Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
An Occupy Wall Street demonstrator in Zuccotti Park on Tuesday.
Occupy Wall Street protesters streamed back into Manhattan's Zuccotti Park this evening, but without the camping gear. It's been a wild 24-hours for demonstrators, starting with a surprise police raid and ending with a court that prohibits them from living in the park.
Earlier today, a New York judge ruled against Occupy Wall Street protesters — siding with the city’s move to dismantle the encampment by getting rid of sleeping bags and tents.
Supreme Court Justice Michael Stallman upheld the city's mass eviction after an emergency appeal by the National Lawyers Guild. Demonstrators asked to be allowed back into the park with their all their gear. The judge said the protesters' first amendment rights still don't entitle them to take over the privately-owned park, their makeshift home since mid-September.
Armed with plastic shields and batons, hundreds of police kicked out all the protesters in the middle of the night. It got ugly at times, with reports of cops clashing with demonstrators and journalists. The city told protesters they could come back after a thorough cleanup — just not with their stuff.
Approximately 200 people were arrested, including a New York City councilman on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended timing of the sweep, saying he ordered it "to reduce the risk of confrontation in the park, and to minimize disruption to the surrounding neighborhood." He said he it became a necessity because of "intolerable" health and safety conditions.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Protesters re-entering New York City's Zuccotti Park on Tuesday.
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I wonder what the local governments are thinking using force on the common folk just wanting to be heard and to get the Congress and corporations focused on the economy and fixing the banks who are hoarding the money with the 1% and Corporations who are not paying taxes on profits.
No loop holes for corporations and the rich. Fair taxes and protection of the working class from unethical and immoral corporations and businesses who take away the American dream for profits and self-serving bonuses for executives and CEO who raid the dreams by stealing from the Retirement pledges and contracts for workers that included healthcare and pension when we retire....
These are a few of the things that will never be fixed because now the greedy individuals are sending all the work to third world countries.
Look at Corporations, Executives, and all the Politicians getting rich off of the lobbyist and the rich.
Lawrence don't your viewers realize that salary wise, investment wise or any other way you figure wealth that you are a MEMBER OF THE 1%?
What are you implying in this question? It seems like you are making an assumption that battle lines have been drawn dividing "the 99%" from "the 1%" and that strikes me as the kind of short-sightedness that is typical of people who don't care to take the time to understand the dynamics of what is happening.
The wealthiest 1% in this country have not been targeted by the 99% as "the enemy." That kind of thinking is divisive. We are, all 100% of us, in this together. Some of the 1% have already made it well known that they understand that, so it would be unreasonable for us to be enemies. That isn't how it works.
Ultimately, the enemy is the blatant corruption that riddles our current system. We can't ignore it any longer, and we won't. Nor will we allow anyone else to ignore it. Lawrence is, if anything, our ally in that respect.
I think anyone watching O'Donnell and Ari Melber effusively praise Bloomberg this evening would have no doubt that both are proud 1%ers.
Sad we do not allow people freedom of speech or the right to assemble peacefully...
Maybe the local governments who are using force against peaceful gatherings and the police forces who are paid to serve and protect the citizens of this country should rethink what side of the USA constitution they want to choose.
The right side or that of the dictators of the Middle east who are now over thrown.
"I am the 1%. I stand with the 99%,
Constantly hearing that this is a law abiding country with a rock solid constitution! But who do our laws protect and why does it seem as if the constitution only applies to the filthy rich at the expense of the working masses? The Arab Spring reasoning can easily apply to our Fall protest movement! The only difference is the extreme repressive/economic/power our constitution affords the super duper rich! Our laws and constitution are easily purchased at the 5 and dime store by those that have! Those that don't have can't even sit at the luncheon counter! QUICO!
Where does there exist a country that has a constitution which effectively prevents its politicians from being corrupted?
It's not the Constitution, it's the politicians. There is no foolproof system. There will always be a loophole and there will always be somebody who can figure out a way to exploit that loophole for their own profit at the expense of others. We are human beings, after all.
If we want a government that works, it's up to us to hold our representatives to a higher standard of ethics, and to watch their every move like hawks. That is the only real solution.
The reason that corporations are not being prosecuted for their bad behavior is that they have managed to find ways to screw us without actually breaking any laws. We can't let this kind of practice continue. It's not deregulation we need, but rather serious regulatory reform, and that applies both to corporations and to the government. We need effective regulations that can be enforced. If they can't be enforced, there is no point in having them.
Signs and banners saying ... "REPEAL CITIZENS UNITED" ... could go a long way on the road to solidifying moral support from the general public. The message would be sensible, easy to understand AND popular. I think that anyone who represents OWS in an interview should correctly point out that " repealing this monstrosity of a decision would cure most of our nation's ills in an election cycle or two". When questioned about leadership in the movement ... "WE'RE UNITED against Citizens United, even WITHOUT a designated leader" is a reasonable response ... and should become their mantra. Any thoughtful, reasonable person knows that, IF THIS DECISION IS ALLOWED TO STAND, we will have to redefine our country ... because we will become something OTHER than a republic OR a democracy ... but CERTAINLY NOT something better! If I have underestimated the common sense of "the American people", that we constantly hear so much about, you can ignore this little rant ... because then we're all in big trouble!
I have a name for the 99%..."The Flea Party"...Freeloading, Liberals, Encouraging and Anarchy. They also could be called Flea Baggers.
I admire and support OWS.
OWS protestors are heroic--the courage and resolve all who participated in this historic movement is awesome!!!
The Ninety-Nine-Percenters have declared
Their goal to bring the rescue of our Nation.
The Wall Street gamblers fail to see they've erred
And brought them to their knees in desperation.
Their protests swiftly spread from town to town,
Arousing rage at those whose fortunes soared.
Police brutality failed to hold them down,
And made martyrs whose cries won't be ignored.
Their phones and cameras all record the trauma
Of how these thoughtless misers bring their ruin.
But they forget, the press will show the drama;
The ones who pay the piper call the tune.
Their foolish candidates fail to see the farce;
The White House AND the Congress will be ours!
This reads like a folk song. If you haven't set it to music, you should do that and upload it to you tube. There are a lot of people in the movement who could benefit from the inspiration of these sentiments.
Lawrence and everyone else as well. There is quite a comprehensive proposal to change most everything that Occupiers have been talking about. Please see this for an educational opportunity.
Thanks
Gee no direct links ok try this URL = sites. google.com /site/ the99percentdeclaration/
Please put it together and insert int a browser window.
Adam-1 ,you are the only FLEABAGGER on this page ! awesome! OWS I supported you from the very begining.
Are we ever going to learn from our collective mistakes? Maybe we are just going to keep going in circles. History should give us some clues as where we have been. Guess it just depends on who the historian is.