*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 11th, 2011*
Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media
Boston Police Brutally Assault Occupy Boston
At 1:30 this morning hundreds of police in full riot gear brutally attacked Occupy Boston, which had peacefully gathered on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Boston Police Department made no distinction between protesters, medics, or legal observers, arresting legal observer Urszula Masny-Latos, who serves as the Executive Director for the Massachusetts branch of the National Lawyers Guild, as well as four medics attempting to care for the injured.
Earlier in the day, an estimated ten thousand union members, students, veterans, families, men, and women of all ages marched from the Boston Common to Dewey Square, and then to the North Washington Bridge to demand economic reform on Wall Street and the end of special interest influence in Washington.
Following this massive outpouring of public support, dozens of police vans descended on the Greenway, with batons drawn, assaulting protesters and arresting more than one-hundred people. Members of Veterans for Peace carrying American flags were pushed to the ground and their flags trampled as the police hauled them away.
Following the raid, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis made no mention of veterans, organized labor, students, or families, nor did he issue an apology for his department’s aggressive tactics. Since the beginning of its occupation, Occupy Boston has worked tirelessly and successfully to maintain a positive working relationship with city officials. Today’s reprehensible attack by the Boston Police Department against a movement that enjoys the broad support of the American people represents a sad and disturbing shift away from dialogue and towards violent repression.
Despite the city’s attempt to silence us, Occupy Boston remains, and bears no ill-will towards the men and women of the Boston Police Department who were simply following orders. We hope that someday the peaceful pursuit of economic justice will not provoke the beating of elderly veterans and the arrest of medics and legal observers. We encourage everyone who continues to feel as strongly as we do about limiting the influence of Wall Street on our democracy to join us tomorrow, and in the future, down in Dewey Square.
“We will occupy. We are the 99 percent and we are no longer silent.”
502 Responses to “Boston Police Brutally Assault Occupy Boston”
neon yellow vests constitute full riot gear? telling lies does not make a more powerful statement than the truth.
That’s what I tried to tell the Police Commissioner when he claimed Anarchists took over the park. Crazy flower trampling Anarchists, the worst kind.
can’t seem to see anything that looks like a brutal assault or riot gear in the videos and pictures. Please post some evidence of the two claims?
“The arrests began around 1:20 a.m. when police lined up on Atlantic Avenue. Minutes later, dozens of sheriff vans and police wagons arrived, and more than 200 officers, both in uniforms and riot gear, surrounded the section of the Greenway occupied by the protesters.”
Thats the quote from the Boston Globe.
@ Bob- That site is not a mess. Do not believe what you are hearing on talk radio about that. There is no urine, feces or smell and aside from a few cigarette butts (dropped by “visitors” more than “occupiers from my observation) there is no trash/mess.
@ Kate- Regarding your comments, well said!
Well the Boston police in the photos don’t exactly look like they’re going to chat and have tea with the protesters, do they?
That’s not what most people think of as riot gear. There’s no plastic shields, no body armor, just helmets and sticks. Those are some fucking crazy sticks, though, I would not describe those as batons. You could really ruin someone’s face with that.
Agreed. I’ve seen nor heard any evidence of the brutality claims. The movement was respected and gaining momentum. What were you thinking taking more? That’s how the 1% thinks! Now greed has threatened the entire space!
There wasn’t enough room for everyone, so the people who couldn’t fit spilled out into the next parcel. We as Americans have a right to peaceably assemble and ask for a redress of grievances.
didn’t know “The Drama Queen Coalition” was speaking for the movement. There was no police brutality and no full riot gear.
Riot gear was present. Look up riot gear. Don’t watch movies as reference material.
Sorry Kate, that’s definitely riot gear. They called in riot police, not the SWAT team…
As a veteran of protests in the 21st Century, I would like to offer some assistance. We Tea-Partiers have a great track record, and here are some tips that may help you poor “Occupy Wall Street” citizens:
1) Try and figure out what you’re protesting BEFORE you march. The Tea Party has a clear message for each event; Block Healthcare, Stop ______ Bill, etc., as well as a clear, underlying theme: Reduce the size and influence of the Federal Government. From what I’ve seen on the extensive news coverage, you poor bastards in “OWS” have no idea why you’re there—“hating rich people” doesn’t count.
2) Limit your protests to a day or two. Let’s face it—after more than that, you really start to stink. Plus, won’t your boss get mad if you are gone for more than a day or two from work? Oh—never mind.
3) For God’s sake clean up your mess! Those responsible for cleanup have routinely lauded the Tea Party events because the protesters actually left the area cleaner than when they arrived. You guys are, well, you’re pigs! The pictures show garbage, feces, urine…squalor! Decades of liberal rule have turned major cities into cesspools, but you guys seem to be trying to accelerate the process in each place you visit! As Woodsy the Owl says: “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute.”
4) Hire some blacks. I have reviewed hundreds of pictures from your protests, mainly trying to see which sign is the most hateful, and I have seen only one black person. Are you racists? If you’re not careful, the mainstream news networks will accuse you of intentionally excluding certain groups. We have a statistically proportionate number of blacks at our rallies, and yet we are always accused of being racist—you may want to really watch out for that.
5) Try not to get arrested so much. The only recorded violence or arrests at our Tea Party events have been from union-sponsored opponents that come there to disrupt our peaceful assembly. You, on the other hand, seem to think it’s 1969 again! Over 700 arrests at a Brooklyn event alone—and believe me, it’s not us coming in there to stir things up, what with all the garbage, feces, urine, and squalor.
We fully support your Constitutional right to free speech and assembly, so good luck to ya. As a parting gift, here are some easy to understand, easily verifiable facts to help you out with your signs:
1) Although the top 1% do hold a great deal of the country’s wealth, they ALREADY PAY the majority of the taxes and they are the ones who create jobs with their investments.
2) Wall Street and the country’s largest banks are supported by DEMOCRATS more than Republicans—it is the DEMOCRAT party and the current administration that are tight with Goldman Sachs. I know this creates quite a dilemma for you, since you are probably the only thing left of Obama’s “base…”
3) I have seen signs that suggest you are seeking “Freedom.” By definition, asking the government to intervene in the private sector and redistribute wealth is the ANTITHESIS of freedom. Be honest with your signs—Say something like: “We Want Government Oppression…”
Hope this helps.
1) I agree we need to work on our focus
2) Showers have been made available for the protesters, and many of us sleep at home anyway. Others visit home periodically for things like showers and clean clothes.
3) What feces??? We have trash bins all around the camp, and garbage is removed twice daily. We also have compost and recycling bins available. The public restrooms at South Station are right across the street from the camp, no one is using this space the way you’re describing.
4) We don’t have to hire anyone, we have legitimate protesters showing up every day. And yes, some of them are black and other minority groups. I’d suggest the Tea Party look into hiring some of the LGBT community, they’re not very well represented at your events.
5) The confrontation with the police was regrettable, but necessary since the city refused to coordinate with the protesters on an acceptable expansion area
1) The top 1% do pay more income tax, although if you look at the effective tax rates they’re not as oppressed as you make them out to be. The idea that returning to the pre-Bush tax rates is some kind of wealth redistribution or socialism is a flat out lie. They are now able to use that wealth even more effectively to purchase political power, which we are opposed to.
2) Yeah, we’re not happy with the Democrats either, no matter how much they want to co-opt us. I voted for Obama to close Guantanamo, end the Patriot Act, and get our foreign policy back under control. He’s not doing well.
3) We want to be able to participate in our own governance. As long as private money is used to purchase political power, we are unable to do so. The rich use both predatory banking and political power to keep the rest of us under control, and we’re sick of it.
Okay, now that that’s over, I’d like to cordially invite you to join us at Dewey Square. I think we’ve got a lot more in common than Glenn Beck would lead you to believe.
They clearly have masks and sticks….isnt that riot gear?
they are in riot gear to protect themselves if things get out of hand. protest all you want but OBEY the laws or be arrested. you are allowed to assemble but you cant disrupt an entire city. why has everyone i have seen interviewed on tv have no clue what they are protesting. just spewing retoric
No, they’re not in riot gear. They just look like Nazi storm troopers.
Bla….
Do not know what your looking at, but erhm Full riot gear is what i see at the pictures.
Further if you watch the video about it you see a colum of agents rush in aswell..
In the pictures they dont have there helmet on but they ALL wear it on there belts, ready for use, there clothing is Full riot gear, padded an all…
Idiots, all of them, bullying protesters that just sit in a park…
How do you not see riot gear?
Picture #2, 3 and 6 are obvious examples, they didn’t put half of it on but they had it all on their person in case they needed to gas the crap out of people.
Kate, there were some cops with polycarbonate face shields, as well .. i have seen lots of riot gear .. with the face shields, i would call it riot gear, definitely not the “storm trooper” variety with shield .. but riot gear for sure .. but not all had them .. sorry i don’t have a photo ..
umm I didn’t see any brutality – If you resist being “moved” or “arrested” and you call it “brutality” then your just a weak person. Try living in Egypt, Syria, or Tunisia and pulling this crap, they’ll be much nicer I promise….Oh by the way, you cost Boston Tax Payers roughly 2m in overtime, billed back to us tax paying folks who work for a living, it’s not getting billed back to Wall Street. Go to Washington if you want a change, this isn’t Wall Street. Also, get a degree in Business, work for a few years, then evaluate if you should really be involved in this “resistance”.
Work for a few years? *Where*?
Get a degree in Business? (And, go bankrupt trying to pay for it?) Oh yeah! You want us to embrace the *new* American Dream, in which we all get to start our adult lives weighed down by a $75K debt..
Here’s an idea for you Mr. Freeman: take the silver spoon out of your mouth, brush-up on your history, and clean the wax out of your ears. You’re proud because you think you just hit a triple in the game of life. Face it dude, you were born standing on third base. The rest (99%) of us are sick of pitching to you. We don’t need a degree in Business, because we’re done playing by those rules.
Gordan, you need to get down and find out just how many of these protesters are in fact educated professionals, hard working, retired after a lifetime of hard working. Especially you need to realize that today’s students don’t have the opportunity or time to get a business degree (as if “business” is the only legitimate pursuit!) and work for a few years, because the octopus of the Plutocracy has already clutched its tentacles around their necks!
These students already have the experience to “evaluate if [they] should really be involved in this ‘resistance'”! If you don’t understand that, then it is you who don’t have the experience to evaluate if you should be mouthing off against this uprising of the American people.
Funny. I have a degree in business. Five years of working experience. I make over 100k per year.. I know that I need to be a part of this!!
What about the over 20 million unemployed? I suppose they’re lazy and just don’t want to work? For your info, there are 5 workers for every job – and the outsourcing continues. Some long term unemployed are living under bridges. I’m sure they just love that.
You’re a typical conservative in that everything revolves around ME! If I have a job it must mean that the other 20 million+ unemployed are fakers who just won’t work. Everything is measured against MEEEEEE!!!
What about companies that outsource jobs? Any thoughts on them? Or is everything the fault of the lazy workers?
Tricia, seems you’ve missed Della’s entire point. Let your steam evaporate, clear your lenses, then go back to the comment to which she was responding and try again.
kates right, thats not riot gear. its true that swat wears vests n helmets but riot police tend to do the same. watch videos of real riots and youll see bottles, rocks, bricks, ect being thrown at police. boston pd isnt going to risk their officers and send them out there without any protective equipment and call it riot police.
Also remember police dont make the best money either, their PART of your 99%. Every cop you badmouth or entrap (resist a lawful action so their forced to physically take you down, n then post picures sayin police brutality) is a cop that you could potentially put out of the job. so realize their doing their job trying to put food on the table for their families, QUIT trying to make them sound like the devil
doug, many on this board have freely acknowledged that the police are in fact part of the 99% and are just “doing their job.” Our cause isn’t against them, it’s against the plutocrats who control them, who make it the PD’s underlying job to subserve the interests of that 1%. There are all sorts of ways to masquerade that fact under the guise of security and protecting the community, or the people, or law-abiding citizens, or however the power structure choose to frame it up.
Ever so typically, double standards keep poking through that masquerade and giving it away.
Just as with the corporate media, who have done an atrocious job of covering the Occupy movement, focusing on blood-in-the-streets “coverage” to disguise the fact that they are totally ignoring the message. They too are doing their jobs, i.e., subserving the interests of their real bosses, the Plutocracy.
The riot gear is hidden by the jackets and pants they wore over top. If you noticed in the photos the jackets look blocky and bulky like they are wearing them to hide the riot armor. Its as if they anticipated that their would be photographed so they wore a top layer jacket to hide the body armor so as to appear less threatening.
HAHAHAHAHA Stupid hippy scum! Get a damn Job. I’m going to start a collection to raise funds to help the Boston Police buy more billy clubs, riot shields, and GUNS.
It’s too obvious you’re not part of the American people! You’re part of the Marie Antoinette class, or one of the many vassals.
Assaulted? Brutally attacked? Hyperbole does not help your cause, especially when the incident was so well documented.
Your dishonesty will only serve to sway public opinion against you.
actually, I was there in person, and personally witnessed police using excessive force and violence againt peaceful protesters, and almost risked getting arrested myself in order to capture this brutality. Were you there? did you see people thrown to the ground and dragged by their clothes? Because I did! So you might want to check yourself before crying “hyperbole”.
People were arrested and removed. The police already asked protesters to leave on their own; what did you expect, a bribe of cookies?
Were you not asked to leave several times? Did you fail to notice that memo for the first few days?
Have you ever heard of non-violent direct action, also know as civil-disobedience? Read up on your history mates!
“Anecdote” and “Document” are not interchangeable words.
So let me get this right. If Americans have an issue and their voices are not heard, enough to start looking at a resolution, after peacefully occupying a location to protest and make their voices heard our government is simply allowed to tell us to go home and that solves the issue? I don’t wish any harm on anyone and lets face it the cops are doing their jobs as anyone else expects. So tell me this. Where are the ones who ordered the removal of protesters? Why don’t they come down and express that they have had enough of the protest and will no longer listen to it?
Watch this video. Seriously: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu63e7QD_5k
We will have our way if we stick with this.
I believe we can right the wrong, but it isn’t going to happen in the political system as it is set up right now. There are too many things working against those that want the best things for the USA.
One, the majority of the scoundrels in the federal government, i.e. Congress, the executive branch, and judicial branch are bought and paid for by big business. By big business, I mean big banks, wall street, pharmaceutical companies, the healthcare industriesw, and the military industrial complex. I am sure I left some out.
Two, these scoundrels in Congress will act like they are representing you, but they are not. They will give you lip service, but I tell you they basically say what they think you want them to say to get elected, then they go to Washington D.C and get along with the agenda of big business.
Not only are they supporting big business, but they are working for their masters, the power elite. The power elite are really interesting because they are richer than god himself. What they want is power and control. They want to control you. These are people like Rockefeller,Rothschild, Bush, George Soros, and a few others.
While I am at it, I thought I would correct something. We are much bigger than the 99%. We are the 99.9999 %.
My question is how long are we going to allow these scoundrels to piss on us? Quite frankly, I am more than sick of it. I am afraid my children are going to wake up in Nazi Germany.
I think we need to take our home back by whatever means is necessary. PERIOD.
There was no brutality in that video. That was the police trying to deal with a disturbance as politely as possible and having their hands forced.
Look at it from their perspective, that was an incredibly threatening situation that they handled better than I would have expected.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6110/6233856488_21008a1a52_z.jpg
looks like regular street uniforms to me. if this is BPD riot gear, then they are woefully underfunded.
It certainly wasn’t standard police gear. They carried long riot batons, wore helmets, shin and knee pads.
O my god knee pads so scary. Why dont you occupy a job instead up occupying boston. Blocking traffic and ruining peoples commute isn’t going to help your cause, it is just going to turn people against you.
Poor Emilioo- having to work your commute around a constitutionally protected right to protest. Aside from the fact that you are blessed with BEING employed in a depression, you need to probably think through why the police were there in the first place. They shouldn’t have even been involved in a peaceful protest, regardless of what kind of gear they were wearing.
I’m not involved with Occupy Boston, but I give my 100% support the best I can. Especially since there are constitutional rights being taken away and documented on film in multiple cities across the nation. I’m actually more shocked that there are Americans who aren’t PISSED OFF and sit in their cubicles, complaining about the commute, while their freedoms are being taken away before their very eyes.
So b/c you do not like what they were doing, or why they were, therefore it’s okay for them to be assaulted? o_O
ruining peoples commute at 1:30 in the morning?
I just dont understand why you would piss off the “99%” who are trying to commute home when you are tyring to get them on your side, but that is just me. I am blessed to have a job, but I busted my ass to get it. I am sure there are a lot of people who have worked hard to get a job and can’t, but there are also people like the majority of the people protesting who are jealous of someone making a lot money on wallstreet. Who cares!! They are too caught up in the 1% of people being successful and living there lives. They have earned that right to make that kind of money just like you have to right to block traffic and piss people off. Your protesting wont do anything. Soon Obama won’t be president and we will have Perry or Romney come in and clean you guys out.
He thinks Romney stands a chance!
“Soon Obama won’t be president and we will have Perry or Romney clean you guys out.”
Avid supporter of Middle Eastern Despots much?
You sound like a Mubarak/Qaddafi/Assad/Ahmadinejad supporter. Unless those are the people that the Republican Party is identifying themselves with nowadays. I mean, the language you just used is the same language used by people who ordered their government to kill/injure protesters so as to scare them off the streets, mostly because they didn’t like what they were protesting about, not because they were clogging up the commuters of Tahrir Square.
For everything I hate about Obama, he would never “Clean Out” the TEABaggers, and as much as I dislike the TEABaggers, I would never want their protests to be suppressed. This is because my hatred for Police supercedes my dislike for almost all other things. I feel as though Perry, in his best impression of Qaddafi (“house to house, door to door…all the “anti-capitalists” will be exterminated!”) , would attempt to “clean out” the protesters. Not Romney though, he actually has common sense as a moderate republican and not a conservative nutcase.
“Cleaning out” a group of people is about as un-American as you can get.
This is exactly what the “workers” of the communist government usually say. I can’t help myself from laughing. How nostalgic. I leave a pile of shit just to find another pile of shit. But this pile of shit is bigger since I still have the right to voice.
Trespassing on private property is not peaceful, and you were fully warned. Bravo, BPD, bravo!
The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy isn’t private property. It’s public land managed by a non-profit that has unofficially allowed us to be there. In fact, a representative of the Greenway asked police not to remove us last night.
You’re wrong. See my comments below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/safesounds/6233335663/
after a redsox game, the BPD are more equipped than that…truthfully i’m not trying to downplay the cause here…i’m just asking that people are truthful so that the opposition has nothing to pick apart.
