 million
4. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) .......... $160 million
5. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) .......... $160 million
6. Rep. Vernon Buchanan (R-Fla.) .......... $148 million
7. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) .......... $137 million
8. Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) .......... $109 million
9. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) .......... $98 million
10. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) .......... $94 million
11. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) .......... $77 million
12. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) .......... $76 million
13. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) .......... $58 million
14. Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) .......... $51 million
15. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) .......... $50 million
16. Rep. Diane Lynn Black (R-Tenn.) .......... $49 million
17. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) .......... $43 million
18. Rep. Richard Berg (R-N.D.) .......... $39 million
19. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) .......... $39 million
20. Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) .......... $38 million

Top Donors to Obama in 2008

The following table lists the top donors to Barack Obama in the 2008 election cycle. Open Secrets

1. University of California .......... $1.6 million
2. Goldman Sachs .......... $1 million
3. Harvard University .......... $0.85 million
4. Microsoft Corp. .......... $0.83 million
5. Google Inc. .......... $0.80 million
6. Citigroup Inc. ........... $0.70 million
7. JPMorgan Chase & Co. .......... $0.69 million
8. Time Warner .......... $0.59 million
9. Sidley Austin LLP .......... $0.58 million
10. Stanford University .......... $0.58 million
11. National Amusements Inc. .......... $0.55 million
12. UBS AG .......... $0.54 million
13. Wilmerhale Llp .......... $0.54 million
14. Skadden, Arps et al .......... $0.53 million
15. IBM Corp .......... $0.52 million
16. Columbia University .......... $0.52 million
17. Morgan Stanley .......... $0.51 million
18. General Electric .......... $0.49 million
19. U.S. Government .......... $0.49 million
20.Latham & Watkins .......... $0.49 million

Top Donors to Bush in 2004
1. Morgan Stanley .......... $603,480
2. Merrill Lynch .......... $586,254
3. PricewaterhouseCoopers .......... $514,250
4. UBS AG .......... $474,325
5. Goldman Sachs .......... $394,600
6. Lehman Brothers .......... $361,525
7. MBNA Corp .......... $350,350
8. Credit Suisse Group .......... $326,040
9. Citigroup Inc. .......... $320,820
10. Bear Stearns .......... $313,150
11. Ernst & Young .......... $305,140
12. US Government .......... $295,786
13. Deloitte LLP .......... $292,250
14. Wachovia Corp. .......... $279,310
15. US Dept of Defense .......... $279,157
16. Ameriquest Capital .......... $253,130
17. US Dept of State .......... $225,330
18. Blank Rome LLP .......... $225,150
19. Bank of America .......... $218,261
20.AT&T Inc. .......... $214,920

American Billionaires

The following is a list of top 20 American billionaires issued by the Forbes 400 in 2011. Forbes

1. Bill Gates from Microsoft .......... $59 billion
2. Warren Buffet from Berkshire Hathaway .......... $39 billion
3. Larry Ellison from Oracle .......... $33 billion
4. Charles Koch from diversified .......... $25 billion
5. David Koch from diversified .......... $25 billion
6. Christy Walton from Wal-Mart .......... $24.5 billion
7. George Soros from hedge funds .......... $22 billion
8. Sheldon Adelson from casinos .......... $21.5 billion
9. Jim Walton from Wal-Mart .......... $21.1 billion
10. Alice Walton from Wal-Mart .......... $20.9 billion
11. S. Robson Walton from Wal-Mart .......... $20.5 billion
12. Michael Bloomberg from Bloomberg LP .......... $19.5 billion
13. Jeff Bezos from Amazon.com .......... $19.1 billion
14. Mark Zuckergerg from Facebook ........... $17.5 billion
15. Surgey Brin from Google .......... $16.7 billion
16. Larry Page from Google .......... $16.7 billion
17. John Paulson from hedge funds ........... $15.5 billion
18. Michael Dell from Dell .......... $15 billion
19. Steve Ballmer from Microsoft .......... $13.9 billion
20.Forrest Mars from candy .......... $13.8 billion


Oct 22, 2011
How the West won Libya
By Pepe Escobar
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MJ22Ak03.html

They are fighting over the carcass as vultures. The French Ministry of Defense said they got him with a Rafale fighter jet firing over his convoy. The Pentagon said they got him with a Predator firing a Hellfire missile. After a wounded Colonel Muammar Gaddafi sought refuge in a filthy drain underneath a highway - an eerie echo of Saddam Hussein's "hole" - he was found by Transitional National Council (TNC) "rebels". And then duly executed.

Abdel-Jalil Abdel-Aziz, a Libyan doctor who accompanied Gaddafi's body in an ambulance and examined it, said he died from two bullets, one to the chest, one to the head.

The TNC - which has peddled lies, lies and more lies for months - swears he died in "crossfire". It may have been a mob. It may
have been Mohammad al-Bibi, a 20-year-old sporting a New York Yankees baseball cap who posed to the whole world brandishing Gaddafi's golden pistol; his ticket perhaps to collect the hefty $20 million dangled as the bounty for Gaddafi "dead or alive".

It gets curioser and curioser when one remembers that this is exactly what US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in her lightning visit to Tripoli, had announced less than 48 hours before; Gaddafi should be "captured or killed". The Fairy Queenie satisfied Clinton's wishes, who learned about it by watching the screen of a BlackBerry - and reacting with the semantic earthquake "Wow!"

To the winners, the spoils. They all did it; the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Pentagon and the TNC. From the minute a United Nations resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya became a green card to regime change, plan A was always to capture and kill him. Targeted assassination; that's Barack Obama administration official policy. There was no plan B.

Let me bomb you to protection
As for how R2P ("responsibility to protect" civilians), any doubters should cling to the explanation by NATO's secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen; "NATO and our partners have successfully implemented the historic mandate of the United Nations to protect the people of Libya." Anyone who wants to check NATO's protection of civilians just needs to jump on a pick-up truck and go to Sirte - the new Fallujah.

Reactions have been quite instructive. TNC bureaucrat Abdel Ghoga went Colosseum in the Roman Empire, saying, "The revolutionaries have got the head of the tyrant."

United States President Barack Obama said the death of Gaddafi means "we are seeing the strength of American leadership across the world". That's as "we got him" as one can possibly expect, also considering that Washington paid no less than 80% of the operating costs of those dimwits at NATO (over $1 billion - which Occupy Wall Street could well denounce would be more helpful creating jobs in the US). Strange, now, to say "we did it", because the White House always said this was not a war; it was a "kinetic" something. And they were not in charge.

It was up to that majestic foreign policy strategist, US Vice President Joe Biden, to be starkly more enlightening than Obama; "In this case, America spent $2 billion and didn't lose a single life. This is more the prescription for how to deal with the world as we go forward than it has in the past."

World, you have been warned; this is how the empire will deal with you from now on.

Feel my humanitarian love

So congratulations to the "international community" - which as everyone knows is composed of Washington, a few washed-up NATO members, and the democratic Persian Gulf powerhouses of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This community, at least, loved the outcome. The European Union (EU) hailed "the end of an era of despotism" - when up to virtually Thursday they were caressing the helm of Gaddafi's gowns; now they are falling over themselves in editorials about the 42-year reign of a "buffoon".

Gaddafi would have been a most inconvenient guest of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, as he would have relished recalling all the hand-kissing, the warm embraces and the juicy deals the West was begging to clinch after he was promoted from "Mad Dog" (Ronald Reagan) to "our bastard". He would also relish detailing all the shady backgrounds of those opportunists now posing as "revolutionaries" and "democrats".

As for the concept of international law, it lies in a drain as filthy as the one Gaddafi was holed up in. Iraqi dictator Saddam at least got a fake trial in a kangaroo court before meeting the executioner. Osama bin Laden was simply snuffed out, assassination-style, after a territorial invasion of Pakistan. Gaddafi went one up, snuffed out with a mix of air war and assassination.

Power vultures are congesting the skies. London-based Mohammed El Senussi, the heir to the Libyan throne (King Idris was overthrown in 1969) is ready for his close-up, having already established that he "is a servant to Libyan people, and they decide what they want". Translation; I want the throne. He's obviously the favorite candidate of the counter-revolutionary House of Saud.

And what about those Washington think-tank donkeys mumbling that this was the Arab Spring's "Ceausescu moment"? If only the Romanian dictator had improved his country's standard of living - in terms of free healthcare, free education, incentives for the newlywed, etc - by a fraction of what Gaddafi did in Libya. Plus the fact that Nicolae Ceausescu was not deposed by NATO "humanitarian" bombing. v Only the brain dead may have swallowed the propaganda of NATO's "humanitarian" 40,000-plus bombing - which devastated Libya's infrastructure back to the Stone Age (Shock and Awe in slow motion, anyone?). This never had anything to do with R2P - the relentless bombing of civilians in Sirte proves it.

As the top four BRIC members knew it even before the voting of UN Resolution 1973, it was about NATO ruling the Mediterranean as a NATO lake, it was about Africom's war against China and setting up a key strategic base, it was about the French and the Brits getting juicy contracts to exploit Libya's natural resources to their benefit, it was about the West setting the narrative of the Arab Spring after they had been caught napping in Tunisia and Egypt.

Listen to the barbaric whimpers
Welcome to the new Libya. Intolerant Islamist militias will turn the lives of Libyan women into a living hell. Hundreds of thousands of Sub-Saharan Africans - those who could not escape - will be ruthlessly persecuted. Libya's natural wealth will be plundered. That collection of anti-aircraft missiles appropriated by Islamists will be a supremely convincing reason for the "war on terror" in northern Africa to become eternal. There will be blood - civil war blood, because Tripolitania will refuse to be ruled by backward Cyrenaica.

As for remaining dictators everywhere, get a life insurance policy from NATO Inc; Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, Tunisia's Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh were clever enough to do it. We all know there will never be R2P to liberate the Tibetans and Uyghurs, or the people in that monster gulag Myanmar, or the people in Uzbekistan, or the Kurds in Turkey, or the Pashtuns on both sides of the imperially drawn Durand Line.

We also know that change the world can believe in will be the day NATO enforces a no-fly one over Saudi Arabia to protect the Shi'ites in the eastern province, with the Pentagon launching a Hellfire carpet over those thousands of medieval, corrupt House of Saud princes.

It won't happen. Meanwhile, this is the way the West ends; with a NATO bang, and a thousand barbaric, lawless whimpers. Disgusted? Get a Guy Fawkes mask and raise hell.

Pepe Escobar is the author of Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving into Liquid War (Nimble Books, 2007) and Red Zone Blues: a snapshot of Baghdad during the surge. His new book, just out, is Obama does Globalistan (Nimble Books, 2009).

Full coverage

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My Iron-Clad Demands for Occupy Wall Street: Michael Kinsley

Bloomberg - Michael Kinsley - ‎18 hours ago‎

So I sat down to write up some demands for Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Washington and the related groups that have sprung up to terrify the political and financial establishments. ...

Why Occupy Wall Street wants nothing to do with our politicians

Washington Post - Heather Gautney - ‎3 hours ago‎

That's perhaps the first question prompted by the swirl of tents, signs, news choppers and police motorcycles that have colored the Occupy Wall Street protests. But there are two other questions we should be asking as well. Is democracy even possible ...

Occupy Wall Street bandwagon still searching for a direction

Vancouver Sun - Sheldon Alberts - ‎1 hour ago‎

Galvanized by the Occupy Wall Street movement, the protests began in New Zealand, rippled east to Europe and were expected to return to their starting point in New York. Demonstrations touched most European capitals and other cities. ...

Occupy Wall Street is democracy in action

Chicago Sun-Times - Jeff Ward - ‎3 hours ago‎

Come to think of it, maybe this mental return to those halcyon days of my revolutionary youth has been brought on by the recent emergence of the Aurora chapter of the Occupy Wall Streetmovement. Yes! Last weekend, 16 Aurora residents marched in front ...

Occupy Wall Street's Right to Protest Should Be Safeguarded

NewsMax.com - Edward Koch - ‎1 hour ago‎

The Occupy Wall Street protests have been going on for about four weeks. The movement's goals have never been clearly enunciated, except for one which relates to the unfairness of our economy. The protesters accuse many on Wall Street of ...

Occupy Wall Street's 'Other 99%' Are Deadbeats Too

US Banker - ‎2 hours ago‎

Occupy Wall Street claims it's the voice of everyone who isn't a fat-cat banker. But Occupy Wall Street is teeming with fat cats of a different kind, those who enjoy the perks of a nation that's been living beyond its means—beyond their means—for ...

Occupy Wall Street in Bay City today: Are they looking for a hand out or ...

The Bay City Times - MLive.com - Andrew Dodson - ‎4 hours ago‎

17, 2011 photo, demonstrators affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement gather to call for the occupation of Wall Street in New York. Monday, Oct. 17, 2011 marked the one-month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement. ...

Occupy Wall Street makes its way to St. George

The Dixie Sun - ‎3 hours ago‎

Critique and criticism has surfaced due to the Occupy Wall Street movement, and St. George citizens want in. Big cities and small ones alike have started activists groups recently. About 1200 cities worldwide have started Occupy movements, ...

Occupy Wall Street voices from Zuccotti Park: Jonathan Smucker, 33

New York Daily News - Rebecca Davis, Cynthia Ghazali - ‎3 hours ago‎

He has been participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement for a week now. He volunteers his time by providing leadership development and training to protesters at Zuccotti Park. Employment Status: "I run my own small business so I have some [time] ...

Occupy Wall Street Protest Drains Police Precincts Across Manhattan

DNAinfo - Jill Colvin, Mary Johnson - ‎7 hours ago‎

Police keep watch as demonstrators associated with the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement protest in Times Square on October 15, 2011 in New York City. Thousands of people are taking to the streets in cities across the world today in demonstrations inspired ...

Occupy Wall Street should not be ignored

Bowdoin Orient - Craig Hardt - ‎7 hours ago‎

Occupy Wall Street was initially dismissed by conservative pundits as nothing more than a fringe extremist movement composed of a cocktail of the most liberal people imaginable. However, Democrats have been reluctant to claim ownership...

How Meetup wins from Occupy Wall Street

Fortune - Alex Kantrowitz - ‎1 hour ago‎

FORTUNE -- Occupy Wall Street protests have rapidly spread across the globe this month -- with some help from Meetup. In early October, the NYC based organizing platform integrated its technology into Occupytogether.org ...

An Occupy Wall Street view from within the 1%

CNN - Fred Wilson - ‎2 hours ago‎

New York City is in the throes of the Occupy Wall Street protests. What was most noticeable to me was not the protestors and their signs and chants. It was the amount of police accompanying them. It was a massive show of force. And it was scary to see. ...

Occupy Wall Street: Latinos Should Learn From Growing Protests

Fox News - Mariela Dabbah - ‎3 hours ago‎

Occupy Wall Street is in its second month, and it's no longer a local movement. What started as a protest against the greed of the financial industry has become a series of protests across the world. Without a unified agenda and, so far, without a list ...

Occupy Wall Street's money man is from Boston

Bizjournals.com - ‎1 hour ago‎

Even the burgeoning Occupy Wall Street movement — a fast-multiplying group of protestors rallying against corporate greed and corrupt bean counters — needs bean counters. Massachusetts native Pete Dutro has emerged as one of the group's chief ...

Occupy Wall Street, support Main Street

Montreal Gazette - Laura Jones - ‎8 hours ago‎

Occupy Wall Street has come to Canada. It's also Small Business Week across the country. These events got me thinking about how important it is not to confuse Wall Street with Main Street....

Occupy Wall Street -- For What?

Huffington Post (blog) - ‎5 hours ago‎

As a native New Yorker, the Occupy Wall Street movement is one that I try to stay appraised of while attending to my studies at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. I understand the reason behind the movement, Wall Street executive salaries ...

China: Occupy Wall St gets too close

Financial Times (blog) - Kathrin Hille - ‎5 hours ago‎

When Occupy Wall Street was no more than an obscure little protest in New York, the Chinese state media were really intrigued by the movement. China Daily, the country's largest English-language daily newspaper, blasted the Western media for allegedly ...

Dunsmore: Occupy Wall Street

Vermont Public Radio - Barrie Dunsmore - ‎5 hours ago‎

(Host) As the Occupy Wall Street protests continue to grow, so do calls for these protesters to define themselves and their demands. This morning commentator and veteran ABC News diplomatic correspondent Barrie Dunsmore gives us his...

Occupy Wall Street fails to wow

Moneyweb.co.za - Jerry Schuitema - ‎10 hours ago‎

I had a similar thought in following the latest protests of "Occupy Wall Street" or "Occupy Whatever" in different parts of the world. What indeed would this motley group do if they had to deal with the fruits of their "occupation"? ...

Four Iron-Clad Demands for Occupy Wall Street: Michael Kinsley

San Francisco Chronicle - ‎4 hours ago‎

Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) -- So I sat down to write up some demands for Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Washington and the related groups that have sprung up to terrify the political and financial establishments. Not everyone thinks demands are a good idea. ...

OPINION: Occupy Wall Street protests striking a chord

Daily Republic - Greg Sargent - ‎3 hours ago‎

Despite nonstop conservative disparagement of Occupy Wall Street and sneering coverage from the mainstream media at the outset, the most detailed polling yet on the nascent movement suggests that the public holds a broadly favorable view of the ...

NYCLU wants camera off of Occupy Wall Street

RT - ‎1 hour ago‎

The New York Civil Liberties Union is asking the NYPD to rethink two of them — a pair of cameras targeting Occupy Wall Street protesters. In a letter issued Thursday out of the offices of the NYCLU, New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly ...

Occupy Wall Street needs to find its voice

Baltimore Sun - ‎6 hours ago‎

All the "Occupy Wall Street" events around the country lack leadership and focus. It's one massive camp-out loaded with energy but devoid of message. I've been waiting for a collective demand to emerge, yet nothing happens. ...

Occupy Wall Street Protesters - American Bankers Are Nazis

YouTube - ‎Oct 19, 2011‎

An Occupy Wall Street protester tells National Review's Charles CW Cooke that the American bankers are like "Nazis," but is oddly short on specifics. http://www.nationalreview.com.

Occupy Wall Street Protester Wants To Execute "White Collar Criminals"

YouTube - ‎Oct 19, 2011‎

A protester at Occupy Wall Street tells National Review's Charles CW Cooke that he wouldn't want to be president because of his "dark side," but that if he were he would make a lot of people "bleed," and execute people fairly quickly.

40 percent of financial advisers support Occupy Wall Street

Christian Science Monitor - Joshua M. Brown - ‎50 minutes ago‎

Accoridng to an online survey, 58.2 percent of financial advisers disagree with the views expressed by the Occupy Wall Street protesters. But 38.8 percent agree with them By Joshua M. Brown, Guest blogger / October 21, 2011 An maskedOccupy Wall Street ...

Occupy Wall Street movement takes stand against 1 percent

K-State Collegian - ‎2 hours ago‎

Occupy Wall Street is the anti-Tea Party. It's a movement cut from the same cloth, but aimed at a different target. The Tea Party formed in response to the bailouts, blaming the government for our woes and interfering with the financial sector. ...

Occupy Wall St. works on community relations

7Online.com - Bill King - ‎6 hours ago‎

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Occupy Wall Street protesters have been cleaning up their camp, and now they are trying to mend community relations. But they got an earful Thursday night from neighbors fed up with the nuisance and the noise. ...

Weekly Roundup: Social Media And The Occupy Wall Street Movement, and A New ...

Dowser - ‎1 hour ago‎

This week, the nation's eyes were fixed on the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has grown to occupy cities across the US (with varying degrees of success) as well as abroad. Looking at the Occupy Wall Street website, one has the sense of viewing the ...


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Occupy Wall Street: The Right Focus

Occupy Wall Street protestors are wise to focus on unequal income distribution-such as the outsize gains reaped by financial-industry companies. Pro or con?

