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A group for updates and discussions about the Occupy Wall Street movement.
For a full list of participating occupations, see: http://occupytheplanet.com/ in the right hand column.
Location: #world
Members: 16
Latest Activity: on Monday
Welcome to the Movement
If there is an occupation going on in a city near you, please make a thread and keep us updated on what's going on there!
Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com
(I urge everybody to participate in this project)
The Occupy Wall Street movement is important. What is known as the Days of Rage represents one hope we still have left for our nation: that we may exercise our freedom and democracy by peaceably assembling to take a stand against something without being gunned down by government cronies. But that right is still being infringed upon in other ways, and footage of arrests, pepper spraying, penning and corralling, pepper spraying, and throwing show that our freedoms are not as cut and dry as presented to us in grade school.
Many will look at this movement and regard those occupying Liberty Square (Zucotti Park) as being dirty hippies, Atheists, freaks, or other generalizations that do not apply. The fact is that the movement involves people from all walks of life-- every background, every color, every religious preference or none, many ages, both genders, and all sexual orientations. But there is one thing that binds these people, one thing they all have in common: they aren't the top 1% earners in the nation. They aren't filthy rich corporate "job creators" that don't create jobs, and don't pay taxes. Everyone there that has paid taxes, knows they've paid more than any corporation has.
Every one of them has been stepped on, kicked, and treated unfairly. Most of them are either losing their home, have lost their home, or know somebody that has lost their home to foreclosure; or they are massively in debt from outrageous student loans, or they can't afford to go or take out a loan to begin with. They know that even though they vary in every detail, they are united by an unstoppable force of anger.
And this is not a group of crazy hippies against the establishment. At least three 1% earners have come out publicly and asked the president to raise their taxes, and noted the extreme and cruel lack of fairness in our current tax system (one hip-hop mogul noting that his secretary paid more in taxes than he did on his 100 million dollar income).
They are all united by their anger at one fundamental thing controlling this nation's economy: corporate greed. And why shouldn't they be angry? Aren't we also part of that 99% that is taxed higher than the filthy rich? Shouldn't we be angry? Without anger, there won't be any change.
As Peter Finch famously said in his scene, abridged:
I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody is out of work or scared of losing their job. A dollar buys a nickel's worth. . .
We know that the air unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat. And we sit watching our TVs while some local newscaster tells us that today we had 15 homicides and 63 violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad, they're worse than bad. They're crazy. . .
I don't know what to do about the depression, the inflation, and the crime. All I know is that first, you've got to get mad. You've got to say, 'I'm a human being, god damn it. My life has value.' . . .
'I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!'
This inspired fury is the momentum with which the youth, who has inherited this nation from the baby boomers, runs full force into this protest with. They are angry that the generations before us have showed a total lack of regard for our personal and financial security. They are angry that human greed has taken such a toll on so many lives. And they have every right to be mad.
What started as a predicted flash-in-the-pan movement has sparked like wildfire all over the United States, despite intense media black-out, and is igniting similar movements around the world. Instead of patronizing and criticizing, let's support what we're witnessing: a beautiful revolution reminiscent of the 1960's Vietnam protests, but with less the message of 'free love' as much as 'quit screwing us without taking us out to dinner first'.
Discussion Forum
Popular Resistance Is Percolating Across the Country -- Inspiring Activism That the Corporate Media Always Ignores
Started by Neal on Monday. 0 Replies 0 Likes
The protests continue, the media ignores.The fight against plutocracy, concentrated wealth and corporatism is decentralized, creative and growing.May 17, 2013 |Every week we are inspired by the many people throughout the country who are doing…Continue
Tags: resistance, popular
Quebec's Fight Is Our Fight
Started by Neal. Last reply by Michel Jun 5, 2012. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Monday, 04 June 2012 09:59By Chris Hedges, Truthdig | News AnalysisProtesters in Vancouver, Canada, May 22, 2012. (Photo: Sweet One)I gave a talk last week at Canada's…Continue
This week in Montral - 200,000 students protest peacefully
Started by Michel. Last reply by Michel May 31, 2012. 5 Replies 0 Likes
This past Thursday, March 23, 200,000 students from all over Quebec took over the streets of downtown Montreal in the biggest rally ever against Prime Minister Charest's hike in tuition fees.Incredibly there were no arrests.There have been…Continue
Thousands March Against Austerity in Frankfurt
Started by Neal May 21, 2012. 0 Replies 0 Likes
By MELISSA EDDYPublished: May 19, 2012BERLIN — Thousands of people on Saturday marched through the heart of Frankfurt, Germany’s financial capital and the home of the European Central Bank, to protest against unchecked capitalism and Chancellor…Continue
Dozens of Police Evict Georgia Family at Gunpoint at 3am
Started by Neal. Last reply by Chris May 7, 2012. 6 Replies 0 Likes
The eviction might have been another anonymous descent into poverty were it not for Occupy Atlanta activists who tried to help the family stay.May 5, 2012 Four generations of a Georgia family were evicted at gunpoint by dozens of sheriffs and…Continue
The Guardian.co.uk's perspective on the Quebec student protests.
Started by Michel. Last reply by Neal May 6, 2012. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Quebec student protests mark 'Maple spring' in Canada | Martin Lukacs…Continue
Will a Militarized Police Force Facing Occupy Wall Street Lead to Another Kent State Massacre?
