Thursday, November 17, 2011

November 17, 2011: Mass Day of Action Marks Two Month Anniversary of Occupy Wall Street!



http://occupywallst.org/

All,

Like I said before: They think (rather they futilely hope) that they have "deterred" or "crippled" the movement. They have done no such thing! For further details on just how truly strong, organized, and determined the Occupy movement's massive public response to this state violence and disruption is please check out the very important details below. "One monkey don't stop no show" is I believe the traditional vernacular used in such a situation as this. It should thus be further noted that not even a million monkeys could possibly halt or shut us down... PASS THE WORD...

WE ARE THE 99%!!

Kofi


OccupyWallStreet The revolution continues worldwide!
News LiveStream #HowToOccupy Forum Chat User Map NYCGA About Donate Thursday November 17th Day of Action

Shut Down Wall Street! Occupy the Subways! Take the Square!

#OWS calls for nonviolent solidarity on November 17th
Posted 3 hours ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 7:14 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

occupynyc on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

full details here

81 Comments



Mass Day of Action on 2-Month Anniversary of Occupy Wall Street
Posted 7 hours ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 3:27 p.m. EST by

OccupyWallSt






Tomorrow, Thursday November 17th, marks two months since the start of Occupy Wall Street as well as International Students Day. To commemorate this two month anniversary, Occupy Wall Street will take to the streets in celebration and in solidarity with people around the world participating in a massive global day of action in hundreds of cities.

In the wake of Bloomberg’s predawn raid of Occupy Wall Street on Tuesday morning, thousands of people throughout the five boroughs and the greater region will join together to take nonviolent action tomorrow. We will gather to resist austerity, rebuild the economy, and reclaim our democracy. We will no longer tolerate a system that only serves the very rich and powerful. Right now Wall Street owns Washington. We are the 99% and we are here to reclaim our democracy.

Schedule for New York #N17 Actions below. Read More...

80 Comments


From Those Inside Of Central Booking
Posted 5 hours ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 5:24 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

While we've been imprisoned here we've held Assemblies and Mic Checked corrections officers to attend to urgent medical conditions, some of which were the result of police brutality during the raids. There is no food except for bread, no cleanliness, no hygene, no waters, no showers. There are non-occupiers who are suffering here as well.

We do not know what we have been charged with.

We want freedom!

This message was consensed upon by a group of occupiers imprisoned by Billionare Michael Bloomberg and his private army, and relayed to members of the Legal Working Group of #ows.

180 Comments

#N17 Global Day Of Action!
Posted 6 hours ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 4:40 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Sixty days into the struggle #OccupyWallStreet was violently evicted by the NYPD, who leveled our homes at Liberty Square to the ground. Our movement, however, is stronger than it has ever been. In these sixty days we have brought about a massive awakening, perhaps the largest one in the country since the Civil Rights Movement fifty years ago, and certainly the first global one in modern history. People around the world, from Spain to Australia, from Chile to the U.S. have opened their eyes together to the decadence and injustice of the common system that exploits us. This is what we mean when we say with the deepest significance: you cannot stop an idea whose time has come. Read More...

132 Comments

Mass Day of Action on 2-Month Anniversary of Occupy Wall Street
Posted 7 hours ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 3:27 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt






Tomorrow, Thursday November 17th, marks two months since the start of Occupy Wall Street as well as International Students Day. To commemorate this two month anniversary, Occupy Wall Street will take to the streets in celebration and in solidarity with people around the world participating in a massive global day of action in hundreds of cities.

In the wake of Bloomberg’s predawn raid of Occupy Wall Street on Tuesday morning, thousands of people throughout the five boroughs and the greater region will join together to take nonviolent action tomorrow. We will gather to resist austerity, rebuild the economy, and reclaim our democracy. We will no longer tolerate a system that only serves the very rich and powerful. Right now Wall Street owns Washington. We are the 99% and we are here to reclaim our democracy.

Schedule for New York #N17 Actions below. Read More...

