Thousands protest in Wall street.., media blockade ?

I don't live in New York, but here's the news article on CBS about the protest:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/19/national/main20108397.shtml

I guess it's overshadowed by Obama's new tax proposal, Netflix split, and the plane crashes.

There was/is a small protest.


The group may have "called for 20,000 protesters", but that isn't what happened. I can call for 20,000 dollars to magically appear in my wallet, but that doesn't mean it will happen either.



Latest updates are about 150-200 protesters total spread across multiple sites (a very small number of people for the area). For comparison the area normally has several thousand people on foot during the morning and afternoon hours.

I've seen lines at the bathroom for a sporting event with more people.

They are a very small organized group and have a police barrier set up to protect themselves and others. The protest is almost small enough to fit into normal background noise. The few arrests in the news so far are minor: 1 for graffiti charges, 1 for jumping the police barricade, 4 for disorderly conduct by refusing to remove masks -- you can protest all you want, but do it safely and without threatening masks.

Breaking news. The riots continue in the streets of New York, protestors rallying outside of Wall Street, one of world's leaders of controversial economic collapse.

I guess it's overshadowed by Obama's new tax proposal, Netflix split, and the plane crashes.

Or maybe the fact that they're protesting a financial district on a saturday......

I don't see any evidence of an intentional block - it was covered in the news. There are valid arguments about how the media decide what to cover - it often seems that some events are ignored when they shouldn't, whilst completely non-stories make the news. When it comes to reporting individual views, I hate how the media will give you a national platform for your campaign if say, you're the mother of a dead person, but other issues affecting large numbers of people are very hard to even get some coverage for. But that's not the same thing as a blockade.

I have no idea if the level of coverage for this event was fair or unfair though.

I also think a lot of people now fall into the trap that whilst things are reported by people as they happen on Twitter, because it isn't reported instantly in the media, they think it's a block. I saw the same claims made of the UK riots recently. People forget that even with rolling news, the media aren't instantaneous...

I don't see any evidence of an intentional block - it was covered in the news. There are valid arguments about how the media decide what to cover - it often seems that some events are ignored when they shouldn't, whilst completely non-stories make the news. When it comes to reporting individual views, I hate how the media will give you a national platform for your campaign if say, you're the mother of a dead person, but other issues affecting large numbers of people are very hard to even get some coverage for. But that's not the same thing as a blockade.

I have no idea if the level of coverage for this event was fair or unfair though.

I also think a lot of people now fall into the trap that whilst things are reported by people as they happen on Twitter, because it isn't reported instantly in the media, they think it's a block. I saw the same claims made of the UK riots recently. People forget that even with rolling news, the media aren't instantaneous...

I think it was about right.


150-200 people have a small protest during the off-peak hours. It takes place in the 4th largest metro area in the world, with a population of almost 20 million.

There are larger groups than that who gather in the city every day trying to get media attention. In some ways they should be glad they got the coverage they did.

They got their 15 seconds of fame on major news outlets. They got a few minutes of fame and a bit of public awareness in their local circles.

If they had somehow managed to get their 20,000 people to show up, then it would have been much more newsworthy and probably deserving of additional coverage. But it didn't, so it's about right.

There are valid arguments about how the media decide what to cover - it often seems that some events are ignored when they shouldn't, whilst completely non-stories make the news.

Roger Simon: I admit I do not fully understand Ron Paul and his beliefs. But I do understand when a guy gets shafted, and Ron Paul just got shafted. ... Paul(second place) lost to Bachmann(first place) by nine-tenths of one percentage point, or 152 votes out of 16,892 cast.[/quote]

Sad because Ron Paul is the one candidate who doesn't flop like a fish out of water and actually knows what he's talking about regardless of whether you agree with him. At the very least he should be getting media attention because he keeps the other candidates honest and brings up huge holes in their philosophies now rather than later.

