Boston Occupiers join with legal advocates in effort to pry open vast, error-prone homeland security bureaucracy
As of December 1, no one seems to be winning. The BPD responded to the lawsuit with a handful of unrevealing documents, requests for extensions, stalling tactics and a promise to produce videos that they say will resolve the case. David Kelston, the lawyer representing the Guild, is skeptical. He anticipates having to go to court to force disclosure of the information about who is watching the watchers and to move forward on the public scrutiny and open debate the plaintiffs seek.
R-tolo, who was born in Argentina and came to the United States as a young child, points to a photo she has pinned above her desk showing Jorge Rafaél Videla, the general who ruled Argentina during its “dirty war” against left-wing activists. “It just reminds me of why we do the work that we do: so that this never happens again anywhere else,” she says. “I didn’t think that I would be facing the same kind of stuff here in the United States, but here we are. We always do this ‘othering’ and don’t think it can ever happen to us. But of course it can.”
Romney’s First NH Event Post-Iowa Throws Cold Water On Celebratory Mood
The tone of the event was a sharp break from the joyful mood that had accompanied the former Massachusetts governor onto a charter plane from Iowa earlier that morning, along with a swarm of press befitting a presidential frontrunner.
The first question for Romney came from Mark Provost, who identified himself as a participant in Occupy Boston and Occupy Manchester. Provost, 31, asked Romney if he would revise his statement that “corporations are people” to “corporations are abusive people.”
Romney went at Provost, asking him what he thought happened to corporations’ profits. Provost — who later told The Huffington Post that he is an “economic journalist” who traded stocks for several years on his own — answered in detail, arguing that corporate profits go “to the 1 percent of Americans who own 90 percent of the stocks.”
Romney and Provost traded comments back and forth for a moment, before Romney cut him off and dove into a lengthy monologue declaring that corporate profits often affect the retirement accounts of middle-class Americans and, more broadly, that financial success creates jobs (read a transcript of the exchange here). Provost afterward said he thought Romney dodged his questions about income inequality and excessive CEO bonuses.
[There are many more media reports or references to the exchange between Occupy Boston protester Mark Provost and Mitt Romney – 53 at the time of this writing]
Occupy First Night – New year, same Occupy
Authorities could have found any number of suspicious activities underway – the peace vigil could have been easily mistaken for a satanic séance, and who knows what was in those holiday brownies? Still, the Occupy New Year’s scene in the Hub was far from what transpired in Manhattan, where more than 60 were arrested trying to reclaim Zuccotti Park. Occupy Wall Street’s Boston counterparts went for a decidedly different kind of spectacle, planning weeks ahead of time to make a positive first impression on visiting suburban crowds.
The Morning Crawl. There are 55 stories in today’s crawl, a shorter-than-usual compilation of Occupy-related-only links. Go here for the crawl or click the “continue reading” link below to continue reading the digest, which has fewer links but may include more articles from smaller sources and commentators that publish less frequently.
VIDEO: Scary Crackdown on NDAA Occupy Wall Street Protest
Oh, so maybe this is what life in post-NDAA America looks like.
An apparently peaceful protester at Grand Central Station in Manhattan yesterday was, without warning, arrested and dragged away by NYPD.
http://tinyurl.com/89pssd9
Va. third-graders’ Occupy song draws criticism, rebuke
A foundation that works to inspire schoolchildren’s creativity through music has clarified its guidelines after being criticized for leading a group of Virginia third-graders to perform a song promoting the Occupy movement.
In a statement, Kid Pan Alley Executive Director Pat Rogers said future songwriting facilitators will be trained to steer students away from controversial content.
http://tinyurl.com/7eo325y
School officials defend, refuse to censor, third-graders Occupy song (local media report)
(video)
Song text
Some people have it all
But they still don’t think they have enough
They want more money
A faster ride
They’re not content
Never satisfied
Yes – they’re the 1 percent
I used to be one of the 1 percent
I worked all the time
Never saw my family
Couldn’t make life rhyme
Then the bubble burst
It really, really hurt
I lost my money
Lost my pride
Lost my home
Now I’m part of the 99
Some people have it all
But they still don’t think they have enough
They want more money
A faster ride
They’re not content
Never satisfied
Yes – they’re the 1 percent
I used to be sad, now I’m satisfied
‘Cause I really have enough
Though I lost my yacht and plane
Didn’t need that extra stuff
Could have been much worse
You don’t need to be first
‘Cause I’ve got my friends
Here by my side
Don’t need it all
I’m so happy to be part of the 99
Occupy LA To Save A 79-Year-Old Retired School Teacher’s Home
Wednesday, members of Occupy LA occupyed the foreclosed South Central home of Mrs. Faith Parker, a 79-year-old retired school teacher, who fights eviction as a result of Bank of America’s irresponsibility. Mrs. Parker has owned her home since 1964.
