‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protest Invades One Police Plaza In Protest Of NYPD

Unions Jumping Aboard As Organized Movement Gaining Momentum Daily

September 30, 2011 11:34 PM

Protestors end their march at Police Headquarters, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. (credit: (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Protesters marched to One Police Plaza in the middle of the Friday afternoon rush, but avoided any major confrontation with the NYPD.

1010 WINS’ Al Jones Speaks With Protesters

Thousands sat in St. Andrew’s Square after marching as part of the group “Occupy Wall Street” from Zuccotti Park to protest an officer’s action against activists last weekend, 1010 WINS’ Al Jones reported.

And they said they have plenty to be upset about.

“As far as we can see the vast majority of protesters are not provoking violence but they’re being responded to with violence and that’s not right,” protester Leia Doran told CBS 2′s Derricke Dennis.

Photo Gallery: Wall Street Protests

WCBS 880′s Monica Miller reported that a number protesters were able to get near the police headquarters area. She reported that “people were just screaming with elation” in what they considered to be a “huge victory.”

WCBS 880′s Monica Miller Reports

The group has been camped out at Zuccotti Park and marching around the Financial District for two weeks, speaking out against what they say is corporate greed.

“I am tired of seeing the banks, after being given billions in taxpayer dollars, not creating … going out and creating jobs,” protester Luther Green said.

Late Friday afternoon the group headed to One Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan, saying they were fighting against “police brutality and harassment,” specifically an incident last Saturday in which a deputy police inspector used pepper spray against some protesters.

“Police brutality in New York is a little crazy right now — those girls got maced last week. That’s part of the reason that I came out today,” one man told 1010 WINS’ Jones.

“There’s a lot of people who try to hijack the message, a lot of people who try to say that we don’t have a message, but anybody who walks by gets it. You know? People understand what we’re about,” another man said.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg also added his voice to the protest discussion Friday.

“People have a right to protest, but we also have to make sure that people who don’t want to protest can go down the streets unmolested. We have to make sure that while you have a right to say what you want to say, people who want to say something very different have a right to say that as well,” Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg also remarked that protesters were targeting the wrong people and that Wall Street should not be their target.

photo1 Occupy Wall Street Protest Invades One Police Plaza In Protest Of NYPD

(credit: Monica Miller, WCBS 880)

“Protesters are protesting against people who make 40 or 50 thousand dollars a year and are struggling to make ends meet — that’s the bottom line. Those are the people that work on Wall Street [and] are in the finance sector,” the mayor said.

Earlier in the week, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly declined to say whether he believed the conduct was justified, but called the protesters’ behavior leading up to the incident “tumultuous.”

“We have not interfered with them even when they’re marching on the sidewalk in significant numbers — we’ve allowed them to do that,” Kelly said Wednesday.

The Civilian Complaint Review Board is now investigating the actions of that deputy police inspector and the claims of a 25-year-old woman and others regarding the incident.

On its website, the group said that “we condemn the actions of unprofessional police who used excessive force in subduing a peaceful march.”

“Abuse of power is abuse of power. Whether perpetrated by Wall Street bankers or members of the NYPD, it is the duty of all citizens to oppose injustice,” the group said.

Now in its second week, the protest is gaining momentum, reports CBS 2′s Dennis. The Transit Workers Union joined the cause Friday, chanting “tax the rich, not the poor.”

One man, with a dollar bill over his mouth, said he and other workers are slaves to their paychecks.

“I remember America the way it used to be, when there was opportunity, when you could come out and get a job, when you could save and plan, and buy a house, a home,” said Kathy Banks of Battery Park.

And until they get some answers to their issues, protesters said they’ll keep exercising their First Amendment right.

“We all come together for 9/11, but we’ve got to come together more besides 9/11. We have to come together and unite,” added Jennie Little of Jersey City.

Even more unions are expected to join the protests as the days go by, including the United Auto Workers and several teachers unions.

