tagged w/ New York City
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Former "Saturday Night Live" actress, conservative columnist and avowed enemy of both "Glee" and gay people, Victoria Jackson took a video camera to the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City, predictably trying to enflame the supporters camped out in Zuccotti Park.
She dove right into her particular brand of hateful commentary early, pointing out Ground Zero from her car window and saying "some Muslims flew in to" the Twin Towers.
Once Jackson got down to the protests, she began interviewing both the protestors and those that happened to be passing by. She began by asking what they were protesting, then seizing on their responses. She often brought up President Obama's connection to GE, calling him a Marxist and socialist.
"Right now, 50% of people pay taxes and 50% do not. So if everyone gets free stuff who is going to pay for it?" she asked one protestor, who said the government "should end the wars and tax the super rich" to end the deficit. Her response? "Class warfare is Marxist."
Continuing her argument with the same protestor, she said, "If you want everyone to be equal, how are you going to make them equal in good looks and smart brains? Everyone's not created equal." She later called Van Jones a communist, and then said, "So you don't think Obama is stirring up racial and class warfare and its straight out of Rules for Radicals written by Saul Alinsky?"
Then she brought out Jeremiah Wright, devolving into the old anti-Obama arguments.
Glenn Beck recently spoke about the protestors, telling his listeners, "Capitalists, if you think that you can play footsies with these people, you're wrong. They will come for you and drag you into the streets and kill you...they're Marxist radicals...these guys are worse than Robespierre from the French Revolution...they'll kill everybody."
Jackson is known for her provocative conservative statements; in May, she wrote a column slamming "Glee" and made TV appearances hitting out at the show for its inclusion of gay people in its story lines.
"They should have a celibacy campaign and tell kids that 50% of teenagers now have this new STD from oral sex, that's what they should try to be doing instead of making kids gay," the former actress said on Showbiz Tonight. "I just want to know why the liberals are pro-muslim and pro-gays. Muslims kill gays. That's what's confusing to me. And the only thing I can come up with is the Mulims hate God and the gays hate his word."Former "Saturday Night Live" actress, conservative columnist and avowed... more
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The collective demands of the Occupy Wall Street movement were already granted to the US citizens, centuries ago, with the adaptation of the Declaration of Independence. With time, however, the statements of the Founding Fathers lost their meaning as administration after administration began to increasingly lie to the people, and at the same time to hoard more and more money from tax-payers, without ever delivering any of their promises.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” - Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
Yet, 235 years later, the citizens of the world's frontrunner in democracy and human rights say the US economic system has created a great deal of inequalities which have left a majority without jobs and crippled with debts they cannot repay, while a handful of people are pocketing all the wealth in the country.
And so an anti-corporatism movement emerged in New York on September 17 with the name Occupy Wall Street. At first, they were only a handful of people, seeking to occupy the Zuccotti Park (formerly known as Liberty Plaza Park) in the city's financial district. Well in their fourth week, the live ticker on the website of occupytogether.org reported that similar Meetups have surfaced in 1354 cities across the US. And the ticker currently adds new cities nearly every hour.
It is worth mentioning that, while the movement has included people from a wide range of backgrounds, they have all centered upon one statement, “The one thing we all have in common is that we are the 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.”
Nevertheless, while the US, as according to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, allows its citizens to peaceably assemble, and in addition, is the one country which is quick to point a finger of blame at others for disallowing an adequate representation of their voiceless voices, the nationwide Occupy Wall Street movement has faced numerous barriers before reaching their current state.
In fact, it nearly took two weeks for the movement to get their voices heard on the country's mainstream media outlets. And this only occurred when some 800 peaceful protesters were arrested by the NYPD on New York's Brooklyn Bridge. Police crackdown has since then been reported in several cities.
Max Keiser, a financial analyst and journalist, told Press TV in an interview in the early days of the movement that Jamey Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the top banks in the US, has given “USD 4.6 million to the New York Police Department to beef up police presence on the streets and to crack heads and to violently oppress protesters.”
The 1%, however, did not stop there. The movement has, since they finally got some airtime and recognition, been verbally attacked and ridiculed.
