Understanding the Wall Street Occupation
Started in September 17, the occupancy of Wall Street is not losing steam. On the contrary, they are increasing street by street and park by park. Similar demonstrations had spread to dozens of other cities across the country, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston. Take a look at what’s going on and why they are gaining more people.
What they want
They describe themselves as a “leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that we are the 99 percent that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1 percent.” They are using the slogan “No. We will not pay for your crisis” that began in Italy in 2008, and then spread through Greece, France and Ireland.
Their point is, today everyone can see that the system is deeply unjust and careening out of control. They adopted 9 principles: engaging in direct and transparent participatory democracy; exercising personal and collective responsibility; recognizing individuals inherent privilege and the influence it has on all interactions; empowering one another against all forms of oppression. Redefining how labor is valued; the sanctity of individual privacy; the belief that education is human right; endeavoring to practice and support wide application of open source and daring to imagine a new socio-political and economic alternative that offers greater possibility of equality.
Organization
Donations is a important part of the protest. With this money, they created countless posters and fed the protesters. By the way, the food was good, healthy. There was wather, chicken, different juices, fruits and more. Everybody was welcome to join the lunch. There was no identification for who was really one of them or who was just passing by.
Communication is one of the big important things at this action. Around the park, it is easy to find a table to collect signatures of supporters with someone able to explain what it is all about.
They also created a way to be audible for everybody when something needs to be organized. The person have to ask for your turn, and, after he say something, everybody repeat it, making sure that was audible for everyone. You can understand better watching the video below:
The Zuccotti Park was carefully organized to help the protesters. It`s easy to find a map that explain the structure.
And to embrace more people, all the world can watch what`s happening at the protest live by internet, on live stream. They also have a newspaper in Spanish.
Musical events have also involving people.
Another important point is the commitment of non- violence. They are trying to avoid images of broken windows and street fights.
Police conflicts
The cops are always around the protesters, anytime. There were more than 700 arrests for rioting and other reasons, one for shoving a cop off a moped. Videos avaible on internet show cops using pepper-spraying and swinging botons to control de crowed. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the NYPD has paid about $2 million in overtime monitoring the protests.
Politics:
Politicians are starting to pick sides. Obama said last Thursday that “It express the frustration that the American people feel, that we had the biggest financial crisis since de Great Depression, huge collateral damage all thorough the country, all across Main Street”. A smart way to stay on the fence, what didn’t satisfied the protesters. The Republican Mitt Romney follows the same strategy, not picking sides. “I think it’s dangerous, this class warfare”, he said.
The Vice President is more careful, he said “the core is that the bargain has been breached with the American people”. On the other hand, some conservatives are not afraid to show their discredit, like Republican Presidential Herman Cain. “Don’t blame Wall Street. Don’t blame the big banks if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich – blame yourself”, he said.
What’s next
They will be doing a Direct Action every day that will culminate in their largest day of action, on Saturday October 15th, a Day of Action against Banks.
What people say
George Clooney: “Every time I turn on the TV and see it, it seems like a good idea”.
Rush Limbaugh: “These people are the perpetually lazy, spoiled rotten, 99% white kids who don’t have anything else to do”.