What truthfully happened? o:
Defending people “who were just following orders” is chicken shit. How far must they go, in order for you to defend yourself? When they kill a non violent protestor in front of you?
Maybe when they even unnecessarily injure a single individual. I haven’t seen a single photo of a single individual who was harmed in any appreciable way during this event.
Your baseless claims are embarrassing. I am the 99%, you don’t represent me.
u are trying to be the 1% but you do not stand a chance.
I agree. I really have more practical things to worry about and absolutely give zero whiffs to this whole thing. So don’t co-opt me here. You guys are you guys, stating your opinions, not mine, unsurprisingly demonizing the police like everyone who forgot the sixties are over tend to do.
Oh my God, who are you people?!?! Open your eyes, your mind. The country is being stolen from us. FROM YOU. Nobody is jealous of the 1%ers. And if the police officers in Boston and every other city realized they were the 99% they would join the movement. Do think they have representation in DC? They’re as misinformed as you are.
Hey SV:
The Greenway is not private property…it is a PUBLIC park. And unless you are a billionaire you might want to rethink your disdain for this peaceful movement for you too are the 99%.
looks like sarcasm
“…The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy is a private, non-profit organization…”
from the greenway website.
It’s a private non-profit contracted to manage public land.
The Greenway land is a public venue but the land is owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. They and the city decided they didn’t want any more of it destroyed.
As much as I agree that our broken political and financial systems need to be reformed, if you try to camp out in my back yard without my permission, I’ll have you arrested too.
You should see the videos and the pictures of the police trampling the precious flowers.
on October 11th, 2011 at 7:13 am #
[…] “We will occupy. We are the 99 percent and we are no longer silent.” ### Occupy Boston is the beginning of an ongoing discussion about reforming Wall Street and removing special interests from government. The continuing occupation of Dewey Square (outside South Station) is just one of more than 120 separate Occupy encampments in cities across the nation and a symbol for “Occupiers” everywhere who support real and lasting change. Video: http://youtu.be/ZpttXetMX78. Posted in News and Announcements | 1 Reply […]
This press release is a little over the top. Better to rein in the rhetoric at this stage of things. Which is not to say that it wasn’t an angering and frightening experience – but please have some perspective in how you represent what occurred.
They were pretty brutal, I suggest you poke around for some of the videos of the arrests – http://www.twitvid.com/J8KFK. The protestors stood peacefully and police got aggressive fast. Legal observers were arrested, street medics were arrested. Some protestors were actually struck with riot batons and many others were aggressively handled, shoving, hitting etc.
…seriously? That video is your example of “brutal”? Please listen to the people commenting here. Either show us a video of actual brutality or report what happened accurately. Everything being on video is a two-edged sword, and neither the cops nor you can get away with distorting things.
Seriously? That’s your example of brutality? Did you expect a friendly hug?
I was there. Report accurately and stop embellishing. You are an embarrassment to the cause.
In reading the news this morning I saw nothing mentioned about the march that occurred yesterday and which your press release states was the motivation for the arrests. On your blog, I saw some mention of it, and only a few photos of it. Photos and entries of your the arrests have been given much more space and attention by OccupyBoston, the police, and mainstream media. I think they deserve attention, but am fearful that focus on the arrests, and the arrests only, will easily pull attention and energy away from the unifying notion that has motivated so many to participate. I for one, would like you to highlight the march, and the participating unions/groups, as much as possible!
In every single photo and video I have seen/watched, not a single officer removed their riot baton from it’s holster on their belt. When you were placed under arrest, you locked arms preventing the officer to place you into custody. I have graduated Police Academy and it is my right and duty to go one step above the level of resistance in order to place you into custody while effecting an arrest. This article is a complete fabrication and quite frankly, it’s a joke. Public venue or not, you were asked to leave by the governing body of the city, i.e. The Boston Police Department. You were give ample warning that this would happen if you did not follow directions. You were being asked to return to your original base camp, nobody was asking you to stop your protest. A private non-profit organization spent $150,000 to maintain that property and your actions, or lack there of, caused the damage.
I don’t feel bad for you, and in fact, maybe it would take one or two of you being cracked with one of those riot batons or showered in a heavy coat of OC/Pepper Spray to realize that the cops are not messing around. You want to protest, fine, but obey they law and there won’t be any more situations like this in the future.
Enjoy our lovely New England winters in your tents in the city…I’ll be at home checking my bank account while the heat warms my house to 80 degrees while you people freeze to death in the park
Congress shall make NO law ABRIDGING the freedom of the people to assemble.
Free speech zones are unconstitutional, and what Boston has done is a direct violation of our freedom to peacefully assemble.
The 60s aren’t over, they were just beginning, we are going to do what our parents couldn’t do, we will reign in the Oligarchs in this country, and the those of you with Stockholm syndrome, we will drag along kicking and screaming, and in the end when you finally come to your senses and realize you should not have been commuting at 130am in the first place will finally thank us, cause its not about jobs, its about a whole lot more than that. Te job and home debt is what keeps you in line, student loan debt is designed to do the same thing to academics.
Not only is your violent rhetoric disturbing because of that you should not be allowed to wear a police uniform. As a taxpayer and normal human being I want to know who the hell hired you so I can point them to what hopefully will get a gun out of your hands!
Not after the fat cats break your police union and start cutting your pay and benefits. By the time they start bringing in third-world police on guest visas, you will consider working at WalMart a better deal, you smug son-of-a-bitch!
And remember, Gandhi, is a hero to millions around the world. Who remembers the British police and the traitorous Indians who sided with them except as the despicable thugs that they were?
Wow! That last bit was completely uncalled for. How do you expect to be a rational voice when you throw out cruel comments about the blatant disregard for other humans’ lives?
“You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means”
If you work for any police force, you aren’t a 1%er, period. You are also arguing that you have the right to tell them where they can and can’t peacefully assemble. The consensus is that you do not have that right. Normally people try to relate to cronies as ordinary people trying to make a living, but having such a venomous attitude does not promote trust in the police.
Who said I was employed by a Law Enforcement Agency? There you go again, making an assumption that because I graduated the police academy that I am a police officer. This is not true, I am not a member of a police department.
Now you misread my comments. I wasn’t suggestion violence, I was simply stating that if real acts of violence(such as being struck with a baton or sprayed with OC/Pepper Spray) were to occur, you would realize that being pulled apart when you were resisting the police attempts to place you into custody does not constitute being “brutally assaulted by the Boston Police Department”.
You conservatives are such fine people – your last segment indicates that. You use your concern for private property and trampled flowers to mask your hostility to the occupiers. These people have very valid concerns. The rich and the corporations are taking everything – our pensions, our homes, our jobs, and now they are after our Social Security and Medicare. The top 20% of the population has 85% of the wealth. Over 20 million are unemployed, and all conservatives can say is “Get a job. I have one so that means everyone who doesdoesndoesn’t
The 1%ers: “Get a job. I have one . . .”
Well, I would question whether many of those 1%ers do in fact have a job. Speculation is no more a real job than playing the tables or the slots in a gambling parlor. And just like gambling, it does nothing for jobs and the economy.
And it’s these speculators that the pro-1% advocates are out to protect by going into a tantrum over capital gains taxes or financial transaction taxes, screaming, You can’t tax the job-creators in a recession!!
Look at Cain with his 9-9-9, taxing the low-income to extinction with both income and sales taxes, but giving the speculators a welfare handout with ZERO capital gains tax — and this double-dealing crook (look up his shocking business record) is running at or near the top in Republican polls! I can’t believe I’m having to state the obvious: CAPITAL GAINS ARE INCOME!!! Would someone please inform Cain and his 1%er cronies?
ever hear of compassion?
Ya, I have a job, and a home and a bank account too.
But I also have heart for the 70% of college students who graduated this year and can’t find a job!! And the countless peope who have lost their homes because of greedy self-serving people like you!
What you might not understand, (or want to understand), is that the Greenway is a public venue, but it is still private property. The Greenway land is owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and maintained by the Greenway Conservancy with public and private funds. They’re letting you occupy the Dewey Square area permit-free and without any demands so far that you pay for the rehab of what now has become a mud hole.
Last night, it was explained to you that expanding north would not be tolerated because that area had just been landscaped to the tune of $150,000.00. (Where did that money come from? The 99%.) The stand-up thing for you to have done would have been to “decline to be arrested”, in the words of the DC occupiers, go back to Dewey and make the point that even in the midst of your frustration, you were resolved to effect change within the limits of the law, and while respecting other people’s property.
You didn’t do yourselves any favors last night and you’re not doing yourself any with this over the top article.
We’ve been expanding since day one. People have been pouring in every day wishing to join in the protest and take part in the discussion we’re having at the occupation. This morning the city decided to draw an arbitrary line in the sand with us and reacted violently to non-violent resistance. We attempted to work with them until the last minute when police arrived with force. In the face of aggression all protestors remained non-violent (all went through training for exactly how to do this) despite the actions of police.
How is this a good reply?
Training? Exactly what qualifications do I need to become the “OccupyBoston Training Officer”?
Ok everyone, interlace your arms and hold you hands together….
There, I have just trained EVERYONE WHO READS THIS ARTICLE on how to “peacefully protest and remain non-violent. You’re welcome 99%, I’m glad I could help
i would hardly call land owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation private property.
If you want to get down to brass tax, who paid for it? Tax payers? I think anyone has a right to peacefully assemble there then. It’s a Constitutional, as well as a Civil right. I would hardly call following orders from Police, to stop me from conducting my God given rights as an American a good idea. What would they try to stop me from doing next?
What part of “owned” don’t you understand?
You should explain to me how your local government “owns” anything.They don’t produce anything, so everything they have is something they took from someone else, through taxes. That hardly defines ownership in my opinion, it looks more like stealing.
Anything owned by the Massachusetts Dept. of anything or the City of anything belong to the people of said State or City. Some of you folks seemed to have spent too much time in Banker curriculum controlled institutions. Also seems those institutions forgot to inform you of the importance of the people to assemble peacefully in order to form consensus to have their grievances addressed.
“Paul, Boston MA
on October 11, 2011 at 8:06 am said:
What part of “owned” don’t you understand?”
Here is a clear definition
Owner: Exactly what became of the “peaceful” protesters when the Boston Police placed 100 of them under arrest….they got “owned”
http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/files/6513/1793/7911/Conservancy_Statement_Regarding_Occupy_Boston.pdf
The Conservancy views the Greenway as Common Ground. In addition to supporting free speech, we’re aware that asking the protesters to leave will create conflict and significant expense. Should circumstances become unfavorable, we will work with the Boston Police Department to determine the appropriate response. We are prepared to do that, if and when protesters do not adhere to the common sense rules of conduct moving forward.
Again, this is an extraordinary situation. This does not mean other people will be able to “camp out” overnight on the Greenway, per park guidelines. Occupy Boston is taking place on 3-4% of the Greenway. Dewey Square is approximately one-half acre of land in a 16-acre park. The rest of the Greenway is open, active, and beautiful.
They moved out of Dewey Square, and created a second camp — “North Camp.”
This, the second camp, is the camp they were evicted from. The original camp — the one they were granted a special exception to the rules that govern everyone else, on the grounds that they have a right to assemble — remains untouched.
So I say STOP IT, if you were in the wrong then go peacefully. I saw several pics where people were getting dragged, they only drag you like that if you be a douche about it and refuse to walk.
I take issue with your last statement. I encourage you to watch the videos. Protestors resisting respectfully and peacefully were grabbed and thrown to the ground. The police did not react to the protestors non-violent actions in the proper way.
Yeah, I saw one with a polite peaceful young girl spitting at cops as they dragged her away, so what are we missing. The batons are used to protect themselves from out of control mobs like yours. Your lucky teargas and fire houses weren’t used, that would have been an appropriate response.
Please explain how one is both resistant and respectful and peaceful. The truly peaceful route would be to accept being arrested with dignity, as exemplified by the initial Veterans For Peace arrests, who walked away with the police (who gave them no trouble for it as far as I can see), chanting as they went. In my opinion those who refuse to cooperate, force the BPD to drag them away and then claim brutality when they do aren’t doing anyone any favors.
They were asked to leave in the first place. It is the protestors own god damn fault for not abiding by the fucking law. If you are going to protest, why not show some damn respect and protest lawfully.
BJ: right on! why aren’t those protestors obeying the law? they shouldn’t be following in the disrespectful law-breaking footsteps of criminals like rosa parks, gandhi, etc. that’s not how to protest!
ASG: yes, thank god the police had batons to protect themselves from an out of control young girl spitting at them. i’m sure they will be forced to bring in the fire hoses if they encounter any mobs using harsh language; that’s too much for even batons to handle.
I know Daniel, the rules just aren’t for you because this movement is so righteous. Fact is there is more of you than there are Police Officers. If they were to let it spin out of control , and they get hurt because of it, are you going to feed his family while he recovers? Are you going to go to work for him so he can pay his bills?
“they only drag you like that if you be a douche about it and refuse to walk.”
This is the problem, post 9/11 everyone accepts free-speech zones, EVERYWHERE is a free-speech zone. Preventing traffic and slowing business is part of redress of grievances.Its part of the pain business and government suffer when they allow things to get to the point where the majority of people start protesting. Do you think we would have had a 14th amendment if people didn’t do massive sitins, block traffic, and generally fuck shit up?
The 14th Amendment was passed in the aftermath of the Civil War, dumbass. Blocking traffic, sitins, and generally “fucking shit up” had nothing to do with it. Besides, the 14th Amendment deals with the right to due process, not peaceful assembly.
Try to know what you’re talking about before you open your mouth. Sounding like a complete retard doesn’t help your cause.
fact correction: Ursula Levelt was not there. That was Urszula Masny-Latos, the Executive Director of the MA chapter of the NLG, who was legal observing and got arrested.
Thanks for the correction we’ll take a look.
sorry you still don’t have it quite right. she isn’t the ED of the national lawyers guild, only the mass chapter.
Is she the lady spitting at the coppers?
Experiencing it live allows one to absorb the full impact of what happened, which many citizens did online. We have pledged full support to Boston after last nights brutal attacks by Boston PD. The sick crushing sound of garbage trucks compacting the equipment of peaceful occupiers will resonate world wide, and the swift destruction of Camp 2 will not go unpunished – The Anonymous Insurgency @AnonInsurgency
Seconded. Anyone who thinks what the cops did was right, will have no one to left to protest for their rights.
Protestors step on grass and we are told–by police, by mainstream media, by politicians–that they are breaking the law and force must be used against them. Billionaires, bankers, and other predatory capitalists step on and crush the lives of *people* on a regular basis, and get off scot free. Even are praised for it. Made into heros.
Let’s have some perspective here people. Making a fetish of a spot of “privately owned” ground distracts from what is going on here. We are building a social movement to change the situation we live in entirrely. Why is it that we the people have no park of our own anyway?
The issue we have is not about whether laws were being broken, it’s about responding to non-violent protest with violent actions There is a proper way to respond to protestors (who were trained in the proper, respectful way to resist non violently) and the BPD did not abide by those conventions. They used riot batons, arrested legal observers and street medics attempting to help, and threw non-aggressive protestors to the ground. Check out the videos.
To be clear: I wasn’t criticizing Occupy Boston, but rather those who want to construe the movement as “law-breakers” or somehow “deserving” what they (we) got. Focusing on the formal issues of “property rights” and “laws”–while necessary on a tactical and strategic level, often comes at the expense of understanding the basic class and power realities that are involved here.
In terms of OB denouncing not the police raid but merely its excesses…this seems a little bit to me like the view of those who condemn torture but not the wars and invasions (that all but make sure that torture and other brutal acts will take place.) So long as you have police forces organized to protect the elite interests of a society, you will have police brutality. As a member of this movement, I will say that I *DO* have a problem with the very way in which the needs of “law and order” are defined and enforced in this society, not simply with their excesses.
By all means we should expose and condemn police brutality. And rally to support those who have been its victims. But we should also use this as a teachable moment to raise questions and raise awareness about who the police are actually designed and employed to protect, and who they are designed to suppress and repress.
In solidarity.
When the only common platform you people can come up with is “let’s all go get arrested, despite the police’s most earnest attempts to let us protest peaceably,” you make the 99% think “wow these are just a bunch of spoiled kids.” The Tea Party doesn’t pull lame stunts like this. You’re accomplishing nothing, except getting a lot of cops a lot of overtime for filling out paperwork.
The tea party didn’t do shit but elect the same bagmen back into politics, after the Republican Party hijacked Denninger’s ideas. Step your biased view game up lady.
The young folks protesting across the country didn’t vote in midterm elections at all (aside from 1 in 5).
Does that make my statement any less true?
The Tea Party held huge demonstrations in hundreds of cities with hundreds of thousands of participants and never pulled any bush league crap like what happened last night. They’re fools but they know more about protesting than the occupy crowd does. Step one in claiming to represent someone is to behave as they would. The 99% would leave the park when asked nicely to do so, would never even be there if told it would be viewed as illegal. Well over 99% of people can see plainly that this was done on purpose for no reason other than to instigate a confrontation with the police.
How quickly we forget. The so-called Tea Party began it’s infamous career screaming and intimidating people at Town Meetings, spitting and yelling racist slurs, and roughing up activists the summer before last. Give us a break, Garden City Families. That Tea is poison.
Indeed.
The Tea Partiers showed up with weapons, and threatened a sitting President, using crosshairs and the like. (Not all of them, I will acknowledge as soon as the media acknowledges that some of the more extreme portions of OWS don’t represent the main group.) For some reason, they weren’t arrested. But a bunch of Vets sitting on the grass in a publicly owned space and the cops show up. I guess I forgot about that tricky clause in the First Amendment that says we may speak our minds after we get a permit to do so.
However, in all fairness, I haven’t seen anything that constitutes police brutality. If there’s video to show that, I’d like to see it. The videos coming out of NYC show police brutality, all I see here are people getting arrested, which does mean some level of physical contact and force. Protesting does often end in being arrested, and you should be aware of that at the start. If you’re not ready to do that, then leave when it starts getting hairy – there’s nothing wrong with that.
The point is that the Tea Party managed to hold their demonstrations and get their (asinine) point across without resorting to sorry-ass tactics like purposefully getting arrested for trespassing. It’s a waste of time, does nothing to advance the goals of the movement, and makes you all look like clowns to law abiding citizens who would otherwise sympathize with you. Like me.
It would be all too easy for me to cast judgment on the Occupiers having just awoken from a good night’s sleep in a comfy bed.
All I would ask is that you examine your own motives. “Did we handle this correctly?” “Was this the right battle to fight?” Etc.
I offer no opinion on the answers you arrive at, but merely suggest that the very act of honest self-reflection sets you apart from the powers you oppose.