More @ link http://presstv.com/detail/204188.htmlThe collective demands of the Occupy Wall Street movement were already granted to the... more
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The Occupy Wall Street movement has entered its fourth week of demonstrations in New York City’s Financial District and is spreading to other cities across the United States and abroad. The participants’ choice of venue highlights the fact that, although many financial institutions are no longer based there, Wall Street remains a powerful symbol of the American economic system. For this reason and others, the iconic thoroughfare and surrounding areas in lower Manhattan have attracted numerous protests, riots and other gatherings since the 18th century. Explore the map below to find out about some of these historic events.
Link to interactive map: http://www.history.com/news/2011/10/11/wall-street-300-years-of-protests/The Occupy Wall Street movement has entered its fourth week of demonstrations in New... more
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If the Occupy Wall Street protesters needed any more ammunition, statistics from the New York State Comptroller this week show just how wide the gap between those on the street and those inside the skyscrapers really is.
In 1981, the average salary of someone in the securities industry in New York was merely twice as high as that of a non-finance related worker, but over the past 30 years the distance between the two has widened to resemble a gulf rather than a gap, the data shows.
Banking salary increases really kicked at the beginning of the 1990s. This led to the highest wages being paid in 2007 when the average Wall Street worker was taking home $400,000 a year, compared with around $60,000 for the man-on-the-street in New York - more than six-and-a-half times higher.
But the protesters may have to concede that the wage growth has some positive consequences, especially in the surrounding suburbs which rely on the business and income taxes even more heavily than the city itself due to the number of commuters living outside the urban hub, the New York State Comptroller's report said.
Wall Street also created employment for the greater population, according to the report. It said that each new finance job resulted in one additional job elsewhere in New York State, mostly in the city’s suburbs.
Based on these multipliers and the current level of Wall Street employment, one in eight jobs in the city and one in 13 jobs in the state are linked (directly or indirectly) to the securities industry.If the Occupy Wall Street protesters needed any more ammunition, statistics from the... more
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A lawyer for an anti-Wall Street protester hit by pepper spray while being detained by police asked the Manhattan District Attorney to arrest the police inspector at the center of the controversy.
In letter sent Tuesday on behalf of protester Kaylee Dedrick to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, attorney Ronald Kuby demands that the prosecutor file assault charges against Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna and place him under arrest.
Dedrick, a 24-year-old teacher’s aide, was one of five women being held by police officers in orange plastic netting on Sept. 24 during an Occupy Wall Street demonstration near Manhattan’s Union Square. Her lawyer wrote that she was treated at the emergency room after the pepper-spray incident and “suffered serious physical pain as a result of this attack.”
Dedrick was not arrested in the incident, her lawyer wrote. Under the New York Police Department’s Patrol Guide, Kuby noted in the letter, pepper spray may be used in “non-arrest situations only to subdue an emotionally disturbed person or against a dangerous animal.”
Videos of the incident and a subsequent use of pepper spray involving Bologna were posted on YouTube and other websites. One of the YouTube postings to date has been viewed more than 1.4 million times. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and New York Police Department have said that they are investigating the Sept. 24 incident.
“It is now seventeen days since D.I. Bologna discharged the spray felt ’round the world,’” Kuby wrote on Tuesday. “While there are published accounts that you are conducting an investigation, you have not attempted to interview my client or obtain her medical records, nor have you informed her as to the progress of your investigation.”
Kuby wrote that “there is no reason, except politics, to delay charging and arresting D.I. Bologna.” The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD declined to comment on Kuby’s letter.A lawyer for an anti-Wall Street protester hit by pepper spray while being detained by... more
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Spend any time with Occupy Wall Street, as I have during the last two weeks, and you come away believing the movement is here for the long run. In New York, where I live, they have made a home out of Zuccotti Park. The park, which is dominated by honey locust trees and a 70-foot-high, red-steel Mark di Suvero sculpture, is just one block square in size, but Occupy Wall Street has made inching through the park and its overflow crowds feel like being at an old-fashioned family picnic.
The challenge Occupy Wall Street offers to Washington politics has caught media observers by surprise. It defies their assumptions that a movement without formal leaders or lots of money to publicize itself can't make a difference. But it is a mistake to think Occupy Wall Street is without historical roots. It joins a long list of political movements that have made their cause known by occupying public space.
