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Posts tagged occupy

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occupyallstreets: NYPD Threaten And Intimidate Activists For For Recording Police Two West Harlem residents, Christina Gonzalez, 25, and Matthew Swaye, 35, ran into a surprise when they showed up for a community meeting at their local NYPD precinct last week. There, on the wall of the 30th Precinct, were their mug shots—only they weren’t wanted for any crime. Christina Gonzalez and Matthew Swaye are police reform activists who regularly film police interactions in their neighborhood, especially to record the NYPD’s controversial Stop and Frisk policy. Although filming police is completely legal, the poster (which was full of misspellings, I might add), advised officers to “be aware” that these ”professional agitators” not only film police “performing routine stops,” but also” post the videos on YouTube. “Subjects purpose is to portray officers in a negative way and to [sic] deter officers from conducting their [sic] responsibilities.” the warning from Sergeant Nicholson reads. “Do not feed into above subjects’ propaganda.” Gonzalez says it is the NYPD spreading propaganda and that the poster is an obvious tactic to criminalize, intimidate and target her. Since Gonzalez became involved with Occupy and the Stop-and-Frisk movement this fall, police have given her plenty of reasons to look over her shoulder, including calling her out by name and address, erecting a watchtower on her corner and aggressively arresting her sister in front of Gonzalez. Of course, this is not the first time the NYPD or other police departments have targeted activists. The New York police have a history of infiltrating and intimidating activists, particularly during the Black Panther movement of the 1960s and 1970s.  For activists like Gonzalez, Stop-and-Frisk, a racial profiling tactic, is not only a violation of one’s constitutional rights, it is also part of the NYPD’s larger apparatus of racial oppression. Police stop more than 700,00 people per year, almost 90 percent of whom are young Black and Latino men. The best defense against the illegal searches, which occur during about 50% of stops, has proven to be video, and the ACLU recently launched an app to combat and document unconstitutional stops. But while the movement relies on cameras to expose Stop-and-Frisk, the NYPD targets filmers like Gonzalez with the same type of surveillance and repression police have used against activists in the past.  Gonzalez, who grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens, and graduated magnum cum laude from John Jay College of Criminal Justice last year, has long been familiar with the NYPD—though rarely appreciative of their services. A few years ago, she was a victim of intimate partner violence, and the NYPD routinely refused to help her. “They blamed me for my own abuse,” Gonzalez said. “The police were supposed to protect me.” Her former partner is currently incarcerated for assaulting his latest girlfriend.  Gonzalez says police are familiar with her and her activism, and that as the movement to reform Stop-and-Frisk grows, so, too, does the police reaction.  Gonzalez said that, the more she filmed, demonstrated, and was arrested, the more police noticed her, often calling her by name and making comments like, “we remember you,” or, “be careful walking home; it’s a long walk to 153rd Street.” “That’s when I said, ‘Okay, they know where we live.’ That was kind of scary, especially to say in front of my little sister.” In February, Gonzalez learned the NYPD were watching her YouTube page, where she posted videos of police harassment, such as the time officers taunted Gonzalez by telling her that her dreadlocked hair smells. Shortly after she posted the video, two officers called her by name over to their police car. Read More

occupyallstreets:

NYPD Threaten And Intimidate Activists For For Recording Police

Two West Harlem residents, Christina Gonzalez, 25, and Matthew Swaye, 35, ran into a surprise when they showed up for a community meeting at their local NYPD precinct last week. There, on the wall of the 30th Precinct, were their mug shots—only they weren’t wanted for any crime.

Christina Gonzalez and Matthew Swaye are police reform activists who regularly film police interactions in their neighborhood, especially to record the NYPD’s controversial Stop and Frisk policy. Although filming police is completely legal, the poster (which was full of misspellings, I might add), advised officers to “be aware” that these ”professional agitators” not only film police “performing routine stops,” but also” post the videos on YouTube.

