Brothers and sisters,
I want to tell to you what happened to me on Monday night into early Tuesday morning and explain what it means for the movement.
Monday afternoon, the mass march of thousands of students and workers joined by MassUniting and the Right to the City Alliance culminated in a demonstration at the park square just north of Dewey Square, across the street.
We decided in a General Assembly style mass meeting to occupy and hold this second park square, which was merely the logical and geographical dimension of the expansion of our peaceful protest movement. The director of the Rose Kennedy Greenway(RKG) told the Assembly that they respected freedom of speech, and that the North Square had recently undergone renovation of the grass and gardens that she wanted preserved. She implied that if we would respect the greens, and work to restore them later if necessary, then there wouldn’t be a problem.
But the Mayor had a problem: he doesn’t want our movement to grow and expand in any way shape or form. His office reportedly said that if we didn’t leave by midnight, then he would arrest everyone in the square. This was apparently to happen regardless of whether we had permission from the RKG and regardless of our right to freedom of assembly and our peaceful nature.
Waiting till cover of darkness and minimum public scrutiny, the police began their attack at around 1:45am. I watched as they marched into the front line of our peaceful perimeter, which was composed of mostly-elderly war veterans from Veterans for Peace, who were all wielding white flags with a dove and olive branch on them. Some were tackled to the ground, others choke-slammed before being hog-tied with plastic and thrown in the wagon. See with your own eyes in the videos below.
I was arrested shortly thereafter (around 2am), luckily not roughed up, or thrown on the ground, or scratched in the face in the way that many others I saw were. They put me in a wagon and took eight of us to a holding station in West Roxbury. After about 6 hours, I did get half a cup of water and one phone call but they took my shoes before I re-entered the cell after booking. Then I was confined to a cold cell with no food and, now, no shoes for another 7 hours. Though it doesn’t compare to conditions in Guantanamo Bay, being confined in a cold cell with no food for 13 hours seems to me to be rather cruel and inhumane treatment for peaceful protestors.
Around 3pm (I think) they took us to a the courthouse in Government Center, and offered us a plea deal to move from criminal charges of “unlawful assembly” and “trespassing” to a civil “parking-ticket-type” fine of $50. Some took the deal, others pleaded not guilty and will go to trial in a few weeks.
I got out of jail around 5pm, after a 15 hour ordeal, only to find out that Menino had ordered the square not only to be cleared of people, but cleared of all our property and possessions. Personally, I lost my tent, two sleeping bags, a large comforter and pillow, and a box of DVDs that were given to me for the purpose of creating an educational film series for Occupy Boston. They took ALL the tents and belongings, destroyed them and put them in a trash truck and hauled them away.
What does this mean?
First of all, SHAME ON THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT for their cruel and inhumane treatment of prisoners.
Second of all, SHAME ON MAYOR MENINO for his violent attack on the peaceful protest and his destructive clearing of ALL of our personal property from the Northern Square.
Let us be CLEAR: the top 1% and those with all the money and power, are represented by the Mayor’s office, and it is THEIR interests who the police are here to ‘protect and serve’. Not ours. They want to scare us into submission, and prevent the expansion of this movement.
So our response to these attacks on freedom of speech, assembly, and political dissent should be clear and simple:
We need to DOUBLE and RE-DOUBLE our efforts to DEEPEN and BROADEN this movement.
Every campus, every community organization, every labor union, and every neighborhood needs to know what why we’re here (to protest and organize alternatives to corporate domination of our lives) and how they can PARTICIPATE in changing society with us (join a committee, spread the word, donate supplies!).
Thanks for your support, as evidenced by the MASS turnout at last night’s General Assembly. KEEP IT COMING.
We hope to see you in the Square!
Solidarity forever,
Brian
188 Responses to “Occupier: What Happened to Me in the Police Raid and Arrest of 141 Peaceful Protestors”
The police and mayor also represent me – a citizen of the city of Boston, not part of your financially defined 1%, yet not part of your as-defined 99%. I actually enjoy walking through a park unoccupied by tent dwellers, and I also enjoy food trucks (run by your defined 99%) who have been told that their festival is cancelled because of said tent dwellers. Glad to know you’ve harmed the business of these “99%” food trucks for your yet-to-be-clarified movement.
This yet-to-be-clarified bullshit is getting tired. There is a clear core message. Wall Street has corrupted the political process and needs to be reined in. Your claim of not understanding it says a whole lot more about you than the movement.
What does is say about you? That you’re an ignorant jackass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrPGoPFRUdc&feature=player_embedded
Yes! Wall Street corrupting the process should be the focus. Name calling is a distraction. The police are a distraction.
The ‘yet to be clarified’ isn’t bullshit. People are wondering what you are occupying *for*. Now that your presence there is preempting scheduled events, that’s really not unreasonable. I’m fully behind you guys but I wonder what it’s leading to.
Ok, but that’s not a goal, you tard.
You’re telling us the Occupy Wall Street Movement is against Wall Street? Thanks for the brilliant insight.
You’re goal is to hang out and enjoy good vibes and feel good about yourselves, like you’re actually accomplishing something.
Heady bro.
Hey, ‘what’…
So instead of spending your time publishing condemnations about Columbus Day and whining about being arrested, why doesn’t Occupy Boston publish some cogent, well informed and well written ‘resolutions’ about the very issue you just brought up??
Name calling is the last refuge of people with no argument and it’s the exact thing that folks like the ones at FoxNews use to marginalize you.
Your just a slave to the system. I dont blame you for not knowing any better. I actually feel pitty for all of you who dont understand te movement. Keep being slaves. By the way I have two jobs and A college degree. I also have a soul and a consciousness, thats why What the BPD was wrong and it shows that you are heartless and a slave. The protestors still support the BPD and I hope when the rest of the slaves wake up they can then join the movement.
Nine of the ten lead posts on this blog are about the arrests and police. Focusing on this is *exactly* what the 1% wants: Distractions.
Can somebody do a blog post that at least attempts to articulate a plan of action for fixing our busted system? There have been a lot of good suggestions on some of the posts but it never seems to trickle up to the blog admin.
You claim to speak for us, the 99%, but when someone points out how food vendors among the 99% will lose income due to the occupation, you resort to name-calling. You are serving the 1%. There is no ‘movement’ when there are no goals.
My respect for this “movement” is gone. Took over a city park without permission or permits; not caring that other citizens of Boston have just as much right to use that park. Or that other festivals that did follow the rules and pay the fees are no longer going to occur because of these Occupiers. And no one has answered me on why, if you need more space, the new camp wasn’t created on the grounds of the Boston Federal Reserve. Wouldn’t that be more in line with the purported mission? The Occupiers have the same mindset of the corporations they claim to hate: if we deem it proper then it is not wrong. Hypocrites!
Whatever college you went to didn’t emphasize spelling and punctuation, did they? Professionalism counts even when posting on a comment page because when people read things here it reflects on the movement as a whole.
Don’t name-call. When you see something you don’t agree with, attack it with logic and sensible argument.
Are you ignorant or just plain stupid? Occupy Boston isn’t responsible for canceling the festival – the city canceled it; the powers that be are trying to frame the issue around an obstruction of our day-to-day lives. You can still walk in your park and you can still go to the market and the food trucks. Place blame where blame is due and stop subscribing to the bullshit you’re being fed. And for god sakes, do your homework! Who’s stifling small business? http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-gov/
One of the reasons the city cancelled it is because of all the resources this Occupation is STEALING from the taxpayers of the city of Boston. The majority of Bostonians I have spoken to who are not aligned with your group see the theft. The trash pick ups, the electricity and the police over time don’t pay for themselves. The Occupiers have the same ME FIRST, FUCK EVERYONE ELSE attitude that big business has; without providing the jobs or the tax base. The Occupiers are a bunch of THIEVES. Thieves who are sporting made in china clothes, sleeping bags and tents; using Iphones and all the other products created by the corporations they are there to protest. The Occupiers refuse to accept personal responsibility, or understand that they themselves are slave owners and to take real actions to make the world a better place. And if you need more room; move across the street to the Fed Reserve.
“Saturday’s event was to include 12 mobile food vendors, many of them in large trucks. It was to take place on Dewey Square, the only parcel large enough to accommodate this type of gathering,” the conservancy said today in a release.
You are encamped in the only space large enough to accommodate the venders therefore the ultimate responsibility for the cancellation is yours. Will you reimburse the lost income of those your encampment have affected?
Occupy is the reason it is being canceled.
http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/files/8013/1843/7865/Greenway_Mobile_Food_Fest_Update_Oct12.pdf
I’m not from Boston but if you believe that the police and/or mayor anywhere in the U.S. represent you, you’re naive.
Then get the fuck out of my city an go lay on the grass in your own suburb
Ahhh, don’t you get it? You ARE a part of an Occupy movement. #OccupyIgnorance
did you just compare your time ina boston holding cell to Guitmo? You are very dillusional. I cant believe I just read that. but it just keeps getting better “Every campus, every community organization, every labor union” Your not messing around huh starting with the campuses how many of those kids are payint their way through school let alone paying taxes most are dependants on mommy and daddys tax file. Community orgs. Like ACORN oh im sorry NYCC bunch of upstanding citizens. Last of all Unions where to start? I work hard you don’t we both get a raise because we are union? Grow up and go OCCUPY A JOB!
You have got to be kidding me, did you just put the conditions of Guantanamo and your stay in a cell in the same paragraph? Obviously you have never been arrested before, and maybe if you weren’t such a disrespectful ass and listened to the Mayor you wouldn’t have been arrested. Talk about milking out a story, you know what’s harder than you experienced? Getting up and going to work today. Get a job and stop your bitching.
I support the BPD!!
I agree with Dups. Hopefully next time BPD will crack some heads and teach you spoiled hippies some real lessons. You guys are making the city look like sh*t. And I see more posts on here talking about HATING your stupid protest, so I am confused about who the 99% is…..???? It actually appears that you idiots are the 1%. Go get a fucking job, you lazy hippies.
I have a job with a six-figure income but I understand the reasoning behind the protests and support them. The government should exist to work in the best interests of the citizens, not corporations, and especially not corporations when it is a detriment to the citizens. It really isn’t difficult to understand.
I have a job and I, too support the movement. Dups, saying “get a job” does not reflect well on you, my friend. I suspect you are not very bright.