The best-known early example was Coxey's Army, which in 1894 marched down Pennsylvania Avenue and briefly occupied the Capitol grounds. Led by Jacob Coxey, a quarry owner from Massillon, Ohio, the men and women of Coxey's Army, who called themselves the "Commonweal of Christ," sought to get Congress to end unemployment with legislation authorizing road building and other internal improvements. Coxey was eventually arrested, his army dispersed, but they set a precedent for how to get the attention of Congress and the media.
More than three decades later, in the early years of the Great Depression, a group of World War I vets, the Bonus Marchers, adopted a similar strategy. In 1932, they came to Washington, asking to have immediate payment of their Adjusted Service Certificate -- their bonus, as they called it.
(More @ link http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/11/opinion/mills-occupy-history/)Spend any time with Occupy Wall Street, as I have during the last two weeks, and you... more
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After weeks of literally protesting Wall Street, Occupy Wall Street has realized that billionaire CEOs actually don't live in lower Manhattan. So they're headed uptown! To help them, here's a map of where the richest of New York's rich live.
By camping out on Wall Street, the NYC residents that protesters have probably most inconvenienced are the small business owners whose bathrooms they've been befouling. Sure, there are rich people in the apartments surrounding Zuccotti Park, but no self-respecting billionaire CEO would live in the Financial District.
But today, protesters took a "millionaire's march," protesting outside the homes of News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch, billionaire republican David Koch, and JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. Strangely the protests are occurring during the day when all these billionaires are probably out of the house, busy stuffing wads of $100 bills into burlap sacks.
A Guide to New York City's 1%Click here or on the image on the right for a map of where the most notable New York City 1%ers—including Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani and a bunch of Wall Street billionaires—live, for your protesting needs.
Map @ link http://gawkernet.com/occupywallstreet/gawkerguide.htmlAfter weeks of literally protesting Wall Street, Occupy Wall Street has realized that... more
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The social movement known as Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is growing and too few of our government and corporate leaders are willing to examine closely what this movement is about. Instead, the political right resorts to mudslinging and labeling, claiming that those who participate in the rallies and marches are un-American (we have a long history in this country of placing this tag on legitimate dissent), or are moving towards "class warfare." Some critics, and so-called Sunday morning television pundits, claim that the group lacks clearly stated goals and policy objectives. In fact, this movement of dissent has exceedingly clear goals and objectives that our national leaders and corporate America ought to take seriously.
Here are a few of the goals and objectives of OWS, at least as seen by me and many of my colleagues at Columbia University, where more than 300 faculty members have just signed a statement in support of the group's goals. Much of the protest focuses on inequalities in social and economic outcomes and on the sharp differentials in power between the super-rich in our society (the fraction of one percent of the population in corporate America with the power and resources to shape policies that disproportionately favor themselves), and the rest who feel totally incapable of effecting meaningful social and economic change. In 2011, one percent of the nation's population controlled roughly 40 percent of our society's wealth. Not since the gilded age at the end of the 19th century, when the robber barons were making their fortunes, has wealth inequality in America been so great. As one might suspect, the corresponding percentage of the population who are living in poverty is growing -- it is now greater than it has been in about 20 years. Median incomes for Americans have actually declined since the recession of 2008. The incomes of middle-class America have been stagnant for over 20 years.
The aspirations of talented young people who are born by chance into families of the 99 percent and who lack the kind of wealth that we find on Wall Street and among the leaders of large hedge funds, private equity companies, and banks, will never be realized. Their educational opportunities are limited -- not by their ability, but by their inability to afford college educations that are commensurate with their talent. Meanwhile, the millionaires and billionaires, and large multinational corporations, receive tax breaks that result in them paying taxes at a lower rate than their secretaries. Their children compete on anything but a level playing field. We have one of the lowest marginal tax rates in the Western world; we have grossly unequal access to educational opportunities for minorities and the poor; we still have tens of millions of our citizens who lack any health care coverage. OWS wants to put back some modicum of equality of opportunity in America.
(More @ linkhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-r-cole/occupy-wall-street-as-the_b_1005147.html)The social movement known as Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is growing and too few of our... more
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Rachel Maddow examined what she called the conservative "freakout" about Occupy Wall Street on her Monday show, throwing in a heavy dose of mockery towards Glenn Beck.