“Subjects purpose is to portray officers in a negative way and to [sic] deter officers from conducting their [sic] responsibilities.” the warning from Sergeant Nicholson reads. “Do not feed into above subjects’ propaganda.”

Gonzalez says it is the NYPD spreading propaganda and that the poster is an obvious tactic to criminalize, intimidate and target her. Since Gonzalez became involved with Occupy and the Stop-and-Frisk movement this fall, police have given her plenty of reasons to look over her shoulder, including calling her out by name and address, erecting a watchtower on her corner and aggressively arresting her sister in front of Gonzalez.

Of course, this is not the first time the NYPD or other police departments have targeted activists. The New York police have a history of infiltrating and intimidating activists, particularly during the Black Panther movement of the 1960s and 1970s. 

For activists like Gonzalez, Stop-and-Frisk, a racial profiling tactic, is not only a violation of one’s constitutional rights, it is also part of the NYPD’s larger apparatus of racial oppression. Police stop more than 700,00 people per year, almost 90 percent of whom are young Black and Latino men. The best defense against the illegal searches, which occur during about 50% of stops, has proven to be video, and the ACLU recently launched an app to combat and document unconstitutional stops. But while the movement relies on cameras to expose Stop-and-Frisk, the NYPD targets filmers like Gonzalez with the same type of surveillance and repression police have used against activists in the past. 

Gonzalez, who grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens, and graduated magnum cum laude from John Jay College of Criminal Justice last year, has long been familiar with the NYPD—though rarely appreciative of their services. A few years ago, she was a victim of intimate partner violence, and the NYPD routinely refused to help her.

“They blamed me for my own abuse,” Gonzalez said. “The police were supposed to protect me.” Her former partner is currently incarcerated for assaulting his latest girlfriend. 

Gonzalez says police are familiar with her and her activism, and that as the movement to reform Stop-and-Frisk grows, so, too, does the police reaction.  Gonzalez said that, the more she filmed, demonstrated, and was arrested, the more police noticed her, often calling her by name and making comments like, “we remember you,” or, “be careful walking home; it’s a long walk to 153rd Street.”

“That’s when I said, ‘Okay, they know where we live.’ That was kind of scary, especially to say in front of my little sister.”

In February, Gonzalez learned the NYPD were watching her YouTube page, where she posted videos of police harassment, such as the time officers taunted Gonzalez by telling her that her dreadlocked hair smells. Shortly after she posted the video, two officers called her by name over to their police car.

Read More

(via anarcho-queer)

Filed under NYPD Activist Stop And Frisk Intimidation Sergeant Nicholson OWS Occupy police police state

195 notes

wespeakfortheearth: truth-has-a-liberal-bias: Top 5 FOX myths to debunk this Thanksgiving ~~~~~~~~~~~~ MYTH #1: The congressional Super Committee failed because both sides refuse to compromise. REALITY: The Super Committee failed because Republicans’ number one, non-negotiable priority is to protect millionaires and billionaires from paying even one more penny in taxes.1 Democrats repeatedly offered to make deep spending cuts—far deeper than most progressives would like—in exchange for raising taxes on the wealthy and closing corporate loopholes, only to be refused again and again.2 So even though the vast majority of Americans say they want to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits, and raise taxes on the rich and corporations,3 that won’t happen until Republicans put aside their extremist stance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MYTH #2: Nobody knows what Occupy Wall Street is about. REALITY: Occupy Wall Street may not have a formal list of demands, but anyone who’s been paying attention understands the core problems that occupiers are protesting—that corporations have far too much power in our political system, that Wall Street banks crashed our economy but were never held accountable, and that the richest 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans—156 million people—combined.4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MYTH #3: Occupiers should stop protesting and just get a job. REALITY: As anybody who’s looked for a job in the last few years knows, there just aren’t jobs out there. That’s a big part of why occupiers are protesting. In September, there were four times as many unemployed people as job openings.5 And for those who are lucky enough to find a job, median wages today are lower than they were a decade ago.6 {And most of them have jobs! - A} ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MYTH #4: Occupy Wall Street is intent on provoking violence, especially against banks and the police. REALITY: Occupations across the country have committed themselves to nonviolent protest, in the greatest traditions of protest movements. Some of their protests have been met with acts of police violence—tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets7—but in many cases, protesters have reminded police that the police officers are part of the 99%, too.8 And in the few cases when people have shown up at Occupy demonstrations and committed acts of vandalism, other protesters have even repaired their acts of vandalism.9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MYTH #5: The biggest crisis facing our country is out of control government spending. REALITY: The two biggest drivers of our deficit—by far—are the economic crash and the Bush tax cuts.10 We have millions of people out of work, corporations hoarding cash, and factories sitting idle. If we put all those people back to work—rebuilding infrastructure, educating our children, and researching new technologies—it’ll shrink the deficit and make our economy stronger for the long haul. And we can easily afford it if we make sure the rich—who are taking home a larger percentage of income than any time since 191711—pay their fair share. (All sources available at the link.) Happy Thanksgiving… and good luck with your relatives! Get with the program.

