OKAY, THE “ESTABLISHMENT” IN MANY CITIES IS GETTING IMPATIENT WITH THE ANTICS OF THESE ANNOYING CITIZENS OF CONSCIENCE AND IT IS TIME TO BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS! LAST NIGHT IT WAS NEW YORK CITY’S TURN.
According to Corey Kilgannon and Colin Moynihanin this morning's New York Times:
The mayor’s office sent out a message on Twitter at 1:19 a.m. saying: “Occupants of Zuccotti should temporarily leave and remove tents and tarps. Protesters can return after the park is cleared.” Fliers handed out by the police at the private park on behalf of the park’s owner, Brookfield Properties, and the city, spelled out the same message.
Several hundred protesters are said to occupy the Park on the overnight. I wonder how many hundreds of cops were on overtime last night and early this morning to SHOCK AND AWE the occupiers? I wonder if the Mayor did any negotiations, seriously, with the Occupiers? I’m guessing he ricochets his messages to them faux-paternally and condescendingly via the media doing his bullshit act of “tough love” for anyone so unenlightened to take issue with the the direction of his ferocious political will.
Andre Damonof wsws writes;
The violent clearing of the encampments has been carried out under trivial and false pretenses. Citing health and public safety concerns, and the enforcement of various local and municipal ordinances, the police, largely at the order of Democratic Party city administrations, are moving to deny freedom of speech.
And why last night? Well, you don’t think it has anything to do with an announced demonstration on Wall Street this Thursday? Hmmmm.
Michael Bloomberg is a patriarchal politician who seduces with an authoritarian and, as I said above, faux-“tough love” bossy righteousness. I have no doubt Mikey is shooting for the Presidency at some point, maybe soon. Some authoritarian followers in America would be easily seduced by his "I am the smart daddy here" confidence, even though imho it comes more from ego rather than empathy.
Mikey seems willing to making political lemonade out of the sour lemons the populists at Zuccotti Park are aiming at him and his one percenter pals who have been raiding the City’s coffers for some time. Yeah, Mikey is richer than God and works for $1 a year ... BUT WHILE MAYOR HIS INCOME HAS INTERESTINGLY SKYROCKETED!!! And you can bet his corporatist buddies have been cashing in.
So Mikey is not happy with these arrogant youngsters garnering such anti-establishment attention and ILLUMINATING the economic terrorism perpetrated by the corporate pimped out politicians of America on both sides of the aisle.
So Mikey will look at the cameras and explain how these kids are just not cooperating with his INNOCENT intention to take care of the safety and comfort of EVERYBODY IN NEW YORK CITY. That’s all he is doing. Like during the Republican Convention when despite permits he illegitimately ordered that protesting citizens of conscience to be herded up and arrested. The short term intimidation was worth the latter day lawsuits!
These are mostly young people, weathering an oncoming winter, making an important statement about human and civil rights in America and about a criminal aristocracy continuing to perpetrate economic and military-enabled crimes thanks to a craven betraying government.
SO THEREFORE with some clad in riot gear, NY's hyped-up-in-militarization police descended upon these patriots WITHOUT RESPECTFUL NEGOTIATION AND SERIOUS WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!
I can’t help thinking of all those night raids our military did and is still doing over in Iraq and Afghanistan and God knows where else. Ostensibly looking for terrorists with their offensive faux-defense as they terrorized and/or captured and/or killed with some victims doomed for horrifying torture and probable forever detention for being in the wrong place (their home and homeland) at the wrong time. Part of the playbook. SHOCK AND AWE. SHOCK AND AWE.
ALL, BY THE WAY, FOR CORPORATE PROFITEERING. These wars. The same motivation that the mayor was REALLY coming from last night. Corporate cronyism!!!!
It is the American way, right Mikey? (Ask Obama!)
According to this morning’s New York Times:
The move also came hours after a small demonstration at City Hall on Monday by opponents of the protest, including local residents and merchants, some of whom urged the mayor to clear out the park.
So the police under Bloomberg’s "swashbuckling" posture to ambush a bunch of peaceful people of conscience in the middle of the night in mid-November are sent out in riot gear to perpetrate SHOCK AND AWE. Hell, other mayors are doing it, Repub or Dem ones who talk the talk but don’t know how to deal with citizens actually walking the walk of democracy. And shock and awe sure as hell works for the US government in other countries. Look at the US/NATO killing machine.