The movement shows no signs of slowing down, and Maddow started her segment by running through the key signs that indicate the protests' growth from a small group of demonstrators to a national movement that has impacted public discourse.
Maddow highlighted Republican presidential candidates, like Mitt Romney, "having to come up with an attempted snappy rejoinder to [the] protest - failing, but having to come up with it," as a key indicator of Occupy Wall Street's growth. She also pointed out that the phrase "corporate greed" was mentioned in the news a total of 164 times between August 10 and September 10. The total usage for this term grew more than 10 times, with 1,801 mentions during September 10 and October 10.
More broadly, Maddow felt that there was a "full scale right wing freakout" going on in response to Occupy Wall Street. She played clips of Reps. Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor denouncing the movement. Then, she turned to Beck, who gained attention Monday by warning that the protesters will "kill everybody" in their quest for revolution.
Maddow mockingly responded, "You know Glenn Beck still exists! That was apparently him on his radio show today." She then impersonated an angry version of the media figure and said, "they're coming to kill you!" Maddow was making the point that the right will attempt to make Occupy Wall Street look scary to negatively portray the movement. Maddow concluded, "they don't even need Glenn Beck but Glenn Beck helps!"Rachel Maddow examined what she called the conservative "freakout" about... more
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What once was seen as a traffic problem in Lower Manhattan has elevated into a debate about economic inequality in America, with bulls-eyes trained on the backs of bankers.
How else can one explain the sudden explosion of media coverage at Zuccotti Park, the discussion of the protests by the Republican field of presidential hopefuls and a shout-out by President Barack Obama last week?
Still, the media still doesn’t know what to make of this growing movement. Is it a liberal tea party? Is it Marxism run amok? Is it an Arab Spring on Wall Street? Is is a hippie gathering? Will Radiohead show up?
Having covered the protests for nearly the month they’ve been camped out downtown, I want to clear the air on some of the myths surrounding this movement in American society and politics.
Myth: The protesters are pushing for anarchy, support violence and communism.
Myth-makers: Ann Coulter, The Washington Times, bloggers, New Hampshire Tea Party, Ron Paul.
Fact: Many of the protesters are seeking jobs, are students or are underemployed. Not one of dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters I spoke to want hand outs, or to overthrow democracy. Rather, they want a return to a democratic process free of corporate and special-interest money. The protests are a month old and have been mostly peaceful.
Myth: Most Occupy Wall Street protesters don’t know what they’re protesting.
Myth-makers: Author William Cohan, Donald Trump, Andrew Ross Sorkin of the New York Times.
Fact: It’s true Occupy Wall Street has become a melting pot of causes: environmentalism, anti-war peace protest and workers rights to name a few. But the protesters are uniformly opposed to a system that favors what they call the 1%: the super rich who have consolidated nearly 40% of the nation’s wealth. It’s no accident that they’ve picked Wall Street as their base. Big banks are responsible for creating the bubble that led to our recession and high unemployment.
Moreover, bank executives who have failed nevertheless continue to get eye-popping rewards: for instance Sallie Krawcheck and Joe Price were ousted from Bank of America Corp. BAC +2.05% a few weeks ago. Their exit packages totaled $11 million. The bank lost $14 billion during the last year, announced it will charge debit-card holders $5 a month and is foreclosing on thousands of mortgages.
The bottom line: you don’t have to be an expert on the machinations of global finance to know something is wrong here.
(More @ link http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-myths-of-occupy-wall-street-2011-10-11)What once was seen as a traffic problem in Lower Manhattan has elevated into a debate... more
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John Carlos was vilified by the sports establishment for raising his black-gloved fist in a defiant black power salute on the medal podium at the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City, scorned for using the Olympics to draw attention to racism in the United States.
But Carlos, the bronze medal winner in the 200-meter dash that year, told Occupy Wall Street protesters at Zuccotti Park on Monday night that he has no regrets - and that he is proud to give them his support.
"I am here for you," Carlos said. "Why? Because I am you. We are here 43 years later because the fight is still to be won. We must never stop, for this day is not for us, but it's for our children."
