Out West, Police arrested protesters in Denver and Portland last night. I didn’t see any mention of serious injuries in either of those local reports.
In the East, a big winter storm hit New York City and OWS is calling for donations of winter clothing.
What’s going on in the occupation in your part of the world?
JPL
OT.. Any news on whether or not Anne Laurie has power?
jwb
Thirty-eight arrested in Austin. The city apparently instituted a new ordinance requiring dismantling of food stations after 10 pm, and a group of about 20 were arrested as part of the defense of the food tables. A second set of protesters was arrested an hour or so later for refusing to move for the power washer. A lot of this was set off earlier in the day when the police confiscated a number of items at the plaza when the bulk of the occupiers was gone on a march.
WereBear
I’m off to the store to grab some handwarmers, blankets, and whatever I can fit into the two boxes in my hallway.
Thanks for link.
hamletta
No arrests in Nashville last night. There was a fancy $450-a-plate fundraiser at War Memorial, too.
State cops accused local alt-weekly reporter of being drunk when he was arrested Friday night. Publisher is pissed.
Linda Featheringill
@jwb:
What do the police in Austin think they’re doing? They are engaging in harassment and generating more local publicity for occupiers.
Silly people.
Linda Featheringill
Interesting. OWS is asking for cots. That would help.
Charles
We here in Austin have had little coverage in general. I appreciate the city fixing that for us.
TheMightyTrowel
There’s a great bit of religious drama going down in London. The protesters are camped out in front of St Paul’s cathedral, the church administrators have joined up with the corporation of London to try and evict them, the Canon and Chaplain of St. Paul’s have both resigned in protest over the decision to side with the 1% over the 99% (downtrodden, ‘least of these’, etc etc) – in particular because what the rest of st. paul’s is most worried about is looking pretty and accessible for tourists. The Guardian has lots of coverage and commentary.
Not being a christian, but having been raised catholic, sent to catholic school and forced to read much of the bible during those years, I can damn well tell you where the biblical Jesus would be in this mess: in one of those ’empty’ tents.
cathyx
@TheMightyTrowel: The church administrators and the church itself are part of the 1%.
dslak
@TheMightyTrowel: I heard an interview with the Chaplain the other day, and he wasn’t necessarily on the side of the protestors. He simply said that the protestors were being reasonable and accomodating, and not blocking access to the site, and so the Church of England representatives should engage with them on a personal level, rather than simply using force to remove them.
Linda Featheringill
Pallets for OWS:
http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/storage/pallets/presswood/presswood-pallet-48×40?utm_source=google_pr&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Presswood-google_pr&infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CJ3Rn-vSkKwCFcuP7QodJ3Av8Q
These are “presswood” and cheaper than other stuff I found on the net. They sell for about 13.00 apiece and come in bundles of 10, so that would be 130.00 for a 10-pack.
scav
@TheMightyTrowel: Hear Hear on the London-Religious developments that I find very interesting in a sort of compare-and contrast-way with this side. To continue the UK theme but in a Sunday Morning Book Review manner, here’s the Guardian review of West End Front and a topical, if extended, extract from same.
If the book lives up to the review, I am so going to be a happy camper (ahem). “Ration the Rich!”
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
@TheMightyTrowel:
Duh, I mean, after all, he’d have to be there if he were to whip some dirty hippie heathen ass, wouldn’t he? I mean, DUUUUUUH!!
Joseph Nobles
File this occupation under hoocoodanode:
mobile.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/world/middleeast/united-states-plans-post-iraq-troop-increase-in-persian-gulf.xml
We’re leaving Iraq, but we’re not going that far…
Hank
Not to bash OWS, but if people have winter clothing available to donate, there are much better places it could go than to them. If they are giving it the truly homeless there then that is good, but if you have the option of going indoors during the winter, then go the hell indoors. If the movement is going to live or die based on whether these people stay outside during the winter, then it’s already dead.
cathyx
I found this in the comment section of the Guardian article linked by TheMightyTrowel on who controls the money of the Church Of England. In other words, follow the money.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/111318
PurpleGirl
I’m in the process of crocheting some scarves to donate.
