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In Denver:
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In Portland:
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And in Washington D.C.:
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The mood changes soon, however.
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RT @vtknitboy: RT @sickjew: High-res photos being taken of plainclothes cops for future reference #ows #j20 #occupythecourts (live at ustre.am/EqY3)
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
#OccupyTheCourts Gets Tense in Washington D.C.
#OccupyTheCourts Gets Tense in Washington D.C.
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In Denver:
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In Portland:
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And in Washington D.C.:
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The mood changes soon, however.
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RT @vtknitboy: RT @sickjew: High-res photos being taken of plainclothes cops for future reference #ows #j20 #occupythecourts (live at ustre.am/EqY3)
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#Occupy Heads to Washington D.C.
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#J17 The avg cost of a Senate seat is $8.5 million. $ is overwhelmingly from the financial sector. tinyurl.com/66xvxo #ConnectTheDots
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At this point, the growing crowd has moved to the west front lawn of the Capital.
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Retired Philadelphia police captain Ray Lewis is spotted on the non-permitted side of the Capital lawn.
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“@Re_Occupy: One of the largest acts of “civil disobedience” on steps of the U.S. Supreme Court youtu.be/BS_BJhL82YI #OccupyCongress #J17”
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Veterans at White House fence lead mic check: “Today is the first day of the revolution! American empire is no more!” ustream.tv/occupyfreedomla
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The presence of riot cops makes sense now. I had not heard of this incident until later that night.
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White House lockdown after smoke bomb thrown into grounds …1 day ago … Obamas were not home when device was tossed over fence during Occupy DC protest, say officials.
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The Rain and the Reckoning: William Rivers Pitt on the State of Occupy

Occupy Wall Street's December 17th march to re-occupy vacant space owned by Trinity Wall Street church. Photo by Dustin Slaughter.
Editor’s note: This beautiful piece by William Rivers Pitt sums up where, I feel, the Occupy movement stands currently, and captures it with pure poetry. Enjoy.
“…and soon now we shall go out of the house and go into the convulsion of the world, out of history into history and the awful responsibility of Time.” – Robert Penn Warren
Dewey Square, the patch of earth in the shadow of the Federal Reserve Building and One Financial Center that Occupy Boston protesters called home from September to December, is empty now. The same can be said for the original Occupy space at UC Davis, where a dozen kneeling and defenseless protesters were hosed down with pepper spray, and for Oakland, where the police rioted and very nearly killed a two-tour Marine Corps veteran of Iraq. Occupy encampments sprang up in hundreds of cities in all fifty states of the union over these last four months. Many, if not most, are gone now, done in by police invasion or uncooperative weather, or both.
You may have noticed the sudden lack of attention paid to the Occupy movement, now that the gendarmes of the status quo have wielded their truncheons and rolled up the encampments like so many windowshades. Nightly reports by the “mainstream” news media about Occupy actions all across the country have dwindled to almost nil, and for those so disposed, this is a good thing. The roused rabble have been crushed and scattered, and all this talk of inequality and justice can finally be replaced with what has for so long now been the real American anthem: everything is fine, nothing to see here, your betters are in control, go back to work. The uprising has been quelled, it would seem, and it is time to consign the Occupy movement to the dustbin of history.
Nothing, but nothing, but nothing, could be further from the truth.
This is not over. Not by a long, long chalk.
It is not over because the American conversation has been irrevocably altered in ways both subtle and sublime. For those predisposed to rocking the boat, the Occupy movement has provided an opportunity to give voice to the overarching sense that matters in America have gone horribly wrong: uncounted thousands dead in a war of choice that provided a wonderful opportunity for the transfer of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into the bloated coffers of “defense” contractors with friends in high places; billions more stolen in broad daylight by Wall Street gangsters; billions more given back by way of “bailouts” – read: socialism – to these same gangsters thanks to the aforementioned high-placed friends; no jobs, and no jobs, and no jobs, because it is more important to score political points than it is to ease the suffering of millions.
For those not immediately predisposed to boat-rocking – the fathers who lay awake at night worrying about mortgage payments, the mothers with sick children who live in terror of the mailman bringing more medical bills, the retail workers making a shamefully substandard minimum wage who are holding on by their fingernails – such highblown talk has always been drowned out by the necessities and requirements of the immediate present. Who has time to camp out in Zuccotti Park when there are bills to pay, mouths to feed and time-cards to punch?