We’ve been reflecting all morning. I encourage you to watch the videos. Thanks for the comment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAwP6IvIyFs
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/11/boston-police-arrest-50-from-occupy-boston/
There is a saying “Pics or it didn’t happen”
Once again the people of this movement refuse to take personal responsibility. ‘It was the banks fault for forcing you to sign the contract of student loans or mortgages.’ ‘It’s Wall St fault we can’t get jobs’. So when the city of Boston, and the TAXPAYERS allowed this silliness to continue, forgoing the rules that apply to ALL other people, and they tell you just don’t expand outside of Dewey Sq, you can’t even do that. And now somehow it is the Police’s fault for you finally for the first time in most of your lives being treated as adults. I am more ashamed of my fellow veterans who somehow forgot how to follow orders and fell into this movement for whatever reason and degenerated into a group of thugs. The only reported injury was a cop, whom one of you spoiled brats decided to punch in the face. That cop is someone’s father, brother, son, etc. He went to work and tried to perform his duties of keeping the peace, and you begrudged him for that and assaulted him.
I heard if people would have worked harder, and paid more taxes, The Great Depression would have never happened either. Standing against your fellow Veterans at a time like this is sad.
Paid more taxes??? During the Great Depression??? Whoever told you that did you a disservice by feeding you false spun history. Taxes for the top 10% prior to the Great Depression was 77% of income. Work harder? Beside the obvious that in the early 1900’s technology wasn’t half what it is today, meaning all work was done with out a lot of the tools we enjoy today. Beyond that, we had a much bigger manufacturing base, people today couldn’t fathom the hard work needed to do the most menial tasks of those days.
Those Veterans are a small percentage of veterans overall. They were asked to leave there by 0000 hours, they didn’t, that does not represent us well.
I think that was supposed to be sarcasm, ASG
Kate- Hard to tell with some of these kids. I hear things all the time that make me go, “That is ridiculous, how could someone come that conclusion?” Just to realize the guy is the President of the US.
The corporate shills are out in force. Yes, we must obey our overlords. Pathetic bootlickers!
The so-called overloads can KISS MY ASS.
Any thought that Dewey Square is overfull? Are the new arrivals to be turned away? Seems like an easy way to quell a protest would be to stunt their growth…
on October 11th, 2011 at 8:14 am #
[…] Boston Police Brutally Assault Occupy Boston Posted on October 11, 2011 by JPo 39 […]
Thanks for hanging in. Thanks for the information. Thanks for your compassionate perspective on the police.
on October 11th, 2011 at 8:43 am #
[…] Posted on October 11, 2011 by JPo […]
on October 11th, 2011 at 8:44 am #
[…] posted a statement following the arrests claiming they were “brutally assaulted” by the police. Videos […]
It is beyond me why you brave protesters waste precious energy and time responding to the hypocrites of this blog. For them, It wouldn’t matter if the police killed one of the protester, they would find an excuse to legitimize the brutality anyway. They claim to be part of the 99%, and, maybe they are; but they want to be part of the 1%, so they exploit the labor of others. We all pay taxes and and large majority of us want the protesters there in a public venue. Thus, you do not want there, but I do and so do lots of taxpayers. And, also, that land belonged to the Wampanoags anyway and was illegally taken from them. Then, when it became part of the community, it was illegitimately handed over to a group of private exploiters by a corrupt politicians.
Unfortunately some of us were unable to be there last night, so this is the first we’re hearing of all this. I agree with some of the nitpickers that the press release is a little sensationalized, but I can also sympathize with the people who wrote it. Sometimes arguing online helps blow off some of the frustration of not being able to help.
Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.
don’t listen to the panicking 1%ers trying to spread dissent. i’m disappointed with the language used in the article – i do feel it’s got a very “exaggerated” attitude – but the facts presented are all provable. anyone who is saying otherwise is just ignoring evidence in order to make this less credible
What evidence??
Sounds more like you than me. Especially the ud vs. them “anyone who isn’t us is a 1%er trying to spread dissent” thing. I just think you guys are trying to shirk responsibility for not being able to find jobs, and are really inconveniencing the “99%ers” you claim to support far more than any of your theme-park version of capitalist bogeyman.
Bootlicker! Now run along to your corporate overlord for your reward.
Inconveniencing non-conforming 99%ers is beneficial to the cause. Do labor strikes encourage scabs? If the “Fat Cats” aren’t feeling it in the wallet, they don’t listen to their own mothers. Wasting the time of a “Fat Cat”‘s employees is slowing his productivity.
on October 11th, 2011 at 9:01 am #
[…] – USATODAY.comDroves of Occupy Boston Protesters Arrested on Tuesday | Video | TheBlaze.com Boston Police Brutally Assault Occupy Boston | Occupy BostonPolice Break Up Occupy Boston’s Second Camp | Mediaite | Mediaite Amazon.com […]
I’ll admit I was on the fence about supporting the Occupy movement leaning more towards support. But the events of the past 24 hours have pushed me firmly in the opposite direction. You guys think you can mess with my beautiful Greenway lunch picnic spot and get it all police barricaded?? I get that you want to protest but I have also seen what you have done to Dewey Square and after so much work has been put into the Greenway, it’s not fair for the protesters to screw up a beautiful park for the rest of the 99%. Not cool guys. Not cool. You were given fair warning to disperse. You deserved to be arrested. Oh and BTW… veterans aren’t above the law so cut it with the outcries about Veterans being beaten like it is such a terrible crime against society. If police have to disperse a massive crowd who is refusing to listen, obviously they will need to use some force.
When anyone who is peacefully protesting is beaten by police, it is a terrible crime against society.
This is hilarious.
God I hope you are kidding.
Peacefully protesting vs breaking the law. you say tomato i say tomahto. Personally, I appeciate the BPD for arresting resisting lawbreakers.
Joe, it seems to me that you are what they call FAT, DUMB, and HAPPY.
Your self-centeredness is stunning!
“Occupy Boston remains, and bears no ill-will towards the men and women of the Boston Police Department who were simply following orders.”
speak for yourself. you have no right to say this on everyone’s behalf. i have a problem with the police attacking people for protesting, and btw, for those of you who have a problem with occupation/protest but claim to oppose corporate greed, do you think that it will go willingly?
Just like the Occupy movement has no right to truly claim to be the 99%? I’m embarrassed to be “represented” this way, and I’m certainly not the only one.
your movement is embrassing and repulsive to the 99 percent who have jobs and have families and care about this country – it is not the real 99 percents fault that you are a loser!
Most of us have jobs and a lot of us have families, and we care enough about this country to get arrested trying to bring it back to the foundation it was built on. Troll harder.
Owscusk,
What would you do if you did not have a job. It sounds like you are FAT, DUMB, and HAPPY too. Kind of like a Tory. “Oh, the king is taking care of me. I will be loyal to the king.”
Those who do not have jobs choose not to.
WOW I watched what happened in Boston last night.. when are the police gonna wake up and not follow the orders.
REMEMBER POLICE FORCES AND ARMY MAN AND WOMAN ACROSS THE GLOBE
IN THE EYES OF THE SAME PEOPLE GIVING THE ORDERS YOU ARE DISPOSABLE AND CAN BE REPLACED.. REMEMBER YOUR PART OF THE 99% SO STAND WITH US 99%
Sincerely,
Dolby 99%er
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
on October 11th, 2011 at 9:43 am #
[…] Occupy Boston: “At 1:30 this morning hundreds of police in full riot gear brutally attacked Occupy Boston, which had peacefully gathered on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Boston Police Department made no distinction between protesters, medics, or legal observers, arresting legal observer Ursula Levelt, who serves on the steering committee for the National Lawyers Guild, as well as four medics attempting to care for the injured.” […]
Two things:
1) Powerful photos! You might consider juxtaposing them with shots of the bankers and plutocrats whose orders the police take in this country. Those are the people who should be ashamed to show their faces in public.
2) The Occupy movement has a higher approval rating than congress right now, which is to say, the iron is hot. How about calling for an all-inclusive national strike some day next week?
Good idea. Nothing gets done without workers. Workers rule!!!
How could people be arrested for peaceful assembly? Is this right not explicitly granted to all Americans by the US Constitution?
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
How is it that the laws got twisted in such a way to allow what happened yesterday to take place?!
“right of the people peaceably to assemble,” That means if you are violating the law while assembling, e.g. trespassing, you are not peacable and therefore you are not protected by the First Amendment.
look up “peaceable” and come back.
Unlike most people on here, I only post when I know what I’m talking about, thank you. Peaceable means free from argument or conflict, as distinct from peaceful, which means not involving war or violence. Peaceable in the constitutional context means “not breaking the law”
Where is this supposed “Brutal Attack”? The police told protestors 8 hours ahead of time they would not be allowed to occupy the new space. Prior to arrtests being made, everyone present at the new camp was given an oppurtunity to leave on their own. When arrests started, police were ordered to treat the protestors with dignity and respect as long as they were passively resisting, and did so.. Also, rather than just throw everything away, any personal property (backpacks, laptops, etc.) were taken to the police station to be inventoried so people could claim it later.
Just because people chose to ignore all of these warnings, don’t blame the police for doing their job. Blame the people who were arrested for not heeding the warnings.
I blame the police because their job is to protect and defend and oppressive government which only serves a tiny elite Did you ever get to vote on a law, or have you only ever been able to vote for pre-screened candidates who are richer than you? This country and it’s “democracy” are a steaming pile of shit.
I have voted on law. The job of the Boston Police is to protect the citizens and uphold the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Boston. They upheld laws last night, again, after people were given ample opportunity for this not to happen.
And while I know that you’re going to reply with the fact that the 100+ arrested “weren’t protected” they made that choice, not the BPD. The majority of the city was protected last night, and that space is no longer unlawfully occupied.
I never felt threatened. And yes, I have voted on the law.
I bet you’re a college student. The total disconnect with reality sells it.
There’s plenty of other places for you to live if you don’t like it here.
There were plenty of other places for the plutocracy to live, instead of installing its throne in America and crushing our democracy that we the people know as our legitimate authority. We the people belong here; it’s the plutocracy that does not.
The police did not treat protestors with dignity and respect. Elderly veterans were thrown to the ground repeatedly; protestors were hit and smacked; one protestors was pushed flat on his back off of a three-foot ledge by a police officer, without apparent provocation. What’s more, all of the person property on site was thrown into waiting garbage trucks, not saved and inventoried, as you claim.
Hey. At least the bpd didn’t shoot a beanbag and kill an innocent girl like after that red sox game.
What I don’t understand is why all the f. Maybe the police weren’t “brutal:. Maybe the police just showed up in the middle of the night and arrested people. Either way it is about the cause, the movement we can’t stop now.
Hmmm, do you think it is possible that the police did it in the middle of the night hoping they wouldn’t be seen?
Seems to me that if they really wanted to “protect” that section of the park, they could have waited til daylight to save those flowers. No, this was a poorly thought-out, knee-jerk reaction, done under cover of darkness to hide the true intents. The MSM and especially, the GOP are a little tired of hearing about protests and BPD comes out swinging. Wish I could be in Boston, today, to stand in support.
I disagree. It was safer for all partries involved to clear that park while there was the lowest possibility of outside involvement. Safer for the police, and safer for the protestors. There’s not much other activity in that part of town at 2 am. That was the safest time for this to happen.
You mean they wouldn’t want to disturb the precious financial distrcit workers with any commotion. They might spill their lattes, that wouldn’t be safe.
Not as many witnesses. That’s why.
I truly support, or supported, this movement. I was there this weekend and protested with you all. However, what I do not support this is blatant skewing of the truth. You left out a huge chunk of what occurred last night, namely the issue over your expansion to the Greenway. As well, this issue has been going on for some time. The way I see it is that you all chose to move to the Greenway for many reasons (political/health/safety), and the BPD/Mayor told you to go back. You were warned repeatedly, at least 3 times. You stood your ground, and so did the police. However, the police were stronger than you and they won. I see no problem in stating that truth. We all witnessed it last night and we supported your decision fully even though we knew you would all be arrested. We supported your decision to stand your ground because you had permission of the park. This press release makes no mention of these events and actually implies that the attack was unprovoked and because of the earlier March. I really don’t agree with these tactics. It is manipulative and insulting to my, and everyone else who watched last night’s, intelligence. You should try to strive for the complete truth in the future. To no do so makes you no better than the lying and manipulative politicians we have been fighting against.
Blah, blah, blah.
“Blah, Blah, Blah?” Why when someone says something that is truthful, rational, and unskewed is it meaningless blather? Can you answer me that, or are you only capable of disregarding statements and not replying to them meaningfully?
Wow, quite a mature response for someone so serious about a cause. Tell me, did you just go out there for fun? Because you and your friends thought it would be cool to get involved in some riots?
I’m sure your namesake would be proud to have formulated such a pithy response.
I’m starting to feel similarly, and it’s exacerbated by dissenting views like this one being written off as “trolling.” An uncritical echo chamber mentality will turn off a lot of people. I think it’s shitty that the cops did this but if it was really the most brutal arrest of all time, maybe someone could’ve taken at least one picture or video of police brutality occurring. Also, if you’re going to bother resisting and getting arrested you could have at least actually resisted. The cops took back the park in like 5 minutes.
Send OCCUPY an email telling them why this statement is wrong. It’ll prove your point better because you’ll actually be doing something constructive with your crit and help progress the movement in a positive way.
Good call, send an e-mail to the leaders of this leaderless occupation so they can ignore you. The only thing they wanted me to do as a volunteer was spam messageboards with pro OB talking points. Cool, that’s my kind of revolution….
Or why don’t they discuss it publicly, here?
The media group handles press releases, they are contactable. I agree that the tone is somewhat over the top, but I think it’s important to remember that the people who wrote this did so at a very emotional point.
I emailed them, no reply yet…
Looks very much like Syria to me…
No, no it doesn’t. We’re all alive. No one was shot, no tear gas, no mutilated children. The people in jail aren’t being tortured. I understand that you’re coming from a place of support for the cause, but that statement is offensive.
Agreed.
I bear some ill will to those idiot cops. I hope your kids get cancer, BPD!
Oh my god. Has anyone in your family ever had cancer? Do you know what it is? The BPD are all fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who are doing their job. They are real people. And you really wish this upon someone who risks THEIR LIFE for you as a career… and you didn’t get your selfish way this time? That’s really all it takes? You, sir, are awesome. Amazing even.
Hey, look! I’m agreeing with Dan on something!
I know at least one person who was at these protests in support who has a dad who works for the BPD. She works as an oncology nurse, too. Stay classy, bro. I think your bandana might be tied on a little too tight.
Right, I’m wholly unsurprised to find Cicero saying the innocent children of people who were following orders to remove people from a park that they had been explicitly forewarned hours in the past not to spill into should die. That seems to fit right in to his narrow-minded foolery. The anti-cop, anti-Establishment jargon seems reminiscent of hippies sitting around doing LSD and talking about “them Man, man!”
So yes, if you’d rather sneer at people who’ve actually done things with their lives, go ahead. I’m gonna go jobhunting because I have any sense whatsoever of personal responsibility.
As someone who has spent close to 5 years fighting to keep my mother alive through a second round of cancer, and the damage it has wrought on her quality of life, I find your comment offensive in the extreme.
As a paramedic who has spent 20 years caring for cancer patients and seen the devastation is causes, this comment would be offensive to every one of us who has dedicated our life to caring for people
The police did their job, they gave ample warning to leave, and when people refused to do so they removed them. I’ve worked with and around police officers for my entire career. I’ve known many, many fine officers and had my safety maintained by them so that I can go home in one piece. Not a single one of them deserves this level of poison from anyone, especially against their children.
Any level of support i had for this movement just evaporated.
I am part of the 99%.
You need to grow up.
Cicero does not represent this movement at all! Don’t become disillusioned with OB over some silly troll. He’s been making idiot comments throughout this message board.
We’re not all dicks, I swear 🙁
My mother died a lingering painful death due to pancreatic cancer. I hope you know what I say you can go and do with yourself without me actually printing it here. Who the hell’s support do you think you’ll get with an ignorant comment like that?
Your ‘Angry Young Man’ schtick alienated everyone who read it, just like this article is alienating a lot of people who, up until last night, supported you. You’re not advancing your cause. You’re destroying it.
Again, Cicero is not representative of OB, and I think that even with the most inclusive philosophy, this is something people can agree upon. I think he is just a troll trying to make people angry and possibly undermine the movement.
You’re the reason nobody takes your “cause” seriously.
Honesty,
You are honestly wrong. 20 percent of the people support them, and that is a very huge number of people.
This offensive remark does not represent Occupy Boston. Every movement has its idiots and they may even be provocateurs. From what I am getting the majority of the police handled themselves well, some were assholes. I think the release should be pulled to include some balance. BTW that is not full riot gear, helmets/shields/body armor. Bare-headed cops are not “full riot gear” so that inaccuracy needs to be corrected pronto. A complaint should be lodged against the Commissioner for the garbage trucks. The real question is why did the eviction continue after the Conservancy said it was ok to stay? Was it Menino? This is what media should get to the bottom of.
I don’t condone violence in anyway and I don’t agree with the Occupy movement. However, I also don’t believe that this moron represents the movement overall. This post overall disgusts me based on the respect I have for the Boston police. They did not brutally attack the protesters they dealt with those that resisted arrest. Now back to the violence comment if I ever knew who Cicero was I would personally beat the living s*** out of you based on this comment and those I know who have or died from cancer. I wish I knew who you were.
Very stupid remark, Cicero. Maybe you’re an agent provacateur.
Hey Cicero, I will be in the area around 4PM this afternoon. Put a sign up near your tent so I know where to find you, you worthless piece of shit.
handcuffing and restraint is not brutality. if real brutality or abuse was captured on video the media and other bostonians would pay attention. I am one of the 99% but so are the member of the BPD. I want reform but i dont want to be part of slandering our own. saying the BPD is brutal is just an inaccurate of a generalization as saying the occupiers are all dirty hippies.
The BPD should not be arresting these people in the first place. All they are trying to do is SURPRESS them.
Nice finally some of you hippies are getting the brute force you deserve. I want tear gas and billy clubs. Maybe unemployment will decrease when we get these bums off the street. Don’t cry about someone making more money go out and be an American and bust your ass. Find a job start a business be creative. Losers looking for handouts. Typical liberals.
Your comment is neither logical nor helpful. You should visit the occupation and talk to people to get a more realistic view of the issue.
I dont give whiners the time of day. Not everyone will be equal. You and I most likely wont be making the kind of money like people on wall street do. Who cares. Focus on the opportunity that this great country has given you. Anyone can start their own business. With enough EFFORT anything is possible. Stop looking for HANDOUTS, go make something happen. Protesting will make nothing happen.
@ E. I would say that protesting fits exactly into the definition of “go make something happen”. Also, if you do some historical research, you will find that throughout history protests have been enormously effective at changing the world.