Unfortunately, I’m also having a problem with noise from the ventilation system in my apartment (loud noise, heavy vibration; the management office isn’t doing anything about it yet…) and it’s hard to do anything on 3 or 4 hours of sleep (it’s been two weeks now). I’m tired, jumpy, anxious, experiencing a spike in my blood pressure…
burnspbesq
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, there will be a hearing on the proposed settlement in the SEC’s civil enforcement action against Citi, and judging by the court’s most recent order, the SEC is in for what English football writers would call “a torrid afternoon.”
http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2011/10/28/jed-rakoff-puts-the-sec-on-notice/
A pissed-off United States District Judge can do a lot to advance the cause of justice if he or she sets his or her mind to it.
scav
@dslak: To a degree, that’s what I find interesting, it’s that the church is split and there are some hints of that here too. Simplistic and counted upon bloc entities are fracturing and/or behaving in unexpected ways. So, if you’ve got a political party or, equally, business management that is basing their actions upon previously established models of human behavior and skipping the whole actual market testing step as waste of time and money, you end up with Candidate Quickster and the possibility of some jaw-dropping campaign positions.
arguingwithsignposts
Also via the Guardian, an update on Scott Olsen:
SiubhanDuinne
@scav:
It sounds like a wonderful book, but I feel obliged to point out that the Guardian piece by Matthew Sweet was an excerpt from the book — by Matthew Sweet — and not in any sense a review. But I’m very glad to know about it and will read the book with pleasure. Social change in Britain between the two World Wars, and during WWII, is a fascinating study.
VidaLoca
I suppose it depends on how you want to define “serious injuries” but this report from Denver makes it look like the shit there just got about as serious as it is in Oakland and takes the definition of “serious” up to just short of “lethal”.
Linda Featheringill
@arguingwithsignposts:
Scott Olsen can’t talk:
It’s wonderful that he still has language. He may regain some of his speech. Or he may become one helluva writer.
Hillary Rettig
Does anyone know if the story of the DC cop who murdered an Occupy protester’s dog is true? Here’s the text, and there’s a damning looking photo accompanying it (all from FB). Apparently the dog *did* nip the cop, but very lightly – no medical attention needed – and it’s not clear whether the dog did so before or after the policeman menaced him.
The dog was named Parrot.
This was taken moments before Parrot was murdered by …the cop. The cop drove his knee into the middle of Parrot’s back while stretching Parrot’s forelegs behind him, as one would do with an armed criminal. Without waiting to determine whether this technique would calm Parrot, the cop grabbed Parrot, lifted him off the ground, and brought him to the top of the concrete staircase.
He threw Parrot over the banister, down twelve steps, and onto the concrete floor. Then, the cop stood at the top of the stairs, drew his weapon, and executed Parrot. Aaron, the animal’s owner, cannot recall the number of shots fired. Witnesses state that Parrot was not harming anybody and was simply frightened by the cop. At no time did Parrot try to bite the officer, all he did was start barking.
It doesn’t matter if you are a part of an Occupy movement, PETA, Republican, Democrat, Independant Religious or not, if you are a part of the human race this should be a wake up call that something is very wrong with our society.
Isn’t brutally killing animals something that most Serial Killers do right before they switch to killing humans?
Joseph Nobles
Well, here’s a better link to the Times article I couldn’t link to with my phone software:
U.S. Planning Troop Buildup in Gulf After Exit From Iraq
Rather depressing.
Nutella
“Denver police spokesman Matt Murray … said seven protesters were arrested, including two for assault and one for disobedience.” Apparently ‘obedience’ is now required of citizens. Disobedience will be punished by arrest, tear gas, or bullets.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500188_162-20127440/denver-police-move-into-occupy-encampment/
handsmile
@cathyx: (#15)
Thanks very much for the link to that quite astonishing article, “Who holds the purse string?” that identifies the ten trustees of the St. Paul’s Cathedral Foundation.