80 Comments

#OWS holds Action Council and Spokes Council Tonight!
Posted 7 hours ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 3:19 p.m. EST by carbonogram

There are two councils happening tonight: Read More...

6 Comments

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg's New York
Posted 7 hours ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 3 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt





32 Comments

100 March on NYPD 1st Precinct to Demand Dignity;
Women in Custody Being Harassed, Police Protocols In Question
Posted 21 hours ago on Nov. 16, 2011, 12:54 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Message from Protestors to NYPD: If you SEE something, a fellow officer violating protocol, SAY something

Over 100 people, mostly women, marched from Liberty Square to NYPD’s 1st Precinct HQ at 11pm Tuesday night to demand that all women in custody be treated with respect and dignity by the police. The march was organized after our sisters in custody made various complaints of male officers patrolling the women’s cells, unannounced. We were told that male members of the NYPD were specifically making unannounced patrols by the women’s cells, and by the shared women’s toilet (in plain view of all women and officers)--which is a common tactic used to humiliate those in custody.

In the spirit of the Occupy movement, the crowd of 100 gathered in a show of solidarity to demand that the NYPD issue a formal statement that this will be addressed and that there be no more instances of this humiliating tactic being used. There were no arrests at tonight’s solidarity march.

Some chants from the crowd: “All day, all night, occupy women’s rights!” and “Courtesy, professionalism and respect” and “If you see something, say something!”

All those in solidarity are encouraged to call the complaint line and demand Police Commissioner Ray Kelly put an end to this violent behavior. NYPD Internal Affairs: 212.487.7350 or directly NYPD 1st Precinct: 212.334.0611

Linnea Palmer, Occupy Wall Street Press Team, is available for any follow up questions on this particular action. Press@occupywallst.org

176 Comments

This Is What Democracy Looks Like: Huge General Assembly in Progress at Liberty Square
Posted 1 day ago on Nov. 15, 2011, 8:40 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Occupy Wall Street and the 99% Movement Persevere

The feeling here at Liberty Square tonight is the feeling of a movement that is rising, building, and making headway.

Following the 1am eviction of Liberty Square early this morning and a long day of legal wrangling, the park was reoccupied late this afternoon. This evening, just after 7pm, the first General Assembly at the reoccupied park began. Using our 'people's mic', we declared together:

"They showed us their power. And we're showing them ours."

We are here because we believe a better world is possible. We are willing to endure mistreatment, if by doing so we can help re-enfranchise the 99% and reclaim our democracy from the stranglehold of Wall Street and the top one percent.

We will push back against billionaire Michael Bloomberg and any politician who wantonly tramples on proud American freedoms: freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and the freedom of Americans to peaceably assemble and petition for change.

We will overcome the obstacles placed before us. We will not be deterred. We will persevere. Our message is resonating across America, and our cause is shared by millions around the world. We are the 99%, and we want to live in a world that is for all of us — not just for those who have amassed great wealth and power.

You cannot evict an idea whose time has come.

384 Comments

NYPD Occupying Liberty Square; Demands Unclear
Posted Nov. 15, 2011, 6:51 p.m. EST (1 day ago) by OccupyWallSt



URGENT: EVERYONE TO LIBERTY SQUARE! NOW! WE ARE RE-OCCUPYING!
Posted Nov. 15, 2011, 5:59 p.m. EST (1 day ago) by OccupyWallSt



Judge REJECTS Temporary Restraining Order to Allow Liberty Square Reoccupation
Posted 1 day ago on Nov. 15, 2011, 4:56 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

from the ruling:

The movants have not demonstrated that they have a First Amendment right to remain in Zuccotti Park, along with their tents, structures, generators, and other installations to the exclusion of the owner's reasonable rights and duties to maintain Zuccotti Park, or to the rights to public access of others who might wish to use the space safely. Neither have the applicants shown a right to a temporary restraining order that would restrict the City's enforcement of law so as to promote public health and safety.

