Occupy Wall Street -- just venting

[Crankin]

I think Pam's comments are an interesting view from the street. I would be worried, too, with any large group of people camping out by my home.
I don't think this thread is political at all. I have my opinions, I don't think I'm a particularly uninformed person, and quite frankly, if you are going to judge me by my lack of comments, well, so be it. I know that I am a member of the 1%, or at least close to it. I've worked hard for everything I have and I am not embarrassed. If some have an issue with that, it is not my issue. I'm not a member of the Tea Party, a Republican, or even against the protesters. I know I am lucky. I've spent my whole adult life in jobs that tried to help people lift themselves out of poverty or other negative situations. I guess I hope that in the past 35 years, I've had some positive effect on the world.

[PamNY]

Roxy, as far as theft, I think that's just the inevitable result of a large crowd. There are plenty of responsible people trying to keep order.

[ny biker]

I'm getting the impression that the DC group is more organized, or at least has more specific goals.

They had a permit for their location for the weekend. Yesterday I read that the National Park Service extended it for 4 months, though they would have to share it at times with groups that already had permits to use the square on certain days. But I just read that the agreement with NPS is not finalized.

Meanwhile, they went to the Capital today and I think several of them were arrested.

[KnottedYet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdeuuzXS_sY

What bothers me is what happened to the woman standing on the sidewalk outside the locked bank, holding her bank statement and saying "I'm a customer! I'm a customer!"

You can see the protestors who tried to cancel their accounts locked inside the bank. Even if she went in with them, she obviously left when asked because she was OUTSIDE.

[NbyNW]

That's a disturbing video. Can't wrap my brain around it.

[jessmarimba]

The only thing about this thread that bothers me are the references to the non-protestors as "hard-working" - as if to imply that those who are occupying are not. Many who have the time, energy, and desire to occupy due to unemployment aren't unemployed by choice. They'd be happy to be working hard, but instead of working hard at a job they are now working hard for what they believe in.

I consider myself to be a hard worker, and I'll never be part of the 1%. It's a situation my generation has been thrown into and I'm proud that some are trying to find another way to improve things, as misguided or as disorganized as that way may be.

(to add a bit of humor, a friend and I were joking that we should organize an Occupy Vail, since protesting the exorbitant price of lift tickets is no more or less ridiculous than some of the the occupiers demands that have made national news)

[owlice]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdeuuzXS_sY

What bothers me is what happened to the woman standing on the sidewalk outside the locked bank, holding her bank statement and saying "I'm a customer! I'm a customer!"

You can see the protestors who tried to cancel their accounts locked inside the bank. Even if she went in with them, she obviously left when asked because she was OUTSIDE.

If that's real, yes, that's very upsetting. It might be staged, though; notice it wasn't a police officer -- or at least, didn't appear to be -- who first grabbed her. Also, her reaction seems... strange to me. If some random guy grabbed me as she was grabbed, I would be fighting back and telling him to get his hands off me (perhaps in language that we characterize as "car words" around here ) and yelling for the cops.

[KnottedYet]

If that's real, yes, that's very upsetting. It might be staged, though; notice it wasn't a police officer -- or at least, didn't appear to be -- who first grabbed her. Also, her reaction seems... strange to me. If some random guy grabbed me as she was grabbed, I would be fighting back and telling him to get his hands off me (perhaps in language that we characterize as "car words" around here ) and yelling for the cops.

She was surrounded by bank security and uniformed cops and talking to security on the sidewalk. The plainclothes guy was immediately joined by the bank security and uniformed policemen as they slammed her into the wall.

Uniformed police officers don't generally join in when a random guy grabs a woman wielding a threatening bank statement wearing deadly high heels and skirt.

If she had been inside the bank, she had left when the managers asked people to leave to clear out the bank and then locked the customers trying to close their accounts inside. She was outside, on the sidewalk, offering her ID and bank statement to the security guys.

[tulip]

I'm in Rome at the moment. I heard helicopters yesterday and saw the news coverage on tv. 200 anarchists does not make for good press.

[owlice]

She was surrounded by bank security and uniformed cops and talking to security on the sidewalk. The plainclothes guy was immediately joined by the bank security and uniformed policemen as they slammed her into the wall.

How do you know the guy was security? She is first shown talking to three guys, none in uniform. One of them grabs her. She's commandeered into a corner entrance, with what looks like security guards doing some of the shepherding and some officers perhaps intervening. It's unclear what happens after that, except that she is still hollering even as it appears that she walks into what seems to be the bank, with the guy who grabbed her following and an officer looking as though he is about to cuff the guy who grabbed her.

But I might be wrong, of course. I'm from Protest Central, DC-born and bred, so yeah, I'm generally very suspicious of conveniently-shot footage from protesters. Or anyone, for that matter.

[PamNY]

If that's real, yes, that's very upsetting. It might be staged, though; notice it wasn't a police officer -- or at least, didn't appear to be -- who first grabbed her. Also, her reaction seems... strange to me. If some random guy grabbed me as she was grabbed, I would be fighting back and telling him to get his hands off me (perhaps in language that we characterize as "car words" around here ) and yelling for the cops.

My question is: was this woman one of the protesters, or was she simply a regular customer who refused to be intimidated by OWS?

If the latter, something needs to be done to warn people of when and where these marches are taking place. I'm fairly sure OWS is being allowed to march without permits. Normally, if a big protest is going on, we know about it and can avoid it. But this random nonsense is different -- on Saturday, I ran into them twice: once walking my dog, and once going grocery shopping. I'm really annoyed that I have to bring ID to walk the dog -- but it is prudent, and I'm doing it.

I'm sending this video to the many city officials with whom I am now in regular communication. Is this going to happen to me the next time I go to CVS?

Knot, thanks for posting this. I can use it as a starting point to object to the city allowing marches without a permit, and to argue for a notification system for local residents.

"Car words" -- I love it.

[pll]

I can use it as a starting point to object to the city allowing marches without a permit, and to argue for a notification system for local residents.

Hmm. I normally would not chime in, but it seems to me that we are on a slippery slope regarding civil rights in this country (starting with what is now the excuse of terrorism). I would no advocate for a government to be in charge of approving of marches and demonstrations, which, incidentally, might be directed at that government. It sounds totalitarian to me, anathema to freedom of expression. [However, I think that the "drum circles" are plain nonsense and a nuisance.]