wespeakfortheearth:

truth-has-a-liberal-bias:

~~~~~~~~~~~~
MYTH #1: The congressional Super Committee failed because both sides refuse to compromise.
REALITY: The Super Committee failed because Republicans’ number one, non-negotiable priority is to protect millionaires and billionaires from paying even one more penny in taxes.1 Democrats repeatedly offered to make deep spending cuts—far deeper than most progressives would like—in exchange for raising taxes on the wealthy and closing corporate loopholes, only to be refused again and again.2 So even though the vast majority of Americans say they want to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits, and raise taxes on the rich and corporations,3 that won’t happen until Republicans put aside their extremist stance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MYTH #2: Nobody knows what Occupy Wall Street is about.
REALITY: Occupy Wall Street may not have a formal list of demands, but anyone who’s been paying attention understands the core problems that occupiers are protesting—that corporations have far too much power in our political system, that Wall Street banks crashed our economy but were never held accountable, and that the richest 400 Americans have more wealth than half of all Americans—156 million people—combined.4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MYTH #3: Occupiers should stop protesting and just get a job.
REALITY: As anybody who’s looked for a job in the last few years knows, there just aren’t jobs out there. That’s a big part of why occupiers are protesting. In September, there were four times as many unemployed people as job openings.5 And for those who are lucky enough to find a job, median wages today are lower than they were a decade ago.6
{And most of them have jobs! - A}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MYTH #4: Occupy Wall Street is intent on provoking violence, especially against banks and the police.
REALITY: Occupations across the country have committed themselves to nonviolent protest, in the greatest traditions of protest movements. Some of their protests have been met with acts of police violence—tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets7—but in many cases, protesters have reminded police that the police officers are part of the 99%, too.8 And in the few cases when people have shown up at Occupy demonstrations and committed acts of vandalism, other protesters have even repaired their acts of vandalism.9
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MYTH #5: The biggest crisis facing our country is out of control government spending.
REALITY: The two biggest drivers of our deficit—by far—are the economic crash and the Bush tax cuts.10 We have millions of people out of work, corporations hoarding cash, and factories sitting idle. If we put all those people back to work—rebuilding infrastructure, educating our children, and researching new technologies—it’ll shrink the deficit and make our economy stronger for the long haul. And we can easily afford it if we make sure the rich—who are taking home a larger percentage of income than any time since 191711—pay their fair share.
(All sources available at the link.)

Happy Thanksgiving… and good luck with your relatives!

Get with the program.

(via mlesblog-deactivated20120325)

Filed under occupy ows occupy wall street myths reality

115 notes

Sarah Strnad: Responses to 5 Myths About the Occupy Movement

sarahstrnad:

“Myth” #1

The Occupy Movement creates or exacerbates the risks of homelessness by packing public spaces with the destitute poor, transients, and “hippy kids” who are unsanitary.

Drawing attention to a problem is not to be confused with creating a problem. While Occupy movements across the globe have indeed attracted a number of marginalized people to the camps, these people were in very bad shape to begin with. Not only has the Occupy movement drawn attention to the results of economic inequality—such as homelessness—some camps (like Occupy Oakland) are providing these folks with food, medical attention, toilets, and safety in numbers. In her official apology letter,Oakland Mayor Jean Quan gave “the rationale of public health and safety” as the justification for dismantling the Ogawa Plaza Camp on 10/24. Poverty, not direct democratic action, is the public health and safety risk this country must face.

“Myth” #2

The Occupy Movement is made up in large part by people who aren’t from the city they are occupying.

