By Amar C. Bakshi and Mackenzie Sigalos, CNN
Before 1am Tuesday morning, Zuccotti Park was a sea of tents. Over the course of nearly 2 months, the Occupy Wall Street protesters had developed a fairly sophisticated community in the heart of New York City with a library, a convenience store, a first aid tent, and a kitchen at the center of the park that served free food throughout the day.
But according to Mayor Bloomberg and many disgruntled neighbors, the birthplace of Occupy Wall Street was a nuisance and a public health hazard. So early Tuesday morning, police in riot gear stormed the park and evicted the Occupiers.
Similar shutdowns have occurred across America in recent weeks: Oakland, Portland, Burlington, Denver, Salt Lake City, St. Louis and others.
Spending time down in OWS, we asked many people who to talk to for a smart take on the movement, and Hero Vincent’s name came up many times.
Hero came up to NYC from North Carolina on September 17, the first day of the protests. He has been camping out in Zuccotti Park for nearly two months, during which time he was arrested for misdemeanors by the city police on multiple occasions.
We brought Hero into the CNN studios just minutes after the New York Supreme Court decided not to allow the OWS protesters to re-establish camp in Zuccotti Park.
Mayor Bloomberg said: "Protesters have had two months to occupy the park with tents and sleeping bags. Now they will have to occupy the space with the power of their arguments."
But just how essential is a physical space to the success of Occupy Wall Street? Does Occupy Wall Street seek to become a political force like the Tea Party? And what do young people like Hero think of President Obama’s promise of change? We put these questions to Hero in the video above. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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Occupy Wall Street's next move
WE the People (including the Super Committee) can go to 100% http://www.WEare100percent.info
Pretty Funny that it took the Department of Homeland Security and their tips to the media on how to diffuse the grenade that was the occupy movement. DHS tells CNN, fox and other media sources how to cover story . Too bad you won't see a story about it on here though. Media, banks, global neocons are on the same side and that side is AGAINST YOU!
The physical space is important, because it symbolises the presence of a crowd from everywhere, that gathers for the same cause and voices univocally their concerns and grievances – corporate creed.
"Media, banks, global neocons are on the same side and that side is AGAINST YOU!"
Yes, it's a tug of war, a long and tough one. Even if the OSW-movement wouldn't gain much, it had nothing to lose neither. On the contrary, it has raised social consciousness.
It's taken 60 days to go from 99% to 99 1/2%. Now is the time for OWS along with the Super Committee to go to 100%!
The WE Party is not a political action committee! It's about celebrating what's right in the world.
Together WE can make a difference!
http://www.WEare100percent.info
you all didn't make a difference when it was "Yes we Can" how is that change working out for you guys
Hear the conversation with We, The World's Chair and Founder Rick Ulfik, and organizers for Occupy Wall Street, Justin Wedes and Sandra Nurse. http://www.we.net
How can the 99% get 99% of the power?
Demand a FLAT Campaign Contribution.
All people, including corporations and unions, can support:
– a candidate by contributing a maximum of $50 per election
– a National Political Party by contributing a maximum of $50 per year.
NO Political Action Committees.
Hey Fareed you better get ready you might be late for your next Bilderberg meeting. Why don't you do a story on how many politicians that attended that meeting were in violation of the "logans act.". But you wouldn't do that because that would slow down the agenda right. Keep helping you buddies eventually they will not have reason for you, maybe when CNN becomes British speaking only. You the people must feel like a bunch of troglodytes for falling for your media' lies.
Occupy the world! Why? Because you CANNOT arrest an IDEA!
Especially when no one has any idea what that idea is.
OWS should star in a remake.....CLUELESS
You can never arrest an idea., but you can arrest a hobo urinating in an alley. New Yorkers have more respect for that hobo than they have for OWS, because at least he knows why he's there.
And he's not peeing to make a political point.