PRO: A GROWING DISPARITY

by John Schmitt, Center for Economic & Policy Research
Economic inequality has been growing steadily for three decades. According to the most definitive data, assembled by economists Emmanuel Saez and Thomas Piketty, the top 1 percent received 10 percent of all U.S. income in 1979. By 2007, just before the Great Recession, that share had risen to 23 percent.
What most Americans don't know, however, is that before the late 1970s, inequality had been falling for five decades. The Golden Age of capitalism—the 30 years from the end of World War II through the mid-1970s, when gross domestic product, wages, and incomes grew faster than at any comparable period in American history—was marked not by financial excesses and widening inequality, but by equalizing growth and broadly shared prosperity.
Of course, not every Occupy Wall Street protester has reviewed the hard data. But the thread running through the range of grievances voiced at occupations around the country is anger over high and rising inequality.
Few measures would help the long-term health of the economy more than reducing the economic and political clout of Wall Street. The financial sector exists to connect savers with investors and to do so at the lowest feasible cost and risk. In a sensible world, we would view the financial sector as nothing more than a transactions cost to be minimized along the way to producing the goods and services that the economy is really about.
For all the counter-culture on display, Occupy Wall Street is pushing us exactly in this sensible direction.

CON: AN UNREALISTIC GOAL

by Tim Cavanaugh, Reason.com
Here's the difference between opposing the outsize gains reaped by financial-industry companies and demanding an end to "unequal income distribution." The former is justified anger at a specific abuse of taxpayers by politically connected financiers. The latter is a fool's errand.
No society has come close to making wealth distribution equal. The great egalitarian experiments of the 20th century proved this, as attentive readers have known since the 1957 publication of Yugoslav dissident Milovan Đilas' The New Class: An Analysis of the Communist System, which revealed shocking disparities in quality of life in the "workers' paradises" of Eastern Europe. China gave the world a horrific double-shot of rural poverty and (relative) urban wealth; it is only since the country joined global trading markets that it has seen provincial poverty decline.
At the same time, income inequality in China has grown, as it does in every rising economy. Growing wealth disparities are in fact a sign that overall prosperity is increasing in a competitive marketplace. The economist Gary Becker recently described how this works: "It would be hard to motivate the vast majority of individuals to exert much effort, including creative effort, if everyone had the same earnings, status, prestige, and other types of rewards. Fewer individuals would engage in the hard work involved in finishing high school and going on to college if they did not expect their additional education to bring higher incomes, better health, more prestige, and better opportunities to marry."
Creating general equality of opportunity is among the greatest U.S. achievements. But creating equality of outcomes has caused misery everywhere it has been tried.
Opinions and conclusions expressed in the Debate Room do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloomberg Businessweek, Businessweek.com, or Bloomberg LP.
http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2011/10/occupy_wall_street_the_right_focus.html

Friday, October 21, 2011
Occupy Wall Street…and Then What?
Ratings: 1 Vote, 10.00 / 10

Most Americans have come to doubt Wall Street's social utility and believe inequality has gotten out of hand. But taxes on the very rich can't be the entire answer, writes MoneyShow.com senior editor Igor Greenwald.
Leaders and demands are overrated, it turns out, if the goal is to set off a national debate about the way the economy is working…or not working for many.
Both are obvious distractions. Because Occupy Wall Street is about whatever one cares to write on a sign, no one's debating its ten-point platform for a better tomorrow. Instead, a quick and broad consensus has emerged about the injustices and inanities of today.
The financial industry primarily targeted by the protesters is widely reviled, in part because the pay at the top is so egregious and out of whack with the law of supply and demand.
But mostly it's because Main Street has caught on to the fact that the business is not some magic workshop turning the sweat and tears of bankers into gold, and not even just a clever scheme to fleece gullible foreigners. Main Street hates that Wall Street is now a gambling den toying with the livelihoods of millions like so many chips in a poker stack.
Main Street doesn't see results matching the hype about the wonders of financial engineering. Main Street sees flash crashes, housing bubbles and busts, and an inverted pyramid of debt that's proven to be a poor substitute for income gains over the last three decades.
So Wall Street stands convicted in the court of public opinion—and on its home turf as well, to judge from the trajectory of its not-too-big-to-fail shares. It's spending a fortune on lawyers and legal reserves but no longer minting money in the markets, a problem likely to be aggravated by the Frank-Dodd financial restrictions.
The revelations about how Goldman Sachs (GS) treated its clients, in setting them up to be bet against, can't help but do lasting damage to the business model.
The surprising consensus forged by Occupy Wall Street extends beyond financial malpractice and to the premise that growing income inequality is a problem. Solid majorities of Americans in a variety of polls are backing tax hikes for million-dollar incomes. The "job creators" simply aren't creating enough jobs, while health care costs and inflation eat away at worker pay.
But even the majority supporting extra taxes on the very rich can't believe that's the entirety of the answer. The fundamental trends driving the growing income inequality aren't going away, in part because the inequality at home is a byproduct of the global income leveling.
It's also a byproduct of technological change that's wiped out whole layers of middle management and funneled fabulous riches on a scale never before known to man to the globally sourced and networked winners of the economic competition. There are problems a billionaire tax won't solve. Yet they're crucial to understanding the global shortage of demand.
Solutions might include different tax treatment for income earned by entrepreneurs risking their own capital, and the salaries and bonuses that executives at poorly-supervised public companies award to each other. In the financial industry, compensation practices still plainly reward dangerous gambling with other people's money.
We almost certainly need much more direct shareholder democracy, and the ability to quickly and cheaply depose directors who fail to safeguard the interests of investors.
We have yet to reconcile the utility of free markets with the fact the most people crave more stability than such markets provide, especially these days. We have yet to figure out what to do about all the losers of the intensified economic competition.
These are questions that have to be tackled. The answers won't possibly fit on a sign. But they're worth discussing all the same.

http://www.moneyshow.com/investing/article/1/GURU-25030/Occupy-Wall-Street...and-Then-What?/

The 1% Ain't What It Used To Be

OCT 19 2011, 2:53 PM ET 824
Unsurprisingly, Occupy Wall Street have pushed income inequality to the center of the national conversation.  Also unsurprising, I think, is the unspoken assumption that income inequality has continued to get worse since the crisis.  After all, where are the bankers panhandling for change or standing in line at the food pantry?

But it would actually be quite surprising, if true.  The massive, decades-long data set assembled  by Piketty and Saez seems to show that income inequality falls during recessions, and particularly during prolonged crises.  Crises destroy capital, and top incomes tend to be more tightly linked to capital than those of average workers.  If you work for a wire factory that goes bankrupt, you may well have a rough year or two before you find another job, and your income may never fully recover. But if you own that factory, it will be years before you have an income even close to what you enjoyed before--and it's very possible that you'll never get there at all.

Note that this is not an argument about who suffers more during a recession; it is self-evident that a worker who loses a third of their $20,000 annual paycheck is much worse off than an owner who loses two thirds of their $500,000 annual draw.  But the measured gap between their incomes will still shrink dramatically.

That's why I was surprised, two years ago, when census data seemed to show that income inequality had continued rising.  However, I filed it under "maybe this time is different" and didn't really revisit the subject.

But as it happens, I was back at the University of Chicago this weekend for my tenth business school reunion.  And while I was there, I ran into Professor Steven Kaplan, who has done a bit of researchinto what sorts of occupations contributed to rising income inequality. (Shockingly, finance played a large role.)  And he told me that my initial assumption seems to be correct: the incomes at the very top started falling in 2008.  The Piketty-Saez data, which currently run to 2008, show a little bit of it.  But Kaplan has calculated the incomes of the top 1% and the top 0.1% for 2009, and his results show that they continued to fall pretty steeply.  (There's nothing more recent than that because tax data take a while to be finalized).

Here's the chart he sent me:

The decline in the share going to the top 0.1% is if anything more dramatic.  I threw together a chart based on the data he sent me:
There's an obvious caveat: 2009 was a very bad year for finance, corporations, and lawyers, who drive a lot of the top income.  Probably 2010 and 2011 weren't so bad, so these results may well rebound considerably when the data are in.  (They also may not; I just don't know.)

Also, this only shows the 1% and the top 0.1%; maybe the 0.01%, or the 10%, are doing really well, but these groups aren't.

The larger question is "how much does it matter"?  I doubt Occupy Wall Street will be assuaged by learning that the top 0.1% now only receive 8% of the income earned in the US, even if that number is the lowest it's been since 2003.

But I think it does matter.  If we think there's a real problem, we need the best possible data so that we can understand its contours.  Income inequality has been rising for so long that people have started to assume that it has just kept rising, even when the data show otherwise. We don't want to spend years focused on income inequality, only to learn that the financial crisis fixed it for us.

(If income inequality is declining, what's all that happening on Wall Street?  Well, for one thing, the data I've seen seem to show that whatever has been happening to incomes, unemployment inequality remains very much with us.)
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/10/the-1-aint-what-it-used-to-be/247011/

OPINION

'Occupy Wall Street': Between New York and Jakarta

Winarno Zain, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 10/19/2011 8:27 AM
A | A | A |
Their ranks include young people in their teens and 20s, and students. They include young adults, workers, the unemployed and university professors.

And they include other groups that have become disaffected by a weak economy. They have received support from celebrities and generous praise from some highly respected politicians. And yes, of course, some of them are well-worn anarchists.

They have camped for two months in Zuccotti Park, lower Manhattan, which is located halfway between Wall Street and the former twin towers of the World Trade Center.

In the beginning, their number was around 200, but it has since swollen to 2,000. And now their movements have spread to other major cities across the world.

As a group they are leaderless. Any member can speak freely on the reasons behind their protests. The unemployed speak bitterly about losing their jobs. Students express their anger because their parents can no longer afford to pay tuition fees and student loans.

They see no future for themselves after graduating. There are also other groups that express their opposition to nuclear power, the privatization of water and political corruption.

But the messages contained within their protests are diverse and lack focus. They appear to be poorly organized. It is not clear what they stand for and what their agenda is, and they cannot articulate this as a group.

Yet, there is a conviction rippling through their ranks that however the global economy works, it does not work for them.

The fact that all protests are targeting the world's financial centers indicates that the financial system is the cause of the protester's misery.

This is especially true in the US, where the greed for profits through reckless bank lending has shaken the financial system, forcing the government to spend billions of dollars to bail out some of the biggest banks in the world. This has halted economic growth, reduced income and thrown millions of people out of work.

It is understandable that most of their anger is directed against the banking system. They feel that the way the financial system is working is unethical.

Banks have been bailed out by using the taxpayer's money, but the banks have not done anything in return. They have not extended credit and mortgages.

The protesters say that they have no problems with capitalism. But they are so outraged that banks have been rigging the system, so that banks have enjoyed profits throughout the good times but then have received bailouts in the bad times.

They see that the banks have got away with privatizing profits and socializing risk, and to them this is just another form of bank robbery.

But behind these eruptions of protest, it is clear that the underlying causes of anger are "economic inequalities" that have been increasing throughout the capitalist world. In the US, income inequality among various income groups has worsened, causing increasing concerns over the polarization of American society.

Such is the depth of inequality in the US that according to the US Central Intelligence Agency's ranking of countries by income inequality, the US is more unequal than either Tunisia or Egypt.

The richest 1 percent of Americans possesses more wealth than the other 99 percent. The 400 wealthiest Americans listed in Forbes magazine have more combined wealth than the combined wealth of 150 million Americans.

This has been made possible because during the era of president Bush between 2002-2007, 65 percent of economic gains went to the richest 1 percent of Americans. According to the US-based Institute of Policy Studies, in 2010, of the 100 highest paid CEOs in the US, 25 CEOs received more take-home pay than the corporate taxes paid by their companies.

The interesting question for policy makers here is how income inequality is related to economic growth? Could income inequality be the reason why, despite billions of dollars of fiscal stimulus and a loosening monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, the growth of the US economy remains anemic?

Robert H. Frank, an economist from Cornell University, probably provided part of the answer. In his new book, The Darwin Economy, he cites that his study shows that among 65 national economies, the more unequal ones experience slower growth on average.

He also found that some national economies grow more rapidly at times when incomes are more equal, and that growth slows down when incomes are skewed.

Economists used to think that economic growth should come first, and that income distribution should be the next policy objective. Many think that income inequality is the price that has to be paid for growth.

But recent findings and empirical evidence both suggest the need to review the way that policies are sequenced with regard to growth and the distribution of income.

Indonesia has been experiencing strong economic growth, but the inequality of income between various income groups is so entrenched. Daily scenes in Jakarta and in other big cities across Indonesia clearly demonstrate how stark the gap has become between the richest few and the poorest majority. Various policies have been implemented to narrow the gap in income distribution, but without meaningful results.

The forces that push income distribution to be unequal are still greater than the forces that attempt to soften inequality through government policies. This situation is not sustainable because at some point in time, if Frank's argument is correct, then growth itself will be undermined.

The protesters also expressed their anger toward government and politicians for their failure to seriously attempt to resolve the economic crisis and unemployment problems.

They see their politicians as being obsessed with narrow political interests rather than the national interest. They feel that they have been cheated by their politicians after they voted for them in good faith.

In Rome, a protester exclaimed, "You see how beholden politicians are to corporate interests, no matter how hard you have worked to get them elected. There is a disconnect."

This sounds very familiar to the people of Indonesia. There has been so much outrage against politicians and government officials in Indonesia.

Evidence emerging from the investigation being conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) reveals how widespread the collusion is between members of the House of Representatives, government officials and businessmen. For a long time, they have subverted the government budget for their personal and political gains.

In New York, protesters are outraged by a dysfunctional government in Washington that is more interested in political posturing in readiness for the 2012 election.

In Jakarta, people are furious at the dysfunctional Cabinet of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which has delivered little. The government and the House will be more dysfunctional in the coming months as they start preparing for the general election in 2014.

People feel they are being abandoned. The only thing is, the Occupy Wall Street movement has not yet spread to Jakarta, for now.
The writer is an economist.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/10/19/occupy-wall-street-between-new-york-and-jakarta.html
  1. Occupy Wall Street bandwagon still searching for a direction

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  51. Minnesota Independent - Jon Collins - 21 minutes ago
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Occupy Wall Street bandwagon still searching for a direction



By Sheldon Alberts, Postmedia News October 21, 2011 10:06 AM



NEW YORK — On the corner of Trinity Square and Liberty Street, crouched uncomfortably inside a tiny black metal crate, Charlie Meyers recites a litany of grievances against America's capitalist society.
"The system of corporate greed that we have in the United States causes most of the pain and suffering in the world," says the Occupy Wall Street activist. "It fuels our wars, oppresses minorities, fuels child labour, oppresses women. It rapes our environment, hurts animals. It poisons our own people. What is there not to be pissed off about?"
Meyers is prepared to engage anyone in debate about the specifics of his complaints, but most of the passing tourists and office workers are — perhaps not surprisingly — more curious about his cage.
The 20-year-old says he found the container in a nearby dumpster and thought it a fitting symbol for why he joined the fledgling Occupy movement.
So he dragged it over to Zuccotti Park, plunked it down and climbed in.
"I've been held in a cage by the one per cent my whole life, says Meyers. "But every day I am here, I feel better about the future."
Just what that future holds for Occupy Wall Street is a question the original New York activists are grappling with amid the explosive growth of the movement.
Even as sympathetic outside groups — from labour unions to civil rights organizations to opportunistic Democratic politicians — jump on Occupy Wall Street's bandwagon, the folks who started it all aren't sure what's next.
More than one month after protesters made their stand in this crowded, concrete plaza, Occupy Wall Street organizers have yet to craft a political manifesto or draft a list of demands.
The movement's call for "economic justice" in America — embodied in its: 'We are the 99%" slogan — has been criticized by conservative opponents as the rhetoric of a mob.
None of this troubles Bill Dobbs, a member of Occupy Wall Street's communications team.
"We get hammered all the time — where is the list of demands?" says Dobbs, a veteran activist who arrived in Zuccotti Park on Sept. 17.
"All the energy down here is going into an outcry — ringing alarm bells with the hope that others will pick up the work and get active, and it's happening," he says. "We have gotten people to listen. We have gotten through some of the cynicism that Americans have."
Justin Stone Diaz, a 38-year-old from Brooklyn, shares Dobbs' sentiment.
"As a political model, we'll never demand anything, because we're tired of people in politics demanding things of us," says Stone Diaz, who has been in Zuccotti Park on and off since the third day of the protest.
In an effort to define Occupy Wall Street, commentators have latched onto the notion it is a Tea Party movement for America's disenchanted liberal left.
But it's a label largely rejected by the collection of longtime activists, peaceful punks, idealistic students and modern-day hobos who populate Zuccotti Park.
While the Tea Party organized itself around a few big principles — smaller government, lower taxes and fealty to the U.S. Constitution — the Occupy Wall Streeters bring an alphabet soup of issues to their protests.
Orlando Nieves, a 47-year-old Bronx resident, is unemployed after a workplace injury and has been homeless for a year. He was turned down for subsidized housing and turned out of his apartment after his wife lost her job with the New York public school system.
"I'm wondering, Wall Street got bailed out. Why can't they bail me out?" says Nieves, who has been sleeping on a mattress pad at Zuccotti Park.
While Nieves says he is "angry" at government for favouring the few rich over the many poor, the prevailing vibe in Zuccotti Park is laid back, friendly and at times festive.
"The movement means hope," says Richard Kent Green, a New York theatre actor and director who marched to Zuccotti Park this week, banjo in hand, playing a song he wrote as a tribute to the Occupy Wall Street participants.
"The movement means that people get the basic idea — a very basic idea — that inequality does not work as an economic plan," says Kent Green.
"It has been demonstrated that when there is a stratification of 'the haves' and 'the have nots,' that a nation's economy slows down and becomes very sluggish."
Mindful that some critics have tried to cast Occupy Wall Streeters as unruly or disruptive, organizers have adopted a Good Neighbor policy to maintain smooth relations with local residents.
There is "zero tolerance" in Zuccotti Park for drugs, alcohol, verbal abuse or abuse of public and personal property. Occupy Wall Street participants are asked to "respect health and sanitary regulations" and use off-site restroom and shower facilities.
The group has appointed on-site "community relations monitors" who are present 24 hours a day. The camp boasts a makeshift bookstore, publishes an 'Occupy Wall Street Journal' newspaper, has a medical tent (which police briefly threatened to tear down this week) and a "safe space" for women who stay overnight.
On a soggy and chilly morning this week, volunteers at the camp's comfort station served bagels, fruit, cereal and yogurt to shivering activists.
"By keeping a safe activist camp going, it keeps the revolutionary spirit going," says Stone Diaz.
"The focus is on the positivity, not the politics. We are just here to encourage dialogue."
One criticism that does bother Stone Diaz: Complaints that Occupy Wall Street has accepted more than $400,000 in donations over the past month.
"We are getting criticized for the money people are sending. We never asked for cash . . . it is just coming at us," he says.
Meyers, who has been in Zuccotti Park for 10 days, says there is "some tension" because the plaza is surrounded by armed police officers. Emotions ran highest after a New York police officer pepper sprayed protesters who left Zuccotti Park to march uptown on Sept. 24.
"Sometimes people start to act out, and start antagonizing the police, or start wanting violence, but immediately the group will stop them," says Meyers, who describes himself as a "rational" anarchist.
"I'm not going to starting throwing bricks. You have to respect property rights."
As the Occupy Wall Street action stretched from hours, to days, to weeks, activists have cycled in and out of Zuccotti Park — making for a rotating cast of residents and drop-in protesters.
Indeed, there are distinct groups at Zuccotti Park.
On the periphery, an eclectic collection of flamboyant protesters — including, on one morning, a group of men dressed head to toe in green spandex leotards — seem primarily interested in getting attention from the tourists who have made the Occupy Wall Street site a must-see destination.
Venture deeper into the park, however, and visitors find more determined activists, many of whom say they intend to stay here indefinitely.
"If people can get through that protective barrier of the wing nuts that come down here during the daytime, they can actually see we have a very dangerous, revolutionary experiment going on," says Stone Diaz.
Stone Diaz says he plans to remain in Zuccotti Park through the November 2012 presidential election, though even he isn't quite clear on the protest's long-term goals.
"People ask us what the movement is. It's quite clear - the movement was to Wall Street, the location. We've occupied it. And now we're not moving."
Others activists, like 22-year-old Paul Vidich of Ashford, Connecticut, just arrived at Zuccotti Park this week and are still assessing whether it's worth staying for the long haul.
Vidich, whose most recent job was delivering organic produce by bicycle, said he came to New York "because I figured the only way I could really have a big say in the politics of today would be to do something more radical than the electoral process."
Vidich said he likes the idea that Occupy Wall Street has "a thousand different voices" but believes that will be an obstacle to bringing about societal change.
"I think a lot of people here are into the idea of a long-term push," says Vidich. "But realistically what is going to happen is that people over time will filter in and out as they see nothing really changing very quickly."
Dobbs, however, believes Occupy Wall Street has built up enough momentum that it won't go away, even if protesters are eventually removed from Zuccotti Park.
" 'We are the 99 per cent' has gone into the ether. It has gone into the popular imagination, and it has caused people to think . . . about who gets what, who has a safety net and who gets, as we say, thrown under the bus," Dobbs says.
"This is a populist movement now unfolding and, though people bring many issues to it, at its core is economic justice."