And yet…and yet…
And yet those same hard-working over-burdened Americans who have been thus far unable to take up the Occupy banner – who, in many instances, dismiss the whole thing with a contemptuous “Get a job, hippie” – are the same Americans who have had a bug put in their ear, and the buzzing of that bug will not go away. Four months of national dialogue about fair taxation, burden-sharing and the overwhelming power of the corporate state have done their work, and done it well. The conversation in America about wealth and power has been redirected: instead of blindly worshipping the power and prestige of these Sheriffs of Nottingham, who drink the sweat and blood of the toilers for their sustenance and entertainment, a great many people have been made to remember Robin Hood, and what the genuine definition of fairness, equality and patriotism really is.
The story of America on the eve of this new year can be summed up by the old tale of the two donkeys who meet on the road. The first donkey is fresh as a daisy, unencumbered, brushed and bright-eyed. The second donkey is tired and broken, sad-eyed and swaybacked from the monstrous burden he carries. The first donkey looks at the second donkey and says, “Boy, that’s quite a load you’re carrying.” The second donkey looks at the first donkey in exhausted confusion and replies, “What load?”
Get it? The second donkey had been carrying his burden for so long that he no longer even realizes it is there, though his back breaks from the strain. For generations now, that has been the sorry lot of the 99%, but it will not be so in 2012; after carrying the load for so long that they didn’t even see it anymore – a fact that suits the 1% right down to the ground, mind you – a vast majority of Americans have finally looked up from their fruitless toiling, seen the unfair and over-burdensome load they carry, and recognized the fundamental injustice that has left them as beaten and swaybacked as that donkey on the road.
Occupy is not over. We come now to another winter of our discontent, and though the tents and signs and shouts of the movement have been momentarily subdued, they will return. Spring is coming, the rocks are already rolling down the mountainside, and while there is still time for the pebbles to catch up, gravity is an absolute. Sooner or later, those rocks will reach the reckoning that has been so long in coming, and when that happens, nothing in this country will be the same again.
With Spring comes the rain, and the rain is coming to this dry and thirsty land.
The rain is coming.
By God and sonny Jesus, the rain is coming.
This op-ed was originally written by the inimitable William Rivers Pitt for Truthout. The Project is republishing this under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
“Costs of War” Sheds Light on a Troubled Iraq
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“Iraq since 2003 represents everything that we want to avoid in the Arab world – foreign invasions, simplistic American political engineering, sharp internal polarization, ethnic cleansing and warfare…” – Rami G. Khouri, author and journalist
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Mary Trotochaud was the AFSC country representative from 2004-2007:
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USATODAY.com – Cluster bombs kill in Iraq, even after shooting endsDec 16, 2003 … A four-month examination by USA TODAY of how cluster bombs were used in the Iraq war found dozens of deaths that were …
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McDowell on official Washington’s attitude to the issue of past sanctions on Iraq:
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CORRECTION: Typographical error. Jarrar served as in-country director for CIVIC Worldwide, “the only door-to-door casualty survey group in post-war Iraq.”
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Iraq's Shocking Human Toll: About 1 Million Killed, 4.5 Million …Feb 2, 2009 … Looking at the empirical evidence of Bush's war legacy will put his claims … press reports from Iraq to count civ…
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Orphans join Iraq protests over food, shelter | Video | Reuters.comFeb 19, 2011 … About 4.5 million Iraqis are orphans — with the Iraq government estimating that some 500000 live on the streets with …
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Illiteracy increasing among Iraq's refugee children | McClatchyDec 12, 2007 … Illiteracy is spreading rapidly among refugee children from Iraq, with at least 300000 young Iraqis not attending scho…
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US Holds Formal Ceremony Ending Iraq War | FDL News DeskDec 15, 2011 … And it's likely that some number of military personnel will remain in Iraq to … over 16000 American personnel un…
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The Mega-Bunker of Baghdad | Politics | Vanity FairThe new American Embassy in Baghdad will be the largest, least welcoming, and most lavish embassy in the world: a $600 million massivel…
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Congress questions continuing aid to Iraq after withdrawalNov 30, 2011 … Congress questions continuing aid to Iraq after withdrawal … 31 and what obligation America has to continue costly a…
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Baghdad wants U.S. to pay $1 billion for damage to city | ReutersFeb 17, 2011 … BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq's capital wants the United States to apologize and pay $1 billion for the damage done to …
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Celeste Zappala is a Gold Star Mother for Peace. Her son was killed in Iraq in April of 2004 while protecting a unit looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).
