Judge orders Zucotti Park barriers removed, jubilant Occupiers return

After a judge ordered the removal of the barriers around Zucotti Park (a privately owned space that is open to the public, built as part of a deal to allow a property developer to put up more buildings), jubilant #Occupy protesters streamed into the "spiritual home" of the Occupy movement. Puzzled private security guards are now jostling for space as the place refills with protesters.

#Occupy Wall Street Returns to Zuccotti Park (#OWS) « naked capitalism

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: happy mutants • law • nyc • occupy • ows • protest • video • youtube

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Mister44

Good lord, couldn’t they find a less hobo-like spokesperson?
- http://noctilucent-studios.blogspot.com/ Noctilucent Studios
  
  Might have been a last minute thing…..although you are right in that it wouldn’t hurt to have someone a little more television friendly to try and reach middle america.
  
  wait, does middle america even know what RT is?
- http://twitter.com/GideonTJones Gideon Jones
  
  Leadership-less protest groups FTW.
- Cowicide
  
  Spokesperson? I didn’t see a spokesperson.
http://idealistpropaganda.blogspot.com/ GEF

much more informative clip from the Tim Pool (@TimCast) live stream archive here: http://idealistpropaganda.blogspot.com/2012/01/zuccotti-liberty-park-is-re-opened.html discussing where the movement has been and what’s in store.
http://mychemicaljourney.blogspot.com The Chemist

<whine>But… but they’re hippies!</whine>
Guest

I can see them set up for a rude awakening when nobody pays attention to them anymore – they were a circus sideshow for the summer but the attention has moved on – we’ll find new freaks to gawk at.
- Guest
  
  And I can see you going on like that for years. I made popcorn, what are you making?
- calickizzle
  
  Was Occupy Wall Street around during the summer? Since the first march & occupation happened in September and lasted through, what, November….?
- Finnagain
  
  Luckily, all of the underlying causes for the movement have been addressed so there’s no longer any need to protest. Right?
  - Paul232
    
    Your response assumes that the solution to the problems is protesting, resulting in a “need” to protest. I suspect the solutions lie elsewhere.
    - wysinwyg
      
      Well don’t keep us in suspense, man. If you have solutions let’s hear them.
Guest

HA HA
Anony Mouse

Their relevance has passed. They changed the national discourse. But it’s over. The right to continue to exist is a hollow victory. The only way for them to remain in the public light is as clowns.
- Cowicide
  
  The American public’s relevance has passed. The American public changed the national discourse. But the American public is over. The American public’s right to continue to exist is a hollow victory. The only way for the American public to remain in the public light is as clowns.
- Guest
  
  I’m sure you can identify
http://mychemicaljourney.blogspot.com The Chemist

If they’re so irrelevant, why bother insisting on it?
- http://twitter.com/GideonTJones Gideon Jones
  
  Same reason a lot of us still take a moment or two out of day to mock the Tea Party when they come up?
  - http://profiles.google.com/kprigge Kevin Prigge
    
    The only difference is, the Tea Party has actually accomplished getting people elected. Where are all the Occupy candidates?
    - http://noctilucent-studios.blogspot.com/ Noctilucent Studios
      
      OWS isin’t bankrolled by the Koch brothers like the “tea party”
      - http://profiles.google.com/kprigge Kevin Prigge
        
        George Soros, Koch Brothers, what’s the difference? It still doesn’t explain why there’s no Occupy candidates for office.
      - wysinwyg
        
        George Soros didn’t fund any of the occupy events. Koch did fund Teaparty events. That’s the difference.
    - Navin_Johnson
      
      That’s probably because the Tea Party, is just a Republican partisan group, a group fabricated by corporate interests and think tanks. They’re basically fighting for the same policies as the 1%, whereas the #occupy movement is actually fighting against the status quo.
      
      Let us know when there’s an actual “Tea” PARTY.
      
      The trolls are out today…
    - MB44
      
      Which election has happened since OWS began? No need for a reply, it’s a rhetorical question.
    - Cowicide
      
      The only difference is, the Tea Party has actually accomplished getting people elected. Where are all the Occupy candidates?
      
      OWS isn’t simply attempting to get corporatist figureheads into office to continue the status quo.
      
      That’s why the Tea Party is a failure and not “an accomplishment”.
      
      The OWS has only been active for 4 months and yet we were able to influence this country to FINALLY at least discuss real issues that actually affect average Americans in the mainstream media instead of non-stop distractions.
      
      Considering how monied and entrenched the corporatists are, this was a major victory.
      
      And we’re just getting started, son.
  - Ipo
    
    I would love to sponsor a tea party in Zuccotti park.
    Piping hot beverages – it’s cold out there.
http://ocschwar.livejournal.com/ ocschwar

Very nice. But Occupiers should keep the prize in mind: the ability to swamp the actual Wall Street with persistent protest actions.
Tully

The park’s owners voluntarily took the barriers down in response to a letter from the NYCLU. Not sure what the headline is referencing.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JG5AYMZ2NLPAERVKIS2SCIZDPQ Nothing Much

I don’t know if you folks have noticed this, however the Russian press is filling in the gaps left by our own corporate press and the biased news coverage of our public boradcasting. Granted this is a means of propaganda, a sort of stab at America and how we’ve fallen off our horse of human rights that we used to ride on during the Cold War. And you know what? It’s a service. I’ve seen a lot of very interesting stories on “Russia Today” lately. The Russians and Americans drove each other to excellence. Bring back the USSR, just don’t bring back the Warsaw Pact.
- IronEdithKidd
  
  Bring back the Soviet Union?
  