Read more: http://www.canada.com/business/Occupy+Wall+Street+bandwagon+still+searching+direction/5587580/story.html#ixzz1bRKQW7iw
Moneycontrol » News » Markets » Expert & FII Outlook

Markets will push European politicians to act: Investec AMC




The situation in Europe will define market moves, believes Archie Hart of Investec Asset Management.
Europe's efforts to solve its escalating debt crisis plunged into disarray as Germany and France could not bridge their differences in time for a summit on Sunday, forcing them to call a second meeting.
"I think the markets will push European politicians into action," Hart said.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Hart said, the banking system is vulnerable to sovereign default in Europe. According to Hart, emerging markets (EMs), which have been growing better than their developed counterparts, will be hit if the Europe worsens.
As a result of the global slowdown, incrementally, Chinese economy is slowing. "China is running a very tight policy stance and we need to closely watch the environment there."
Back home too, the Indian rupee depreciated to a 30-month low to 50.08 per dollar on Friday.
Hart believes there could be a major sell-off in emerging market currencies. "I think high inflation and current account deficit is a concern in India," he said.
He is positive on the long-term India growth story. However, he feels India is still expensive compared to other EMs at the moment.
"The Reserve Bank of India could consider cutting interest rates," he said.
Talking about his sector picks, Hart said, he is positive on oil & gas and is focused on infrastructure. "We are cautious on banks and think consumer stocks are very high valued at the moment."
Below is an edited transcript of his interview with CNBC-TV18's managing editor Udayan Mukherjee. Watch the accompanying video for more.
Q: What is your short-term view of the situation in Europe right now?
A: It's very difficult to call the short-term in markets at the moment because so much will be event driven be it what happens in Greece, how European authorities either protect Greece or deal with any default situation that develops, it will be how the banking system is protected because clearly the banking system is very vulnerable to sovereign default in Europe and a whole lot of issues around that which will depict how markets perform on the downside or how quickly they will pick up. As soon as risk aversion is normalized, I would expect EMs to outperform. Key issues are – we have a lot of serious questions about the financial system in Europe to a lesser extent in America.
Q: When we get to 2012 we have the reality of a fairly weak economic performance expected in Europe and in the US. How do EMs do in that kind of backdrop? What happens once this immediate European problem is addressed one way or the other?
A. If you look at 2010-2011, global growth has actually been 3.6%. That's actually the 40 year average for global GDP. So growth overall has very much been inline with long term averages. What has changed is that 80% of that growth is coming from emerging markets. So that's a major change.
If you look back 20-30 years ago, it was developed markets were driving the global economy now its emerging markets driving that global economy. In a way, emerging markets are already performing extremely well and really are driving the economy. If the European financial system was to be impaired by what is happening in the euro now that would clearly be very negative for European growth. I think EMs will continue to grow at much higher rates than Europe.
Q. Do you think it's conceivable that we continue to have a bear market of sorts in the developed world but a bull market of sorts however modest in the emerging world?
A. The world is globalised and that is a lesson of the 2008 global financial crisis. Everyone had an issue of whether the spark came from America. If Europe has continuing issues everyone will have issues as well with the spark coming from Europe this time rather than the US. It would be naive to expect that EMs will have very strong growth in the event of a major default or major recession in Europe but they will have significantly better growth overtime.
Q: Are EMs concern centered only around the developed world because in the last few weeks we have been increasingly hearing from China saying there might be a hard landing and that's probably rattling a few investors in the region?
A: We talked to a lot of people on the ground in China. At the margin, China's economy is weakening so cement volumes are weak in certain places, property prices have been falling at certain places, property volumes are a bit weaker and railway construction has slowed partly due to safety concerns. As we look at the economy incrementally, it's definitely slowing.
If you look at the credit picture in China, they are running a very tight policy stance. If you are a private company its difficult for you to get funds to run your business, to get working capital and to grow. There are issues around what is happening in China. We will be watching very closely the policy environment in China going forward. It's going to be very important, not just for EMs but for the whole world given it's a huge source of demand particularly for commodities.

Business

2G saga: Court to frame charges against 17 accused tomorrow


10.13 pm | 21 Oct 2011 | Source: CNBC-TV18
The 2G saga will reach an important milestone on Saturday, when OP Saini, the special judge in the CBI trial court, reads out the charges against the 17 accused....

Lacklustre Q2: Idea misses mark due to rupee depreciation

8.32 pm | 21 Oct 2011 | Source: CNBC-TV18
Idea Cellular delivered subdued FY12 second quarter numbers. Himanshu Kapania, managing director of Idea Cellular feels that one of the reasons for slower growth this quarter is due to the larger prop

Expect FY12 to be a good year, says Godrej Properties

7.31 pm | 21 Oct 2011 | Source: CNBC-TV18
Godrej Properties has announced its second quarter results. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Adi Godrej, chairman of Godrej Properties says, the profits were lower than of the same quarter of the previou

SBI rolls out foreign travel card in Saudi Riyal

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State Bank of India has introduced a Foreign Travel Card namely Vishwa Yatra Foreign Travel Card in Saudi Riyal....

Federal Bank Q2 net profit up at Rs 191.2 cr

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Federal Bank has announced its second quarter results. The company's Q2 net profit was up at Rs 191.2 crore versus Rs 140.4 crore, YoY....

Greaves Cotton Q2 PAT up at Rs 38.6 cr

7.07 pm | 21 Oct 2011 | Source: Moneycontrol.com
Greaves Cotton has announced its second quarter results. The company's Q2 net profit was up at Rs 38.6 crore versus Rs 36.3 crore, YoY....

Essel Propack Q2 net profit down at Rs 9.2 cr

7.05 pm | 21 Oct 2011 | Source: Moneycontrol.com
Essel Propack has announced its second quarter results. The company's Q2 net profit was down at Rs 9.2 crore versus Rs 13.2 crore, year-on-year, YoY....

Panacea Biotec Q2 net loss at Rs 33.6 cr

7.04 pm | 21 Oct 2011 | Source: Moneycontrol.com
Panacea Biotec has announced its second quarter results. The company's Q2 net loss was at Rs 33.6 crore versus profit of Rs 16.9 crore, year-on-year, YoY....

Indiabulls Fin Services Q2 net up 33% on loan growth

7.01 pm | 21 Oct 2011 | Source: Moneycontrol.com
Aided by a robust loan growth, Indiabulls Financial's second quarter consolidated net profit climbed 33% year-on-year to Rs 231 crore. Its asset under management (AUM) or the loan book expanded nearly

Rishiroop Rubbe Sep '11 sales at Rs 12.75 crore

6.55 pm | 21 Oct 2011 | Source: Moneycontrol.com
Rishiroop Rubber (International) has reported a sales turnover of Rs 12.75 crore and a net profit of Rs 0.05 crore for the quarter ended Sep '11...

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/fii-view/situationeurope-to-define-mkt-moves-says-investec-amc_603403.html?google_editors_picks=true
In depth Full Coverage on Occupy Wall Street movement
Occupy Wall Street movement
The Occupy Wall Street protest, a people-powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan's Financial District, has gathered steam for a month and spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. As the Anti-greed protesters rallied globally denouncing bankers and politicians over the international economic crisis, it remains to be seen whether the movement will succeed in bringing changes.
21 October 2011 Last updated at 23:39 GMT
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Occupy Wall Street

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Occupy Wall Street
Part of the "Occupy" protests
Poster depicting a female ballerina pirouetting on the back of the Charging Bull statue on Wall Street; on the street behind her, a line of gas-masked rioters struggle through smoke. Text on the poster reads: "What is our one demand? #OCCUPYWALLSTREET September 17th. Bring Tent."
Adbusters poster[1] promoting the start date of the occupation, September 17.
DateSeptember 17, 2011 – ongoing
(34 days)
Location Worldwide
StatusOngoing with "occupy" movements having formed in other cities. See: List of "Occupy" protest locations.
CausesWealth inequalityCorporate influence of governmentSocial Democracyinter alia.
Characteristics
Number
Zuccotti Park

Several hundred "core" demonstrators[2]

Other activity in NYC:

  • 2,000+ marchers
    (march on police headquarters, October 2, 2011)[2]
  • 700+ marchers
    (crossing Brooklyn Bridge, October 3, 2011)[3]
  • 15,000+ marchers
    (Lower Manhattan solidarity march, October 5, 2011)[4]
  • 6,000+ marchers
    (Times Square recruitment center march, October 15, 2011)[5]
Casualties
Arrests: 992[6]

Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is an ongoing series of demonstrations in New York City[7] based in Zuccotti Park in the Wall Street financial district, and were initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters.[8][9] Participants are mainly protestingsocial and economic inequality, corporate greed, and the power and influence of corporations, particularly from the financial service sector, and of lobbyists, over government.[10][11][12] The participants' slogan "We are the 99%"[13] refers to thedifference in wealth between the top 1% and the other citizens of the United States.[14]

By October 9, similar demonstrations were either ongoing or had been held in 70 major cities and over 600 communities in the U.S.,[15] including the estimated 100,000 people who demonstrated on October 15.[16][17] Internationally, other"Occupy" protests have modeled themselves after Occupy Wall Street, in over 900 cities worldwide.[18][19][20][21]

Contents

  [hide

Background

A chart showing the disparity in income distribution in the United States.[22][23] Wealth inequality and income inequality have been central concerns among OWS protesters.[24][25][26] CBO data shows that in 1980, the top 1% earned 9.1% of all income, while in 2006 they earned 18.8% of all income.[27]

In mid-2011, the Canadian-based group Adbusters Media Foundation, best known for its advertisement-free anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters, proposed a peaceful occupation of Wall Street to protest corporate influence on democracy, address a growing disparity in wealth, and the absence of legal repercussions behind the recent global financial crisis.[8] According to the senior editor of the magazine, "[they] basically floated the idea in mid-July into our [email list] and it was spontaneously taken up by all the people of the world, it just kind of snowballed from there."[8] They promoted the protest with a poster featuring a dancer atop Wall Street's iconic Charging Bull.[28][29] Also in July, they stated that, "Beginning from one simple demand – a presidential commission to separate money from politics – we start setting the agenda for a new America."[30] Activists from Anonymous also encouraged its followers to take part in the protest which increased the attention it received calling protesters to "flood lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street".[31][32]

Adbusters' Kalle Lasn, when asked why it took three years after Lehman Brothers' implosion for people to storm the streets said:

When the financial meltdown happened, there was a feeling that, "Wow, things are going to change. Obama is going to pass all kinds of laws, and we are going to have a different kind of banking system, and we are going to take these financial fraudsters and bring them to justice." There was a feeling like, "Hey, we just elected a guy who may actually do this." In a way, there wasn't this desperate edge. Among the young people there was a very positive feeling. And then slowly this feeling that he's a bit of a gutless wonder slowly crept in, and now we're despondent again.[33]

Although it was originally proposed by Adbusters magazine, the demonstration is leaderless.[34] Other groups began to join the protest, including the NYC General Assembly and U.S. Day of Rage.[35] The protests have brought together people of many political positions. A report in CNN said that protesters "got really lucky" when gathering at Zuccotti Park since it was private property and police could not legally force them to move off of it; in contrast, police have authority to remove protesters without permits from city parks.[36]

Prior to the protest's beginning on September 17, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference, "People have a right to protest, and if they want to protest, we'll be happy to make sure they have locations to do it."[35] The protests have been compared to "the movements that sprang up against corporate globalization at the end of 1990s, most visibly at the World Trade Organization summit in Seattle"[37] and also to the World Social Forum,[38] a series in opposition to the World Economic Forum, sharing similar origins.[39][40] A significant part of the protest is the use of the slogan, "We are the 99%," which was partly intended as a protest of recent trends regarding increases in the share of annual total income going to the top 1% of income earners in the United States.[41][42][22][43]

Demands and goals

The protesters set up camp in Zuccotti Park. Locals and protesters call it "Liberty Plaza", the park's former name.

Perceptions vary as to the specific goals of the movement.[44] According to Adbusters, a primary protest organizer, the central demand of the protest is that President Obama "ordain a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington".[30] Documentary film maker Michael Moore said that this protest, unlike others, represents a variety of demands with a common statement, about government corruption and the excessive influence of big business and the wealthiest 1% on U.S. laws and policies.[45] Some protesters say that the President has become irrelevant, and that the other 99% should lead and inspire change.[46][47][48][49][50] Some media reports characterize Occupy as being opposed to capitalism, and quote participants who are opposed to capitalism.[51][52][53]

Focus

After two weeks, wrote Salon, the encampment split along two lines: those who want to draft focused demands about the unequal distribution of wealth in the United States; and those who want the protest to remain amorphous and to grow through spectacle.[54] Participatory online discussion forums have been emerging for citizens to submit and vote for specific agenda items.[55][56]

Peoples Microphone Occupy Wall Street 2011 Shankbone.ogv
Video of the "human microphone," the method employed by the protesters to allow everyone in the crowd to hear the speaker's words, since a sound system is prohibited

A "proposal" forum post on occupywallst.org[57] submitted by a single user was misreported as an official list of demands.[58] According to the admin-edited forum post, "[the] content was not published by the OccupyWallSt.org collective, nor was it ever proposed or agreed to on a consensus basis with the NYC General Assembly. There is NO official list of demands."[57] The protest has been criticized for lack of focus and actionable agenda. Ginia Bellafante wrote in The New York Times, "The group's lack of cohesion and its apparent wish to pantomime progressivism rather than practice it knowledgeably is unsettling in the face of the challenges so many of its generation face – finding work, repaying student loans, figuring out ways to finish college when money has run out."[59][60] Glenn Greenwald responded, "Does anyone really not know what the basic message is of this protest: that Wall Street is oozing corruption and criminality and its unrestrained political power—in the form of crony capitalism and ownership of political institutions—is destroying financial security for everyone else?"[61]

On October 8, an editorial in the New York Times said it is not the job of the protesters to draft legislation; that's the job of the nation's leaders, and if they had been doing it all along there might not be a need for these marches and rallies. Because they have not, the public airing of grievances is a legitimate and important end in itself, the Times said.[62] When interviewed by CNBC, a women who had traveled to the NYC protest from her occupy group in Maine said, "I don't think we should issue a list of demands at all. That's not what this is about. It's about creating a new kind of community, of showing people a new way of relating to one another."[63]

On October 12, the Washington Post asked Kalle Lasn about how he saw the global revolution playing out and how he responded to the criticism of the movement being leaderless and having no focus. He replied, "The initial phase of the revolution, what we are seeing right now, is leaderless, and the protesters are not hopping into bed with any party, even the Democratic party ... As the winter approaches, I think there will be different phases and ideas, possibly fragmentation into different agendas. I think crystal-clear demands will emanate ... The messy, leaderless, demandless movement has launched a national conversation of the likes that we haven't had in 20 years. That's as good as it gets! Not every one needs to have a leader with clear demands. That's the old way of launching revolutions. This revolution is run by the Internet generation, with egalitarian ways of looking at things, and an inclusive process of getting everyone involved. That's the magic of it."[64]

On October 15, an Occupy Wall Street "Demands Working Group" was formed and then "...established a website and fairly educated/articulated list of solutions," including a call for a national convention to be held July 4, 2012, in Philadelphia, according toHuffington Post's Tyler Kingkade.[65][66]

Participants

Leadership

According to Fordham University communications professor Paul Levinson, the Occupy Wall Street and related movements represent a resurgence of direct democracy where people collectively make decisions for themselves without having elected leaders.[64] Academics who study grassroots democracy are searching for historical examples of leaderless movements as major political parties contemplate how to embrace or distance themselves from the protesters.[67]

Demographics

The protesters include persons of a variety of political orientations, including liberals,[68] political independents,[69] anarchists,[69]socialists,[68] libertarians,[68][69] and environmentalists.[70] At the protest's start, the majority of the demonstrators were young;[68][69][71]however, as the protest grew the age of the protesters became more diverse, mostly related to the use of social networks.[72] Religious beliefs are diverse as well.[68] On October 10 the Associated Press reported that "there's a diversity of age, gender and race" at the protest.[72]

Some news organizations have compared the protest to a left-leaning version of the Tea Party protests.[73] Some left-leaning academics and activists expressed concern that it may become co-opted by the Democratic party.[74][75]

A crowd of protesters engaging in the 'human microphone' on September 30

Polls and surveys

On October 2, 2011, New York Magazine published the results of a survey of 100 protest participants. When asked about their views of capitalism, 46 stated that they believe capitalism "isn't fundamentally evil; it just needs to be regulated", while 37 believed that capitalism "can't be saved; it's inherently immoral". When asked if they voted in the 2010 midterm election, 39 answered "yes", 55 answered "no", and 5 answered "no, but only because I wasn't 18". When asked about their thoughts on Obama, 40 said they "believed in him, but were let down", one said "he's doing great", 22 "said he's doing the best he can", and 27 "never believed in him".[76]

An October 11 poll showed that 54% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the protests, compared to 27% for the Tea Party movement,[77] and up from 38% in a poll conducted October 6–10.[78] An October 13 survey by Time Magazine found that 54 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of the protests, while 23 percent have a negative impression. An NBC/Wall Street Journal survey found that 37 percent of respondents "tend to support" the movement, while 18 percent "tend to oppose" it.[79]

On Oct. 10 and 11, the polling firm Penn, Schoen & Berland interviewed nearly 200 protesters.[80] Half (52%) have participated in a political movement before, 98% would support civil disobedience to achieve their goals, and 31% would support violence to advance their agenda. Most are employed; 15% are unemployed. Most had supported Obama; now they are evenly divided. 65% say government has a responsibility to guarantee access to affordable health care, a college education, and a secure retirement. They support raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, and are divided on whether the bank bailouts were necessary.[80]

In the Wall Street Journal, Douglas Schoen wrote that the protesters reflect "values that are dangerously out of touch with the broad mass of the American people" and have "a deep commitment to left-wing policies: opposition to free-market capitalism and support for radical redistribution of wealth, intense regulation of the private sector, and protectionist policies to keep American jobs from going overseas," and that politicians who support them will be hurt in the 2012 elections[80] However, other authors said Schoen misrepresented his results. When asked, "What frustrates you the most about the political process in the United States", 30% said, "Influence of corporate/moneyed/special interests." Only 6% said "Income inequality" and 3% said, "Our democratic/capitalist system." When asked, "What would you like to see the Occupy Wall Street movement achieve", 35% said "Influence the Democratic Party the way the Tea Party has influenced the GOP" and 11% said, "Break the two-party duopoly." Only 4% said "Radical redistribution of wealth."[81][82][83]

A poll conducted October 12–16 found that 67% of New York City voters agreed with the protesters and 87% agreed with their right to protest. Support was split down party lines, with 81 percent of the Democrats saying they backed the protests, while only 35 percent of Republicans supported them.[84]

According to a survey of Zucotti Park protesters by the Baruch College School of Public Affairs published on October 19, of 1,619 web respondents, 1/3 were older than 35, half were employed full-time, 13% were unemployed and 13% earned over $75,000. 27.3% of the respondents called themselves Democrats, 2.4% called themselves Republicans, while the rest, 70%, called themselves independents[85]

Organizational processes and infrastructure

While the organization calls itself leaderless, the protest in Zuccotti Park has discernable "organizers", according to analysis by Fordham University sociologist Heather Gautney,[86] as well as "stations" that coordinate protest activities and functions (e.g., medical, food, legal, media, security), as well as organizational processes for decision making.[citation needed]

New York City General Assembly

The General Assembly meets inWashington Square Park on October 8

According to the Columbia Journalism Review's New Frontier Database, "The New York City General Assembly (NYCGA) is the governing body of New York City's Occupy Wall Street; it meets every evening at 19:00, where all the committees come and discuss their thoughts and needs. It is open to all who want to attend, and anyone can speak. And while there is no named leader, some of the members do routinely moderate the general assembly meetings. [Various volunteers] update the minutes from every meeting, along with other need-to-know information for organizers. Agreement on issues is reached using the consensus decision-making process."[87]

Sound system

New York City requires a permit to use "amplified sound", including electric bullhorns. Since Occupy Wall Street does not have such a permit, the protesters created the "Human Microphone" in which a speaker pauses while the nearby members of the audience repeats the phrase (somewhat) in unison. The effect has been called "comic or exhilarating—often all at once." Some feel this provided a further unifying effect for the crowd.[88][89]

People working at the media center

Media center

A separate section is set aside for an information/media area which contains laptop computers, cameras, gas-powered generators, and several wireless routers.[90][91] The generators also provide power for cell phones, and Internet access is available throughout Zucotti Park via these wireless routers.[92] According to the Columbia Journalism Review's New Frontier Database, the media team, while unofficial, runs websites like Occupytogether.org, video livestream, a "steady flow of updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr" as well as Skype sessions with other Occupy-themed protest sites such as in Scotland.[93]

Library

The library provides free access to a collection of books, magazines, newspapers, 'zines, pamphlets and other materials that have been donated, collected, gathered and discovered during the occupation. In addition to the physical collection, the library maintains a web site and an online catalog that is updated as materials are received, and posts updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.[94]

Sanitation

The protesters' sanitation department on October 16

On October 6, it was reported that Brookfield Office Properties, which owns Zuccotti Park, had issued a statement which said, "Sanitation is a growing concern... Normally the park is cleaned and inspected every weeknight[, but] because the protesters refuse to cooperate ... the park has not been cleaned since Friday, September 16 and as a result, sanitary conditions have reached unacceptable levels."[95][96]

Bloomberg News reported on October 10 that "[t]he ground is mostly free of litter" and committees had formed to handle sanitation and comfort issues.[97] As of October 11, a special 311 hotline set up by the Department of Sanitation had not received a single complaint about sanitation at the park.[98]

Many protesters have taken to using the bathrooms of nearby business establishments;[99] one nearby McDonald's restaurant "has become the movement's unofficial latrine".[100] Supporters in New York have also donated use of their bathrooms for showers and the sanitary needs of protesters.[97][100]

The greywater treatment system used by the protesters to collect water for the park's plants

The protesters have constructed a greywater treatment system to recycle dishwater contaminants.[101][102]The filtered water is used for the park's plants and flowers.

