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View Full Version : Occupy Wall Street. Is it spreading to DC?



Le Libérer
1st October 2011, 02:49
Over the last two weeks, protesters in New York have participated in a "occupation" of Wall Street. It's been quite a story -- with police referencing antiquated mask laws to arrest protesters, accusations of Yahoo! censoring emails, more people getting arrested, the formation of an "Anti Hippy Protester Champagne Toast on Wall Street," a lot more people getting arrested, the NYPD resorting to force and pepper spray, and targeting photographers, and visits from Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon and Dr. Cornel West. From what we can tell, it's been a real scene.
It appears now as if there is a movement afoot to spread the occupation to the East Coast's second seat of power -- last night, DCist received word from a tipster that "several hundred" people are planning to converge on McPherson Square tomorrow in a protest "in support of, and in conjunction with the protesters in New York operating under the banner of Occupy Wall Street." The email comes from an individual involved with an organization called "Occupy DC/Occupy K St", and promises that some involved in the plans "will be staying the night and occupying the space indefinitely."
The protest is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow. The letter from our tipster is below:
To whom it may concern,
I am emailing on behalf of the individuals (numbering just over several hundred planning to attend on facebook in 24 hours) who are in the process of organizing and planning for #occupydc.
This is in support of, and in conjunction with the protesters in New York operating under the banner of Occupy Wall Street.
As you know, the New York group started small, held their ground and stayed in the public park for over two weeks now. Their size fluctuating but increasing despite harassment by the police and a lack of media coverage at the on-set. This has provided an outpouring of support from around the country, including here in our Nation's Capital.
For this reason, Occupy DC/Occupy K St. has been organized.

The Plan : Beginning Saturday Oct. 1st 2011 a rally will begin to occupy McPhearson Square in the heart of the District of Columbia. The choosing of this site was two-fold. 1.) You do not need a permit if your crowd is less than 500 people. 2.) Located on K St., the Square is the epicenter of the problem in DC : Corporate Money and influence in our politics, the income disparity, the lack of political equality in the system, and the gridlock which prevents our leaders from enacting the structural change to protect our society for future generations.
There is no telling the size and scope of the rally or where things will go, but it has become apparent that the outrage we all feel about where are society is going is shared by one and all in the 99%. For this reason, I invite you to come, observe, participate, and record the event. Some of us will be staying the night and occupying the space indefinitely, but you are not obligated to do so. All we really want is for our voices to be heard and for REAL, and TANGIBLE change to come to our society, which is currently being suffocated by the 1% and their lobbyists on K St.
http://dcist.com/attachments/Aaron%20Morrissey/2011_0929_occupy.jpg

Source (http://dcist.com/2011/09/occupy_dc.php)

Rusty Shackleford
1st October 2011, 02:51
Hell, it might even be coming to Sacramento.

Orange Juche
1st October 2011, 02:54
The whole thing is a joke, it's a bunch of *****ing without any solutions, and isn't even wholly leftist - Ron Paul types are growing in numbers in this movement. That's why I refuse to work within it, I'm not politically associating with "libertarians". This needs to be a solid left movement with concrete left goals.

aworldsman
1st October 2011, 02:54
Good stuff, let's keep this momentum going.

There's a meeting in Arlington tomorrow that I'll be attending; depending on how many people show we might migrate to DC.

aworldsman
1st October 2011, 02:59
The whole thing is a joke, it's a bunch of *****ing without any solutions, and isn't even wholly leftist - Ron Paul types are growing in numbers in this movement. That's why I refuse to work within it, I'm not politically associating with "libertarians". This needs to be a solid left movement with concrete left goals.

I think we need to focus on the direction of the movement, not the syntax or technicalities. Any movement can't possibly totally align with all members, but people don't join these things because of their position on any political spectrum or because of their labels. People join because of the common discomfort. If all we get out of this is class curiosity, it's done more than you have, insulting the sacrifices that have been made to participate in what could amount to a strong undercurrent of awareness.

If you don't like the way it's going, why don't you get out there and voice your opinions? Worst case, you learn something.

Skammunist
1st October 2011, 03:00
The whole thing is a joke, it's a bunch of *****ing without any solutions, and isn't even wholly leftist - Ron Paul types are growing in numbers in this movement. That's why I refuse to work within it, I'm not politically associating with "libertarians". This needs to be a solid left movement with concrete left goals.

Then do something about it. The libertarians aren't going to go away if we just completely avoid them.

Orange Juche
1st October 2011, 03:13
Then do something about it. The libertarians aren't going to go away if we just completely avoid them.

I did. All I got out of it was catching shit for it, I was the odd man out, because I dared question the fact that these economic fascists don't belong.

Orange Juche
1st October 2011, 03:16
I was "creating divisions" and this whole movement is going to end up being worthless as long as we let the "libertarians" tag along. It has potential, certainly, but I feel like it's being left out to rot.

RadioRaheem84
1st October 2011, 03:47
It will end up being a useless non-movement. No clear direction because every one is too scared to be openly and blatantly anti-capitalist except for the small number of socialists in the group.

Rusty Shackleford
1st October 2011, 03:51
im starting to think of this more as a spring board to organizing for other movements with contacts you meet in this one.

Orange Juche
1st October 2011, 11:07
im starting to think of this more as a spring board to organizing for other movements with contacts you meet in this one.

From what I've seen, it's been more of a spring board for conspiracy theory "illuminati" nutters and libertarian capitalists to come together.

Nosotros
1st October 2011, 12:25
I really do get the feeling that this movement is going nowhere. You can't make demands to the ruling class in this way, they don't listen. For occupations and expropriation to work it needs to be nationwide and pretty much all infrastructure has to be seized with many people on your side. I don't see that happening in the here and now.

RadioRaheem84
1st October 2011, 15:55
It's simple. In the States we're just all afraid to admit the elephant in the room; capitalism.

Most people of other nations are not. That is why their movements sort of go somewhere or say something to the people in power, whether they oblige or not.

Orange Juche
1st October 2011, 18:33
It's simple. In the States we're just all afraid to admit the elephant in the room; capitalism.

Or if we do, we catch hell for being "too political".

RadioRaheem84
1st October 2011, 18:44
Or if we do, we catch hell for being "too political".

Too political. Too dogmatic. Too radical.

Too bad. It's the truth, liberals. It's the system.