Therefore, petitioners application for a temporary restraining order is denied.

click here for full text of ruling

288 Comments

Help Occupy Wall Street, Liberty Square, From New York and Afar
Posted 1 day ago on Nov. 15, 2011, 4:02 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt







Liberty Square (Zuccotti Park), home of Occupy Wall Street for the past two months and birthplace of the 99% movement that has spread across the country, was evicted by a large police force in full riot gear. NOW is the time to help. If you feel as deeply about the Occupy movement as we do, show your support by taking real steps today! We are counting on people all over the country to come out and support us to keep this movement going!

Come to GENERAL ASSEMBLY tonight at 7pm in Liberty Square (Zuccotti Park):

They can kick us out, but they can’t stop us from reassembling. Let’s show them that truth by showing up at Liberty Square with the biggest General Assembly yet! Come to GA tonight at 7pm!

Help the Occupiers Get their stuff back:

Supposedly, all the stuff that was taken by the police from the square will be available for people to pick up at noon EST today. WE NEED PEOPLE TO GO TO MIDTOWN MANHATTAN AND HELP THE OCCUPIERS GET THEIR STUFF BACK TODAY! If you can help gather the stuff, especially if you have a van or can rent a U-Haul for the effort, please call or text 617-406-8299

Support the Occupiers by giving them a place to stay:

Live in New York City? Want to support the Liberty Square arrestees? We are looking for safe spaces where folk who have been arrested can go after they are released to rest, tend their wounds, take a shower, have a meal, etc. If you can offer your house, call Hannah at 802.359.3628. Tell us how many people you can have over, for how long, where you live, and a return number. Thanks!

Medical Needs Supplies:

The medics lost all of their supplies last night along with everyone else. We urgently need all basic medical supplies. Things such as gauze, bandages, bandaids, vitamin C, heat packs, cold packs, gloves, asprin, AND ANY OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN THINK MAY BE NECESSARY FOR MEDICAL NEEDS!

Medics ALSO need new tent, headlamps, cots, battery-powered lanterns

Please bring supplies to S.I.S (OWS Shipping and Storage) at 52 Broadway, NYC.

Mailing Address:

118A Fulton St.
PO Box 205
New York, NY 10038

Call assistant Attorney General with the Civil Rights Division:

http://interoccupy.org/CivilRightscomplaint.pdf is a complaint submitted on behalf of the Occupy Movement to the Department of Justice in response to the increasing antagonism of police against peaceful protesters. It was formally submitted to the Department of Justice on 11/10/2011. It is addressed to a Mister Thomas Perez, the assistant Attorney General with the Civil Rights Division. Mr. Perez’s office number is (202) 514-4609. Let us call, tie up his lines, and demand that every citizen has a right to peaceably assemble without the threat of police violence.

Link To Potential Actions

Contact movementbuildingny@gmail.com for potential additions to this list.

63 Comments

OWS Awaits Ruling to Reoccupy
Posted Nov. 15, 2011, 3:49 p.m. EST (1 day ago) by OccupyWallSt



A Call to Occupy
Posted Nov. 15, 2011, 8:23 a.m. EST (1 day ago) by OccupyWallSt



9AM Post-Raid Rally and General Assembly
Posted Nov. 15, 2011, 6:57 a.m. EST (1 day ago) by OccupyWallSt



You can't evict an idea whose time has come.
Posted Nov. 15, 2011, 1:36 a.m. EST (1 day ago) by OccupyWallSt



NYPD IS RAIDING OCCUPY WALL STREET
Posted Nov. 15, 2011, 1:20 a.m. EST (1 day ago) by OccupyWallSt



Poster for N17 Mass Direct Action: Print and Post Freely!
Posted Nov. 14, 2011, 10:53 a.m. EST (2 days ago) by OccupyWallSt



Thousands Rally to Resist Occupy Portland Evictions
Posted Nov. 13, 2011, 2:04 p.m. EST (3 days ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Denver Under Attack: Occupiers Take Streets Facing Tear Gas and Rubber Bullets
Posted Nov. 12, 2011, 7:41 p.m. EST (4 days ago) by OccupyWallSt



Direct Action Training
Posted 5 days ago on Nov. 11, 2011, 4:17 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Action Preparation & Training for November 17th, November 30th and Beyond. Direct Action Trainings: build affinity team, train to do actions and civil disobediences, meet new allies and friends and have some fun with us.