On October 13, New York City's mayor Bloomberg and Zuccotti Park owner Brookfield Properties announced that the park must be vacated for cleaning the following morning at 7 am.[103] However, protestors vowed to "defend the occupation" after police said they wouldn't allow them to return with sleeping bags and other gear following the cleaning, under rules set by the private park's owner—and many protestors spent the night sweeping and mopping the park.[104][105] The next morning, the property owner postponed its cleaning effort.[104] Having prepared for a confrontation with police to prevent the cleaning effort from proceeding, some protestors clashed with police in riot gear outside city hall even after it was canceled.[103]

Sleeping arrangements, food, and clothing

Somewhere between 100 and 200 people sleep in Zuccotti Park. Because tents are not allowed at Zucotti Park, the protesters that do decide to spend the night sleep in sleeping bags or under blankets. Some blankets and other supplies have been donated.[106]

The Occupied Kitchen costs about $1,000 a day. Volunteers have a Costco account and buy food in the Red Hook Fairway. There are homeless hangers-on, but they're not typical. Some visitors are eating in fast-food restaurants.[107] Volunteers dole out sleeping bags and clothes. The contribution boxes raise $5,000 a day, and supplies come in from around the country. One morning, 90 shipments arrived from around the country, of supplies like rain ponchos and tents.[107] Eric Smith, a chef who was laid off at the Sheraton in Midtown, said that he was running a five-star restaurant in the park.[108]

New York City police

The police department has assigned Rick Lee, a community relations detective assigned to the First Precinct to duty at the demonstration. His duties are to communicate with the protestors on behalf of the police department and to gather information regarding their planned activities.[109]

Cost to the City

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly reported on October 7 that Occupy Wall Street has cost the Police Department $1.9 million in overtime.[110] As of October 12, the overtime cost had risen to $3.2 million.[111]

Crime Within the Demonstrators

Demonstrators at Wall Street have complained of thefts of assorted items such as cameras, phones, and laptops. Thieves also stole $2500 of donations that were stored in a makeshift kitchen.[112] At Occupy Cleveland, a 19 year old student claims that she was raped by a fellow demonstrator.[113]

Chronology of events

The protesters march toward a police station and various other targets

Week 1 (September 17–23)

On September 17, 1,000 protesters marched through the streets, with an estimated 100 to 200 staying overnight in cardboard boxes. By September 19, seven people had been arrested.[114][115]

Week 2 (September 24–30)

September 24: Street marches, mesh nets, and first pepper-spraying

At least 80 arrests were made on September 24,[116] after protesters started marching uptown and forcing the closure of several streets.[117][118] Most of the 80 arrests were for blocking traffic, though some were also charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Police officers have also been using a technique called kettling which involves using orange nets to isolate protesters into smaller groups.[117][118]

Videos which showed several penned-in female demonstrators being pepper-sprayed by a police official were widely disseminated, sparking controversy.[119] That police official, later identified as Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna, was shown in other videos hitting a photographer with a burst of spray.[120]

Protesters rallying near New York police headquarters, St. Andrew's Church in the background.

Initially Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and a representative for Bologna defended his actions, while decrying the disclosure of his personal information.[119][120] After growing public furor, Kelly announced that Internal Affairs and the Civilian Complaint Review Board were opening investigations,[119] again criticizing Anonymous for "[trying] to intimidate, putting the names of children, where children go to school", and adding that this tactic was "totally inappropriate, despicable."[119] Meanwhile, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. started his own inquiry.[120]

Public attention to the pepper-sprayings resulted in a spike of news media coverage, a pattern that was to be repeated in the coming weeks following confrontations with police.[121] Clyde Haberman, writing in The New York Times, said that "If the Occupy Wall Street protesters ever choose to recognize a person who gave their cause its biggest boost, they may want to pay tribute to Anthony Bologna", calling the event "vital" for the still nascent movement.[122]

Week 3 (October 1–7)

October 1: March on Brooklyn Bridge and mass arrests

On October 1, 2011, protesters set out to march across the Brooklyn BridgeThe New York Times reported that more than 700 arrests were made.[123] The police used ten buses to carry protesters off the bridge. Jesse A. Myerson, a media coordinator for Occupy Wall Street said, "The cops watched and did nothing, indeed, seemed to guide us onto the roadway."[124]However, some statements by protesters supported descriptions of the event given by police: for example, one protester tweeted that "The police didn't lead us on to the bridge. They were backing the fuck up."[125] A spokesman for the New York Police Department, Paul Browne, said that protesters were given multiple warnings to stay on the sidewalk and not block the street, and were arrested when they refused.[3] By October 2, all but 20 of the arrestees had been released with citations for disorderly conduct and a criminal court summons.[126] The following day, drivers of the City Bus program sued the New York Police Department for "commandeering their buses" and forcing them to cart detained protesters.[127] On October 4, a group of protesters who were arrested on the bridge filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that officers had violated their constitutional rights by luring them into a trap and then arresting them; Mayor Bloomberg, commenting previously on the incident, had said that "[t]he police did exactly what they were supposed to do".[128]

October 5: Rushing of barricades and second pepper-spraying

On October 5, joined by union members, students, and the unemployed, the demonstration swelled to the largest yet with an estimated 15,000 marchers joining the protest. Smaller protests continue in cities and on college campuses across the country.[129]

Thousands of union workers joined protesters marching through the Financial District. The march was mostly peaceful – until after nightfall, when scuffles erupted. About 200 protesters tried to storm barricades blocking them from Wall Street and the Stock Exchange. Police responded with pepper spray and penned the protesters in with orange netting.[130]

Week 4 (October 8–14)

Occupy Wall Street protesters inPortland, Oregon.

Inspired by Occupy Wall Street, British protesters organized an occupation of the London Stock Exchange to bring attention to what they saw as unethical behavior on the part of banks. One of the organizers of the protest said the protests are focused against "increasing social and economic injustice in this country". In his opinion, "the Government has made sure to maintain the status quo and let the people who caused this crisis get off scot-free, whilst conversely ensuring that the people of this country pay the price, in particular those most vulnerable."[45][131][132][133][134][135][136]

Week 5 (October 15–21)

On October 15, tens of thousands of demonstrators staged rallies in 900 cities around the world, including Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, and many other cities.[137] In Frankfurt, 5,000 people protested at the European Central Bank and in Zurich, Switzerland's financial hub, protesters carried banners reading "We won't bail you out yet again" and "We are the 99 percent." Protests were largely peaceful, however a protest in Rome that drew thousands turned violent when "a few thousand thugs from all over Italy, and possibly from all over Europe" caused extensive damage.[138] Thousands of Occupy Wall Street protesters gathered in Times Square in New York City and rallied for several hours.[139][140] Several hundred protesters were arrested across the U.S., mostly for refusing to obey police orders to leave public areas. In Chicago there were 175 arrests, about 100 arrests in Arizona (53 in Tucson, 46 in Phoenix), and more than 70 in New York City, including at least 40 in Times Square.[141] Multiple arrests were reported in Chicago, and about 150 people camped out by city hall in Minneapolis.[142]

Reaction

Political reaction

Solidarity poster referencing the We are the 99% slogan

During an October 6 news conference, President Obama said "I think it expresses the frustrations the American people feel, that we had the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, huge collateral damage all throughout the country ... and yet you're still seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to fight efforts to crack down on the abusive practices that got us into this in the first place."[143][144][145] When Jake Tapper of ABC News pushed Obama to explain the fact that his administration hasn't prosecuted any Wall Street executives who didn't play by the rules, he replied, "One of the biggest problems about the collapse of Lehman's and the subsequent financial crisis and the whole subprime lending fiasco is that a lot of that stuff wasn't necessarily illegal; it was just immoral or inappropriate or reckless."[146][147] On October 18, when interviewed by ABC news, he said "in some ways, they're not that different from some of the protests that we saw coming from the Tea Party. Both on the left and the right, I think people feel separated from their government. They feel that their institutions aren't looking out for them."[148][149]

Vice President Joe Biden likened the protest to the Tea Party, saying, "What are the people up there on the other end of the political spectrum saying? The same thing: 'Look guys, the bargain is not on the level anymore.' In the minds of the vast majority of the American – the middle class is being screwed."[150]

2012 Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain accused the movement of being "anti-capitalist" and argued "Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself!"[151] Republican Ron Paul came out to refute Cain by saying, "the system has been biased against the middle class and the poor...the people losing jobs, it wasn't their fault that we've followed a deeply flawed economic system."[152] In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Cain also expressed his belief that Occupation Wall Street was "planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration", but admitted that he "[didn't] have facts" to back up his accusation.[153]

U.S. Congressman and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX) stated, "If they were demonstrating peacefully, and making a point, and arguing our case, and drawing attention to the Fed – I would say, 'good!'"[154]

2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney did admit that there were 'bad actors,' and the need for them to be 'found and plucked out.' Yet, he believes to aim at one industry or region of America is a mistake and encouraging the Occupy Wall Street protests as "dangerous" and inciting "class warfare".[155][156] He has since softened his initial statement and said, "I look at what's happening on Wall Street and my view is, boy, I understand how those people feel."[157]

2012 Republican presidential candidate Buddy Roemer expressed support for the movement.[158]

House Democratic Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, said she supports the growing nationwide Occupy Wall Street movement. Pelosi said she includes herself in the group of Americans dissatisfied with Congress.[159]

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democratic Party, appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermannand supported the protests saying, "We desperately need a coming together of working people to stand up to Wall Street. We need to rebuild the middle-class in this country and you guys can't have it all."[160]

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va), in a speech to a Values Voter Summit, characterized the movement as "growing mobs" and said that President Barack Obama's "failed policies" and rhetoric "condon[ing] the pitting of Americans against Americans" were to blame. In response, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney noted Cantor's apparent "hypocrisy unbound", pointing out the Majority Leader's support of the Tea Party Protests and adding, "I can't understand how one man's mob is another man's democracy. I think both are expressions that are totally consistent with the American democratic tradition."[161]

In an interview with The Washington Post, Former Democratic U.S. Senator Russ Feingold endorsed the movement on October 5 stating, "This is like the Tea Party – only it's real... By the time this is over, it will make the Tea Party look like ... a tea party."[162]

The Democratic co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive CaucusRepresentatives Raúl Grijalva and Keith Ellison announced their solidarity with the movement on October 4.[163] The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is asking for 100,000 names on its website which will subsequently be added to 100,000 letters to Speaker of the House John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantorexpressing support for the Occupy Wall Street protesters, the middle class, and condemnation of millionaires, big oil, and big bankers.[164]

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the protests "aren't productive", although he also expressed sympathy for some of their complaints.[165] On October 8, during his weekly radio show, Bloomberg complained that the protestors are trying to "take the jobs from the people working in the city", and said that although "[t]here are some people with legitimate complaints, there are some people who just like to protest".[166]

Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada

During a hearing before the Joint Economic Committee October 4, 2011, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said, "[P]eople are quite unhappy with the state of the economy and what's happening. They blame, with some justification, the problems in the financial sector for getting us into this mess, and they're dissatisfied with the policy response here in Washington. And at some level, I can't blame them. Certainly, 9 percent unemployment and very slow growth is not a good situation."[167] Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard W. Fishersaid that he was "somewhat sympathetic" to the views of the protestors, and added, "We have too many people out of work. We have a veryuneven distribution of income. We have a very frustrated people, and I can understand their frustration."[168]

Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney cited income inequality and economic performance as the main motivators, calling the protests "entirely constructive".[169]

Union reaction

On October 5 members of the National Nurses United union march to Foley Squarein solidarity with OWS

Various unions, including the Transport Workers Union of America Local 100 and the New York Metro 32BJ Service Employees International Union have pledged their support for demonstrators.[170] On October 3, Transport Workers Union bus drivers sued the New York Police Department for ordering their buses to drive to the Brooklyn Bridge to pick up detained protesters. Union President John Samuelsen said, "We're down with these protesters. We support the notion that rich folk are not paying their fair share. Our bus operators are not going to be pressed into service to arrest protesters anywhere."[171] On October 5, representatives from more than 14 of the country's largest labor unions intended to join the protesters for a mass rally and march.[172]

Noting the growing union support, an article in the liberal Mother Jones magazine said that union support could splinter and derail the protests rather than sustain them because while unions are tightly organized, hierarchical, and run with a clear chain of command, Occupy Wall Street is the opposite in that they are "a horizontal, autonomous, leaderless, modified-consensus-based system with roots in anarchist thought". However, the article went on to suggest that joined together they could work to create a progressive movement that "effectively taps into the rising feeling among many Americans that economic opportunity has been squashed by corporate greed and the influence of the very rich in politics".[173]

1% with the 99%

Several wealthy supporters have joined to support the protest, and have started a blog, westandwiththe99percent[174] in which they say, "I am the 1%. I stand with the 99%," and give their stories.[175]

H.L. Hunt's granddaughter, Leah Hunt-Hendrix, 28, a doctoral student at Princeton writing her dissertation on the history of solidarity, joined OWS protesters, and said. "We should acknowledge our privilege and claim the responsibilities that come with it."[175]

Farhad Ebrahimi, 33, has been participating in the Occupy Boston protest wearing a T-shirt that says, "Tax me. I'm good for it."[175]

Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machineplaying a set on Day 28 in New York; Morello previously played for the Los Angeles protests

Celebrity reaction

On September 19, Roseanne Barr, the first celebrity to endorse the protest, spoke to protesters calling for a combination of capitalism and socialism and a system not based on "bloated talk radio hosts and that goddamn Ayn Rand book."[176][177]

Educator and author Cornel West addressed the frustrations that some critics have expressed at the protest's lack of a clear and unified message, saying, "It's impossible to translate the issue of the greed of Wall Street into one demand, or two demands. We're talking about a democratic awakening."[178]

Naomi Klein leading an open forum on October 6

Canadian writer Naomi Klein supported the protest, saying, "This is not the time to be looking for ways to dismiss a nascent movement against the power of capital, but to do the opposite: to find ways to embrace it, support it and help it grow into its enormous potential. With so much at stake, cynicism is a luxury we simply cannot afford."[179]

Filmmaker Michael Moore spoke against Wall Street, saying, "They have tried to take our democracy and turn it into a kleptocracy."[180][181] Rapper Lupe Fiasco, one of the initial supporters of Occupy Wall Street, wrote a poem, "Moneyman", for the protest.[182][183] Susan Sarandon spoke at the demonstration saying, "I came down here to educate myself.... There's a huge void between the rich and the poor in this country."[184] Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo has supported the Occupy Wall Street protest saying, "Peaceful Resistance. That is what changes the world. We must be peaceful. This movement is about decency."[185]

On October 9, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek gave a speech on Wall Street in which he expressed support for the protests and criticized the capitalist system and the corporations saying that, "They tell you we are dreamers. The true dreamers are those who think things can go on indefinitely the way they are. We are not dreamers. We are awakening from a dream which is turning into a nightmare. We are not destroying anything. We are only witnessing how the system is destroying itself", but also warned that they must not forget why they're there or else the protest might lose its meaning.[186][187][188]

Other celebrities lending their support include Anti-Flag,[189] Margaret Atwood,[190] John Carlos,[191] Noam Chomsky,[190] David Graeber,[192]Chris Hedges,[193] Stéphane Hessel,[194] Immortal Technique,[195] Paul Krugman,[196] Jeff Madrick,[197] Radiohead,[190] Russell Simmons,[198] George Soros,[199] Joseph Stiglitz,[197] Jimmy Wales,[200] Kanye West,[201] and Richard D. Wolff,[202]

Critical commentary

Conservative radio talk show hosts have commented on the movement. Rush Limbaugh told his listening audience on his October 5 show that: "When I was 10 years old I was more self-sufficient than this parade of human debris calling itself Occupy Wall Street."[203] Glenn Becksaid, "Capitalists, if you think that you can play footsies with these people, you are wrong. They will come for you and drag you into the streets and kill you. They will do it. They're not messing around".[204]

Think tanks and public policy organizations have analyzed the movement.[citation needed] In October 2011, Mike Brownfield of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, argued that rejection of the capitalist system and the policies that OWS protesters advocate, including limits on trade and student loan forgiveness, would not lead to improved economic conditions for unemployed Americans. According to Brownfield, the Foundation believes it is "right to decry out-of-control bailouts and corporate subsidies" and there are valid concerns regarding the economy, unemployment rates and low job creation. However, Heritage argued that capitalism is key to improving the economy and that the movement is focusing on the wrong solutions to the problems they protest: it should be protesting the expansion of government instead of calling for more government intervention.[205]

A group of politically conservative bloggers organized a website entitled "We Are the 53%"—referring to the 53% of Americans who pay federal income taxes—criticizing the movement, modeled on the "We Are the 99%" website.[19] Virginia-based musician and humorist Remy Munasifi released a song, in the style of Bob Dylan, called "Occupy Wall Street Protest Song," which criticized the protesters for not recognizing, in his opinion, how well off they actually are.[206][207]

Local residents

Local residents of the area surrounding Zucotti Park have voiced various complaints about the demonstrations. A caller to a radio show complained that the park has been rendered "unusable" by the protestors, and that "a general atmosphere of incivility", together with loud shouting and drums, prevailed; another complained that the drums from the protest, which he said "start in the morning" and get louder in the evening until 11:30 pm, made it difficult for his children to sleep or do their homework. Another resident complained that protestors had been vandalizing and urinating in the vestibule to his apartment building.[166] Responding to a caller complaining about noise and incivility at the park, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said "we couldn't agree more".[166]