There was a media blockade.. in fact the few news media that mentioned the first several days tried to downplay it, as protesters were arrested at random for things like drawing with chalk and wearing masks. On Tuesday morning after having corralled the protesters into several smaller groups, police decided to do their own re-enactment of 'Fight Club' by confiscating things like the tarp (used to protect equipment from the rain) laptops, then proceeded to brutalize several completely cooperative protesters, one individual was dragged to the street first by the neck then his feet so roughly there was a visible pool of blood forming from his arms/wrists, another individual began to have an asthma attack on the ground, and as a medic was attempting to attend to him several police decided it would be good entertainment to sit on him. A few hours later the internet stream was completely blocked off, and people had to walk several blocks away to access their cell phone networks. The police also decided to take away their tents as that was a 'violation', and to use the excuse that a few people were wearing masks to arrest yet more protesters at random. All informational links are as follows:
Police Brutality

Official Protest Site https://occupywallst.org/
The Master Plan [color=#808080]www.whatis-theplan.org
Live Stream Videos and Chat http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution?lsci_op=537116606

At some point on Tuesday, Twitter and Yahoo also started blocking internet communications about the protest; this was lifted after questioning by several Progressive web organizations. Currently the protesters are in dire need of water, tents, and replacement batteries for their Dell 1525's. If you know of anyone able to supply these have them deliver to Liberty Park. There are in fact several thousand protesters. The mainstream media does not want the truth getting out.

From the clip I saw it looked like way more than 200 people.

Nothing to see here. Move along citizen.

Currently the protesters are in dire need of water, tents, and replacement batteries for their Dell 1525's. If you know of anyone able to supply these have them deliver to Liberty Park.

I'll send Malik. Would you like them delivered in lethal or non-lethal way?

It's also somewhat ironic that protest seems to have been stopped due to running out of batteries in a consumer commodity. As for water, it's middle of NY, not Somalia. Walk one block, there's all-you-can-eat buffets for $5. Vegan. vegetarian. kosher, take your pick.

C'mon. "American spring?" Did those people not see the carnage in the streets? And here their laptops ran out of charge and it's over? What next, the moccacinos getting cold?

There are in fact several thousand protesters. The mainstream media does not want the truth getting out.[/quote]
Pray tell, what is the truth? Can we even handle it?

Do those people even realize that Wall Street is just a building and everything of consequence happens elsewhere?

A protest is a protest, there are 12 going on at any given time in front of White House. It's aimed at alerting to problems. Most of the world has been alerted to them some 2 years ago when economy collapsed.

C'mon. "American spring?" Did those people not see the carnage in the streets? And here their laptops ran out of charge and it's over? What next, the moccacinos getting cold?

Such things make me very unsympathetic. In Libya and egypt they protest despite open hostile acts from the military and government personnel, but batteries brought this protest to it's knees.

Do those people even realize that Wall Street is just a building...[/quote]
It's a street.

There was a media blockade.. in fact the few news media that mentioned the first several days tried to downplay it,

Yes, it was caught by an automated spam filter. Based on the screen shots the filters were even kind enough to point out that the email was suspiciously like spam.

If it were a real blockade they would have silently dropped the email.


Those dangerous spam filters are always running rogue media blockades. Gotta watch out for them.

Y as protesters were arrested at random for things like drawing with chalk and wearing masks.[/quote]

They are not "random things".

The drawing with chalk is a fairly simple graffiti violation: "No person shall write, paint or draw any inscription, figure or mark of any type on any public or private building or other structure or any other real or personal property owned, operated or maintained by a public benefit corporation, the city of New York or any agency or instrumentality thereof or by any person, firm, or corporation, or any personal property maintained on a city street or other city-owned property pursuant to a franchise, concession or revocable consent granted by the city, unless the express permission of the owner or operator of the property has been obtained."

Did they get permission from the owner or operator of the property? It doesn't matter if they used chalk, pencil, marker, or spray paint, it still qualifies as graffiti and gets a criminal mischief charge.


The same thing with the masks, it is a misdemeanor:

"... Being masked or in any manner disguised by unusual or unnatural attire or facial alteration, loiters, remains or congregates in a public place with other persons so masked or disguised, or knowingly permits or aids persons so masked or disguised to congregate in a public place; except that such conduct is not unlawful when it occurs in connection with a masquerade party or like entertainment if, when such entertainment is held in a city which has promulgated regulations in connection with such affairs, permission is first obtained from the police or other appropriate authorities;"


These aren't random arrests because the police are feeling particularly aggressive. There are laws that have been in place for many years that are designed to keep the peace.