To be scrupulously fair, any large not-for-profit organization will have among its board of directors/trustees or its affiliated charitable entity representatives of the financial or social elites. They have the deepest pockets or connections to make or solicit annual 5,6,7-figure contributions.
Nevertheless, it is startling and of no little irony that ALL members of the St. Paul’s foundation are high chieftains of British finance or commerce, several of whom moreover with troubling connections to the 2008-9 global financial meltdown.
Here is a link to Guardian political cartoonist Steve Bell’s take on the St. Paul’s Cathedral protest: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2011/oct/28/steve-bell-st-pauls-rowan-williams-cartoon
West of the Cascades
@VidaLoca: The arrests here in Portland were at a square about 15 blocks from the main Occupy Portland encampment, which isn’t being threatened by the police and still has 300 or 400 people camping there. The local paper made it sound like the stand-off at this other square was tense but largely non-violent (and non-injurious) — the city making it clear that it planned to enforce the park closure at midnight, the crowd making clear it planned to stay, and then a couple of hours of standoff after midnight to let people decide if they were going to stay and be arrested.
It sounds like the main tension happened when police shoved the part of the crowd that was NOT interested in being arrested out onto surrounding sidewalks, and then arrested about 25 people who’d been waiting patiently since midnight to be arrested. Not thrilled with the arrests, but happy both that the police stayed non-violent and with the fact that the city and police department don’t seem interested in doing anything more than enforcing the line they’ve drawn against additional squares occupied for camping.
Updated article from the local paper at http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/10/portland_police_arrest_25_occu.html
TheMightyTrowel
@handsmile: Awesome.
VidaLoca
@Hillary Rettig:
This is really sad, and I don’t want the following to be taken in any way as exoneration of what the cop did, but people this is really basic stuff: You. Should. NOT. take animal companions or children (particularly children in strollers FFS! I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that this spring) into situations where there are cops present. Ever. The cops are always unreliable, unpredictable, and dangerous; and should be assumed to be out of control by default. They can do whatever they want with impunity, and face no meaningful consequences as a result.
Linda Featheringill
@VidaLoca:
Children at demonstrations:
All demonstrations can get quite emotional and no child needs to be exposed to this roller coaster. When they turn 18, they can decide whether to participate.
I think my daughter was 19 when I first took her to a protest demonstration.
Yes, I do sound like goody-two-shoes, but I do think we should respect childhood and protect it.
WereBear
I second that; they think nothing of cruelty to protesters for instance! Pets are fair game to them. And I don’t care how sweet the dog is, a snootful of tear gas will make them go nuts.
I am shipping a box of handwarmers, an insulated vest, six pairs of texting gloves, 2 scarves, and an emergency 2 person cold weather tent– some of that will go priority mail, and some from my Amazon account from people purchasing things via my blog.
So it’s not costing me all that much, because we don’t have all that much. But they have even less. So there you are.
soonergrunt
Occupy OKC hasn’t had any problems recently of which I am aware. Certainly not from the OKC PD.
Surprisingly enough in this reddest of red towns in this reddest of red states, the police have been not exactly supportive, but they have helped grease the wheels for the permits, they have provided security-awareness training to the occupyers. They have enforced the law with respect to open flames and glass containers and such, but that is exactly what they are supposed to be doing.
We also go out of our way to engage the officers who come by. A bottle of water or a cup of coffee goes a long way to opening the lines of communication. One of the campers told me that the rank and file cops support us as long as we don’t start breaking the law. The police and fire unions have been worked over pretty hard here of recent, and a lot of the officers have had to work unpaid overtime and have seen their benefits and retirement eroded in the name of low taxes.
A couple of things in our favor are that there’s only about 20-25 campers during the week and around 50 or so on the weekends. Also we are very clean, performing police-call style walk-throughs after each meal, and somebody has rented a couple of porta-johns for the park. A couple of supporters shuttle people to and from their houses for showers and laundry support.