International reaction

 Brazil

President Dilma Rousseff said, "We agree with some of the expressions that some movements have used around the world [in] demonstrations like the ones we see in the US and other countries."[208]

 Canada

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that because there was nothing like a Canadian TARP program, he did not think Canadians were as angry as Americans.[209] Finance Minister Jim Flaherty expressed sympathy with the protests, citing high unemployment amongst the youth.[210]

 China

The Chinese state news agency Xinhua said the protests had exposed "fundamental problems" with the US economic and political systems, and that it showed "a clear need for Washington, which habitually rushes to demand other governments to change when there are popular protests in their countries, to put its own house in order."[211]

 Greece

Prime Minister George Papandreou supported the U.S. protests saying, "We fight for changing the global economic system, like many anti-Wall Street citizens who rightly protest against the inequalities and injustices of the system."[212]

 India

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated, "There are reasons why people are protesting. People are protesting in Wall Street, in Europe about the fat salaries that the bankers are getting when people are being asked to tighten their belts. There is problem of growing unemployment in the United States. There is also worry in Europe. So there are problems which the system must have credible answers to take them on board."[213]

 Iran

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei commented that the protests are because a "corrupt foundation has been exposed to the American people."[214]

 North Korea

The Korean Central News Agency of DPRK commented that the Occupy Wall Street movement were "in protest against exploitation and oppression by capital, shaking all fabrics of society."[215][216]

 Poland

Lech Wałęsa, former president of Poland and cofounder of the Polish Solidarity Movement has expressed his support for Occupy Wall Street and is considering a visit to the site.[217]

 Russia

Former Premier Mikhail Gorbachev compared it to the perestroika period and the collapse of a superpower, calling the protests justified. He said Americans should put their own house in order before attempting to do such with other countries.[218]

 Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez condemned the "horrible repression" of the Occupy Wall Street activists and expressed solidarity with the movement.[219]

Media coverage

Comparison of news coverage of Occupy Wall Street protests and tea party protests on April 15, 2009.[220]

The protests began on Saturday, September 17. Coverage of the event occurred on September 17, stared by foreign press Al Jazeera[221] The following Wednesday,The New York Observer reported on the nascent protests in Zuccotti Park.[222][223]On Friday, September 23, Ginia Bellafante panned the movement in The New York Times.[224] Five days into the protest, Keith Olbermann criticized the media for failing to cover the protests.[225][226] Joanna Weiss of The Boston Globe found it difficult to take the protests seriously, criticizing Occupy Wall Street for its "circus" atmosphere."[227] In a September 27 article, Lauren Ellis of Mother Jones magazine criticized the movement's lack of a clear message.[228]

A man's sign on Day 12 references that the protesters considered the lack of news coverage to be a 'media blackout'

Media theorist Douglas Rushkoff criticized the mainstream media for dismissing the protesters. "Anyone who says he has no idea what these folks are protesting is not being truthful. Whether we agree with them or not, we all know what they are upset about, and we all know that there are investment bankers working on Wall Street getting richer while things for most of the rest of us are getting tougher."[229] Rushkoff says that Occupy Wall Street is the first true Internet-era movement, and as such, it does not have a charismatic leader or particular endpoint. Unlike a traditional protest which identifies the enemy and fights for a particular solution, Rushkoff concludes that the protest is less about victory than sustainability, inclusion and consensus.[229]

By October 4, economist Richard Wolff commented that the unclear shape of the movement is "mostly irrelevant" at this early stage and the priority should be to invite all interested parties.[230] Kalle Lasn, co-founder of Adbusters, believed that the protests had gone mainstream and expressed the opinion that "it's become kind of a political left movement in the U.S., hopefully to rival the Tea Party".[231] Appearing on CBS's The Early Show on Saturday, October 8, Michael Daly, of Newsweek and The Daily Beastcharacterized the position of the protestors as a "feeling that there is just a fundamental unfairness. From their point of view, the very people who almost wrecked the U.S. economy on Wall Street continue to get wealthy while working people are struggling to pay their bills. I mean, it comes down to that."[232] On October 11, Katrina vanden Heuvel, who writes a weekly column for The Post and is the editor and publisher of The Nation, said that many if not most of the protesters are wary about embracing the progressive establishment and have concerns about being co-opted. However, she went on to say that, "most understand that the main task ahead is growing the movement, and that may mean going to where the injustice is – to where people are being evicted from foreclosed homes or losing jobs". Pointing to recent legislation, she suggests that the movement has already influenced public dialogue.[233]

MSNBC's Technolog noted that policymakers had failed to address economic problems, and news media had failed to cover the unemployment crisis: "Tracking CNN, MSNBC and Fox, Think Progress found 7,583 mentions of the word 'debt,' compared to 427 mentions of 'unemployment' on all three networks combined." NM Incite said 22% of tweets using the #OccupyWallStreet hashtag voiced general support for the movement, 11% indicated participation in it, 5% described celebrity support, 11% were complaints against the movement, 13% shared news, 6% shared videos, 4% blamed government, 2% blamed President Obama, and 1% blamed capitalism. Douglas Rushkoffcalls Occupy Wall Street, "America's first true Internet-era movement."[234]

See also

Occupy articles

Other U.S. protests

Related articles

References

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  232. ^ "Occupy" protesters garner increased supportCBS News. Accessed: October 9, 2011
  233. ^ "Will Occupy Wall Street's spark reshape our politics?"The Washington Post. February 24, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  234. ^ Popkin, H.A.S. (October 20, 2011) "Internet talks about 'Occupy Wall Street,' media listens" MSNBC Technolog

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As We Gather Together

Posted Oct. 21, 2011, 12:55 p.m. EST by 

22 Comments

Occupy Wall Street Survey

Posted Oct. 21, 2011, 9:48 a.m. EST by 

Please take some time to fill out our survey:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VSN6VW9

11 Comments

Stop The Spectra Pipeline | Meet-Up at Liberty Square at 5 P.M. For Die-In at P.S. 41

Posted Oct. 20, 2011, 2:15 p.m. EST by 

OWS is fighting to strengthen democracy, and to end the domination of big money interests. Fracking is a clear example of how the power of money trumps common sense and controls our democracy. Fracking is incredibly destructive to the environment and human health.

On Thursday, October 20th at five in the afternoon the residents of Liberty Square will march to the FERC hearing on the Spectra Pipeline at P.S. 41, located at 116 West 11th Street (between 6th and 7th avenues).

Shortly before the hearings begin at seven in the evening we will stage a die-in to illustrate the likely results of this disasterous proposal by a disreputable corporation intent on infecting our drinking water with by-products from fracking. After the die-in members of #ows will enter the hearing and respectfully engage in participatory direct action against this catastrophic project.

Do not let the destruction and death that occured due to corporate negligence in San Bruno, California last year happen in the West Village.

Come and speak for #ows, come and speak for yourself. We will see you there.

Submit comments to FERC online or by mail prior to Oct. 31st if you cannot attend the hearing

184 Comments

Parents for Occupy Wall Street Family Sleepover

Posted Oct. 20, 2011, 12:13 p.m. EST by 

Families Plan Sleepover on Friday, October 21, Growing Support for Occupy Wall Street Community

http://www.parentsforoccupywallst.com/

Liberty Square, NY — A second try.

The parent founded and run group, "Parents for Occupy Wall Street," will be hosting a Family Sleepover, from 4 PM, Friday, October 21st until 11 AM the following Saturday morning—a second try after being forced to cancel their planned sleepover last weekend because of a threatened eviction. With the Family Sleepover rescheduled for this weekend, parents and families in the greater New York City area are excited to demonstrate their support for this growing movement creating real change for our children's futures.

Occupy Wall Street is a place for everyone, including families. At the Family Sleepover, families and children will find arts and crafts, a children's music sing along, a pizza party, and a bed time story. With the help of various teacher and parent groups, such as the "School for the 99%," and the Occupy Wall Street Outreach team, the Family Sleepover will have a sectioned off Child and Family Only area at Liberty Plaza.

Safety is the first measure on everyone's mind. Security and strict involvement rules will be taken at the event including a check in and check out system with parent's ID with a Parents for Occupy Wall Street security person and an hourly headcount. All parents will be required to wear an identifying T-shirt while working shifts around the hour. The police are already aware of the group and will be checked in with hourly on the group's size and location.

The group's goal is to raise awareness of the diversity of people supporting the movement. In the press, there is an assumption that the only people supporting the movement are solely homeless or unemployed when that couldn't be further from the truth. With even a short visit to Liberty Plaza, you will see all walks of life supporting the movement, including middle class working families.

With the Family Sleepover, Parents for Occupy Wall Street are Occupying to speak up for the ones without a voice and make real change, change for their children's futures.

186 Comments

America Supports #OWS

Posted Oct. 20, 2011, 11:06 a.m. EST by 

Supplies and Support Pour into Occupy Wall Street from Every Corner of the US

Occupiers Launch Tumblr Website Today: Gallery of Personal Notes of Support from Farmers, Veterans, Grandparents and "Knitters for Occupy Wall St"

http://occupywallstreetcarepackages.tumblr.com/

Liberty Square, NY — Today we want to spotlight the tens of thousands of people from across the United States and around the world who are supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement by contributing blankets, clothing, food, money, and other needed supplies. The support has truly been overwhelming.

Over one month ago, hundreds, and then thousands, gathered in Liberty Square to protest unprecedented consolidation of wealth and power, plummeting household income, skyrocketing school debt, and a broken political system. In the weeks since, hundreds of thousands have rallied and occupied in cities and towns around the world. And people from every corner of the United States have sent donations of tarps, home baked pies, hand-knit mittens, and pizzas — with personal notes of solidarity and support.

OWS has compiled notes from supporters on a Tumblr site called Occupy Wall St. Care Packages:

http://occupywallstreetcarepackages.tumblr.com/

This new site features only a tiny fraction of the thousands of packages and letters of support we have received. It includes messages like this one from Elora and Monte, supporters who live on a farm in West Virginia:

"We stand ready to help #OWS in any way we can, from out here 'Just Off the One-Lane Road...' And we are so grateful for all of you involved in this defense of America. We firmly believe this is "it." If we can't grab this democracy this time, we'll sink and it will be a long time before we will have this opportunity again. Thank you for taking time from your busy life to be there and to email us. Whatever we can do, we are pleased to be a part of this incredible Movement."

We know from history that social movements grow when they have a broad base of support. We are thankful that this movement has attained such a dramatic level of support in a short amount of time. We are hopeful that this people's movement will continue to grow.

81 Comments

10 a.m. All Hands on Deck for Square Reorganizing!

Posted Oct. 20, 2011, 12:31 a.m. EST by 

 

Liberty Square is a space created for culture and civics, for eduction, and building solidarity. A place to mint revolutionary thought, where the next generation of freedom fighters, organizers and artists will be raised. On Thursday, October 20th, at ten in the morning we will be reorganizing the square. Sanitation, and Town Planning are calling for #OWS to come out, grab a broom, a mop, and work to make the Square beautiful. This is a space for individuals of every age, race, creed and religion to enjoy. On Friday From 4pm - 11am there will be a Family sleep over. We need to create space and to welcome them into the #OWS!

129 Comments

OWS Snapshot

Posted Oct. 19, 2011, 3:30 p.m. EST by 

OWS vibrates with activity. In every corner of Liberty Square people are organizing against corporate greed, refusing to be afraid, to be silenced. The local community center, the nearby atrium, the surrounding parks and cafes pulse with working groups planning actions, coordinating with community groups, engaging with the press, supporting each other, and strengthening solidarity within the movement. We are growing change in the shadow of the wealth, greed, and thievery that is Wall Street.

Occupy Cake

Highlights

Anniversary Night, OCT 17: The square was beautiful. It sparkled under the city lamp light. Occupiers flowed quietly through the clean passages, socializing in the new spaces designed by the town planning committee. We lit candles and sang "We Shall Not Be Moved." We shared our one month occupy cake. One month! A medical tent was raised, and when dozens of police lined up to take it down they were meet by hundreds of occupiers. Joined by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, arms linked, occupiers faced down the NYPD, and the medical tent remained in place. An amazing way to welcome the second month!

Good Neighbors: The community relations committee has been in hyperdrive. The General Assembly passed a Good Neighbor Policy 5 days ago and has been working nonstop to fully implement the agreement, distributing the policy via flyers, prominently displayed posters around the square, and by word of mouth. Drumming has been reduced drastically from the ten hours a day barrage a week earlier. We see drumming as a top priority and continue to work with the drummers, utilizing mediation, common sense, and mutual respect to implement the 2 hours a day policy.

No Hate: Many people from different places have been affected by the greed of the 1% and by the false solutions of corporate greed, union busting, and the slashing and privatization of social services. The 99% is varied and broad - but we have principles of solidarity, and we are working together to make a better world - a world of inclusion, dignity, love and respect. #OWS has no space for racism, sexism, transphobia, anti-immigrant hatred, xenophobia, and hatred in general.

Demands: A group claiming to be on the verge of issuing demands for #OWS has gotten the attention of a story hungry media. We are our demands. #OWS is conversation, organization, and action focused on ending the tyranny of the 1%. On Saturday we marched in solidarity against corrupt banking systems, against war, and against foreclosure. We discussed how to break up the "too big to fail" financial companies and end excessive wall street executive bonuses, we were arrested while trying to remove our money from the grasp of these dangerous institutions, we occupied the boardrooms of the 1% so they wouldn't feel so sad and alone, we occupied foreclosure court rooms where they use a broken system to legally steal the homes of the 99%, rallied in front of military recruitment centers demanding an end to US wars, and tens of thousands of us marched into the times square, the neon heart of consumerism, demanding economic justice.

Occupy Wall Street is a people-powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan's Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. #OWS is fighting back against the corrosive power major banks and unaccountable multinational corporations wield against democracy, and the role of Wall Street in creating the economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in nearly a century. The movement is inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt and around the world, and aims to expose how the richest 1% of people are writing the rules of a dangerous neoliberal economic agenda that is stealing our future.

Kira - Good Neighbor Policy

179 Comments

70% of #OWS Supporters are Politically Independent

Posted Oct. 19, 2011, 2:11 p.m. EST by 

Two weeks ago we conducted an anonymous poll on this website to learn more about our visitors. We asked Héctor R. Cordero-Guzmán Ph.D, sociologist of the City University of New York to look at the data, which he analyzed to create an original academic paper titled "Mainstream Support for a Mainstream Movement".

His analysis shows that the Occupy Wall Street movement is heavily supported by a diverse group of individuals and that "the 99% movement comes from and looks like the 99%." Among the most telling of his findings is that 70.3% of respondents identified aspolitically independent.

Dr. Cordero-Guzmán's findings strongly reinforce what we've known all along: Occupy Wall Street is a post-political movement representing something far greater than failed party politics. We are a movement of people empowerment, a collective realization that we ourselves have the power to create change from the bottom-up, because we don't need Wall Street and we don't need politicians.

Since our humble beginning a few short weeks ago, we've helped inspire people around the world to organize democratic assemblies in their own communities to take back public spaces, meet basic needs, make their own demands, and begin building a better worldtoday.

Below is Dr. Cordero-Guzmán's executive summary of his findings along with a link to his full academic paper.


The Occupy Wall Street movement has galvanized the attention of the world by organizing the largest demonstrations in this country as a response to the Great Recession caused by our financial and political leaders. Data from a survey of 1,619 respondents from a survey placed on occupywallst.org suggests that there is a huge undercurrent of mainstream dissatisfaction with traditional political party affiliations as well a huge amount of support for radical change in the United States of America.

  • 92.5% of respondents either somewhat or strongly supported the protests with most respondents indicating strong support.

  • 1/4th of the sample (or 24.2%) participated in the Occupy Wall Street protests as of October 5, 2011.

  • 91.8% of the sample thinks that the Occupy Wall Street Protests will continue to grow.

In terms of demographic characteristics of the sample, we found that,

  • 64.2% of respondents were younger than 34 years of age.

  • While the sample is relatively young, one in three respondents is older than 35 and one in five respondents is 45 and older.

  • 7.9% of respondents have a high school degree or less.

  • 92.1% of the sample has some college, a college degree, or a graduate degree.

  • 27.4% have some college (but no degree), 35% have a college degree, 8.2% have some graduate school (but no degree), and close to 21.5% have a graduate school degree.

  • This is a highly educated sample.

  • 26.7% of respondents were enrolled in school and 73.3% were not enrolled in school.

  • 50.4% were employed full-time and an additional 20.4% were employed part-time.

  • 13.1% of the sample are unemployed.

  • 2.6% of respondents were retired, 1.3% disabled, 2.6% homemakers and 9.7% are full-time students.

  • 47.5% of the sample earns less than $24,999 dollars a year and another quarter (24%) earn between $25,000 and $49,999 per year.

  • 71.5% of the sample earns less than $50,000 per year.

  • 15.4% of the sample earned between $50,000 and $74,999.

  • The remainder 13% of the sample earn over $75,000 with close to 2% earning over $150,000 per year.

  • 27.3% of respondents considered themselves Democrats, another 2.4% said they were Republican.

  • Interestingly, a very large proportion of the sample, close to 70.3%, considered themselves Independents.

  • 66.4% in the sample agree somewhat or strongly that they regularly use Facebook.

  • 28.9% in the sample agree somewhat or strongly that they regularly use Twitter.

  • 73.9% in the sample agree somewhat or strongly that they regularly use YouTube.

  • Our data suggest that the 99% movement comes from and looks like the 99%.

Héctor R. Cordero-Guzmán, Ph.D.

Full Paper: Mainstream Support for a Mainstream Movement (PDF)

172 Comments

Occupy Wall Street Marks One Month

Posted Oct. 17, 2011, 8:20 a.m. EST by 

Occupations Spread to Over 100 US Cities

Movement For Economic Justice Gains Global Momentum

Liberty Square, New York, NY — One month ago today about 2,000 people rallied in Lower Manhattan and marched up Broadway. Stopping at Zuccotti Park an estimated 150 stayed the night and began an encampment. Renaming the space "Liberty Square," we kicked off a protest against bank bailouts, corporate greed, and the unchecked power of Wall Street in Washington. In the last month, the message of "We are the 99%" has won the hearts and minds of over half of Americans (according to a recent Time survey) and is gaining ground globally, with 1500 protests in 82 countries this past Saturday (October 15).

"I am here to celebrate the 30th day of this protest against corporate power," said Karanja Gacuca from Liberty Square, a former Wall Street analyst who now organizes with Occupy Wall Street. "Concerned about the egregious Wall Street bonuses — particularly after the industry accepted a tax-payer bailout and the middle class continues to be squeezed — I believe it's time for a fairer system that provides health care, education, and opportunity for all, and rejects corporate influence over government."

Inspired by the uprisings across the Arab world, and fueled by the feelings of anger and helplessness of everyday Americans, in the past month Occupy Wall Street has:

  • Gone Global: On October 15th, protests were held from North and South America to Asia, Africa and Europe, with over 1,500 events in 82 countries, as part of a global day of action.

  • Flourished with Diversity: Occupiers of different ages, races, walks of life, and political beliefs have joined the movement. The mix grew quickly to include students, elderly people, families with children, construction workers on their lunch breaks, unemployed Wall Street executives, Iraq & Afghanistan veterans, moms, and many others.

  • Gained Support in the Heartland: Occupy actions are happening all across middle America, from Kethcum, ID to Kalamazoo, MI, from Orlando to Anchorage. Every day financial contributions arrive along with clothes, food, and notes of support from all across the country. A couple from West Virginia who have been sending supplies to Liberty Square occupiers writes: "We are so grateful for all of you involved in this defense of America. We firmly believe this is 'it.' If we can't grab this democracy this time, we'll sink and it will be a long time before we will have this opportunity again. Thank you for taking time from your busy life to be there."

  • Changed the Conversation: The people-powered force of shared anger at a broken system that profits the top 1% at the expense of the rest of us has shifted our national dialogue. The Occupy Wall Street protest has become a cultural phenomenon, mentioned everywhere from jokes on Saturday Night Live to the solemn dedication the national memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by President Obama Sunday. We, the occupiers, have shown our country how to come together and respect differences while working together to build a movement for change.

What a month, and we are only getting started!