Monday Nov. 14 and Tuesday Nov. 15 1:30-3:30 and 4:30-6:30. Meet at the Red Cube

Wednesday Nov. 16 5:30-7:30 UFT 52 Broadway 6th Floor

www.occupydaysofaction.com

107 Comments

11.11.11 Veterans Day Concert and Rally for the 99%. Foley Square 1pm.
Posted Nov. 10, 2011, 2:16 p.m. EST (6 days ago) by OccupyWallSt



A victory for the 99% in Ohio
Posted Nov. 9, 2011, 2:56 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Wall Street and Teamsters to Occupy Sotheby’s Tonight
Posted Nov. 9, 2011, 2:41 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Federal Reserve Global Phonecast
Posted Nov. 9, 2011, 2:19 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Join the "Occupy Your Block" Sidewalk Chalk Campaign
Posted Nov. 8, 2011, 10:22 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Urgent Help: Occupy Edmonton In Need Of Winter Equipment
Posted Nov. 8, 2011, 6:28 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Everyone has the Right to Occupy Space, Safely
Posted Nov. 8, 2011, 4:07 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Planting Change: Guerrilla Gardening and the Occupy Movement
Posted Nov. 8, 2011, 1:35 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Tonight: A Dialogue with Occupy El Bario & OWS
Posted Nov. 7, 2011, 9:02 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy The Highway: The 99% March to Washington
Posted Nov. 7, 2011, 5:30 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Spokes Council Meeting Tonight
Posted Nov. 7, 2011, 5:14 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Dallas Calls for General Strike: Nov. 30th
Posted Nov. 7, 2011, 2:07 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



OWS Teams Up with the Street Vendor Project
Posted Nov. 7, 2011, 9:23 a.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



"End to End for 99%" — 11-mile Neighborhood March of the 99%
Posted Nov. 7, 2011, 9:17 a.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Too Small to Fail: Occupy Mosier
Posted Nov. 6, 2011, 5:27 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Guest Post from an Arrestee of the 99%
Posted 1 week ago on Nov. 6, 2011, 1:29 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Nature itself is the beautiful expression of order and balance arising out of chaos. Time and time again, nature has demonstrated its ability to naturally grow this order and peace out of the random noise that makes its very basis. The myth of true order comes from human attempts to impose it where it does not naturally occur. While there may be order, its cause is incorrectly perceived.

By definition, imposed order is unstable. It must be forcibly maintained in order to continue to exist. People are as a whole intelligent enough to devise such structures but not intelligent enough to override our most fundamental sense of natural order. As a whole, our species' attempt to engineer its own order has been slowly successful. We created kingdoms, handing ourselves to a monarch. This is an extreme deviation from natural order, because there are in that case only a handful of people globally who matter. It leaves the commoner entirely outside the global order. Out of our natural human desire to move towards natural order, we devised a new structure of governments commonly known as republics. These were closer to something which we could naturally live at ease with. The commoner, despite not having a direct say in the larger global order was in some way involved, or at least believed this to be so. More recently, through the rapid development of communications technologies which allow any one commoner's voice to find itself suddenly amplified and repeated around the world in moments we have grown into an entirely new method of global order. As trivial as much of the social networking conversation is, through social networking borders have fallen, lines have blurred, and a kind of collective consciousness representing its participants equally has arisen from it. However, we find ourselves in a unique situation. The people have moved on from the easily corruptible pseudo-free societies of the past, yet the forces enforcing those societies have attempted to simply ignore this transition. Through force, violence, and illegitimate law which passed without the consent of the commoner, they have attempted to extinguish the phoenix, the collective society which has arisen from the ashes of the republics.