http://tinyurl.com/729getb
RI mayor does not expect to open new shelter
Providence Mayor Angel Taveras (tuh-VEHR’-us) says he does not expect the city to open a day shelter demanded by Occupy Providence as a condition of the group disbanding its encampment. Taveras said Wednesday he believes the city can address the needs of the homeless highlighted by the group by tapping existing programs and services.
Occupy Providence voted last month to end its encampment at Burnside Park if the city opened a day shelter for the homeless. The encampment began on Oct. 15.
http://tinyurl.com/7q8dapv
Occupy Livestream Operators Will Be Homeless After They Get Out of Jail
Some of the six people arrested on Tuesday for violating a New York City order to vacate a building where the Global Revolution live stream is produced actually live there and won’t be able to return once they’re released from jail.
http://tinyurl.com/892p444
Chronicle of Journalist Arrests Wins Storify Award
My colleague, Josh Stearns, has been tracking journalist arrests at Occupy protests since the movement launched in September. His documentation of press arrests on social media platform Storify has earned him the site’s nod as “Storify of the Year.”
Since September, 36 journalists have been arrested in 10 cities. Many more have been harassed, roughed up or otherwise hindered while attempting to do their work. The arrests and suppression have occurred even as journalists have identified themselves to police as members of the press.
http://tinyurl.com/73tpecu
Occupy the Electoral Process – It would be a mistake for members of the Occupy movement to ignore the 2012 elections
The Occupy general assemblies may ultimately refrain from endorsing an electoral strategy, but it would be a mistake for members of the Occupy movement to ignore the 2012 elections.
Consider the recent victories in Wisconsin, Ohio and Mississippi, where on-the-ground-organizations beat powerful anti-choice and anti-labor interests.
Strange Bedfellows: Occupy Activist Takes Charge Of Republican Caucus Precinct, Nixes Gay Marriage Ban
When the Occupy Des Moines movement announced a campaign in November to ‘Occupy the Iowa Caucuses,’ few anticipated it would play out quite as it did in the Sherman Hill neighborhood of Des Moines last night.
By virtue of a novice college age Caucus Chair brought in from Wisconsin to fill some last minute precinct location vacancies, Precinct 66 nominated well-known Occupy organizer Ed Fallon to serve as Republican Caucus Secretary, customarily a rather innocuous role when held by a traditional member of the party.
Occupy Tampa ‘Reinvigorated’ by Move to Working-Class West Tampa
The new year has brought new changes for Occupy Tampa. They’ve moved away from their encampment next to the tony high-rises of downtown, and are now largely in the decidedly more working-class environs of West Tampa. There, in a postage-stamp-size park owned by strip club magnate Joe Redner, more than a dozen tents have popped up.
Behind signs proclaiming this patch the “Voice of Freedom Park,” acupuncturist Becky Rubright camps out in the bitter weather. She says the move from downtown’s Curtis Hixon Park has reinvigorated the movement.
“I think that being in this community is only going to benefit us enormously, because we’re not in a community where you have to convince people, unlike the residents of SkyPoint,” says Rubright. “They don’t really understand that they’re part of a system that might be working for them right now, but isn’t working for a lot of their fellow citizens, and you don’t need to convince anyone of that here. They understand our message very quickly.
http://tinyurl.com/7bbs2sy
Corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff out on parole, says he’s in touch with ‘sensible leaders’ within OWS
Abramoff says that since his release, he’s been in touch with some of Occupy’s “sensible” leaders, as he calls them, via Twitter and other channels of communication.
But Abramoff, once a major conservative Republican figure in Washington, hasn’t switched party allegiances. In fact, he said he’s pretty certain Occupy Wall Street has no future without political involvement.
