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We are the 99 percent

#Justice4Cecily Responds to @TheDailyShow Coverage

Posted 9 years ago on May 7, 2014, 4:59 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: Daily Show, Police Brutality, Cecily McMillan

Dear Jon Stewart,

The #Justice4Cecily team appreciates the attention you showed to Cecily McMillan’s case last night on The Daily Show, and we agree with your message of Justice for Some that resounds throughout the show. It has become more than abundantly clear since the financial crisis that there are two sets of laws in this country: one for Wall Street and the 1%, and another one for Occupy Wall Street and the 99%.

Unfortunately, your scoreboard of the number of arrests for both of these groups – “Wall Street: 1 - OWS: 1”, however in jest you presented it – gives the impression that somehow justice has been served for Cecily and for the millions of Occupy activists and supporters across the country and around the world. And with this we must respectfully disagree.

For Cecily, justice has most definitely not been served. Cecily was violently, and sexually, assaulted in Zuccotti Park on the 6th month anniversary of OWS in March, 2012. She sustained bruises on her right breast, ribs, arms, legs and back, underwent a seizure, had to be hospitalized, and still suffers from PTSD originating from the incident. The more than two-year delay in her criminal case has put her bright academic and political career on complete standstill.

Furthermore, the jury trial that convicted Cecily was rife with juridical missteps: suppression of key evidence, gag orders on Cecily’s attorney, and clear bias on the part of Judge Zweibel, who is well known as ‘a prosecutor in robes.’ Even the jury that convicted Cecily regretted their decision upon learning post-trial of the potential sentencing length. One juror told the Guardian:

“They felt bad. Most just wanted her to do probation, maybe some community service. But now what I’m hearing is seven years in jail? That’s ludicrous. Even a year in jail is ridiculous.”

Just as important is the lack of justice for the almost 8,000 Occupy activists who have been arrested in the last three years for peacefully protesting wealth inequality and corporate corruption of our democracy, and for the millions of people who have fallen into the 700% prison population increase of the United States since the 1970s. Cecily has been privileged to have good counsel and a support network of people to make her case for innocence, but countless others haven’t been so fortunate.

You have an important opportunity, Mr. Stewart, with this case to make a powerful statement about the need for reform of our justice system in order to serve all people fairly and blindly. Rather than leave your audience with an ambiguous answer to the question of Justice for Some? We kindly ask that you correct the record on your next show or invite a member of our team to appear and correct it ourselves.

Thank you, again, for standing up for the 99% and for justice for all.

In solidarity, The #Justice4Cecily Team

PS – We are demanding a pardon for Cecily. Please consider signing both our petitions that have started to catch fire, Change.org and Whitehouse.gov.

44 Comments

44 Comments


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[-] 4 points by scotsier (4) 9 years ago

Best of luck for Cecily receiving probation on the 19th. Here is a protest anthem called, Wall Street that tells it like it is in this bought and sold country: http://www.rememberingpeteseeger.org/?p=341

We have over 600 songs on our Occupy Music page on Soundloud. Drop by here to listen and contribute: http://m.soundcloud.com/groups/occupy-wall-street-protest-songs

Scot Sier

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

"Several jurors who helped convict Occupy Wall Street protester Cecily McMillan of assaulting a police officer are regretful after learning she may be imprisoned for seven years, according to her lawyer and a report in the Guardian."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/08/cecily-mcmillan-jury_n_5289116.html

Interesting that it takes a foreign newspaper to report this.

Justice for Cecily! Now! Justice for America! We are supposed to be free to protest, but as we learned during the height of Occupy, that is far from the truth.

[-] 9 points by lugano (1221) 9 years ago

I had the chance to attend an afternoon session of Ms McMillan's trial last week, (about 3 hrs.). I felt good about supporting her, and wished the verdict had gone her way. Having seen the judge in action though I am not surprised at the outcome.

[-] 5 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

Very nice that you attended. She needs the support and we all need to demand our right to dissent and protest.

[-] 9 points by lugano (1221) 9 years ago

Thanks. I wanted to at least go to her trial one day, and it worked out really well that the trial was going on that Monday as I was downtown for something else, and finished up early. I had the chance to meet some of her friends in a little park where we had lunch. Then in court for a good part of the time the jury was sent out while they argued how much video tape would be used when the jury returned, the defense wanting more, the judge and the prosecutor less. It was a bit difficult to hear exactly what was said for me, so I mistakenly thought Ms McMillan's lawyer had won that argument, but I see from reading the links, he didn't.

At the end of the day, outside the court I had the chance to tell an obviously emotionally drained Ms McMillan that I respected her and that we all support her. She hugged me.

I can't help, but tear up a little knowing this young lady is now sitting in Riker's Island. Edit; Who's next for the new crime of dissent?