Government by definition creates order, whether natural or imposed. A government exists within the borders of some defined region, and exists to represent the people of that region. Therefore, by definition the only possible government is that which exists by the consent of those who represent the people. A government which is operating without that consent is no longer a valid government. It is a criminal enterprise which exists to serve only itself. It in this case has moved from an entity which serves and fears the people to an entity which is served by and is feared by the people. For the people to accept such a criminal takeover of their land is a violation of their core drives, it is a violation of the natural progression from imposed global order towards natural order on a global scale. In the case where a criminal takeover has occurred, it is not only the natural right, but the obligation of that region's people to raise themselves in great numbers against that criminal enterprise which seeks to exploit them. Fundamental human dignity demands it unambiguously. It is unfortunate, but an unavoidable conclusion that yesterday's republics have on a grand scale violated their purpose and made the transition from representatives of the people towards criminal slave enterprise which holds the people in bondage, extracting value and joy from them, forever unhappy with their current holdings. The organs and systems which we the people devised not long ago to serve and represent us have been hijacked by a select few individuals, making the commoner irrelevant despite numerous legal guarantees and protections against this. The methods used in these criminal takeovers vary and are too numerous to list in the context of this document, but they are well documented by many members of the newly arisen collective consciousness.

There are many and varied voices which have erupted from captivity which suggest methods by which we the people can reclaim our rightful place as our own rulers and each other's subject at once. In order to reclaim our human dignity and make progress towards natural order, a collective state where the people live in harmony with one another in naturally organized chaos, it is useful to examine the birth of the republics which today have become something grotesque and unrecognizable. Attempt after attempt was made to force monarchs to dictate the will of their subjects, but these attempts were made in ignorance of the fact that the very nature and structure of the kingdoms was not compatible with what the people desired. Facing a global order which could not advance any farther and had reached the end of its useful lifespan, individuals began to realize the increasingly undeniable fact that an entirely new order had to be devised to replace the old kingdoms. We have reached a similar point today. Society's process of collective consciousness and consensus has advanced beyond the point that the republics can follow. In response to this, a select few have hijacked the republics in order to bring them backwards while the people march forwards. As difficult as it is to accept, the time has indeed come to tearfully say goodbye to the republics. They are artifacts of a beautiful age, yet in their age have become irrelevant to the progress of society, and in fact have become a snarling, grotesque weight which fights progress at every turn.

The form of the global order's replacement is not mine to decide. It is not yours, it is not your neighbor's. The global order's form is for the globe to decide collectively. For this reason, my identity will not be disclosed. I will present no idea for the future's form other than the fact that society has advanced beyond the point where the republics can exist in their current form. Go forth, and reclaim your dignity. If you fear the republics, imagine this. You are no longer represented in the republics. Therefore, their laws, their edicts, their decrees have no legitimate authority over you. They are just as illegitimate as if I attempted to dictate the terms of your life from behind my keyboard. They have become little more than bullies with guns, and if there is anything the Arab Spring has taught us, it is that guns are utterly useless against an idea.

Solidarity,
(this space intentionally left blank)
(Ed.: We'd also like to remind people who read this, especially if you're working with your local occupation, that you can submit content at content@occupywallst.org)

401 Comments

Sunday: Global Uprisings--Egypt, Tunisia, Iran & Activists @ OWS
Posted Nov. 6, 2011, 12:35 a.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



The 99% visit Governor Walker
Posted Nov. 4, 2011, 10:16 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Transforming Harm & Building Safety: Confronting Sexual Violence At Occupy Wall Street & Beyond
Posted Nov. 4, 2011, 7:22 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Wall Street: Improving Quality of Life for the 99%
Posted Nov. 4, 2011, 2:53 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Don't Be Big Banks' Puppet; No Immunity Deal for Crooks
Posted Nov. 4, 2011, 11:28 a.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Wall Street to Mayor Bloomberg: Get Your Facts Straight; Stop the Fear Mongering
Posted Nov. 4, 2011, 12:42 a.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Eviction Defense!
Posted Nov. 3, 2011, 7:25 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Stephen Colbert's Plot to Co-opt Occupy Wall Street Foiled by Ketchup and Justin
Posted Nov. 3, 2011, 12:55 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Liberty Square Adopts a Spokes Council
Posted Nov. 3, 2011, 10:21 a.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