Occupy Wall Street is a people-powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan's Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. #OWS is fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations. The movement is inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, and aims to expose how the richest 1% of people are writing the rules of an unfair global economy that is foreclosing on our future.


763 Comments

From Tahrir Square to Times Square: Protests Erupt in Over 1,500 Cities Worldwide

Posted Oct. 16, 2011, 1:08 a.m. EST by 

Tens of Thousands in Streets of Times Square, NY

Tens of Thousands Flood the Streets of Global Financial Centers, Capitol Cities and Small Towns to "Occupy Together" Against Wall Street Mid-Town Manhattan Jammed as Marches Converge in Times Square

New York, NY -- After triumphing in a standoff with the city over the continued protest of Wall Street at Liberty Square in Manhattan's financial district, the Occupy Wall Street movement has spread world wide today with demonstrations in over 1,500 cities globally and over 100 US cities from coast to coast. In New York, thousands marched in various protests by trade unions, students, environmentalists, and community groups. As occupiers flocked to Washington Square Park, two dozen participants were arrested at a nearby Citibank while attempting to withdraw their accounts from the global banking giant.

"I am occupying Wall Street because it is my future, my generations' future, that is at stake," said Linnea Palmer Paton, 23, a student at New York University. "Inspired by the peaceful occupation of Tahrir Square in Cairo, tonight we are are coming together in Times Square to show the world that the power of the people is an unstoppable force of global change. Today, we are fighting back against the dictators of our country - the Wall Street banks - and we are winning."

New Yorkers congregated in assemblies organized by borough, and then flooded the subway system en mass to join the movement in Manhattan. A group calling itself Todo Boricua Para Wall Street marched as a Puerto Rican contingent of several hundred playing traditional music and waving the Lares flag, a symbol of resistance to colonial Spain. "Puerto Ricans are the 99% and we will continue to join our brothers and sisters in occupying Wall Street," said David Galarza Santa, a trade unionist from Sunset Park, Brooklyn. "We are here to stand with all Latinos, who are being scapegoated by the 1%, while it is the bankers who have caused this crisis and the banks who are breaking the law."

While the spotlight is on New York, "occupy" actions are also happening all across the Midwestern and the Southern United States, from Ashland, Kentucky to Dallas, Texas to Ketchum, Idaho. Four hundred Iowans marched in Des Moines, Iowa Saturday as part of the day of action:

"People are suffering here in Iowa. Family farmers are struggling, students face mounting debt and fewer good jobs, and household incomes are plummeting," said Judy Lonning a 69-year-old retired public school teacher. "We're not willing to keep suffering for Wall Street's sins. People here are waking up and realizing that we can't just go to the ballot box. We're building a movement to make our leaders listen."

Protests filled streets of financial districts from Berlin, to Athens, Auckland to Mumbai, Tokyo to Seoul. In the UK over 3,000 people attempted to occupy the London Stock Exchange. "The financial system benefits a handful of banks at the expense of everyday people," said Spyro Van Leemnen, a 27-year old public relations agent in London and a core member of the demonstrators. "The same people who are responsible for the recession are getting away with massive bonuses. This is fundamentally unfair and undemocratic."

In South Africa, about 80 people gathered at the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, Talk Radio 702 reported. Protests continued despite police efforts to declare the gathering illegal. In Taiwan, organizers drew several hundred demonstrators, who mostly sat quietly outside the Taipei World Financial Center, known as Taipei 101.

600 people have begun an occupation of Confederation Park in Ottawa, Canada today to join the global day of action. "I am here today to stand with Indigenous Peoples around the world who are resisting this corrupt global banking system that puts profits before human rights," said Ben Powless, Mohawk citizen and indigenous youth leader. "Native Peoples are the 99%, and we've been resisting the 1% since 1492. We're marching today for self- determination and dignity against a system that has robbed our lands, poisoned our waters, and oppressed our people for generations. Today we join with those in New York and around the world to say, No More!"

In Australia, about 800 people gathered in Sydney's central business district, carrying cardboard banners and chanting "Human need, not corporate greed." Protesters will camp indefinitely "to organize, discuss and build a movement for a different world, not run by the super-rich 1%," according to a statement on the Occupy Sydney website.

The movement's success is due in part to the use of online technologies and international social networking. The rapid spread of the protests is a grassroots response to the overwhelming inequalities perpetuated by the global financial system and transnational banks. More actions are expected in the coming weeks, and the Occupation of Liberty Square in Manhattan will continue indefinitely.

Occupy Wall Street is a people powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan's Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. #OWS is fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations.The movement is inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Spain, Greece, Italy and the UK, and aims to expose how the richest 1% of people who are writing the rules of the global economy are imposing an agenda of neoliberalism and economic inequality that is foreclosing our future.

650 Comments

October 15th - Global Day Of Action

Posted Oct. 15, 2011, 6:12 p.m. EST by 

NYC Live Updates

  • 12:40 a.m. Police are barricading Washington Square Park from the public. Property not people.

  • 12:12 a.m. Police are advancing on bystanders standing outside the South side of Washington Square Park.

  • 12:09 a.m. Police have sealed the North and South side of Washington Square Park.

  • 11:54 p.m. Police in riot gear are advancing on peaceful occupiers in Washington Square Park.

  • 11:34 p.m. Police are massing at Washington Square Park. Police are moving on #occupychicago

  • 9:48 p.m. 3,000 at Washington Square now, about to have a General Assembly, 70 arrests total for today.

  • 9:02 p.m. 42 arrests on 47th.

  • 8:50 p.m. 700 reported in Washington Square Park. Music and food there.

  • 8:30 p.m. Scanner says riot cops in full gear, nets out, headed to the crowd, 47th and 6th.

  • 8:11 p.m. White shirt just ordered #NYPD line AWAY from barricades. Crowd ROARS

  • 8:08 p.m. Tension escalating, police ordering protesters to step away from barricades.

  • 8:02 p.m. Mario: 4 paddy wagons and arrests at 46 and 6th ave.

  • 8:00 p.m. Police are arresting occupiers at 46th and 6th.

  • 7:30 p.m. Unconfirmed estimates ranging as high as 50,000 people in Times Square.

  • 6:45 p.m. Police have trapped people in times square with barricades.

  • 6:35 p.m. A horse just went down. Crowd is going wild. NYPD says anyone near barricade is going to jail. This is is inexcusable. (Source)

  • 6:22 p.m. Police on horseback arrive. Police pulling people out of crowd and attacking them. Protesters are rushing barricades.

  • 6:10 p.m. Police in riot gear retreat.

  • 6:05 p.m. Police are in riot gear.

  • 6:00 p.m. Backup has arrived. Estimated 15,000 in Times Square

  • 5:49 p.m. Orange nets along Broadway.

  • 5:45 p.m. Five thousand more on their way from Liberty Square and other locations.

  • 5:30 p.m. Thousands arrive in Time Square. Now livestreaming:http://www.livestream.com/occupywallstnyc

  • 5:13 p.m. March now 7 blocks from Times Square.

  • 4:18 p.m. March from Washington Square Park is at 20th St and 6th Ave.

  • 3:40 p.m. March from Washington Square Park is at 11th St and 6th Ave. At least five thousand strong.

  • 3:36 p.m. It appears that Twitter is censoring our updates.

  • 3:26 p.m. General Assembly of Washington Square Park marches on Times Square. 8th st and 6th ave.

  • 3:19 p.m. Zombie group arriving in Washington Square Park. Hundreds march from Liberty Square to Citibank at 555 La Guardia Place in solidarity with arrested occupiers.

  • 2:43 p.m. Around four thousand in Washington Square Park. Around three thousand in Liberty Square.

  • 2:28 p.m. Police at 555 La Guardia Place are arresting occupiers in Citibank who are attempting to close their accounts.

  • 2:23 p.m. At least 22 arrested in Citibank.

  • 2:19 p.m. Citibank action 555 La Guardia Place. Occupiers are inside and currently being arrested.

  • 1:57 p.m. March from Liberty Square reaches Washington Square Park. Thousands in the General Assembly meet them chanting, "Wall Street, no thanks - we don't need your greedy banks."

  • 1:49 p.m. March from Liberty Square passes Waverly Place, nears Washington Square Park.

  • 1:29 p.m.. Two thousand are gathered for General Assembly in Washington Square Park. Thousands more are marching to meet them.

  • 1:23 p.m. At least twenty NYPD vehicles heading to Washington Square Park.

  • 1:16 p.m. March from Liberty Square to Washington Square Park passes 6th and Broome.

  • 1:05 p.m. Poetry cipher broke out during the Bronx General Assembly on the 4 train.

  • 12:54 p.m. Bronx Police hold entrance to subway open for Bronx General Assembly - march heads downtown for free, filling two entire cars.

  • 12:35 p.m. March from Liberty Square to Washington Square Park passes Church and Chambers - numbers more than a thousand.

Schedule

11AM - MARCH ON THE BANKS
From Liberty Square to Chase
We will then march to student meet up at Wash. Sq. Park
Facebook
moveyourmoneyproject.org

11AM - OCCUPY THE BRONX MEET-UP
Facebook

12PM - ANTI-WAR MARCH AND TEACH-IN
Wall Street And Broadway 
Facebook

12PM - MASS STUDENT GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Washington Square Park -
Student meet up and student loan lender bank action
Facebook

1PM - #SankofaDay
Sponsered by the Malcolm X Grass Roots Movement
Liberty Plaza/Zuccotti Park
Facebook

3:30PM - ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION AGAINST MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL
New York Public Library Main Entrance
42 and 5th avenue

4PM - OCCU-PIE TIMES SQUARE RECRUITMENT CENTER
Facebook

5PM - TAKE TIME SQUARE CONVERGENCE/ OCCUPATION PARTY
The Occupation Party & Facebook

Media

Washington Square Park, NYC

Times Square, NYC

Bronx, NYC

Madrid

Hong Kong

London

Rome

Berlin

Tel Aviv

Amsterdam

Los Angeles

150 Comments

The 1% Have Addresses. The 99% Have Messages

Posted Oct. 15, 2011, 11:43 a.m. EST by 

Life sure is tough for those at the top and it must get awfully lonely. Working day and night to ravage the global economy through neoliberal policy is a thankless job. The following website lists the names of many powerful financial executives and it's time we all sent them a warm thank you for the hard work they've been doing ;)

http://www.occupytheboardroom.org/

309 Comments

October 15th Call to Action

Posted Oct. 14, 2011, 11:08 p.m. EST by 

Over the last 30 years, the 1% have created a global economic system - neoliberalism - that attacks our human rights and destroys our environment. Neoliberalism is worldwide - it is the reason you no longer have a job, it is the reason you cannot afford healthcare, education, food, your mortgage.
Neoliberalism is your future stolen.

Neoliberalism is everywhere, gutting labor standards, living wages, social contracts, and environmental protections. It is "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money." It is a system that ravages the global south and creates global financial crisis - crisis in Spain, in Greece, in the United States. It is a system built on greed and thrives on destablizing shocks.
It allows the 1% to enrich themselves by impoverishing humanity.

This has to stop!
We must usher in an era of democratic and economic justice.
We must change, we must evolve.

On October 15th the world will rise up as one and say, "We have had enough! We are a new beginning, a global fight on on all fronts that will usher in an era of shared prosperity, respect, mutual aid, and dignity."

Actions in NYC

October 15th: Occupy Banks from Mary Matthews on Vimeo.

Actions worldwide

Take The Square

456 Comments

#OWS VICTORY: The people have prevailed, gear up for global day of action

Posted Oct. 14, 2011, 8:51 a.m. EST by 

People power triumphs over Wall Street's bid to end the protests mayor bloomberg and Brookfield Inc. back down on eviction world prepares for day of action Saturday October 15 in 950+ cities in 82 countries. We Are Winning!

NEW YORK, NY – Over 3,000 people gathered at Liberty Plaza in the pre-dawn hours this morning to defend the peaceful Occupation near Wall Street. The crowd cheered at the news that multinational real estate firm Brookfield Properties will postpone its so-called "cleanup" of the park and that Mayor Bloomberg has told the NYPD to stand down on orders to remove protesters. On the eve of the October 15 global day of action against Wall Street greed, this development has emboldened the movement and sent a clear message that the power of the people has prevailed against Wall Street.

"We are winning and Wall Street is afraid," said Kira Moyer-Sims, a protester from Portland, Oregon. "This movement is gaining momentum and is too big to fail."

"Brookfield Properties is the 1%. They have invested $24 billion in mortgage-backed securities, so as millions face foreclosure and eviction due to predatory lending and the burst of the housing bubble that Wall Street created, its not surprising they threatened to evict Occupy Wall Street," said Patrick Bruner, an organizer with Occupy Wall Street from the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn. "But Brookfield and Bloomberg have backed down and our movement is only growing as the 99% take to the streets world wide to call for economic justice."

The early morning announcement from the Mayor's office in New York came after 300,000+ Americans signed petitions to stop the eviction, and flooded the 311 phone network in solidarity with those in Liberty Square. At 6 AM this morning, 3,000+ New Yorkers, unions, students, and others joined the occupiers in the square to send a clear message to the 1% who want to silence this peaceful assembly of the 99%. Donations poured into the protesters from Italy, England, Mexico and many other countries by everyday people hoping to help the movement grow.

"For too long the 99% have been ignored as our economic system has collapsed. The banks got bailouts and we've been sold out, " said Harrison Schultz, business analyst from Brooklyn . "Wall Street's greed has corrupted our country and is killing our planet. But today we celebrate victory and vow to keep fighting for justice and change on Wall Street, and in over 100 cities in the US and over 950 cities globally."

On October 15th, Occupy Wall Street will demonstrate in concert over 951 cities in 82 countries and counting as people around the globe protest in an international day of solidarity against the greed and corruption of the 1%.

Occupy Wall Street is a people powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan's Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. #OWS is fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations on the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that caused the greatest recession in generations. The movement is inspired by uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Spain, Greece, Italy and the UK, and aims to expose how the richest 1% of people who are writing the rules of the global economy and are imposing an agenda of neoliberalism and economic inequality.

762 Comments

Parents bring Children to #ows tonight

Posted Oct. 14, 2011, 6:29 a.m. EST by 

Families are joining the movement to reclaim our future from Wall Street tonight by joining a child-friendly camp out at Liberty Square. The presence of children and youth in the occupation highlights the threat Wall Street's greed poses to future generations. Parents are bringing their sons and daughters to Occupy Wall Street to educate them about our broken economic system, and alternatives that could help save the planet and provide a future for the next generation.

Family Sleep Over @ Occupy Wall Street Press Conference When: Friday, Oct. 14, 8 p.m. Where: 60 Wall Street (public atrium)

Who should come? Families who are ready to join the 99% conversation Bloomberg's plans to remove protestors against their will from Zuccotti Park/Liberty Plaza for cleaning, have forced Parents for Occupy Wall Street to cancel our Friday night Family Sleep Out, but we will not be silenced.

We invite parents to come to 60 Wall Street, Friday night at 8 p.m. with their children to share the message that families are a central part of the Occupy Wall Street conversation. We welcome you to join the assembly, and bring your issues to light. There is nothing less attractive to the Bloomberg administration and other pols than to see parents and their children so invested in Occupy Wall Street that they would spend the night in a public park with their children.

The presence of parents and children at Occupy Wall Street is a direct challenge to the misconception that this is a movement that only represents the young, the radical and the broke. It does, in fact, represent all of those parties – but it's also made up of families and children who are ready to join the conversation with a list of issues, including home foreclosures, slashed public school budgets, lack of jobs, insufficient health care insurance and more. Show your kids – and our city – what democracry REALLY looks like. What is the 99% School?

The 99% School is here to represent the children and families whose voices are too often disregarded. We will contribute to sustained efforts at Occupy Wall Street with weekly teach-ins for children about the issues facing the 99%. We also seek to build alliances with other families groups supporting Occupy Wall Street. We will not be moved, and our children will be heard!

http://www.parentsforoccupywallst.com/

168 Comments

EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION: Keep Bloomberg and Kelly From Evicting #OWS

Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:14 p.m. EST by 

EMERGENCY #OWS EVICTION DEFENSE:
Prevent the forcible closure of Occupy Wall Street

Tell Bloomberg: Don't Foreclose the Occupation.

NEED MASS TURN-OUT, SHOW UP NO LATER THAN 6 A.M.

This is an emergency situation. Please take a minute to read this, and please take action and spread the word far and wide.

Occupy Wall Street is gaining momentum, with occupation actions now happening in cities across the world.

But last night Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD notified Occupy Wall Street participants about plans to "clean the park"—the site of the Wall Street protests—tomorrow starting at 7am. "Cleaning" was used as a pretext to shut down "Bloombergville" a few months back, and to shut down peaceful occupations elsewhere.

Bloomberg says that the park will be open for public usage following the cleaning, but with a notable caveat: Occupy Wall Street participants must follow the "rules".

NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has said that they will move in to clear us and we will not be allowed to take sleeping bags, tarps, personal items or gear back into the park.

This is it—this is their attempt to shut down #OWS for good.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION

1) Call 311 (or +1 (212) NEW-YORK if you're out of town) and tell Bloomberg to support our right to assemble and to not interfere with #OWS.

2) Come to #OWS TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT to defend the occupation from eviction.

For those of you who plan to help us hold our ground—which we hope will be all of you—make sure you understand the possible consequences. Be prepared to not get much sleep. Be prepared for possible arrest. Make sure your items are together and ready to go (or already out of the park.) We are pursuing all possible strategies; this is a message of solidarity.

Click here to learn nonviolent tactics for holding ground.


Occupy Wall Street is committed to keeping the park clean and safe—we even have a Sanitation Working Group whose purpose this is. We are organizing major cleaning operations today and will do so regularly.

If Bloomberg truly cares about sanitation here he should support the installation of portopans and dumpsters. #OWS allies have been working to secure these things to support our efforts.

We know where the real dirt is: on Wall Street. Billionaire Bloomberg is beholden to bankers.

We won't allow Bloomberg and the NYPD to foreclose our occupation. This is an occupation, not a permitted picnic.

1253 Comments

How To Hold Your Ground

Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:12 p.m. EST by 

Delia Smith's Basic Blockading

Starting at midnight through tomorrow morning, we will hold our ground against police aggression and assert the right of the people to peaceful assembly. The following are links to resources on using nonviolent tactics to defend Liberty Plaza.

Basic Strategy: Sit down, link arms and do not let go! If the police drag you away, you can comply or go limp (both calmly and silently) which is arguably not resisting arrest. Please also respect a diversity of tactics.

For those of you who plan to stick around PAST MIDNIGHT—which we hope will be all of you—make sure you understand the possible consequences. Be prepared to not get much sleep. Be prepared for possible arrest. Make sure your items are together and ready to go (or already out of the park.) We are pursuing all possible strategies; this is a message of solidarity.

202 Comments

GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY

Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:10 p.m. EST by 

Following respectful and good-faith dialogue with members of the local community which has been rebuilding since the trauma of 9/11, Occupy Wall Street hereby announces the following Good Neighbor Policy:

OWS has zero tolerance for drugs or alcohol anywhere in Liberty Plaza;

Zero tolerance for violence or verbal abuse towards anyone;

Zero tolerance for abuse of personal or public property.

OWS will limit drumming on the site to 2 hours per day, between the hours of 11am and 5pm only.

OWS encourages all participants to respect health and sanitary regulations, and will direct all participants to respectfully utilize appropriate off-site sanitary facilities.

OWS will display signage and have community relations and security monitors in Liberty Plaza, in order to ensure awareness of and respect for our guidelines and Good Neighbor Policy.

OWS will at all times have a community relations representative on-site, to monitor and respond to community concerns and complaints.

Occupy Wall Street October 13, 2011

Note: In conjunction with local community members and their representatives, OWS is also working to establish off-site sanitary facilities such as port-a-potties.

111 Comments

Mr. Auctioneer! New Yorkers Call for Moratorium on Foreclosures. Organizing for Occupation and Occupy Wall Street visit the courts!

Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:13 a.m. EST by anonymous

New Yorkers will gather outside the Kings County Supreme Court on Thursday, October 13 at 3 pm to raise awareness of the foreclosure auctions that take place there each week.

