September 17, 2011 by David K. Sutton
Wall Street: Occupied
Daily updates posted below article.
Also see: Occupy Wall Street: Bad Apples In The Big Apple
Today hundreds if not thousands – tweets reporting 50,000 are likely incredibly inflated – of activists took to the streets in the Lower Manhattan financial district to Occupy Wall Street. With an emphasis on non-violence, their goal is to return our democracy to the people; to remove the money and big corporate influence corrupting our government.
The event – another example of the power of social media – was largely organized through Twitter with the help from the website Adbusters as well as the online group known as Anonymous.
Live stream:
OccupyWallSt.org
I’ll admit that I didn’t know about this event until it started trending on Twitter at which point I began watching the live stream and following the interesting and humorous tweets. I made the live feed available on The Left Call front page to do my part to spread the word since the news media – owned by big corporations – was mostly, if not entirely, absent from today’s protest. I recall Tea Party rallies with less participants getting more coverage. You can draw your own conclusions.
The crowd definitely does not represent one unified political movement as there were people with Socialist Party Of America signs as well as Ron Paul supporters. As the sun began to set many prepared to spend the night to continue the protest. As of 9:20pm ET the rally/protest continues.
UPDATE: 2011-09-18 – 4:42pm ET:
The protest continues today in Lower Manhattan. It is unclear how many protesters are still participating. From watching the live stream it appears that there is an attempt to better organize the protest with the use of a loud speaker, addressing individual concerns and attempts to reach consensus on items related to power, internet access, shelter, water and food. Specific items currently being discussed are the need for an electric generator, tents, water jugs, extension cords, myfi cards for internet access and a car for transportation of food.
UPDATE: 2011-09-18 – 7:03pm ET:
Occupy Wall Street heads towards it’s second night. You can watch the live feed below from Zuccotti Park – Lower Manhattan – New York City. Below are some photos from the protest.
UPDATE: 2011-09-18 – 9:28pm ET:
At around 9:15pm ET NYPD request signs hung on walls to be taken down voluntarily by 9:30pm or they will be removed by police. It appears they have chosen to leave the signs and will take video of the police removing them. The protesters also apparently are unable to use the megaphone (not sure if it’s a legal issue based on time of day or not) so they have returned to using the human megaphone – everyone that can hear are repeating the words of a few people that are leading and organizing the protest.
UPDATE: 2011-09-18 – 10:09pm ET:
Protesters plan a picket line tomorrow morning at 9:00am ET along police barricades on Wall Street.
UPDATE: 2011-09-18 – 11:10pm ET:
NYPD Manhattan Precincts 1-23 and Citywide 1-3 Live Scanner Audio Feed
UPDATE: 2011-09-19 – 2:34am ET:
Salon: A real Wall Street takeover threat
“This country is in decline,” said Jack Laxson, an 18-year-old Hampshire College student who was carrying a sign that read, “Corporations Run This Country — Let’s Do Something About It.”
“Even with a good education, you don’t have much to look forward to. No jobs, lots of debt.”
UPDATE: 2011-09-19 – 11:15am ET:
Occupy Wall Street continues it’s 3rd day. On Saturday Roseanne Barr showed up to rally the people that gathered to demonstrate. The video can be seen below or on Left Call TV. The live stream continues from Zuccotti Park, Manhattan right now (see above).
UPDATE: 2011-09-19 – 1:30pm ET:
The New York Times: Wall Street Protests Continue, With at Least 5 Arrested
In a continuation of the demonstrations that began on Saturday, nearly 200 protesters marched along Wall Street and other parts of the financial district Monday morning, brandishing American flags and signs denouncing the economic system. At least five of them were arrested.
UPDATE: 2011-09-20 – 1:00am ET:
The live feed has not been up for a while now, at least when I’ve checked tonight. It’s not clear to me how many people are still participating in this protest but I do believe it is continuing for a 3rd night. I support the general sentiment of this protest and that is why I’ve decided to keep updating this post and keep the live stream on the front page. However, I do feel that this protest is mostly symbolic. Even if the demonstrators had a unified message, specific goals and larger numbers it still would be questionable what change they could effect. No individual worker or CEO on Wall Street will feel they have an obligation to make any kind of change. I think a prolonged protest in Washington D.C. that targets (non-violently of course) lawmakers is a better plan and there is an assembly planned for October to do just that. Ultimately it’s lawmakers that need to enact the changes necessary to control Wall Street. If enough people put pressure on these lawmakers for a long enough period of time we can win back the democratic process. I do not want anything I’ve said here to take away from what is happening in New York City. I applaud the efforts of those Occupying Wall Street.
UPDATE: 2011-09-20 – 1:25pm ET:
Reports of at least 5 more arrests today. I saw – via the live stream – police that were recording video of the scene and the arrests. I guess this is to combat potential police brutality claims. It’s not clear how many protesters remain today. I’m removing the live stream from the front page but it will remain at the top of this post.
Report yesterday from Truthout: Another Liberty Plaza Taken and Held Near Wall Street
Here, under the light canopy of trees that obscures the office buildings looming overhead, several hundred people have remained since Saturday afternoon. They’ve been making signs, collecting thousands of dollars’ worth of pizza delivery, playing music, collecting trash, laying down sleeping bags and cardboard to sleep on, and running a media center on a generator and their own wi-fi hotspot.