Hey Cagey, if your making 6 figures your making too much… time to distribute some of that wealth. Why don’t you chip in for some of the trash pick up and BPD OT this “movement” is creating.
Dups, stupidest comment ever. You know what’s harder than getting up and going to work today? FINDING a job in this economy. The only job my husband has been able to get in the past 3 years was part-time and it lasted just 8 months before they decided they couldn’t afford his position and “reorganized” him out. If you have got a job and have kept it you are fuckin’ lucky. Get some awareness and compassion and stop YOUR bitching.
Not only do I support Occupy Boston, but I’d like to help. What do you folks need most and what can we do? Get you tents and sleeping bags? Bring you homecooked meals? Tell us – there are plenty out here among the 99% who can’t occupy with you but “get it” and want to keep you going.
I don’t have compassion for lazy people, like your husband. Their are plenty of jobs to be had out there, chances are it’s not “Ideal” for him and he would much rather continue to get unemployment.
99% is a crock of shit, I am part of the 46% who pay income taxes and contribute.
Tell your husband to leave his pride at the door and pick up a broom.
honeybee33, you and your husband must be doing okay if you can afford to drop off tents and home cooked food. Channel that energy into finding work and you’re on the right path. Instead of asking for a handout, why not take a hand up. I have three jobs – and work 28 of 30 days each month. That’s the way life is right now. Deal with it.
I don’t understand why Mr. Tightjeans thinks that its fair for life “to be like that right now,” i.e. spend his entire life toiling for the sake of supporting a leisure class that has corrupted our political process. Quietly submitting to economic injustice is not a value, my friend. The movement is for ppl just like you
honeybee33, I am in full support of you and of Occupy Boston, as I am one of the protestors down there, and have donated quite a lot of money to them.
Finding a job in this economy is practically impossible, and these idiots (like Dups and MrTightJeans) have no clue what your going through, and won’t, until they lose their jobs.
While they just want you to “shut up” and accept the status quo, (aka: continue to be screwed and not care) we’re out there actually making a difference. I have a full time job, I’m proud to pay taxes, and I’m proud to support those in trouble in any way I can.
Dups is just a corporate ass kisser, thinking that as long as he cowardly stays quiet and keeps his mouth shut, someday he can get somewhere.
The Boston police were completely out of line, (as usual) and it was completely stupid and unnecessary.
thanks for your support! sleeping bags, tents, food and water are always appreciated!
being held for 13 hours is a little excessive. Most of the protesters do have jobs, its irrational to assume that they dont because of their message. The protesters did receive permission from the rose Kennedy greenway to be there, and we even promised to come back on earth day and replanted and fix up everything. The BPD could only arrest on the grounds of unlawful assembly, which I cant think of one good example of when any assembly should be broken up, that kind of seems like it violates free speech. None of the protesters broke the law and if they did, they acted alone and it shouldnt reflect on occupy boston as a whole. The police actually damaged that section of the greenway more than the protesters did when they stormed in and trampled the flowers. Some occupy protesters have been exaggerating the brutality of the arrests, but if youve never been arrested before, something like this could be kind of traumatic. Republicans and other opposing political movements have been known to exaggerate too. That being said, I dont think anyone can condone the police throwing the flags of veterans for peace on the ground and walking on them, and one of the veterans for peace had a filling knocked out by the police. Thats the only example I’ve heard of but im sure there were other times when the police actually were excessively rough with protesters
We’re assuming they don’t have jobs because they’re up at 2am on a Monday night and ignoring repeated warnings that they’ll get arrested if they don’t leave. If you have a job that you need to keep to feed, house, and clothe yourself and your family then you would be at home asleep or would at least listen to the police so you can make it to your job a few short hours later.
Everyone has permission to use the Greenway between the hours of 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM, after that it is closed and we can only walk through the park. The RKG only maintains the property and cannot give permission to assemble in the park after hours.
And for all you occupiers and occupier sympathizers please read the Legal FAQ page on this website. Free speech and the right to assemble are not unlimited as stated in the FAQ page: Police and government officials are allowed to place certain non-discriminatory and narrowly drawn “time, place and manner” restrictions on the exercise of First Amendment rights. Meaning you need to apply for a permit and can only assemble for the time and place stated on the permit.
@ Tightjeans-
Three jobs? How about giving up two of them? Share the wealth!
As W once said, “three jobs, truly American”.
It’s sad when we need a job to support our job, to support our job, to support our families.
a personal friend of mine has a tent in dewey park and has been sleeping there every night since it started, and every morning he gets up, shower in his girlfriends dorm, puts on a suit, and goes to work for karen spilka in the state house. Another close personal friend of mine is sleeping there indeffinately and he works everyday 2-10. So dont tell them to get jobs
Yes! Everything is okay! Stop being lazy. Go get a job for minimum wage. Or two or three. There’s no need to question the system, or authority, or your life. There is nothing wrong with our world. Everything is okay. Don’t be critical of anything. Just work work work. Serve the economy and stop complaining.
The above message summarizes the attitude of idiotic morons hating on this movement.
Arbeit macht frei!
As opposed to….
Someone pay for my car loan…
Someone pay for my school loan…
Someone pay my mortgage…
Someone give me a 6 figure income with a corner office first job out of school…
And what is your “movement” doing besides complaining? And hating on successful people.
I don’t see you setting after school tutoring for the children of Boston. I don’t see you collecting food to be distributed to the needy and hungry of Boston. Why not give up your tent to someone who is truly homeless, who doesn’t have the choice of choosing to sleep in a park, illegally, or being at home in bed?
The participants really do not get what an insult they are to those that are truly needy.
Yes you have a right to assemble and protest but you do not have a right to move in!!
I have been laid off twice in the last 10 years (once for 7 months) but I manged to get another job each time. You have to put a full time effort to get a job today. Sitting and complaining will never get you anywhere!!
You were not treated any worse or better than anyone else by the police. They gave you ample warniing. Also they take the shoelaces away from all prisoners. This is required so you don’t try to hang yourself in the cell.
You have made your point, now go home. No one cares anymore. You are yesterday’s news.
I too have been laid off several times in my 20-something years as a working adult. The last time was in 2000 when 1/2 my company disappeared overnight in the so-called dot com bust. But to say that we managed to get a job therefore so should everyone today is either incredible ignorance or incredibly misleading.
We didn’t get laid off with persistent 9-10% inflation (with another 7-8% “underemployed”). We didn’t get laid off during a time when the US economy was stagnate or when US corporations were hoarding cash to record levels or moving jobs overseas rather than employing American.
Get off your high horse. So you were unemployed in your past and got a job? Good for you, so have lots of us. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with today’s troubles, nor with OWS’s core message, which is that corporations OWN the US government!
Doug, have any of the Occupy Movement groups moved on Jeff Immelt CEO of GE and Obama’s Job Tzar? How many jobs has GE exported since 2008? I know that 19,000 US jobs have been taken away since 2008 in GE and that more than 40% of its income now comes from international aspects of its overall corporate world. GE buys and sells smaller companies at one of the fastest rates worldwide. Each buyout and sellout costs thousands of jobs both here an abroad. The Chairman of GE, Jack Welch makes every branch of GE prove why a job should NOT be outsourced out of the US to another country in order to save that job. Are you protesting outside of Jeffrey Immelt’s home? Jack Welch’s home? No, so far it appears that only Conservative Rich Folk are having thouse houses marched on.
It is these “small” issues that erode support for the Occupy Movement as well as the name calling.
Heh heh… “real 99%.”
When more than 20% are unemployed, including those no longer defined by an embarrased government as “unemployed,” and obviously significantly UNDEREMPLOYED people out there, coupled with ONE IN SIX on food stamps of some sort… well, you must be part of the “real 99% of the completely ignorant and/or stupid 5% who are somehow deluded that they will win the lottery and join the 1%”
Mark, what is your proposed solution to this? We are all fully aware that the protests are about the “unemployed, the underemployed and student loans and foreclosures”. But what are the proposed solutions?
At some point, this movement will have to come up with something or it will lose support.
When the police have a planned use of force(which this was) it is madated by administrative directive to have a certified camera operator record by video the event . Each specific use of force will be documented by the employee using force and those who witnessed the use of force. The employee using force must be able to explain why the force used was necessary and it must be in the guidlines of their training. I will state this and maybe to closed ears, 99.99% of cops would like to never have to use force and have no problem with lawful peaceful protests on any political side. From experience, i will also inform you that from certain incidents when force maybe too much or borderline being excessive it is the result of inadequate training mixed with stress. Personally, i was punched in the chest by a state trooper at a Patriots game years ago walking to the stadium . I was talking and laughing and didn’t notice the trooper ordering the pedestrians to stop. I never saw him coming as he ran up to me and punched me in the center of my chest which knocked the wind out of me. As i fell to my knees several other troopers ran up to me and tried to antoagonize me into escelating . i was having a good time and not looking for trouble and would have obeyed his stop directions if i had heard them. Yes it does happen and is rare but most cops do not wish to hurt anybody.
you cant speak for 99.99% of cops. In my experience, maybe around 35% of people jump at the opportunity to use force, and far more if your only including males, which the arresting officers primarily were. The police force might reflect this demographic, as that 35% might want a job where they can use force often, or it might not because cops want to protect people, who knows. Making up statistics to prove your point doesnt work. Also, does anybody really believe that police are ever held accountable for excessive force? They probably wont even be asked about it, and if they are, theyll say the protester assaulted them first or that they felt the use of force was necessary and all of the other cops will agree. Police stick up for each other, they always have, and they are never held accountable unless someone dies or is seriously, life threateningly injured. Its called “the blue shield of silence”. These protesters are fighting for your freedom, how about giving them a little respect.
I knew the truth would fall on deaf ears. If you used your 35% theory on any other group you would be called a racist. Don’t know if you are influenced by movies like the Tackleberry guy in police academy, but you are so wrong. Yes police to stand for each other. It is obvious you have to demonize groups, wether they are cops, or tea party members and your hypocrisy is overwhelming. It is very easy to hate what you are uneducated on.
You just made up a statistic and then said, literally one sentence later, that making up statistics doesn’t work for an argument.
And I thought we weren’t sexist around here…. ?