Bums don't pee in alleys in New York because New York doesn't have alleys.
you are clueless to nyc...pls don't post about it
Whatever lies next for the OWS Movement, I'm with these people 100%. I too hate the way Washington does business, especially that so-called "supercommittee" consisting of 12 members who are supposed to reduce the national deficit. They will not for all all the money in the world cut the senseless military spending nor make the rich pay their fair share of the taxes!!!
How much should the rich pay? Is there a target percentage of their gross (capital and wages) income that seems reasonable? The argument could be made that if a millionaire paid a 30% rate on $1,000,000 we could increase the revenue by having him pay 30% of $2,000,000. This is no suggestion of trickle-down economics. This is simply math.
Yes Joseph, fascinate me with your wisdom. How much is the "fair share"?
I'm willing to bet that the amount of federal income tax I pay exceeds your gross annual compensation. Probably a couple times over. So as a % I'm in a higher bracket and already paying more than you on a % and notional basis. By a significant amount might I add.
Seems to me that I'm already paying quite more than my "fair share" and that this cliche'd whining edict of people like you seemingly smacks of jealousy and incoherent fervor. Many of you OWS types are not paying tax into the system whatsoever yet demand more gov't assistance and to ride on the backs of those you're already pilfering for handouts.
So I ask you, since I'm already paying a significant amount of tax, more than you already as we pointed out, what is exactly the fair share? The top bracket is already contributing most of the tax revenue. If anything there's an arguement that the bottom half should be paying at least "something" instead of the nothing they contribute. If one is going to whine and complain about a system they should have a paid, vested interest in it. Ie. pay tax. We do. Do you?
The questions for Joseph is, " Exactly who are the rich?" In the Northeast, if a couple is making $250k/year and they just bought a house for $700k, which is no mansion by Northeast standards, they're standing in water up to their nose and the taxes to support the public sector union pensions are rising faster than they can tread that water. And Obama wants to raise their taxes.
Is that what Joseph calls rich?
I heard this crap after I voted for Jimmy Carter.
I never voted Democrat again. Ever. They're crazy.
so the people can pay their fair share...put OWS created SHELL NON PROFITS...after collecting HUNDRED of Thousand of dollars...you are the BIGGEST BUNCH of HYPOCRITES
Thanks to Jay-Z and his new T-Shirt line, the revolution can repeat itself as tragedy, as farce, and as casual wear.
I too intend to vote for something new! The current political system is broken, useless, a scam to defraud the people into supporting a oligarch structure to perpetuate their dominance! With the politicalization of SCOTUS and the judiciary system from top to bottom, legalizing the criminal behaviors of the oligarchs and their congressional and government official lackeys, the blatant seizure of rights and power in the fiat selection of Bush as the President, the Citizens United debacle legalizing bribery, the judicial fiat making corporations super humans with no responsibility but flagrant rights, the endless pandering to the must reactionary elements of our society have destroyed the Republic! OUR congress has become a useless parasite of governance, OUR Senate is a hopeless, useless, undemocratic cabal of malfeasance and stupidity; elite royalists, posturing treasonous fools,; the House of the People is a captive bunch of fleas strutting for their corporate masters, worse than useless, agents of oppression and suppression. I will not participate in the farce of elections, none of the candidates for any office have any support from me; all of them are illegitimate sycophants of special interests! The collective depravity of the political parties is an obscenity!
Extremely well put, Chaotician. How true that rings!!!
I can agree with you to some extend, Chaco, but George Bush actually did win that election. Al Gore lost every recount that was conducted by independent media who were actually looking for an excuse to call the official recount a scam. Even they couldn't get the votes for Al Gore.
The real scam in that election was Bill Daily telling Al Gore he could get the votes Chicago style - and steal the election.
This Black man doesn't know what is is talking about. This is not his revolution anyway. This movement has to become political. That is that we have to start making political demands.Ask for resignation of all the 535 skunks in the US Congress and drastic changes in Federal and State laws as almost everything is a crime in America.
Once we change all of our politicians then we can run our our people for the different political offices and change the destiny of all Americans of good will. No more dictatorship.