Carlos and his U.S. Olympic teammate Tommie Smith rocked the sports world in 1968 by lifting their arms in dissent after they had won the bronze and gold medals in the 200-meter dash, just one moment in a life Carlos has dedicated to battling for social justice.
"It wasn't just a symbolic act," said Sherry Wolf, an activist and writer from Brooklyn who was among the hundreds of protesters at Zuccotti Park on Monday night. "He put the black power struggle in the United States on the international stage."
Carlos, in New York to promote the autobiography, "The John Carlos Story," he wrote with sportswriter Dave Zirin, said he felt a strong kinship with the protesters even before he returned to the city.
"Society is broke and these people are here to say 'We need to fix it,'" said Carlos, who grew up in Harlem and now lives in California.
Kirya Traber, a New School student who joined the protest on Monday, said it was fortuitous timing that Carlos' book was released just as the Occupy Wall Street protest has spread to scores of cities around the country. "I'm really inspired by him being here," she said. "I think this movement, whatever it may become, gets its relevance from linking civil rights leaders with those of us here today."
Carlos said the New York police officers standing around the perimeter of Zuccotti Park were not their enemies - many of them, he said, are likely struggling with student loans and mortgage payments, and with fears that their jobs will be cut. "The cops are in the red zone, too," Carlos said. "The fat cats are getting richer and the mouse is starving to death."
His words reverberated with Scott Reing, a Brooklyn Law student who said he is a Republican who embraces capitalism. "If you work hard, you deserve to be on top," Reing said. "But the system is broken."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2011/10/11/2011-10-11_occupy_wall_street_sees_john_carlos_1968_olympic_medalist_famous_for_black_power.html#ixzz1aU9rOu4WJohn Carlos was vilified by the sports establishment for raising his black-gloved fist... more
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Rather than spend their day off hanging out with friends or watching television, a few dozen children crafted signs and fervently waved them at Occupy Wall Street on Monday.
Columbus Day marked day 24 of the Occupy Wall Street protest and the first that activists could bring their kids to Zuccotti Park without taking them out of school. Four Central Park East II Elementary School mothers designated one hour to “Kids Speak Out At Occupy Wall Street,” to include youngsters in the demonstration that calls for ending the influence money has in Washington, according to the organization’s website.
Even as banks got bailed out, American children have witnessed their parents get tossed out of their homes and lose their jobs. Public school kids have lost arts, music and physical education. Many don't have appropriate healthcare. We can't be afraid to discuss these issues with our kids.
One such protester, 7-year-old Caleb Horowitz, told The New York Times that he joined in “to protect animals, and because some people are very poor and have no homes and food — stuff like that.” Caleb is a second grader at Public School 116 in Manhattan.
Parents and teachers used the opportunity to impress their thoughts on what they dubbed as “Un-Columbus Day,” according to alternet.org. One teacher, Ms. Kristen, read aloud from “Encounter,” a book that talks about the “genocidal Columbus who exterminated the Taino people,” the news outlet reported. Each child then had the chance to hand-paint a sign to carry in the march.
Other kids, like 13-year-old Luca Rozany, come from a long line of demonstrators whose relatives wanted to teach the power of speaking out. Luca headed down, with his grandfather and friend, in a pickup truck loaded with fruits and vegetables that farmers near Asheville donated to the cause, The New York Post reported.
“He’s learning life lessons,’’ Luca’s grandfather, Weezel, told the news outlet.
Like his fellow protesters –- from the union workers to the disgruntled unemployed citizens –- Luca is concerned about getting arrested. So, he jotted down a friend’s phone number and a Legal Aid contact on his arm, the Post noted.
In addition to imparting lessons about freedom of speech and Columbus Day, activists hoped to highlight the power of democracy for to its youngest protesters.
“One of our models is teaching to make a difference,” Naomi Smith, principal of Central Park East II told The New York Times. “I thought it would be great for the children to see what’s happening here. This is what democracy looks like.”Rather than spend their day off hanging out with friends or watching television, a few... more
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The Occupy Wall Street protest earned more prominent celebrity support Monday, as Kanye West and Russell Simmons showed up in Zuccotti Park.