This crowd isn’t fighting for my freedom. They are fighting for Vann Jones and the unions. One of their goals is more government control which in freedom terms = less freedom. I do not know how you equate more government with freedom. If freedom is your goal, please contact your local tea party. The violence has already been started; In L.A. calls for violence. San francisco, New York. The blue print of this has you performing violence too. What will you do when you are asked to hurt someone? The line has been crossed. I know the answer because it is just the same old history repeating itself; you like the brown shirts of hitler, or the useful idiots of lenin have already been brainwashed and you will follow orders when told to do so. Freedom please? you are the enemy of freedom
Seamus: What would you propose be done when the people obstructing your ability to pursue happiness are in corporations that have purchased government power? We can’t keep yelling “NO MORE TAXES” and think that solves the problem.
“We can’t keep yelling “no more taxes” and think that solves the problem”
No, no more than the Occupy Movement can continue to shout “we are the 99%” and think that solves the problem. The media is praising the movement for having “no concrete” plans or solutions or demands. Yet, without clear cut goals, nothing ever succeeds.
I support Occupy Boston. My advice is to drop the topic of police brutality. I would like to see your encampment grow and to do that, I think you should move to the Common. Anybody talking about this?
I agree with Sarah. I support OB but have lost a lot of respect for the movement after what happened Tuesday morning. You were given ample notice to leave and you were told you would be arrested if you didn’t yet you stayed anyway with the intention of getting arrested. Knowing you would get arrested you placed elderly veterans on the front lines to get video of them getting roughed up for a publicity campaign. This all stinks of media manipulation typical of the corporations you criticize. You can make your point without condescending to the rest of us with your manipulative tactics. You sought to get arrested and you did. Stop complaining about it.
I agree, Sarah. I was at the GA on Tuesday night and heard many of the testimonies from those who were arrested. I was impressed with their dedication and their courage. I support Occupy Boston and will continue to do so.
However, the police brutality issue has been overemphasized. The police were rough, yes, but it was no comparison to images we’ve seen of Egypt and Yemen.
I’d like to focus less on the police and more on the economic injustice our system perpetuates. I worry we’ve been distracted.
We’d love to be at the common, but we don’t have ‘permission’ to be there. if we took over the common we would be arrested all over again. We have an agreement with the Rose Kennedy Parkway Management to be there. It is a privately owned public space.
I also support Occupy Boston (yes I’m employed and yes I own a house and yes I am able to support my children and I am lucky – though erosion in my net worth and rising food/heating/gas prices means I have no money saved, so if I lose my job tomorrow, it would change in an instant). I have been to the occupation camp, and have found ways to do so. And – I would encourage you to think seriously about the distraction clashing with police can be. To define the movement in terms of arrests and conflict with the police dilutes and distracts from the very critical conversations we all need to have.
Absolutely correct. It’s time to change the narrative kids. Everyone has spent the past couple weeks talking about YOU. They really, really need to be talking about THEM (the 1%).
Dirty hippy wookies: You are jeopardizing your trust funds. Go back to your dorms!
These are working people, overwhelmingly, out of work in a down economy.
#Occupy is an anti-crime protest. This Great Recession of 2008 was caused 100% by financial crimes committed by organized corporate entities. $2-trillion in bogus mortgages, then $5-trillion more in pension fund-scamming “AAA-crap” frauds.
Please, get real.
occupy is just an Obama 2012 campaign organization. If you don’t see that, you are brainwashed
I think what Brian didn’t note is that he is a person of color. The white male protester who were arressted have said they were given food around 3 am, which is within two hours of being arressted. Brians treatment isn’t the same as Guantanamo, but it is the same as the treatment many person of color, queer, homeless and indigenous people experience when arressted ALL OVER AMERICA. What this movement lacks, especially in Boston, is the recognition of systematic and institutionalized racism, classism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia. I’m sorry you had to experience this Brian, but you are not alone. The prison industrial complex is a result and example of how private corporation effect our communities every single day. Corporations and privitization has not only effect jobs and our economy, we need to open our eyes and see the numerous effects our communities are facing.
did it matter that Brian wasn’t white? He didn’t seem to think so.
“What this movement lacks, especially in Boston, is the recognition of systematic and institutionalized racism, classism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia. ”
anything else you’d like to put on the list?
The fact is that any excessive violence on the part of police was probably not ordered by the wealthy “one percent” controllers. The Boston Police force is union controlled and the Mayor likely has no real control over whether they rough people up or not. He can order them to clear the area but can’t force them to be nice about it. (Or won’t because he is a product of union politics.) So the violence on the part of the police against the demonstrators was actually union violence and a product of Socialism. I am in favor of capitalism and free markets and I stand with the demonstrators.
The police commissioner serves at the pleasure of the mayor. I would call that “real control”.
Brian,
Well said I am so proud of all of the protestors who had the courage to stand there ground against the BPD. At the same time I am deeply sadened at the treatment of law abiding US citizens. Keep strong. We will not be defeated.
Law abiding citizens? Haha can’t wait until the state police horse come trampling through your camp. The city will be a better place when all of you have gone back to the suburbs and Cambridge
Nice job Brian! I was a meeter and greater when the Occupation just began. I have a photo of you and I doing Yoga. I was helping you in downward facing dog.
Now we are having an Occupation in Keene, in solidarity with the movement. I am happy you are persevering. Keep up the great work- to ALL in Occupy Boston.
Andrea
You creeps have caused the food festival and the kids pumpkin festival to be cancelled. You are arrogant, narcissistic, spoiled brats and your parents are just happy to not have you in their homes any more sucking off their teats.
Occupy Boston is like a permanent food festival and pumpkin festival. My 14 year old son has autism. I don’t feel comfortable bringing him to any other social events anymore because he is now almost 6 feet tall and he is all over the place. I plan to bring him to Occupy Boston. He loves parades. I see Occupy Boston as a social awakening and cultural renascence and opportunity to learn from each other and find a new political way. I am a conservative and I see Occupy Boston as a wonderful product of freedom, capitalism and free markets.
Losif Crumb,
You are a conservative and see this as a product of capitalism and free markets? Maybe you should go read Occupy Wall Street page and their statement on August 12th – where they are using this as a Trojan horse when their real goal is to overthrow capitalism. That they are advocating the seizure of workplaces and classrooms and “abandoned” homes and buildings. Maybe you should google some video of the Union Leadership as they called last year for Americans to rise up and take over the streets and act like the mobs that have vandalized storefronts and private property in Europe – the goal of this group is not capitalism and free markers – the ultimate and hidden goal (in the belly of that Trojan horse) is the overthrow of capitalism. It is all there on the Occupy Wall Street website for those who want to see it.
If only Phish could announce a late fall tour to clean out these dirty hippie wooks, illegally occupying public lands, infringing upon other people’s rights!!! Then again, if mommy and daddy have never told you “no” your whole life, why obey the law and respect other people’s rights.
The motto for the Grant clan from Scotland: Stand Fast.
I support OccupyBoston and I refuse to be distracted by some of the hostile comments posted here. We want and need an economic system that benefits all members of society, not just the wealthy few. What’s not to like about that?
The Occupy movement has gotten a national conversation going on this issue. That alone makes it a huge success in my opinion.
Kate- If you are paying for a college education you might want to rethink that waste of money. Why don’t you spend a minute of your tiny tot tent time researching how much corporate tax is paid here in the U.S. and how that compares to other countries. Also, could you look up who pay’s taxes in this country and who doesn’t. It would be also nice for you to name the system- other than this fabulous country that you live in- that has an economic system that has more fairness than ours. Than go back to sucking off your parents hard work
Very funny Harold. Sounds like you drank the Fox Kool-Aid. And by the way, I’m a grandmother who understands that our “fabulous country” has a Congress that’s bought and sold by the corporate elite, fighting unnecessary wars at home and abroad to enrich the military/industrial/prison complex.
Let’s start with “anywhere in Europe that’s not currently on fire.” Even France’s economic disparity is better than ours.
Yes Kate! You’ve got the right idea!!! We should have an economic system that benefits all members of society. So that people like you and your friends dont have to go to work if you dont want to. Lets take all the wealth from that 1% and give it away to everyone else….this is sounding eerily familiar. is this the USSR in 1986. Wow that’s right, that is what they did… how did that work out for everyone? Are they still going? no… oh, sorry.
bum
have you ever heard of a resource based economy i recommend looking into it
Amir, yes I’ve heard of it – what is the end goal of that economy? To eliminate toil (meaning that all “work” is automated) and that folks can then just “enjoy living”. Utopia.
For those of you who haven’t heard of this – here’s a starting point for your edification….http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource-based_economy
Life is not fair, get over it. America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome. You have to work for what you want in life.Mommy and daddy didn’t teach you that, when they took you to the “everyone gets a trophy” soccer league, did they? All the Occupy Movement proves is that half of the College Kids in Boston are a bunch of spoiled rotten trustifarian douchebags
That’s right Hugh. This thing will last until it’s not fun- which will be when it starts to snow, or the trustafarians parents start to lose money and warn the kids their newest iphones and pumped up kicks are in danger. I wonder if these idiots even realize the people behind this protest have in mind destroying the standard of living here in the US and creating a world wide standard of living which does not include fancy REI camping gear for tiny tot tent towns.
Enough of this rancor and class envy. If some of these kids are well off it is because their families are intelligent and industrious and choose to take care of them. Now these kids are trying to help us and we should be thankful to their parents.
Loose Crumb- the parents that created these children are the type that never allowed their children to be criticized. In their parents minds each of these tiny tots is fantastic example of the parents fantasticness and no teacher or police officer is going to convince them otherwise. These tiny tots are incapable of helping anyone, but are quite capable of being useful idiots for those who would like to destroy this country.
Indeed,
You speak with the authority of one who has no idea what he is talking about.
[citation needed]
They are helping no one and are an embarrassment to their parents. What about the rights and respect for the food-truck festival that was forced to be cancelled? Again, trustifarians who think of no one other than themselves. If you think that they are doing this for any other reason than its the cool, hip, fashionable thing to do when you are 19 or 20 and your brain is being washed by radical leftists proffessors, then you are kidding yourself.
