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We are the 99 percent

#Occupied: Reports From the Front Lines

Posted 12 years ago on March 6, 2012, 5:19 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Occupy

OccupyWallSt.org is partnering with The Occupied Wall Street Journal to syndicate these weekly reports from Occupations across the world.


This week in Occupy, more than 80 Shut Down the Corporations actions on #F29 signaled a spring resurgence, student activists across the nation marched for an affordable education and the Occupy movement introduced the mainstream media—and the country—to the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The NYPD: Keeping Zuccotti Park safe from the First Amendment. Photo: Katie Sokoler/Gothamist

The NYPD shut down Zuccotti Park just minutes after midnight on February 29 in a strong yet baffling show of force that saw 40 cops monitoring 30 protesters. The eight resulting arrests were seemingly arbitrary and incidental, spurred after several protesters brought backpacks and sleeping bags into the park—and occurring just hours after a leaked internal memo revealed that Bloomberg’s “private army” had done its homework and knew many details about the following day’s New York-based actions. (For a full wrap-up of the day’s events, go here.)

Later that day, a 200-strong march through the rain-slicked streets of midtown Manhattan snaked past the headquarters of Bank of America, Pfizer and the New York offices of Koch Industries, hitting a Wells Fargo or two along the way. They were joined by the political journalist Matt Taibbi. (Video)

In Riverside, California, Occupy LA shut down three Wal-Mart distribution centers after occupying the immediate area all morning, only to be met by aggressive police officers who forced demonstrators to retreat. “This is the evolution of humanity, and sadly this is what we must do to get to the other side,” observed independent video journalist Freedom, who operates Occupy Freedom LA.

Riverside police confront a disabled woman peacefully demonstrating outside a Wal-Mart distribution hub in Southern California. Screengrab: Occupy Freedom LA's livestream.

Fifty Occupy D.C. demonstrators lined up outside Monsanto’s Washington D.C. offices in cold, pelting rain to protest the agribusiness giant’s litigious protection of its patented crops, among other issues.

In response to Occupy Portland‘s call to shut down the corporate members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Occupy Tucson #occupied the transportation headquarters of G4S, a massive company that operates the buses used to transport those being deported or moved between immigration detention facilities. “We’re trying to create a day without deportations,” one of the occupiers said.

60,000 students took to the streets of several Spanish cities, including Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona, to protest against government spending cuts that have left many classrooms without heating. In Barcelona, students were attacked by riot police.

Occupy Oakland held a funeral for capitalism which included live music, speeches and a demonstration in front of Chase Bank.

Occupy Portland peacefully marched through downtown, with several hundred taking to the streets protesting corporate involvement with ALECand a few dropping by a downtown McDonald’s and chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, Monsanto has got to go!”

Stomping Through Stumptown: Marching in downtown Portland on #F29. Photo: Lauriel

Mother Jones explains why ALEC—a right-wing, corporate-controlled group most people have probably never heard of—was a specific target of so much direct action on #F29.

Occupy NOLA—joined by Occupy Fairhope, Alabama—staged a BP protest march, during which demonstrators prosecuted the oil giant responsible for the Deepwater Horizon disaster and held a mock funeral memorializing the health of the Gulf of Mexico, which is still polluted with oil.

Judge and Jury: Occupy NOLA puts BP on trial.

Also on #F29, twenty-five suspected members of the the hacktivist collective Anonymous—accused of planning coordinated cyber attacks against institutions including Colombia’s defense ministry and presidential websites—were arrested in an Interpol sweep across South America and Europe.

From March 1 to 5, Occupy Education California embarked upon a 99-mile march from Berkeley to San Francisco to mark the #M1 National Day of Action for Education. Occupy Colleges and Occupy Education sponsored rallies nationwide, prompting the mainstream media to speculate that colleges will fuel the second wave of the Occupy movement.

On #M1, students, educators and activists partially shut down the University of California, Santa Cruz and prevented cars and buses from entering the campus, while students at the University of California, Davis held a funeral for public higher education.

Also on #M1, students and Occupy Chicago members occupied the conference room of the DePaul University president’s office and demanded a public forum on tuition hikes.