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

What Americans don't understand is that you can have all the rights you want, to not go to school, to have guns, to do drugs, to not have health insurance, whatever you want, but if you don't have the right to dissent and protest, you are f-kd. You are not free at all.

Let's hope some human beings step in to bring justice to Cecily:"City Council Members Call for Leniency for Occupy Wall Street Protester"

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/05/12/city-council-members-call-for-leniency-for-occupy-wall-street-protestor/

[-] 5 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 9 years ago

the judges themselves loss authority with such action

[-] 8 points by lugano (1221) 9 years ago

Agreed, when our justice system zealously pursues the conviction of young lady like Cecily McMillan who wants a more just system, while letting those people who set up and benefit from an unjust one (that has caused untold misery) go scot-free...yeah they do definitely lose their legitimacy. To accept this paradigm as the new norm is to consent to a life of servitude.

[-] 5 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

The truth of what you say is absolutely NOT lost on me and neither is another sad truth - that there are patently anti-Occupy trolls still haunting this forum - as I clearly saw that your important comment was 'stinkled' earlier. Have a 'twinkle' bw and so in solidarity with your comment and with Cecily McMillan, I append :

Solidarity @ Cecily McMillan !!! Viva 'Activista' !! Viva OWS !

fiat lux ...

[-] 5 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

Solidarity at Cecily. I personally feel indebted to this young woman for paying the price for all of us.

I hope she finds an inner strength to carry her through. Let's keep her in our thoughts.

[-] 5 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

Solidarity @ Cecily McMillan !!! She took one for The 99% Team !! Emphatic Ditto @ what you say ! + :

''New York City has agreed to pay $583,000 in compensation and legal fees to a group of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators who alleged they were wrongfully arrested, in what their lawyers called the largest settlement reached with members of the protest movement.

''Announcing the settlement at a press conference outside City Hall on Tuesday, David Thompson, another attorney for the group of marchers, said: “The mass arrest of non-violent protesters has no place in any democracy”.

“The NYPD pursued a policy of arresting thousands of people who had done nothing wrong,” said Thompson. “I hope that the resolution of this lawsuit will show that the NYPD policy must change. It is my hope that this case and others like it will free our streets and parks for peaceful protest.”

fiat justitia ...

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

Let's keep Cecily in our thoughts. Solidarity, Shadz.

[-] 3 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

''An ex-banker and Occupier walk into a jail. Guess which one's serving time?''by Chris Arnade :

fiat lux ...

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

"Since her 19 May sentencing for an assault on an officer, Cecily McMillan has lived in a barracks-like room with close to a hundred other women."

I hope she's doing okay. From these quotes, it sounds like she has the mental ability to endure her sentence:

"I had two years to prepare for this, she explained. Most everyone else in here had no time to prepare – but a lifetime of realizing it will happen to them at some point. Jail, and negative confrontations with the police, is for many a reality."

"I am far more committed to the movement, to social work, to exposing the power structures, than I was before, she explained."

Thank you, Cecily. Will will not forget you.

[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

''Cecily McMillan's guilty verdict reveals a mass acceptance of police violence'' by Molly Knefel :

Thanx for the excellent excerpts & Solidarity @ Cecilly McMillan !!! Viva Activista !! E Forza Italia Contro Costa Rica (it's a World Cup, football thang) !

pax ...

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

Unfortunately, it's not just police violence that Americans accept, but violence as a whole. We seem to breed it and live it every day, barely making any changes to mitigate it. Our society, instead of seeking to end violence, worships it in the movies, on tv, in our music, in our "rights," and in the reverence of our beloved military which spreads it throughout the world. Pretty sad. And, changing that ethos is not going to be easy.

[-] 6 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

''Our society, instead of seeking to end violence, worships it in the movies, on tv, in our music, in our "rights," and in the reverence of our beloved military which spreads it throughout the world.''

Yep, ergo .. ''Pretty sad'' but Cecily McMillan shows what is best in us too ...

Solidarity to you, yours and all OWSers for a 'bw' for all on this 4th of July and fyi, I also append ...

pax, amor et lux ...

[-] 3 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

"I am inspired by the resilient community I have encountered in a system that is stacked against us," she said. Promising to continue her activism, she said: "The court sent me here to frighten me and others into silencing our dissent, but I am proud to walk out saying that the 99% is, in fact, stronger than ever. We will continue to fight until we gain all the rights we deserve as citizens".

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/02/occupy-activist-cecily-mcmillan-released

You go Cecily! Thank you. And, solidarity!

[-] 5 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

''McMillan’s felony conviction for second-degree assault is thought to be the most serious against any of the more than 2,600 members of Occupy who were arrested for alleged offences around protests after their movement began in 2011. Most had proceedings against them dismissed or “adjourned contemplating dismissal,” meaning they will not end up with police records.