Not being from a given place has never stopped the U.S. government/military from acting, as current involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya demonstrates clearly. Conservatives who claim the above myth as truth should be reminded of the foreign policies of the people they vote for and support. Liberals who use the above myth to invalidate tactics, strategy, or message should be reminded that Che was not from Cuba, Cesar Chavez was not from Delano, and the Freedom Riders of the Civil Rights Movement were not from the Deep South. Passivity is not tolerance; inaction is not restraint; and where you were born or currently reside does not lessen your obligation to your fellow citizens.

“Myth” #3

The Occupy Movement is bad for local businesses.

What’s bad for local businesses are multi-national corporations that use their size to lower the price of consumer goods by exploiting labor wherever it is cheapest and least organized. What’s bad for local businesses are banks that make irresponsible loans that lead to foreclosures, banks that siphon off local resources by enacting late fees, transaction fees, and overdraw fees. It seems more likely that a movement that draws people into a designated central location cannot but help nearby businesses as people must eat and that food must be bought somewhere. I’m sure tent sales are through the roof lately.

“Myth” #4

The Occupy Movement is undermining already cash-strapped municipalities by pressuring them to enact reforms and saddling cities with expensive policing and clean-up efforts.

Things are bad and getting worse for cities as real estate prices continue to stagnate (property taxes are one of the few ways cities are legally allowed to raise funds). Inaction in the face of school closures, teacher (and yes) police layoffs, and public services cuts will not solve the problem. The Occupy Movement is not “picking” on poor cities like Oakland. The Occupy Movement is pressuring every level of government, business, and society to create a system that serves the majority of people who keep it running every day. Neither can Occupy be blamed for costs related to oppressive police crack downs on the exercise of free speech; this accusation is almost too ridiculous to mention. Finally, the more stable and organized occupations of public space become, the more sanitary they will be, as the installation of ten portable toilets at Oakland’s Ogawa Plaza on the 10/28 demonstrates.

“Myth” #5

Things might be bad here, but it could be worse, like in Egypt, so stop whining about it.

Recent opinion polls suggest few Americans believe the economy is getting better. Yet the biggest corporations continue to reap huge profits without hiring new workers. Clearly things are bad here, and not looking to get any. And yes, we do have many privileges in this country the envy of the world over, like the rights to free speech and demonstration. We must take full advantage of all of the benefits of being U.S. citizens if we are to create a system that works for the majority, as well as a system that does not invade and destabilize those less fortunate nations around the globe. Unless you are the 1% of Americans who are content with the status quo, the best solution to changing the tone of the Occupy movement to better represent your concerns is to add your voice to the mix.

Those who subscribe to these myths, more often than not, mistake the effect for the cause. If there was more affordable housing, there would be less people living on the streets. If there weren’t problems in cities like Oakland, people from other places wouldn’t be showing up every day to protest those problems. If small businesses were not in trouble to begin with, no one would worry that people camping in tents nearby would be disruptive. Finally, if cities (and all levels of government) were providing the services that people need, no one would accuse them of serving first and foremost the billionaires, corporations and banks.

If your friends are sick, you don’t tell them to stop having a sore throat. If it’s the system that is sick, do not blame those who are working diligently to nurture a recovery. Join them and work to shape that recovery.

(via anarcho-queer)

Filed under occupy ows occupy wall street protest myths reality

2 notes

Should I make a parody with “Jane Says” about the police state and Occupy movement?

the police says, to pack up all your shit

“you’re not welcome anymore”

youve had your chance, to speak your mind

now its inconvenient,

so move on out!