The problem is you see this man as a black man as opposed to a man.
A GREAT WAY to START....IS GET RID OF THAT IDIOT in the WHITE HOUSE
Due to the fact that now this movement has reached Global Dimension it's a very good idea to think about organizing our own political party. The main focus at the moment should be to remove all those 535 dictators in the U.S. Congress and replace them with our own people. Unless this is done there will be no change at all.
'http://www.usapoliticaltyranny.info,http://www.kickthemallout.org
Allisio Rex
Due to the fact that now this movement has reached Global Dimension it's a very good idea to think about organizing our own political party. The main focus at the moment should be to remove all those 535 dictators in the U.S. Congress and replace them with our own people. Unless this is done there will be no change at all.
http://www.usapoliticaltyranny.info
http://www.kickthemallout.org
Excellent idea! OWS should run a third party candidate next November!
maybe the can nominate Mike Bloomberg..it may take him a while...but eventually he gets it right
Mil gracias x subir los promo only k la veardd estan super, solamente kisiera comentar y recordar k el link 9 del urban video de sep no a sido arreglado,solo espero k lo reparen para poder descomprimirlo. gracias.
I think the debate would be more productive if we understood exactly what OWS seeks to change and how this change can be made to occur. We have plenty of problem "finders". How about some problem solvers?
Yes sir, you are 100% correct on that point. Lots of whining and no clarity of agenda whatsoever.
what's next for Occupy? how about a shower and some common sense.
They won't take a shower because their nose rings will rust.
Can someone tell me why the occupy folks aren't asking for smaller government? There is a saying: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. With smaller goverment and little power the lobbyists and wall street will have no incentive to give political contribution and we will be released from wall streets power over the government. But of course the unions would also loose their hold over the government.
Because the occutards don't want a smaller government. They want a quasi-socialist European state so everyone can be equally as disaffected and miserable as they are.
cause smaller govt means no FREE handouts
All I can say is, when will the mainstream media start reporting about this movement: http://www.the99declaration.org
when the movement does something newsworthy besides "sit around and talk" and become violent
What's next for the occutards? Back to mom and dad's basement.
The Occupy movement can well be criticised for lacking a practical agenda or a coherent political philosophy. As Ken Livingstone, the former Mayor of London recently remarked, previous generations of left-wing protestors studied their Marx and did their homework. I recently went to see the Occupy camp outside St Pauls Cathedral in London and it appeared to be populated by many types of people. Inevitably, those playing drums and dancing commanded the most attention. But there is a makeshift library and a large tent intended for host discussions. It seemed the protestors were trying to foster a dialogue, both amongst themselves and with the world outside.
It is perhaps unsurprising that those willing and able to camp on the streets of our capital cities are less than averagely ‘straight laced’. To question their hygiene or general antics is to ignore the more interesting and important question of whether they have something to say.
What struck me most in Amar’s interview was Hero’s remark that Occupy Wall Street is not a political movement but instead a ‘space to talk’ about a war that is costing trillions of dollars, unemployed and heavily indebted college graduates and the redundancies of long serving workers in wake of America’s shifting economy. It cannot reasonably be denied that those are important questions or that our political-economic systems are producing outcomes that are unfair or at least imperfect.
The Occupy movement does not yet have a coherent explanation for why these apparent injustices exist. They are wrong to say that everything can be blamed on malign corporations or corrupt politicians. Nor do they have specific and realistic proposals for the changes that should be implemented. But to expect them to arrive on the streets of New York and London with a readymade treatise on the next evolution of Western capitalism is to expect too much. For now, Hero is asking questions that ought be asked. He is doing so sincerely and constructively. The forum for discussion he has created requires a physical space, as much to focus our attentions as to provide a counterpoint to the ethereal realm of digital commentary, like this. What happens next will depend on the quality of the ideas their dialogue generates and whether they are able to persuade the 99% that changes should be made.
Why did all these wonderful people need free food.
Awesome work, Mackenzie and Amar!
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