New York Times again:
Before the police moved in, they set up a battery of klieg lights and aimed them into the park. A police captain, wearing a helmet, walked down Liberty Street and announced: “The city has determined that the continued occupation of Zuccotti Park poses an increasing health and fire safety hazard.”
KLEIG LIGHTS? WELL, HOW CLEVER THAT IS. PEOPLE WHOSE EYES ARE ACCUSTOMED TO THE DARK SUDDENLY HAVING KLEIG LIGHTS TO PAIN AND DISORIENT THEM! HOW VERY ASSAULTIVE OF THE NYPD.
SO THEY WILL ROUST PEOPLE FROM THEIR SLEEP AND ROUGH THEM UP AND CART MANY OFF TO JAIL ALL FOR THE SAKE OF CLEANLINESS AND CONCERN ABOUT FIRE SAFETY?
BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT!!!!
But stenographers of corporate media will report the bullshit message from the mayor and zombie citizens, some, will nod and say, Hell, yes. Look at those damned kids being so unreasonable! All he wants to do is clean up the place and take care of the residents in that neighborhood, who, by the way, deserve respect but not to be used as a political excuse to sabotage a historical movement for all of us!
New York Times:
The captain ordered the protesters to “to immediately remove all private property” and said that if they interfered with the police operation, they would be arrested. Property that was not removed would be taken to a sanitation garage, the police said.
Some of the protesters grabbed their possessions. “They’re not getting our tents down,” one man shouted. People milled around, and some headed to the edges of the park.
By 1:45 a.m., dozens of officers moved through the park, some bearing plastic shields and wearing helmets. They removed tents and bedding materials, putting them on the sidewalk. Some protesters could be seen leaving the park with their belongings, but a core group of more than 100 hunkered down at the encampment’s kitchen area, linking arms, waving flags, and singing and chanting their refusal to leave the park
SO SOME OF THE OFFICERS HAD HELMETS AND PLASTIC SHIELDS. Ever see those guys and gals close up with their full gear on? They are intimidating!
BECAUSE THE PEACEFUL PROTESTERS ... whaaaaaaat? WHAT WERE THEY GOING TO DO TO THAT WARRANTED SUCH RIOT GEARED COPS, MIKEY????? THREATEN THEM WITH A DANGEROUS CHORUS OF “WE SHALL OVERCOME” (which they actually did, hurray for them!). BICYCLE-CHAINING THEMSELVES TO TREES! OH YEAH, AND THE OCCUPIERS, SOME, WERE CLAD WITH GOGGLES AND GAS MASKS! HOW DARE THEY GIRD THEMSELVES AGAINST BEING PEPPER SPRAYED BY MIKEY BLOOMBERG’S FAUX-CLEANLINESS SQUAD? (YEAH, BLOOMBERG IS THE ONE THAT NEVER LICENSED ZUCCOTTI FOR PORT-O-POTTIES. BUT HE IS SO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HEALTH STANDARDS. HAH!!!) IN SPITE OF MIKEY THE OCCUPATION CONTINUES ON SINCE SEPT. 17TH. TWO MONTHS ALMOST. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Again from the NYT:
Mr. Bloomberg had struggled with how to respond. He repeatedly made clear that he does not support the demonstrators’ arguments or their tactics, but he has also defended their right to protest and in recent days and weeks has sounded increasingly exasperated, especially in the wake of growing complaints from neighbors about how the protest has disrupted the neighborhood and hurt local businesses.
Mr. Bloomberg met daily with several deputies and commissioners, and as more business owners complained and editorials lampooned him as gutless, his patience wore thin.
SO MIKEY DOESN’T LIKE THE PROTESTERS’ ARGUMENTS OR TACTICS.
BACK AT YA, MIKEY!!!! YOURS SURE STINK AND ARE “MIGHT MAKES RIGHT” NOT MORAL.
BACK AT YA, MIKEY!!!! YOURS SURE STINK AND ARE “MIGHT MAKES RIGHT” NOT MORAL.