The People vs. Goldman Sachs - Trial and March!
Posted Nov. 3, 2011, 12:08 a.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt



Rule of Law vs. the Forces of Order
Posted Nov. 2, 2011, 7:52 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



General Strike Shuts Down Oakland. Watch Live!
Posted Nov. 2, 2011, 1:22 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Call To Action - Join The Month Of Global Uprising
Posted Nov. 1, 2011, 7:28 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



A New World
Posted Nov. 1, 2011, 5:30 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Military Veterans Join the 99% on Wall Street
Posted Nov. 1, 2011, 2:27 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Oakland Calls For City-Wide General Strike, Nov 2
Posted Oct. 30, 2011, 9 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Urgent: Winter Donation Needs
Posted Oct. 29, 2011, 10:54 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Enacting the Impossible (On Consensus Decision Making)
Posted 2 weeks ago on Oct. 29, 2011, 9:55 p.m. EST by David-Graeber






TO THE VILLAGE: With a large college and high school student contingent, occupiers from all over the city have repeatedly marched to Washington Square where at least two general assemblies have convened. PHOTO: Stephen O’Byrne

On August 2, 2011 at the very first meeting of what was to become Occupy Wall Street, about a dozen people sat in a circle in Bowling Green. The self-appointed “process committee” for a social movement we merely hoped would someday exist, contemplated a momentous decision. Our dream was to create a New York General Assembly: the model for democratic assemblies we hoped to see spring up across America. But how would those assemblies actually operate?

The anarchists in the circle made what seemed, at the time, an insanely ambitious proposal. Why not let them operate exactly like this committee: by consensus.

It was, in the least, a wild gamble, because as far as any of us knew, no one had ever managed to pull off something like this before. Consensus process had been successfully used in spokes-councils  —  groups of activists organized into separate affinity groups, each represented by a single “spoke” — but never in mass assemblies like the one anticipated in New York City. Even the General Assemblies in Greece and Spain had not attempted it. But consensus was the approach that most accorded with our principles. So we took the leap.

Three months later, hundreds of assemblies, big and small, now operate by consensus across America. Decisions are made democratically, without voting, by general assent. According to conventional wisdom this shouldn’t be possible, but it is happening  —  in much the same way that other inexplicable phenomena like love, revolution, or life itself (from the perspective of, say, particle physics) happen.

The direct democratic process adopted by Occupy Wall Street has deep roots in American radical history. It was widely employed in the civil rights movement and by the Students for a Democratic Society. But its current form has developed from within movements like feminism and even spiritual traditions (both Quaker and Native American) as much as from within anarchism itself. The reason direct, consensus-based democracy has been so firmly embraced by and identified with anarchism is because it embodies what is perhaps anarchism’s most fundamental principle: that in the same way human beings treated like children will tend to act like children, the way to encourage human beings to act like mature and responsible adults is to treat them as if they already are.

Consensus is not a unanimous voting system; a “block” is not a No vote, but a veto. Think of it as the intervention of a High Court that declares a proposal to be in violation of fundamental ethical principles — except in this case the judge’s robes belong to anyone with the courage to throw them on. That participants know they can instantly stop a deliberation dead in its tracks if they feel it a matter of principle, not only means they rarely do it. It also means that a compromise on minor points becomes easier; the process toward creative synthesis is really the essence of the thing. In the end, it matters less how a final decision is reached—by a call for blocks or a majority show hands—provided everyone was able to play a part in helping to shape and reshape it.

We may never be able to prove, through logic, that direct democracy, freedom and a society based on principles of human solidarity are possible. We can only demonstrate it through action. In parks and squares across America, people have begun to witness it as they have started to participate. Americans grow up being taught that freedom and democracy are our ultimate values, and that our love of freedom and democracy is what defines us as a people—even as, in subtle but constant ways, we’re taught that genuine freedom and democracy can never truly exist.

The moment we realize the fallacy of this teaching, we begin to ask: how many other “impossible” things might we pull off? And it is there, it is here, that we begin enacting the impossible.