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Facing Ninth Deployment, Army Ranger Kills Himself. 'No Way' That …Aug 14, 2011 … "He couldn't live with that any more." More U.S. soldiers and veterans have died from suicide than from …
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USATODAY.com – U.N.: Iraq kids suffer from malnutritionMar 30, 2005 … Almost twice as many Iraqi children are suffering from malnutrition since the U.S.- led invasion toppled … U.N.: Iraq…
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Iraq's unemployment hits one million « The Currency NewshoundDec 11, 2011 … He added: “Due to a high level of unemployment in Iraq the government will recruit more than 150000 people. But we do …
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McDowell summarizes the aftermath of the Iraq War:
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A Glimpse Back at Occupy Wall Street’s #D17
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RT @DustinSlaughter: RT @brookejarvis: “…the best way to defend the First Amendment is to use it.” bit.ly/rqhkji #OWS #d17
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At this point the march has split up into as many as three different routes.
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RT @DustinSlaughter: RT @OccupyVideo: 55 #OccupyWallStreet protesters arrested today, including clergy #ows #d17 ow.ly/82OTX
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Occupy Philadelphia, Others Hold “Scrooges” Accountable in Day Long Caroling Tour
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Gov. Corbett continues to make cuts to #PA Budget in 2012. post-gazette.com/pg/11355/…
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Budget bleak for next year, cuts must be made now, says Corbett’s Budget Secy. bit.ly/tP7rYb But here’s an idea – tax the #drillers!
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Pushing for bill requiring voter ID – Corbett aide was out selling the …Pushing for bill requiring voter ID – Corbett aide was out selling the GOP-backed proposal | Philadelphia Inquirer. Aug 242011. Bartend…
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Later in the day, @OccupyPhilly meets up with SEIU members to begin second half of the “Scrooge” caroling tour.
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RT @OccupyPhilly: #OccupyPhilly Mega-Caroling Action Tour Super Extravaganza! 5pm at Rittenhouse! fb.me/Yhg4xcsr #OPScroogeTour #ows
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http://lockerz.com/s/167209303 After #OccupyPhilly pays visit to union-busting nursing home CEO house, cont … m.tmi.me/jEJCz
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Reimagining a Revolution in Boston: Three Days with #OccupyBoston
“I’ve lost faith in the country. I don’t think the politicians represent the people, and they certainly don’t represent me.” –Sean, age 22, #OccupyBoston
Boston’s General Assembly is in full swing when I arrive from Lower Manhattan. They’re discussing full inclusion, in this case Tea Party members. I had heard talk of a letter circulating on the Internet–allegedly from a Tea Party supporter–warning the #Occupy movement not to be co-opted like the “original” Tea Party was by powerful special interests like the Koch Brothers.
The notion of a letter like this isn’t far fetched. I’ve personally talked to a number of Tea Party members who, like many in the #Occupy movement, oppose bailing-out major banks, shutting down the fed, and corporate tax loopholes, ones like Bank of America exploits (which allow them to actually receive hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds, while they introduce $5 debit card fees and lay off many thousands of people.)
“We can’t let racists into the movement!” àrgues one woman opposed to Tea Party inclusion.
It appears, though, that she is in the minority. This, I think, speaks to the remarkably inclusive spirit of the #Occupy movement. The Tea Party, like the #Occupy movement, are part of what these activists call “The 99%”–meaning not members of the 1%, who, it is estimated by most economists, control 40% of America’s wealth.
#OccupyBoston, I learn as I sit in on their lively General Assembly meetings, overall hold a very strong belief that the political polarization that has “infected” American politics should be left out of this direct democratic process. It is these two aspects–inclusion and civility–that stand out among the Boston and New York assemblies. I suspect that any overtly racist or anti-semetic elements would summarily be expunged if they became too much of a problem moving forward, as these assemblies continue hammering out a list of demands through the often slow, and sometimes frustrating path to consensus. Real democracy is a very laborious process.
The Boston occupation’s relaxed, almost party-like atmosphere is a far cry from the frenetic, adrenaline-filled one blocks from Wall Street, where marchers never know when the next NYPD crackdown will happen. Not that Wall Street doesn’t have its wonderful music and celebration, but the amazing cooperation and support the Boston police have shown the protesters certainly takes the edge off here. There are no barricades surrounding the perimeter, no counter-terrorism units looking down at you from their command trucks when you awake in your sleeping bag, and certainly no night sticks and pepper-spray. In fact, with just a few minutes notice, the police here will shut down whole streets for the protesters to march down. The Boston police force, so far at least, seem to understand that it is their duty to protect the rights of citizens and not harass them by tearing down tarps in the rain or arresting an occupation’s media team.