Bloomberg quoted in NYT today:
“I have become increasingly concerned – as had the park’s owner, Brookfield Properties – that the occupation was coming to pose a health and fire safety hazard to the protestors and to the surrounding community,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “We have been in constant contact with Brookfield and yesterday they requested that the City assist it in enforcing the no sleeping and camping rules in the park. But make no mistake – the final decision to act was mine.”
Yeah, we know Mr. Mayor. You are a one percenter with enormous power to sabotage the right of free speech and assembly!
Of course our Wall Street Governor Cuomo cannot be outdone by Bloomberg's citizen betrayal. In a fresh email from the office of Green Party's Howie Hawkins:
Howie Hawkins, the Green Party's 2010 gubernatorial candidate, blasted Governor Andrew Cuomo for the arrests of Occupy Albany demonstrators over the weekend. "The Occupy Albany demonstrators have a First Amendment constitutional right to peaceably assemble and express their views in a public park. Governor Cuomo is assaulting the political rights of the 99% just as he has been assaulting the economic rights of the 99%. Cuomo's attempt to suppress their political rights will only mobilize more of the 99% to fight for their political and economic rights," Hawkins said.
"Cuomo's opposition to the Millionaires Tax or any other progressive tax reform to make the rich pay their fair share of taxes again in order to fund our schools and public services is why we call him Governor 1%," Hawkins said.
State police arrested 25 demonstrators on Saturday night and 13 more on Sunday night in Lafayette Park, a state-owned park. The state imposed an 11:00 pm. curfew for Lafayette Park the same week Occupy Albany began its encampment in the adjacent city-owned Academy Park on October 21, where city police have refused Governor Cuomo's appeal to enforce an 11:00 pm curfew there. The protest expanded to the state-owned Lafayette Park on Saturday and state police came in at 11:00 pm to make the arrests.
"Cuomo is a Wall Street Democrat. He is a far cry from the nearly extinct New Deal Democrats who once campaigned for an Economic Bill of Rights, including jobs, living wages, homes, education, health care, and income support for the poor, unemployed, disabled, and seniors. It is time for new independent political movement to fight for a Green New Deal that adds to the other basic economic rights the right to a sustainable environment and climate based on renewable energy, mass transit, and clean production," Hawkins said.
Andre Damon in wsws summarizes the blowback nationally and even globally on the Occupation movement:
Throughout the United States, city administrations are moving to break up encampments of the Occupy protests, trampling underfoot the constitutionally protected right of assembly.
Police cleared out the Occupy camp in Oakland, California in a predawn raid on Monday, resulting in 32 arrests. This followed the shutting down of the Portland, Oregon encampment, in which 50 people were arrested. Last week, police used truncheons to hit unarmed students attempting to set up a camp at the University of California, Berkeley.
According to one tally, there have been over 3,600 arrests at Occupy protests, mostly in the United States, including 943 in New York City, 370 in Tucson, 352 in Chicago, 206 in Oakland and 153 in Boston.
Many of the raids have been carried out by police in riot gear, in some cases using rubber bullets and tear gas cases, as in last month’s attack on Occupy Oakland. Those arrested have been subjected to arbitrary and punitive measures, including high bail and trumped-up charges.
snip
The moves to shut down the Occupy movement are a clear demonstration of the indissoluble link between the fight for the social rights of working people and the defense of democratic rights. The expression of social and political opposition is increasingly incompatible with the structure of society in the United States, in which a tiny financial aristocracy has enriched itself through the impoverishment of the vast majority.
The past decade has seen a steady erosion of democracy in the United States, particularly in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11. The most basic constitutional freedoms have been undermined as the government has asserted the power to spy on the population, arrest and detain people without charge, and carry out raids on political groups on the flimsiest of grounds. This has been accompanied by a vast expansion of the military-police-intelligence apparatus.
This assault on democratic rights has been justified on the grounds of the “war on terror.” From the beginning of this attack, however, the World Socialist Web Site explained that its real target was the emergence of any opposition to the reactionary policies of the financial aristocracy that controls the political system.