This article was written by David Graeber for the Occupied Wall Street Journal.

351 Comments

#ows and #occupythehood March In Solidarity With Those Foreclosed On By Criminal Banks
Posted Oct. 28, 2011, 5:39 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Wall St. And Allies Rally & March United for Civil Rights
Posted Oct. 27, 2011, 8:46 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



#ows Takes The Streets In Solidarity With #occupyoakland
Posted Oct. 27, 2011, 2:53 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy The DOE
Posted Oct. 27, 2011, 12:53 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Tonight: Vigils Across America for Scott Olsen, Marine Veteran Critically Injured by Police Projectile at #OccupyOakland
Posted Oct. 27, 2011, 12:13 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Deliver Your Message To The 1%
Posted Oct. 27, 2011, 12:08 p.m. EST (2 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



We are all Scott Olsen: Occupy Oakland #OWS
Posted Oct. 26, 2011, 8:53 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



#ows Response To Government Violence At #occupyoakland | Solidarity March At 9PM From Liberty Square
Posted Oct. 26, 2011, 3:47 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Solidarity with Oakland | Exposing Police Lies
Posted Oct. 26, 2011, 3:14 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Wall Street Takes On Health Insurance Industry
Posted Oct. 26, 2011, 1:28 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



The 1% have Addresses. The 99% have Messages.
Posted 3 weeks ago on Oct. 25, 2011, 6:43 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt




Solidarity Statement From Cairo
Posted Oct. 25, 2011, 2:39 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Protect Occupy Baltimore
Posted Oct. 25, 2011, 2:10 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupied Wall Street Journal's New Site
Posted Oct. 25, 2011, 4:13 a.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Drumming and the Occupation
Posted Oct. 24, 2011, 6:57 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



"Where Do We Go From Here?"
Posted Oct. 23, 2011, 9:32 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Chicago Being Dispersed / Arrested By Police Presently
Posted Oct. 23, 2011, 2:31 a.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



STOP & FRISK HAS GOT TO GO! Solidarity with #occupyharlem.
Posted Oct. 22, 2011, 6:35 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Columbus Circle
Posted Oct. 21, 2011, 5:18 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Demands Working Group
Posted Oct. 21, 2011, 3:01 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



As We Gather Together
Posted Oct. 21, 2011, 12:55 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Occupy Wall Street Survey
Posted 3 weeks ago on Oct. 21, 2011, 9:48 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Please take some time to fill out our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VSN6VW9

65 Comments

Stop The Spectra Pipeline | Meet-Up at Liberty Square at 5 P.M. For Die-In at P.S. 41
Posted Oct. 20, 2011, 2:15 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



Parents for Occupy Wall Street Family Sleepover
Posted Oct. 20, 2011, 12:13 p.m. EST (3 weeks ago) by OccupyWallSt



America Supports #OWS
Posted 3 weeks ago on Oct. 20, 2011, 11:06 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Supplies and Support Pour into Occupy Wall Street from Every Corner of the US

Occupiers Launch Tumblr Website Today: Gallery of Personal Notes of Support from Farmers, Veterans, Grandparents and "Knitters for Occupy Wall St"

http://occupywallstreetcarepackages.tumblr.com/

Liberty Square, NY — Today we want to spotlight the tens of thousands of people from across the United States and around the world who are supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement by contributing blankets, clothing, food, money, and other needed supplies. The support has truly been overwhelming.

Over one month ago, hundreds, and then thousands, gathered in Liberty Square to protest unprecedented consolidation of wealth and power, plummeting household income, skyrocketing school debt, and a broken political system. In the weeks since, hundreds of thousands have rallied and occupied in cities and towns around the world. And people from every corner of the United States have sent donations of tarps, home baked pies, hand-knit mittens, and pizzas — with personal notes of solidarity and support.

