The big news Thursday saw massive protest in New York City from the Occupy Wall Street group in a call for a national day of action. The protest march was legal, as they did secure a permit for the march, however the sheer number of people proved a tough job for the police force. The day started at 7am in Zuccotti Park, the same park that was closed Tuesday and evicted the protesters camping out. The protest started Thursday morning with several hundred people in the park, then they marched to Wall Street where they were blocked from the area by police. Streets and sidewalks were closed and police only allowing people through that had ID’s showing you lived in the closed area or a corporate ID that showed you worked in the offices there.
The group stayed in the area for a while, gathering numbers, then marched back down Broadway street to the Zuccotti park. It was initially barricaded off not allowing anyone in, but eventually officers opened the barricades and allowed people to gather in the park. The crowd continued to grow as protesters that occupied the subway system started to join around lunch time in the park. A few clashes with police occurred, with 2 police taken to the hospital, and one protestor knocked to the ground with broken teeth and a fractured skull.
At 3pm, college students in the area organized in a mass student walkout joined the movement, held a meeting despite the large crowd then at Union Square to make updates to everyone. The group then marched to Foley Square an planned gathering there at 5pm where numerous unions amassed in a plan convergence. So by 5:30pm in Foley Square the marchers from the morning, the students, and the unions combined to what is estimated to be 10,000 people. Confirmed unions represented included Verizon workers, and the UAW. There was a stage setup with a large PA system and speakers took the stage to address the crowd.
The stage was setup by an organization UnitedNY that actually blocked some press from entering the area. Around 6pm the group then started their march towards the Brooklyn bridge with the intent of crossing it. The pedestrian lanes on the bridge will only allow 5 or so people wide at the most, so it remains to be seen how exactly 10,000 people will cross the bridge. it’s possible the protestors will try and cross the bridge on the roadway, if that happens there could be mass arrests similar to a previous incident where protestors crossed the bridge on the street and arrested around 700 people. Towards 7pm, the protestors had filled the pedestiran lanes across the bridge, and an official police report estimated approximately 32,000 protestors in the area.
What do you think of the protests?
Welcome to the open lines
These people are spoiled brats who need to get a job. They want our money without working.
They have no idea what they are protesting but are gathered at various locations to party, smoke their dope, urinate and defecate on police cars, etc. The authorities should shut down these protests as a health and safety hazard.
I absolutely agree, Sam Perkins! They obviously aren’t working yet somehow they are eating, buying and smoking drugs, and obviously have someone — more than likely the taxpayers or parents — bankrolling them. They need to be pounding the streets, looking for jobs.
You guys have a very wrong view of what these protests are about
Really? I’m surprised they aren’t burning flags…
anon3: Tell us what they are protesting about since they have no clue what they are protesting?
Over two months and they still haven’t stated their “purpose.”
It’s actually very clear, and the purpose was stated from day 1. “The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.” It has nothing to do with unemployment, nothing to do with advocating drug use, and nothing anti American. It’s not democrat and its not republican. They don’t want your money. Many of them are working, with good paying jobs. They occupy when they aren’t working. They occupy when they aren’t in school. They are funded by themselves, by donations, by local businesses who sympathize with the cause. The ones that are unemployed are just like about 15% of other americans that can’t get jobs even though they want to. Whatever source you’re getting your info from is wrong and doesn’t understand, or isn’t allowed to portray, the real meaning.
So they say anon3, while they are happily using products, wearing clothing, etc, produced by that 1%.
Using products, and esp. wearing clothing, by the investments in the labor and manufacturing of overseas companies by the 1%, made possible by the 99%
Where did that come from? Pretty much everyone protests gas prices but you have no choice but to buy gas. So, by your terms they should all go naked? Your argument makes no sense.
They don’t need to buy the name brands, the name-brand electronic devices, all the tell tale signs of very spoiled people. They want their cake and to eat it too. Sorry, I don’t care for Socialism. I’m tired of working so millions on Welfare don’t have to. And, I don’t mean the few that actually need it, but the many who really don’t deserve it. I’m tired of these cry babies who are sitting around protesting instead of actually doing something — and no, that is not doing anything — certainly nothing constructive. Breaking laws — damaging property – smoking dope — defecating and urinating on public property.
You aren’t making any sense, none of that has anything to do with what they’re protesting. They aren’t protesting name brands, and they don’t want welfare. I dont think you understand the issue at all.
Think of it this way. The people of Henderson eventually get fed up with Mr. Watkins and others supposed control over everything here. From not only control of business deals but elected officials. It affects the general population as more greed and corruption disrupts our community. Unemployment, crime, education, etc etc hits record levels while the good ol boys are having a great time and the general people start to push back. Because councilman x doesn’t want to argue against some ordinance that the elite crowd is pushing for because it would harm their business or their planned section 8 for example. It’s been discussed here on this site for years. People have tried to vote in new elected officials, however the money buys the votes needed to keep the compliant ones in office.. The people have given up trying to change things by the legal process. So what’s the next step?
That’s where the protesters are now. They are there making a big fuss and saying listen to us, we see corruption and we want to draw attention to it. They are absolutely being constructive as now it’s got everyone talking about it. But they need to hurry up and decide on their next step while the momentum is there.
I know what you are trying to say that they are protesting, but I don’t believe it. It’s protesting to be protesting. They are making a big fuss, breaking into buildings, again destroying property and breaking laws. That is not constructive. And as for Henderson, I’m not so sure the majority is voting against the Watkins of the world — it seems to me that the majority of Henderson wants it that way or they just don’t care. I don’t think it is because of the ‘elite’ or buying the votes. No one ever bought my vote nor even asked. I sure as hell don’t want those people that I see protesting representing my votes nor do I want them in political offices or in positions of ‘power’ in business. They seem like big crybabies.
They can make a “big fuss” by going to work — if they want to create their own political party like the Tea party has, then that would be a more constructive use of their energies then camping out on public property and breaking into and taking over buildings — that is nothing other than breaking and entering and what I would consider criminals.
I don’t blame the problems with education, crime, etc on the elite — I blame the LIBERALS for the decline of society and the decline of standards. They have created this mess of a society. Education cannot be improved by throwing money at it — the way to fix it is by demanding accountability out of each and every student (and teacher, administrator, etc, but it comes down to the student, the person, the individual) and especially each parent. WE need to hold parents accountable and each individual accountable for the life they lead and the choices that they make. No school administrator, no politician, no school board member, ever had a tiny bit of any influence on how I did in school or anyone I ever knew did in school (or I suspect any student ever does in school). Schools need classrooms, teachers, and study material — the basics. Instead, it has become an industry in itself. It’s time for tough love for everyone. That’s the only way to improve this society we are in.
http://www.wral.com/news/story/10416446/
“Occupiers” have wasted $13 million of my tax dollars — way to go. Thanks — for nothing.
“Occupiers” harrassing school children who are just trying to get to school.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/11/17/ows-protesters-chant-follow-those-kids-as-small-children-try-to-go-to-school-on-wall-street/
Again – way to go (insert rolled eyes right here thank you). Real upstanding individuals..NOT.