Well Negative Nancy sure entered the conversation! Hugh, I have been to these events and in all reality the majority of people there were not college kids, they were working Americans. I’m a mom of 2 with a college degree that I received when I was 19, I have a good job, so does my husband. I’m doing this FOR my children. Average wages for US (99%) had been stagnant for the last 30 years and productivity has increased. The top 1 % has increased by a huge number, due to the politics of our government which has sold us out. I’m not a hippie and I’m not brainwashed, I am informed and that’s why I stand with my friends occupying in their cities. Hugh wake up smell the coffee and think about our kids futures.
I think there are options out there for other people to look at. But because of pre conceived notions, they don’t look! I own my own business, and I teach people have to take money away from the corporations and put it back into their own pockets! ANd they pockets of their frineds and families! But I find most people just want to keep doing what they are doing. They complain, but really don’t want to make a change. Stop complaining and make change!!! Do something different or get the same result!!!
Back to my original comment – no one has reasonably addressed the cancellation of the food truck festival. As a movement representing the 99%, I’m shocked that the 99% would willingly and knowingly engage in economic warfare against their own. Please explain this to those of us trying to understand the movement. Or better yet, please explain to the food truck operators.
Occupy Boston did not cancel the event, the city chose to cancel it. Which was surprising to us since other events in Dewey Square such as the farmers market were able to continue unimpeded.
“Saturday’s event was to include 12 mobile food vendors, many of them in large trucks. It was to take place on Dewey Square, the only parcel large enough to accommodate this type of gathering,” the conservancy said today in a release.
It was cancelled because Occupy Boston is encamped on the only space large enough to accommodate the venders. And what do you have to say about the $2 million price tag for the tax payer funded police department that your protest is causing? Send that bill to the “rich 1%”?
Come to think of it, that is what you’d likely say – since “tax the rich” is the mantra of this occupation, then why shouldn’t those “rich 1%” pay for the occupation too? And I guess they should also pay those venders for the money they are losing because of this occupation – after, you are “standing up” for those venders aren’t you? They shouldn’t have to “work” at those festivals for their shelter and food – it should be given to all for free!
You people are protesting in the wrong places. You want the corporations to stop paying the politicians and buying the cooperation of those politicians in setting policy – yet you don’t protest those politicians who could simply stop taking the money of corporations – you protest the corporation and in the process, cost tax payers (who you supposedly represent) and local venders (small business who you supposedly also represent) money…..
This is why I don’t support your movement. When you move to the State and Federal building and camp out there, then I’ll be more likely to support you.
Yeah well I don’t appreciate the fact that some of the protestors spit on, threw bottles at, and verbally abused a U.S. Coast Guard member by saying things like “military cunt.” So the protest has lost my respect. So ya’ll can go play in traffic for all I care.
Snarky, ignorant bitterness from the Right is a large reason that I support Occupy Boston. The Occupiers are not perfect, but they’re trying to cooperate in order to support improvements for the majority of people. If the Right doesn’t support any kind of cooperative action, I think they’re missing a great joy and strength of being human.
Oakley- The right does cooperate, The TEA party protests pulled permits, (provided porto-potties, and ran electricity per the permitted requirements) and left when the permit time expired. They did not have the benefit of a, mush mouthed, excrement-for-brains mayor assisting them because he happens to be cut from the same cloth. The Occupy Boston dirty wooks are breaking the law, but the law does not apply to some, I suppose (equal protection). Human that!
She meant cooperate with people you disagree with.
I’ve given up trying to rationalize or take a stand about anything with regard to this movement anymore, as I am simply called a “troll,” but I mean it when I say if you aren’t remotely apologetic for being responsible for the postponement of an event whose Food Drive proceeds were going to the Greater Boston Food Bank, then you should be ashamed of yourselves and your hypocrisy. Can you PLEASE stop posting about police brutality and jail experiences and address your grievances? If you at least tried to show two sides to your story and admit where you fall short, I truly think people could respectfully disagree with you instead of vehemently scorn you. I am trying to be open minded and see your side, but you’re making it harder and harder every day. Some days I just have to shut my laptop and shake my head because I see the constant bickering that goes on here and the fact that nothing gets accomplished. Everyone simply butts in to explain THEIR stance in life “well I DO work!” “Well I am unemployed!” “Well I have young children!” “Well I’ve been arrested before and I know what it’s supposed to be like!” “Well I did work for big corporations!” We all come from all different walks of life. Let’s not deflect. Just use this as a forum for BALANCED information sharing and not simply attacks, hyperbole, tit for tatting, etc. 99%, 1%, 67%, 4%… STOP. My head is spinning. This whole thing has exhausted me. If your tactic is to bludgeon us with your points of view until we become so weak that we side with you, well played. I honestly may hop into someone’s tent soon just to take a nap. I want the greenway back. I love Boston.
A potential way to make a mends would be to make a donation to the Greater Boston Food Bank (I’m trying to help you here… positive PR, at the very least. Morality, at the best)…. You have been given a vast amount of money and this would be a great gesture. You stand for the same things and then some. That food would be going to people in the “99%” as you call it. Of course I am sure I will be verbally assaulted somehow for even suggesting this, anyway. Statistics and insanity will be thrown at me. But seriously…. maybe you can start asking for canned goods as they would have at the Food Festival this weekend? And then give them to the Food Bank?
http://www.gbfb.org/
Well, maybe you need to just step back and take a breath as it seems you are personalizing this far too much. It is not about you. As to the canceling of the food festival – that was entirely the decision of the Greenway Trust. OB could have made the necessary accommodations and has said as much, or the GT could have move the event to another part of the Greenway (it’s not like the Greenway is that heavily trafficked).
Cheers
Joe Hill, you might not be aware that other events, like the festival that got preempted, have to make arrangements way in advance, get the necessary permits in place, etc.
Because OB was fortunate enough to have the city bend the rules and look the other way while it camped out does not mean that other groups are as fortunate. You should understand that and try to be respectful of the people who do try to play by the rules.
You and I and everyone know why the Greenway Trust made that decision. Give me a break. Stop dancing around this. You guys are the reason this event is not occuring. Period. And there are Bostonians who would have loved to attend on a sunny 70 degree day. And a Food Bank that would have loved to reap the benefits of the donations that you guys will never make in lieu of the event.
Furthermore, Joe. It’s not very easy to “step back” from this anymore. It is infiltrated this city and this nation. So don’t send mixed messages because that’s clearly what you all wanted. Push people’s buttons until they explode and then when they do you look at them and say “oh poor things, you took it too personally.” Isn’t that what you wanted?
**has infiltrated.
“Saturday’s event was to include 12 mobile food vendors, many of them in large trucks. It was to take place on Dewey Square, the only parcel large enough to accommodate this type of gathering,” the conservancy said today in a release.
You are encamped in the only space large enough to accommodate the venders therefore the ultimate responsibility for the cancellation is yours.
A fine idea, though not likely to happen. The dirty wooks are even shaking people down as the they enter the Kennedy filth-way. Weed costs money!
Baffles me. Honestly baffles me. They have a web account to accept donations but they won’t give back to the community they are taking from. Too concerned with the BIG PICTURE to realize how hypocritical it is to be putting the kaybosh in real deal, tangible philanthropy.
I have to agree with this. I support the goals of the occupation, but I think it’s kind of gross that people who are CHOOSING to be out there are asking for food, blankets, and other resources that could be going to people who truly need them.
That’s a major bit of soft soap on the agreement with the Greenway folks. You knew hours in advance that you were risking arrest. You were mistreated, cold, hungry and had no shoes… okay, it’s not the picnic you signed up for, but be a friggin’ man about it. The women I spoke to at the camp handled this better than the men. We can learn a lot from our sisters.
As a movement, as a machine for getting things done, feelings don’t count. Forget your feelings, harden yourself for a long fight or struggle or whatever the hell you want to call it. But also be constructive.
Also, while you’re at it… consider America and Americans. America needs change, but Americans don’t want a revolution. That’s not the tenure of this country. If you want something, you work for it. And the fact that we’re being robbed of this opportunity is germane to the movement and is at the heart of the movement’s attraction for people like myself who has little tolerance for the PC aspect of this movement. I’m all for equality and live my life accordingly. Any change has to come from within and come with awareness… Many may think otherwise, but all social and identify politics is beside the point, especially when the skies are falling, And, this time around, Chicken Little has it right.
I’m 25, helped start a company from the ground up. Secured millions in Venture Capital, currently making more money than I ever have in my life and I’m standing up for Occupy.
It’s time that the people of the world start thinking as one in solidarity. It’s a paradigm shift into global consciousness that is soon going to become too big to ignore. You’re either on one side or the other. You’ve either become aware to the overwhelmingly large amount of issues we all face AS ONE or you’re content with the human race literally destroying the planet on which we live and from where we all originate. I view life in a way I never thought I would. I’ve made the mental shift and am preparing to do what it takes to see this through.
It’s much more than the injustice of the entire system. It’s about creating a future for ourselves, our children and our children’s children.
I’ll see you guys on the 15th. I’m bringing friends. 🙂
Give all your money away if you feel that strongly!!!!
You won’t. Socialism is never for the socialists.
no, no you didn’t. nice try though. Unless you had a multi-million dollar/billion dollar company VC wouldn’t go near a first time start-up run by a 25 year old. You’d need Angel Investors. So nice term drop, but go back to your tent.
Hugh, it’s not my money to give away. If I had millions to my very self I’d certainly do my part.
Ryan. Yes, yes I did. Had angels, raised money afterwards. You don’t have to believe me. For the record, I’m not occupying in a tent. I have a home.
All I’m trying to say, is that I feel what is just beginning is going to be the most monumental transformation anyone has ever lived to see.
You fucking pussy, looks like you have a new cause … Occupy jail cell ..hahah…
Word to the wise, when a cop tells you to get down..you get down..or get fucked up.
Survival of the fittest.
Now go get a job. And if you can’t don’t blame anyone but yourself…I’ve hade the same one for 20 years in a trade with just a high school
diploma.
GET DOWN!! 🙂
So you’re saying it’s been 20 years since your opinion on the jobs market was relevant? I think it’s a pussy move to shoot for mediocrity, and then lambaste people with more educated opinions on the world. Everything’s safe from a Barcalounger.
By the way, since you shut down your brain after high school, lambaste means to beat up on, mediocrity means blue-collar, an opinion is the noise your mouth makes when you talk about politics, and a Barcalounger is a chair….