And last but not least, with the exception of the opening weekend, there has been ZERO coverage in the non-alternative press.
Michael Bersin
Went to a Where Are The Jobs/Occupy The Capitol rally in Jefferson City yesterday. Small crowd, but a good mix of organized labor, young activists, and middle class folks. They get it.
Leaving for the Occupy Kansas City rally and march at Ilus Davis Park (downtown) in about a half hour.
boss bitch
@Joseph Nobles:
We’ve left Iraq as promised so stop trying to make it seem it was some trick or promise not really kept. How is what we are doing in Kuwait different from what we are already doing all over the world?
Andrew
Apparently, Republicans are liars. They created a list of supposedly wasteful transportation projects. Of course, it was full of errors. Just a few:
http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111030/ap_on_go_co/us_transportation_tall_tales
lamh34
Hospital to Michael Moore: Don’t try to visit Scott Olsen
I gotta say that I side with hospital when it comes to patient privacy. I’m working now, and HIPAA laws are pretty strict and designed with the patient’s privacy in mind.
Now on the other hand, if the family was okay with Moore visiting the patients, then the hospital of course really has no say unless they have an “essential personnel” policy for certin patients.
Nellcote
@lamh34:
The local (Oakland) news called OOakland “star studded” when Moore and others started parachuting in the other night.
ABL
@Hillary Rettig: that REALLY pisses me off.
Calouste
@handsmile:
St. Paul’s is high establishment (it’s where the UK buries and memorializes its heroes) and it is in the City, London financial district (the London Stock Exchange is across the street), so it isn’t really much of a surprise.
Andrew
The Parrot story happened last year.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/12/AR2010091203938.html
Hillary Rettig
As Andrew pointed out, I just learned that the Parrot story is not from OW. Still bad, though.
Vida – respectfully disagree. For their own sakes, and that of society in general, children need to learn to advocate for their needs. Besides, children have agency and many will want to protest – many young people having a clear sense of justice – and they should have the right to do so. Clearly judgment should be exercised in where and when you take them, but I don’t think there should be a blanket prohibition.
The whole issue of agency with companion (and other) animals is trickier, and something I think a lot about. In general I agree they should be left home, but when the protest is for animal welfare or rights I can see a reason for bringing them.
VidaLoca
Hillary, all I can say is that I wish you the best in whatever direction your future career as a protestor may take you and I sincerely hope you never have to find out how terribly naive you are w/r/t police and their behaviors.
Misha
Occupy Lincoln (Nebraska) is experiencing what might charitably be called growing pains. A less charitable description might be that this afternoon’s General Assembly is in danger of tearing itself up over who has administrative access to the fucking Facebook page.
(Horizontal self-organization is not exactly a strong suit in this city; even the actual cooperatives are “consumer owned” and just as top-down as anything else with something to sell. Sigh.)
Bullsmith
First and fourth amendments are not in any meaningful way in force any more. Is that even a controversial statement at this point?
scav
@SiubhanDuinne: staggering back to the thread after a day spent wrastling a birthday party’s worth of kids in a small enclosed space. Thanks for the clarification, I still have hopes for the book but a minor tsk tsk for my beloved Guard: I really don’t like cut-‘n’-pastes in newspapers. Now I need to stagger out again and stare into multiple glasses of wine in an attempt to recover from an overdose of 8-year-olds.
someofparts
Over at Corrente someone pointed out that the mayors who are cracking down on OWS tend to be Democrats. It all suggests that the word may have gone out from Dem central money folks that any mayors who don’t push out OWS folks will see their funding cut going forward.
brewmn
@someofparts: “Over at Corrente someone pointed out that the mayors who are cracking down on OWS tend to be Democrats. It all suggests that the word may have gone out from Dem central money folks that any mayors who don’t push out OWS folks will see their funding cut going forward.”
This is the type of insightful, non-batshit-hysterical “analysis” I would expect of the fine folks at that estimable site.