A group of University of New Mexico students had just mic-checked an Israel Alliance talk entitled “Why the Arab Spring Is Failing” when older male audience members got up out of their seats and physically attacked them. See the stunning raw video here.

Re$t In Peace: Occupy Oakland bids goodbye to capitalism. Photo: danilo/Occupy Oakland

The Virginia House of Delegates has voted in favor of legislation that rejects the “kidnapping provisions” of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012.

On February 22, twenty-five prisoners at Ohio State Penitentiary, a supermax prison, victoriously ended a three-day hunger strike inspired by the Occupy4Prisoners National Day of Action called for by Occupy Oakland.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) issued a video message in solidarity with students on a hunger strike at the University of Virginia organized by the Living Wage Campaign. “The students who chose bold action and engaged in a hunger strike deserve our unconditional support and respect,” said Valarie Long, the union’s executive vice president.

The creation of an Occupy-related credit union in San Francisco is moving forward, with a proposed nine-member board nearly in place.

The artists behind the 99% Bat Signal first unveiled on #N17 are back with their own personal bat mobile, codename: The Illuminator. On March 2, Occupy Wall Street protestors staged a “die-in” in front of Chase bank with the help of this fancy new gadget.

Concerned by reports from numerous cities of excessive police force against protesters, unlawful arrests and the passing of new laws to curtail protest, a coalition of human rights and civil liberties experts are conducting a national study to the government response to the Occupy protests.

The Raging Grannies serenade Portland on #F29: "Oh dear, what can the matter be? Big money's killing democracy!" Photo: Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

On March 13, five Seattle occupiers known as the “Chase 5″ will go to trial for occupying a Chase Bank branch in Capitol Hill in November, when hundreds rallied outside and disrupted business as usual before a demonstration against JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon as he spoke in downtown Seattle.

The court case against Justin Honea for “prohibited activities in park” associated with the Occupy Charleston presence at Marion Square has been dismissed. Two more Occupy Charleston cases are set for trial later this year.

The House of Representatives has approved a bill that outlaws protests in instances where some government officials are nearby—whether or not you even know it.

The National Park Service has extended Occupy DC‘s Freedom Plaza permit through April 29.

Monsanto, the 1% of Big Ag and the scourge of small farmers everywhere, has found a formidable opponent in the Occupy movement.

They're Lovin' It: Occupy Portland educates McDonald's patrons about Monsanto on #F29. Photo: Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

Transit riders and Occupy activists spoke out against proposed Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) fare hikes and service cuts at an open hearing on February 28.

Police briefly arrested 100 Cuban dissidents in a multipronged campaign to prevent public demonstrations to mark the anniversaries of the deaths of five Castro opponents.

President Obama has finally asked Congress to end $4 billion in subsidies for oil and gas companies, vowing to tackle the country’s long-term energy issues while shunning “phony election-year promises about lower gas prices.”

Rolling Stone published an internal Department of Homeland Security report entitled “SPECIAL COVERAGE: Occupy Wall Street,” which details surveillance of the early days of the Occupy movement.

WikiLeaks began publishing more than five million emails from Stratfor, a U.S.-based global security analysis company that has been likened to a shadow CIA. One juicy revelation: the Stratfor CEO and founder and a former Goldman Sachs regional director plan to launch their own investment fund called Stratcap.

The Red Cross managed to get aid to Syrians fleeing the battered and shelled Baba Amr district of Homs but was blocked for a third day from entering the city amid reports of bloody reprisals by dictator Bashar al-Assad’s forces. A Syrian activist calling himself “Danny,” who has posted videos of the regime’s attacks on YouTube for the last several months, told Anderson Cooper that if it wasn’t for the media attention, 200,000 Syrians would be dead. “This is not going to stop,” he said. “They’re going to have to kill every single family living in Homs. There’s not one family who hasn’t lost a relative. They will never stop.”

There have been at least 6,628 arrests in 111 cities since the Occupy movement began on September 17, 2011.


Want to report news about your occupation or meetup? Email us at occupymedia@gmail.com.

24 Comments

24 Comments


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[-] 1 points by sgtykty (0) 12 years ago

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[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

that Bloomberg’s “private army” had done its homework and knew many details about the following day’s New York-based actions. (For a full wrap-up of the day’s events, go here.)

