ABC News: Protesters Begin Effort to ‘Occupy Wall Street’

[spanone]

ABC News’ Candace Smith reports:

Protesters are gathering on Wall Street today in a movement they call “Occupy Wall Street.”

As of noon, hundreds of protesters gathered at Bowling Green Park in Manhattan, home of the iconic charging bull in New York’s Financial District as they prepare to “take the bull by the horns,” as said on a flyer advertising the event.

“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%,” said a statement on the website Occupy Wall Street.

According to statements on the website, the movement, an offshoot of online magazine AdBusters, is angered by what it calls the principle of “profit over and above all else,” which it says has dominated not only America’s economic policies, but also the way in which Americans view culture and humanity.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/09/protesters-begin-effort-to-occupy-wall-street/

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, spanone.

[OKDem08]

36. Go Anonymous!!!

:headbang:

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. K&R

[starroute]

3. Don't you just love the subtle way they lie with numbers?

This isn't the first time the news media have shown up two hours before a protest is scheduled to start and reported on how "hundreds" had gathered for it.

Jerks.

[TheWraith]

13. Uh, they said "as of noon." The protest was scheduled to start at 6 AM. nt

[readmoreoften]

69. Stay on top of it, Wraith. We know the protestors are your mortal enemies.

[BeHereNow]

34. I wonder if anyone on the ground has a number that is accurate-

I would be curious as to how many people are really there,
and wise enough to know the corporate owned media
would never accurately report such a thing.
BHN

[valerief]

63. Yep, when it's a dozen teabaggers, the number becomes "thousands".

And when it's ten thousand Wall St. protesters, it's censored. Why they're even covering it now, I can't fathom.

They ignored every massive march against the Iraq War, too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Amusing

tommy_waters Tommy Waters
Interesting. I just heard on the Manhattan police scanner, "keep streets clear of the media". #takewallstreet
13 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[mitchtv]

5. thanks

great thread. The Beginning of the End

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. photo

&xsize=640&ysize=640

[malaise]

7. Rec

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1957745

[spanone]

9. nytimes: Wall Street Protest Begins, With Demonstrators Blocked

For months the protesters had planned to descend on Wall Street on a Saturday and occupy parts of it as an expression of anger over a financial system that they said favors the rich and powerful at the expense of ordinary citizens.

As it turned out, the demonstrators found much of their target off limits on Saturday as the city shut down sections of Wall Street near the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall well before their arrival.

By 10:00 a.m., metal barricades manned by uniformed police officers ringed the blocks of Wall Street between Broadway and William Street to the east.


Organizers, promoters and supporters called the day, which had been widely touted on Twitter and other social media sites, simply September 17. Some referred to it as the United States Day of Rage, an apparent reference to a series of disruptive protests against the Vietnam War held in Chicago in 1969.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/wall-street-protest-begins-with-demonstrators-blocked/

[flamingdem]

62. great photo! nt

[Firebrand Gary]

8. K&R

[spanone]

10. CNN Money: Hundreds of protesters descend to 'Occupy Wall Street'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Manhattan's financial district on Saturday in a largely peaceful protest aimed at drawing attention to the role powerful financial interests played in wreaking havoc on America's economy.

Modeled on the "Arab Spring" uprisings that swept through Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and other countries this year, Occupy Wall Street is a "leaderless resistance movement" orchestrated through Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools. The Twitter hashtag #OccupyWallStreet lit up Saturday with coordination messages and solidarity tweets.

Activist magazine Adbusters spearheaded the event, putting the call out two months ago for participants in a Sept. 17 demonstration in lower Manhattan. Protestors arranged to meet and discuss their goals at the iconic Wall Street

Bull statue at noon, as well as at a "people's assembly" at One Chase Manhattan Plaza at 3 p.m.
"The NYPD is aware of various protests and we have planned accordingly," Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told CNN late Friday.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/17/technology/occupy_wall_street/?source=cnn_bin

[markmyword]

46. Shut Wall Street Down

Everyone should go to Wall Street and camp out or just march
and protest EVERYDAY.

The unemployed should just go down with their cell phones,
blackberries and do their job searches from Wall Street.
Everyday that the protesters are out and marching, prevents
the traders and bankers from doing business. Business for them
is MAKING MONEY AND MORE MONEY.

Overseas markets will be trading, New York's won't. Maybe
these protests should be in every American city that has a
stock exchange and SHUT THEM DOWN.

We need to hit them where it hurts and that is MAKING MONEY.

This should be the beginning where the 99% that's NOT LIVING
THE AMERICAN DREAM makes their voices heard ALL THE WAY TO
WASHINGTON!