Filed under lyrics parody jane says the police says occupy ows Occupy Wall Street acoustic me singing vocals guitar jam idea

8,375 notes

I lost a child to the Occupy movement.

itsallgone:

Just thirteen days ago I was eight months pregnant.

Everyone loved rubbing my belly.

I even wore my “Baby On Board” shirt over my gigantic stomach.

Read More

“The police don’t care about you. They will show no mercy to you or your unborn child. They’re only around to uphold the status of the 1%. They cannot be trusted.”

(Source: )

Filed under FML I honestly can't think of any more potential tags. I just want my story to be known. My family wouldn't believe me if I tried. Everyone i... OWS Occupy Occupy Wall Street pregnancy I've been drinking myself into oblivion since Saturday. I surprised myself by staying sober since midnight. police state government 1%

6,303 notes

BREAKING: Jeniffer Fox, the 3 Month Pregnant women who was pepper sprayed at Occupy Seattle has miscarried.

occupyallstreets:

“I was screaming, ‘I am pregnant, I am pregnant. Let me through. I am trying to get out.’” At that point, Fox continues, a Seattle police officer lifted his foot and it hit her in the stomach, and another officer pushed his bicycle into the crowd, again hitting Fox in the stomach.

 Source

These pieces of garbage we charge with our safety and the responsibility of our well being MUST be held accountable. 

THIS CANNOT STAND

(via anarcho-queer)

Filed under Occupy Seattle Sad occupy ows occupy wallstreet pregnant miscarriage

578 notes

‘It’s a Food Product, Essentially’: Fox News Starts Spinning Pepper Spray Cops

devonbanks:

stfuconservatives:

squeetothegee:

abaldwin360:

gawker.com

“I don’t think we have the right to Monday-morning quarterback the police,” Bill O’Reilly said tonight, discussing the appalling use of pepper spray by UC Davis police on Friday. No, God forbid we Monday-morning quarterback the police, especially, as O’Reilly continued, “at a place like UC Davis, which is a fairly liberal campus.”

Indeed: what right do we have to think that Lt. John Pike should probably not have indifferently dusted peacefully sitting protesters with pepper spray from only a few feet away? And, gosh, even if we were going to Monday-morning quarterback the police, shouldn’t we remember, as Megyn Kelly tells O’Reilly, that pepper spray is “a food product, essentially”? I mean, Kelly and O’Reilly aren’t saying the cops did the right thing! God, no! They’re just saying, hey, what right do we have to judge a cop for spraying a simple food product on a bunch of liberal college kids’ faces?

[SOURCE]

A food product.  

I want to spray Bill O’Reilly in the face with this “food product” and see how he feels. Douche.

(via ritacorny)

Filed under lmao at the cornel west gif bill plz you know that's a lie occupy uc davis ows protesters pepper spray bil o'reilly idiots

6,207 notes

jtotheizzoe: motherjones: UC Davis police officer pepper sprays sitting students because, well, just because. Think that’s %$#ing horrible? The video’s worse. Via John Aravosis at AmericaBlog: I’m sorry, this has gone too far. This has happened in police department after police department, and it has gone too far. Our police look like the goons in Russia and China. Please watch this video and send it to everyone you know. This has gone too far. Too important not to speak up. This isn’t about your views or understanding (or lack, or misconception) of the Occupy movement anymore, it’s about rights and abuse thereof. Equally shocking photoset here and video here. Simply appalling. Who else does it bother that the American government and authorities call attacks on protesters to be despicable, but fully condone it here? Hypocrisy much?

jtotheizzoe:

motherjones:

UC Davis police officer pepper sprays sitting students because, well, just because.

Think that’s %$#ing horrible? The video’s worse.

Via John Aravosis at AmericaBlog:

I’m sorry, this has gone too far. This has happened in police department after police department, and it has gone too far. Our police look like the goons in Russia and China. Please watch this video and send it to everyone you know. This has gone too far.

Too important not to speak up.

This isn’t about your views or understanding (or lack, or misconception) of the Occupy movement anymore, it’s about rights and abuse thereof.

Equally shocking photoset here and video here.

Simply appalling. Who else does it bother that the American government and authorities call attacks on protesters to be despicable, but fully condone it here? Hypocrisy much?