Every week in New York City, in all five boroughs, homes are put up for auction and sale. Speculators purchase homes at discounted rates and flip them. Banks buy back homes to balance their books, evicting the homeowners and letting the homes lie vacant.

Wall Street is the cause of this systematic displacement of New Yorkers. Wall Street bankers turned mortgages into "securitized instruments" and sold them for profit. Their greed demanded the creation of more and more mortgage-backed securities. Without blinking, they used predatory loans to lure homeowners into mortgages with impossible—and unseen—interest rates.

Occupy Wall Street and Organizing for Occupation (the group that led the eviction blockade at Mary Lee Ward's Bed-Stuy home on August 19, 2011) have teamed up to raise awareness about the weekly auctions and to hold Wall Street accountable for the foreclosure crisis!

OCCUPY WALL STREET and ORGANIZING FOR OCCUPATION calls for an IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM ON ALL FORECLOSURES IN NEW YORK STATE until loans are made fair and sustainable!

Thursday, October 13, 2011, at 2:30 pm Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn Rally in Columbus Park (next to Borough Hall) 2/3 and 4/5 to Borough Hall, N/R to Court Street, A/C/F to Jay Street

Organizing for Occupation web site: http://www.o4onyc.org

218 Comments

October 15th Global Day Of Action

Posted Oct. 12, 2011, 3:57 p.m. EST by 

Hi, we write you from the International Commission of Sol, in Madrid (Spain). We know that you have a lot to do in the USA, as we have here in Spain, but the 15O is coming and we need you to make a milestone in history out of it. It's the great chance we expected to start a real global revolution! This is what we are doing, and could be wonderful if you join us:

Please spread the web page of the call http://15october.net/, the graphic materialhttp://15october.net/spread-it/ and the videos http://15october.net/category/video/. And please send us your videos, banners, posters to contact.takethesquare@gmail.com so that we can compile them and put them in common. Send all of this through your mailing lists, to all your contacts, but also to all your friends.

Explain to everybody that this is not just one mobilization. It's more of "we are reinventing ourselves". Tell the occupiers how the movement is popping all over the world that extend from the streets of the Middle East to Wall Street. Also tell the occupiers that over 650 cities have already confirmed they will do an event on October 15th . You can check inhttp://map.15october.net/ and if a city plans to do an event invite; tell them to add it to the map. http://map.15october.net/reports/submit Explain to them that 15O is the moment to wake up all of us together and especially tell them that it is in their hands to make it a success. It's not any more about parties, organizations or unions. The call should come from all of the organizations and from the people of the world like you. There is a text that could be very useful to send this last message: "who are you?"http://map.15october.net/page/index/1

It would be great to tell your friends abroad to spread it through their countries. We need one revolution in each single city of the world.

For a further explanation about the mobilization and a more specific plan there is a document written by the international network takethesquare.http://takethesquare.net/2011/09/24/15th-october-whats-the-plan-15oct/

In order to promote and discuss the activities for October 15th, everyone is encouraged to participate and to organize local meetings to plan the details and discuss the preparation of the events for the 15th. There will also be a chat http://webchat.freenode.net/?randomnick=1&channels=15october&prompt=1 , an audio-chat (mumble: Download inhttp://mumble.sourceforge.net/ Host:tomalaplaza.net Port:64738, see the tutorial inhttp://takethesquare.net/2011/10/04/mumble-setup-walkthrough/) and a collaborative document pad http://titanpad.com/15october open to everybody, so during the 48 hours people from all the world will be able of talking about the ideas and activities decided in their squares with every other occupation in the world! All the channels will be open for everybody...just participate!

165 Comments

#OWS Stands In Solidarity With 100 Arrested At Occupy Boston

Posted Oct. 11, 2011, 11:52 a.m. EST by 

Occupy Wall Street would like to express our support and solidarity with both the people of Boston and the 100+ arrested at Occupy Boston last night. We commend them for their bravery in standing their ground at great personal cost to assert the right of the people to peaceful assembly in public spaces.

http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/

We condemn the Boston Police Department for their brutality in ordering their officers to descend upon the Occupy Boston tent city in full riot gear to assault, mass arrest, and destroy the possessions of these peaceful women and men. We condemn them for ordering this attack in the middle of the night. These people were not simply protesters holding a rally, it was their home, it was their community and it was violated in the worst possible way by the brutal actions of the BPD. Furthermore:

The Boston Police Department made no distinction between protesters, medics, or legal observers, arresting legal observer Urszula Masny-Latos, who serves as the Executive Director for the National Lawyers Guild, as well as four medics attempting to care for the injured. [emphasis mine]

These actions go beyond unconscionable, they're unthinkable. If this was war, the BPD could be found guilty of war crimes:

Chapter IV, Article 25 of the Geneva Convention states that "Members of the armed forces specially trained for employment, should the need arise, as hospital orderlies, nurses or auxiliary stretcher-bearers, in the search for or the collection, transport or treatment of the wounded and sick shall likewise be respected and protected if they are carrying out these duties at the time when they come into contact with the enemy or fall into his hands.

Every day the actions of the BPD, NYPD, etc. continue to remind us that the police no longer fight to "protect and serve" the American people, but rather the wealth and power of the 1%. With each passing day, as the violence of the state continues to escalate, the myth of American "democracy" becomes further shattered.

THIS IS WHAT A POLICE STATE LOOKS LIKE

And we are what democracy looks like. We do not fear your power and we will continue to fight for a better world. We will never stop growing and each day we'll continue to expand, block by block and city by city. We call upon others to join us, to take a stand against these ever encroaching threats to our liberty. We commend the brave actions of our sisters and brothers in Boston and condemn the BPD leadership. We call upon the rank-and-file police officers of this country to disobey such orders and remember that they protect and servethe people. You are one of us, the 99% and we're too big to fail.

1027 Comments

Sign Language

Posted Oct. 9, 2011, 10:38 p.m. EST by 

710 Comments

Today Liberty Plaza had a visit from Slavoj Zizek

Posted Oct. 9, 2011, 6:04 p.m. EST by 

 

Transcripts

Part One

…2008 financial crash more hard earned private property was destroyed than if all of us here were to be destroying it night and day for weeks. They tell you we are dreamers. The true dreamers are those who think things can go on indefinitely the way they are. We are not dreamers. We are awakening from a dream which is tuning into a nightmare. We are not destroying anything. We are only witnessing how the system is destroying itself. We all know the classic scenes from cartoons. The cart reaches a precipice. But it goes on walking. Ignoring the fact that there is nothing beneath. Only when it looks down and notices it, it falls down. This is what we are doing here. We are telling the guys there on Wall Street – Hey, look down! (cheering).

In April 2011, the Chinese government prohibited on TV and films and in novels all stories that contain alternate reality or time travel. This is a good sign for China. It means that people still dream about alternatives, so you have to prohibit this dream. Here we don't think of prohibition. Because the ruling system has even suppressed our capacity to dream. Look at the movies that we see all the time. It's easy to imagine the end of the world. An asteroid destroying all life and so on. But you cannot imagine the end of capitalism. So what are we doing here? Let me tell you a wonderful old joke from communist times.

A guy was sent from East Germany to work in Siberia. He knew his mail would be read by censors. So he told his friends: Let's establish a code. If the letter you get from me is written in blue ink ,it is true what I said. If it is written in red ink, it is false. After a month his friends get a first letter. Everything is in blue. It says, this letter: everything is wonderful here. Stores are full of good food. Movie theaters show good films from the West. Apartments are large and luxurious. The only thing you cannot buy is red ink.

This is how we live. We have all the freedoms we want. But what we are missing is red ink. The language to articulate our non-freedom. The way we are taught to speak about freedom war and terrorism and so on falsifies freedom. And this is what you are doing here: You are giving all of us red ink.

There is a danger. Don't fall in love with yourselves. We have a nice time here. But remember: carnivals come cheap. What matters is the day after. When we will have to return to normal life. Will there be any changes then. I don't want you to remember these days, you know, like - oh, we were young, it was beautiful. Remember that our basic message is: We are allowed to think about alternatives. The rule is broken. We do not live in the best possible world. But there is a long road ahead. There are truly difficult questions that confront us. We know what we do not want. But what do we want? What social organization can replace capitalism? What type of new leaders do we want?

Remember: the problem is not corruption or greed. The problem is the system that pushes you to give up. Beware not only of the enemies. But also of false friends who are already working to dilute this process. In the same way you get coffee without caffeine, beer without alcohol, ice cream without fat. They will try to make this into a harmless moral protest. They think (??? unintelligible). But the reason we are here is that we have enough of the world where to recycle coke cans…

Part Two

….Starbucks cappuccino. Where 1% goes to the world's starving children. It is enough to make us feel good. After outsourcing work and torture. After the marriage agencies are now outsourcing even our love life, daily.

Mic check

We can see that for a long time we allowed our political engagement also to be outsourced. We want it back. We are not communists. If communism means the system which collapsed in 1990, remember that today those communists are the most efficient ruthless capitalists. In China today we have capitalism which is even more dynamic than your American capitalism but doesn't need democracy. Which means when you criticize capitalism, don't allow yourselves to be blackmailed that you are against democracy. The marriage between democracy and capitalism is over.

The change is possible. So, what do we consider today possible? Just follow the media. On the one hand in technology and sexuality everything seems to be possible. You can travel to the moon. You can become immortal by biogenetics. You can have sex with animals or whatever. But look at the fields of society and economy. There almost everything is considered impossible. You want to raise taxes a little bit for the rich, they tell you it's impossible, we lose competitivitiy. You want more money for healthcare: they tell you impossible, this means a totalitarian state. There is something wrong in the world where you are promised to be immortal but cannot spend a little bit more for health care. Maybe that ??? set our priorities straight here. We don't want higher standards of living. We want better standards of living. The only sense in which we are communists is that we care for the commons. The commons of nature. The commons of what is privatized by intellectual property. The commons of biogenetics. For this and only for this we should fight.

Communism failed absolutely. But the problems of the commons are here. They are telling you we are not Americans here. But the conservative fundamentalists who claim they are really American have to be reminded of something. What is Christianity? It's the Holy Spirit. What's the Holy Spirit? It's an egalitarian community of believers who are linked by love for each other. And who only have their own freedom and responsibility to do it. In this sense the Holy Spirit is here now. And down there on Wall Street there are pagans who are worshipping blasphemous idols. So all we need is patience. The only thing I'm afraid of is that we will someday just go home and then we will meet once a year, drinking beer, and nostalgically remembering what a nice time we had here. Promise ourselves that this will not be the case.

We know that people often desire something but do not really want it. Don't be afraid to really want what you desire. Thank you very much!

Last Note

This is only a part of the entire speech he gave today, and if it was recorded in its entirety we'd be very glad to have a copy for transcription purposes.

(Thank you to everyone who offered transcripts, we had multiple offers)

376 Comments

#ows Second General Assembly Of Manhattan Meets At 3PM In Washington Square Park - Anti-Flag To Play Set In Solidarity at Liberty Square

Posted Oct. 8, 2011, 1:30 a.m. EST by 

#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.

636 Comments

AFT fully endorses Occupy Wall Street

Posted Oct. 6, 2011, 4:48 p.m. EST by 

The American Federation of Teachers Local 1839 fully endorses Occupy Wall Street.

In solidarity on behalf of our Local,

Ivan S. Steinberg, President AFT Local 1839

William Calathes, Executive Vice President AFT Local 1839

886 Comments

This Site Has Nothing To Do With Us

Posted Oct. 6, 2011, 11:48 a.m. EST by 

occupyparty.org

We are not a political institution.

571 Comments

#ows Takes Foley Square With Union Brothers And Sisters

Posted Oct. 6, 2011, 4:03 a.m. EST by 

The American Dream has been stolen from the world. Workers are told that they aren't allowed health care, shelter, food. Students are told that they aren't allowed jobs, and that they will be in debt for the rest of their lives, unable to declare bankruptcy. The 1% has destroyed this nation and its values through their greed. The 1% has stolen this world. We will not allow this to occur.

Supporters of #ows filled Foley Square past capacity and expressed their grievances with the economic and social injustice pervasive in our world. The 99% are growing louder and larger every day.

119 Comments

Right Here All Over

Posted Oct. 5, 2011, 10:29 p.m. EST by 

Police Use Pepper Spray And Batons On Protesters - At Least Twenty Arrested

Posted Oct. 5, 2011, 9:24 p.m. EST by 

Αλληλεγγύης

Posted Oct. 5, 2011, 5:14 p.m. EST by 

#OccupyWallStreet Union March From Foley Square on Wall Street

Posted Oct. 4, 2011, 8:36 p.m. EST by 

Occupation Blues

Posted Oct. 4, 2011, 3:19 p.m. EST by 

No Comment: Art Exhibit Inspired By Occupy Wall Street Oct 8th

Posted Oct. 4, 2011, 2:37 p.m. EST by 

Loft in the Red Zone present a pop-up art show, entitled "No Comment," inspired by the #OccupyWallStreet movement at Liberty Plaza.

The show concerns the current paradigm shift of human expression and the emerging social condition. The show will be held at the historic JP Morgan Building, at 23 Wall Street, across from the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall, Saturday, October 8th, 2011 from 6-9 pm. On Sunday, removable walls with graffiti art will be walked out of the front door of the gallery, at corner of Wall Street and Broad.

www.NoCommentArtShow.com

126 Comments

On Our Way To Brooklyn

Posted Oct. 3, 2011, 12:37 a.m. EST by 

CREDIT: Anjali Cadambi

CREDIT: Anjali Cadamb

CREDIT: Anjali Cadambi

CREDIT: Anjali Cadambi

CREDIT: Sofia Gallisa

242 Comments

Brooklyn Bridge Occupied

Posted Oct. 1, 2011, 4:56 p.m. EST by 

Police have kettled the march on the Brooklyn Bridge and have begun arresting protesters. At least 20 arrested so far.

Follow the action

UPDATE: 5:15PM - Brooklyn Bridge has been shut down by police

UPDATE: 5:55PM - At least 50 arrested.

UPDATE: 8:17PM - NYTimes reporting hundreds arrested - including a reporter - police appear to have deliberately misled protesters.

UPDATE: 8:40PM - Around 400 peaceful protesters arrested.

UPDATE 10/2 2:20AM - Over 700 protesters arrested.

Please call:

1st Precinct: +1 (212) 334-0611
77th Precinct: +1 (718) 735-0611

NYPD Switchboard: +1 (646) 610-5000
NYPD Central Booking: +1 (212) 374-3921
NYPD Internal Affairs: +1 (212) 741-8401
Mayor Bloomberg: +1 (212) NEW-YORK or +1 (212) 374-3921

50 Comments

"We are the 99%" Solidarity March with #OccupyWallStreet at 3 PM

Posted Oct. 1, 2011, 9:09 a.m. EST by 

Radiohead will NOT be playing

Posted Sept. 30, 2011, 4:30 p.m. EST by 

Take Back Boston!

Posted Sept. 30, 2011, 12:20 p.m. EST by 

Greetings from Occupied Wall Street,

Posted Sept. 30, 2011, 5:06 a.m. EST by 

Day 12

Posted Sept. 29, 2011, 10:26 p.m. EST by 

A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Eleven)

Posted Sept. 28, 2011, 9:53 a.m. EST by 

Cornel West, Philosopher and Activist, to Speak at Occupy Wall Street Tonight At Seven

Posted Sept. 27, 2011, 5:28 p.m. EST by 

A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Ten)

Posted Sept. 27, 2011, 2:31 p.m. EST by 

Immortal Technique

Posted Sept. 27, 2011, 4:20 a.m. EST by 

Noam Chomsky Announces Solidarity With #occupywallstreet

Posted Sept. 26, 2011, 6:57 p.m. EST by 

Officer Bologna

Posted Sept. 26, 2011, 3:53 p.m. EST by 

A Message from Occupied Wall Street (Day Nine)

Posted Sept. 26, 2011, 4:03 a.m. EST by 

Block By Block, City By City

Posted Sept. 25, 2011, 5:56 p.m. EST by 

March Guidelines

Posted Sept. 25, 2011, 12:23 p.m. EST by 

A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Eight)

Posted Sept. 25, 2011, 5:09 a.m. EST by 

At least four arrested, one for shooting photos UPDATE: at least eighty arrested, five maced | RETRACTION: no tear gas used

Posted Sept. 24, 2011, 8:11 p.m. EST by 

We have at least four arrests today during a community march, a fifth arrest is suspected but police will not confirm.

A legal observer attempting to contact an arrested member was not allowed to due to "an emergency situation," we are currently unsure of what this means. At least one arrest was due to a protester taking photographs. At least one protester's possessions have not been returned.

Please call the first precinct, central booking and the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information and urge them to release these peaceful protesters.

First precinct: +1 (212) 334-0611
Central booking: +1 (212) 374-3921
Deputy Commissioner of Public Information: +1 (646) 610-6700
NYPD Switchboard: 1-646-610-5000

UPDATE: We are now receiving reports that at least 80 protesters have been arrested. The National Lawyer's Guild puts the number at around one hundred. Liberty square is currently full with an ongoing discussion on how to respond to this unprecedented level of police aggression. Police are currently surrounding the square. There is nearly one police officer for every two protesters.

Earlier today we had reports of police kettling protesters with large orange net, using tasers, at least five protesters have been maced.

UPDATE: @pulseofprotest was posting live from a police van. It appears as though he has stopped.

UPDATE: Some pictures http://twitpic.com/6pzd48
http://twitpic.com/6pzcf6
http://twitpic.com/6pzbxi
http://twitpic.com/6pza9z

Video: http://www.twitvid.com/ZCB5U

UPDATE: About 50 protesters marched two by two silently on Police plaza. Police have barricaded protesters from reaching Police plaza.

RETRACTION: Reports of tear gas being fired into the crowd turned out to be false.

132 Comments

Call of Solidarity for Comrades Held in Van Outside 1st Precinct

Posted Sept. 24, 2011, 6:09 p.m. EST by 

This report just came in a half hour ago from the chair of the NYC IWW chapter:

Protesters arrested today (including the NYC IWW chair) are being locked inside a police van outside the:

1st Precinct Police Station
16 Ericsson Pl.
New York, NY 10013
+1 (212) 334-0611

They've been there for over an hour. One has a very bad concussion, possibly life threatening.

Right now the NYC IWW chair he is calling on us to send people NOW for help out and to demand medical care for our comrades.

If you can't make it in person then please call these numbers:

1st Precinct - (212) 334-0611 - 16 Ericsson Place
6th Precinct - (212) 741-4811 - 233 West 10 Street
NYPD Switchboard: 1-646-610-5000 Central booking: +1 (212) 374-3921
Deputy Commissioner of Public Information: +1 (646) 610-6700

77 Comments

A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Seven)

Posted Sept. 24, 2011, 12:02 p.m. EST by 

This is the seventh communiqué from the 99 percent. We are occupying Wall Street.

On September 23rd, 2011, it rained. We organized what shelter the police would allow us and thought. We thought about everything that is wrong with this country, with this world. We talked. We talked about everything that is wrong in this world. There has been no real conversation in this country and this world about wealth and the way it is misused. We are that conversation. Join us and make your voice heard. What is your one demand?

Our voice will no longer be ignored. There are too many things wrong with this world for our voices to be silenced. You know this. We know this. This is why we are here, why we grow every day.

Occupy your homes. You own your home, a callous bank that split ownership of your home into hundreds of parts, redistributing them across the world under false ratings does not own your home. Fifty times as much speculative trading as commercial trading goes on each day in America. You are in debt to people who make money by moving money from place to place using computers.

You have a right to shelter. No one can take that right from you.

Banks are able to restructure settlements constantly, they receive billions and billions of dollars so that they can stay afloat for long enough to steal your property from you. Do not let them. Do not leave your house. If the police come to steal your house and deliver it to the 1 percent film them and show the world and then join us. If we are not already occupying your city, your town, bring a sleeping bag, a pillow, and contact us. We will help you find food. We will help you sue for shelter. We will find each other. We will grow. We will build - city by city, block by block.

We stand in solidarity with homeowners across the country and the world whose homes are in the process of being stolen by faceless conglomerations motivated only by profit. We are the 99 percent. We will not let you steal our homes. We will not let you deprive us of a basic right, shelter, so that you can buy a home you do not use. We are here. We are growing. And we will not be moved.

