From New Left Media: Occupy America

Shot in NYC, Oakland, and Cincinnati, this 12 minute short explores the state of the Occupy Wall Street protests now that local governments have removed permanent encampments, and asks what the future will be for this still-young nationwide movement.

Produced and edited by Chase Whiteside (interviews), Erick Stoll (camera), and Liz Cambron.

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Time Magazine names Occupy Wall Street top US news story

On Sept. 17, a couple hundred protesters demonstrating against the excesses of corporate execs and the pervasive influence of high finance in U.S. politics set up camp in Lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park and refused to leave.

It was an unlikely occupation, one without leaders, agendas or even a clear sense of goals, but it soon was echoed in myriad cities across the U.S. and the world.

To some, Occupy Wall Street is the left-wing iteration of the Tea Party, directing their rage not at big government but at the big banks that gutted the world economy and took billions in bailouts from the U.S. government while awarding themselves hefty bonuses.

Read more at Time.com

"If they enforced bank regulation like they do park rules..."

Occupy Black Friday

Instead of the "big box" major chain stores, spend you money at smaller, local stores and support your own community.

We hear a lot about how "this" or "that" affects the small business owner.  Republicans especially love to talk about helping the small business owner.  This time, they are right.  Time to put our wallets where our mouth is and do so.  If you plan to spend today - go to a local small business and keep your dollars in the community.

Wall Street's recession vs cost of securing Occupy Protests

The Associated Press has a story where it estimates the costs of police securing for the various ongoing protest occupations across the country. The AP roughly estimates that these occupations over two months in eighteen major cities cost taxpayers $13 million. Right-wing media outlets are already using this number to claim that the protests are too costly to maintain.

However, context is neccessary to put this number into perspective.

• The 2004 Republican National Committee protests, which lasted for a single week and took place in a single location, cost $50 million to secure.
• A small tea party rally in November 2010 that attracted only a few dozen people cost $14,000, paid for by official congressional money.
• The recession caused by Wall Street’s misdeeds destroyed $50 trillion of wealth globally by 2009, $20 trillion of that wealth in the United States alone.

Additionally, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost $13 million every 40 minutes this year, and the multibillionaire magnate Koch Brothers increase their wealth by $13 million every eleven hours.

None of this invalidates a discussion about the costs of securing the protests, but it does put it in context.

Additionally, if the Associated Press wants to probe the costs of the demonstrations, it might also ask why police are using such expensive and heavy-handed tactics against demonstrators.

UC Davis Chancellor says she won't resign

Two police officers involved in a pepper-spraying incident at the University of California-Davis have been placed on leave, and over the weekend, the university’s faculty association called for the chancellor’s resignation.

But Chancellor Linda Katehi told ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday that she’s staying put. “I really feel confident at this point the university needs me,” she told GMA (video here). “There are so many critical issues to be addressed and we really need to start the healing process and move forward.”

On Friday, a police officer was captured on video casually pepper spraying a group of sitting protesters. The incident occurred after “Occupy” protesters were asked to take down their tents from the university’s lawn.

University of California President lays down the law

Via press release:

President Yudof responds to campus protest issues
Email this article
Date: 2011-11-20
Contact: UC Office of the President
Phone: (510) 987-9157

University of California President Mark G. Yudof today (Nov. 20) announced the actions he is taking in response to recent campus protest issues:

I am appalled by images of University of California students being doused with pepper spray and jabbed with police batons on our campuses.

I intend to do everything in my power as president of this university to protect the rights of our students, faculty and staff to engage in non-violent protest.

Chancellors at the UC Davis and UC Berkeley campuses already have initiated reviews of incidents that occurred on their campuses. I applaud this rapid response and eagerly await the results.

The University of California, however, is a single university with 10 campuses, and the incidents in recent days cry out for a systemwide response.

Therefore I will be taking immediate steps to set that response in motion.

I intend to convene all 10 chancellors, either in person or by telephone, to engage in a full and unfettered discussion about how to ensure proportional law enforcement response to non-violent protest.

To that end, I will be asking the chancellors to forward to me at once all relevant protocols and policies already in place on their individual campuses, as well as those that apply to the engagement of non-campus police agencies through mutual aid agreements.

Further, I already have taken steps to assemble experts and stakeholders to conduct a thorough, far-reaching and urgent assessment of campus police procedures involving use of force, including post-incident review processes.

My intention is not to micromanage our campus police forces. The sworn officers who serve on our campuses are professionals dedicated to the protection of the UC community.

Nor do I wish to micromanage the chancellors. They are the leaders of our campuses and they have my full trust and confidence.

Nonetheless, the recent incidents make clear the time has come to take strong action to recommit to the ideal of peaceful protest.

