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Anti-Corporate Protesters Demonstrate on Wall Street

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Posted on Sep 18, 2011
Flickr / david_shankbone

Hundreds of people remained gathered in New York’s financial district Sunday as part of the “Occupy Wall Street” demonstration called for by Adbusters, Anonymous and other anti-corporate groups. Wall Street itself was cordoned off and police blocked the entrance to the New York Stock Exchange.

The demonstrators aim to call attention to the “economic occupation” of moneyed interests and big banks. Those who showed up Sunday were far fewer than the crowd of 20,000 the organizers hope to see camped out in lower Manhattan over the coming months.

Read the organizers’ call to action here. —ARK

Bloomberg:

About 300 to 400 people remained near Chase Manhattan Plaza today, down from 1,000 yesterday, for a protest dubbed “#OccupyWallStreet.” A smaller group, followed by a column of police motorcycles, marched uptown on Broadway as people beat drums, strummed guitars and held up signs reading “end corporate welfare” and “we are too big to fail.”

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By Hadrian, September 19, 2011 at 10:33 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It is not news that people “have risen and demanded their right to freedom and democracy, to social justice and work” all over the globe, and this movement is just the initial stages of things to come, and before most of us realize it the world will be flooded with peaceful movements, for united we are invisible!,
The false can not survive the waves of change, the truth stands on its own.
http://www.share-international.org/magazine/old_issues/2011/2011-07.htm#Mestari

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Robespierre115's avatar

By Robespierre115, September 19, 2011 at 9:55 pm Link to this comment

Slavoj Zizek in a recent piece on the riots and protests in Europe, very relevant for these marches as well:

http://www.lrb.co.uk/2011/08/19/slavoj-zizek/shoplifters-of-the-world-unite

“Today’s left faces the problem of ‘determinate negation’: what new order should replace the old one after the uprising, when the sublime enthusiasm of the first moment is over? In this context, the manifesto of the Spanish indignados, issued after their demonstrations in May, is revealing. The first thing that meets the eye is the pointedly apolitical tone: ‘Some of us consider ourselves progressive, others conservative. Some of us are believers, some not. Some of us have clearly defined ideologies, others are apolitical, but we are all concerned and angry about the political, economic and social outlook that we see around us: corruption among politicians, businessmen, bankers, leaving us helpless, without a voice.’ They make their protest on behalf of the ‘inalienable truths that we should abide by in our society: the right to housing, employment, culture, health, education, political participation, free personal development and consumer rights for a healthy and happy life.’ Rejecting violence, they call for an ‘ethical revolution. Instead of placing money above human beings, we shall put it back to our service. We are people, not products. I am not a product of what I buy, why I buy and who I buy from.’ Who will be the agents of this revolution? The indignados dismiss the entire political class, right and left, as corrupt and controlled by a lust for power, yet the manifesto nevertheless consists of a series of demands addressed at – whom? Not the people themselves: the indignados do not (yet) claim that no one else will do it for them, that they themselves have to be the change they want to see. And this is the fatal weakness of recent protests: they express an authentic rage which is not able to transform itself into a positive programme of sociopolitical change. They express a spirit of revolt without revolution.”

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By John Steinsvold, September 19, 2011 at 5:51 pm Link to this comment

An Alternative to Capitalism (if the people knew about it, they would demand it)
Several decades ago, Margaret Thatcher claimed: “There is no alternative”. She was referring to capitalism. Today, this negative attitude still persists.
I would like to offer an alternative to capitalism for the American people to consider. Please click on the following link. It will take you to an essay titled: “Home of the Brave?” which was published by the Athenaeum Library of Philosophy:
http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/steinsvold.htm
John Steinsvold

Perhaps in time the so-called dark ages will be thought of as including our own.
—Georg C. Lichtenberg

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By Sufilizard, September 19, 2011 at 5:53 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The numbers are a bit disappointing, even though they
are much larger than the early tea party gatherings. Of
course we won’t see any of the big corporate media
conglomerates push this movement like they have the tea
party.

But this is a start. People are really feeling the pain
of this problem, but apparently they’re not quite ready
to hit the streets yet. I suspect torches and pitchfork
futures are up though.

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By Marian Griffith, September 19, 2011 at 1:49 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

@Robespierre115
The actual solution (or at least the biggest first step) is really rather simple:
Limit campaign contributions to, say, $100 per person per year.

Cut the money out of the system and you get rid of most of the opportunities for corruption and nepotism.

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By Leefeller, September 18, 2011 at 7:35 pm Link to this comment

This is somewhat like what they did in Israel with very little to no coverage by our bought and paid for Mass Media. From what I understand small groups of people started a tent city and it grew into 300 thousand except the message was inconsistent. 

If I lived near New York, I would be supporting this, I believe it is very simple one person, one vote, one dollar!

There were supposed to be some protests in Los Angels and several other cities, though they may have fizzled,... Damn Foot Ball!

It may still be to early in the grand scheme of things for significant numbers to climb to attention getting levels,... we shall see.

Sadly there are people who do not believe in one person, one dollar and one vote and would most likely call it socialism.

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Misfiteye's avatar

By Misfiteye, September 18, 2011 at 5:50 pm Link to this comment

Demanding fair treatment from our oppressors is like asking for another beating and petitioning a government that depends on corporate contributions for reelection is simply pointless.

They won’t change till they fear for their own lives.  Then look out.

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By Michael Cavlan RN, September 18, 2011 at 4:17 pm Link to this comment

This is growing
as we speak.

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By gerard, September 18, 2011 at 4:06 pm Link to this comment

Not enough people can affoard the bus fare.

Everybody has enough money to buy a piece of paper, an envelope and a postage stamp, or make a phone call to the appropriate 1-202-... number.  Everybody can write two or three sentences summarizing their losses, their hopes, their distress.

Millions of postcards and brief letters might stand a better chance of being noticed, if everybody who couldn’t afford to go to NY or DC would use these other methods, not once, but frequently. Also, Senators and Reps have local offices within reach. 

People who don’t believe anything can be done, won’t do anything. Underwhelming street demonstrations are discouraging, and in fact may feed the opposition. Sad but true.

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By prisnersdilema, September 18, 2011 at 2:58 pm Link to this comment

Just the beginning, of a long process. But once the people begin to feel political power
again it will grow…and grow…

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By Robespierre115, September 18, 2011 at 2:21 pm Link to this comment

Very positive development to see at least some Americans protest. BUT this protest is also weakened by the same postmodern attitude that keeps the European movements achieving anything, this idea of revolt without revolution, or political change without politics. You can’t ask the fatcats to change for you, you need to use the hammer of the people against the system, replace and build something new: REVOLUTION. If you don’t offer any concrete steps forward and simply ask the oligarchs to behave, they will happily let you vent in the street and continue doing business.

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