“What we saw in that chamber today was the beginning of a sea change in the way people think about politics in America and I hope that this will be the first day of a long and sustained movement that changes the way we represent ourselves and the way we demand the kind of government that we deserve,” said Council Member Paul Krekorian.
“Every struggle to amend the constitution began as just a group of regular Americans who wanted to end slavery, who thought women should vote, who believed that if you’re old enough to be drafted, you should be old enough to vote,” said Council President Eric Garcetti.
“I could not believe the coalition of energy that filled the council chambers today,” said Council Member Bill Rosendahl. “It made a huge difference. It was democracy at its best.”
This past weekend more than 700 “Occupy Wall Street” protestors were arrested during the ‘We are the 99%’ march across the Brooklyn Bridge. The plan was to simply walk across the pedestrian path, but as the march reached the bridge, a small group — chanting “take the bridge!” — gathered on the Brooklyn-bound roadway. Rolling Stone was there to capture the events. Check out the entire gallery on RollingStone.com.
—Eric Sundermann
From the comments section of someone who was there:
Sarah Coleman |
No, not sheep. I was one of those who climbed the bridge. They trapped us there for quite a long time. We were chanting “let us off the bridge,” and it felt like they were using the brooklyn bridge as a jail. Standing your ground is one thing, but allowing them to arrest you is another. They herded everyone up like swine in their orange tape to arrest us. The fact that we had to climb the bridge to escape is telling in and of itself.
Also, the police did not resist us going on the bridge. I was standing less than 10 feet from the police officer when he made an announcement. I could not hear him when I was 10 feet away, how could someone 300 people back have heard of any ‘warning’ that they made? Eventually, they walked away and let us proceed further as if ‘allowing us on’. It appeared that they had decided to give us a police escort across the bridge. People were cheering and excited and thanking the officers. They guided us down the bridge where, a third of the way down, they stopped us and said we could go no further. It was a premeditated trap.
The cops instigated us once they stopped us, as well. They wanted a riot/chaos/violence.
(1) We left a lane open for cars to pass, the cops closed the lane when they trapped us on the bridge.
(2) Once they stopped the first half of the protest, they told the front half to turn around, but we couldn’t because they were not letting anyone off the bridge on the other end. Why would they do that? People would have been trampled, could have fallen off the bridge, and chaos could have followed. It was not until the protestors on the pedestrian walkway began chanting “SIT DOWN” so no one would be injured. So, we sat. Peacefully.
(3) When they realized that we were peaceful and none of those things would occur, they began making arrests. They were filling protestors in buses (which they had deployed that morning—premeditated much?)
My name is Kelly Schomburg, I’m the girl with the red hair in these pictures. I was protesting at the Occupy Wall Street march yesterday when I and several other women were sprayed with mace and subsequently arrested. Many have already seen the video, which has been spreading like wildfire over twitter, Facebook, tumblr, and other video feeds, along with hundreds of other photos and videos. This is my recount of what happened.
Anyone with eyes open knows that the gangsterism of Wall Street — financial institutions generally — has caused severe damage to the people of the United States (and the world). That has set in motion a vicious cycle that has concentrated immense wealth, and with it political power, in a tiny sector of the population, a fraction of 1 per cent, while the rest increasingly become what is sometimes called “a precariat” — seeking to survive in a precarious existence. They also carry out these ugly activities with almost complete impunity — not only too big to fail, but also too big to jail. The courageous and honourable protests underway in Wall Street should serve to bring this calamity to public attention, and to lead to dedicated efforts to overcome it and set the society on a more healthy course.
“
| — | Noam Chomsky, message to Occupy Wall Street protestors (via downlo) |
![occupytheplanet:
Welcome to the Media Blackout
[via: @kennethlipp]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls5vqs23161r3hmjno1_1280.jpg)
OWS_W2D2-0418 by pweiskel08 on Flickr.
What They did not want you to ever find out is that your generation, the generation born between 1980-1995, actually outnumbers the Baby Boomers. They knew that if you ever turned your eye towards political reform, you could change the world.
They tried to keep you sated on vapid television shows and vapid music. They cut off your education and fed you brain candy. They took away your music and gave you Top Ten pop stations. They cut off your art and replaced it with endless reality shows for you to plug into, hoping you would sit quietly by as They ran the world. I think They thought you were too dumb to notice.
Indeed, I thought They had won.
But I watched you occupy the capital of Wisconsin. I see you today as you occupy Wall Street. And I see a spark, a glimmer of the glorious new age that is yours. A changing of the guard, a guard that has stood for entirely too long and needs your young legs to take his place.
I watch you turn away from what is easy and stand up for what is right. I see you understand we as a society are only as strong as our weakest link. I see you wise beyond your years. And I am proud. Give ‘em hell, kids. You are beautiful.
