Solidarity has been used as a powerful word among Occupiers across the world over the past few monthes. Today, there is one group though that has put the idea of solidarity to use in a unbelievable way. The police. Several police forces, including the NYPD, have been coordinating their actions with the advice of federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and FBI according to an anonymous federal source.
Some of the federal consulting involved media tactics, ways to effectively attack protestors, and how to intimidate any enemies of the police state. These tactics, though propagandized as monstrous when used by foreign regimes like Libya, Syria, and Pakistan, used by our own police forces demonstrate the full reality of life in the US in the post-9/11 security culture crafted under the Bush administration, and maintained under Obama. I voted for Obama, and generally vote Democrat, and am incredibly disapointed in the actions of those I voted for to protect the civil liberties of my fellow citizens. It’s a common sentiment, but I now, more than ever, believe that if corporations are people, then tents are protected speech.
Today, there have been police raids across the country, here in New York, Charlotte, Columbus, Germany, and the Seattle PD are attacking protesters there with pepper spray as I write this. Today, the NYPD took the advice of the Department of Homeland Security and enforced a decision Mayor Bloomberg made under the stress of the power corporation using fear-mongering and doublespeak . Over 200 people were arrested this morning as riot police, in a show of state terror descended on Zuccotti in the hundreds and brutalized protesters as they deliberately kept away media “for their own safety.” They destroyed the amazing piece of collaborative work that had become known as the People’s Library., which, on a personal note, truly saddens me.
The NYCLU, in defense of Occupy Wall Street, assisted in filing an injunction against the police to allow the protestors back into the park with their gear, but the injunction was downgraded to just allow sleeping in the park with sleeping bags but no tents. As this is being written, over 1500 have assembled in Zuccotti for the first General Assembly to occur since this morning’s raid.
It’s ironic that this raid comes up on the two month birthday of the Wall Street Occupation, but it’s significant for another reason. Including today’s arrests, there have been over 4000 arrests, the number arrested in Iran after their last election. These arrests were crucial in the ignition of the Arab Spring. Let’s home the same is true for the American Autumn. From what I understand, the park will be reoccupied tonight, but I worry that there will be more arrests. We’ll see tomorrow.
OccupyArrests 