On Tuesday morning after having corralled the protesters into several smaller groups, police decided to do their own re-enactment of 'Fight Club' by confiscating things like the tarp (used to protect equipment from the rain) laptops, then proceeded to brutalize several completely cooperative protesters, one individual was dragged to the street first by the neck then his feet so roughly there was a visible pool of blood forming from his arms/wrists, another individual began to have an asthma attack on the ground, and as a medic was attempting to attend to him several police decided it would be good entertainment to sit on him. A few hours later the internet stream was completely blocked off, and people had to walk several blocks away to access their cell phone networks. The police also decided to take away their tents as that was a 'violation', and to use the excuse that a few people were wearing masks to arrest yet more protesters at random."[/quote]

That is certainly one viewpoint.

An alternative viewpoint is that there is a large body of laws stating what protesters are allowed to do in peaceful protest, and what crosses the line into criminal behavior.

When a protester crosses the line into criminal behavior the police will arrest them. You write "several police decided it would be good entertainment to sit on him" from your perspective. From another perspective, it a valid way stop a struggling individual who is resisting arrest.

Currently the protesters are in dire need of water, tents, and replacement batteries for their Dell 1525's. If you know of anyone able to supply these have them deliver to Liberty Park.[/quote]

Dire need? Well let's find them some water!

Google's suggestions:

Walking directions from the park to a deli: Head Northwest toward Liberty Ave. Turn left onto Liberty Ave. Destination will be on the left. Distance: 46 feet

Or maybe they're sold out due to all the protesters. Similar directions but follow Liberty Ave for one block. Destination will be on the right. Distance: 495 feet

Dominos pizza is 0.3 miles, have someone deliver some water. It is easy to find, it is next to the grocery store... they probably also sell food and water.

Not to mention there are lots of buildings around, which appear to have plumbing and running water.


As for the dire need of tents. Really? I wouldn't recommend them. As other protesters have already discovered, setting up tents without permission from the property owner is not legal. Perhaps you forgot about that detail that you pointed out earlier in the post, with "[color="#1C2837"]police ... confiscating things like the tarp"? Yeah, that one is a bad idea.

Dominos pizza is 0.3 miles, have someone deliver some water. It is easy to find, it is next to the grocery store... they probably also sell food and water.

Now, thats just downright rude!

Suggesting these people eat at Dominos, what kind of bastard are you!

[quote name='frob' timestamp='1316628725' post='4864277']
Dominos pizza is 0.3 miles, have someone deliver some water. It is easy to find, it is next to the grocery store... they probably also sell food and water.

Now, thats just downright rude!

Suggesting these people eat at Dominos, what kind of bastard are you!
[/quote]

Not quite. I suggested they have Dominoes deliver some bottled water. It should be there in 30 minutes or less. I didn't suggest they deliver the pizza that the company itself admitted was the worst pizza in the industry.

and people had to walk several blocks away to access their cell phone networks.

Requiring Americans *to walk* must surely classify as some sort of human rights violation. Or maybe that applies only to California and Florida.

Remeber that one time, when government turned off internet, electric grid and phones completely for weeks? And it stayed off until army was defeated or killed and liberators took control of infrastructure? Maybe it happened somewhere else. I could swear that got some media coverage. I think they found a way to communicate when their FacebookApp no longer worked. May have been smoke signals. Or PTP wifi. Or satellites. Or paper mail.

All informational links are as follows:[/quote]
They are facebook links.

You know, Wall Street. [see: Irony]

Either way, I can't click them due to not having a FB account, so I suppose the protest is just for the hipsters with over 200 friends or something.

Dire need? Well let's find them some water!

Google's suggestions:

HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO FIND IT WITHOUT BATTERIES FOR THEIR COMPUTERS?! D:

[quote name='frob' timestamp='1316628725' post='4864277']
Dire need? Well let's find them some water!

Google's suggestions:

HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO FIND IT WITHOUT BATTERIES FOR THEIR COMPUTERS?! D:
[/quote]

Oh how apt your GDNet username is at this moment.

Ok, to OP, you are right. It looks like Media really is covering it up.

Nothing in Google News

I first thought it got covered up because of Obama's new tax plan and whatever seems to be more important, but it's been almost a week now. It seems a story about a white supremacist getting a death sentence or Mike Tyson's comment of Sarah Palin are more important. This has gone beyond ridiculous.