What do you think about the protests? Share your thoughts in the comments section…

Liberalism Is a Disease

You go! unwashed, uneducated, left wing, socialist, future burger king workers!!!!
JACKIE

NB
GET A JOB AND HAVE KARMA PLAY WITH YOU. PEPPER SPRAY THEM ALL. GO NYPD.

AnonBeliever

If there was a job for them they wouldnt be out there.

AV

You got to be kidding…these people don’t want to work….the jobs they want might not be there but there are jobs out there….go look for them or do you want everything handed to you……

NB

Oh honey you have it so wrong. I have a job–a really good one and a successful career spanning over 25 years. I probably make 3 times what you do (but without your killer pension and practically freebie health insurance). But I support this protest because it is the right thing to do and I am fed up with this country’s support of big banks, fed up with corporations excessively funding political campaigns, and fed up seeing my friends being unemployed for years at a time while the 1% just roll in it. If you were a smart girl (which you aren’t) you’d realize that you are part of the 99% who are getting screwed over. Enjoy your pension and all the overtime you’re making on this protest, your anti-semitism, and your ignorance. I know you cops love are diffing all the overtime you’re getting. That and your donuts and booze.

ciinzana

So NB I guess you don’t have a 401K or any investments in stocks… riiiiiight.. if you are so successful as you say you are you than I am sure that you are just as reliant in Wall St. as all the people that work there. Even people with pensions rely on Wall Street and the stock market. Please stop with your disingenuous outrage it’s really quite obnoxious. If you’re going to walk the walk than talk the talk!!

ART

ciinzana .. It is you who are clueless. People’s 401K’s were doing great until the banks and corporations screwed the economy and cause the unemployment to skyrocket. The economy tanked under George W’s watch. Wall street did better before the greed set in. If people have no jobs then where will they get the money to buy things from these corporations? Have you seen the stock market today and this last month? How do you explain that?

JACKIE

NB
SORRY YOU RAISED ANOTHER A–HOLE. TELL HER TO STAY HOME AND SHE WOULD’T HAVE BEEN PEPPER SPRAYED. ANYONE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PEPPER SPRAYED AND ARRESTED. YOU AND SHE ARE JUST LOOKING TO SUE. GET A LIFE AND LEAVE US COPS ALONE. IF SHE IS ANYTHING LIKE YOU, THE COUNTRY IS IN DEEP S–T. SO GIVE HER A FEW BUCKS AND A TICKET TO TEMPLE. WHAT A BUNCH OF A–HOLES.

NB

Nice language. And you seem to hate Jews too. We are not Jewish so I’m not sure where you got your “temple” comment from. But I guess when hate runs that deep you’ll use it on anyone. Watch out. Instant karma’s gonna get you.
floyd

Jackie Jackie you don’t know anything above your pay grade oh can i get my soda please with that! !!!

Brandt Hardin

The movement is gaining momentum after two weeks and Occupy movements are popping up all over the country! Stand up together and use your voice to give to those without through solidarity. Tax the rich and feed the poor- you are the 99%! See my Occupy Wall Street painting and Anonymous homage on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/09/occupywallstreet.html where you can also see videos of the protests and police brutality as well as get other sources for coverage of the movement.
Kat

I pass Zuccotti Park everyday and they are not making one bit of difference. I spoke to a few young kids, all of whom are in school and going home at night. The ones who sleep there 24/7 don’t have anything going on in their lives. They are marching against the police tonight because there is nothing else to do.

NB

If you turn on the Live stream of this event RIGHT NOW you will see thousands of people there. Not just kids. Not just students. the NYC Transit Workers Union has joined them and will march with them. My daughter was one of the protesters brutalized by the NYPD. She did nothing to deserve it. Occupy Wall Street may not have made a big dent until today but take a look. The park is overflowing and thousands are there now.

L.O.

