Update – Wall Street protest

Updating from here. New update here.

September 17, 2011, The crowd seems peaceful, diverse, and informed.
A side note: On September 17, 1787, forty-two of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention held their final meeting. Only one item of business occupied the agenda that day, to sign the Constitution of the United States of America.

The protesting seems to have been an overall good experience so far. It’s peaceful and all accounts, other than in the MSM, agree that the protesters are intelligent and deeply concerned about our government. “Like many of the protestors, Laxon expressed strong disappointment with President Obama, but said the Republican presidential field was even more demoralizing. “They’re a social psych experiment.”

Yesterday, comedian Roseanne Barr made an appearance to support and thank the protesters and call for a government with basic compassion.

The good news is, they are still on the job today. The livestream is here, but with numbers varying between 3,000 and 5,000 viewers, audio and video have been going on and off. The feed at the bottom of it is reporting that picketers have gone through the light barricades that the NYPD put in place identifying “an inadequate amount of space” allowed for use by protesters. Those bottlenecks were said to be responsible for several arrests.

An officer reaching for a man who was later arrested on charges of jumping a police barrier and resisting arrest at the protests in the financial district Monday morning. (Robert Stolarik/The New York Times)

Media reports have called this movement “Marxist,” “Guerrilla” … Indeed, it is quite apparent, that these protestors love their country and stand united against … cronyism economics. It is clear that everyone was there as part of a movement that is simply You Vs. Wall Street. Chants of “Occupy Wall Street,” and “Banks get bailed out, we get sold out” were chanted as hundreds of people paraded by the NYPD …”

People protesting the economic system flood financial district behind cramped barricades as office workers head to work on September 19, 2011 in New York City.

The “sentiment is likely global in scope. Tourists strolled through the park throughout the day yesterday, inquiring about the demonstration. Many agreed with the protesters’ message.”

“The financial industry has messed up not only their own country,” said Miriam Dervan, visiting New York City from Ireland, “but also ours and the rest of the world.”

“Food and supplies have been donated from supporters across the country and around the globe. Liberato’s Pizza, located a few blocks from the park occupied by protesters, reported yesterday that their phones had been ringing off the hook. People had been calling in from all over the world placing orders for pizza to be sent to the park encampment.”

It also seems like the protesters are a pretty good mix of Americans. “There are many young people in their 20’s and 30’s, but there are also a fair number of baby boomers and veteran activists. There are students, professionals, workers, and unemployed among them. In the crowd, one can find disillusioned Democrats, Ron Paul Republicans, third-party and Independent political activists, anarchists and members of the hacktivist collective Anonymous, among others.”

Hacker collective Anonymous has released a fresh statement and live video feed explaining and chronicling its involvement:

(If you are not too familiar with Anonymous, start here, and hang on to your hat.)

Together we can defend ourselves so that our privacy is not overrun by profiteering gluttons. Your hat can be white, gray or black, your skin and race are not important. If you’re aware of the corruption, expose it now, in the name of Anti-Security. ~Anonymous

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said, “As long as they do it where other people’s rights are respected, this is the place where people can speak their minds, and that’s what makes New York, New York.” Then, in typical corporatist, security-state style, he had the police partition “Wall Street’s pedestrian walkway throughout the weekend, preventing the protesters from gaining a toehold there.”

The problem with that, as many see it, is the city sidewalks belong to the people – you, me and protesters, not Wall Street or any other protected entity in our government’s favor. You do not need a permit to occupy or peaceably assemble on public sidewalks. According to a 2000 federal court ruling, the use of “public sleeping as a means of symbolic expression” is allowed on public sidewalks in New York City as long as you do not block pedestrians or doorway entrances and exits. See METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, INC., Plaintiff, -against- HOWARD SAFIR, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, et al., June 12, 2000 [99 F. Supp. 2d 438; 2000 U.S. Dist.]

I am delighted by the protesters and the action they’re taking. It’s serious business for obvious reasons and I hope they have energy and stamina, good luck and good weather. It’s our right and obligation to protest wrongful actions by our government, and they are “taking the bull by the horns” – setting a good example for Americans young and old.
Their way has been paved and they’ve earned our support.

Kent State, May 4, 1970

DCKennedy