''McMillan, the last Occupy defendant to go through the New York courts system, had rejected an earlier offer from prosecutors that would have seen her plead guilty in exchange for a recommendation to the judge that she not receive a prison sentence. The deal would still have resulted in her being classed as a felon.'' from your link & in solidarity, please watch the 'before and after' videos of Cecily here :

respice, adspice, prospice ...

[-] 5 points by grapes (5232) 9 years ago

Cecily,

"Felony conviction" by a brutal and unjust police state is a mark of honor to all who understand. An ancestor of mine bore a scar from the police of the former apartheid state of South Africa. It meant that somebody had stood firm against the evil forces. Go proudly holding your head high. Solidarity!

[-] 5 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

Ditto re. Cecily & in solidarity with what she fights for & fyi :

solidarnosc ...

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

"Millionaires and billionaires who had a vested interest in silencing a peaceful protest about the growing inequalities in America worked the justice system, manipulated the evidence and suddenly I became dangerous and distinguished from law abiding citizens."

Hmmm. Seems she is more empowered now than ever! Solidarity! And, thanks, Shadz, for the great links and all you do here. :)

[-] 5 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

Cecily McMillan instinctively understood certain things about The 99% Struggle and now she probably understands them better intellectualy, from a deeper perspective. Thanx for your kind words, ditto & fyi :

radix omnium malorum est cupiditas ...

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

"Call it the asshole effect. That is the term coined by US psychologist Paul Piff after he did some stunning new research into the effects of wealth and inequality on people’s attitudes."

"Drivers of high-status vehicles were three times as likely to fail to yield at pedestrian crossings. In contrast, all the drivers of the least expensive type of car gave way to pedestrians."

"Piff and his colleagues then looked at what created these impulses to bad behaviour."

"The reason, it turns out, is that even thoughts of being wealthy can create a feeling of increased entitlement — you start to feel superior to everyone else and thus more deserving: something at the centre of narcissism."

"Piff found that the rich donated a smaller percentage of their wealth than poorer people. In 2011, the wealthiest Americans, those with earnings in the top 20%, contributed 1.3% of their income to charity, while those in the bottom 20% donated 3.2% of their income."

Shall I go on quoting the article? Not that it's anything we didn't already know!

But, they can't silence us, they just can't. And history shows that this type of behavior, when it goes on too long, just doesn't stand. Things change.

[-] 3 points by trashyharry (3084) from Waterville, NY 9 years ago

I Love Cecily..

[-] 4 points by shadz66 (19985) 9 years ago

Yes, ''Call it the asshole effect'' and "The reason, it turns out, is that even thoughts of being wealthy can create a feeling of increased entitlement — you start to feel superior to everyone else and thus more deserving: something at the centre of narcissism." Thanx for your excerpts from :

''World growth will slow to 2.7%, says the Paris-based (OECD) thinktank, because the catch-up effects boosting growth in the developing world – population growth, education, urbanisation – will peter out. Even before that happens, near-stagnation in advanced economies means a long-term global average over the next 50 years of just 3% growth, which is low. The growth of high-skilled jobs and the automation of medium-skilled jobs means, on the central projection, that inequality will rise by 30%. By 2060 countries such as Sweden will have levels of inequality currently seen in the USA: think Gary, Indiana, in the suburbs of Stockholm.

''The whole projection is overlaid by the risk that the economic effects of climate change begin to destroy capital, coastal land and agriculture in the first half of the century, shaving up to 2.5% off world GDP and 6% in south-east Asia.

''Now imagine the world of the central scenario: Los Angeles and Detroit look like Manila – abject slums alongside guarded skyscrapers; the UK workforce is a mixture of old white people and newly arrived young migrants; the middle-income job has all but disappeared. If born in 2014, then by 2060 you are either a 45-year-old barrister or a 45-year-old barista. There will be not much in-between. Capitalism will be in its fourth decade of stagnation and then – if we've done nothing about carbon emissions – the really serious impacts of climate change are starting to kick in.''

~

Tired of the privatisation of all 'profit centres' and the externalisation and socialisation of all costs and consequences .. we'll struggle on here because we believe that a Future Of Fascism is NOT inevitable.

Your comment was on BCT with +4 but +1 at time of my reply as mean minded reactionaries still haunt this forum so now you are not there because bitter truths are not palatable to The 0.01% Parasites, their 1% Lackeys or even their lickspittles in The 99%. Just plough on regardless. Keep planting seeds. Have faith and hope in a better tomorrow. Solidarity bw and also fyi on this 10th of July from the UK, see :

''Come Thursday, hundreds of thousands will sacrifice a day's pay to take a stand. They will be ignored or demonised as they do so. But they should remember that they are not just speaking for themselves, but for the millions expected to pay for a crisis caused by the vested interests who fund the Tories. Who knows – they may give courage and inspiration to others to get off their knees, too.''& finally from USUK:

As you say bw - ''But, they can't silence us, they just can't. And history shows that this type of behavior, when it goes on too long, just doesn't stand. Things change.'' ~{:-)

dum spiro, spero ...