The Occupy protests are only an initial expression of the opposition and anger felt by hundreds of millions of people throughout the United States—and billions throughout the world—to the growth of social inequality and the domination of the financial aristocracy. Yet the public expression of these mass sentiments is criminalized in a country whose government routinely uses democratic pretenses to bomb and invade sovereign states.
Dissent is being criminalized in America.
Last night at Zuccotti Park cleanliness sure wasn't next to Godliness!
[cross-posted at correntewire and sacramento for democracy]
------------
Libby, no negotiations that I am aware occurred prior to this and as we can see this was done under the cover of darkness in the middle of the night. I have heard some details already about the way most of the things in the park were trashed. The mayor said people could claim their things up on 57th street at the Dept. of Sanitation. Since garbage trucks were used I would have to assume that not only crushed the items but did not leave them smelling too perfume-like!!
Tell the protestors to get the hell out of the park and all the other sites beforeNovember 23 when Super Committee report is due those that created this mess are going to decide how to get out of it and they don’t need any help from the rest of the public!! If they want to eliminate Social Security to pay for the money that the corporations have been stealing then they will do it and the rest of the public should submit to the rule of law!! It’s time to stoop kidding yourselves there is no democracy any more Submit!! Obey!! Submit!! Obey!! Submit!! Obey!! Submit!! Obey!!
I hope they find a way to go back. We need them to stay there and stroing. We need them to feed the hungry - and keep the homeless warm and in the public eye. We need them to learn how to lead and operate a movement.
Ha! Thank you so much for taking the time. This sheds a much brighter light on the issue. Unfortunately, between private property and semi-private property, and the lawyers, this is America. Excellent post. R
designanator, what an awesome blog you did. thank you. i went to the GA meeting at Zuccotti Tuesday night at 7pm and am working on a new blog. Very inspiring!!!
zachd, sorry I have not been as engaged with your wonderful blogs. IRL is very demanding right now. I will catch up soon I hope. YES the supercommittee bullshit coming at us all soon. the federal govt is working with Party mayors to try to stifle the message. Shameless stuff going on now, needing to be called out all the more but it is so disgusting. thanks for commenting and for your link.
snowden, after being down there last night I am awed by the core group's commitment, and I think Bloomberg's actions have called for more commitment for even more people against the grotesque injustice happening right now.
Thoth, thanks for your comment, as always. Working on a new blog for later today or tomorrow about being at Zuccotti's GA meeting last night! Awesome stuff. :)
libby
zachd, sorry I have not been as engaged with your wonderful blogs. IRL is very demanding right now. I will catch up soon I hope. YES the supercommittee bullshit coming at us all soon. the federal govt is working with Party mayors to try to stifle the message. Shameless stuff going on now, needing to be called out all the more but it is so disgusting. thanks for commenting and for your link.
snowden, after being down there last night I am awed by the core group's commitment, and I think Bloomberg's actions have called for more commitment for even more people against the grotesque injustice happening right now.
Thoth, thanks for your comment, as always. Working on a new blog for later today or tomorrow about being at Zuccotti's GA meeting last night! Awesome stuff. :)
libby
May OWS meet and surpass this latest--and not unexpected--challenge.
Thanks for visiting again, JW. After visiting the #ows GA last night at Zuccotti and being inspired and reassured of the magnificent determination and commitment of these wonderful occupiers, as well as enjoying Olbermann's tv rant about Bloomberg, I feel that Bloomberg actually re-invigorated the momentum of this movement and launched it into a more sophisticated and creative phase. I have no complaints about the Occupiers. I am chilled by the provocative and illegal paramilitary tactics in arresting the protesters, the malicious treatment of their private property, the corporate media downplaying the violence, and so many American watchers letting the occupiers do the heavy lifting for democracy while negatively speculating so easily about them at times. Democracy should not be a spectator sport, and God bless the activists in this younger generation, but the older generations if they don't join them will just let them be criminalized and twist in the wind without the majority of citizenry's backup. The kids will be all right, they'll have a lot of character building and experience for life. They did the right thing. The watchers who see them as "them" and not "us", the 99 percenters who won't join the fight, are the ones I feel sorry for as well as frustrated by. They ... we ... got us into this mess by not being what Jefferson implored so long ago, letting go of our eternal vigilance as citizens.
No comments:
Post a Comment