“I think the response is ‘while we’re revolutionary, we’re not in the power structure,’ ” Abramoff said of OWS supporters. “. . . Well, then, in that case, law enforcement is going to come and clear you out and the elected officials will have no fealty to you.”
WTF: NH GOP Bill Mandates That New Laws Find Their Origin In 1215 English Magna Carta
New Hampshire Republicans are taking textual originalism to a whole new level: three lawmakers have proposed a bill that requires that all legislation find its origin not in the U.S. constitution, but an English document crafted in 1215.
When the legislature reconvenes this month, Republicans want their colleagues to justify many new bills with a direct quote from the 800-year-old Magna Carta:
http://tinyurl.com/8472rv9
Tea Party House Members Even Wealthier Than Other GOP Lawmakers
Their politics may differ. But both the Tea Party and the Occupy movement have laid claim to representing the interests of the middle class, whose economic frustrations helped spur the groups’ establishment and growth.
So which side’s congressional lawmakers come closest to embodying that wide swath of the U.S. population? Or, in Occupy terms, which side is closer to the 99 percent?
http://tinyurl.com/83pnswy
Ron Paul Reaches Out to the Youth of Occupy Wall Street
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) may have placed third at the Iowa caucus on Tuesday, behind a tied-up Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney, but he did so while pulling 58 percent of caucus goers under the age of 30, according to MSNBC.
Occupy movement exposes Ron Paul’s demagogy
The “libertarian” movement has never been friendly to the 99%. Its members are not apologetic about wanting to abolish all social programs that aid the people, from Medicaid to food stamps. They want to shut down every government department that in any way limits the excesses of the 1%. These include the Departments of Labor, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, among others.
Libertarians also want to abolish the minimum wage, affirmative action, workplace safety regulations, and all other protections of workers and oppressed people. Their belief is that the power of the capitalists should be totally unrestrained.
Progressive beer goggles for Ron Paul
Anyone who has ever woken up bleary-eyed, woozy after a night of drunken revelry, knows about the phenomenon of “beer goggles,” and how embarrassing it can be. You wonder, staring at the shapeless form under the sheets next to you: What did I ever see in this gal/guy? I’m beginning to think that there is such a thing as political beer goggles. I’m referring to the surprisingly positive view that some progressives hold of the most reactionary figure in modern American politics, Ron Paul.
. . .
What I also found was the phenomenon that Thomas Frank identified in his 2004 book, “What’s the Matter With Kansas:” positions that would intentionally screw the people supporting him, and his supporters either not knowing or not caring.
Forecasting Security Threats For 2012
Risk management services firm iJET recently released a forecast for the 2012 security landscape and as could be expected, economic instability at home and abroad tops the firm’s list of threats with the continuing European debt crisis and the development of movements such as Occupy Wall Street.
“We see these economic stresses continuing through 2012 to be the catalyst that’s going to generate continuing social unrest as people react to the loss of additional jobs,” said iJET President Bruce McIndoe. “The other thing we see is the potential for is Occupy Wall Street and the possible splintering of those groups into more radical factions that may take more direct action and become more of a threat than we’ve seen out of the Occupy movement to date.”
http://tinyurl.com/7yvk6e9
Decentralized People Power: What OWS can Learn from South Africa’s United Democratic Front
As a participant-observer who wants the Occupy movement to flourish, this strikes me as an appropriate moment to look back at another social movement that promoted consultation and consenus-building. In the 1980s, South Africa’s United Democratic Front (UDF) helped to end apartheid by empowering existing community-based organizations and developing the leadership capacities of local leaders, some of whom had little or no prior experience as activists. Notably, the UDF inspired and mobilized diverse affiliates without trying to impose one political framework upon them. At this particular juncture, when OWS’s New York City-based leaders appear divided over the question of how much emphasis to place on the GAs and on the general ethos of consensus-based politics, the UDF’s victories seem instructive.