I remember given the police marching planning so they could protect the streets

[-] 1 points by mexicael (23) 12 years ago

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE OCCUPY WALL STREET

Students from province of Québec need your support. Brutal attack against them today. look at this video : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150735712645774

Students march the streets of Montreal to demonstrate against hikes in tuition fees. Demands driving the strike in Québec are rooted in important struggles to ensure accessible education. IF STUDENTS OF QUEBEC LOOSE THEIR BATTLE ALL NORTH AMERICAN STUDENT LOOSE.

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

what are the fee hikes ?

[-] 1 points by mexicael (23) 12 years ago

$ 1,625 per year. so, from $ 3000 to $ 4 700 in 2017. Cheaper than elsewhere in US and Canada, but we think that the American model is not a good one for the poor. We believe our model of accessibility is an inspiration for american students. You can have more info here : http://1625wontpass.ca/tuition-fee-hike/the-consequences-of-tuition-fee-hike/

[-] 3 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

education should be free

[-] 1 points by engineer4 (331) 12 years ago

What is your proposal to pay for this want?

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

recollect the money that has gathered into stagnant pools in the economy

[-] 0 points by engineer4 (331) 12 years ago

Your not being clear. Recollect "whose" money and what would be a definition of a stagnant pool? Who would recollect? How would the distribution work. You need to provide some functional detail when you desire free education for all. Nothing is free.

[-] 2 points by pewestlake (947) from Brooklyn, NY 12 years ago

All wealth belongs to and is derived from the commons. Taxes are not theft. They are your fee for services rendered. Nobody got wealthy without help from society, ALL of society. Get over selfish principles and recognize the truth. Unless you gave birth to yourself, you're not a self-made man.

[-] 0 points by engineer4 (331) 12 years ago

Are you angry? I was asking Matt for some clarity to his post. I agree that taxes are not theft, they are imposed by mutually agreed upon laws of our different government levels. The "fees" that only some of us pay allow for others to have the same services. Not sure how you can state that all wealth belongs to the commons?? Society offers opportunities to everyone. Some have the ability more than others to do better with the opportunity. Others make poor choices. Are you trying to state that wealth should not be earned as a reward for the effort or should it be taken and re-distributed? Yes, a self made man has generally benefitted from society in the form of education paid for by the previous generation, also benefits are derived from a stable society. But wealth comes later, from one's labor, ideas, etc. And there should not be a penalty for that. As far as education, we pay for the first 12 yrs. That gets you to the jump off point and it's up to the individual to go from there. There is partial support for higher education, but there needs to be some incentive (college cost) for the student to succeed at that point. I will acknowledge it can be difficult, but it is supposed to be tough.

[-] 2 points by pewestlake (947) from Brooklyn, NY 12 years ago

Am I angry? Way to try to set the tone. Are you demented?

The education is supposed to be tough, not the financing. Capitalism IS wealth redistribution. It's in the freaking name. ALL economic systems are about the distribution of wealth. And all wealth, every last penny, came from the collective, no matter how hard any individual worked to amass a large pile of it. ALL of it derives from other members of society. Everyone, from Somali pirates to Fed Chairmen, owes their wealth to others.

Progressive taxation is the adjustment for the outsize benefit enjoyed by the wealthy in a peaceful society. How many inner city poor people are familiar with the federal grant process? How many rural poor people are selling excess energy back into the grid or even know if it's legal? How many people are taking advantage of every loophole and opportunity the government has to offer? And even if everyone is availing themselves of every penny at hand, how many more breaks do the wealthy and people who run large corporations get compared to the people who dry clean their clothes and support those corporations as consumers?

It's the balance that matters, not some ideological principle that doesn't have any real world application. Because if everyone was successful in applying that principle, there wouldn't be anyone left to operate the machines or pick up the trash. So it cannot be the ideal, because it's ultimate outcome is either extreme inequity by design or total societal dysfunction.

