The Numbers are Growing: OCCUPY WALL STREET

In several videos, these white shirts are seen pushing and shoving protesters at random as they walk along the streets lined by participants and observers.

Courtesy: guardian.co.uk

(WINDSOR, N.H.) - What started out 10 days ago as a handful of protesters determined to raise awareness of the injustices and harms caused by the morally bankrupt minions of Wall Street has grown into thousands of angered, yet entirely peaceful, supporters of what can now be called a genuine occupation.

Blocked from directly confronting the offices of the world's largest accumulation of politically protected criminals, the protesters have swarmed a local park and the surrounding streets.

Not directed by any particular leaders or organizations, these protesters truly represent the aspirations of everyday citizens. Actions taken by these protesters are guided by consensus through the use of what are called “general assemblies”. The guiding principles of any and all actions thus far taken are to get their messages across clearly and do so in the most peaceful ways possible.

As seen in the growing number of videos, these principles are being upheld universally and against all attempts by planted perpetrators to create chaos and violence.

Courtesy: treehugger.com

Again, as witnessed by the videos and by all accounts from participants and witnesses, it is clear that the only violence being committed stems from the illegal actions of the New York Police Department.

It would be unfair to characterize the entire police force as championing brutal excess of force against the protesters. It is easily determined by watching the expressions on many of the officers involved that they are not happy with this assignment.

Many can be overheard attempting to be polite and even supportive. A phenomenon noted by many observers is that the white shirted representatives of the NYPD are directing the actions; selecting who is to be arrested and ordering patrol officers to carry out their directives.

In several videos, these white shirts are seen pushing and shoving protesters at random as they walk along the streets lined by participants and observers. Numerous pictures and videos show one particular red jacketed NYPD representative brutally attacking participants and provoking situations at every opportunity.

Reports have come in of many observers (non-participants) and people simply attempting to go about their daily business being assaulted, abused and arrested.

• One 16-year old girl was arrested as she left a store and, seeing the crowd, decided to take a picture on her cell phone.
• A 70+ year old woman attempting to make her way home was assaulted and thrown to the ground by one of the white shirted NYPD.

Interviews with a number of protesters who were arrested, and 14 hours later released, tell stories of officers attempting to make their processing as swift and simple as possible, conveying their genuine support for the efforts of the protesters and their distaste for having to follow orders to effect arrests where no real violations occurred.

NYPD has instituted a tactic of surrounding areas and protesters with an orange mesh fence when they make an assault upon protesters. It would appear that they are attempting to cordon off the area to diminish the number of protesters surrounding these arrests and assaults. However, video has shown officers macing protesters surrounded by the fence and selectively arresting those contained.

In a manner very representative of the tactics employed by Israeli forces quelling legal protests in the West Bank, NYPD have been targeting media for assault, arrest and confiscation of their equipment. A PBS crew member was arrested and detained for 14 hours as were several members of the LiveStream crew who have been covering the occupation since day one.

Equipment has been damaged, destroyed and stolen and video crews have been assaulted, some repeatedly, while attempting to film police actions against protesters. Noted by one participant interviewed, there appeared to be no issue with tarps and umbrellas used to shade and protect equipment until the rain started whereupon NYPD issued orders that all protective gear be taken down.

Community support for the occupation has been remarkable. A number of pizza shops and other food outlets have been making deliveries to the protesters, one actually naming a pizza after their effort. Not having permits for portable toilets, a local McDonalds has offered use of its restrooms round the clock. Donations of clothes, tarps, food and water and even vitamins have been flowing in and several web sites have been established to collect funds to assist in keeping the occupation going. Occupiers have made it clear that they will not discriminate regarding who can have access to these donations and have been feeding the homeless who arrive at the park.

Support has been flowing in from across the US and from many nations across the globe. Sympathetic protests and marches are springing up in cities from the West coast to the East and many cities, colleges and Universities are putting together their own occupations. Busloads and cars filled with protesters are wending their way toward NY at this time and it is expected that the numbers of occupiers will double in the coming days.