Jeremy Seekings’ definitive account, The UDF: A History of the United Democratic Front in South Africa, 1983-1991, shows that this umbrella coalition that energized a broad swath of people by leading from behind. It gave affiliates ways to withdraw their support from apartheid and from the economic transactions that kept it in place. It knit together a wide range of civic organizations into an unprecedentedly large mass movement. And, like OWS, it promoted participation and consultation.
http://tinyurl.com/76vguge
‘Occupy’ Protestors Maintaining Fairbanks Presence
The Occupy movement has continued into the New Year in communities across the United States. In Fairbanks, a small but steadfast group of Occupy protestors has maintained a presence at a downtown park since mid October. As KUAC’s Dan Bross reports, the movement is developing and sharing its message in and beyond Fairbanks.
http://tinyurl.com/885hnk7
Occupy Homer [AK]: Corporations are not people
I am involved with the Education/Move-to-Amend Working Group of Occupy Homer. I support the nationwide movement to amend the U.S. Constitution to make it absolutely clear that corporations cannot be legally considered “persons.” The current legal interpretation by the U.S. Supreme Court is that corporations are protected under the Bill of Rights as “persons.”
This impacts many local, national and international problems I care deeply about. Amending the Constitution to abolish “corporate personhood” would not automatically fix these problems but it would make legislative solutions possible.
http://tinyurl.com/6umv49z
Police attack Occupy Nigeria rally
A group known as Occupy Nigeria which was mobilising residents of Kaduna metropolis for what it described as the “mother of all rallies” scheduled to take place at the Murtala Square on Friday was dispersed by the police.
The group was collecting signatures for protest against the recent removal of subsidy on fuel by the federal government at Murtala Square yesterday when the police stormed the place and dispersed them.
But the Coordinator of the group, Tajudeen Oladoja, told journalists that they remained undaunted about the protest, declaring that Nigerians must not allow the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government to stand.
http://tinyurl.com/7eheafb
Trade unions to join Occupy Nigeria protests, gov. may shut down Blackberry service
A general strike has been declared for Monday and on Twitter and Facebook the outrage is palpable. Said one Tweet posted by a Nigerian: “Nigeria is a fool at 51 (years old) and a fool forever. No electricity, no transportation, no fuel, no education, no good governance, no nothing.”
Even members of the Diaspora are in awe at the growing ‘Occupy’ protests. “I’d like to see Nigerians truly have a revolution and be willing to die for what they believe in,” said Oluwa Uduak, a Nigerian-American lawyer, on her Facebook page.
Occupy Protestors Demand Release of S. Korean Opposition Lawmaker
The Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York have issued a rare statement in support of a former South Korean opposition lawmaker who was recently jailed after being convicted of spreading “false” rumors against President Lee Myung-bak.
They demanded the immediate release and reinstatement of Chung Bong-ju, 51, a panelist of the popular online talk show “Naneun Ggomsuda (I’m a petty trickster),” saying the case demonstrates that Korea’s judiciary and government are stifling people’s voices.
“Chung alleged (during the 2007 presidential campaign) that Lee, then a conservative candidate, was deeply involved in a fraudulent investment scheme called BBK,” said the statement, issued on Monday. “The BBK scandal financially ruined 5,500 retail investors and caused two suicides. By jailing Chung, South Korea’s 1 percent is attempting to muffle Naggomsu.”
http://tinyurl.com/7fbd89p
Galwayman leads Dublin campaign to occupy empty NAMA buildings
A 27-year-old Galwayman is leading a campaign to occupy houses and buildings owned by NAMA to highlight the fact that thousands sleep rough while there are thousands of empty homes across the country.
Liam Mac An Bhaird said that the discipline of the Occupy movement has led them to enforce rules on the behaviour of the squatters. “There are no drugs or drink tolerated in these places during our occupations because we are making a political stand. It is also wholly non-violent, like the Occupy movement. And we do not take anything that doesn’t belong to us in the properties we squat in.”
He explained that they survive by “skip diving” ? reclaiming the uneaten, unused food discarded every day by major supermarket chains. He said that the group soon aim to embark on a spectacular project by occupying a major Gpovernment-owned building in Dublin. He believes this will test the attitude of the authorities.
Why Spain’s New Government is Drinking Austerity Kool-Aid and How This Threatens the Global Economy
Self-inflicted Catastrophe: European elites push economic myths that benefit the rich and screw the rest. Spain’s program means even higher public deficits, fewer jobs, and slowed growth.
http://tinyurl.com/7d443l4