Simmons announced Monday afternoon through Twitter that "kanye west is on his way to #occupywallstreet." He subsequently tweeted that he "walked @kanyewest thru the #occupywallstreet. I love how sweet and tolerant he was to the crowd."
West's presence caused a buzz among the crowd and a buzz on Twitter. His appearance drew support and protest of its own, with one in the crowd calling out, "There are no celebrities, just people," according to DNAinfo.com.
Simmons took to his own Twitter account to defend West against some of the backlash.
"His presence matters. #occupywallstreet. Celebrity (sic) have no real value except to use it to help others."
West apparently did not perform at the protests. After causing the stir among the crowd, he left.
"Largely, I felt the response was pretty mixed," protester Ben Fallah told Billboard. "Some felt they were being opportunistic as a means to vault their own celebrity. Though in the case of Kanye West, I don't really think that's necessary."
Simmons, meanwhile, went on Al Sharpton's radio show in the park as West left the protest. Simmons, who according to CNNMoney has a net worth of $340 million, told Sharpton he would be willing to pay more in taxes as a member of the targeted "one percent" of the wealthiest Americans at whom the protests are aimed.
"I'm happy to pay a little more taxes if it means better education for our children," Simmons said. "I don't pay enough taxes and I know it."
He added that he hopes everyone is willing.
"I want to write a check when everybody else does," Simmons said.
Also appearing on Sharpton's show were civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory and Harlem Rep. Charlie Rangel.
Celebrities like Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Michael Moore and Penn Badgley have already lent their support to the protest.The Occupy Wall Street protest earned more prominent celebrity support Monday, as... more
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Dozens were arrested at the first Occupy Des Moines event Sunday night, including a former Iowa state representative and a 14-year-old girl. All but one of them have pleaded not guilty, and some are now asking how much the state's governor knew beforehand.
Video from the event shows police officers dragging or carrying away some protesters. Others were escorted away with their hands zip-cuffed. According to some who were arrested or witnessed the arrests and later spoke with The Huffington Post, many had bruises, cuts and scrapes from the arrests -- and they believed police had used excessive force.
Police arrested the protesters remaining on the Iowa statehouse's west lawn Sunday night for "trespassing" because they said the area closes to the public at 11 p.m.
Sgt. Jana Rooker, the public information officer for the local sheriff's office, told HuffPost she didn't have an exact number, but estimated around 40 people were arrested for trespassing and various other charges.
Sally Frank, a Drake University law professor who is providing legal guidance to the protesters, said she believes the arrests violated the protesters' constitutional right to peacefully assemble. Drake accused the police of going too far.
"There was a level of force that was used that I have not seen before in Iowa, and I've been doing legal support for protesters since 1990," Frank said.
Protesters had gathered on the lawn of the Iowa statehouse Sunday at noon to start a general assembly for the first Des Moines version of the protests that have spread around the country since Occupy Wall Street began on Sept. 17. At many Occupy events, general assemblies have been used to make consensus decisions about how to proceed. The Des Moines protesters decided to rename the area "People's Park" and later to stay beyond the 11 p.m. curfew.
They also heard from a lawyer about what to expect should police try to clear them off the property. They had been warned that if they did not leave at 11, the state police would begin making arrests.
David Goodner, who was arrested, told HuffPost that police began arriving at 10:30 p.m. Another attendee, Jon Vaage, said at least two police vans arrived near 11 p.m.
About 150 people reportedly remained at 11, and around 40 to 50 stayed in the area they had been told to vacate. Frank said two officers approached them at 10:30 with a warning that arrests would begin at 11, but she said the protesters were not given one last chance to leave at 11.
"They came right at us, and we chanted our statement of intent," Goodner said. He added that protesters linked arms and sat down -- a common tactic for resisting arrest during political demonstrations.
A 14-year-old girl was among those arrested and was taken to a juvenile detention center. Frank said that usually in such cases the teenager would be promptly released to her parents, but the troopers opted to take her away instead. The girl was released around 1:30 a.m. Monday.
A similar protest began in Iowa City near the University of Iowa only two days before Occupy Des Moines. Several more demonstrations are planned in smaller towns around the state.
Police have not interfered with the protest at Occupy Iowa City, in part because that group inquired about obtaining a permit from the city. The protesters in Des Moines couldn't get a permit for their location at the capitol building.