  No. Just no.
- Cowicide
  
  I was with you until you said bring back the U.S.S.R…. sigh…
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    I was with you until you said bring back the U.S.S.R…. sigh…
    
    Were there more or fewer wars when there was somebody big enough to stand up to the US?
    - Cowicide
      
      Were there more or fewer wars when there was somebody big enough to stand up to the US?
      
      I hope you’re kidding…
      
      Just Americans, mind you…
      
      Korean War: 33,686 deaths
      Vietnam War: 58,178 deaths 153,452 wounded 1,711 missing
      
      Those dwarf our casualties in both Iraq and Afghanistan combined and that’s only two conflicts from the Cold War.
      
      Don’t forget the Soviet war in Afghanistan…
      
      Total proxy wars via the Cold War:
      
      Greek Civil War, 1946–1949
      Malaysian Emergency, 1948–1960
      Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948–Present
      Korean War, 1950–1953
      Suez Crisis, 1956–1957
      Cuban Revolution, 1953–1959
      1959 Tibetan uprising, 1959–1973
      Laotian Civil War, 1953–1975
      Vietnam War, 1957–1975
      Guatemalan Civil War, 1960–1996
      Congo Crisis, 1960–1965
      Bay of Pigs Invasion, 1961
      Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
      Angolan Civil War, 1974–2002
      Ogaden War,1977–1978
      Afghan-Soviet War, 1979–1989
      Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979
      Iran-Iraq war, 1980–1988
      Invasion of Grenada, 1983
      Nicaraguan Civil War, 1979–1990
      Salvadoran Civil War, 1980–1992
      
      No, I don’t want us (or the world for that matter) back in another Cold War and I think the millions of people that lost loved ones (military and far more civilian deaths/wounded) wouldn’t care for another one either.
      - Antinous / Moderator
        
        True. But the fat lady hasn’t sung yet.
      - Cowicide
        
        We’ve already sent out Navy SEALs to hunt down and kill the fat lady.
JProffitt71

Oh jesus and like a light switch all the talking points are flipped on again. Yay aneurism.
Mister44

Every time I hear “Oh well – the Koch brothers bankrolled the Tea Party.” So fucking what? And? That makes their interests any less legitimate? They didn’t fund every person who showed up. They didn’t fund all the votes for people the Tea Party actually got into office. Does that make Obama any less legit because he had/has the rich funding his campaign? What about all the Super PAC crap we will see this year on both sides?

The Tea Party did and does resonate with some people on various levels. To dismiss it solely because it has political backing is folly. Hell – it helped it. As others pointed out – where are the OWS backed candidates? The problem with any grassroots movement is that if there is not clear leadership, the movement fizzles and the message gets muddied, and you get some guy who fell off of a train to be your spokesman.
- Navin_Johnson
  
  The Tea Party resonates with angry whites who are confused about how, and why policies are hurting them, and are realizing that they’re slowly losing ground demographically. It’s Southern Strategy divide and conquer. It’s clear from Santelli’s original rallying cry/rant that blamed the entire economic crisis on poor (ie minority) homeowners, and suggested that whites were footing the bill. It is utterly incoherent.
  
  and you get some guy who fell off of a train to be your spokesman.
  
  I think we can see where you’re coming from with that comment.
  
  Does that make Obama any less legit because he had/has the rich funding his campaign?
  
  Yes it does, and it’s clear it’s influenced his poor policy making. This is precisely why #occupy exists. Both parties are in debt to elite financial interests.
  - wysinwyg
    
    It’s also why there aren’t any “OWS candidates” (besides the obvious point that there haven’t been too many elections since the start of OWS). Ron Paul supporters and Marxists probably aren’t going to support the same candidates but you could find both at OWS because both groups DO have some common interests. If you think OWS is supposed to be a political advocacy group or even if you think it’s a “protest” you’re probably missing the point.
    
    And if you think the sorts of people at OWS were hardcore Democratic party partisans then you’re not only missing the point, you’re living in a fantasy world of your own construction.
    
    Edit: probably should have posted as a reply to mister44
  - http://profiles.google.com/kprigge Kevin Prigge
    
    Here’s the video and a transcript: http://ironicsurrealism.com/2009/02/19/trader-tea-party-rick-santelli-rant-video-full-transcript/
    
    It sounds pretty coherent to me, and remarkably race-free.
    - wysinwyg
      
      Which part was coherent? The right wing slogans or blaming the state of the economy on people with absolutely no economic leverage?
- Cowicide
  
  Every time I hear “Oh well – the Koch brothers bankrolled the Tea Party.” So fucking what?
  
  If the Tea Baggers had fought for more regulation of Wall Street, a single payer system for health care, etc. — I’d say so fucking what too.
  
  But, back to reality… the tea baggers didn’t do any of those things and instead fell into blind, stooge lockstep to help promote agendas for corporatists like the Koch brothers (who… oh, just so happened to fund the tea bagger events).
  
  you get some guy who fell off of a train to be your spokesman.
  
  Your critical thinking & comprehension skills are lacking if you considered that man a spokesman. But, those same lack of skills may also explain your general hostility for the OWS and your affection for stooge tea baggers.
  
  where are the OWS backed candidates?
  
  I’m still looking for a tea bagger candidate that’s worth a shit. Would you point one out, please?
  
  OWS isn’t simply attempting to get corporatist figureheads into office to continue the status quo.
  
  For some strange reason, you think true democracy is easy and quick. Sorry, if you want convenience, go to McDonald’s and get a shitty burger or vote for some jackass tea bagger candidates who’ll tell you they are fighting for your “freedoms” against the gays, etc.
  
  In reality, true democracy isn’t easy. It isn’t quick. And it sure as hell doesn’t produce idiots like we’ve seen from the tea bagger effort. It’s only been 4 months and we’ve accomplished great things that actually help average Americans by spreading information that’s been repressed by corporatists.
  
  … and we’re just getting started.