[Fire Walk With Me]

11. K&R

[bluestateguy]

12. I wish them well, but I wonder if it is doing any good

It is Saturday. The markets are closed and all of the executives are off at their homes in the Hamptons or golfing at the country club.

[cwydro]

19. I agree.

Saturday?

They are sipping martinis and laughing their asses off...IF they even know about this....

[progressoid]

23. Yeah, Monday would have been better.

[justiceischeap]

24. You do realize their intent is to "occupy" Wall St. by staying there, right?

I'm curious to see how this goes as it gets colder... if there will be a significant amount of people willing to live there for months as urged by the organizers.

[defendandprotect]

75. I didn't know that -- !! But, let's face it ... Wall St is in the White House -- !!

Obama picked this team and he is as much the problem as Wall St itself!!

We need more FDR and more New Deal and we're not going to get it from this

administration and its "team" -- !!

[defendandprotect]

73. Exactly -- same thing as DC marches -- we need a little shift in the way this is done ...

Those who work on Wall St need to see it --

not only the CEO's but the workers themselves --

[boppers]

14. ..and so it begins.

Good luck to those on the line!

[Fire Walk With Me]

41. "..and so it begins."

Ambassador Kosh, are you in there? :hi:

[jannyk]

15. K&R!

[Bluenorthwest]

16. The Brits put up a statue of George the Third in Bowling Green

which was constantly vandalized until the reading of the Declaration, when it was pulled down and the crowns were sawed off the fence finials. Saw marks visible on the fence which stands today. Protests at Bowling Green are older than the United States of America.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

60. Rummage around in the Smithsonian basement and re-erect it.

:think:

[spanone]

17. nothing on the news...?

[madamesilverspurs]

18. How badly does media NOT want to cover this?

Just switched over to CNN, they're re-playing the teaparty debate.



Media suckage daily reaches new lows.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. The only reason I am watching

they do have a bureau in the city. I mean they could even send a cub reporter... (It is Saturday after all)

[tcaudilllg]

30. Messages from on high (Time Warner, NBC, etc)

We need to get hold of them

[tcaudilllg]

31. I also suspect the reporters are frightened, because they've seen what happened in Arabia.

They know how bad it's going to get if our demands aren't met. They are as much in denial as Gadhafi.

[nobodyspecial]

32. They won't cover it because they don't want

others to get ideas. The only way they will is if their is violence or property damage. Then, they can write it off as the work of vicious thugs.

[Doctor_J]

38. Because they're next

if this succeeds, the fucking right-wing talking heads will be next on the hit list. Things in the US will be much better when these fascists are scared to leave their gated communities.

[horseshoecrab]

20. K&R! n/t

[Bosonic]

22. Will this extend to Monday onwards?

Financial districts are ghost towns on the weekend.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

25. The "People not profits" sign rings true

While unemployment is at 9.1% many corporations have vast cash reserves. Contrary to what the Boner says the job creators are not hurting.

[Lorien]

26. Need before Greed. nt

[AdHocSolver]

27. To get Wall Streets attention, you have to hit them where it hurts---in their wallets.

Demonstrations are good. However, demonstrations alone won't move Wall Street to change.

Large numbers of people need to be educated on how the economy really works. The stock market does NOT drive the economy. Demand drives the economy.

Giving tax breaks to the wealthy and the corporations does NOT produce jobs. On the contrary, eliminating jobs is a frequent technique used by the corporations to boost the price of their stock shares.

The most significant reason for the failing U.S. economy is the fact that the U.S. imports most of the everyday goods that we buy such as clothes, shoes, appliances, computers, electronics, tools, hardware, linens, office supplies, and countless other goods.

This trade deficit due to outsourcing not only costs jobs, but is responsible for the government deficits since unemployed Americans don't pay income taxes or Social Security taxes.

Nota bene: You CANNOT fix the trade deficit by increasing exports alone without simultaneously reducing imports.

Want an easy fix to save Social Security, education, and infrastructure and simultaneously reduce the federal deficit? Bring jobs back to the U.S.

How do you hit Wall Street in its wallet? Don't buy stocks of corporations that heavily outsource jobs. In fact, sell those stocks before the next "crash".

Refuse to buy overpriced imports from low wage countries. Look for American-made goods, and tell retailers that you won't shop there until they supply a large number of American-made goods for sale.

It is a myth that foreign goods are always cheaper than U.S.-made goods. The huge markups on imported goods only serves to increase corporate profits, and creeping inflation is further undermining any savings that might be derived from buying imports. The government's claims of low inflation is a giant hoax. The way they calculate inflation is fraudulent in order to keep down Cost of Living adjustments.