During my three days in Boston, I noticed how rapidly their membership was growing. GA members are in talks, reportedly, to acquire a larger space. By my third day there were no longer room for tents, and Nurses United had announced an alliance with the occupation, as well as a few student unions, who were planning walk-outs of area colleges in solidarity with the movement.
As I caught an afternoon bus from South Station to head back to #OccupyWallStreet, I couldn’t help but feel a sense that a major milestone was unfolding before my eyes, due in no small part to this tent city across from the Federal Reserve Bank o Boston, in the cradle of American revolution.
I’m now in Washington D.C spending time with #OccupyKSt/#OccupyBoston. I’ll leave next for #OccupyPhilly.
The Project will continue to bring you updates via live-Tweeting (@DavGolProject and @DustinSlaughter) as events unfold on the ground, as well as profiles and editorials. I’m also putting together a short documentary about the movement. But I can’t do it without your help.
Please consider donating just $10 to the Project’s Occupy Media Fund. Your help will enable me to continue my work as I literally live on-site, sleeping in plazas and tent cities as the American Autumn unfolds before our eyes.
Thank you so much for your interest in the Project, and don’t hesitate to contact me with comments, criticisms and questions.
To donate: https://www.wepay.com/donate/116187
Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
The #Occupy Movement is Exploding, and I’m Scrambling to Cover it–for You.
What started as a trip up to Lower Manhattan to cover #OccupyWallStreet has now turned into a frenetic attempt at capturing the birth of something historic: a purely people-powered democratic movement focused on not just reforms, but potentially creating a new system.
The Project was there at the Brooklyn Bridge when one of the largest arrests in recent memory occurred–700 to be exact, by a police force bent on protecting the wealthy elite at the expense of the average American, people like you and me. The Project was also on Wall Street when things got ugly last night. And so this journey continues–through live-tweeting and editorials you’ve been receiving in your Inbox. Next will be a glimpse of the Boston occupation, and following that, the major event in Washington D.C., where the #October6 movement kicks off today, and with them, #OccupyDC and #OccupyKStreet. And after D.C., I return home to spend time with the peaceful, brave citizens of #OccupyPhilly.
The Project will continue to bring you updates via live-Tweeting (@DavGolProject and @DustinSlaughter) information as it happens, as well as profiles and editorials. I’m also putting together a short documentary about the movement. But I can’t do it without your help.
Please consider donating just $10 to the Project’s Occupy Media Fund. Your help will enable me to continue my work as I literally live on-site, sleeping in plazas and tent cities as the American Autumn unfolds before our eyes.
Thank you so much for your interest in the Project, and don’t hesitate to contact me with comments, criticisms and questions.
To donate: https://www.wepay.com/donate/116187
Sincerely and in Solidarity,
Dustin M. Slaughter
Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Tax Weekend Sees Widespread Resistance Against Verizon, Bank of America, and BP (with videos)
Tax Weekend saw widespread direct action across the country, where over 100 demonstrations were held to protest corporate tax dodging.
The Washington D.C. chapter of US Uncut staged a direct action against Verizon, a corporation which has earned over $12 billion in profit over two years and has not paid anything in taxes. Other actions, staged by groups such as US Uncut, MoveOn.org and Energy Action Coalition, aimed to create negative publicity for major corporations such as Verizon, Bank of America, and the petroleum giant BP, all of which have managed to generate massive profits totalling billions of dollars, while avoiding paying taxes. Meanwhile, countries such as the United Kingdom and the U.S. are threatened with major budget cuts to education, low-income health care, and heating oil assistance, all in the name of “fiscal discipline.”
Video from US Uncut Washington, D.C.:
MoveOn.org and US Uncut partnered in Philadelphia on Monday to protest Bank of America, which has managed to avoid paying any income taxes for over two years, paying their investment bankers $4 billion while laying off 35,000 employees in 2009. The company received a tax payer-funded bailout as well.
The approximately 50 protesters managed to shut down a downtown Bank of America branch:
Another activist group, Energy Action Coalition, has launched a new campaign called Powershift 2011. The coalition staged a protest at a BP gas station, effectively shutting it down. U.S. taxpayers have effectively footed the bill for the Gulf cleanup, as BP has avoided paying over $9.9 billion in taxes, citing “losses” due to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, an ongoing crisis causing serious health issues and massive wildlife kills related to toxins which remain on the Gulf coast. Video of the direct action at one BP gas station:
A young protestor passionately describes why she traveled over 20 hours to attend the event depicted above:
Visit US Uncut, MoveOn.org and the Energy Action Coalition’s Powershift 2011 campaign to see how you can get involved, as many more actions are planned for the near future.