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

Hubris among individuals causes bad behavior toward other individuals as does hubris among nations, it causes bad behavior toward other nations.

We humans have some big problems right now on this good earth. Capitalism has eaten away at our humanity, our compassion, our ethics and morality. It's left us void, alienated, greedy and alone. Watershed change is needed, and change will come, because history shows that it will, but how it comes, is yet to be seen.

[-] 0 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (21191) 4 minutes ago

Treat people like sh-t, expect to be treated like sh-t back. It's not rocket science. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink

Exactly - the basics - cause & effect - action & reaction - simple.

[-] -1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (21191) 5 hours ago

Human beings can only be pushed so far before they resist.

↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink

Yep - as is shown throughout history - as well as is displayed daily around the world - it is a constant and easy to understand - and so to be ignored is madness and worse madness is to continually provoke.

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

Treat people like sh-t, expect to be treated like sh-t back. It's not rocket science.

[-] -1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (21169) 4 hours ago

"Call it the asshole effect. That is the term coined by US psychologist Paul Piff after he did some stunning new research into the effects of wealth and inequality on people’s attitudes."

"Drivers of high-status vehicles were three times as likely to fail to yield at pedestrian crossings. In contrast, all the drivers of the least expensive type of car gave way to pedestrians."

"Piff and his colleagues then looked at what created these impulses to bad behaviour."

"The reason, it turns out, is that even thoughts of being wealthy can create a feeling of increased entitlement — you start to feel superior to everyone else and thus more deserving: something at the centre of narcissism."

"Piff found that the rich donated a smaller percentage of their wealth than poorer people. In 2011, the wealthiest Americans, those with earnings in the top 20%, contributed 1.3% of their income to charity, while those in the bottom 20% donated 3.2% of their income."

Shall I go on quoting the article? Not that it's anything we didn't already know!

But, they can't silence us, they just can't. And history shows that this type of behavior, when it goes on too long, just doesn't stand. Things change. ↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink

" Call it the asshole effect "

OK - I will - and in keeping with the program = may their sphincters burn like a house a-fire for all eternity.

[-] -1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (21153) 2 minutes ago

They want to silence us through sheer exhaustion and hopelessness, but we can't allow that. Keep fighting.

↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink

Their programs of silencing and control - have failed and never changed - since the dawn of time - and so - are exemplars of insanity.

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

Human beings can only be pushed so far before they resist.

[-] 2 points by Revolutionary (311) 9 years ago

Why do not we rather think this way--we shall in fact exhaust them to hopelessness and obsoletion. Believe me! They have the competitors but we have comrades!

[-] -1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

Those in positions of power can't seem to keep from making martyrs. Live victims that exhibit the truth of what they say as well as those who TPTB murder to silence and yet only make the murdered individuals words much louder and heard by a much larger audience. TPTB validate protest by their actions against it.

[-] 5 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

They want to silence us through sheer exhaustion and hopelessness, but we can't allow that. Keep fighting.

[-] 3 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

good news

[-] 0 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

We must do what we can however we can to effect change in our ethos. Sometimes comedy can go places more sober communications might not.

Just on the chance it might get shared: tweet

DKAtoday @DKAtoday · 4h

Warfare Queens - how appropriate https://occupywallst.org/forum/revealed-how-bill-kristol-purged-the-arabists-by-p/#comment-1036699 … Share with their constituents Please

[-] -1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

It's not that we love it - it is that we have been constantly programed to accept and support it - Like you said = in the movies, on tv, in our music

[-] 2 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 9 years ago

it's the pretension that gets to me

KPBS most broadcast market place 4 times a day

and then claim they are unbiased in their begga thons

when I'll I ever hear is about the wall street ticker tape

[-] 5 points by beautifulworld (23767) 9 years ago

I like RT.com.

[-] 3 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

tweet =

Justice4Cecily Responds to @TheDailyShow Coverage http://occupywallst.org/article/justice4cecily-ows-responds-thedailyshow-coverage/#.U2qj_Eywido.twitter

"Victims" prosecuted - is this really the USA ?

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[-] 2 points by AbrahamMarx (3) 9 years ago

This is one of the big flaws of OWS; the Daily Show, and Jon Stewart with it, are bought and paid for by Viacom.

Any clear scrutiny of what Jon Stewart has been up to will show that he's a court jester for the Obama administration. His time to break free of the two parties came and went, around the time of his Rally for Insanity.

[-] 3 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 9 years ago

and people respect the parties less and less

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