Not “making” more money, stealing it. You get your corporate hand outs by paying politicians and then act as if you worked for it. Can’t wait to see your stock options go down to nothing, your house get taken, and see you living on the street. You think it can’t happen to you?
E is like the other naysayers, FAT, DUMB, and HAPPY.
Folks remember this. TORRIE = FAT, DUMB, and HAPPY.
I sit here this morning worried about my friends who bravely stuck it out last night. I’m transgender and therefore cannot get arrested because jail is a tremendously scary place for trans people (see Sylvia Rivera Law Project’s report “War in Here”).
For those of you commenting negatively having just read the press release or seen a blurb on Fox News, you aren’t FEELING it. You didn’t go to bed worried if the person you have a crush on got stepped on by a big police boot. You aren’t looking at your pitiful bank account trying to figure out how you can help bail them out (please do). I am FEELING this right now, and encourage you to get down there, meet some people, have some conversations, and have this situation become real in your eyes.
That said, if our messaging isn’t reaching you, we should take thoughtful, respectful, and gentle constructive criticism. That would be wise.
We are ALL suffering under global neoliberal capitalism and a police state. You are not free. Neither am I. We all need to be in this together against those who seek to continue it indefinitely in the hopes of retaining power and amassing incredible sums.
The cops, acting in their role to “protect and serve” rooted powerful financial interests, are clearly a problem here. Your beef should be with them and the Mayor. Also, there were several conflicting reports about whether or not folks actually had to leave; the Mayor’s office was far from cut and dry.
If you’re worried about the friggin’ landscaping, wow, we could’ve fixed it up when the time came. If you’re worried about your picnic spot, you could’ve eaten with us. Cops prevented you.
Lastly, how cowardly of the cops to invade the camp under the cover of nightfall with no one awake downtown to see them in action. They even made the news stations move out. That’s some undemocratic bs.
The police did their JOB. If the people in camp 2 had just moved back out of that section of the park, instead of waiting 8 hours to be removed, like they were told they would be, nobody would be looking for bail money this morning.
We are a society based on rights and laws. When those laws are broken, there are consequences. Also, your rights do not include the right to infringe upon the rights of others. I as a citizen have just as much right to use that section of park as those who were occupying it. But, since they set up a camp there, they then interfered with my right to use that space. Therfore, they were wrong.
As in any profession, there will always be a handful of police officers who go to far. Thankfully, there has been no evidence of that happening last night. The police did their job, cleared the park, after giving everyone there one last chance to leave on their own, and the people there chose to force their hands. In this particular case, the police showed more respect toward the protestors than the protestors did toward the police. The right thing to do once they were arrested would have been to stand up and walk, not make themselves be dragged to a police car. Anyone arrested last night has nobody to blame but themselves, and most will probably be released after their court appearences today, which are placing aven more strain on an overburdened justice system.
“Police did their JOB”.
-Let’s look at other instances in history when we excuse people for doing heinous things when they are under order. That argument doesn’t hold much weight in historical context.
“But, since they set up a camp there, they then interfered with my right to use that space.”
-If someone goes to a beach and sets up a towel, you can’t use that exact space to put down your towel. So what? As the Conservancy said, the Occupation is only taking up a small % of their land. Squish in and join, or feel free to walk to the other parts of their land.
**I also want to mention that this sort of police action is new to many white folks who don’t experience police repression as often. If this was a majority people of color action, I guarantee the police would’ve torn the camp down almost immediately, with much more force. What my friends experienced last night is just a sample of how the police treat my neighbors on the regular**
Yeah! Eff civil disobedience! If rosa parks had just sat in the back of the bus after she was told to, maybe we wouldnt have these pesky civil rights! And if those women in the 20’s had behaved like women were told to, maybe women wouldnt have the right to vote! Or maybe we should just put all the pesky protestors in internment camps like we did with Japanese-americans during WWII! Sadly enough, the struggle for equality continues, as minorities are more likely to live in high crime/high pollution areas, women are still paid less on average and treated like sex objects in the media, and racism is still accepted among mainstream political organizations. Now, where would we be without people willing to break inherently unjust and oppressive laws?
Take your tired, obedient, outdated puppy dog rhetoric and keep walking in line with the system. (by the way, they still dont care about your wellbeing.) In case you forgot, every street, sidewalk, and park belongs to us. Whose streets? Our streets! Whose parks? OUR parks!
Many of us are not doubting the terror and the anxiety you must have all felt last night and this morning. However, you have to admit, being a part of this movement, that large parts of the narrative were left out intentionally. Give me an email for someone who I can voice my concern to in an effective way. The writers of this press release actually imply that the arrests were made because of the March early Monday. We all know this not to be true. That is what most of us are upset about. I expect a little sensationalizing for effect, but not a blatant disregard for the truth that we all witnessed, online and in person.
I want to mention also that I supported OB’s decision to stand their ground, and I thought what everyone did was very brave. Even though they were warned, I think what they did was right. It’s also very shameful if the police were brutal to undeserving protesters,however, you must understand that many of us have not seen the proof in the videos and photos. Furthermore, the press release undermines OB’s claims of police brutality because it distorts the truth.
Hey, Reed. I went down there last night to meet some people and everyone was either too high or too old to have a normal conversation. Then I asked somebody what their take was and they started blabbering to me about “Mohommaed”. Your a bunch of fucking idiots and 90% of the people down there have no idea why theyre even there. Its obvious when you just walk by.
Solidarity! All i can say to the mudslingers is “if you never stray from the post, you’ll never know you’re wearing a leash.” Rampant, unchecked capitalism has its boot crushing all of our faces, and the system doesn’t care whether you support them or not.
Keep up the good fight!
I admire the camp, and your earnestness and dedication, but you are in danger of losing a lot of support by making this more about ‘a protest’ and less about fixing our broken financial system that made our economy implode.
I strongly support the Occupy movement. However, this pathetic effort at spin is third-rate and facially untrue. You should be embarrassed by it. The BPD was thoroughly professional. If any of the thousands of eyewitnesses had any evidence of brutality I think we probably would have some documentation.
Cicero, sorry but I am not part of your revolution. I want to take back our country from Wall Street, the entrenched political parties and big labor. i want my kids to be free to learn, contribute and compete in the world free of this crippling greed, and from your crippling hatred. You sound like a real asshat.
I like your revolution 🙂
aside from all the other arguments, this was a fool thing to do. The Greenway has been exceptionally kind to the protestors; I know they were supplied electricity at points by the Greenway, the Greenway has picked up the tab for the extra litter costs, etc., and worked with you about the garden in Dewey. They know they will need to repair a huge amount of damage to the park anyway (the grass will likely all need to be resown, the gravel replenished and cleaned of the cigarette butts, even though most people have been behaved about that, etc). And they have still made exceptions for you and worked with you to make sure you had space.
They have SUPPORTED YOU. They asked specifically that you not occupy the north camp, as they had, as a non-profit, just raised $150k. They did NOT get that whole amount from the government; they do a lot of fundraising and event rentals to make that money. And you just said, ‘Thanks for the support, fuck you, anyway.’
The camp has been trying to work with the city to find appropriate expansion space. There isn’t enough room in Dewey Square to house everyone any more.
And? That means that we should still bite the hand that has fed us? My argument still stands.
It’s called home, a motel, your dorm room, where ever you came from.
There is no need for a hobo town in the middle of Boston to be able to protest. All I can say is I wonder how long this will last when the first snow hits.
It means we weren’t given much choice in biting them. I don’t like it either.
rjolitz: many of the protesters, like myself, are day-trippers who sleep at home. The people who are sleeping there in many cases do not have homes to go to.
I agree with some things about the expansion and disagree with others, personally. But it wasn’t about the park and protecting the flowers. Menino said as much in his statement this morning: protests OK, civil disobedience NOT OK (http://www.wbur.org/2011/10/11/menino-protest-arrests). The BPD did more damage than the protesters by a long shot. No one was telling them to be careful of the gardens- something the protesters were doing all night long.
I also wholeheartedly support this movement and I admire the people who spend hours, days and weeks outdoors trying to get others to understand and listen. But this right here is an embarrassment, a childish over-embellishment and I am personally offended.
“I hope your kids get cancer, BPD!”
This is NOT a representation of my thoughts or feelings. I take personal offense to the way in which you have chosen to spread your message, and take personal offense to your continued spread of lies.
Ugh, just ignore this guy. Seriously. I bet he has never even been to Occupy Boston.
Strolled around Dewey this morning for a while – You should get somebody to follow the 9/11 ‘Truther’ around with a sign letting people know he’s not representative of your Occupation. Last night’s silliness was bad enough, but you don’t want to get associated with total crackpots.
By the way, was that group last night inspired by some professional protester? That whole thing didn’t seem to fit in with what I’ve seen in Dewey Sq. over the last week.
This article doesn’t either.
You are in the minority and have your head in the sand about 9/11 truth, YOU are the crackpot for believing 35,000 tons of vertical steel core structure rolls down on itself at freefall speed as a result of kerosene (which is what jet fuel is) and office junk fires. Effin idiot.
Alright, let’s do this. There you go again, letting the sound bites think for you—the media from Day-One labeled anyone who questioned the official story as “crackpots.” If you believe the story they sold America and the World, you are a lemming and a fool, my friend. Forget all the opinions you’ve read and heard. Just think about the story they tell of that day. It is so ridiculously preposterous, beyond all reason. But, someone told you to believe it, SO YOU DO !! And that makes you patriotic!!
A good way to get people to hear your side of an argument is not to start the discussion by talking about how brainwashed and stupid they are, eternally chained to the sweet sweet teat of the mass media. Another good way to get people to hear your side of an issue is to base your position on facts about real things that actually happened.
agree with Ken. Paul if you are going to start with the “Truthers crazy” shit at OB you are going to get your head handed to you. It’s the wrong place for your sheeple crap.
Oh really? So you people DO support those whack-job truther morons??? You three speak for the group or are you in your own little worlds of conspiracy theory paranoia?
Anybody who believes that crap either needs a psychiatrist or just didn’t get enough attention when they were little.
Go ahead and punch that garbage up at your next GA so they can put out a ‘resolution’ about it. There won’t be a single tent in Dewey Square within 2 days.
A barefoot guy in a cave pulled that off? Really?
FYI, for the time being, we have other more pressing government lies we are concerned with. And therefore I will not reply to any further comments on that subject. My friend, if they still have you fooled with that 10 year-old-story, you have some catching up to do!! (Hint: The lies are not that hard to recognize.)
FYI, I do not speak on behalf of any in our historical movement, they are perfectly able and willing to do so on their own. And besides, I don’t need anyone’s validation to shape my opinion. Good day!!
Good day to you too, Ken! The catching-up you and your conspiracy addled friends need to do, ten years later, include courses in metallurgy, architectural design, civil and mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics and failure analysis!!!
Good night!!!
like these 1600 licensed, advanced degree engineers, scientists, and architects who say the official story is hogwash? You poor brainwashed fool:
http://www.ae911truth.org/
Oh, MoveOnSucks, you poor brainwashed fool! You and your silly friends. I would have thought that science-denying was something you would be rooting against.
Tell you what… If that idiot is still out there on the sidewalk tomorrow, I’ll debate him point for point and shoot him down on every one. You can come watch. I shot down one of his talking points today, as he was talking to a young woman – I was just passing by and I heard a part of his schtick. And he ran away as quick as he could. See you tomorrow! Sorry that some of you are so ignorant so as to move your movement off track.
Your tired us vs. them rhetoric was old and predictable even before I was born. Do you know what I’m doing in this economy? Rather than enacting a childish vengeance in the guise of social activism against people more successful than me, I’m trying to find gainful employment. My way is more practical and may ever accomplish anything.
So please, stop the us vs. them crap, and do something worthwhile. If you received notification not to go somewhere, you should not have ignored it and definitely should not claim that the consequences of your actions are somehow the fault of someone else.
Millions of people are not able to find jobs and the real problem is that protesters moved to a second part to accommodate newcomers to the movement? Your priorities are really messed up.
I could not be happier, it’s about time. City gives you trash pickup, electricity, 24/7 police detail. They ask in return to stay to that area in Dewey SQ and you disrespectful lazy bums couldn’t even do that.
I hope they round you all up and put you on Deer Island with the rest of the shit.
Dup,
It seems to me that you are fat, dumb, and happy and don’t care.
I would like to see if you have the gonads to go to the park and say that to some of these veterans.
I’ll you one thing buddy. You better get used to it. You are going to see more of this until the REAL revolutions starts. This is just the wind blowing before the storm.
I agree with Dup. And I told two of them they were “lazy fucking hippies” directly their faces last night. Im still waiting for this ass kicking you warned Dup about. Actually it looked like they were all either too high, old or malnourised to do anything. But I would welcome one of those hairy fucking skeletons to come after me. It would give me an excuse to skull fuck one of them on the curb and have less slug to support with my tax money.
Jon’s comments need to be taken down for sheer pointless offensiveness, never mind which side of the fence he comes from.
POINT A: WAS THIS PRESS RELEASE AGREED UPON BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY?!!!! I WOULD HAVE BLOCKED IT BECAUSE
POINT B: HYPERBOLE AND SPIN WILL ENDANGER THE OCCUPIERS AND THE OCCUPATION! Look at the comments! It’s already happening!
The whole world IS watching, and HAS seen police brutality- police wading into the crowd with billy clubs, tear gas, and worse. This is worse than most of us have experienced, but calling this police brutality- beyond SPECIFIC DOCUMENTED CASES- will a) lose sympathy and b) piss off the police who were there showing restraint, push them out of the 99%, and make serious police brutality much more likely. THERE IS PLENTY OF AMMUNITION IN THE TRUTH.
It seems to me that the GA is the place for needless bickering, and things are actually decided by a mystery counsel that wants to be secret because they’re paranoid about cops or spies or something. Awesome consensus building, guys.
I would have blocked it as well. With most of the protesters in jail, I’m curious who was left to vote?
There were a few thousand protesters and only 100 arrested. Plenty of people left to vote. But things were a little hectic to call a meeting. I think part of this press release is sleep dep talking which is too bad; someone exceeded their authority
Proposed: Major press releases such as this to be submitted to GA. I agree it will piss off the majority of cops who showed restraint and that is who we need, they are the 99% too. I would have blocked this release also.
I’m very sympathetic to the Occupy movement, and have spent some time in Zucotti Park. That said, this press release disappoints me almost as much as the BPD’s actions.
Police brutality? Really? I’ve seen the videos, and I’ve heard the eyewitness reports. Yes, some people got roughed up a bit, maybe even dragged on the ground. That’s what happens when you resist arrest, no matter how peacefully. If you’re not prepared for that then you’re not prepared to be protesting on the streets. REAL brutality looks awfully different.
I’m disappointed that the city of Boston decided to break up the camp with force. But once that decision was made, I can’t help but think that they carried it out with a great deal of professionalism. This response, on the other hand, with its sensationalized claims of brutality and refusal to acknowledge the very clear and reasonable ultimatum given by the BPD is amateurish, self-absorbed, and damages the credibility of the whole movement.
Wow, I am amazed with the defense of the protesters. You were told to leave, and you didn’t. The right to peaceable assemble usually comes after obtaining permits etc, which is does not seem like you did. You were given space to demonstrate for your cause, and you became greedy and tried to take more. Seems a lot like the principle you are demonstrating against, but what do I know? I’m new to this whole idea. I will say, I am all for the rights of the people, however, when you abuse those rights and make yourselves look like spoiled brats throwing a temper tantrum, then you do more harm than good for your cause. You say the BPD was in riot gear, I assure you, that was not riot gear. Batons to help control the crowd does not constitute riot gear. From watching the video, you were all give the chance to leave and you refused. It would have been one thing if you were refusing from the land you were told you could occupy, but no, you were destroying land that had been recently renovated with private donations and fundraising from the 99%. I am rather disgusted by your inability to protest in a respectful manner. Way to go BPD, they did what we pay them to do. You’re quick to scream brutality in your inflammatory press release, however, I would wager you would want that level of force used if the 1% were camped out in your yard illegally and refusing to move. Stop sniveling and figure out a better way to help your cause before you run it into the ground.
You are so ignorant.
Awesome defense. Totally proved your point with that.
It is so sad to see a movement originally aimed at money & politics could lose the support of so many of us so quickly. Reminds me of the Red Sox. I wonder if the groups in New York (where there really has been police brutality), Chicago, and elsewhere are suffering a similar fate?
Freedom of assembly.. YES! Freedom of speech.. YES! Freedom to protest in a posted closed park after the 11 p.m. curfew.. NO!… Please be smarter about where and how you protest. Breaking the law is still breaking the law. Though the police actions may of not required the level of force that was delivered it still does not justify illegal protesting. The right to assembly and the right to freedom of speech does not overweigh common sense. If you break the law, you will be arrested. This is common sense. Protest safe, no stupid.
Yup, I already didn’t care. After this, I am actively antipathetic to your movement because you seem to feel that you are above the law, and that any attempts to enforce it are part of a conspiracy of a business-government conglomerate.
Therefore, your movement is, as I had assumed, just some fool fad that will pass like all the rest.
I agree that some of the language in this release (particularly the “riot gear”) is misleading, but to disregard a movement because the movement does things that are illegal is sort of antithetical to supporting any protest. I mean, not to be cliched, but the county was founded because of an illegal action to protest what amounted to a 3 pence per pound tax on a drink no one drank and was sparked by one of the most expensive acts of vandalism in the history of the western world.
Do you think the civil rights movement should have been disregarded because of illegal assembly? Was Macarthur was right to attack the Bonus Army? I mean, opposing peaceful protesters on principle because they don’t respect zoning laws seems sort of shallow and simplistic.
Interesting but slightly inept analogies, in that OccupyBoston doesn’t really clearly stand for anything concrete or definitive.
The Civil Rights movement sought (and won) passage of the Civil Rights Act.
The Bonus Army wanted to be paid what they had been promised.
The (original) Tea Partiers wanted an end to taxation without representation.
What is it that OccupyBoston seeks to accomplish? You could take a stance about police brutality and pump out a press release in minutes. Why is it taking so long to tell the world what you are occupying/getting arrested *for*?
If you need to be told what this movement is about, you are either:
a) a 1%er
b) part of the media
c) one of those who doesn’t pay attention (for decades)
d) sadly, one who believes all the lies
@lodger
The Occupy movement has issues multiple statements on their agenda. You can read it here: http://dailycensored.com/2011/10/02/occupy-wall-street-first-official-statement/
That the media hasn’t reported it much and that you’ve chosen not to read it doesn’t mean it’s not there.
If you think the Bonus Army had a totally clear agenda, you are in need of some remedial reading, my friend. Like how the Occupiers want banks to stop their predatory policies and want prosecution of the perpetrators of the economic collapse, the Bonus army wanted their bonus early. That was a specific goal. But there were dozens of different interests, including socialists and anarchists among them.