[tcaudilllg]

29. This is a revolution -- the aim is not to change Wall Street, but to destroy it.

Perhaps traders will still continue to trade there, but the power structure -- and its influence -- will be gone. Your way of thinking is only propping up the system, because it IS the system. This is a movement powered by ethics and ethics alone will win it. The problem is not just free trade -- the problem is greed. The greedy must be removed from positions from leadership and precluded from regaining powerful. Only the ethical must reign.

Some free trade is good. It's trade with countries that undercut domestic prices using slave labor that is bad. Free trade simply does not figure into the current argument.

[AdHocSolver]

37. So long as a majority believe in Wall Street and supply-side economics, you will change nothing.

There is NO free trade. World trade is corporate-controlled through NAFTA, the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank, and the banking cartel-controlled Federal Reserve.

Considering that Wall Street and the corporations control trade, jobs, banking, and most governments, it is not likely that "ethics" will prove successful, or that the greedy are going to relinquish control anytime soon.

What is needed is the education of a large number of the people who currently support the system that it is in their interest to make changes that will allow power and wealth to spread throughout the political sphere, and that the situation of the extreme concentration of wealth and power runs counter to their interests.

Protests are good to get people's attention. The next phase is to educate people and get them on board.

[truedelphi]

49. The people own full understanding of the issue. Talk to politicians who

Were around in 2008, during the supposed crisis, and they will tell you that the switchboard was lighting up like a Christams tree.

The people of the USA did not want the Bailouts. The first vote taken by Congress did not give George W his Bailout monies. They had to go at it a second time. With huge threats of "eminent demise of the entire Universe's economy" - that "everything could go down."

Only with that type of Shock Doctrine, put like a loaded gun at the temple of those in Congress, did the vote for the Bailout program occur.

And people are still upset. Main Steet has collapsed - while Wall Street has gotten over Nine Trillions of dollars. The banks rise up at statements like that to say, "That's a lie." Which it isn't.

Then the bankers will say, "Well we paid the money back." They didn't - they were given US dollars, and the payback is in the form of worthless investment papers.

Main Street creates jobs. In normal times, 62% of all new jobs come from small businesses. But small busines is folding up. Wall Street doesn't create jobs (for the most part.)

But this new style of New World Order governing - that our Congress and Executive Office (and SUpreme Court too) is owned by the Upper One Percent has to stop.

Someone has to say, "give us the Trillions of dollars back." Otherwise this nation is going down the toilet. All we have to do is look at the indebtedness of American cities, counties and states. The cities are already brokering away the private parking meter services. But five or ten years from now, will our water be privatized? Will we end up like Bolivia did, with only undrinkable effluent flowing out of the tap? At a rate 500% higher than what we pay now?

In the end, in Bolivia, people died in the streets before they got their water rights back from Bechtel.

[defendandprotect]

76. +1000% ---

[tcaudilllg]

85. I agree education is important

but it's more than that: you have to educate continuously, year after year. At the same time, you have to drown out the efforts of the stupid people and concealers -- they both want to confuse the people. You can't do that by being civil. You have to call people stupid because the only point of getting an education, from a cognitive point of view, is to be smart.

[defendandprotect]

77. Capitalism is headed for the dumpster -- it's merely organized crime --

Granted the trade agreements have to go --

And so does Obama --

[tcaudilllg]

28. Wall St. is losing control of the country!

[rhett o rick]

45. What in earth would make you say something like that? Plez give us more. nm

[Enthusiast]

52. Hardly.

They grow more influential by the moment.

[defendandprotect]

78. Depends on holding the White House -- tho Obama is still in WH, he's finished -- !!!

[lordsummerisle]

33. k&r n/t

[MissDeeds]

35. Power to the people

K&R

[Doctor_J]

39. We need some more "Jump You Fuckers" signs

these people have been way too comfortable for way too long.

[Tripod]

40. K&R

[raouldukelives]

42. K&R

[Number23]

43. Rec'd. Don't know what impact this will have

but it's marvelous nonetheless.

[rhett o rick]

44. Are they staying overnight? nm

[fasttense]

53. Yes, a prolonged occupation is planned.

It always starts with a trickle. The Egyptian revolution started with one woman. Watch as it inflates like a balloon. Then others will pop up. The next one is scheduled for Washington DC on 6 Oct.

For those who say this will not work, go there and find out but standing on the sideline throwing spitballs is never, ever going to change anything.

The revolution has begun and it will not be on prime time.

[defendandprotect]

79. How can we help support the people trying to stay there -- ????

[1776Forever]

56. mmonk posted this link - shows pictures from overnight - Power to the People!

http://lockerz.com/gallery/9978999

[AntiFascist]

47. K&R n/t

[upi402]

48. kick, rec, and...

:patriot:

[Enthusiast]

50. Kicked and recommended!

I like this: “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%,” said a statement on the website Occupy Wall Street.

