Michael Moore at Occupy Wall Street 9/27/11 The Wall Street encampment continues at Liberty Square, as do the marches and ingathering.
Occupy Boston votes, with 75% of those present reported as voting in favor, to begin a similar occupation in Boston. The UK Guardian covered the public birth of Occupy Boston stating that the organizing group was smart, savvy, and committed, and most had been participating in the Wall Street occupation.
The crowd of Bostonians listened and spoke about their anger
at the ills in the capitalist system in general and the financial industry in
particular.Gathering in the centre of Boston Common, in the heart of
the city, they heard various speakers promise to copy the New York protests. “Tonight we begin to
show the world how to live in freedom and peace. Right here, right now, a new
life is starting,” said Marissa Egerstrom, one of the organising forces
behind Occupy Boston.Those were big words to say in front of just 200 people. But
Occupy Boston aims to emulate Occupy Wall Street
protesters, whose seizure of a downtown Manhattan
park was first ignored by most of the media but has now generated headlines
around the world, especially after police used pepper spray against peaceful
women demonstrators…..
Many of those gathered on the Common, including nearly all
the key organisers, had been to New
York to witness the protests. One organiser, Matthew
Krawitz, who brought his two daughters to the Common, had been in Manhattan for the first
day of the protests there. Now the unemployed IT expert was helping set up
something similar in Boston. “I’m here to give them a better future,” he said, referring to his
two children.In style and substance, Occupy Boston closely followed that
of Occupy Wall Street, which was itself inspired by recent social movements in Spain and Arab
countries. After the speeches different tactical groups were formed – covering
everything from legal affairs to food to medical to media outreach – to prepare
for the coming occupation. Potential sites to be occupied included the Common itself and Dewey Square
in Boston’s financial district.The crowd of Bostonians listened and spoke about their anger at the ills in the capitalist system in general and the financial industry in particular.Gathering in the centre of Boston Common, in the heart of the city, they heard various speakers promise to copy the New York protests. “Tonight we begin to show the world how to live in freedom and peace. Right here, right now, a new life is starting,” said Marissa Egerstrom, one of the organising forces behind Occupy Boston…..
Many of those gathered on the Common, including nearly all the key organisers, had been to New York to witness the protests. One organiser, Matthew Krawitz, who brought his two daughters to the Common, had been in Manhattan for the first day of the protests there. Now the unemployed IT expert was helping set up something similar in Boston. “I’m here to give them a better future,” he said, referring to his two children.
In style and substance, Occupy Boston closely followed that of Occupy Wall Street, which was itself inspired by recent social movements in Spain and Arab countries. After the speeches different tactical groups were formed – covering everything from legal affairs to food to medical to media outreach – to prepare for the coming occupation.
Potential sites to be occupied included the Common itself and Dewey Square in Boston’s financial district.
Between the well-populated senate race, and a “New England Spring in the fall”, it looks to be a memorable fall. Note that the above article contains a number of video clips. Again, if I were 40 years younger, I would be there – and may still find myself unable to stay away.
It’s more relevant, for one thing, but for practicality’s sake, it’ll be easier to make it look like there’s a bigger crowd there, since it won’t be the entire commons. I also feel like the last thing we need is another protest on the Commons. We need to think differently and do different things to catch the attention of everyone. Station the “camp” by the financial centers of the city, and if they want to attract a wider audience than that, have a daily march from there to the state house, extra points for slowing everything down.
According to the article, they were also talking about wanting to have more specific, concrete demands, proposals and expectations than what’s going on in NY. Part of me feels as though that’s not necessary — people working hard to make effective changes to our system can just point to these protests and say, “see the anger? This is why we need these changes” — however, if they want something specific, why not propose some meaningful reform that Beacon Hill could actually pass?
They could propose something like closing some more corporate tax loopholes, or getting rid of the free money (tax credits) we give major corporations every day in the $2billion+ supplemental budget, with little — and in some cases, no — oversight or demands to show how those tax actually grow jobs.
In many cases, we’ve poured tens of millions away to corporate “causes” we *know* doesn’t grow any jobs at all. I’d love to see us demand most of that $2+ billion go towards investments in our roads and public transportation, in making our public colleges affordable for Massachusetts residents (I still have nearly $50k in loans from going to UMASS — it’s an albatross), and toward the expenses cities and towns struggle desperately to afford everyday, like special education. Think how that $2+ billion could be carved up and used far more effectively for this state than freaking (mostly) corporate tax credits that don’t really grow jobs.
They could protest in Post Office Square, but the park there is privately owned, meaning they could (and probably would) be arrested for trespassing. I think the upper triangle (which Google Maps calls “George Thorndike Angell Memorial Square”) might be public property, but it’s probably too small for the size of protest they’re envisioning.
6:00 PM 9/30/11. Can you livestream or do direct reportage? It is initially a conflict for me with another place I have promised to be, but I intend to spend part of my evening at Dewey Square Friday. If you “follow” OccupyBoston on Twitter you will get updates, and the father points are also being posted on the Occupy Boston page on facebook. That page is over 3000 members in one week.
9/29/11 Occupy Boston Slideshow
This is one of the most encouraging developments I’ve seen. It had to come to this.
Typo corrected, now to sign back in to working on the next case (as I am self employed I keep time sheets for each client and blogging is done when I am off the clock, only).
And thanks to everyone who helped me learn how to do links properly on this platform…cannot seem to embed videos yet but someone will explain it simply enough for me. Imagine – my first organizing was done using a wax-cylinder Gestetner in Detroit in 1964 in Jack Faxon’s first campaign.
Who knew?
Phoenix story on Occupy Boston from 9/29/11
Here is the news story that TWU will join the occupation of Wall Street Friday, September 30th at 4 PM
The OccupyBoston website
For those interested – if not interested, avoid Dewey Square tomorrow.
From the Phoenix
All along the Watchtower