The Bonus Army was a group of veterans who were owed money. They had a leader and an agenda and a definite goal.
If you are there because you want prosecution of the perpetrators of the collapse (as do the rest of the 99% of us), please focus on that more. That message is getting lost.
I find it hilarious that you march with unions against special interest in Washington. Get a clue.
Please articulate your message better and don’t let it get diluted by every other leftist group with a cause. The move into the park and confrontation with the police did nothing but hurt your efforts. Occupy Boston was clearly inviting confrontation in order to generate publicity. The Boston Police and the civic government of Boston aren’t the enemy. Instead of pulling stunts like this you should be refining your message and solidifying your base. I too want to see finance and tax reform in this country but I’ll never support Occupy Boston if they can’t get their act together.
Very true Frank; it does appear that confrontation was the end result. When protesting one needs to keep thier focus on the true issues; reform and change.
For those who know the kingdoms of this world are not of our own….
ROTHSCHILD’S ILLUMINATI WILL FAIL.. JESUS FOR PRESIDENT! 🙂
Matt 4:8-10
8 Again, the devil took him-(Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
Jesus says -“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” – Luke 16:13
http://www.jesusforpresident.org/
Whoever wrote this article must have been trained at FoxNews. Over the top exaggeration and spin, spin, spin, trying to demonize the BPD when actually YOU were at fault. You really shot yourselves in the foot with the civil disobediance, but more so with this idiotic article.
There is no reason for these protests to result in arrests. “Occupy Chicago” has kept an open line of communication with the police and “Occupy Los Angeles” was even endorsed by city officials. Getting arrested for blatantly breaking the law and then shouting police brutality when some rather mild arrests occur discredits the whole movement. If you’re not careful, this shit is going to be plastered all over Fox News.
I believe other groups in cities where they are doing things the right way should denounce your occupyboston group and any other who can’t simply do things the right way. I have not seen any police actually USE a baton, this is propaganda and it should not be tolerated by the movement.
As a fellow “99%’er” economically, the whole movement is really starting to disgust me, and it takes a lot to disgust a 24 year old recent college grad. I couldn’t find a job out of school with my fine art degree either, so I read some (free) books in all my free, unemployed time and started my own business with $40 – I had myself supported in a couple months of hard work and careful planning. This obviously didn’t provide me with health care, so I budgeted to purchase my own. Student loans? Yea, I absolutely have them, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to cover $100k so I chose a cheaper school and have almost paid them off in the 3 years I’ve been out. I’m blessed, sure- for my health, for living in a country that allows me to do what I’d like freely. However, I saw that I wouldn’t be able to depend on someone else for a paycheck, so I made my own.
I support many of the things you guys and gals are fighting for, but most of the people that weren’t there last night (myself included) that are in your 99% probably see this as yet another waste of our tax dollar paying cops to remove you, paying the court system to process you, paying the fence company to keep you out, etc. The cops gave you ample time to move, and are STILL providing you with a place to camp even though you wouldn’t move out of that spot. Most of the BPD are part of the 99%, and all of you are way more useful out of jail peacefully protesting in your (permit-less but allowed) camp, and not in riot gear removing people because of new grass and flowers.
Here’s my proof, because yours is really lacking. Audio clip of the BPD clearly saying they’re trying their best to cooperate with your permit-less demonstration in designated areas (really going above and beyond to let you do what you’re doing).
http://lizpelly.com/post/11304756695/audio-bpd-denies-occupyboston-midnight-deadline
sillyhipsters on October 11, 2011 at 11:30 am said:
I find it hilarious that you march with unions against special interest in Washington. Get a clue.
Favorite comment thus far – could not have aritculated a summation of the movement’s irony better than this.
Yes, unions are special interests. Special interests that represent teachers, police, fire, and other public servants, and nurses and workers of all types. They are the special interests who represent the 99%
I guess you prefer the special interests who represent the Fortune 500 CEOs and Wall Street financial manipulators.
Who are all of these people speaking here?
Of course it’s cheap influence to belch hot air
to this Amazon.com
of sentiments.
But if emancipation for all
Is your true desire
Your words spell that
clear.
And now we can see
How the sides are forming
And now we can see
How the sides are forming
Ok…I am very much in favor of the Occupy protests. There is much reform that needs to take place and we all need to be involved in the vast machine that is now our government. However…an agreement was made limiting one area of the park for this Occupy. A second camp was set up outside of that agreement, so Occupy Boston breached that good faith. The second camp was informed that unless disbanded arrests would be made. The best thing you could have done would have been to vacate right there, go back to the base camp. In viewing all the pictures, I did not see one baton out or used, nor did I see any pepperspray cans out of their holsters. What I did see was people resisting arrest. Geez folks…you were in the wrong by occupying an area that was not in the scope of the original agreement. Vacate, renegotiate the occupy site to accomodate for larger crowds. Do it right or you risk the integrity and the credibility of this protest.
Honestly, Charlotte, I’m afraid that they simply didn’t have a plan together for what to do when the numbers swelled so much that they couldn’t all fit within the original agreement. I agree with you completely that they shouldn’t have breached faith. That was not good at all. A public apology and a mending of fences with the Green-whatever should be a top priority for today.
And although I have seen some utterly uncalled for police brutality in the videos for #OccupyWallStreet, I have also not seen any clear instance of brutality. Nobody brandished the two-handed (?) clubs that I could see. Those are definitely more brutal weapons than the common baton, but they were not used to my knowledge.
Anyway, I agree with you 100%.
One other thing:
I cannot stand the rhetoric of your type. I’ve read most of the replies from occupyboston and all of them do not address the LAW of the matter. HOWEVER, they seem to shine a big light on the supposed BEATINGS and mistreatment of their group. This seems to be the main intent of the entire post, to mislead the public and glorify the atrocities of the police. This is the EXACT same thing that the ever so hated media group of FOX NEWS does every day. Funny that the exact thing the movement didn’t want to be known for is exactly what you are promoting. Why not accept defeat, show that you were in the wrong and work harder on making your version of the protest right; this would certainly make your case way more creditable.
Hey Brothers and sisters you are doing just good you are my heroes this gives hope to the
Earth to a real new change. Open your eyes this list of messages is full of people trying to create confusion. It’s not their fault. Do not get involved with that keep going. Is what they want
World is watching…. keep strong love to all of you!!!
go to the web site wellarare1.com and click on the move on videos.
Interesting of how the movement is staged by soros and paid actors flying around the country
This is silly. I know a number of people who were there last night, and I’ve been in and out all week. None of us are being paid.
And, speaking of actors, here come the Soros conspiracy theorists, right on cue. Enter stage right!
go to the website
http://www.wellaware1.com
and click on the videos on moveon and see how actors are staging the arrests
http://www.wellaware1.com
i wasn’t at the protests last night, but i was glued to my computer — watching the live feeds (when they were still operable) and following twitter accounts — until about 3 in the morning. so i cannot speak with any real authority on matters of police brutality or excessive force. i do have to question the sheer number of police officers etc present, given the time of night and the size of the protest — it did seem to be a little over-the-top in terms of muscle-flexing on their part. i think, though — and i say this as someone with the benefit of distance from the actual event — that you must choose your words very carefully now. sensational rhetoric will work against your acceptance as a legitimate social movement and complicate future relationships with other organizations, the BPD and Mayor’s office, included.
As to the other point of whether or not the protests were lawful, I find it hard to agree with the BPD’s justification of their clearing the north site. The Conservancy has made it abundantly clear that the Greenway is for public use, and appears to have agreed to allow the protestors to camp there. The space, itself — a re-purposing of the defunct highways replaced by the I-93 overpass — is public land, “owned” by the DOT and managed by a private trust. So, by my estimation, the protestors have every right to occupy that land. Further, the comments of the Mayor that the protests were “tying up the city” is immaterial — you do not get to revoke First Amendment rights because the people exercising them are in the way. The protests were not endangering anyone, were peaceful, and were operating within the confines of law. Being visible is the *point* of protesting, after all. Spurious claims aside, I think the BPD had better re-think it’s message as much as Occupy Boston.
Spamming lies isn’t going to help your cause. We’re not paid actors, we’re not with George Soros or MoveOn.org; we’re not socialists or anarchists (although some individual members may be); we’re not terrorists or anti-american or even anti-capitalism for the most part, we’re just normal people fed up with a system that only works for the top1% by design. We’re teachers, nurses, students, veterans, parents, homeless, lawyers, iron workers, and literally anyone else who wants to show up and participate.
Well said. How are we going to change things? I’ve been there 3 times, including the night it was set up, and I suggest you come up with a list of demands/goals. The teach-ins on palestine, the spirituality dances, the statements in support of indigenous peoples are all wonderful things but do nothing to change the fact that the system is currently rigged in favor of the crooks who blew up the economy and walked away richer.
The message is something we’ve been working on this whole time. I know eleven days seems like an awful long time to be protesting without a defined list, but I think it’s important to keep in mind that a lot of us are here because we feel like we have no voice, and we don’t want to feel like that ever again in this country. We want to make sure that our message reflects the common core of our problems with the current system without getting too bogged down in individual woes, while still speaking for everyone in the group. It’s hard.
Senator Saunders put out a tentative list of goals he thinks OWS should consider, I’ll see if I can dig up the link for that.
Yes, i can appreciate it’s hard. But it would be a shame to lose momentum by getting bogged down by consensus. I would love to hear what Bernie Sanders said (presumably that’s who you meant); i’ll search around.
thanks.
Yup, I’m an idiot. Here’s the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/wall-street-protests_b_1000642.html
Welcome to Agenda 21. You will comply. Noncompliance will not be Tolerated!
This is a message from your local Law Enforcement Agency and your Department
of Homeland Security.
I was wondering about Agenda 21 as well. I barely hear anyone bring it up anymore though.
Occupy Boston please continue your peaceful protests as you have done so far. You ARE representing the voice of the 99% even the naysayers up above. I am employed and can’t be there, but do believe so many middle class Americans believe in this cause FOR MIDDLE CLASS AMERICA.
Or are you naysayers Occupy Boston shouldn’t continue protesting on behalf of all of us to PUT AN END TO GOLDEN PARACHUTES – someone tell me this is not obscene. Anyone supporting this?
“But HP is far from alone in lavishing departing CEOs with boatloads of shareholder dollars. As The NY Times reports:
•Robert Kelly received $17.2 million in severance after being ousted from the CEO job at Bank of New York Mellon last month.
•Carol Bartz left Yahoo with nearly $10 million in cash and stock options after being fired from the top job at The Daily Ticker’s parent company.
•John Chidsey received almost $20 million from Burger King when he left in April.
•Baxter Phillips was awarded nearly $14 million after his company, Massey Energy, was sold to Alpha Natural Resources in June.
•Ian McCarthy walked away from Beazer Homes with about $6.3 million in severance, even after being forced to repay his original package after the company settled with the SEC for filling misleading statements. Beazer even reimbursed McCarthy for up to $10,000 in legal fees.
…….
But HP is far from alone in lavishing departing CEOs with boatloads of shareholder dollars. As The NY Times reports:
•Robert Kelly received $17.2 million in severance after being ousted from the CEO job at Bank of New York Mellon last month.
•Carol Bartz left Yahoo with nearly $10 million in cash and stock options after being fired from the top job at The Daily Ticker’s parent company.
•John Chidsey received almost $20 million from Burger King when he left in April.
•Baxter Phillips was awarded nearly $14 million after his company, Massey Energy, was sold to Alpha Natural Resources in June.
•Ian McCarthy walked away from Beazer Homes with about $6.3 million in severance, even after being forced to repay his original package after the company settled with the SEC for filling misleading statements. Beazer even reimbursed McCarthy for up to $10,000 in legal fees.
I just wanna know…
as a correction officer who has worn riot gear on far too many occassions i will inform you of what full riot gear is: a helmet with plastic face shield, gas mask, bullet proof and stab proof vest, jumpsuit with nothing to grab tucked into boots, knee pads, elbow pads, pr-24 baton, pepper spray, handcuffs(metal and zip tie) and flashlight. Full riot squads do not operate this, nor did i witness any violence in the videos from police. The protestors showed in use of force terms as passive non compliance and the police used the trained use of force techniques which are practiced by all and i mean all police, prisons in our country.
…and we’re going to see you join the movement, correct?
It seems to me that this movement needs to make a choice. It can be a law-abiding protest against the corrosive power of money in politics or it can be a law-breaking movement pushing an array of causes including war, indigenous people, the environment, Palestine, immigration, unions, etc. If it is the former, then I believe it will have the support of many. This support will only grow if the police misbehave as they clearly did in New York. But if it is the latter, if it takes a position on all of these issues and breaks the law, then it will lose the support of many. My own opinion is that it should be the former. Once we get our democracy cleaned up, then we will have a process by which the people can address these other issues. You may not always like the outcome, but at least it will be the outcome of a cleaner democratic process.
i do get the feel that OB is trying to cast the BPD in the same light as the NYPD, e.g. police misbehaving. but i think they’re taking the case too far — last night was an unfortunate incident, on both sides, but immediately vilifying the police and turning this into an “Us v. Them” situation will not advance their cause.
Please, please do consider coming to the Occupation. We need more strong moderate voices like yours to help guide the discussion. I agree 100%
Seconded.
Andy’s probably a white guy so instead of listening to him everyone will talk about how he isn’t identifying his privilege properly and then we can have an hour long discussion on the best way to not be racist.
The best way not to be racist is to show up 🙂
Civil disobedience is agency in spirit of the basic values underpinning the law of the land. Anyone defending the cancerous system that is wall street is in violation of the spirit of the law. Anyone defending wallstreet defends the corporate takeover of government.
He isn’t defending Wall Street in this comment.
on October 11th, 2011 at 1:00 pm #
[…] http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/ […]
Important reminder: Don’t Feed the Trolls.
Don’t give up.
You folks may very well be the only hope the rest of us have left.
Wanted: Video of the Female Fox 25 News Reporter interviewing a very sharp young man this morning. The live interview included an incident where the a passing vehicle had an occupant yell “get a job”. The reporter immediately said “did you hear that?” to which the young man replied to the effect “they might have been talking about you”. That look on her face was absolutely priceless and the interview was cut short. Any video of that would be appreciated (and go viral)…..
Please post a link if anyone has it! Thanks!
Damn! I’ll bet it got away. Quality footage is never aired by Fox, nor are any moments in which a valid point is made. It seems to be their job to ignore this material…
I am dismayed at the confrontational, agitation-oriented approach of the attempt to expand the encampment. In theory, and in practice in not also suppressing camp 1, the city of Boston is willing to work with us. If they say “don’t expand to a particular area”, the right response is dialogue on why they don’t want it and what we can do to either make it happen or find acceptable alternatives, not in defiance of what could otherwise be extremely valuable allies. It was a massive failure on Boston’s part to assault the second encampment, but I contend it was an equally massive failure on our part to not immediately disperse and instead pursue alternatives through diplomatic channels.
We need solidarity. We need coalition-building. I know it’s a difficult concept to hold on to when everyone is lined up staring each other down, but the police, and the mayor’s office, aren’t the enemy, and we aren’t their enemy, unless we force confrontation. And frankly, being viewed as disruptive and violent plays right into the hands of those who want to dismiss us by slapping labels like ‘anarchist’ and ‘terrorist’ on us.
So next time (and there’s always a next time) they demand we shrink, or move, or disperse, I suggest cooperating… vanish like a flash mob, and reappear somewhere else. Organize cars, uhauls, backpacks and bikes to get all that gear into storage instead of into trash trucks. Pick up all the litter, and solicit donations of turf and grass seed to leave the place better than we found it. Take the moral high ground.
Who knows, rebuilding ‘somewhere else’ could even be somewhere that the city agrees to not mind about (you could be amazed at what can be negotiated, especially when their own international image is on the line).
GH
Respect all of the 99%
in response to the idea that cops were just following orders, I do believe that the Nazi’s were also just following orders throughout the entire holocaust. don’t kid yourselves, the cops weren’t your friends at any point in this, they’re just getting paid over time to babysit so maybe they don’t hate you yet. they didn’t brutally attack protesters last night, but I assure you they will if you ever actually start being a threat to the powers that be.
Hello, looking for unbiased reports from people on the scene.
http://occupymap.us/
Thank you
i think this is more unbiased
http://www.occupyoccupywallstreet.org/
Is the donation money going to http://occupywallst.org/ ?
Thanks
yes
Cool. Best of luck to you.
As troubling as the police activities are,
Their near sighted ignorant arrogance has gained the occupy movement a multitude of supporters. in a strange way we should thank them for being submissive state gimps.
After the brooklyn bridge incident the movement gained a lot more favor and interest by those who kinda feel like we do….but don’t want to leave the house.
Those are the people the police injustice are winning over for us.
That support is vital to make the movement whole and complete,
rather than looking like hippies and youngsters.
OCCUPY EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!
And REMEMBER REMEMBER the FIFTH of NOVEMBER!
What a JOKE!!! There were more police in riot gear for the Bruins Parade but, since those folks listened to the police (which you still have to do cause or not) nobody got arrested. The news was broadcasting “The police have issued warnings that those not obeying will be arrested” starting at like 11 oclock. To me, that means you’re going to get arrested if you don’t obey them.
But who am I to say….I guess I’ll just continue accepting personal responsibility and live my life without arrest. This is not the 60s – you don’t have a cause. Go get a job (places by me are hiring) and contribute tax dollars rather than sitting in parks. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM NOT THE SOLUTION.
No, Honesty, YOU are the problem, not the solution.
it looks like the fatcats on wallstreet are starting to get the message. check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vAWv9gV8Cxo
Does anyone know what is going with the People arrested st court ? Has their case been heard yet?
Good question; we would all love an update on the status of those arrested. Especially those of us who CONTINUE to donate cash for their bail-out while being given no hint as to whether we’ve met our goal…Somebody needs to fill us in, please and thank you!
For anyone who is wondering something similar, Joshua Eaton addressed my concern with the following:
“Funds are being collected for bail, lawyer’s fees, court fines, and other legal expenses, as well as medical expenses for protestors injured by police. Obviously, most of these cases are ongoing, so it’s impossible to know exactly how costly they’ll be at this time. How to use any leftover funds will be decided by consensus vote in the Occupy Boston General Assembly, which includes all participants.”
….
>……………everyone who’s financial or health situation prevents them from physically going to NYC have the right to demonstrate locally. Wall street tentacles are in EVERY CITY
..[ WALL st ] the ROUTE of all evil
Veterans for Peace have details
You don’t talk to cops. Ever.
on October 11th, 2011 at 2:38 pm #
[…] group said in a statement on Tuesday that after midnight, the police “brutally attacked” protesters who remained on the […]
on October 11th, 2011 at 2:45 pm #
[…] http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/ […]
Stop being a pack of uninformed unorganized idiots and maybe people would listen.