OWS has compiled notes from supporters on a Tumblr site called Occupy Wall St. Care Packages:

http://occupywallstreetcarepackages.tumblr.com/

This new site features only a tiny fraction of the thousands of packages and letters of support we have received. It includes messages like this one from Elora and Monte, supporters who live on a farm in West Virginia:

"We stand ready to help #OWS in any way we can, from out here 'Just Off the One-Lane Road...' And we are so grateful for all of you involved in this defense of America. We firmly believe this is "it." If we can't grab this democracy this time, we'll sink and it will be a long time before we will have this opportunity again. Thank you for taking time from your busy life to be there and to email us. Whatever we can do, we are pleased to be a part of this incredible Movement."

We know from history that social movements grow when they have a broad base of support. We are thankful that this movement has attained such a dramatic level of support in a short amount of time. We are hopeful that this people's movement will continue to grow.







88 Comments

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EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION: Keep Bloomberg and Kelly From Evicting #OWS
Posted 1 month ago on Oct. 13, 2011, 2:14 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

EMERGENCY #OWS EVICTION DEFENSE:
Prevent the forcible closure of Occupy Wall Street

Tell Bloomberg: Don't Foreclose the Occupation.

NEED MASS TURN-OUT, SHOW UP NO LATER THAN 6 A.M.

This is an emergency situation. Please take a minute to read this, and please take action and spread the word far and wide.

Occupy Wall Street is gaining momentum, with occupation actions now happening in cities across the world.

But last night Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD notified Occupy Wall Street participants about plans to “clean the park”—the site of the Wall Street protests—tomorrow starting at 7am. "Cleaning" was used as a pretext to shut down “Bloombergville” a few months back, and to shut down peaceful occupations elsewhere.

Bloomberg says that the park will be open for public usage following the cleaning, but with a notable caveat: Occupy Wall Street participants must follow the “rules”.

NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has said that they will move in to clear us and we will not be allowed to take sleeping bags, tarps, personal items or gear back into the park.

This is it—this is their attempt to shut down #OWS for good.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION

1) Call 311 (or +1 (212) NEW-YORK if you're out of town) and tell Bloomberg to support our right to assemble and to not interfere with #OWS.

2) Come to #OWS TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT to defend the occupation from eviction.

For those of you who plan to help us hold our ground—which we hope will be all of you—make sure you understand the possible consequences. Be prepared to not get much sleep. Be prepared for possible arrest. Make sure your items are together and ready to go (or already out of the park.) We are pursuing all possible strategies; this is a message of solidarity.

Click here to learn nonviolent tactics for holding ground.



Occupy Wall Street is committed to keeping the park clean and safe—we even have a Sanitation Working Group whose purpose this is. We are organizing major cleaning operations today and will do so regularly.

If Bloomberg truly cares about sanitation here he should support the installation of portopans and dumpsters. #OWS allies have been working to secure these things to support our efforts.

We know where the real dirt is: on Wall Street. Billionaire Bloomberg is beholden to bankers.

We won't allow Bloomberg and the NYPD to foreclose our occupation. This is an occupation, not a permitted picnic.

1257 Comments

How To Hold Your Ground
Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:12 p.m. EST (1 month ago) by OccupyWallSt



GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY
Posted 1 month ago on Oct. 13, 2011, 2:10 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

Following respectful and good-faith dialogue with members of the local community which has been rebuilding since the trauma of 9/11, Occupy Wall Street hereby announces the following Good Neighbor Policy:

OWS has zero tolerance for drugs or alcohol anywhere in Liberty Plaza;

Zero tolerance for violence or verbal abuse towards anyone;

Zero tolerance for abuse of personal or public property.

OWS will limit drumming on the site to 2 hours per day, between the hours of 11am and 5pm only.

OWS encourages all participants to respect health and sanitary regulations, and will direct all participants to respectfully utilize appropriate off-site sanitary facilities.

OWS will display signage and have community relations and security monitors in Liberty Plaza, in order to ensure awareness of and respect for our guidelines and Good Neighbor Policy.

OWS will at all times have a community relations representative on-site, to monitor and respond to community concerns and complaints.

Occupy Wall Street October 13, 2011

Note: In conjunction with local community members and their representatives, OWS is also working to establish off-site sanitary facilities such as port-a-potties.

113 Comments

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