Former state Rep. Ed Fallon was one of the first to be arrested Sunday night. Fallon said he has walked through the area late at night many times before without being stopped, and he wondered who made the call to begin arrests and whether Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) was involved.
"The governor did not order these arrests," said Tim Albrecht, communications director for the governor's office, in an email to HuffPost. "The governor supports the Iowa State Patrol’s actions, which followed proper protocol. The citizens were informed a permit was needed, and chose not to pursue one."
At a press conference on Monday, Branstad said that permits are not available to stay overnight on the state capitol grounds.
"My feeling is I think it’s all right to have a demonstration here at the capitol, but it’s not meant to be a place to camp out overnight," the governor said.
State troopers reportedly told protesters that the capitol grounds are considered a state park and close at 11 p.m. But Frank said there are no signs to indicate either of those things.
Fallon said he thought the state police were out of line Sunday. "We were in public space, not obstructing traffic," he said, "so there was nothing to be gained except to just bust us up. … It ruined my fond impressions of the state patrol and also just fueled this movement. We are not intimidated by this."
Vaage, who watched the arrests from a distance, said he couldn't believe how they took place.
"After I left, I was thinking to myself how unbelievable this is happening here. It doesn't seem like the product of what this country is about," Vaage said. "It was unnecessary to coordinate such a large force to eradicate this movement at this park. It was kind of, like, shocking to see that kind of show of force or show of authority over something as simple as a curfew."
Goodner, Fallon, and other protesters told HuffPost that, despite the setback with the arrests, they felt optimistic the movement was gaining power.
"I've been a political activist for 27 years and never seen anything that carries this much potential for change," Fallon said. He planned to go back to the Occupy Des Moines protest. More Occupy events are scheduled to begin later this week in Iowa.
Frank said the protesters who were arrested would request a trial by jury to fight the trespassing charges.Dozens were arrested at the first Occupy Des Moines event Sunday night, including a... more
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John Lennon always considered himself a poet before a musician. Before he was a Beatle he was an artist. Born in 1940, today John Lennon would be turning 71 but we know that he is not celebrating a birthday today and we all know why. What we are left with are his words, his images, his music and his energy.John Lennon always considered himself a poet before a musician. Before he was a Beatle... more
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a memorial
I think this was well done.
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http://d.yimg.com/nl/ynews/newsmaker/player.html#shareUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fvideo%23video%3D26271274&vid=26271274&browseCarouselUI=hide
( copy the ENTIRE link to make this work )
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From Ground Zero to Reflection of Absence
Standing in the kitchen, driving in the car, receiving a phone call at the bus stop, walking into work or school, everyone knows where they were 10 years ago today.
The images of smoke, flames, dust, and chaos are burned into the memory of every American and most of the world. That fateful day of tragic loss, disbelief, gripping fear, and sorrow truly changed the world. Americans realized tomorrow is never promised and that every day is a blessing.
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http://www.claremontportside.com/?p=4968
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http://www.claremontportside.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/CMCers-with-flags.jpga memorial
I think this was well done.
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Wall Street has shown Americans how they feel about the protests with this recent video. The video shows unidentified occupants watching protesters from the balconies of Wall Street in amusement while sipping champagne.Wall Street has shown Americans how they feel about the protests with this recent... more
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J.A. Myerson, Alternet joins Thom Hartmann with the eyewitness report. Despite efforts of the NYPD to break the momentum of the "Occupy Wall Street" protest...the movement is GAINING support from big name organizations! It looks like corporate greed, crony capitalism, and the “for the rich, by the rich” economy may have finally reached a tipping point in America.
The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT TV & FSTV "live" 9pm and 11pm check www.thomhartmann.com/tv for local listings
"I feel we all need to band together, and I am pleased to see the unions doing so...."J.A. Myerson, Alternet joins Thom Hartmann with the eyewitness report. Despite efforts... more
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A Toronto police officer suggested in January 2011 that to remain safe, “women should avoid dressing like sluts.” His comments sparked protests by feminists resulting in dozens of Slut Walks around the globe.A Toronto police officer suggested in January 2011 that to remain safe, “women... more
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