The guy is an asshole, but do you need to be so goddamn classist? Not everyone wants to go to college, nor can everyone afford to, and whatever trade he’s in, it’s probably one you rely on for the functioning of your day-to-day existence. Unless you can build your own house, repair your own car, and lay your own pipes, you need to lay off the elitist crap.
354 Entry level jobs currently in the Boston area. Those complaining about jobs should have thought about it before you loaned 40k a year to get an Art History/English/Non-Relevant job. I had multiple job offers straight out of college and still get offers weekly. Yes i will admit CEOs are paid a large amount of money, but they also run billion dollar corporations that provide thousands of jobs and people depend on their products/services. They are people who were either smarter, harder working, or were just in the right place at the right time. Sitting and crying because someone is more successful than you is a joke. Go out and work harder, get a different degree at a community college, start from the ground up. But all you’re doing is ruining this city’s image and wasting tax payer dollars.
For you older supporters complaining you/your husband can’t get a job. His years of work give him higher status and higher pay. Tell him to suck up his pride and take a pay cut or enter a lower level job and he will have no problem.
If you occupiers need anything let me know. I’ll be driving by Saturday in my new convertible sports car.
Ryan, you literally took the words our of my mouth. When I went to college I chose to study engineering. There were lots of things I thought were more interesting but I realized that an engineering degree would give me the best opportunities in the future. Sure I hated paying 55k a year and spending every day of the week in the lab while everyone else was partying, but it paid off. While I was there I couldn’t believe what the vast majority of kids were studying. Art history, anthropology, sociology, Jamaican underwater basket weaving…… and what happened come graduation which was right in the middle of the recession. I had more job offers than I knew what to do with and all the slackers with 4.0s in a bullshit degree got jobs they didn’t need to go to college for. The most liberating feeling in life is knowing you are talented enough to never have to depend on anyone. I literally don’t care if I get fired tomorrow because I will be able to secure another job by the end of the month. That’s a fact. If you don’t have this same sort of confidence than you have no one to blame but yourself. I will continue to look down on you (literally from my office) with utter disgust.
Does your sports car make your penis bigger? Can I borrow some machismo cream? I bet you have no debt, and a supermodel wife. You must be so happy. Do your overbearing assumptions keep you warm and snuggly?
i have lots of student loans and a car loan to pay off. I took those willingly and now understand i am financially responsibly to pay them back. I pay on time every month, not sit on the side of the street and say rich people should pay it for me because they make so much money. I work hard for what I have, you should try it sometime, it feels good.
All of you liberals voted for Obama because it was the hip thing to do. You wanted your change, now beg for it. Keep following the hip thing to do and not the intelligent responsible thing.
Hey, Ryan, buddy, instead of assuming you know me, and then believing your assumption as fact, maybe you should have an open mind…
I am current on my mortgage, have two paid off cars, started a successful business that I work at full time, and I am in college full time right now, on student loans. If you compare our personal finance sheets -thanks to me paying off my car loans- I come out ahead as more responsible.
You do win, however, in the blind-assumption close-minded department, though. Please, prove me wrong.
Rocky that’s a nonsensical argument. Like the other Ryan I also have several loans. Mine include a mortgage and a car payment. Just because you took your auto loan out before I did doesn’t mean your more responsible. I mean seriously explain that one to me…. In fact, I had the cash to pay off my car when I bought it new. However, I locked in a 3% car loan and knew I could beat that in the markets. I have owned the car 3 years and made no less than 30% each of those years with that cash which means I will now have both that initial sum of money and the car. I call that an intelligent decision. BTW no one I know who has started a truly successful business would bother to go back to school afterwards. It just doesn’t make sense. You may want to redefine your benchmark for success!
I don’t know if the movement is interested in impressing me, since I have a job at a corporation and while I accept that many unfair things do happen, I fundamentally believe in capitalism. I think a couple of things really need to change in this country, the top three being: stop going to war, move to one of the well-studied voting systems where you can vote for multiple candidates with a rank or value (this avoids the “don’t vote for Nader because Bush will win!” stuff from 2000 that locks us into two parties that offer no real choice), and lastly we need to force some financial responsiblity on the government, not allowing them to print and borrow which shovels devaluation and debt on the unwilling shoulders of “the masses.”
I don’t believe that hierarchical structures are inherently bad, and guess what – the software I write for a living is used in the finance industry.
So like I said, not even sure if the movement of the 99 is looking to impress me.
I have spent time down in the camp, talking to a few people, watching the infrastructure grow, donating and observing. I am frankly somewhat on the fence about it. There are things I do and don’t like, and I’m not sure how much I respect it.
But I will say that my respect has plunged with the recent OccupyBoston.com headlines.
My impression is that the authors are not careful to be accurate and truthful. For example the article above says people were “hogtied.” I highly doubt that and have seen no photos. Does the author not know what “hogtied” means? Or is it a deliberate exaggeration? I feel the same way about sentences like this one: “police in full riot gear brutally attacked Occupy Boston.”
I’m not calling the protesters names, and I think they have a lot of valid stuff to complain about. I think I probably disagree with some of those things, but I am a strange human in that I don’t see why I can’t both disagree with you and also understand/respect your position at the same time. For example I am pro-choice, but if you think life begins at conception, I think you pretty much HAVE TO be rabidly pro-life, I would never claim someone is a moron for that because it makes sense.
So I try to understand and respect the comments of the protesters.
But not when they are so obviously lying to me. It’s like some sort of child is trying to play at media spin. Such a crude and obvious job. They very clearly intended to get arrested on purpose. They very clearly intended to hold hands and force the police to use at least some level of force. Given the hyperbole in the headlines I become distrustful and sketpical that the protesters did not intend to write those loud headlines no matter what level of force was used.
If I see the word brutal, you better be talking about people getting hit with batons and pepper sprayed and having huge bruises to show afterward. Because I saw that shit go down in New York. Hell, I saw footage of UN peacekeeping troops ass raping some kid in Haiti. So I think in this case we have Haiti=atrocity, NY=brutality, Boston=mild force.
I wish we were talking about whether the use of mild force against peaceful demonstrators was called for, but instead we are all doubting everything the OccupyBoston information output engine has to say.
The movement is becoming far more insular than it needs to be. Since the arrests it’s been a pathetic pity party.
I’ve spoken to a bunch of homeless people and other people who fallen on hard times down at the camp, and they have it all in perspective. They know what hard times and rough treatment is. I don’t think the majority of those arrested are battle worn enough to speak of their experience. Quell the feelings, they are destructive, especially when our intellect is swayed by a good story. Save your personal suffering for your friends, it’ll actually strengthen the movement.
If this direction is what comes of GA consensus then the consensus itself is misguided, hence the weakness of a flat hierarchical movement. In Atlanta they saw fit to block John Lewis from speaking. It was consensus. He was no more important than anyone else (in essence this is true). The fact that he had wisdom and experience to share was negated by the process. As he walked away someone shouted, “Democracy wins!”
JFK said Life was unfair. Henry K. says we are not equal in all things. To realize this is the beginning of the maturing process. If you are unsure or inexperienced use your voice to inquire after the truth. And sharpen your intuition by going to the right people for the counsel.
I agree that Brian’s story is exaggerated and that the freedom of individuals to make their own statements in the context of the group can give the wrong impression about the group’s beliefs. I’m willing to overlook some heated statements by passionate activists, especially someone describing their personal experience.
I’ve found the group’s consensus as a whole to be thoughtful and reasonable so far. There’s always tension between reflection and action and between individual proclamations and a group’s decisions. Occupy Boston is doing a commendable job of trying to organize while letting individuals speak for themselves. It’s difficult, this democracy thing.
see wellaware1.com
view wellaware1.com
I appreciate your open min. I really do.
I think all too often people on both sides speak from emotion, and not fact. None of the people writing these pieces are journalists (ok, maybe some are). Too often the “person” is removed, and we all just see the occupy movement as a whole. This man went through a negative experience, and is unable to separate his negative emotions from his writing. I don’t think any group of people can be classified by what one person writes.
Perhaps the recent articles being posted are trending a certain way because the moderator of this blog has some negative emotion or experience of their own… Who knows. We can never truly know another person, and to think we can is foolish. Just like making assumptions and then holding them as truths. It is dangerous for both sides.
I am not implying that these are faults of yours, most of my comment is not directed at you. I am merely trying to add to the conversation that you began, so please don’t feel like I am attacking you, since I value your open mind.
I think an open mind is all that can be asked for, and once it is achieved, all well-thought-out opinions must be respected.
Occupy Boston is on my way too and from work. I walk by the area every day it’s nice enough to do so.
I’m genuinely curious about this movement. I understand that we’re in tough economic times but I never thought it would result in this type of movement. On my walk there was a guy standing sort of near where I was walking so I asked him if he could tell me kind of a summary of why they are occupying.
He looked at me like I was from Mars. He must have thought I was making fun of him because once he stopped being confused he got really angry. It seemed like he had so many things to say that he couldn’t really articulate them, his words just kind of jumbled but you could tell by his eyes that he was irate. He was spitting as he was speaking, throwing his hands around.
Only when he stepped closer to me did I begin to walk away. He slowly meandered after me for a bit until I was pretty far away from him. I couldn’t believe it.
I gave you guys the benefit of the doubt, and yes that’s a small sample size, but please tell me some of you have a coherent understanding of what it is you’re doing and that 99% of the 99% may not really understand you, and are genuinely interested in what your aims are.
Until next time,
Jon
I’m not going to answer the question about movement’s goals but just wanted to mention that the best way to find out is to approach somebody at the Info desk.
Yes, the occupiers have the Info Desk, logistics team, media team and medical team, and they are all there. Very nice people, and yes, very articulate.
It’s also fun to just stroll around in the camp, you’ll see many cool signs.
Very well said Brian, I absolutely agree with the tone the substance of your post. I am sorry about your ordeal. Such treatment of peaceful protesters is partly what is wrong with the current system of government.
Like some of the other posters, I am also a proud resident of the city of Boston. I would object to your protest as being labeled as “peaceful”. I work along the Greenway and have witnessed numerous times the OB movement marching in the middle Atlantic Avenue, Purchase Street and others streets impeding traffic. I would also like to point out that there is an active fire station on Purchase Street, which your marches have blocked. Your group is also intentionally trying to distract drivers along these roads, which increases the odds of causing a motor vehicle accident. Over the past week, I have called 911 and the mayor’s office numerous times about the distracting noise generated by your movement. The financial pain you are placing on the city of Boston is also appalling. The $2 million in extra expenses incurred by Boston could have been used to prevent teacher layoffs or reduce library closings.
