Last night, just after 3:00AM, as swarms of cops in riot gear made their final push from all sides into the center of Liberty Plaza, ripping up tents and tossing-around protesters, I was hunkered down with about 50 hardcore OWS folks who were making a last-ditch stand by sitting in a tight formation to establish a human barricade.
Somehow I wound up embedded with nine intense activists who had strung their necks together with “U Locks.” Climbing a table, one of their fellow protesters yelled at the cops: “If you try to pull them out, you’ll break their necks.”
Unfazed, the NYPD pushed forward, violently dragging away members of the human barricade as they tried to hold their ground. Minutes later, with the cops only a few yards away, a few of the people with their necks chained together suggested—that because I was a journalist and not “locked down”—I should take their personal belongings along with messages for their families. I can’t say I wasn’t relieved to get out of there.
IDIOTS….They should have just lit a fire and burned them all….Greasey hippies…You're all the reason why this country is the way it is…Who in their right mind has time to sit in a park and live in someone's space for free?? Especially dude at 1:32 with the lock on his neck…Challenging the cops…I hope he got choked out..And the "this is a peaceful protest" guy?? You idiots…Ur living on someones property…Let's go to smalltown USA and post up on a farm and say we're protesting…You'll be shot in 5 minutes….Please rid this city of this trash…Occupy a job…Now I can go to TDBANK in peace to deposit my hard earned paycheck…Thank you mayor bloomy…Even though I disagree with a lot of your policies, this is one I'm happy with….It's like the graffiti writer complaining when he gets caught writing on how fucked the system is, or the kid who jumps the turnstile and says what the fuck, central booking?? Or the DWI person who gets caught and can't believe how the city is ruining their lives because they have to go through the system and they're treated like a criminal…U did it, not the system….
And FYI, I was that idiot that went through the system and complained and now I realize how I was the fucked up one, not the system….
Yep, greasy (spell check!) hippies – just like the protesters of Vietnam, right?
Thank you so much for posting this. Because this "non greasey (nice spelling) hippie" who has a real job supports this movement so much. I work a 9-5, I have a college degree (sadly paid with private loans from Sallie Mae that I will NEVER be able to pay back), I pay my taxes, and all that other things that conservatives use to measure my worth. And I still support the people that are so passionate about how messed up so much of our system is that they stand up for all of us that believe things need to change. Thank you for your wonderful coverage.
U have the choice to leave the country if you don't like what is happening…And to go to a blog where they spell things correctly…I'm a part of the 99 percenters….I feel for the movement…The overall idea, not using drugs and being drunk in a park to make a statement…I walk by it everyday and see who is occupying this great movement…
Ur comparing this to vietnam??U should change ur name to MakesnoCents…..
And working a 9-5 is not considered a real job BTW….Because u slave away for some company doesn't make u a better protestor…There is no definition of a real job…My dad worked construction from 6 am -6pm till he was 70 years old…Is that a real job?? No, it was one he was happy working day in and out…
And by the looks of it Lisa, I see ur modeling career went nowhere…U should try better headshots…Or a different dream….
The site is called animal for a reason…
Actually that is a picture taken for a site I wrote for as a music writer. I'm not sure why it popped up when I left the comment, but it did. Eh well. I'm not a model by any means, I'm actually your typical overweight American. I'm pretty average looking. So yeah, nice try there, but not really an insult since ya know, I'm not trying to be a model. Actually I told you that Im overweight, so you should TOTALLY make fun of that factor next. See, I made it easy for you. I'm sure I could dig up some other things for you to throw immature jabs at as well if you like!
My dream? Actually my dream is doing ok outside of the crippling student loan debt I have. I'm pretty happy in life. I like my job a lot, I like the freelance work I do, I have a healthy relationship with a wonderful person and a good group of friends. So yeah, my "dream" is doing ok.
And a 9-5 is just as real of a job as your father's. My grandfather went from working in a factory to owning his own business, so don't try and police me about what real work is. A job is something you get paid for. That really is it. If you like your job (which I do) then great! You actually get to have work that you enjoy. And if you get benefits or get paid well, great! Then you are doing pretty well.
I hope you are in a position where you are happy in life, and if not, best of luck finding that, because I don't believe it's on the Internet making fun of people and taking petty shots. You've got a lot of anger obviously, best of luck and I hope it doesn't consume too much of your life.
No one is angry..Just stating opinions…Everyone's overweight in America..It doesn't define you…Nor does a job or the hours you work…You don't have to make a mark on society in order to be complete….Unfortunately, these hippies feel they have to…they feel that without their voice, the world will fall apart…I give them credit for doing so, but in the end their voice means nothing…Do u think the government is going to say, hey you know what, they're right…We should change…They're charging more on their corporate cards just to say piss off…These people incur major credit card debt for stuff they can't afford and then blame society…At least your debt is for bettering yourself, not for makeup and material items…
But even so, if you could not afford the university you went to, there are other options like community colleges which are cheaper, to better your grades in hopes of a scholarship…Everyones situation is different but when u look at the people out there that had to go to a good school and now fight off college loans, is that the governments fault?? u decided to buy a place in a market u couldnt afford and now theyre the bad guys?? U overdraw on ur account and get charged a fee and thats their fault?? people need to take responsibility for what they do…Im guilty as well..I overdraw, miss a cc payment but ive learned to accept my mistakes and not blame anyone else, unlike these babies on wall street..now theyre in soho….shacking up on someone elses property on 6ave…Im going to go tell my boss i need to go fight for what i believe in and see what he says…I believe in paying my rent and my bills so i guess im stuck here….