Is your daughter willing to die for her cause? For these people to compare themselves to those who took part in the movements of the “Arab Spring” is pathetic. Any successful movement has had the patience to engage its police and military; this takes time (months, years), and whining and freaking out about every little thing is not the way to do it. Give us a break, please.
Your daughter will survive; this movement will not. These wimps will disappear once it gets chilly and being a “revoluntionary” isn’t so fun anymore.

2 cent

This is what happens when you have a large amount of over-educated, entitled young people wanting to know why they don’t have what they were told all their lives they could have. I do believe in peaceful protests, but these people are going about this all wrong. They are targeting”Wall Street” (and what it stands for as a whole, rather than focusing their energy and efforts on a single investment bank that is mostly responsible for this inequity – they should all march over to 200 West Street, the headquarters of Goldman Sachs, and call them out! If the protesters really organize a missive against this evil organization and expose all the things that they have done to wreck the economy (in cahoots with higher ups in the Government) then this would be a positive and effective way to get their point across and facilitate some REAL change in how things are done in the investment banking world.
Reverend Rev

These professional activists complain about big corporations, yet they’re WORKING for a corporation (“OccupyWallStreet”) that’s clearly big enough to hire thousands of people and stage protests in cities across three continents.

TimTayshun

Booo. Unfortunately, you don’t know anything about this movement. There is NO ONE being paid to represent this movement. No one. Check out this awesome Opinion piece on CNN (surprisingly) concerning our growing movement, its timeliness and importance. Please read and stay informed. Thx & Peace http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/kohn-tradition-of-protests/index.html?iref=allsearch

JACKIE

BLOOMBERG SHOULD BE OUT THERE WITH THEM. HE ONLY MAKES A BUCK A YEAR. SORRY, HE SHOULD BE IN TEMPLE—I FOUND OUT THAT THE SEAT COST TO MUCH. YES MORE THEN HE MAKES–POOR A–HOLE.
JGNY

I fail to see the issue. The public traded companies that employee millions of people are the engine of economic growth in this country. In addition, if any of these protestors wish to be successful instead of whinning, go back to school, get a degree and learn how too. There is NO ONE Stopping any of these protestors from becoming rich or non dependent. These people who work on wall street are not all rich, some make less then a non skilled union worker. The bottom line is, instead of wasting tiime crying that the big greedy corporations are not giving you their money, earn it yourself. There are plenty of self made rich people who have become rich without the help of wall street. This is what our leader Obama wants, more class warfare and division. He thrives on it and you dopes are falling for it. NO ONE OWES YOU A THING. Instead of protesting, get a job, start a business and make your mark and leave honest, hardworking citizens alone. They are not just protesting, they are demanding that others give away to them what they have not earned. Pure and simple, left wing nonsense

ART

If these corporation are the engines of economic growth then why are we in the worst recession in 80 years with no end in sight? Where are the jobs? The CEO’s who make millions are not self made. They were hired by those corporations. How can someone start a business if the banks are loaning money you moron?

Shane Devino

i guess they have nothing better to do lol
Unknown

Some of these comments are ridiculous.

@Vik: Who’s whining now? From the looks of your comment (with all the caps) it seems as if you are the one whining. These people are standing up for what they believe in. Also, if the NYPD were spray ‘everyone’, I doubt anyone would leave. It would probably cause an uproar.

@Kris Kris: How ignorant can you be? Do you not understand why we are in this mess in the first place? Your attempted at a rebuttal is pathetic.
SteveR

Screw all these troublemakers. Crack their mellons and throw them in jail.
BigD

Finally Bloomberg is RIGHT. It’s not the little people in Wall street they should br protesting against. IT HIM THAT THEY SHOULD BE PROTESTING AGAINST–MR. BILLIONAIRE, MR.MIKE THE BILLIONAIRE—HAPPY NEW YEAR YOYO–HOW COME YOUR NOT IN TEMPLE–SIT COST TO MUCH?
RDC

IS Bloomberg SERIOUS with this comment? – ““Protesters are protesting against people who make 40 or 50 thousand dollars a year and are struggling to make ends meet — that’s the bottom line. Those are the people that work on Wall Street [and] are in the finance sector,” the mayor said.” What an absolute CROCK. The irony of the matter is that the people that the top 1% of wealth owners have waged war against over the past decade have been those people who make $40K and $50K a year. Where has Bloomberg been in expressing his outrage over that?
TheTruthHurts

Actually, it’s the poor, ever breeding, uneducated ,leaches of society ,who are destroying this country..