I’m also a proud resident of Boston, and I think all the things you mention are red herrings meant to distract and discredit. You could add the $150k of shrubbery and the pumpkin festival that “the kids” won’t get to enjoy. Noise? Seriously, that is a noisy place any day, with no sleeping families to disturb. Car accidents? Then let’s never have the Red Sox play a game again. I am proud of Boston, and proud of its rebellious roots that helped to create this country in the first place, and so proud to see it coming to be again in my lifetime. I have issues with this movement, with the camp, with some people’s attitudes, but on the whole i take a lot of hope and pride in this movement, and support it with my body and my spirit. As a 10-year proud Bostonian with a heart held together by rivets.
Sounds like many of the protesters- you only see one side of this equation.
They told everyone they would be arrested if they didnt leave the RKG- the Police.
You chose to stay there for whatever it is you believe in (too many reasons to list) and now you have to OWN your fate. The ‘rights’ protesters felt they were given by the administrater of the park were revoked by the MAYOR of the city. If you can’t own the consequences of your actions- maybe you should reconsider said actions?
The shock of the movement over the polices arrests are astonishing- you think the 1% aren’t listening- they know you aren’t listening. Sounds like mankind to me…
All power to the people- in time, and with due process……..in washington DC- not in Boston, not on Wall street.
Life is hard, after all it kills you- Catherine Hepburn
With all respect, due process doesn’t work without people in the streets, on big issues with powerful interests involved. Why was the Civil Rights Movement necessary? We might still have Jim Crow conditions. What if we relied on “due process” to get free of Britain? We’d still be colonies.
I don’t think the issue is that we should all just call our Senators. I have done that numerous times, and actually made some change on some specific issues. But the real issue here is that the movement has to do its actions with dignity, in a way that people can really get behind. We do need to be rebellious. The powers are too recalcitrant, too hard to move, to blind, to greedy. But we need to do it in a way that is real, and serious, and choose the right battles. It is not easy. We can do it. We can right what we’ve done wrong, and we can move forward more mature.
All i’m asking is for people who want to protest, to recognize that a potential outcome is for them to be arrested.
Brian got arrested- it happened. He shared his story.
I’d like for him to put himself in the police’s shoes for a moment.
None of them do.
FWIW – I think that corporations have way too much political pull
I think that Federal gov’t is too large.
I think that the middle class has been disadvantaged for a long ass time.
I think we’re in a recession and to think that the middle class wouldn’t rise up and get angry now vs. ‘good times’ is something we all agree on.
I think the students who want to bitch about tuitions should as kids their own age who’ve been working for 10 years to help feed their familes what they think about rich kids bitching about tuition.
Finally – I think the ‘movement’ needs to realize that ‘greedy wall street’ isn’t going to dump cash and jobs out the windows. If they wan’t change- go to the policy makers- go to Washington DC, Capitol HIll etc. Fight the war on the correct turf.
Then move OB across the street to Fed Reserve. Take it to those responsible, the city of Boston did not stagnate wages for 30 years. OB is costing the city money it really cannot afford. By OB not occupying the Fed is an admission of the “movements” futility. Your fear your government and rightly so. But they are the ones in power in terms of monetary policy that aides and abets corporate America. There is nothing the city of Boston can do to help OB achieve its poorly stated goals.
And please remember, America was founded by Elites for elites; the proletariat was to mind the guns and take the bullets; but the Elites ( see signers of the Declaration of Independence) paid for it all.
In response to your latest comment .. I hear you. I was there that night and i chose to not get arrested, I also don’t like Brian’s tone and message and i am letting him know that here on this board. But I also think this movement has a lot of promise, and it is not all one kind of person. If you think it’s all full of Brian’s, then you’re wrong. It’s got a diverse population. If you have 5 minutes view this video i shot yesterday: http://youtu.be/4SYER8Y_1kM for example.
I “bitch” about tuition and both my parents were janitors, and i still have student loans after 10 years. I have been working all the time, and paying them back. By “bitch” i mean that i see that tuition has increased more than double the rate of inflation for about 40 years and it’s our of reach of many people, or saddles them with a huge debt when they get out — and now doesn’t even give a great chance of getting a good job. I mean, I own it — i chose to go to school and i was able — when i was younger i made some poor decisions — but the system is not like it used to be. It’s harder now. That’s a fact — check the graphs and charts.
I am part of this movement, and I have been saying that the exaggerated claims of police brutality are embarrassing to me. Some others have been saying that too. The Boston cops were pretty professional, compared to other protests i have seen, and compared to the New York scene. I’ve been beaten and arrested in the past too and given felony charges for simply holding a sign on a street so I could have something to biotch about if i wanted to.
Last point — i appreciate that you see the corporations have too much power over the government. I see that too. That is one main thing i am against.
But i don’t expect anyone to throw jobs out the window. I want to create jobs. I want people to work together, to make this economy work, from a much more grassroots level. I see that it’s possible if the political system were more fair and more democratic. I think we’re sort of colonized from within, from the 1% who own and control way too much. The 13 colonies were doing pretty badly until they gained their own sovereignty. I want us — the people of this country — to regain our own sovereignty. In a real way, i want to feel like the government is for me, not just a tool for the 1% to exploit me … and just to note, i have a job, i work hard, i have always worked hard, i don’t expect anything for free, i don’t want a free lunch, i just want a fair chance to grow my own food and make my own damn lunch. Thanks for hearing me.
“But i don’t expect anyone to throw jobs out the window. I want to create jobs. I want people to work together, to make this economy work, from a much more grassroots level. I see that it’s possible if the political system were more fair and more democratic”
Imagine if our president had put as much effort into a job plan as he did his heatlcare bill? I say our- i voted for him. Im disappointed in him more than I was hopefully optimistic.
I realize there are ton of great protesters. Its amazing how much they focus on the negative- instead of what the positive outcomes could be.
Again- they are barking up the wrong tree’s on wallstreet/dewey square/vegas.
Go to the whitehouse – make Obama and congress own up to the improprieties of the US Govt
Listen- take the ‘personal’ issues out and its much easier to deal with.
I had a single parent 1/2 wage -no money situation coming out of highschool. I never even THOUGHT i could go somwhere with 20K/year tution- how could i EVER pay back 100k in school loans and expenses??
So I didn’t. I went to a state school. When I got there and wondered how I was able to ‘pull it off’ and be with what i considered ‘upper class’/semi rich kids. I made the most of all of that education I did get- paying for it entirely myself. (thank god its paid off!)
They need to take this movement to the place where change will be heard – where they learned about hope for the first time in their lives- to the lawn of the white house. Thats where change can and has to happen
I appreciate your ability to listen and carry on a dialog, a lot more than most people here … and respect you for that. I personally am happy that the movement is decentralized and in a hundred cities. That enables me and many others to participate without taking a week off of work … I work and I go down most days after work to see, think, talk … it’s really a good experience for me although i have been embarrassed and disappointed sometimes, too.
As for going to the White House — well this movement has already raised a lot of attention in the political system — Obama has spoken of it, as well as Senators and reps from both parties … It’s counterbalancing the Tea Party, it’s giving some leverage for more progressive things. For that itself, it is very effective as it stands. I don’t think the real answers will come from D.C. or the political process as it is — I believe in the power of people to help each other.
I think that we need to stop the great sucking money vaccuum from siphoning away the fruits of our labor, and then we the people will be better able to make jobs, to make satisfying lives, and solve all our problems through hard work and inventiveness, and all that we admire in people. But to do that, we need to be in control of our own government, and stop giving undeserved influence and privileges to the ones with the most money which equals the most control, in the current system.
By the way, I also went to a state school. I still have undergrad student loans. I got a Master’s degree by working as a teaching assistant. I work a lot. I didn’t choose the path that would give me the most money, but I work really hard and still have debts and no hope of owning a home or land anytime soon. Still I have hope, and keep working hard .. and now I also support this movement with my spirit and my body. But I want it to critique itself and act with dignity or i will lose hope and leave it.
Protests are meant to be inconvenient: that’s partly how they get our attention. The protesters aren’t lazy; they are brave. Keep up the peaceful civil disobedience. I support you guys (though admittedly from the sidelines…).
Two things: please avoid angry rhetoric and name calling. The police are not the bad guys. The corporate/government back-scratching and corruption should be the target of our rage.
I am in this movement. I gain hope from it. I heard you talk the other night, Brian, and I have to say honestly it doesn’t play well with me. Thirteen hours in a cell .. not fun but not the end of the world. I swear, this is weak rhetoric and it is pushing people away.
I have been arrested for protesting before … got $35,000 bail amount, paid $3,000 to a bail bondsman, overnight in a cold cell, one time 3 days in a cell with a mattress … been beaten, pepper sprayed, tear gassed.
Yet something about this article really doesn’t play well to me. It’s not that damn bad. What is bad is that the power that be are trying to discredit the movement .. talk about calling off a pumpkin festival, and the kids won’t be able to enjoy it … and $150k of shrubbery … it’s all stupid shit but it’s actually playing with people. We have to be dignified and upright — not whiny like this. We have to keep it in perspective.
We have a moment here where a lot of people are resonating with the message — it is the message — not the police — not the pumpkin festival — that is important! There are many pumpkin patches around — many other parks for people to enjoy — but democracy and hope are singular — this is symbolic.
So let’s get the fuck right here — let’s answer people’s concerns in an honest way. Let’s say “We’ve talked with the food trucks and they can come through … ” or else say “Sorry for interrupting your lunch experience, but isn’t democracy and hope more important!” or “Okay so we’ll move to the Boston Common, where the name is actually named for the people, and keep growing bigger and bigger! Come on! Let’s be real and grow up! We can do it!
Let’s stop trumping up the police actions. They weren’t so bad in the big scheme. I’ve been beaten worse than anyone was beaten the other night, and been faced with felony charges of complete fabrication, and $35,000 bail charges. The other night people got $50 fines. That’s the price of freedom. Buck up. It sucks but it’s not so bad. Be proud of it, but this whining tone is really turning off people.