You should be more specific in your criticism if you want it to be taken seriously. Generalizations are usually not effective.
So should you Jennifer, and so should your entire “movement”. The rest of the country can’t start to change anything if you don’t tell them what exactly you’re protesting against. I don’t think “no one should be rich” is a good start.
You need to be told what this is about? Really?
Turn off Fox, and think for yourself. Good luck with that!!
Clever response Ken. You could have taken that time mouthin off to explain it to us. As it stands your a LOSER.
agreed. why dont you tell us instead of constantly responding that we should already know.
How can you NOT know?
If you read some of my other comments, I was actually quite specific about what my issue with the press statement was. Also, this is not MY movement and I am not solely responsible for writing press releases or statements of demands. And Ken, if your comment was directed at me, I don’t really understand what you are getting at?
No, my comments were not directed at you.
I don’t know if I find it more shocking or sad or laughable that people continue to ask “What in the world is there to protest against, please tell me.” Granted the goal has yet to be specifically defined, but the purpose and the message and the instigation is stinking obvious. Money buys politicians, and screw everyone else. The name of the game today is The Quarterly Statement. Screw everybody on your way to showing more profit than the other fellas in the club.
The reason folks are confused about the intent of the protests is because it could be one of several major issues. It’s funny, actually.
oh, I understand what it’s about, but when you go downtown and see signs for war, healthcare, civil rights, government stuff, debt stuff, “fuck the rich” stuff, and all the misc. saying all in one place, it confuses the hell out of the general public. You should be trying to make it as easy as possible for people to grasp the concept, and that’s not happening at all. “Well, we haven’t defined a goal yet” is absolutely not an acceptable response when you have tens of thousands of people marching all over the country. You’re going to go in all different directions. My roomate actually thought it was a joke when he passed by yesterday because he couldn’t find one specific thing you guys were talking about (he didn’t know about the occupy).
I think we should start by abolishing the Federal Reserve Bank which is about as federal as Federal Express. If Federal government will not abolish, we need to abolish it ourselves.
The Federal Reserve Bank to our Country is as Pancreatic Cancer is to Humans.
That is the root of the problem, Then I suggest going after those that want the Fed. Res. Bank(s). Listen to Roseann Barr.
By the way, this money system we have right now is a big joke. It is an illusion that is intended to enslave all of us. I say abolish this money system.
They say the USA is $16,000,000,000,000 in debt. These $16,000,000,000,000 are 1’s and 0’s that were created by the Federal Reserve and other World Banks. Before those bailouts, this amount of money did not even exist. Where do you think they got it? They did not have it in the first place.
Let us just get a big piece of paper, put 1’s and 0’s on it, and give to the Federal Reserve and other World Banks and say, “Paid in full”.
Now, you say, “What kind of money system would we have when we make our fresh start?”
I recommend a “resource-based” rather than a “currency-based” society.
I am not trying to advertise for “The Venus Project” necessarily. I won’t even give you their website. You’re smart enough to look it up. They will tell you about a “resource-based” society. I think it is beatiful personally.
Listen to the John Lennon song, “Imagine”. I would love to see this kind of world. Wouldn’t you?
“[H]e didn’t know about the occupy”: well, you’ve just refuted your own point. If he didn’t know about the occupy, then he doesn’t realize there is a matrix that holds together all the individual issues.
Yes, this is a movement with many, many components. But they all have a common denominator: THROW OFF THE PLUTOCRACY and TAKE BACK OUR DEMOCRACY! But that common denominator cannot have its full meaning if you don’t also see just how many component issues it truly incorporates, and therefore how MASSIVE the objective necessarily is!
Are you going to be the one to tell the Colonists that the Revolution wouldn’t work because it needed to be broken down into smaller parts? They’d already tried that, again and again it didn’t work, and that’s why the Revolution. A massive, messy, bloody undertaking, but are you going to be the one to tell them they shouldn’t have done it because you couldn’t see exactly what was happening?
BOSTON…. Let the revolution begin.
First shot:
A British officer, probably Pitcairn, but accounts are uncertain, as it may also have been Lieutenant William Sutherland, then rode forward, waving his sword, and called out for the assembled throng to disperse, and may also have ordered them to “lay down your arms, you damned rebels!”[50] Captain Parker told his men instead to disperse and go home, but, because of the confusion, the yelling all around, and due to the raspiness of Parker’s tubercular voice, some did not hear him, some left very slowly, and none laid down their arms. Both Parker and Pitcairn ordered their men to hold fire, but a shot was fired from an unknown source.
WTF!
I cannot believe it!
This is America, NOT China, where police stands to shut the voice of the people.
Hey Omar, Go back to Saudi Arabia if you dont like it here. Let us know how the weather is, cocksucker.
Really? That’s the level we’re sinking to here?
And now Fascism rears it’s ugly head in support of the plutocrats.
As a veteran of protests in the 21st Century, I would like to offer some assistance. We Tea-Partiers have a great track record, and here are some tips that may help you poor “Occupy Wall Street” citizens:
1) Try and figure out what you’re protesting BEFORE you march. The Tea Party has a clear message for each event; Block Healthcare, Stop ______ Bill, etc., as well as a clear, underlying theme: Reduce the size and influence of the Federal Government. From what I’ve seen on the extensive news coverage, you poor bastards in “OWS” have no idea why you’re there—“hating rich people” doesn’t count.
2) Limit your protests to a day or two. Let’s face it—after more than that, you really start to stink. Plus, won’t your boss get mad if you are gone for more than a day or two from work? Oh—never mind.
3) For God’s sake clean up your mess! Those responsible for cleanup have routinely lauded the Tea Party events because the protesters actually left the area cleaner than when they arrived. You guys are, well, you’re pigs! The pictures show garbage, feces, urine…squalor! Decades of liberal rule have turned major cities into cesspools, but you guys seem to be trying to accelerate the process in each place you visit! As Woodsy the Owl says: “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute.”
4) Hire some blacks. I have reviewed hundreds of pictures from your protests, mainly trying to see which sign is the most hateful, and I have seen only one black person. Are you racists? If you’re not careful, the mainstream news networks will accuse you of intentionally excluding certain groups. We have a statistically proportionate number of blacks at our rallies, and yet we are always accused of being racist—you may want to really watch out for that.
5) Try not to get arrested so much. The only recorded violence or arrests at our Tea Party events have been from union-sponsored opponents that come there to disrupt our peaceful assembly. You, on the other hand, seem to think it’s 1969 again! Over 700 arrests at a Brooklyn event alone—and believe me, it’s not us coming in there to stir things up, what with all the garbage, feces, urine, and squalor.
We fully support your Constitutional right to free speech and assembly, so good luck to ya. As a parting gift, here are some easy to understand, easily verifiable facts to help you out with your signs:
1) Although the top 1% do hold a great deal of the country’s wealth, they ALREADY PAY the majority of the taxes and they are the ones who create jobs with their investments.
2) Wall Street and the country’s largest banks are supported by DEMOCRATS more than Republicans—it is the DEMOCRAT party and the current administration that are tight with Goldman Sachs. I know this creates quite a dilemma for you, since you are probably the only thing left of Obama’s “base…”
3) I have seen signs that suggest you are seeking “Freedom.” By definition, asking the government to intervene in the private sector and redistribute wealth is the ANTITHESIS of freedom. Be honest with your signs—Say something like: “We Want Government Oppression…”
Bob, TeaParty? Really? I’m not sticking up for the Obama way either.
At least your girl Sarah Teabag Palin was smart enough to bail, (kinda like she did with the Governors job) Ya Know…
“decades of liberal rule” who was the last President for two terms?
Of course GW really didn’t “rule” just play the FOOL.
I think your TeaParty is actually quite similar to this Occupy Boston.
Here today, gone tommorow. Things without substance, sooner or later, simply fade away.
I replied to these points earlier, let me know if you missed them.
These demonstrators have too much free time. This is not the downtrodden, huddle masses here. Just look at these young people in Dewey square in thier $250 UGG boots, the I-Phones and I-Pads, $400 North Face tents, $200 ripped knee Lucky Jeans,
Hmmm.. America seems to be treating most of these folks pretty damn good!
(or Daddys got a few extra bucks to let the entitled college kids go camping for a while)
Time to go back to class, or maybe back to WORK, but I doubt that!
+1 and they still don’t have a message ?
The way I look at if Al Quida is agreeing with your movement its time to start thinking of something else to do …
Seems like we 99%ers have stirred up quite a few of the teabaggers. That’s a good sign! Why so angry, guys? Relax. BTW the government you want to do away with is spending a lot of your tax money to suppress us. Love it!!
Yup! we don’t want you representing the Real 99 percenters like this you got that right! just because your a loser isn’t our fault!
No Ken, the government we pay taxes to, is gonna have to clean up your freekin Occupy Boston mess. like our tax dollars already are. Because, you know sure as shit, when this thing is over (hopefully soon) those clowns are going to pack up thier tents, and wander on home.
You bet your ass they aren’t going to pick up the mess.
Suppress what? a bunch of people camping in the park? I hope they just leave em alone, They are probably good for local bussiness.
Got to buy food somewhere. McDonalds probably loves em.
I’d shut down any available toilet facilities though, and let em squat in thier tents.
This movement seems more ridiculous every day it goes on.
Headlines with no substance. Complaints with no solutions.
Why the anger, seriously? We’re just flower children and 60s wanna-bes. How can that be a threat? Relax, my friend. We’re here to stay!!!
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.”
M. Gandhi
Looks like the movement is at stage two.
what part of move the fuck out did you all not get ? It really looks bad with OWS doesn’t obey the law it does no good for your cause!
we cant let this happen people! this is the definition of government oppression, go watch the movie 1984 and then meet me at Dewey square!
The guy in the video clearly told those people they were going to be arrested. Then they didn’t leave. I just read about that fool of a lawyer wearing a “legal observer” hat. What is the goal of all the protests? I don’t get what the college kids are whining about either. If you can’t afford to pay a loan then don’t get the loan. Aye aye aye.
Then don’t get a loan? Seriously, they should all just go work at McDonalds right? or maybe Walmart, so they can get ripped off! Education is important and necessary to a growing nation. How about instead we make education more easily attained with reasonable tuition rates!
Which are perfectly reasonable at state schools. If you can’t afford the loan for tuition… go somewhere cheaper. There are plenty of options. My favorite one? Screw school, read a book or five, and start your own business. There’s no excuse.
Oh yeah, JS. The market’s in a PERFECT STATE for people to be starting their own businesses. And hey, guess what? Most people still need to take out start-up loans for businesses, so how’s that a lot better when the rate of small businesses failing is through the roof?
Hey S (@S?), I started my own business a couple years ago. The “market” may not be in a great state, but the public sure is. I did my research and started with $40. In a month, I was supporting myself. Was it hard? Did I struggle? nope. I found something that people needed, and made it by hand, by myself, in Boston. I went from an unemployed BFA graduate to a contributing member of society without getting arrested or making a scene. I decided to offer a product that’s made here, for cheaper than it’s made overseas. I had no loans, and to this day have never used a credit card. Shut the hell up with your business jargon, and start using the internet for more than feeling like you deserve something.
@elena, what is wrong with working for your education? why are you ridiculing working at mcdonalds and walmart..? If you can’t afford to get a loan, then you should be working to educate and better yourself … And the way people afford that is by getting JOBS.
Continue to Occupy.
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” (The Federal Reserve Bank (The FED) is a private bank.)
President Thomas Jefferson
I bet every demonstrator down in Dewey Square has an ATM card in one pocket. and an I-Phone in the other. What a farse. The true meaning of freedom and liberty means, if you don’t like a certain industry, or certain bussiness, (Banks, Apple) boycott. Don’t associate, or do bussiness with them.
And you can bet your ass that every one of those clowns is doing bussiness with big money, corporate America, in one form or another.
The whole point of this is to point out the fact that it is impossible to exist in this country without doing business with corporate America, especially when it comes to our political system.
stop being such a robot and getting all your talking points from Hate Radio and Bill O’Reilly. Do your own thinking.
We have people from all walks of life, including well off college students and the homeless unemployed. You would know that if you went down there.
I also would love to boycott corporate America, unfortunatelly they are making so you can’t.2 of my jobs have mandatory Direct Deposit. Should I not work so I don’t have to use the bank? No Iphone here, I use a minimal prepaid phone. The town I live in has 1 grocery store, guess what it is! Wal-Mart! I would have to drive an hour and half out of town to shop at a place of my choosing. And yes, at least once a month I do, just to make sure the bulk of my money is not going to WalMart! Give us back options and get rid of the rich monopolies in America and we could boycott the business we don’t like!
VETERANS FOR PEACE CONCILIATORY TOWARD POLICE, THEY ARE LEADING
Here is the Smedley Butler Brigade’s official statement on last night, they took the brunt so they deserve to be heard. PLEASE POST
STATEMENT FROM VETERANS FOR PEACE REGARDING THE INCIDENT IN BOSTON
LAST NIGHT, BY ACTING DIRECTOR, MIKE FERNER
*October 11, 2011*
Last night in Boston, our members displayed real courage, standing
nonviolently between police and people in the Occupy Boston protest.
Police were given orders to clear the park and initial reports I’ve
heard say that some VFP members and perhaps others were injured by the
police and that fifty people were arrested. If there were injuries, we
hope they were minimal. VFP never condones the use of violence.
We need to keep in mind that police officers are in the same 99% as we
are, providing the muscle, sweat, blood and money used by the 1% who
own and govern. The most important thing we share with the police is
our humanity. We appeal to police in every corner of America to
maintain their humanity and think about it when they consider orders
they are given.
The largest democratic uprising in U.S. history was that of the
Populists in the late 1800’s. Of them, Lawrence Goodwyn, author of
“The Populist Moment [
http://www.ratical.org/corporations/PMSHAGAintro.html ],” wrote that
they “…created the psychological space to dare to aspire grandly.”
That is what the dozens of “Occupy” movements are doing throughout
America today — daring to aspire grandly and aspiring to the grandest
ideal of our nation, which is democracy.
We are just at the beginning stages of a powerful, new rising of
democratic energy and ideals. We will remain human but we will remain
silent no longer.
Yes! So well said, thank you!
I like it and second it!
Thank you. It’s too bad damaging things have already been written in this original crappy press release.
Much better.
Motion at GA to replace this press release with Veterans for Peace statement as official OB statement on night of 10/10/2011.
on October 11th, 2011 at 4:07 pm #
[…] Re: Occupy protest turns on Financial District var pubId=25853; var siteId=25854; var kadId=20989; var kadwidth=300; var kadheight=250; var kadtype=1; Apparently these scabs think they are already being beat down by the man…. Boston Police Brutally Assault Occupy Boston | Occupy Boston […]
I am deeply disappointed that OccupyBoston, just like all the corporate media including NPR, has focused exclusively on the arrests and said nothing about the sensational marches yesterday!
Look, if you want to know who I am and what I have to say, you need to focus on my face, not on my a$$! Well, same with this movement. The media refuse to look at our face and listen to what we have to say, and instead distract by picking on flaws and vulnerabilities that say nothing about the movement, its purpose, its message. Don’t fall into their trap!
I was in those enormously impressive marches yesterday, and I find it incredible that not only the media, but even the movement itself, have not said a word about them, and no pictures!
Exactly. In the march yesterday I saw families, professors, workers, students– everyday citizens. This is what I am about, and what I hope Occupy is about. I would call this violent altercation a failure, not just on BPD’s part, but by us as well. The night time spectacle always adds more suspense..more drama, but can we look at the optimism of the day?
Just a personal note: I am working on a short student film which documents the protest… and I will be showing video of the marches all throughout! 🙂
I’m guessing the media is leaving it alone because it’s old news. There’s a protest on nearly a weekly basis outside the state house. People holding signs, chanting etc.
Just called the mayor’s office asking why my bothers in arms were arrested. The first lady couldn’t give me a clear answer to my questions. I then asked to speak to someone who could. The next lady said she “can’t” speak about it. She chuckled when I said it sounded like she was givin a memo to not discuss the matter. She said repeatedly to “watch the news for my answers.” Fun stuff.
Think Occupy Wall St. is a Phase? You Don’t Get It
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/10/08-6
on October 11th, 2011 at 5:42 pm #
[…] it’s important to highlight what’s going on to our brothers and sisters in boston: Boston Police Brutally Assault Occupy Boston | Occupy Boston: Following the raid, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis made no mention of veterans, organized […]
on October 11th, 2011 at 6:16 pm #
[…] http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/ […]
Why were there street medics at a peaceful protest?
In case someone got hurt?
Well, why do schools have a nurse on staff? Why do hotels have a doctor on call?
about bob….
please don’t feed the trolls
At Bob: If the tea party is so wonderful and great and smart…Why are we having to Occupy? You guys should have already been able to handle getting rid of the feds presence. However your peaceful 1 day march isn’t doing anything for the real world people! And yes some of Occupy don’t have jobs, but hey I work 3 just to afford my family and lifestyle! What an American Dream it is to not ever have time with my family! Find a better job? Sure where? I have a college degree and have applied at thousands of businesses to very little avail. Unfortunately even when you get hired the crap wages we make along with working your entire life to have a small retirement, just doesn’t seem right when our politician and bankers have our money handed to them left and right! Yes the taxes from my 3 jobs going to underserving rich!
Well said finally someone hits on the issues we should be focusing on. There is no reason the majority of working Americans should have to work 60+ hours a week just to support a lower class of living. To be able to travel, pay for cheap rent, pay for cheap food, for insurance, medical bills, maintenance bills or any other day to day expenses hoping some big expense isn’t around the corner.
That if you want to further your education adding 20-40 hours of work to your day your only taking a gamble on getting a job that hopefully has a higher salary while gaining another expense in loans to add to your problems. While people deal with this the super rich get tax breaks and bail out’s to “help the economy” but the common people see no improvement in their standards of living.
Start up your own business and get things going yourself? With what money that’s impossible to save up on your own? Or a loan from banks that don’t want to make risky investments? Even if possible large corporations choke out small businesses with low prices from paying laborers low wages.
People wonder why today’s youth feels hopeless, they wonder why they have no solutions or agenda. The system is so big already it feels like it’s impossible to change. The rich are on top and they have made it so they will stay on top, so that their family’s and friends will stay on top, so that those who think just like them will stay on top. There are no simple solutions, and every answer isn’t just met with mocking condescending criticism but some greedy fat cat who will weasel and deal there way around it.
The critics can mock and harass this generation to no end because they make all the rules controlling what is and what isn’t acceptable today.. but change is a coming.
Very well said.