John Gulbunnie

That’s describes just about every christian in america. Funny how that works.

timTayshun

well that’s a doozy of a statment. Pathetic.

Rob

Well, I have to give the Police Kudos for their restraint. Although, the group is really small enough that they are hardly noticable down here.

Enjoy your march at 5:30. We all leave this area by 5pm on Fridays….
InYourFace

I’m 100% in support of OWS. HOWEVER, don’t lose focus on why you’re there and begin targeting other institutions like police plaza. It will spread you thin, weaken your cause and attract the idiots who really hate all cops. They will be the ones getting all the attention and thus taint your cause.
Johnny Handsome

ANYONE HERE WHO THINKS THESE PEOPLE SHOULD GO HOME AND SHUT UP IS UN-AMERICAN AND A TRAITOR TO THE CONSTITUTION! YOU SHOULD PACK YOUR BAGS AND GO BACK TO THE COMMIE COUNTRY YOU CAME FROM!

Think Johnny

Johnny Handsome, I think you are a commie and a traitor by making such a statement. Think with your head please.
Don Juan

This country has a long history of protest — dating back to the 18th Century. In fact, there were probably more protests 200 years ago than there are today. It is perfectly American.

Vik

OMG — GO THE “F” HOME!!! GET YOUR WHINY BLEEDING HEART LIBERAL A$$E$, QUIT CLOGGING OUT STREETS WITH YOUR UGLY FACES AND GARBAGE. WE ARE BEYOND SICK OF YOU ALL. GO THE F AWAY ALREADY!!! YOU ALL HAVE DISRUPTED THIS TOWN LONG ENOUGH!!! F’IN LEAVE NOW!! NYPD should have sprayed all of you — maybe then you’d leave!!!

Kris

Do you like the recession? You know, the one caused by the banks and wall street? Do you like the unemployment rates where they are? These people are trying to make a difference for the country by DOING something. Instead of whining about it in comments on a news story. You know, like you.

Kris Kris

Here’s doing something — GO FIND A JOB. Stop playing the blame game and not taking personal accountability. Banks/Wall Street are run by PEOPLE. Don’t blast a whole industry or part of town because of the few bad apples. We shouldn’t have killed just Hitler. We should’ve taken out his whole race by your analogy.

Tom

I say you can always ask the greedy CEOs to be less greedy, but then again, you’d probably have more luck asking Hitler to wear a yarmulke.

John Gulbunni

Laughable nonsense from an uneducated blight on society! #occupywallstreet will restore the power to people (and by people, I mean those educated enough to understand what’s a stake…unlike this troglodyte).

NewYawka

whateva!
jschool

How annoying…this is just something “fun” to do for the young people involved. I doubt their sincerity–I don’t think they really stand for anythingl. They are just being a nuisance, costing the city money, getting attention, and most importantly changing nothing.

