Live-blogging OWS daily since October 1. Email: epic1934@aol.com. All times ET. See my e-book on Occupy "40 Days That Shook the World." [1] My OWS-relevant "Journeys With Beethoven [2]" just published in prindat and e-book, my other books here... [3]
11:00 Quite a scene at Union Sq after big rally and march, but will cops move in again tonight? Rumors that they may act soon. Tent in evidence. I always wondered why OWS did not take advantage of that site long ago. See Tim Pool's livestream below plus here is Luke's. [4]
7:10: Massive crowd for Trayvon starts march just now in NY (see livestream below). Kind of crowd OWS will need this spring to succeed. Trayvon's mother tells crowd, "Our son did not commit any crime. Our son is your son." Marchers chant, "We are...Trayvon Martin." Well, not true for most, and racial profiling is focus of march. Breaking: Sanford, Fla. City Council just now passed no confidence vote vs. police chief, by 3-2.
6:05 Big turnout for Trayvon rally in NY's Union Sq, plenty of OWSers there, march to begin soon (see item below), Skittles being tossed to crowd, chants of "I am Trayvon." Tim Pool livestream below and another camera here [5]:
3:45 NY Daily News: Video shows [7] infamous top NYPD guy Esposito rapping protester with stick on Saturday. "The eight-second clip — part of a longer video feed taken on St. Patrick’s Day and obtained by the Daily News — does not appear to show the protesters, one of whom may have suffered a blow to his jaw, fighting back." NYPD denies problem, says video "speaks for itself." Indeed.
3:10 Cool article with graphics [8] about guy who collects '60s protest materials with links to Occupy, maybe. Of course, been there, done that, though I do not go as far back as Port Huron Statement.
2:35 Here's a review [9] of those DHS docs on OWS highlighted below. And a good one [10] from Kevin Gosztola.
12:35 Wild. If I understand this correctly, there is a "Million Hoodie" action [11]planned for this evening arising from the Trayvon Martin case and against racial profiling. Via social media, folks are urged to upload photos of themselves in hoodies (will a certain Patriots football coach take part?)--remember that Trayvon's killer suggested that the kid was dangerous partly because had the hood up. Meanwhile, Trayvon's parents, in NY for the Today show today, will attend rally in Union Square, with OWS sure to be there also.
11:10 NYT report on last night in Union Square [12] counts 6 arrests, injured woman, OWS library books seized with other "materials."
10:45 Via Twitter, Jason Leopold complains that after months of requesting, the DHS documents turned over today dealt mainly with media inquiries (see below). He says they have told him over the phone that the next released in April will be more on "operational" matters.
9:25 Department of Homeland Security turns over hundreds of docs [13] on Occupy to Truthout's Jason Leopold. Stay tuned. Claims they wlll turn over more next month. But FBI claims it can't find any. One quote from DHS so far, calling OWS "protest against lax regulation of the financial sector and growing economic inequality." Another: "only eviction FPS involved with was assisting Portland PD at federally owned Terry Schrunk Plaza where FPS arrested 2 ppl" Another: "We hve standard coordination calls & face2face mtgs w/our partners 2 ensure proper resources r available 4 ops like st. closures."
8:25 MSNBC with story and photos [14] from last night's eviction in Union Sq, one arrest. But this later repor [15]t has folks returning to park at 4 am and "confrontations" taking place, including the stomping of a woman. And a further update here. [16] ... New York magazine raises questions [17] about OWS spring actions...from old pal Jon Friedman: Goldman "traitor" enrages Bloomberg. [18] Perhaps he will send cops to evict, arrest and smack him around?
8:00 Two firebombs tossed [19] into office of State Rep. Wendy Davis, a Democrat in Texas and big Planned Parethood and women's issues backer, fire damage, suspect escapes... George Zimmerman [20], perp in Trayvon case, charged with domestic violence in 2005. Woman probably lucky to live.
7:45 If you somehow have not heard, one of my editors at Nuclear Times 30 years ago, David Corn, later longtime at The Nation in NY and D.C., with new book Showdown on Obama (sort of) fighting back finally vs. GOP in past year or so.
1:15 am As noted earlier, several hundred gathered at Union Sq in NY and police finally pushed them out, closed park and set up barricades. Police now inside park and Occupyers asking them, "What are your demands?" and other jokes. Several dozen have vowed to sleep on sidewalk overnight.
From late Tuesday
Fun to watch Santorum and backers at this concession speech laugh about climate change--dripping in sweat on a March night as hottest wave ever for this month crosses the country.
Email from reader: "Want to alert you to a major CD at Brattleboro Entergy HQ on Thursday. Expect
500 marchers, 100-200 risking arrest. Info at Sage Alliance and at Safe and Green Campaign web sites. Good stuff-- people power vs corporate power as the state also battles Entergy. Check it out."
Cool May 1 strike poster in NY, we are told by Molly Crabapple.
OWS "occupation" of historic Union Sq in NYC continues to build, with several hundred there right now. Police have been reluctant to move there in past but time will tell.
Wired on new Occupy Comics [21], with examples from "Old Punks."
Update by Ryan Devereaux [22] on young woman arrested, beaten, had seizure and how charged with felony in Saturday police raid in NYC.... Occupyers march to NY police hdqtrs today [23] and demand resignation of police chief Kelly. See video. [23]... Occupy MayDay [24] updates as it goes "mainstream".... City of Chattanooga, Tenn. drops case vs. Occupy [25]there after Public Citizen steps in.