And, by the way, we pay for K thru 12 because we chose to as a nation. We can also choose to pay for two or four years of college or, as Santorum would prefer, not pay anything for any education at all. That's our choice as a society. Public funding for K thru 12 isn't one of the Ten Commandments. We can choose other things. That's what OWS is all about. Thanks for stopping by. ;-)

[-] 1 points by engineer4 (331) 12 years ago

Apologies if I misunderstood your tone. I think we agree on somethings but not quite all. That's ok, it makes for better discussion and trading of thoughts and opinions which we both can learn from. I believe we can achieve some better balance, but am careful on how it can be achieved. Progressive tax can only go so far before it just drives away incentives (risk /reward). People should be allowed to be wealthy as long as it's done in a fair manner where it is a level playing field. At the moment the rules and game is somewhat one-sided. A comment on being successful (third paragraph): being successful is not a measurement against others but more with the individual. A person can be successful working on cars as a mechanic. Many years ago, I worked on machinery and learned my craft well. That success lead to additional opportunities. I enjoyed working with my hands but then I also wanted to design the equipment, etc. The other mechanics remained where they were, some more successful than others (pay grades), but they were all good at what they did. The point being that people will migrate to where their desire and ability will take them provided there is equal opportunity given to them by society.

[-] 1 points by pewestlake (947) from Brooklyn, NY 12 years ago

I think I may have misunderstood your original point so my apology as well.

The principle used by the financial sector to justify massive salaries and bonuses -- that it takes "competitive compensation" to retain the "best and brightest" -- is true of all sectors in our economy. You can always get a body to fill a position. To get a good one costs a little more money. That's market dynamism.

The margins are set by law in all markets and nobody wants a truly "free" market because, for instance, most free marketeers are also against legalizing all drugs, which obviously creates a black market that enriches criminals instead of legitimate businesses, as with cigarettes and alcohol and gambling. It only seems like the most natural policy because it's the system we've had for several generations now.

Similarly, it only seems like good policy to constantly slash the top marginal tax rate because it did have a slightly stimulative effect when it was coming down from 92% and 77%. But when it went below 40%, something had to go and the one time defense was legitimately on the table, the Congress went into freak-out mode. Clinton brought it back to 39% and lucked out with the dot com bubble. But the cutting continued and W's prescription has been a nightmare and only the payroll holiday and unemployment extensions have kept some of the working and underemployed poor afloat, along with the businesses that depend on them.

Income tax distribution is flatter under the Bush tax cuts than at any time since 1931. Private equity is flying out of the country at light speed. The lack of money for services at the State and local level is epidemic. And one side of the aisle is talking about deeper cuts, harsher austerity, totally flat as a board taxes, more deregulation and another war in the middle east. The national sales tax even made a comeback this election cycle. If we keep waging pointless wars and refusing to raise taxes to pay for them, we may wind up in much deeper shit than we've ever seen.

[-] 1 points by engineer4 (331) 12 years ago

We certainly have to learn to spend only what we have, but agree that the tax rates need some adjustment, even the whole tax code ( that will take a while).

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

resources are limited

this argument is the Luddite fallacy fallacy

[-] 1 points by engineer4 (331) 12 years ago

Fallacy fallacy??? Matt, you need to be more clear in what you are trying to say. why not just state it plainly. Again, What is a stagnant pool? What do you mean by re-collection? The statement " resources are limited" is not breaking news. Try again, please. Besides, the word "resources" can refer to many things. Please explain.

[-] 1 points by engineer4 (331) 12 years ago

Matt. I already know what the Luddite fallacy is. You are not addressing my questions. Instead of pasting links, write something yourself. You have made some statements, now I am asking you to explain them in your words, not someone elses. Try again please.

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

efficiency is a good thing

it gives people freedom to do less work

create new ideas and products

however efficiency does create more land

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[-] 1 points by littlebiggygirl (26) from Hesperia, CA 12 years ago

the most effective form of protest is to limit the amount of money you give the government.

www.taxkilla.com

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

what about the labor one gives to the corporate rulers ?

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

well, I certainly would not want my press under cyber attacks

I am against cyber attacks

Also on #F29, twenty-five suspected members of the the hacktivist collective Anonymous—accused of planning coordinated cyber attacks against institutions including Colombia’s defense ministry and presidential websites—were arrested in an Interpol sweep across South America and Europe.

that said anonymous is world wide

and have called to action movements like occupy wall street

and will continue to do so

Anonymous Occupy Wall Street Call to Action

[-] 0 points by dfhgdfg (2) 12 years ago

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