#occupywallst update
Click to viewLast night, after the professional media had been instructed to leave, the police in Boston raided the protesters' secondary campsite. Around 100 people were arrested at last count. Some of the protesters beaten and arrested were elderly members of a veteran's group. Their possessions were seized, tossed in a garbage truck, and crushed.
-Via HuffPo
Cops also instructed the media to clear out of St Louis, Atlanta, Seattle, and Dallas. The Seattle mayor's office called the cops back there before the raid commenced, and only four people were arrested.
There are several reports on Twitter describing police invasion or intimidation of OccupyAtlanta, OccupyBoston (Boston Jr. gone), Occupy Dallas (Looks like false alarm), and OccupySeattle (against mayor's orders. Mayor sending a representative to location, 24-hour notice given by police).
Anyone with contacts in these locations please get in touch with them and ask them to support their local movement...
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution is also reporting...
OccupyAtlanta: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupyatlanta
OccupyBoston: http://www.livestream.com/occupyboston 2nd camp gone. Taken away in what looks like dumpster trucks
OccupyDallas: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupy-dallas Looks okay
OccupySeattle: http://www.livestream.com/owsoccupyseattle Journalists on ground. Police ordered camp to leave.
OccupyStLouis: http://www.livestream.com/occupystlouis Police delivered warning.
-Via OccupySF
Gosh, why would the police be so keen to defend the financials from those "anarchist" protesters? I wonder.
#occupychicago drafted this list of proposed demands a few days ago. No word on whether they've voted on them yet, but personally I think it's a fine list as it is:
1.PASS HR 1489 REINSTATING GLASS-STEAGALL. - A depression era safeguard that separated the commercial lending and investment banking portions of banks. Its repeal in 1999 is considered the major cause of the global financial meltdown of 2008-2009.
2. REPEAL BUSH TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY
3. FULLY INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE THE WALL STREET CRIMINALS who clearly broke the law and helped cause the 2008 financial crisis.
4.OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED v. US. - A 2010 Supreme Court Decision which ruled that money is speech. Corporations, as legal persons, are now allowed to contribute unlimited amounts of money to campaigns in the exercise of free “speech.”
5. PASS THE BUFFET RULE ON FAIR TAXATION, CLOSE CORPORATE TAX LOOPHOLES, PROHIBIT HIDING FUNDS OFFSHORE.
6. GIVE THE SEC STRICTER REGULATORY POWER, STRENGTHEN THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BUREAU, AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR OWNERS OF FORECLOSED MORTGAGES WHO WERE VICTIMS OF PREDATORY LENDING.
7.TAKE STEPS TO LIMIT THE INFLUENCE OF LOBBYISTS AND ELIMINATE THE PRACTICE OF LOBBYISTS WRITING LEGISLATION.
8. ELIMINATE RIGHT OF FORMER GOVERNMENT REGULATORS TO WORK FOR CORPORATIONS OR INDUSTRIES THEY ONCE REGULATED.
9. ELIMINATE CORPORATE PERSONHOOD.
10. INSIST THE FEC STAND UP FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN REGULATING PRIVATE USE OF PUBLIC AIRWAVES to help ensure that political candidates ARE GIVEN EQUAL TIME for free at reasonable intervals during campaign season.
11. REFORM CAMPAIGN FINANCE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT (S.750, H.R. 1404).
12. FORGIVE STUDENT DEBT - The same institutions that gave almost $2T in bailouts and then extended $16T of loans at little to no interest for banks can surely afford to forgive the $946B of student debt currently held. Not only does this favor the 99% over the 1%, it has the practical effect of more citizens spending money on actual goods, not paying down interest.
And RIGHT NOW, protesters are on the Billionaire March, which is a walking tour of the homes of the 1%. Planned residences to visit are Rupert Murdoch, David Koch, Paul Milstein, John Paulson and JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
Useful links:
Livestream. It switches around to the various locations, but it's usually NYC.
Occupy Wall St., site for official news and discussion.
Occupy the Hood - let's get some minority representation going
The 99% Project: photo gallery of what a personal financial crisis looks like
Meetup - find the occupy protest in your area
Oct 15 This Saturday, join the global peaceful protest against the 1%
On Twitter:
#OpWallSt
#occupywallst
#occupytogether
and a month into the protest and #occupywallstreet is not trending in the US