At 1:30 this morning police in full riot gear attacked the participants of Occupy Boston, which had peacefully gathered on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Without any regard for the protester's constitutional rights, the Boston Police Department made no distinction between protesters, medics, or legal observers, arresting legal observer Ursula Levelt, who serves on the steering committee for the National Lawyers Guild, as well as four medics attempting to care for the injured.
Earlier in the day, an estimated ten thousand union members, students, veterans, families, men, and women of all ages marched from the Boston Common to Dewey Square, and then to the North Washington Bridge to demand economic reform on Wall Street and the end of special interest influence in Washington.
Following this massive outpouring of public support, dozens of police vans descended on the Greenway, with batons drawn, assaulting protesters and arresting more than one-hundred people. Members of Veterans for Peace carrying American flags were pushed to the ground and their flags trampled as the police hauled them away. The movement claims that
Later on, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis made no mention of veterans, organized labor, students, or families, nor did he issue an apology for his department’s aggressive tactics. The official website for the movement states that, "since the beginning of the occupation, Occupy Boston has worked tirelessly and successfully to maintain a positive working relationship with city officials. Today’s reprehensible attack by the Boston Police Department against a movement that enjoys the broad support of the American people
represents a sad and disturbing shift away from dialogue and towards violent repression." For the full press release visit this link.
They also claim to bear "no ill-will towards the men and women of the Boston Police Department who were simply following orders." They conclude by inviting anyone who feels solidarity for the cause to join them. A group of specialists from Harvard University has declared that they are "ready to discuss legal representation for Occupy Boston protesters". They also add that: "Our lawyers, historians, economists, linguists, political scientists, doctors, mathematicians, designers, artists, environmental scientists, educators, ministers, and sheer organizers are standing by to help give voice to those who need it at this moment in time. We are particularly interested in requests for specific policy proposals from occupations."
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The police are in this weird
The police are in this weird gray area, with pressure on both sides. I think we need to come up with srategies to include them as much as possible, despite the occassional instances of law breaking on their sides. All those cops who are torn by what is happening, we need to appeal to them as much as possible! http://www.occupy-wallstreet.com/us-vs-them/the-police/ Some thoughts here about the role of the police.
Solidarity of the 99%
To this point there is an unfortunate ‘appearance’ of insularity underlying the Occupy Wall Street protest. While this may reflect a nationalism or lack of awareness it should not continue. Firstly, Wall Street is not monolithic. Rather, it is one of a chain of financial fortresses. In all nations there exists one or more centers of banking and corporate power, all of which operate more or less in concert following a predetermined script. Secondly, though Wall Street is an American location its influence invades every corner of the globe.
Would the people of Occupy Wall Street demand justice and equity only for themselves and Americans, to the exclusion of the people of the rest of the world, some of whom have been far more harmed by the actions of Wall Street corporations than Americans have been.
Just as Wall Street acts in concert and solidarity with all other financial fortresses, so too must Occupy Wall Street act not only in solidarity with other American Occupation Movements, but also in solidarity with the people of the rest of the world. Expecting a seamless integration between the popular resistances in all parts of the globe would be foolish. However, there must be a recognition of common cause.
The roots of every current protest in the world are the same. From Bangkok, to Tel Aviv and Athens, from London to Washington and Toronto, the underlying cause of discontent is the same. In every case the greed of the few, supported by the global banking cartel, is threatening to permanently disenfranchise the 99%.
Grayson re emerges from somewhere??
He shouldn't be the leader, but he sure can articulate some of the high points.