Bill K

Young people? I’m 64 years old. I’ve been down to the occupation and I’ve marched with the folks who are holding the park. They’re not all young; a group called the Raging Grannies is there frequently–some of them are in their 90s. There are all kinds of people, of all ages, young, old and in-between, showing up, dropping by to give support or encouragement in what ever way they can. People who work on Wall Street, people whose jobs could be downsized or eliminated at any moment by the bankers–the 1% who own and control most of the city’s and the nation’s wealth–are stopping by after work to say Hello and give encouragement. Even some NYC police officers are expressing support, when the white shirts like Bologna and Kelly are not looking down their shoulders. The transit workers–hardly kids themselves–are on the scene and other trade unionists are about to join in. It’s not simply “just something ‘fun’ to do for the young people involved”, as you so ridiculously claim. For young and old alike who are participating in the occupation or giving it support in whatever way they can, it’s a question of their their job security (for those who are lucky enough to have one), their financial stability, their future. You doubt their sincerity? Why don’t you work up a bit of courage (something the occupiers certainly have) to actually go down to the encampment and talk first-hand with some of the people there, and see what they have to say, to see how sincere they are? Your ignorance and stupidity is showing, and it brands you merely as an ass.

jagdish

Darwinian forces ensure your ilk remains intellectually, financially and socially irrelevent. But you do provide laughs. You “fight” the capitalistic “machine” that provides the tax subsidies that supports you so that you can waste your time on meaningless endeavors to make yourself feel important.

TimTayshun

jagdish = troll

ART

I’m 63 and I support these people. You are obviously clueless about these protests.

Question

Do any of these people work? I mean, this is going on for weeks. Don’t they have a job to go to?

CRM

Exactly. Imagine if they all figured out how they could start a business together based on their skill sets rather than beating drums at random intervals and sitting around with notebooks and listening to each other lecture (I witnessed that the other day on my way to the PATH). By the way, if you look at Bloomberg.com you will see a slideshow of the demonstrators and their quotes. My favorite is the one about “standing up to the machine”.
TimTayshun

According to the unemployment rate, roughly one in ten are out of work in America. This includes a large amount of college students who’ve achieved degrees and racked up student loan debt and still can’t find jobs paying more than minimum wage. pay attention to some of the comments and get informed. This is not a hippy movement. We are the 99%.

Disillusioned

That’s because college (unfortunately) does not teach you how to go and make money. It’s all theory, no practice. I have a Masters degree and little to show for it. What people need to do is get educated about financial matters and then they can stop working for “the machine” and become the business owners. Then they will stop depending on their jobs for security. Stop whining and do something other than protest the “unfairness”. It’s people’s greed that got us into this financial mess. Not just Wall St, but Main St. If you own a car or a large screen TV but can’t afford your rent, YOU are the one who created the problem!

Dipset

But you need a Car in Atlanta. WITHOUT A CAR, i can’t get to work. so sir, what is your theory behind all this?

CRM

The group’s identity seems to change often. First corporate greed, then the death penalty, and now police brutality. It would be nice if they could stay on point.

TimTayshun

We appreciate your sentiment, however consider this:

‎”…very few protest movements enjoy perfect clarity about tactics or command widespread support when they begin; they’re designed to spark conversation, raise awareness, attract others to the cause, and build those structural planks as they grow and develop.” – Glen Greenwald

We are the 99%

CRM

Scope creep. Google it. Who is John Galt?

Josiah Wray

“We have not interfered with them even when they’re marching on the sidewalk in significant numbers — we’ve allowed them to do that,” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Wednesday.

Sorry bud, but there’s something else that ALLOWS us.

Victor

hear, hear!
Mike Oxsmaul

THEY’VE allowed it. HA! Gracious of these goons, ain’t it?

http://jerrylanson.wordpress.com jerrylanson

I think this movement has the potential to coalesce into a populist counterpoint to the Tea Party. I haven’t seen a sustained, nonviolent protest movement on the left in this country since the anti-war movement of the late ’60s and early ’70s. This one has potential if it stays peaceful and develops something that it’s for and not merely against.

CRM

Who is John Galt?

tombetz

A fictional character in a hypocritical atheist author’s poorly written overly-long political screed beloved by a small minority of self-deluded tools of the 1%.

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‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protest Invades One Police Plaza In Protest Of NYPD

Unions Jumping Aboard As Organized Movement Gaining Momentum Daily

September 30, 2011 11:34 PM

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