What I don’t understand is why you folks are all upset. You all voted for change when you voted in Obama, (the Messiah of change) and now that he’s given you change, you aren’t happy! So! I guess that means that in the next election, you’ll all go out and once again vote in the next liberal nut job into office! Right? You all got what you deserved because you were all asleep at the wheel, busy playing on your IPods and screaming for homosexual equality, instead of watching for the signs of the times that Christians have been talking about for 20 years now! We all knew what was coming and have been preparing. To bad you’ve all been caught off guard.
This has been going on way longer than Obama.. People voted for Obama because they had hoped for change, because they already felt oppressed, ignored, and used. Obama has done some good things, hasn’t done everything people have hoped for, and has done things people disagree with such as the bailouts. I can’t say he’s been perfect or everything the people have hoped for but I don’t blame him for everything wrong with our country like some groups.
Also, I get that your religion is important to you but please leave it out of government and political debates. We are suppose to and should have a separation between church and state.
I can appreciate your comments . . . until we get to your last paragraph and you spout that same old falsity about “separation of church and state.” Let’s go back to the First Amendment and pick up that clause that you and so many others keep wanting to drop: “Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]; or abridging the freedom of speech . . .” It is precisely the separation of church and state that gives Rachel the right to freely exercise her religion in poitical dialog or anywhere else!
Now, go back and read the first clause — “Congress shall make no law respecting an ESTABLISHMENT of religion” — and see how you have completely misread it because you didn’t want to see it in relationship to the second clause, or the speech clause.
I wasn’t really looking to any certain amendment I was just recalling something that I have heard and believed in sense I was a child.
She is free to speak of her faith in anyway she want anywhere she wants, guess it’s just a pet peeve of mine to have religion dictating a persons moral value. To label a group in a higher moral standing because of their religion.. Probably just me but when she calls other people fools voting for a “liberal nut job” while all the people in her faith are righteous, it comes off as.. arrogant.. and condescending to say the least.
Could be. Persons of various religions, including atheism or non-religion of any stripe, often give their religious claims the lie in their attitudes and conduct.
But religion is at least as much a part of our human makeup as anything else, and she has the right to give free expression to that in any sphere of human concern. Congress shall make no law ordering a person of religious persuasion to keep it out of the political discourse.
Occupy Boston 10/11/2011 Boston Police started by plowing down veterans and this video shows some other violent arrests. http://youtu.be/NXrZdrKKa9g
The struggles we all face seem to be coming from our wallets or what’s not in our wallets: a good note of legal tender!
A note we can cash at the bank and invest into a better future.
We are taxed…
We pay, but, what for?
At any point in history we see that war is an expensive theatre to play.
It cost lives, it leaves scars, it roots resentment and we the people fight it, pay for it, and survive it.
Say, how do we profit from…?
An arms deal?
A weapons contract?
Mercenary work?
Infrastructure No-Bid redevelopment?
Regional resource exploitation?
Look in your wallets, pull out the profit-note of those investments…some of us can, but they are not with us.
What can we pull out of our pockets ten years since 2001?
Reduction…
Loss of value…
Empty bank accounts.
Remember when the thought of government spying on its citizens was wrong?
Reduce that…its okay now, they do it all the time!
Remember when we had money in a savings account to fall back on?
Reduce that…nobody has money anymore, so it’s okay!
Remember when most Americans worked with benefits and retirement plans?
Reduce that…every corporation has cut benefits and outsourced overseas, so that’s okay too!
Remember quality over quantity?
Reduce, reduce, reduce…
Remember, remember, remember…
Forget, forget, forget…
No.
That’s why this is happening now:
We want our hard work to pay off in the end!
We want to have families and have better futures for our children!
We want to own homes like those before us!
We want to leave our struggles behind knowing the next generation has it better!
Yet, our wallets are empty.
This fight must succeed!
Too many believed that IT could never be done; so many diverse people uniting together to redress.
But look around.
If what we want is not attained and today disappears into remembrance, then we will have to say, “I guess it never could…”
That shall not be our future.
Our wallets are empty.
What more do we have to lose?
The opportunity to climb over the mountain of corruptive-destructive influence and reach the plateau of victory for the Cause!
It will take time for others to join hands with us but we waited this long to reach out into the streets; why not keep fighting for positive change?
Change that will bring us closer to looking into our wallets and pulling out that promissory note:
“This legal tender will grant a better tomorrow.”
In Solidarity with the Occupation
on October 11th, 2011 at 7:17 pm #
[…] The following is a statement from Occupy Boston, read the entire article here: […]
MAN THE BARRICADES !
The point is not who is doing something legal or illegal. The laws have been written by the rich to suppress the not-rich. Period.
The question is what is right. Stop the rich from destroying the USA, and the world. They could give a hang about what anyone thinks…and they will not stop themselves from the pillage. We must stop them. No bargaining. Get out – you had your chance here for 200 years and you proved beyond a shadow of doubt you care for no one.
In America’s history, many many people have been shot during protests, hundreds and hundreds – for what. Control.
I repeat, they will not give us anything, they will not voluntarily step down. They must be thrown out.
MAN THE BARRICADES !
SHUT UP ALREADY about riot gear, no riot gear, yes riot gear, whatever!!!
THE POINT IS, if Romney becomes President, this is how he will deal with peaceful demonstrations. Remember, Martin Luther King Jr would not have succeeded in a Nazi or a Stalinist regime. The conservatives never forgave him, and this time they’ll be damned if they’ll let educated liberals like him cause any more trouble.
We are the Wall Street Protestors. Existence, as you know it, is over. We will add your Fiscal and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile.”
What do you expect from Boston? I mean seriously. The police force is corrupt, overly aggressive and has a long and thematic history of being so. I’m glad people stood up to this and there are reasonable people in Boston protesting for the 99%. Don’t listen to the naysayers. It’s your right to free speech and to assemble. Little thing called the US Constitution still applies in the commonwealth. I personally would consider some of the police in riot gear. Knee pads, longer batons, and helmets really come across as police looking for aggression. So you say that’s not riot gear and they were more for a Red Sox game? I’m not sure how that excuses the behavior here. They are probably too aggressive there as well.
your a moron
At least they are literate.
I was on the fence about this movement. The past few days I know lean away from this movement. I have seen multiple college students with signs “I shouldn’t have to work two jobs to go to college”, that to me is pathetic. I graduated college in 1997. When I went to school back I worked 2 jobs and went to school almost full-time. I came from no money at all, my parents were divorced and I only had little pell grants. I worked my a** off to put myself through school, payback my loans and work my way for years to have a decent job today. I make close to six figures a year as a computer programmer. These spoiled brats don’t realize you have to work really hard to make something of your life and only you have the power to do so. I fully understand the economy is tanked right now but paying for college is something every generation has gone through not just your generation. So because I worked my a** off doing exactly what you are doing working two jobs, what do you want me to do, give you 5 dollars so you can buy a free lunch? Pathetic. The very problem with this economy is too many people depend on the government instead of making every day of their life worth while. I can come down and teach you all how to open a newspaper, online job sites and bring some applications with me if you would like but if you think I f***** owe you something you can go f*** off you whiners.
You’re missing the point. That might be what SOME people are frustrated about, but how can you pin the entire movement on a few people’s signs? (Especially when a lot of our signs are silly or sarcastic…)
You have a right to feel that way about this particular issue but please, educate yourself on the issues and don’t assume that something so specific is the core of the entire thing…
There is no point of this movement you are 100% correct. That is the very problem with your so called movement. You ask 20 people what they are protesting you will get 20 different responses. I have heard everything from Corporate Greed to the government is spying on us. There is no clear vision, no leadership of this movement. The beauty is your movement is posting things that you are losing support across the board. Saying the BPD brutally attacked protesters is pure demation of character. Police using force to bring people to the ground resisting arrest is not police brutality. Beating someone with a baton if not resisting “that is police brutality”. Your very movement is going to down itself with this crap and people all know it.
Ahh so because you worked two jobs to pay for basic living essentials and an education in your youth it obviously right and what everyone else should have to go through. I don’t know of anyone here asking for a hand out from you or anyone else, I think most people just want to make an honest salary. They see the difference on living for the rich and the poor, how big of a gap there is between those who do the work and those who “make the jobs”. These people see their standards of living slipping, jobs decreasing, and opportunities disappearing.
You say yea worked hard at two jobs to get through school and in the end you got out to find a position or positions that pay well and further a career that’s fantastic. Now what if you were to still be working those 2 jobs and looking for work in your career, only hearing bad news for peers around you everyday with no end in sight. Seeing the economy crash while the top 1% not only flaunt their cash but get bailouts and tax cuts from the government that takes a cuts of your hard earned paychecks.
Think you would be just as pissed off as most of these people you call “whiners”.
What would I do if I still had to work 2 jobs you ask? I would work even harder, I would bartend if I could not find work and make the salary I make now. I would not bitch about it because I know the economy across the globe is struggling right now. People forget although there are many problems and there is corruption on Wall St and within Corporations to lump all corporations together as corrupt you are hurting the very “engine” that creates jobs in America. Many companies simply can’t afford to hire right now and even some have to cut in order to sustain over this tough time, it is that simple. I am not saying every company but some are. Some of the CEO’s they marched to their homes in the Upper East side of NY today are good people again not all but some are hard working people that also have a family. To march on their very homes and scare their families to me should not be tollerated. If you want them to pitch in more that is the governments responsibilty to tax them more. But blaming all of these individuals for the corruption of all is really pathetic. CEO is not an easy job to be in, huge stress and many don’t make it. Some are overpaid I agree but again it is all a summation to this group.
Yo Beantown,
You made a typo in your post … the last word you meant to type China.
“People forget although there are many problems and there is corruption on Wall St and within Corporations to lump all corporations together as corrupt you are hurting the very “engine” that creates jobs in America.”
I got your back, my friend!!
w/e buddy I’m sure if the price of basic living exceeded to a point where you had to work 140 hrs a week you would have no problem doing it. That if you had an unexpected child or some other expense that come up you would find some way. While those who employee your employers who talk of you like your expendable trash drink champagne on a vacation to one of their 5 houses you would feel no resentment you would just want to work harder.
I’m not saying everyone of these CEO’s are greedy or that every corporation is evil. I can’t say I agree with everything this movement is doing but I can understand their frustration. I don’t just dismiss them as lazy whiners.
I believe organization and a real goal is needed, but these are hopefully just the early stages of this movement.
You do realize inequality has shifted drastically over the past decade and that opportunity, now, isn’t what ist was in 1997? Essentially, one human being shouldn’t have to accumulate the wealth, education and life experience of five people, simply to maintain basic stability to think about having children (or a child). They shouldn’t have to cover the work of five people, when there are five able people to do the work.
But workers bear the total burden of “efficiency”, while the 1% pilfers all the gains from such efficiency. That doesn’t seem a little inhumane to you?
You guys lost ALL credibility. The riot gear, batons drawn, the brutal attacks (not one complaint filed with the police about brutality, but tons of claims of it on the airwaves and blogs), unexpected police actions in the middle of the night, not breaking any law, claims that the Greenway Conservancy allowed you to occupy. OWS has a photoshopped picturefloating around the internet where they added crowds . I see lots of pictures of resisters being arrested, but not a one of the TENS OF THOUSANDS of marchers yesterday. Is this another of your exaggerations? As someone else questioned do you really need bail money or is that just another lie? First you say bail, then you say legal defense…no credibility.
Just like the Boston police who tolerated and supported your rights, you turn on the Greenway with lies:
October 6 – Greenway Statement –
http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/files/6513/1793/7911/Conservancy_Statement_Regarding_Occupy_Boston.pdf
Occupy Boston is a spontaneous event and an expression of free speech that did not go through the permitting process with the Conservancy or the City. No one asked for permission. No one gave permission.
They gave you electricity, they gave you a place to protest and you give them crap…figuratively and literally.
I personally set up the legal defense fund and it was always called the legal defense fund.
Hmmm… good point – Zak seems to attribute the quote about bail to you – perhaps you should correct him – or just keep passing the hat for “bail”.
Boston Herald reports most protestors had the option to pay a $50 cilvil fine, but don’t worry, we’ll pick of the cost of over time for 300 Boston police officers because you guys couldn’t respect your host’s request to stay in Dewey Square and you can add any excess collected to pay the electric….oh crap, never mind.
Hey, how about some transparency? How much did you collect for “bail”?
Quote:
For anyone who is wondering something similar, Joshua Eaton addressed my concern with the following:
“Funds are being collected for bail, lawyer’s fees, court fines, and other legal expenses, as well as medical expenses for protestors injured by police. Obviously, most of these cases are ongoing, so it’s impossible to know exactly how costly they’ll be at this time. How to use any leftover funds will be decided by consensus vote in the Occupy Boston General Assembly, which includes all participants.”
huh? I never mentioned anything about the protesters being arrested or bail. I mentioned the bailouts that the large bank and auto industries got.
on October 11th, 2011 at 9:07 pm #
[…] are the 99 percent” movement be described as populist? Two hundred police in riot gear attacked and arrested over 100 members of “Occupy Boston” in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The arrests followed […]
on October 11th, 2011 at 9:35 pm #
[…] http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/ Översätt här: http://translate.google.se/ […]
Who cares, people get arrested, you march on. No big deal. Now if u let a little discouragment ruin your beliefs, then why march? The first few weeks in ny were brutal, and potentially worse than bostons episode of police injustice, but not nearly as bad as what’s happening in Greece. Now go wipe your tears, brush your knees off and march on.
To everyone commenting negatvely on anything @Occupy. Are you secure in your job? Have enough grocery money? Don’t flinch when you get gas????? This is an American/global movement to help REGULATE big business and banks. Just a little little justice. Why all the hate? Are you that much well off where you don’t want to see change?
Are you secure in your job? No I am not, noone is with this economy right now.
Have enough grocery money? Yes I do. If I didn’t I would do any of the following, Waiter, Waitress, Bartend, Bar Back, Dishwash everything I did when I was going through school in order to make a buck and have money to buy groceries. I would do this until the we started up out of this aweful recession that everyone around the globe is going through not just here in the US. I may not make that salary I make now, I may lose my home, I may lose more but I could hold my head high that I look 24/7 to better my job situation and life, not apply for a job once a month. That is the truth not just because I am not in that situation now but I understand the values and hard work my grandparents had to do just to make a living.
Don’t flinch when you get gas????? Yes I do and this is a problem but it has to do with Oil again what is the purpose of this cause, it can’t be all of the above and if it is where are the solutions proposed from thie group? Maybe the sign out on Atlantic Ave today “Eat the Rich!” great solution.
Anymore questions today from this wonder movement?
Yo Beantown, this ain’t your granny’s world. Wake up and smell the lies.
You where my hate comes in Kim. It comes from this country has become so damn lazy and everyone thinks the government will bail them out. We have a lot of problems here in this country there is no doubt about it but we are a civil society, this is not Arab Spring. If we have issues we go out and vote remember the Rock the Vote movement that was perfect and it is what this country is all about. We are a civil society and if you want change it is coming and that is Novermber 6th, 2012 go out and vote. My hate is people in this country are becoming so damn dependent on the government instead of working hard like our founding fathers have installed upon us. I am a moderate Republican but I also have Democratic views so I am not a hardcore Republican with these thoughts I am just a hard working individual from Boston that grew up in a tough neighborhood and came from no money at all. Welfare, unemployment, not all and I am definately not talking about people that have actual physical disabilities are taking advantage of the system and that is a huge problem in this country today. Work hard and then I will respect that person.
beanie, I worked hard until I retired at 70. And I see my peers here in students working hard at the education the entire culture impressed upon them is paramount; in other retirees having worked honorably all their adult lives until past the age at which they expected to be able to retire; in those uemployed through no fault of their own, who have to work full-time at trying to connect with jobs that keep receding like a mirage.
Do you suppose maybe we are fed up with the wealthy privileged who are lazy and depend on corporate welfare of all sorts, getting us taxpayers bail them out, plus getting their golden parachutes from the very corporations they have ruined, plus their revolving doors from the government officials they have bought, plus their army of legal defense to get them off the hook for their crimes?
Don’t you think it’s a bit petty of you to pick on us honest working people? If you want to go after the lazy dependent, I’ve reminded you where they are.
Yo Beantown, work hard all you want, seriously. They’re screwing you regardless. Peace, my friend!!
USA has opted OUT of the Geneva Convention so that the US Government can continue Torturing Foreigners and Oppressing its own people
on October 11th, 2011 at 9:55 pm #
[…] http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/ […]
USA has opted OUT of the Geneva Convention so that the US Government can continue Torturing Foreigners and Oppressing its own people………… Only YOU the VOTERS can change that.
Voting won’t change it unless we mobilize people to elect write-in candidates across the board and then hope that those people would do a good job. Representative democracy is a problem. We have no insurance against bad politics and bad policies and a lot of those can be made in 4 years.
you are right we can vote..
Beantown, my friend, I respectfully disagree. Indeed, we CAN vote. But it is only a red white and blue illusion of a democratic process. I mean, those two Bush victories were fishy, don’t you think? And then we vote Mr. Change into office and, lo and behold, he went all crony on us. Plus, we hold the most important election of our country on a friggin Tuesday? That conveniently works against patriots in hourly jobs who may have less flexibility in their schedule. And wouldn’t you know it, we have circled back around to screwing those in our society who happen to have lower incomes. And … if someone eggs me on, I’ll riff on the voting machines!!!
on October 11th, 2011 at 10:09 pm #
[…] balloons to Occupy Boston, as a general show of solidarity and as a nice gesture in the wake of the incredibly unnecessary violence initiated by the Boston Police Department last night. She came up with a very nice message for the […]
It breaks my heart to see a progressive city like Boston repressing a peaceful protest on such crucial issues… Don’t give up…
it is not being repressed it is allowing a peaceful protest while protecting the city from being overrun by people that want to camp out on it. We have to keep order in this city as well.
It’s always nice to hear people concerned with our public parks and spaces remaining in pristine order; wouldn’t it be nice if this sentiment could also be carried over into making corporations responsible for the damage they do to our natural respources, while the public foots the bill for clean-up and public health remediation?
Get over the fact that these protests are disrupting The Status Quo, detractors. It isn’t a picnic. Our cities are not outdoors shopping malls, owned by the 1%. They are places where generations of immigrants have forged lives for themselves and families, where our culture has percolated and grown. Police are paid by taxpayers to protect person and property; not to demand order and abject obedience from citizens. This is not a police state and we are not living under an authoritarian regime. >>>Force should always match the offense*
…you don’t meet non-violence with violence. It does not protect people or property (especially when you consider that the OCCUPY protestors are not bought and paid for by anyone.) Gratuitous police violence against peaceful protestors, does not make our communities safer.
