This is a video of the actual tear gas....

It's like a war zone. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8405794

Banks are seeking incentives and money from cities to bring jobs to the area.
In Jacksonville, http://jacksonville.com/business/201...s-jacksonville

On a positive note, perhaps, Mayor Brown went to Brazil to try and open up the ports for trading.

Is either of these good for cities?

Atlanta is about to be raided as well. Here is there live stream. So I've heard. I'm going to keep an eye out.

http://www.livestream.com/occupyatlantahttp://www.livestream.com/occupyatlanta

yeah.. it's scary. it isn't that bad where i'm at... but most of the protesters here are middle aged white folks and i think that makes a big difference in the pd's response.. plus it's much smaller here. we're lucky if we get 100 people.

oakland's "finest" gassing a woman in a wheelchair
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Well they cut the live feed from fox then turned it back on 5 minutes after everything happened.

Oakland Fight the Power
 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=237706202950462

THANK YOU!!!

signed
 

mayor jean quan's statement on police action today... she characterizes it as "generally peaceful"... gotta wonder what "downright violent" looks like in her world.

https://www.facebook.com/MayorJeanQu...91025897588660

grrrrr. :censor:

I can't even believe she said that shit.

right?!?? :wtf:

Unbelievable. Guess we're finding out what it feels to live in an American-occupied country.

A friend just wrote me that there are a lot of tents and protestors in SF - the most she's ever seen.

so pissed i'm not there :/

no it IS a war zone. except the people being fired on aren't armed.

What I am not understanding about what is going on in Oakland (a few miles South of me) is that the whole sanitation thing has been handled differently across many of the OWS protest areas across the states. In NYC, those protesting cleaned up the area themselves and all involved (demonstrators, city hall and police & fire) worked through these issues in a peaceful manner. There are usual and customary and scheduled cleaning methods used by towns and cities to keep parks clean and stop the spread of disease. These duties are performed by public employees that need their jobs.

I do just as a citizen have some issues about actual camps being set up in parks without having sanitation facilities also being set up along with people not littering or taking park space from usual visitors. for example, many elderly people gather to play chess and checkers in public parks and socialize on an every day basis. They ought to be able to use a public park in this way without being shoved out due to the protests.

I think that in some cases (not all), that homeless people are joining in because it is a way to set up a tent somewhere and blend in- and actually be in a safer (and warmer at night) environment. And no, I am not saying that all homeless people would not be part of such protests. Hell, there is a rise in homelessness that comes along with such high unemployment rates. Also, there are never enough beds or enough meals for the homeless as it is as provided by organizations that offer help to them.

I have been in many, many protests through the years and organizing sanitation as well as emergency contingency plans ate critical for long term protests. usually, permits are required that call for these kinds of contingencies. The fact is that hundreds of people in one area does pose health issues if things are not done to prevent these problems via public health practices.

There have been many nearby businesses in Oakland that do not want to continue to have non-customers use their restrooms. They have a right to feel this way as they are the ones that clean and maintain their restrooms and also want their restrooms to be used by customers.

I back this movement and want it to grow into something that effects voting and change that reflects the 99%. I don't want violent outbreaks in which people are injured, including police officers.

I don't get why the Oakland demonstrators and all involved couldn't come up with some of the same procedures as the NYC people did that made it so that the park was cleaned and the demonstrations could go on. Why not have an agreed amount of time that demonstrators leave and the cleaning is done- and also demonstrators making sure trash and litter is picked up?

I am also wondering about how at first, OWS participants came to designated areas and protested, then went home.. then came back on a daily basis. people were really rotating in and out of the protests, not living there.

Just seems like there are solutions available so that violence does not break out. I could not have all of the facts about the Oakland situation, however. I do know that if a group took over the dog park I use everyday in a way that I could not use it as a citizen, I wouldn’t like it. I have gone over to SF and participated in OWS, and then came home. I will do this again. Yet, so many people have lost their homes and jobs throughout all that has gone on with the 1% screwing common people, setting up tent cities may be a much more pointed way to draw attention to what has happened to so many… having to live in tents or cars and losing jobs.

I identify with and agree with the protesters on pretty much all I've heard, though I haven't followed the protests closely enough to offer any insights here that haven't already been offered.

I think the term "Occupy" wasn't the best term due to US history and present of occupation.

It doesn't surprise me that some groups are more organized than others. Protests often inconvenience people - but I don't think I'd mind much if I were inconvenienced. (Not a single Occupy Temple protestor, I'm afraid).

I've been to protests that last an evening - maybe a late-afternoon til midnight. In those cases, all I had to do was show up (in Sacramento, protesting Prop 8 just after it was passed). These were not super-planned, but they weren't forever-protests. We went home, went to bed, and went about our business the next day. I'm impressed people are able to hold out so long. These sort of protests taking place require a support network - not just people who show up. My impression is the original protest was extremely well-planned, and probably has the most *professional* protestors. (I have a few friends who - though neither would claim the title - would qualify as professional. They are a bit snotty when regular folks attempt to protest - with no experience, no direction, etc. Anyway, they know the drill, they know what they'll need, they know to pick up after themselves, they are super-trained for dealing with cops, they understand the resources for support, the network of couches to surf, lawyers willing to support them if needed. They are well-practiced and well-trained). Anyway, I think regular folks just show up and there is no training and no preparation - and that's okay if you're talking about an afternoon or evening of protest. If protestors need more support in some areas, then they need more support.

I hope I'm making sense - I just woke up. I wanted to write last night, but ended up reading and watching the youtubes posted here. It was nice to hear Naomi Wolf talk - haven't heard her in a while.

I took a sociology class in college - "the sociology of deviance." I thought it was going to be nice and juicy, but instead the entire class focused on corporate deviance with an eye to Enron. I found the reading extreeeeemely tedious. But, I'm glad now I took the class. I wish I'd retained more of what I read. I am glad so many people can be so motivated for such a long period of time to protest what has been a long history of corporate crime, violation and injury at the expense of those who can least recover from it.

I hear alarm bells with people switching their banks on November 5th. When I think of masses of people withdrawing money from a bank, when you know they don't have the cash at hand to pay for it, it just reminds me of that Mary Poppins scene about the run on the bank. I am somewhat concerned that certain actions could plunge us into a (worse) depression and there might be a certain element of cutting-off-our-noses-to-spite-our-faces going on. The banks deserve it, but I do wonder what the long-term ramifications will be for people.

I think it's shitty anywhere it's illegal to be homeless.

The *Occupied Cities* seem to all be different. Albeit, the cause is the same. Tent city, here in Pgh. is less than 20 tents. Ironic that the small patch of grass they are [occupying] is owned by Mellon Bank (part of BNY). Mellon Bank has given them permission to be there. The area is clean. I haven't heard of this being an issue. The majority of the people go home each night and return each day. Some, like me, have jobs and other things going on and can only participate on a limited basis. Therefore, the size of the crowds vary. The Pgh. Police are near by but have not interrupted any of the demonstrations. All have been described as *peaceful*. The ACLU has been on the television saying it is keeping a watchful eye on what is going on.

The messages are getting out. There are plenty. I don't think there is a right way or a wrong way. As long as this movement is getting peoples attention. Giving people something to think about. This entire state is in extreme financial hardship, Harrisburg, our Capitol, may not be able to pay it's bills until the end of the year. Lot's of people are loosing jobs because of Goverment free wheeling. People want answers. Tent cities send a message.