I say this with sympathy, and respect, but honestly because the movement is more important than you spending 13 hours on a cold floor. Consider it meditation time. Consider it an honor to suffer a little bit for justice. Others have suffered a lot more. We all do what we can. Cops work for a system. The system is what we’re against, not the individual cops or the steroid attitudes of some of them.
With love and respect.
Yes! thank you Sage. Why don’t you guys announce you’re having a pumpkin festival and ask for pumpkin donations? Then give them away to other visitors. Tell people to bring their kids, get a pumpkin, and learn about how the system is broken.
Don’t create situations that give the MSM or the banksters or their lobbyists a reason to dismiss this when so many of us — at Dewey and outside — are in agreement.
Awesome idea, lodger! That’s what i’m talking about! Walking around the camp yesterday, i saw the library tent, and the spirituality tent, and lively discussions about sovereignty and other concepts, and people washing dishes .. all these positive things give me hope, amidst all the things we’re against. So … pumpkin festival … can we see if some of the food trucks still want to be there? Maybe the Clover truck .. any others .. i saw food trucks on the stone section yesterday, and there’s the farmer’s market — i think there’s room. Maybe we can reach out and work together with the people who had made the arrangements to use that space. I mean, I think democracy trumps shrubbery, and pumpkins too for that matter, but there seems to be a creative positive way out of these things.
I am not in support of this movement as it stands, but I genuinely appreciate this, Sage:
So let’s get the fuck right here — let’s answer people’s concerns in an honest way. Let’s say “We’ve talked with the food trucks and they can come through … ” or else say “Sorry for interrupting your lunch experience, but isn’t democracy and hope more important!” or “Okay so we’ll move to the Boston Common, where the name is actually named for the people, and keep growing bigger and bigger! Come on! Let’s be real and grow up! We can do it!
Exactly guys, we should focus on the greed and corruption that corporations use to influence the government.
In this fight, we should absolutely unify with labor unions, because labor unions definetely dont try to corrupt politicians with financial donations.
This movement is one of the most incompetent and laughingly contradictory things I have ever witnessed.
but yet it has so much resonance and public support … somehow .. almost magically. I just went to buy a coffee and the guy behind the counter started talking about it to me. Four families on my little dead end street of 15 houses have done down to Dewey Square to support. This is the moment and the movement. So we need to be critical and get real … and honest … and have integrity .. and address the issues as well as we can .. so we can focus on the real message and issues.
Will somebody from OB please explain why the park on the Roseway was taken over instead of the grounds of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston?
Because they had the good sense to know that you can’t occupy federal property as easily as you can occupy some MassDOT owned park space.
So they are pussies?
Don’t you dare try to put those words in my mouth. I tried to give them some credit for using common sense.
What’s your problem?
Publius check your language — .. if you realized how powerful women are you would realize how stupid that term is for the meaning ..
now off the laptop and into the street — where it’s more real and the people who care are there.
‘The Boston police were completely out of line, (as usual) and it was completely stupid and unnecessary.’
This is the point of view that im not sure how anyone can get behind>>??!?!??!
Easy, the police said get the fuck out of the park it’s closed like all of the signs say. They are letting you use part, but keep pushing it see what happens.
My point exactly>
Protesters need to own their actions in terms of getting arrested.
There is nothing ‘chicken’ about listening to authority in a ‘nonviolent’ way
Brian and all the protesters that our taking a stand for all those who work 9-5, raise children, who can’t be there 24/7, I want to say THANK YOU! I have been down to help, brought food and blankets. I’ve called the mayor’s hotline 635-4500 635-4000 to express my outrage at he calling for the raid and arrests. I encourage all of us in support of Occupy Boston to do the same. First call. Then spend a few hours in the next few weeks helping out.
See you this weekend with my girls!
Boston- born single mom of two, employed full time (thank god)
To even mention Guantanamo Bay is silly. You spent the night in a Boston lock up. Jail isn’t pleasant.
More important, however, is the fact that it’s time for Occupy Boston to begin putting a finer point on the demonstration. We all know why you’re there. Corporate control of government, things like Citizens United, Banks charging usury fees for this that and the other, peddling mortgage crap and calling it gold then getting bailed out when it exploded in everyone’s faces. We know.
But since the morning of the 11th, all we’ve heard about is police brutality, brutality, brutality. It’s overblown and people are starting to think that this is all about the right for you to occupy instead of the issues I just talked about.
So please, tonight or tomorrow, when your next release comes out, how about something on the issues we all want addressed and less carping about getting arrested.
Hi Paul,
I totally agree with you here. If you scroll up you can see my post… mostly I am just exhausted by all this tit for tat and the cries of police brutality. It’s become mind numbing. Of course I was merely told that I am “taking it too personally.” I thought that was the point of this whole movement. My head spins in confusion.
Meanwhile, while people are getting riled up about the cops … In Congress, the Republicans filibustered the jobs bill so that nothing will come of it. Instead, they are talking about some wacky abortion rule.
If all the Occupiers had a unified message telling the republicans to STOP squashing any attempt at a fix, maybe some progress would be made.
Yes, lodger…
In some recent polls, people approve of rather than disagree with the Occupy movements by something like 2 to 1. In the same polls, they DISAGREE with the tea party by the same margin. So, Occupiers, America is on your side right now!
Don’t waste that momentum by harping about non-issues like Columbus Day, or complaining about being arrested.
Get some resolutions and headlines out there about the issues that started this thing. Either get on message, or you will be dismissed.
oh the jobs bill that the democrats couldnt pass in their chamber of congress?
yup, GOP’s fault.
Also, you think this wahoo’s job’s bill is going to fix anything? this crook filled his cabinet with goldman sachs execs, took more donation from wall st then any other politician, has jeff immelt, he of the no corporate tax paying GE, on his jobs board..
but some repubiclans voted against a bill that wasnt going to pass anyway!
this president bailed out car companies, banks, airlines and leaves you in the lurch, and beyond all odds, you continue to blindly follow this utter fool.
you’re a sheep, you arent changing shit you are precisely the reason why this ‘movement is one big fraud. you’ve probably vote
And while I’m at it, when you’re going to publish something on your website, for the entire world to see, things that are a reflection on your movement as a whole, for Christ’s sake get the grammar and spelling right! Professionalism counts.
Your headline reads “………….in the Police Raid and Arrest 141 of Peaceful Protesters.”
That’s the kind of thing FoxNews uses to make a joke of you!
on October 13th, 2011 at 3:44 pm #
[…] few reports of aggression and impatience from the Boston Police. A number of Boston protesters have spoken out about their disagreements with officials, while others are determined to maintain a peaceful and […]
I suppose my whole issue with this makeshift attempt at a 60s movement is that no one has yet to outline an ideal outcome. In your extensive research of past protests via the History Channel, Wikipedia, and this never-ending wave of over-dramatic period pieces, you may have noticed in between bong rips and licking Cheetos off your fingers, that protests–both peaceful and violent–all had one thing in common: they had an end goal in mind. Vietnam: end the war and return the troops home. Tibet: end Chinese occupation. Civil rights protests & the Rodney King riots: ensure the respect and safety of all people and co-exist peacefully.
But what is everyone’s desired outcome here?
To me, it sounds like you’re all imagining a giant, illusive piggy-bank hidden in some high-up room that the CEO of a corporation can just walk up to, smash to pieces, then hand out the contents for mortgage payments or job creation. But this is a free market society, OBers. This is Capitalism. There are shareholders, there are board members, there are laws. Eliminating the corruption of our politics is a great thought, but your attentions are completely narrow-minded. Sure, Wall Street corporations have influence over politics, but what about the church? What about the personal interests and biases of the people we vote into office? What about the influences YOU are trying to inject into our political system? The truth of the matter is, corruption is just a negative form of influence and it operates like water: no matter what, it always seeps through the cracks. Our job is to rifle through the bullsh*t and elect the people who have been influenced to prioritize the goals of the common man and woman, right?
But if you’re all so worried about the economy, foreclosures, unemployment, then what is sitting around a beat-up acoustic guitar in your $200 tents going to do? How about you go out there and actually DO something about it, rather than clapping your hands, rhyming your lines, and painting poster-boards? When the economy gets worse, certain industries, businesses, trends, etc. begin flourish. It’s how the free market survives–equilibrium is created from both perceptibly positive and negative forces. So, if you really want to help someone, go take a job at McDonald’s or, some place many of you know a bit better, the local prisons, which are soon to be privatized and will, subsequently, pay less and hire more. Save up that money you make and donate it to a fund or organization that aims to help create better unemployment centers or housing protection for middle class families.
Sitting around and making clever signs with knowledge you obtained from your college or university (which, by the way, almost all receive donations through corporate care programs), will not help anything. Get online, get a f*cking job and use money–the very thing you claim is suppressing our freedom–to make things better.
If the rest of us are the ignorant ones, then how is it that you guys haven’t figured it out yet: money makes the world go around. It would be nice if it didn’t, but you have a better chance of genetically engineering the human body to survive without oxygen than you do of getting around that basic fact. This is life as we know it. There are plenty of undeveloped places you can go if you want to exist in anarchist freedom–just don’t forget to get your the proper corporate-made immunity shots first so you don’t come down with a deadly virus and die–or don’t, whatever.
Best of luck and stay warm. When you guys finally realize you’re never going to get what you want–because you actually have no idea what that is–we’ll be waiting with open arms to read your resumes, see this season-long gap in your employment records, and kindly make sure to throw it in the recycle bin–so we don’t corrupt the earth next.
you dont get it man, this is how they are going to change things. hanging out and camping in a park shouting a discombobulated and contradictory messages while hanging out with homeless vagrants is the way to change!
Here’s what people are against: Undue influence of an elite class who control too much and own too much. If you like to see the numbers go here: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-wall-street-protesters-are-so-angry-about-2011-10?op=1
What are we for? A better world.
What does that mean? You tell me.
I have my ideas. I am sure you have yours. So voice them. Right now, if you voice them in the existing system, you’ll have a pathetic chance that they’ll have an effect. The lines of control are tied way too much to the top 1% — the power elite.
So this movement has specific goals: tax reform, election reform, respect for the environment, respect for all people.