[Enthusiast]

51. Numbers must equal or exceed

Obama's inauguration. When the numbers equal or exceed Obama's inauguration we will have success.

[mmonk]

54. Some pictures someone is posting from yesterday and this morning.

I suppose they will be adding more.

http://lockerz.com/gallery/9978999

[dotymed]

55. Is there any organized transportation to NY?

Ont thousand people protesting on Wall street is a drop in the bucket of Americans who want to be there. Maybe we should ALL take-over our local "financial area's.

[rhett o rick]

57. We need some type of sustained movement. One or two days wont hurt them. Move your money for sure.nm

[rhett o rick]

58. I heard third hand that only about 50 people showed in Los Angles. nm

[Shagbark Hickory]

59. Psst Protestors: They're bankers. They don't work on Saturday.

You're protesting to empty buildings.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

61. My thought exactly

Why on earth would you hold a demonstration like this on a weekend? What a waste.

[Occulus]

67. If they do what they're promising,

they'll be greeted by the protesters when they come to work Monday.

I hope they have a functional guillotine there by then to cut the heads off the bankers' effigies.

[w0nderer]

64. k&r for reading later n/t

[Skidmore]

65. Beside this article linked above, there was not one mention of this

on the morning ABC news broadcast. Not one.

[defendandprotect]

80. ... but who watches ABC news---??

[polichick]

66. Good on them - imo the reason more citizens don't protest is explained in this sentence:

“profit over and above all else,” which it says has dominated not only America’s economic policies, but also the way in which Americans view culture and humanity.


The bold emphasis is mine. Too many citizens think the American way must be all about profit.

[defendandprotect]

81. Great point ---

in fact had we never engaged in "bus-i-ness" to create profit for the few --

We'd still have nature intact and our ability to live on this planet!


Costs of Global Warming are skyrocketing --

[bongbong]

68. Update the signs

I know the phrase "People Not Profits" is great, but it needs updating. The typical wingnut or teabagger MIGHT be open to the idea of something like "People Not Banksters". But they'll be turned off completely by the idea of "no profits" ("Oh those beneficent millionaires need profits to give us unworthy peons jobs!")

Unfortunately, the MSM & entire government (above the level of local dog catcher) have moved so far to the right/corporate that this probably is the best thing to do.

[readmoreoften]

70. Profits are nothing but the "taxes" your employer takes from the value of the products you make

and then "redistributes" to themselves.

Profit is the gap between what the product is sold for and what the worker makes. It belongs to the workers, not the capitalists. If the capitalists serve a valid organizational function (as some do in small business) then they can take a paycheck too. If not, they should get a goddamn job.

[WillyT]

71. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

:kick:

[pscot]

72. I wish I could be there

I'm definitely with them in spirit.

[defendandprotect]

74. Code Pink: 'JOBS -- NOT WAR' is also a message for the administration - Pelosi and Reid, as well-!!

Pelosi -- morning after '06 election -- on video --

"Dems were elected to end the war!" --

and they've done nothing since then but refund the wars and MIC--!!!

[lsewpershad]

82. Viva la revolucion

[Stuart G]

83. It isn't easy to find this story, it is at ABC ..blogs...nation...but

it is there. They don't exactly have it on the front page.

But it is there..

[spanone]

84. bloomberg blows it off....

Wall Street Occupied by a Few Hundred People as Protesters’ Ranks Dwindle

Wall Street was cordoned off for a second consecutive day as organizers of a demonstration targeting financial firms failed to lure the 20,000 protesters they had sought to occupy the area “for a few months.”
About 300 to 400 people remained near Chase Manhattan Plaza today, down from 1,000 yesterday, for a protest dubbed “#OccupyWallStreet.” A smaller group, followed by a column of police motorcycles, marched uptown on

Broadway as people beat drums, strummed guitars and held up signs reading “end corporate welfare” and “we are too big to fail.”

The demonstration aims to get President Barack Obama to establish a commission to end “the influence money has over our representatives in Washington,” according to the website of Adbusters, a group promoting the demonstration.

“People have a right to protest, and if they want to protest, we’ll be happy to make sure they have locations to do it,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sept. 15 at a press conference. “As long as they do it where other people’s rights are respected, this is the place where people can speak their minds, and that’s what makes New York, New York.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-18/wall-street-occupied-by-a-few-hundred-people-as-protesters-ranks-dwindle.html

[tcaudilllg]

86. They were intimidated

I admit, I felt fear at the prospect of going out there without big labor. When labor marches, there are no police cycles behind. The police do not dare.

Other issues: you didn't make it easy to get there. You played the capitalist game: everyone does it by their own power. You can't play that way and win. You must offer an alternative.