No, my weight doesn't define me, but I figure I'd throw out another petty thing for you to use to insult me, because your rhetoric made you seem very angry and malicious earlier. You see, using petty things to insult someone over the internet make me discredit your opinion, when actually, with this comment, I agree with certain things and respect what you are saying.
Yes, I'm sure some of the people feel like they have to be the voice and make a lot of noise, but not everyone does. To me, protesting like this is a constant reminder of the cause many people believe in, to keep people from forgetting about the problem at hand while others work behind the scenes to try and create change. Sadly, I agree. I doubt much will change. Why would the powerful and rich want to let go of being powerful and rich? There is too much at stake and too many people involved (companies, government) for anything to really change. Power and money control the world, that is just the way it is.
I actually did get scholarships, but it still wasn't enough. And at the time I had adults telling me in my smaller town to take out the loans, that Sallie Mae was great with working with students on paying back loans (found out that is not the case). I was 18 and wanted to get out of my environment, and I trusted what guidance counselors were telling me to do. Sure, in hindsight I would have done it differently. I would have gone somewhere cheaper, did school parttime while paying for it, not have taken out the loans. I would have never made the choices I made, but hindsight is 20/20. Thankfully Im ok with not owning property and I don't want children, so it doesn't affect me as much as others. I personally would just like the private student loan sector to be held responsible for being more transparent and for working with schools on making sure students understand fully how their loan experience will work. But if they did that, no one would take out a loan. So it's kind of a moot point. But I still want people to remind the companies that they fucked up. If nothing can change, I want them to know that what they do is wrong and unethical. And I want people to be vocal and angry about injustice. Knowing that others are out there in the same boat as me is at least comforting when I'm arguing with a creditor about my debt payments.
the big dogs dont really care…theyre are thousands of you and they'll just say too bad…Everyone thought with the Madoff scandal things would change and now look at the Sachs leader being investigated for inside trading….It'll never end….Nothing will stop the corporate greed, because to tell u the truth, if 99 percent of people were in their position, why would u?? Even Michael Moore was exposed….They just showed his 2 million dollar house he lives in when not residing on Park Ave…Ur rich or ur living paycheck to paycheck…I consider myself poor until I head to BedSty and roll with some of my people and realize the 15 salad i had is a gourmet meal to them…
Like I said earlier, I'd like to go to their parents farm in Seattle, piss on their houses, sleep in their fields, destroy their property and tell them I'm doing it for a cause and see how they react….And when the cops come call them fascist pigs and see how I get handled…
They chose all the major cities to protest because they know the media spotlight keeps them safe….Why not occupy Franklin NJ where all these big wigs live?? Cuz those boys in blue dont play…..
My dude, you already laid out the rebuttal to your argument in your own statement…
".Everyone thought with the Madoff scandal things would change and now look at the Sachs leader being investigated for inside trading….It'll never end….Nothing will stop the corporate greed"
There's an old saying… If you don't ask, the answer will always be No.
You may be content with letting people with more money than you can imagine, continue to steal and manipulate the system both in capital markets and in politics to continually be in their favor and further enrich them, but most of us are not down with it.
If you are happy with that, then good for you, and pay homage to your corporate overlords. They own you.
Stedy, u sound like u work at Supreme…Skate on outta this post board….U ain't built for it….Call mommy and ask her to deposit another grand in your account so u can drink at Max Fish later tonight….
And you see how this works LISA, Opinion, Opinion, communication, understanding…Simple formula to life, which these people have no concept of…It's only about what they feel is right instead of realizing it's a team effort between corporations and the people….
wallstbully no one cares. you’re a sad little man who likes to listen to himself argue with whatever enemy the koch brothers have dreamt up.
Hey XX…keep hating..Ur soft-core, as ur name suggests…
Yup. The world would be a much better place if people could just sit down and discuss things in a respectable manner. Wishful thinking though for the most part, as most things in life tend to be.
wallstbully it is obvious you dont have an earthly idea about what the hell you are talking about…..you seem to be stuck in your Condescending dreamstate. you say you are part of the 99% but you contradict yourself with your remarks…..to be honest you sound more like a pig trying to justify thier actions. my advice to you is to learn your history because it is Apparent that you believed what your nyisd schoolbooks have Indoctrinated you with.
first learn your real history, understand how the world really works and who is trying to run it, then make your opinion. occupy ya mind fool……
My schoolbooks were the streets….I live in reality, not what the papers and the system tell me…I know how the system works, maricon, so swaller back and grab some churo sticks on the the 7 train where u belong…The correct term is a police officer and that I am not……
Revenge Is Sweet and u aint a part of it so step back, son…
I love these corporate online thugs who are offended by peoples opinions, yet they can state their minds and think they are the only thing that matters….Welcome to a world of diversity papi….Get used to it…
And Im glad theyre protesting and trying to close down wall st…That means the normal working people with jobs that are 99 percenters will be on stone street and the surrounding bars and restaurants spending their hard earned money later today…..Should be a good night for us wall streeters…
Viva La Revolucion!!!!!!!!