(via gaymerlibertarian)

Filed under protesters protest police police state occupy occupy wallstreet ows uc davis abuse rights freedom

36 notes

jp-squared: UC Davis Campus Police Lieutenant John Pike (530-752-3989 japikeiii@ucdavis.edu) pepper-sprays 30 peacefully sitting demonstrators at point blank range yesterday. “When students covered their eyes with their clothing, police forced open their mouths and pepper-sprayed down their throats. Several of these students were hospitalized. Others are seriously injured. One of them, forty-five minutes after being pepper-sprayed down his throat, was still coughing up blood.” If you feel so inclined, please call or write Police Lieutenant John Pike and pass this message along.  This is utterly ridiculous. I have no words that explain how much this upsets me.

jp-squared:

UC Davis Campus Police Lieutenant John Pike (530-752-3989 japikeiii@ucdavis.edu) pepper-sprays 30 peacefully sitting demonstrators at point blank range yesterday.

“When students covered their eyes with their clothing, police forced open their mouths and pepper-sprayed down their throats. Several of these students were hospitalized. Others are seriously injured. One of them, forty-five minutes after being pepper-sprayed down his throat, was still coughing up blood.”

If you feel so inclined, please call or write Police Lieutenant John Pike and pass this message along. 

This is utterly ridiculous.

I have no words that explain how much this upsets me.

(via zero--)

Filed under occupy occupy wallstreet ows pepper spray police state uc davis peaceful non-violence protest protesters

386 notes

theatlantic: Meet Dorli Rainey, the 84-Year-Old Woman Pepper Sprayed at Occupy Seattle Broadly, Rainey has been active in politics and Seattle public life since the 1950s. A former schoolteacher, she ran for a seat on the King County Council in the 1970s and lost. During the same period, she was a school board member in Issaquah, a nearby city. Last year, she ran for mayor but eventually withdrew from the race saying, “I am old and should learn to be old, stay home, watch TV and sit still.” But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a good rapport with the current mayor. Read more.

theatlantic:

Meet Dorli Rainey, the 84-Year-Old Woman Pepper Sprayed at Occupy Seattle

Broadly, Rainey has been active in politics and Seattle public life since the 1950s. A former schoolteacher, she ran for a seat on the King County Council in the 1970s and lost. During the same period, she was a school board member in Issaquah, a nearby city. Last year, she ran for mayor but eventually withdrew from the race saying, “I am old and should learn to be old, stay home, watch TV and sit still.” But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a good rapport with the current mayor. Read more.

(via akio)

Filed under occupy ows occupy wall street occupy seattle activism protest

381 notes

Ten Ways the Occupy Movement Changes Everything

occupyonline:

1. It names the source of the crisis.
Political insiders have avoided this simple reality: The problems of the 99% are caused in large part by Wall Street greed, perverse financial incentives, and a corporate takeover of the political system. Now that this is understood, the genie is out of the bottle and it can’t be put back in.

2. It provides a clear vision of the world we want.
We can create a world that works for everyone, not just the wealthiest 1%. And we, the 99%, are using the spaces opened up by the Occupy movement to conduct a dialogue about the world we want.

3. It sets a new standard for public debate.
Those advocating policies and proposals must now demonstrate that their ideas will benefit the 99%. Serving only the 1% will not suffice, nor will claims that the subsidies and policies that benefit the 1% will eventually “trickle down.”

4. It presents a new narrative.
The solution is not to starve government or impose harsh austerity measures that further harm middle-class and poor people already reeling from a bad economy. Instead, the solution is to free society and government from corporate dominance. A functioning democracy is our best shot at addressing critical social, environmental, and economic crises.

5. It creates a big tent.
We, the 99%, are people of all ages, races, occupations, and political beliefs. We will resist being divided or marginalized. We are learning to work together with respect.

6. It offers everyone a chance to create change.