…and exploiting “Blue Laws” in order to physically intimidate peaceful protestors in a public center — a publicpark — is nothing more than jack-booted thuggary and oppression. Use your noggins, detractors. There are times when peaceful, civil disobedience is necessary.Don’t be mindless followers of authority. You can, respectfully, disagree.
Thinking about the demonstrations. Just thought Occupy might like to know that.
Is a large focus something that needs to be micro-focused? This seems divisive.
I am an adult U.S. veteran, over 50, not a child, and not hippie and not a part of the 1960 demonstrations. I do not agree with the tea party. I do not agree with the democrats. I do not agree with the republicans. Living many years has empowered me with education and some humble wisdom. I am almost debt free, should be in 1 more year. I bank at a credit union. I have raised children and help with grand-kids. I am healthy and not over weight and have no mental problems. I am not part of the 1%. I have sweat blood and have not much but my children and grands and their electronic devices and educations to show for it. The kids and grands did and do their sweating with me. I no longer believe that representation and my vote count as they once did. I no longer believe that the taxes I paid and now pay go where I want them to. Nobility seems dead and I find little or no justice and truth is like a needle in a haystack. Family is torn and the churches splintered and just helping some one can bring complications. How bad does it have to get… before we cannot help, one another? One voice is not enough. Was it 1000 demonstrators 700 arrested? And how many marchers or voices or demonstrations or dollars are required for an assortment of issues to gain representation or at the very least media attention? Must beating take place to legitimize something? The more I read the more questions I have, but I am sure some things have to change. I agree that the government for the people by the people is not happening and that the divisions among people are making it impossible for us to be heard one voice at a time.
Well said.
Shut up, dike.
Stay classy, bro.
You guys are a freakn joke.
can you be a lil more specific?
Just take a walk down there, dumbass. ITs a bunch of hairy hippies at a soup kitchen who are too lazy to get a job so theyre jumpin on this movement that they dont even know the meaning of. The best part of it is half of them are standing around with their I-phones, lap-tops or $1,000 digital SLR cameras. You guys are a joke…hes right. I know the stuff about the police brutality was a bunch of BS as I have now seen after reading about what reall transpired. But at this point I hope you guys really do catch a beating so we can have our what used to be beautiful park back. Worthless sacks of human waste.
on October 12th, 2011 at 6:13 am #
[…] Og apropos: Occupy Wall Street-bevegelsen sprer seg over hele USA. Mer enn hundre demonstranter ble arrestert i Boston. […]
I would have to agree as well. Its just dirty….If you guys want to demonstrate, then demonstrate and go home when your done. If you dont have a home, then go to a shelter while you search for a job. The economy sucks, we all get that and I feel for you if you cant find a job. The problem is that Im pretty sure most of you guys arent looking very hard. Additionally, you guys are calling out the government bailout of big business….when I can pretty much guarantee that ever one of you voted for Obama- keep in mind that it was his administration who performed the bailout. You got what you asked for, so stop demonstrating about it and go home.
KLamp, a reminder to you and all those like you who try to rewrite history for your political purposes: George W. Bush signed the bailout bill into law just before he left office.
Where are you now Nicolas Sarkozy with your airplanes to help people like you did in Libya ??!! SHAME ON YOU EUROPE AND USA !!! Go ahead our friends from NY, Wall Street and Boston !
Get real. The police gave the protesters two hours notice and the choice of being taken away peacefully or by force. The attention whores got their attention now start raising the $2 million dollars you are costing the city. Instead of helping poor people, the city is spending $2 million so some spoiled brats can stamp their little feet between sips of their latte from Starbucks.
AMEN HENRY! If you wanna go down there and kick some spoiled hippies’ asses this afternoon, let me know…..seriously.
Really? spoiled brats? most people can’t waste 4 dollars on a latte
US citizens are in the top 1% of world population in terms quality of life around the world. You are not the 99%
These ‘protesters’ sitting around with their macbooks, tweeting quotes from Gandhi have no idea what is like to be impoverished. Nor do they have the faintest idea of what oppression is.
Pathetic
on October 12th, 2011 at 9:54 am #
[…] http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/ […]
Hey hippies. Its Kenny fuckin Loggins! In case you lazy fucks dont know who I am, let me refresh your memory. Top Gun? Highway to the Danger Zone? Got it yet? Im the greatest fuckin’ rocker that ever walked the face of this earth, you dumb lazy pinkos. I play electric fuckin’ guitar! Not that lame-ass banjo shit that you hippies spit out down there in your tent city. ROCK! While you smelly homosexuals are down there eating Grade D beef stew and living in your Coleman 4-room cabin, I am in my penthouse rockin’ and hookin’ up with some serious 80s style hos! Jealous? I bet you are, you Mao lovin’ communist hippies. Allright losers. Im going to take a nap, cuz I was up all night rockin and partyin. Keep it down you smelly fucks- and take it deeeeeeep!
-Loggins.
You can watch Occupy Boston/Wall St. on RussiaToday because America’s media are not free anymore.
luk3Z, I think you might have my vote for comment of the day. That’s packed.
PENIS!
I think we could all learn something from the non-violent protest of the past and the movements carried out during the Civil Rights Movements. Here I see people from both sides at each others throats about the issue at hand.
If you are not a supporter and disagree with what is being said here, you can simply close the page and move along with your day. You will not serve as a voice of reason and the occupation will continue.
As for those protesting. You can not respond to those who don’t support you with vile responses. You are there for yourself and future generations. Why be concerned with those who don’t share your views.
If I have learned anything from learning about the freedom riders and other active people with an objective, you must compose yourselves even in a moment of rage. Always remain dignified and strong and know that there are many people who share your beliefs. I think that mindset could take this all a step farther!
Most of the writers here are the 99%, despite what we’d like to believe. This is an issue! If you are an active protester, thank you! and if you are someone who disagrees with these acts, then you should find your own way of making a difference!
completely agree.
Good thoughts, lruseell. However, bear in mind that today’s technologies make it exceedingly easy for those hostile to the movement to infiltrate the discussion. There’s no way we can assume that whoever is on this board is simply a participant in the movement who happens to have a different view. When we see comments that overtly run athwart of the movement (which many have!), it is appropriate to call the person out on it in no uncertain terms. Never in foul language, because mud is anti-communication. But in clean, direct refutation, secure in your own position and purpose.
All the senseless hate by posters like John are just ridiculous. These people are not the problem, a very small majority of them are “dirty, hippie losers that don’t want a job or contribute to society”. A majority are the hard working class of waiters, bussers, stockers, cashiers, janitors and so on that feel they are treated unfairly and ignored by the system that’s funded by their hard work. Most are peacefully and respectfully protesting in hope for change, organization and answers are good goals but the issues at hand are vastly complicated and the amount of people frustrated are numerous.
When did it not become mankind’s goal to make the world a better place for the next generation? When did it become a righteous act to spit on your fellow man who’s struggling to make it so? Are there no problems at our front door? Sure there are issues else where but does that mean we ignore the corruption and greed right in-front of us? You people are acting like condescending fools because you are comfortable where you’re at and to lazy to worry about anyone else. Go ahead and continue to meet others hope with blunt rage because of petty minor inconveniences or disagreements. Long as the message is true it will continue to evolve and spur movement in those who want to truly help mankind.
Like “Jon”, “rob”, or “jeff” excuse me.
Your such a faggot. You know how I know? Because I sit next to you at work and I watch you swallow cock all the time. Im in the cube right next to you, homo. Go eat a dick.
Pathetic
You detractors just don’t get it, do you? You’re bent on keeping The Machine moving, with no bumps along the way. Distracted from thinking, fixated on he shallow because it doesn’t take any emotional or intellectual reflection and evaluation. The overlords have everyone so cowed and desperate, that many are willing to bow their heads and go about doing their masters’ bidding, with no complaints. What are “fines” for peacefully remaining on pub property to protest? We can spend public money enforcing these laws — pointlessly — but we can’t invest in going after the banksters and fraudsters that have ransacked our economy? Seriously? This doesn’t seem like a mis-use of authority and law enforcement, to you?
Remember: The Police have the discretion to choose which laws they will enforce, who they will pursue. This is based on some archane view of police always acting in good faith and utilizing their power under the most honorable of intentions. Obviously, in a system like this, the possiblity of abuse is very high. There is no danger in going after protestors because they can get a return on power display, with minimal, physical risk to their own personal safety.
I read these comments. I enjoy both the ones with integrity and even the rude well-stated insults. As a deep-rooted front man for principal and a good cause, I would say that my feelings after being with the New York City movements is that most of the good and bad stated here is true. I think today, by way of comparison people need to be popular a bit too much. I do think some of the “Let’s bring back the 1960s so I can be in a documentary in fifteen years” isn’t the healthiest representation of Occupy Wall Street.
There is a big difference between protesting and wanting to be in a protest.
Thankfully, the movement has grown to be very diverse.
I would suggest we all be very careful not to blurt out this “Police State” talk. These men and women are blue-collar workers that are up against a mammoth group of people. Going too much into this direction really takes the wind out of the movement and lessens the legitimacy of what is trying to be achieved. I wish us all well and will be there with everyone.
All it takes are great numbers (of people). In great numbers even silence will speak like thunder.
– ColourBearer
on October 12th, 2011 at 1:49 pm #
[…] This one won’t be hijacked by corporate talking points. About yesterday’s burst of extreme police brutality against protesters: do you think the movement will always face confrontation with law enforcement, or is there a way […]
Their extended protest camp was dismantled and disposed of, along with their clothing and belongings, in a dumpster, their members, supporters, a few veterans for peace, legal observer, and medics were attacked, knocked down, thrown on the ground, zip tied, and dragged out of the park, a park the city said they were trespassing & destroying the flowers and grass in, by a gang of police with riot gear, for peacefully occupying public land. Stinks of police brutality.
Give em hell, beantown!
You know what would else would be nice for the Occupy protest, to adopt from the ‘Tea Party’?
Constant and favorable coverage from global media outlet, Fox News.
That would be good, because then your message would be getting blasted out all the time. And maybe you could have more money to hire people to formulate a more coherent message (instead of just having a bunch of individuals uniting to express their discontent).
Of course, then you wouldn’t really have a protest ‘movement’, but another cog in the system you are protesting. But so what – at least you would be as cool as the tea partiers.
on October 12th, 2011 at 9:45 pm #
[…] Well the ‘rich elite 1 percent’ of Boston, Mass has shown the ‘Occupy Boston’ 99 percent who has the real power in that city. http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/ […]
on October 12th, 2011 at 10:19 pm #
[…] The efforts of the authorities to constrain the occupations to manageable proportions, like the mass arrests of protesters in Boston on Tuesday, can only have the effect of galvanizing more members of the public into open […]
This is horrible treatment. I’m over at Occupy Chicago and shit is gettin real here too!!!
This is our country. Occupying it is our birthright.
on October 13th, 2011 at 5:53 am #
[…] de una comparecencia en la corte en las próximas horas. En su sitio de Internet, el movimiento Ocupemos Boston (Occupy Boston) sostuvo que “cientos de policías con equipos antidisturbios” habían […]
on October 13th, 2011 at 3:50 pm #
[…] at great personal cost to assert the right of the people to peaceful assembly in public spaces. http://occupyboston.com/2011/10/11/boston-police-brutally-assault-occupy-boston/ We condemn the Boston Police Department for their brutality in ordering their officers to descend […]
on October 13th, 2011 at 4:49 pm #
[…] de una comparecencia en la corte en las próximas horas. En su sitio de Internet, el movimiento Ocupemos Boston (Occupy Boston) sostuvo que “cientos de policías con equipos antidisturbios” habían […]
HAHAHAHAHA Stupid hippy scum! I think the city of Boston made their message clear. Get off our damn lawn! HA! I’m going to start a collection to raise funds to help the Boston Police buy more billy clubs, riot shields, and GUNS.
Rather than use the Police, which would cost millions more in OT to remove you fools from the Greenway I have a better idea for the Mayor. Rather than spending the Citizens of Boston tax dollars on the police, use the native resident Townie boys to kick their asses back to their parents houses. Boston neighborhoods are fighting for more police presence for quality of life issues, but are too busy babysitting you whining babies. Thanks for eying the greenway and wasting MY TAX MONEY!!
“Get a life,” you need to get a life. Why are you entitled to a better police presence for your “quality of life” issues, but these citizens of conscience are not entitled to protection of even fundamental rights? Quality of life for many of these people has already been taken away by the oppressor Plutocracy, and you want to take away their right to get back what has been stolen?
These citizens did not ask for the overbearing and excessive police presence to dog them, YOU did! So YOU pay for what your irrational fear and hate have demanded.
Kathie, you’re good.
As one of the few blue-collar boys with blood back to Boston since the 1600s, I can assure you many of us natives have unfortunately been replaced with the overwhelming student and yuppie crowd. My old Townie and Winter Hill boys aren’t around anymore — I’m not referring to the gangs. What a spirit there was. For those of you that represent Boston now, do it with pride and a sense of history and I will back you up every inch. Could someone please tell these new business owners to stop naming their businesses with a phonetic Boston accent spelling, i.e., Chowdah. Sorry for the side note; it’s been in my craw.
What I keep reading again and again is that protesters didn’t listen to the police and it’s their fault they got arrested because they broke the law. If anyone knows what law they broke I’d be interested to see it copied and pasted on here with the source. The police or anyone else for that matter telling a person or a group of people to so something in no way makes it a law. It’s probably the most rediculous statement I’ve read on here especially because it keeps being reiterated and is completely nonsensical.
on October 14th, 2011 at 2:14 am #
[…] gas station attendant new friend was engaged by our conversation. He talked about the police brutality at the Occupy Boston. i quipped i was from Boston, where we are famous for our police […]
on October 14th, 2011 at 12:25 pm #
[…] Boston Police Brutally Assault Occupy Boston […]
Yes the nazi party sent the SS. I don’t excuse the police. They have a choice of participating or not.
Ryan, If the OB’ers feel they are occupying public property of Boston there are many Boston Ordinances that are being violated see Chapter 16-19.1, 16-19.3, 16-26 http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Massachusetts/boston/cityofbostonmunicipalcode?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:boston_ma
Massachusetts State Law is clear on unlawful assembly http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter269/Section1
Use of Streets and parkways
http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter272/Section59
The government and big business get away with stuff like mortgage fraud, mortgage insurance fraud, invading and occupying countries (murdering a lot of people in the process), torture, etc. But when people stand in a park and/or violate some other ordinances, or walk across a bridge, the government cracks down. People should protest against that. Oh wait, they already are.
riot gear or not, this is not the question! the question is popular uprising is smashed by police might! Do not loose yourself in details, it is a world wide protest. the goal of protest is to overthrow the financial world power.
I just came home today’s evening from the garthering against the world financial /mafia/ political power in Paris (France). We have been more the thousends on the square of Hotel de Ville! Let’s go on and world revolution will come soon.
on October 18th, 2011 at 1:08 am #
[…] Boston’s story sounds a little bit more plausible. And even after such an attack their press release maintains composure and goodwill, even towards […]
The Boston Mayor, Gov. Duval Patrick and the government of MA. Is FOR the protests. They have made every attempt to accommodate you. They are giving you free taxpayer funded electricity (which we didnt vote to give you). They are putting latrines there for you all to use. All they asked is dont go into the 150,000 dollar lanscaped area. So you did. These cops have a helmet hanging from their pants, just in case you do turn into a riot (you might, since you have no actual requests). You people chose to disobey and go there anyways. I suppose the taxpayers (not the idiot college kids who arent even taxed) will pay for the $150k landscape that you ruin?
I am a member of the TEA Party. When we protested we had absolutely no help from the city, were treated like crap by all the news media, the police, the governor, the mayor, unions, Pres. Obama, Congress, etc.. and yet we still protested because we believed in what we were doing. We want lower taxes, smaller government, no Obamacare that puts us in prison if we cant afford insurance, and more freedom. Although we were treated like a bunch of criminals by the city we still left the place cleaner than we found it, and there was not a single arrest.
Obaba passed his totally unconstitutional, Marxist Healthcare law with no Congressional vote. He used what is now called “the nuclear option”, where he simply disobeyed the american people and our elected representatives and signed the biggest law ever which puts us in prison for max 5 years for not having health insurance and not being able to also pay the $1300 fine for “failure to insure oneself”. Where were you people then?
When I was in college I knew about as much as you people. I would have probably joined this movement. I have learned a lot in real life since those days. You guys are simply doing exactly what Obama and George Sorros want you to do. You are not rebelling. You are simply asking the government to tax us more, you want bigger government, more powerful government. In the history of the world this has always ended badly. Since you haven’t been taught the things that we were, like the ideals of our founding fathers, why the revolution happened, why freedom is important and that all politicians are scum.. I guess we cannot expect any better from you. After all, a man got elected by promising “change you ca believe in” ! How aweful and trite. He didnt end the wars, he created 4 more and counting. He didnt get rid of guantanamo or bring the troops home. He didn’t create a “transparency” thingee website, instead he always works behind closed doors. This is the most secretive administration ever in history of the USA. I could go on and on, but you people need to wake up. Protest Ben Bernanke and the fed, protest the inability to open a business due to over-regulation and huge taxes. The soaring inflation. Selling us out to Communist China!
Oh well, you probably wont listen anyway. When you are all in your 40s you will be living in a country far worse than in the movie 1984. In fact 1984 will look like paradise. Good luck with that.
Based on popular opinion, I think the movement’s slogan should be changed to “we are the 37% (who are too lazy to put our nose to the grindstone and actually work for a living)”
Don’t confuse ambition with greed you poor manipulated socialists. Capitalists have ambition, which leads to success. Occupiers are stricken with jealously and greed, which leads to dependency. Stand up for yourselves by supporting yourselves, not asking for a handout.
If you are interested in the historical roots/reasons for this protest read ´The Decline of the West´ by Oswald Spengler: ´´For it will become manifest that, from this moment on, all great conflicts of world-outlook, of politics, of art, of science, of feeling will be under the influence of this one opposition. What is the hall-mark of a politic of Civilization today, in contrast to a politic of Culture yesterday? It is, for the Classical rhetoric and for the Western journalism, both serving that abstract which presents the power of Civilization- money. It is the money-spirit which penetrates unremarked the historical forms of the people´s existence, often without destroying or even in the least disturbing these forms-the form of the Roman state, for instance, underwent very much less alteration between the elder Scipio and Augustus than is usually imagined. Though forms subsist, the great political parties nevertheless cease to be more than reputed centres of decision. The decisions in fact lie elsewhere. A small number of superior heads, whose names are very likely not the best-known, settle everything, while below them are the great mass of second-rate politicians- rhetors, tribunes, deputies, journalists- selected through a provincially-conceived franchise to keep alive the illusion of popular self-determinism. And art? Philosophy?´´