We stand in solidarity with Madrid, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Madison, Toronto, London, Athens, Sydney, Stuttgart, Tokyo, Milan, Amsterdam, Algiers, Tel Aviv, Portland, Chicago and Palestine. Soon we will stand with Phoenix, Montreal, Cleveland, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Orlando and Miami. We're still here. We are growing. We intend to stay until we see movements toward real change in our country and the world.

93 Comments

Food fund will be used as a general fund

Posted Sept. 23, 2011, 8:03 p.m. EST by 

Occupy Wall Street is elated to announce that, through the efforts of our brothers and sisters in the upcoming October 6th occupation of DC (october2011.org), we have today acquired fiscal sponsorship through the Alliance for Global Justice, a registered 501C3 non-profit (afgj.org).

Over the past month and a half, occupywallst.org has been assisting with the collection of monetary donations for food purchases, spearheaded by the Food Committee. These funds have been collected through wepay.com and to this point have remained inaccessible due to bureaucratic difficulties. Through the generosity of The Alliance for Global Justice and October 2011 we have expedited the process for accessing the funds that we desperately need.

We, the Occupation are touched and eternally grateful for mass outpouring of prepared food donations that we receive daily. Despite our bureaucratic challenges, we have been able to feed our numbers comfortably with what we have on-site. Consequently, it was put forth by this afternoon's General Assembly, that what is currently the online Food Fund be re-purposed as the General Infrastructure Fund, by which working groups may request funding from the G.A. To oversee these funds and prevent any misappropriation the G.A. supported the formation of a Finance Committee with independent auditors.

It is the utmost importance to this occupation that we remain completely transparent and accountable for our actions, both on location and off-site. We would like to provide anyone who has donated to the Food Fund 36 hours to determine whether they would like to continue to support us, or whether they would prefer to withdraw their donations as is possible via wepay.com.

Now that these funds are being made accessible to us, we would like to clarify that we are still in desperate need of donations. Your support keeps the occupation going strong – it keeps us warm, it keeps us fed, it keeps us healthy. Any contributions are much appreciated and will be used soon! Please check in at www.occupywallst.org for a direct donation link via Alliance for Global Justice- COMING SOON!

Separately, we are weak, but together we are the 99 percent and together we are unstoppable.

We are now able to receive packages. The UPS store 118A #205 New York, New York 10038 RE: Occupy Wall Street. Money orders only please, cannot cash checks yet. Non-perishable goods only. We can accept packages of any size. We are currently low on food.

Lemon Grass Grill +1 (212) 809-8038
Toloache Taqueria +1 (212) 809-9800
Alfanoose +1 (212) 528-4669

87 Comments

At Sotheby's, Finally, the 99 Percent Were the Highest Bidder

Posted Sept. 23, 2011, 4:11 p.m. EST by 

A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Six)

Posted Sept. 23, 2011, 3:30 a.m. EST by 

At Least Six Arrested In Solidarity March For Troy Davis

Posted Sept. 22, 2011, 8:50 p.m. EST by 

Life at Liberty Plaza

Posted Sept. 22, 2011, 2:20 p.m. EST by 

A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Five)

Posted Sept. 22, 2011, 3:51 a.m. EST by 

Retractions

Posted Sept. 22, 2011, 1:45 a.m. EST by 

Four arrests on Wednesday

Posted Sept. 21, 2011, 1:42 p.m. EST by 

A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Four)

Posted Sept. 21, 2011, 11:08 a.m. EST by 

An Invitation for the Weekend

Posted Sept. 21, 2011, 10:27 a.m. EST by 

Taking a moment to invite people in Northern California

Posted Sept. 20, 2011, 8:44 p.m. EST by

Day 4: At least five arrested, one may be in critical condition

Posted Sept. 20, 2011, 1:01 p.m. EST by 

Third Communiqué: A Message From Occupied Wall Street

Posted Sept. 20, 2011, 8:50 a.m. EST by 

Second Communiqué: A Message From Occupied Wall Street

Posted Sept. 19, 2011, 8:50 p.m. EST by 

First Communiqué: We Occupy Wall Street

Posted Sept. 19, 2011, 8:48 p.m. EST by 

Monday

Posted Sept. 19, 2011, 4:09 a.m. EST by 

Day 2 coverage

Posted Sept. 19, 2011, 3:51 a.m. EST by 

A Modest Call to Action on this September 17th

Posted Sept. 17, 2011, 9:46 p.m. EST by 

LiveStream of Wall St. Occupation

Posted Sept. 17, 2011, 1:27 p.m. EST by 

Call (877) 881-3020 for Help & Directions

Posted Sept. 16, 2011, 1:30 p.m. EST by 

Schedule information for the New York FUN Exchange

Posted Sept. 16, 2011, 8:32 a.m. EST by 

Orientation Guide

Posted Sept. 15, 2011, 3:41 p.m. EST by 

Occupy Wall Street Flyer

Posted Sept. 15, 2011, 2:31 p.m. EST by 

Print and online media

Posted Sept. 14, 2011, 5:22 p.m. EST by 

Sign Up Sheet for Brothers and Sisters Who Need a Place To Rest

Posted Sept. 13, 2011, 10:41 p.m. EST by 

Lead up to occupation

Posted Sept. 13, 2011, 5:18 p.m. EST by 

#OCCUPYWALLSTREET will begin @12pm at Bowling Green Park, NYC

Posted Sept. 13, 2011, 9:53 a.m. EST by 

Where to Order Food to Help the Occupation

Posted Sept. 12, 2011, 11:27 p.m. EST by 

Several people have asked: if I can't make it to New York City for the occupation, but still want to help, what can I do?

One of many answers is to support those who are at the occupation on Wall Street by calling various delivery places in the area and having food sent to the site. Not only will you be providing food to hungry people, you will also be supporting local establishments as opposed to corporate chains. A list has been compiled of several pizzerias, health food places, and delis around the occupation area from which you can call and order food. The list can be found at here.

Finally, for those who ARE able to make it to the occupation, there will be food available that we will have bought through your generous donations. However, we'd also like to ask that people bring a little bit of food themselves, enough that can theoretically be shared with at least three people. Not only will it help us hold out for longer, it will go a long way in helping you get to know each other a little better as well.

37 Comments

Why?

Posted Sept. 12, 2011, 10:58 p.m. EST by 

Contemporary society is commodified society, where the economic transaction has become the dominant way of relating to the culture and artifacts of human civilization, over and above all other means of understanding, with any exceptions being considered merely a temporary holdout as the market swiftly works on ways to monetize those few things which stubbornly remain untouched. Perhaps the most pernicious aspect of this current setup is that it has long ago co-opted the very means of survival within itself, making our existence not an inherent right endowed to us by the simple fact of our humanity but a matter of how much we're all worth -- the mere act of being alive has a price tag. Some pay it easily. Others pay for it with their submission. Others still can't pay it at all. Regardless, though, like cars, TVs and barrels of oil, our lives are commodities to be bought and sold on the open market amid the culture of ruthlessness and desperation that has arisen to accommodate it. This is the natural consequence of a society built around entities whose purpose it is to always, always minimize costs and maximize profits. It is the philosophy of growth for the sake of growth, the same ideology that drives a cancer cell. An economy in a steady state is not healthy. It needs to expand, constantly, perpetually.

Of course, nothing can expand forever. The second law of thermodynamics tell us this much at least. But that doesn't mean the market won't try. It's not enough that a soft drink becomes the dominant soda, it must become the dominant beverage, period. It's not enough that people build some things out of a certain material, it must be the only thing anyone ever builds anything out of, ever. It's not enough to make pills for the ailments from which people already seek relief, pills must be made for problems that people didn't even know existed until a commercial told them to ask their doctors about it. We all know this course is not sustainable, but there will be great damage done before this point is reached.

The people coming to Wall Street on September 17 come for a variety of reasons, but what unites them all is the opposition to the principle that has come to dominate not only our economic lives but our entire lives: profit over and above all else. Those that do not embrace this principle: prepare to be out-competed. They will lose the race to the bottom and the vulture will swoop down to feast. It is indicative of a deep spiritual sickness that has gripped civilization, a sickness that drives the vast deprivation, oppression and despoliation that has come to cover the world.

The world does not have to be this way. A society of ruthlessness and isolation can be confronted and replaced with a society of cooperation and community. Cynics will tell us this world is not possible. That the forces arrayed against us have won and will always win and, perhaps, should always win. But they are not gods. They are human beings, just like us. They are a product of a society that rewards the behavior that has led us to where we are today. They can be confronted. What's more, they can be reached. They just need to see us. See beyond the price tags we carry.

And if they are gods? Then we shall be Prometheus. And we shall laugh as we are lashed to the stone to await the eagle.

36 Comments

US Day of Rage's Tactical Plan for Sept 17th

Posted Sept. 8, 2011, 9:41 p.m. EST by 

US Day of Rage, a group participating in the September 17th occupation of wall street, has just released a tactical plan and "HowTo" for holding a legal and nonviolent demonstration in New York City. Their plan clarifies many legal concerns that have been raised and offers a viable strategy for holding a prolonged occupation. This information can be found on their website:

NYC & Nationwide Official Occupation and Tactical Plan for #horizontal #mesh-protest #Sept17 #occupywallstreet #usdor

65 Comments

99 Percent Project Now Live!

Posted Sept. 8, 2011, 9:24 p.m. EST by 

Single mom, grad student, unemployed, and I paid more tax last year than GE.  I am the 99 percent.  Occupy Wall Street Sept. 17

We've just received our first five photo submissions for theWe Are the 99 Percent project. Thank you very much to everyone who submitted a photo and we hope to see more soon!

Click here to submit your own photo and/or story.

For more details on this project, see our original article.

10 Comments

Nine Arrested & Released Without Charge in Occupy Wall Street Test Run (Video)

Posted Sept. 8, 2011, 12:30 p.m. EST by 

Ten days until #OCCUPYWALLSTREET

Posted Sept. 7, 2011, 10:53 p.m. EST by 

September 3rd General Assembly at Tompkins Square Park

Posted Sept. 1, 2011, 10:13 p.m. EST by 

The 99 Percent Project

Posted Aug. 29, 2011, 5:01 p.m. EST by 

Organizers' Weather Report: Hurricane can't stop the organizing!

Posted Aug. 27, 2011, 10:17 p.m. EST by 

The hurricane approached and preparations were completed, activity of the residents of New York City began to dissipate. Traffic was slow and sparse and there was a lack of pedestrians, even for a rainy day in New York City. Downtown Manhattan had been entirely evacuated by 5 pm, the subway system closed at noon; even the parks closed due to hurricane conditions, forcing the postponement of the New York General Assembly scheduled at 5pm in Tompkins Square.

And yet, even as the residents' activities curtailed and slowed, the activity of the organizers increased in direct proportion to the shut down. Each one of us, sheltered in our individual apartments, focused our efforts and solidified our plans. Hurricane or not, the occupation of Wall Street will not be stopped.

From People who Plan to Occupy Wall Street! (aka PPOWS!)

33 Comments

Aug 27 General Assembly Cancelled

Posted Aug. 27, 2011, 5:16 p.m. EST by 

The August 27th meeting of the NYC General Assembly has been cancelled.

Tompkins Square Park and the New York public transit system have been shut down due to hurricane conditions.

This meeting might be rescheduled early next week. We will post the time and date as soon as consensus has been reached on the mailing lists.

17 Comments

Food Committee needs YOU!

Posted Aug. 24, 2011, 11:12 p.m. EST by 

Hi everyone,

My name is Chris and I am a member of the Food Committee. Last night I went over, in exhaustive detail, where we are as far as getting people fed. I won't recount everything here, frankly because I'm right about to go to bed, but you can read the post here:

https://occupywallst.org/forum/logistics-food/

I figured I'd make a new post, because I don't want this to get lost at the bottom, but the Food Committee has just set up a WePay account where we are currently accepting donations. Any support would be great.

https://www.wepay.com/donate/99275

18 Comments

Anonymous joins #OCCUPYWALLSTREET

Posted Aug. 24, 2011, 10:44 a.m. EST by 

Source: Adbusters

Hey jammers, dreamers, patriots,

Anonymous has just released a video communique endorsing #OCCUPYWALLSTREET. Using language from our first Tactical Briefing, the video calls on protestors to adopt the nonviolent Tahrir-acampadas model. On the 17th of September, it says, "flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months … Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices."

See also signs of support for S17 on Anonymous's Twitter and websites.

Meanwhile S17 is surging ahead internationally. Simultaneous occupations of financial districts are now being planned in New York City, Madrid, Milan, London, Paris and San Francisco. With a bit of luck, this list of participating cities will grow.

If we can pull together just the right mix of nonviolence, tenacity and strategic smarts, S17 could be the beginning of the global revolution we've all been dreaming about for so long … wouldn't that be lovely.

for the wild,
Culture Jammers HQ
occupywallstreet.org

42 Comments

FDR's 1944 State of the Union Address, better known as the Second or Economic Bill of Rights

Posted Aug. 20, 2011, 8:36 a.m. EST by 

In 1944, for his state of the union address, president Franklin D. Roosevelt presented a social and economic program which would have expanded on the original bill of rights. Most of it was a radio address, as he had the flu, but part of it was filmed (the footage was found recently). Similar programs are found in modern constitutions, and part of it would inspire the universal bill of rights. Obviously, it didn't pass. FDR would die barely a year later, and this would die with him. Their inspiration can be found in the writings of enlightenment philosophers, already, but also in early socialist thought, up to the current day.

As an example, the language and the rights used could be found in the principles of the old french socialist party, who had formed the government before WW2, and whose principles would end up being part of the preambles of the 4th and 5th republics' constitutions, but also in the, admittedly symbolic, soviet constitution of 1936. These sentiments were repeated in the modern constitutions of Peru, Spain, Finland, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria.

The speech

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. "Necessitous men are not free men."[2] People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens.

For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.

52 Comments

#OCCUPYWALLSTREET update from Adbusters

Posted Aug. 12, 2011, 11:52 a.m. EST by 

http://www.occupywallstreet.org
http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/occupywallstreet-update.html

Hey you rebels, radicals and utopian dreamers out there,

We are living through a rare crisis and moment of opportunity. Western industrialized nations are now being masticated by the financial monster they themselves created. This is triggering a mood that alternates between angry denial and sudden panic. It looks like something is about to break, opening the space for a necessary transformation and a total rethink of global economic affairs. Events are playing perfectly into our September 17 occupation of Wall Street.

So … can we on the left learn some new tricks? Can we head off to lower Manhattan with a fresh mindset and a powerful new demand?

Strategically speaking, there is a very real danger that if we naively put our cards on the table and rally around the "overthrow of capitalism" or some equally outworn utopian slogan, then our Tahrir moment will quickly fizzle into another inconsequential ultra-lefty spectacle soon forgotten. But if we have the cunning to come up with a deceptively simple Trojan Horse demand … something profound, yet so specific and doable that it is impossible for President Obama to ignore … something that spotlights Wall Street's financial capture of the US political system and confronts it with a pragmatic solution … like the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act … or a 1% tax on financial transactions … or an independent investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into the corporate corruption of our representatives in Washington … or another equally creative but downright practical demand that will emerge from the people's assemblies held during the occupation … and if we then put our asses on the line, screw up our courage and hang in there day after day, week after week, until a large swath of Americans start rooting for us and President Obama is forced to respond … then we just might have a crack at creating a decisive moment of truth for America, a first concrete step towards achieving the radical changes we all dream about unencumbered by commitments to existing power structures.

So, let's learn the strategic lessons of Tahrir (nonviolence), Syntagma (tenacity), Puerta del Sol (people's assemblies) and lay aside adherence to political parties and worn-out lefty dogmas. On September 17, let's sow the seeds of a new culture of resistance in America that fires up a permanent democratic awakening.

See you on Wall St. Sept 17. Bring Tent.

for the wild, Culture Jammers HQ

14 Comments

August 13th General Assembly at Tompkins Square Park

Posted Aug. 11, 2011, 11:14 a.m. EST by 

The next meeting of the General Assembly will be held:

Saturday, August 13 · 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Tompkins Square Park (map
7th St. and Avenue A
New York, NY
Facebook Event
PDF Flyer

Please check our calendar page for information about other events and sub-committee meetings.

For further details please contact: 9.17occupywallstreet@gmail.com

2 Comments

August 9th General Assembly at the Irish Potato Famine Memorial

Posted Aug. 4, 2011, 9:51 p.m. EST by 

Thank you everyone who took the time to show up at the general assembly last Tuesday. The next will be held:

Tuesday, August 9 · 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Irish Potato Famine Memorial
Vesey Street and North End Ave
New York, NY
Facebook Event

Please show up and let your voice be heard as we work together to plan the September 17th occupation of Wall Street. For those interested in attending, we recommend reading this quick guide on group dynamics in people's assemblies. For more information please contact isham@occupywallst.org or join our Google Discussion Group.

Event Flyer

5 Comments

August 2nd General Assembly on Wall Street

Posted July 26, 2011, 12:44 p.m. EST by 

From: New Yorkers Against Budget Cuts
The people who brought you the Bloombergville Occupation.
isham.christie@gmail.com

In response to the Sept. 17th Occupy Wall St. call, we decided to incorporate the organizing for the event with a New Yorkers Against Budget Cuts General Assembly on Wall St. on Aug. 2nd. In order to build the Sept. 17th call, we will use this opportunity to have the first NYC meeting for the Sept. 17th event.

Here is the link to the facebook event: http://tinyurl.com/4y8qczk

Event Details

On Tuesday, August 2 (The Bankers' "Debt-Ceiling Deadline")

Come To A People's General Assembly On Wall Street
Oppose Cutbacks And Austerity Of Any Kind

Plan For The September 17 Occupation Of Wall Street

Gather at 4:30: Meet At The Bull, Just South Of Broadway And Morris Street, At The North End Of Bowling Green Park

As the two U.S. political parties unite to dismantle Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, it's clear:

The bankers are looting decades-old peoples' programs and the Democrats can't help us. Obama can't help us. Elected officials can't help us.

It's time for the people to meet and take the bull by the horns!

The students, union activists, and others who organized "Bloombergville" -- the three-week anti-austerity occupation on Wall Street's doorstep -- have called for an August 2 General Assembly/Speakout on Wall Street, at the bull, from 4:30 to 7, to protest the ongoing pro-bank, anti-people cutbacks and gather into working groups to plan for the September 17 occupation of Wall Street.

This is a call for every teacher, home health aid, parent, student, tenant, librarian, city/state employee, childcare provider, nurse, patient, employed or unemployed worker or recipient of Social Security or any type of public assistance: on August 2 come to Wall Street--the scene of the crimes now being perpetrated on the people -- and make your voice heard!

The current depression-level crisis is not due to lack of revenue. It's due to theft. The trillions that the banks are sitting on right now? That's our money. Whether through taxes; the looting of pension and social security contributions; or the wealth we created from our labor -- all of that belongs to us. Come to Wall Street August 2 and strategize -- on how to get that back!

Flyer

August 2nd Flyer

5 Comments

Who We Are

Posted June 14, 2011, 12:20 p.m. EST by 

On July 13, 2011, "Culture Jammers HQ" at Adbusters issued a call to action: Occupy Wall Street! The goal stated is to gather 20,000 people to Wall Street, in New York, NY on September 17, 2011, beginning a popular occupation of that space for two months and more. Inspired by the popular assemblies of Egypt, Spain, Oaxaca and worldwide, those gathered will work to find a common voice in one clear, unified demand.

This is why we've created OccupyWallSt.org. Technology has made it easier than ever before for the people to stay in close contact and assist one another in acheiving a collective goal. Our aim is to make these tools available so our users--the true organizers of this event--can make an occuptation of Wall St. successful. We may not be able to teach a person to fish, or do it on their behalf, but we can build a damn good fishing pole.

But it isn't enough to simply make these tools freely available, they must also belong to the people. So we've taken the time to release our work as an open source project. This way others may use and build upon our work freely without any dependence on our leadership.

The sovereign people of any nation have the power, the right, and the duty, of guiding the destiny of their nation. Most just do not realize this. An organizer brings the process of realization.

Why occupy Wall Street? Because it belongs to us! Because we can!

140 Comments


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