A number of notable speakers and media people have offered support to the occupation. Among them Michael Moore, Kieth Olbermann, and Chris Hedges. Noam Chomsky has written a letter of support:

“Anyone with eyes open knows that the gangsterism of Wall Street — financial institutions generally — has caused severe damage to the people of the United States (and the world). And should also know that it has been doing so increasingly for over 30 years, as their power in the economy has radically increased, and with it their political power.

That has set in motion a vicious cycle that has concentrated immense wealth, and with it political power, in a tiny sector of the population, a fraction of 1%, while the rest increasingly become what is sometimes called “a precariat” — seeking to survive in a precarious existence. They also carry out these ugly activities with almost complete impunity — not only too big to fail, but also “too big to jail.”

The courageous and honorable protests underway in Wall Street should serve to bring this calamity to public attention, and to lead to dedicated efforts to overcome it and set the society on a more healthy course.”

Initially, for the first week, main stream media refused to cover the occupation. Despite its occurrence directly under their upturned noses, they pretended it did not exist. Perhaps their thinking is that if they do not cover it, it will simply go away. When word was issued that NYPD would be taking action, suddenly the media crews arrived in droves. Nothing gets their attention more than the spilling of blood.. especially when it comes from the cracked skulls of those individuals the corporate directors deem the enemy.

The real media.. the media coming directly from the citizens involved.. gave strong coverage to the occupation and social media rapidly has spread every nuance of the protesters actions. Impossible for NYPD to steal every cell phone and camera, pictures, videos and tweets have been non-stop. Now that MSM has figured out that this is not a typical one day protest (it took them a week) political figures have been attempting to capture the cameras.

Much to their dismay, the protesters have made it clear this occupation is not about garnering support for one candidate or another. It is, in fact, about exposing them as a part of the problem.. their greed, dishonesty, complacency and criminal complicity in drowning this nation, and many around the globe, in economic tyranny.

In less than a week and a half, another occupation will occur. This occupation will be on a much larger scale and will address many of the same issues raised by the occupation of Wall Street. This occupation will take the voices of the average American citizen directly to the doors of those institutions bought and paid for by the criminals of Wall Street... many of whom occupy offices within the government and were the main architects of the world's worst economic and social disaster in history.

Again, this will not be a one day protest where a few speakers are heard, posters are waved about and then the participants return to their homes (if they still have them), their jobs (if they are fortunate enough to have one) and watch TV for news of the next round of layoffs, foreclosures, attacks on social safeguards or start of yet another “war”. This will be a full scale occupation. As is the case with the occupation of Wall Street, numerous sympathetic marches and protests, along with local occupations, will occur. Several nations around the world have already promised to establish, or continue, their occupations. And like the occupation of Wall Street, the guiding principles will be to make our voices heard and create genuine change (unlike the empty rhetoric for election and re-election of one Barack H. Obama) in the most peaceful manner possible. OCCUPY DC begins OCTOBER 6, 2011.

There are iconic moments in the movement for justice and peace when, if you are not a participant, you regret it forever

Join the occupations. If need be, start your own. If unable to attend, lend your support.. vocally and/or with supplies and donation$.

For information on #OCCUPYWALLSTREET:

occupywallst.org/

To donate to #OCCUPYWALLSTREET :

http://nycga.cc/donate/ (Food can be ordered via phone and it will be delivered to the occupation)

A special fund has been set up to help one of our sister journalists who will lose her present job and will need support to continue her excellent coverage of the Wall Street Occupation and head to DC to cover the Occupation there. https://www.wepay.com/donate/156422?utm_campaign=donations

This enterprising individual is selling t-shirts, etc. with profits going to support #OCCUPYWALLSTREET http://www.cafepress.com/kristen_change

For more information on the OCTOBER 6 OCCUPATION OF DC:

october2011.org/ and follow me on Twitter: @mdp4202

He is the Creator of Thought Addiction programs (Lectures Seminars & Workshops) (Intensive 21 day Addiction Recovery Programs designed for Artists, Actors, Musicians & Industry Leaders) residing in New Hampshire (US). (The Website for M. Dennis Paul, Ph.D. is currently under reconstruction) Contact: mdp54@gsinet.net 1-603-478-1544