And, yet, that’s *exactly* who it should be for.  Without the general public on side, change will never happen.

OWS has created some of the critical mass it needs to move on to the next stage of protest, but now it needs to move beyond simply collecting bodies to it’s cause; it needs to propose solutions, rather than just complain about problems, and it needs to educate it’s followers to be able to present those solutions in ways that most people can identify with.

Pushing journalists away from OWS before the raid is demonstrably and grossly anathema to the proper execution of our liberties. We’ve already seen this sort of bad behavior on the part of police forces at the Battle of the Beanfield–the aftermath of lies about “safety” didn’t stand up well in the courts of law then either.

The presence of journalists would serve to protect the police from false allegations as much as it would server to justify true allegations made by the police against protesters; otherwise, the ensuing lawsuits and failure of the police to support their own allegations may have to become the truncheon by which they’re brought back into line. It saddens me that New York City and the NYPD stand to lose a great deal more money over this OWS eviction than they would have if they’d chosen to take a less violent, stupid path.

I am also gravely concerned about the standard of “safety” when midnight raids target unarmed civilians with troops wearing armor and wielding caustic chemical agents as weapons. During one of these rousts, the police may end up killing someone by deliberately putting them in the most dangerous situation possible–blinded by night, unable to flee, choking on tear gas, surrounded by confusion and strife.

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2011/11/nyc-conducts-orchestrated-raid-on-occupy-wall-street-zuccotti-park-protesters-dirty-tactics-in-desperate-times/

“Protestors” are “the public”.

“The public” is not blocked from anything, it’s just that there is limited space, and individual protestors are using some of it. When you protest you don’t lose any rights. Rights are not things that can be denied you. Either nobody uses the park, or anyone does.

Funny the capitalist types would try to use that ‘tragedy of the commons’ argument against anyone else. Ironic, even. 

The LRAD was used for the first time in the United States in Pittsburgh during the time of the G20 summit on September 24–25th, 2009.[9][10] Pittsburgh police again utilized LRAD as a precautionary measure to prevent unruly crowds from getting out of control following the 2011 Super Bowl. LRAD systems were also purchased by Toronto Police for the 2010 G20 summit….LRAD was also reportedly[12] used by the Oakland Police Department during the clearance of the Occupy Oaklandencampment on the morning of 25 October 2011…..LRAD use was also reported as the New York City Police department cleared protestors during the Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park on the morning of 15 November 2011.[2]

Note that I actually have no objection to LRAD or whatever else being deployed on rowdy Stillers fans.

The big caveat is that IANAL; I’m a Pittsburgh resident and recall discussions about the (at-least-then) illegal use of the LRAD during the G20 here.

This is as blatant an abuse of police power over peaceful political expression as we have seen since–oh, yeah, the arrest of 1,8000 peaceful protesters at the Republican National
convention in 2004, and their illegal placement in preventive detention for 44 hours on “Guantanamo on the Hudson.” The largest, most illegal use of “preventive detention” against political expression in the history of the USA. Same city, Same mayor. Same police chief.

Closing down the subways all around, Destroying protester’s tents and a free public library of 5,000 books and arresting 200 people.  As though the freedom of peaceful political expression justifies this use of “emergency” police power. It is time to elect a government that represents the people, not the corporations and billionaires who control and have corrupted our political system. Time to http://www.OccupyGovernment.org 

Our next front needs to be to occupy the ballot box, in 2012, using our social networks to replace stupefying TV ads. It is time to stand as, or support, candidates willing to represent the 99%. Not the misguided, misuse of government and police on power, ego and greed. 

@hassenpfeffer:twitter  – Is that true, or were you being sarcastic?  I’ve never heard that, but could have just missed it.  I’d be surprised.  I do remember when the Active Denial System heat ray weapon was entering public awareness that some high U.S. official said it would never be used on civilians (heh), but not a discussion of legality of that and related weapons.  (I consider that reassurance to carry as much weight as the “everything is under control, please go about your business” claim on day one of the Fukushima reactor disaster, so I won’t be surprised when ADS shows up in the hands of domestic law enforcement too.)

> i definitely, absolutely, without question got hit by that LRAD last night

@twitter-15707229:disqus  – What was that like?

What, did Bloomberg watch a mafia-movie-marathon this weekend?!

i definitely, absolutely, without question got hit by that LRAD last night. it is not a mere rumor.  jfyi– might want to get earplugs. that motherfucker hurts.

Step 1: Set up a tent.
Step 2: Complain that the 1% won’t even let you set up a tent.
Step 3: Watch as the police tear down your tent and hit you with their sticks.
Step 4: Go to Step 1.

I think it’s brilliant, though I guess I could totally misreading this ‘movement.’ And I don’t necessarily see public support waning because of the duration of the occupation – some have become more interested, some never supported it at all – and the general public has always tended to support the elites anyways, so maybe this isn’t For Them. It’s a make-work project for the dispirited Left.

Occupy Wall Street must now move beyond the narrow confines of protests in parks. This groundswell must be channeled into fielding independent (read: not party-affiliated) candidates and backing them in up-coming elections, to unseat misguided and misanthropic politicians like Mayor Bloomberg and Mayor Quan. This nation still operates under the auspices of “one person, one vote” — despite the attempts of the conservative Right to limit who can actually vote — and it is time to use the power of the disaffected millions to alter the political landscape. It is time to Occupy A Voting Booth, and take back local, state, and federal administrations, and restore America to its original birthright of freedom & liberty for all citizens.