As I have said before, free speech is part of the DNA of this university, and non-violent protest has long been central to our history. It is a value we must protect with vigilance. I implore students who wish to demonstrate to do so in a peaceful and lawful fashion. I expect campus authorities to honor that right.

Newt Gingrich: Protesters should "get a job and take a bath"

Says the wealthy man...

UC Davis students pepper sprayed while sitting on the ground

UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi thinks this is the appropriate response to a peaceful sit-in.

UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza said officers used force out of concern for their own safety after they were surrounded by students.

Take a look at the first ten seconds of the video. The police officer who pepper sprayed the kids didn't spray the crowd standing around him. He calmly steps over the sitting students - who clearly pose no threat - and sprays the sitting students.

Do those kids look like they were a "threat"?  More at AmericaBlog.

Raid on Zuccotti Park, NYC

(via joemygod)

Occupy Wall Street protesters cleared out in pre-dawn raid

Under the orders of Mayor Bloomberg, hundreds of police officers raided and cleared out Manhattan's Zuccotti Park in the middle of the night. Many Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested as they were rousted from their tents and sleeping bags.

At 6:30 a.m. this morning, Justice Lucy Billings issued an order requiring the protesters to be readmitted to Zuccotti Park with their tents. ThinkProgress just spoke to one of the plantiff’s attorney’s, Gideon Orion Oliver, who confirmed that the order was served on Mayor Bloomberg and the other defendants via fax at 7:50 a.m.

During his 8 a.m. press conference, Mayor Bloomberg seemed to acknowledge he was familiar with the temporary restraining order, but claimed he had not been served and was keeping the park closed. As of this writing, Zuccotti Park remains closed to protesters in direct contradiction of Justice Billing’s order.

For more info and updates, go to ThinkProgress

Police seemingly attack students at Occupy CA

From Occupy Berkeley.

I don't know what happened before this video, but the police don't seem to be in any danger. From the video, it looks like they make the decision to just attack.

Wow.

Occupy Chicago heckles Wisconsin Gov. Walker

When Wisonsin Governor gave a speech at Chicago's Union League Club the morning of Nov 3rd, he has some unexpected guests: Stand Up! Chicago

I think this is great. All the folks participating paid to get in, and then used their voices to make a point.

I have no problem with people getting rich, but when the gap between average workers and CEOs grows and grows at an incredibly exponential rate, there's a problem.

According to the AFL-CIO, in 1980, CEOs at the largest companies received 42 times the pay of the average worker. In 2000 the gap hit a high, with CEOs making 525 times the average worker.

In 2010, the gap narrowed a bit with CEOs making 343 times the average worker.

"Despite the collapse of the financial market at the hands of executives 3 years ago, the disparity between CEO and workers' pay has continued to grow to levels that are simply stunning," said Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO president.

Why can't average worker's salaries keep pace with CEOs? Or at least something closer to parity? Yes, CEOs are running the companies, but clearly the vast majority of profits are going to the very top execs and the folks doing the actual labor are NOT seeing a fair share of profit through their participation.

Occupy Wall Street commercial

Now does any of that sound unreasonable?

Occupy Hawaii

Poll: Do 'Occupy Wall Street' protests represent your views of the economy?

Click here to vote in the poll.  I'm betting FOX News won't air the actual results.

Herman Cain says "Blame yourself"

Herman Cain recently gave an interview in which he said about the "Occupy Wall Street" movement:

"“I don’t have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated, to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration,” Cain said.

“Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks — if you don’t have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself!”

If you would like to read countless stories of people who went to school, went to work and found their employers or Wall Street or lots of others DIDN'T live up to their end of the bargain, check out WE ARE THE 99 PERCENT website.

There you can read many, many stories of people do did the "right" things only to have big business, Wall Street or others not hold up their end of the bargain.

The bargain: you study hard, work hard - you get rewarded for such.

The equation is broken.

Cartoon: Occupy Wall Street vs Bankers

Click pic to view larger

Any questions?

Right Here All Over - from Occupy Wall Street

From ThinkProgress: Speaking at the social conservative Value Voters Summit today, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor maligned the Occupy Wall Street protests and the wider 99 percent movement as a “mob” that is out to “divide Americans”:

CANTOR: I for one am increasingly concerned about the growing mobs occupying Wall Street and the other cities across the country. And believe it or not, some in this town have actually condoned the pitting of Americans against Americans.

Believe it or not, Cantor has — by his definiton — “condoned the pitting of Americans against Americans” when he endorsed the Tea Party movement.

New York Observer: "Occupy Wall Street" Unaired Fox Footage

Like a lawyer in a courtroom, reporters with a bias should probably know who they are talking to and what they're going to hear when they interview someone.

This is the footage FOX News didn't air. I'm guessing because it doesn't play to their "core audience."

Plus, the folks they usually interview aren't usually this articulate about what they believe.