Started by Neal. Last reply by Neal May 4, 2012. 2 Replies 0 Likes
Today is the 42nd anniversary of an ugly chapter in American history.May 3, 2012Today is an ugly anniversary in American history: 42 years ago, National Guardsman opened fire on anti-Vietnam protesters at Ohio’s Kent State University, killing four…Continue
Latest Batch of DHS Occupy Documents Contains New Details About Monitoring of Protest Movement
Started by Neal May 4, 2012. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Thursday, 03 May 2012 00:00By Jason Leopold, JA Myerson, Yana Kunichoff and Mike Ludwig, Truthout | ReportThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released another batch of documents Thursday morning in response to Truthout's wide-ranging Freedom…Continue
Tags: street, protestors, wall, occupy, monitoring
Occupy the Planet
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Comment Wall
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Comment by Adriana on January 5, 2013 at 11:14am -
Wow. Unbelievable.
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Comment by Neal on January 5, 2013 at 8:49am -
Unreal.
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Comment by Chris on January 5, 2013 at 1:52am -
FBI Knew of Assassination Plot Against Occupy But Gave No Warnings
02 January 13
he Federal Bureau of Investigation knew of a plot to assassinate members of the Occupy Wall Street at protests around the United States but did not inform the potential victims of the threats to their lives.The shocking revelation was buried deep within documents released to the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF), a human and civil rights advocacy organization, after the group filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Last week, Digital Journal reported that the documents obtained by PCJF detailed how the FBI cooperated with the Department of Homeland Security, US military and private corporations to monitor and investigate Occupy Wall Street protesters as "domestic terrorists" and "criminals." The documents prove that federal agencies are "functioning as a de facto intelligence arm of Wall Street and corporate America," PCJF said.
Thorough analyses of the documents has now revealed a heavily redacted file that clearly mentions a plan to use snipers to assassinate Occupy protesters. The names of the groups or individuals involved in the murderous plot have been redacted, so it is impossible to identify them at this time. What is known is that the FBI never alerted any of the potential victims of the danger to their lives.
From an FBI document marked "SECRET":
An identified [redacted] of October planned to engage in sniper attacks against protesters in Houston, Texas, if deemed necessary. An identified [redacted] had received intelligence that indicated the protesters in New York and Seattle planned similar protests in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, Texas. [Redacted] planned to gather intelligence against the leaders of the protest groups and obtain photographs then formulate a plan to kill the leadership via suppressed sniper rifles.
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Comment by Chris on December 26, 2012 at 10:37pm
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Court Rules Antiwar Activists Can Sue Government Spies
A federal appeals court involving antiwar activists who were secretly infiltrated by US military spies has ruled in favor of the activists, marking the first time a court has endorsed the people’s ability to sue the military for violating their First and Fourth Amendment rights.
“Declassified documents obtained by Students for a Democratic Society and Port Militarization Resistance,”reports Democracy Now, “revealed a man everyone knew as ‘John Jacob’ was in fact John Towery,” who was assigned by the government to spy on the Washington state-based antiwar groups.
Towery was dispatched from a “fusion center,” or intelligence center, as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s post-9/11 anti-terrorism surveillance powers.
In October, the Senate Homeland Security subcommittee reviewed more than 600 reports that had come out of these so-called fusion centers and found the giant bureaucracy surrounding the program produced almost nothing that had to do with countering terrorist threats.
Instead, the government spy networks snooped on political activists and infiltrated groups that were peacefully exercising their constitutional rights to free speech.
“The centers have made headlines for circulating information about Ron Paul supporters, the ACLU, activists on both sides of the abortion debate, war protesters and advocates of gun rights,” according to the Associated Press.
The court ruling is potentially precedent-setting, although Towery’s lawyers may appeal the decision.
“This has never been done before,” said Larry Hildes, an attorney with National Lawyers Guild, who is handling the case. “The US government has spied on political dissidents throughout history and this particular plot lasted through two presidencies, but never before has a court said that we can challenge it the way we have.”
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Comment by Neal on October 27, 2012 at 10:02am
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Virgil Goode, or whatever his name is, is friggin' nuts.
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Comment by Chris on October 27, 2012 at 12:28am
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You're right Neal. I should have posted the Democracy Now debate. I watched it on-line and posted it on another site I follow. I was too lazy to collect all the links again and should have posted it here when I posted it there. I ended up voting for Jill Stein. Rocky Anderson wasn't on the ballot in CA. I figured that Obama had the CA electoral college locked up so my vote wouldn't be a 'vote for Romney.'
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Comment by Neal on October 26, 2012 at 8:09pm
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Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! included the other candidates on one of her shows.
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Comment by Chris on October 26, 2012 at 7:58pm
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The Other presidential Debate - In Full -
Third Party Presidential Candidates Debate Real Issues
By Dark Politricks
This is the full third party Presidential debate which was shown last night on Russia Today last night. Isn’t it funny how it takes a Russian TV station to provide some kind of balance to the establishment stranglehold on American politics?
As Mitt Romney and President Obama both competed for the prize of Israels best friend in their last debate. Last night the third party Presidential candidates discussed real issues and many that haven’t even been touched in the previous Presidential debates.
The candidates debating were Presidential candidates Jill Stein of the Green Party, Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party, Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party.
More here
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Comment by Chris on October 19, 2012 at 12:34am
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"Mitt Romney’s Bailout Bonanza: How He Made Millions from the Rescue of Detroit"
What we have now is a "reverse" robber baron situation. These SOBs are disassembling the industrial base of the country for immense gain, robbing the government, stealing the commons. The 19th century robber barons may have fleeced the nation, but they did give us steel, oil, railroads, and industry in return. The new "RRB"s give us nothing in return. They just rob us blind.
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Comment by Chris on October 2, 2012 at 11:00pm
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Professor Noam Chomsky discusses activism, the one year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, how activists and progressives should approach the 2012 election, and more on the Matthew Filipowicz Show.
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