The movement is a bit “fuzzy” but this is how it should be. This is not a top-down thing. This is a grassroots thing. There is no command center and I am damn happy for that. I would not be part of a movement led by a central command. This is about process as much as its about the end goals. They are one and the same … with a process where people really have a voice, really have power to change things — then things will get better in a really inclusive way.
It requires the participation of many people to define it. That is part of the movement’s definition. It is about broader participation. Everyone’s voice.
You’re totally right about one thing. This movement is not like ending the Vietnam war. It’s not like the Civil Rights movement in this respect. This one is about the path as well as the end goals. It has a million aspects to it — it’s everyone’s movement who wants to take part, who wants to shape it. I take comfort that there is no single one-page mission statement. I like it the way it is. I think there is a great spirit to it.
If you take some time and go down one afternoon, you may be surprised. There is a lot of intelligent conversation and debate going on. There are people doing a lot of things other than playing guitar — though i love music too and what’s wrong with that.
Got 5 minutes: Check out the video i shot yesterday: http://youtu.be/4SYER8Y_1kM You might be impressed — or not — but you can’t paint the movement as one type of person. Love to hear your thoughts and input. Be a part. I don’t like everything about this movement. You can help change it too.
you forgot to add how great their credit will be when they all default because they didn’t have a job and were too busy whining on the street corner to make money. Enjoy buying a house/car/non-joke degree with your horrible credit rating.
You are blaming the police for your arrest? COME ON! Pathetic…take some responsiblity- you are demanding it from everyone else. By the way- you are smelling up a nice part of the city. LEAVE you hippies!
Nothing says “the current system must change” like a march with the local unions. I literally can’t come up with anything more ironic.
It is hard to change these kid’s mind on their leftist errors and warn them about the unions and state socialism when everyone arguing at them is just as wrong and being so mean. Occupy Boston has revitalized this city. Boston is now as good as or better than New York! These kids are already taking care of and feeding homeless people and involving them in their family. This is the Boston of hippies and protesters I fell in love with 23 years ago. Save the Vilna Shul!
Right on!!! I remember well. And at the end, good things came, and stabilized, and after all, we had a reason, as do these folks, lets join them, lets not be jaded by the past. We have something to offer, don’t we?
Good job making the food festival on the greenway be cancelled. Actual working people who support their families have no income from this festival that they paid for because of your ” no direction protest”. You are causing more people to lose jobs and run upthe citys bill to babysit you fools. Can you do Boston a favor and just go away. Get akin and stop mooching off your parent wealth.
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!!
I live in the part of Dorchester next to Southie. The Mayor’s daughter lives just down the block. I guarantee you the “Townie boys” would love these Occupy Boston kids.
Stop labeling this a leftist movement! Not only is it inaccurate and more than so a generalization, but it divides. This movement represents everyone in this country; its not an answer to the Tea Party, which I still have yet to read up on. But also, if you feel like you shouldn’t have to work hard to earn something and expect a life filled with handouts then you are protesting for the wrong reasons. This is an opposition to greed and influence, not a plead for a silver platter.
Solidarity.
You can’t oppose influence. Everything in the world is influenced by other things. What is the solution? How are politicians supposed to get elected without campaign funds? Or should our tax dollars pay for that too? How much did you donate to whomever you voted for last term (if you even did). There will always be outside influences on politicians because they cannot exist and come to power without the financial assistance of big corporations. That’s how a successful economy works (and everything else, for that matter): you do something for me; I do something for you, and we create a mutually beneficial situation. It’s a called a f*cking deal and they’re made every day. Some have good consequences, some have bad ones. The point is, you guys need to outline some sort of plan to fix this situation if you really want it to happen. Sh*t, if you even came up with an IDEA, I’d be somewhat impressed at this point.
We need to set up a forum so we can moderate these discussions. And I don’t mean censor. I would like for everyone here to get everything they want. It is just that now it is like someone went into the library and threw all the books around. Even the grumpy folks are not getting the audience they deserve. And then there needs to be a place for practical discussion. I have run forums before. One of the main goals would be to draw people out into the real world down at South Station or wherever. Often on the internet it is only through argument and insult we are able to feel the human being on the other end. And my wife has worked in the financial and biotech industries downtown and at Kendal Square and she is always going on about how wonderful the food trucks are.
See, that’s the problem right there. In the real world of tangible results and facts–rather than one of hypotheticals and over-reaching diatribes–not everyone gets what they want because it’s not possible. This is it. There needs to be a leader than can emerge from this group of people and assess what’s actually within reason and give this “movement” a focus. Simply being present is not doing anything, I can assure you.
Occupy Boston…. Not with working people trying to sell off their food trucks to make a living. Let’s Occupy Boston with a a group of people running up the city’s bill, and causing the little struggling food trucks to lose income. Good job, go away. The citizens of Boston are done with you.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailykos.com%2Fstory%2F2011%2F10%2F12%2F1025555%2F-Open-Letter-to-that-53-Guy&h=iAQDBPpugAQDLAHDq9KvQ8_w4C9pGce_iL6LBbDJXorxpag
1)Start the recall petition for the mayor immediately.Find out how from local election registration office or county clerk’s office or supervisor of elections.
2)Contact the ACLU lawyers and the Lawyers Guild for instructions on how to bring a law suit against the Mayor himself, listing him by name specifically, the Mayor’s Office, Chief of Police, listing him also by name, and his office of the Chief of Police, Police Department, Town Council or Board of Supervisors listing each one of them by name, County Board of Supervisors listing each one of them by name and the state of Massachusetts. Ask the ACLU to file the law suit immediately for you. They can and should jump all over this.
3)Have them file immediately an injunction against harassment based on violations against protesters civil rights.
4)Serve the mayor personally with the paperwork as also the other defendants to the suit.
5)This is the specialty of the American Civil Liberties Union and they do a good job but you must be in direct contact with their attorneys constantly and make sure they file for you. The Lawyers Guild may be a branch of the ACLU or a separate entity and I am not sure if this kind of matter of dealing with mass protests is one of their specialties. It might not be their mode of operation. This type of problem takes skilled civil rights attorneys with a lot of backup power like the ACLU.
6)Email this over to the OccupyWallSt.org movement as well as the other movements that have encountered protest problems.OccupywallSt.org’s time to sue was weeks ago when the harassment started but apparently they weren’t picking up any of my clues. Letting it go this far is not acceptable and crying about it helplessly will not help the situation. Corporations and governments sue each other all the time. Many of us live that way daily.
I should have added that as these protests grow, the ACLU will probably have to step in to defending the protesters civil rights in every state of the country. But the courts are carefully watching the first few law suits. These first few law suits can go a long way in paving the path for protesters all over the country and need to be handled very carefully by the ACLU’s most skilled and seasoned attorneys. The movements have to have a number of liaisons, possibly protesting law students, that can stay in direct and constant contact with the ACLU attorneys. Do not be distracted or lose sight of this issue. Future protests and this movement are going to require due diligence concerning fighting for the legal rights to assemble. No one anywhere has any business abusing the protesters in the ways that i have seen. And it’s not going to stop unless you meet force with force. Once you attack their personal house, their assets, their jobs and their liability insurance, they will get the message that you mean business and things will change. Be forewarned, there were 1000 environmentalist arrested in front of the White House recently. Serious movements necessitate serious legal maneuvering. Please email to OccupyWallSt.org as an add on to my last comment.
Cruel and inhumane treatment of prisoners? I understand you went through a ton of bullshit, but calling what the police did “cruel and inhumane” just discredits the protesters. Thirteen hours in a cold cell with no food is definitely an uncomfortable position to be in when you were doing absolutely nothing wrong, but if it was really that bad then take them to court. Take them to court for the destruction of your property as well. It seems to me everyone who was arrested came out fairly unscathed compared to what the image of “cruel and inhumane” treatment can paint in someone’s head when they read this.
Also, when they set up the projection on Tuesday, the video they showed nothing even close to police brutality, as touted by so many there. Granted their actions were still uncalled for, it was far from police brutality.
I support this movement so much and it means so much to me, but when I see “police brutality” and “cruel and inhumane treatment” being thrown around like they’re meaningless, it upsets me. I understand it was an incredibly tense moment for the movement in Boston, but what happened on Tuesday is what happens during non-violent protests. It means that you stand your ground when the authorities overstep their boundaries and not cry murder. You have to expect things like this to happen and not blow them out of proportion. You have to expect things like this to happen more than once.
A speaker during a mic check asked if the present members of the media would later edit the footage to make the movement look bad because the media is guilty of blowing things out of proportion and misrepresenting the movement. We just have to make sure we don’t do the same thing.
on October 14th, 2011 at 3:34 am #
[…] Occupier: What Happened to Me in the Police Raid and Arrest of 141 Peaceful Protestors (Occupy Boston) SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Earlier This Week at Occupy Boston", url: "http://hungryblues.net/2011/10/14/earlier-this-week-at-occupy-boston/" }); […]
Knucklehead, you had two hours notice to leave before you were arrested. You did everything you could to get arrested and you got arrested, don’t whine about it. You’re nothing but an attention whore. Grow up, the taxpayers of Boston are tired of you spoiled brats stamping your little feet.
Shame on you. It was your actions that got you arrested.
Shame on you for bashing mayor and police dept who have been patient and provided services.
Shame on you for acting like a child having a temper tantrum.
Shame on you for being a member of a group that lacks the fortitude to list demands and cannot find a credible leader.
Shame on you.
Occupy Boston makes me laugh. There is no clearcut reason to protest. You say you represent the 99% but there a thousand of you there with a thousand different ideas. The problem you have is that 99% of the “99%” have no idea what you are there for due to your lack of adhesion.
You have been given free reign to protest without permits by Menino and the city of Boston, which is picking up the two million dollar a month bill that you are burdening the taxpayers with. You are complaining about getting arrested for being in an area which you were told multiple times not to pitch your hippy survival stations in yet you did it anyway. Now the city needs to pay an additional 150 thousand to repair even more of your damage.
I know it has rained a lot in Mass and you have been flooded out of your parents basements but I have a simple solution. Get up off the couch and get a job. Better yet, start your own business and then talk about how the government should tell you how you can and can’t run your business, spend your money, hire employees, etc.
Find the similarities, not the differences. Anything that separates cannot be truth.
http://youtu.be/TX1N3opw5eI