No one is in charge; no organization or political party calls the shots. Anyone can get involved, offer proposals, support the occupations, and build the movement. Because leadership is everywhere and new supporters keep turning up, there is a flowering of creativity and a resilience that makes the movement nearly impossible to shut down.

7. It is a movement, not a list of demands.
The call for deep change—not temporary fixes and single-issue reforms—is the movement’s sustaining power. The movement is sometimes criticized for failing to issue a list of demands, but doing so could keep it tied to status quo power relationships and policy options. The occupiers and their supporters will not be boxed in.

8. It combines the local and the global.
People in cities and towns around the world are setting their own local agendas, tactics, and aims. What they share in common is a critique of corporate power and an identification with the 99%, creating an extraordinary wave of global solidarity.

9. It offers an ethic and practice of deep democracy and community.
Slow, patient decision-making in which every voice is heard translates into wisdom, common commitment, and power. Occupy sites are set up as communities in which anyone can discuss grievances, hopes, and dreams, and where all can experiment with living in a space built around mutual support.

10. We have reclaimed our power.
Instead of looking to politicians and leaders to bring about change, we can see now that the power rests with us. Instead of being victims to the forces upending our lives, we are claiming our sovereign right to remake the world.

(Source: citizen-earth, via lonelyvagabond)

Filed under Occupy Movement OWS Occupy Wall Street Occupy Together global change democracy politics USA occupy government economy

1,196 notes

lonelyvagabond: kwikset: Jay-Z’s Company Sells #OWS Shirts, Chooses Not To Give Any Money To, Y’Know, Occupy Wall Street «Click to read.)) Fuck Jay-Z he is making $22.00 per shirt sold and isn’t giving any of it to any of the occupywallstreet movements?! Do NOT want! wow, way to sell out asshole WHAT A DOUCHE. Let him get the wrath of the people he deserves!

lonelyvagabond:

kwikset:

Jay-Z’s Company Sells #OWS Shirts, Chooses Not To Give Any Money To, Y’Know, Occupy Wall Street «Click to read.))



Fuck Jay-Z he is making $22.00 per shirt sold and isn’t giving any of it to any of the occupywallstreet movements?! Do NOT want!

wow, way to sell out asshole

WHAT A DOUCHE. Let him get the wrath of the people he deserves!

(Source: thedailywhat)

Filed under Jay-z Occupywallstreet ows occupytogether scam marketing Wall street occupy

7,029 notes

ohne-dich:

  Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration - whereby those important events of the past, usually associated with someone’s death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, are celebrated with a nice holiday - I thought we could mark this November the fifth, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.
   There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now orders are being shouted into telephones and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?
   Cruelty and injustice…intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance, coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable. But again, truth be told…if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.
   I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War. Terror. Disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you and in your panic, you turned to the now High Chancellor Adam Sutler. He promised you order. He promised you peace. And all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent.
   Last night, I sought to end that silence. Last night, I destroyed the Old Bailey to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago, a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice and freedom are more than words - they are perspectives. So if you’ve seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you, then I would suggest that you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek…then I ask you to stand beside me, one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament. And together, we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever, be forgot!

(via manatheology)

Filed under everyone seems to be blogging about V now you will hear no objections from me SO FUCKING RELEVANT US occupy freedom liberty future government statism