UPDATE: 2011-09-21 – 1:31pm ET:
It’s now day 5 of Occupy Wall Street. There are numerous updates on the Occupy Wall Street website. Here’s an excerpt:
We speak as one. All of our decisions, from our choice to march on Wall Street to our decision to continue occupying Liberty Square in spite of police brutality, were decided through a consensus based process by the group, for the group.
Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks throws his support behind the Occupy Wall Street movement:
UPDATE: 2011-09-22:
More photos added below.
UPDATE: 2011-09-23:
YES! Magazine – Photo Essay: It’s Our Wall Street – Inside an American Occupation
Though their numbers have dwindled, many of the protesters are still camped in Zuccotti Park (renamed Liberty Square) nearly a week later. They meet in daily General Assemblies to discuss issues such as police relations and meeting their food and shelter needs (as during the workers’ rights protests in Madison, Wisconsin, supporters from far and wide have sent thousands of dollars worth of free pizza). Indeed, some protesters say they were inspired by the way demonstrators “liberated” public spaces during the Madison protests, the Arab spring, and anti-austerity protests in Europe.
video from Day 7 – September 23, 2011…
UPDATE – DAY 8 – September 24, 2011:
Occupy Wall Street – Day 8 – March to Union Square
Protesters penned and maced.
UPDATE – Day 9 – September 25, 2011
‘Occupy Wall Street’ YouTube Videos Show Police-Protester Clash – CBS New York
One of the YouTube videos appears to show officers using pepper spray on women who were already cordoned off. Another shows officers handcuffing a man after pulling him up off the ground, blood trickling down his face.
UPDATE – DAY 10 – September 26, 2011
The Last Word – Rewrite: police vs. protesters
Today Lawrence O’Donnell’s Rewrite segment was about the abuse of power by some NYPD officers this past weekend. Includes graphic and damning videos.
Extensive coverage on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Here’s a portion of the segment…
UPDATE – DAY 11 – September 27, 2011
Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon and Dr. Cornel West have made appearances at the protest within the past day. Coverage on Countdown with Keith Olbermann again today.
UPDATE – DAY 12 – September 28, 2011
Observations of a Jailed Journalist
On Sept. 24, while working on a story about citizen journalism for my employer, I found myself arrested, along with many other people. My arrest gave me a unique vantage point on the risks and rewards of citizen journalists, those non-professionals who capture stories (usually without pay) using videos and images via portable technology like a cell phone camera. Anyone, even a passerby or a police officer can be a citizen journalist. That’s its power.
UPDATE – DAY 13 – September 29, 2011
The Occupy Wall Street Journal
Occupy Wall Street is the beginning of a whole new kind of democracy: a bottom-up people’s democracy led by the 99%. It is a bold vision for the future that is beginning to inspire the nation. However, to pull it off, we’re going to need a robust people’s media unbeholden to corporate money. If we want people’s democracy then we’ve got to build a people’s media — the two are inseparable.
We want to be the people’s media. Our first project is The Occupy Wall Street Journal, a four-page broadsheet newspaper with an ambitious print run of 50,000.
UPDATE – DAY 15 – October 1, 2011
Extensive coverage on Up with Chris Hayes on MSNBC…
Dozens arrested at Occupy Wall Street protest; Brooklyn Bridge shut down
Thousands of Occupy Wall Street protesters swarmed the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday, shutting down car lanes and setting up yet another showdown with the NYPD.
Dozens of people were arrested after standing in the roadway, blocking the Brooklyn-bound lanes. Traffic in the opposite direction was slowed — but still running after the 4 p.m. standoff.
UPDATE – DAY 16 – October 2, 2011
700 arrested after protest on NY’s Brooklyn Bridge
More than 700 protesters demonstrating against corporate greed, global warming and social inequality, among other grievances, were arrested Saturday after they swarmed the Brooklyn Bridge and shut down a lane of traffic for several hours in a tense confrontation with police.
UPDATE – DAY 17 – October 3, 2011
CNN: Erin Burnett OutFront – Occupy Wall Street: Seriously?!
Is Erin a shill for Wall Street? At the very least a shill for conservatism, big money, the status quo and the Republican party. Why is it whenever you have a grassroots movement that is perceived as left of center the narrative is always that it’s not representing a prevailing sentiment in America? CNN = Fox News with training wheels.
UPDATE – DAY 18 – October 4, 2011
The origins of Occupy Wall Street explained
In July Adbusters, a Vancouver-based publication known for its incisive critiques of capitalism, included a poster in that month’s magazine that read simply:
#OCCUPYWALLSTREET
September 17th. Bring tent.
www.occupywallst.org
In response to the call, several loose-knit groups of organizers got involved and hundreds of people showed up on Wall St. on Sept. 17. A few weeks later, Occupy Wall Street is now spreading around the country and attracting intense interest from the media.
UPDATE – DAY 19 – October 5, 2011
Occupy Philadelphia preps for City Hall protest
Organizers of Occupy Philadelphia want to end what they call corruption on Wall Street and the government that enables it.
Keith Olbermann reads the first collective statement of Occupy Wall Street…
UPDATE – DAY 20 – October 6, 2011
Occupy Philadelphia protest begins at City Hall
UPDATE – October 13, 2011
Additional updates will be posted in the form of new articles with the Occupy Wall Street tag. Thanks to all who followed this long-running article and sharing it on Twitter and Facebook. Keep the Occupy Wall Street movement going strong!
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