“Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of passing secret materials to Wikileaks, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The nomination was proposed by The Movement of Icelandic Parliament, which asserts that revelations produced by the documents Manning allegedly exposed “have helped to fuel a worldwide discussion about America’s overseas engagements, civilian war casualties, imperialistic manipulations, and rules of engagement.”
RT spoke to one of the members of The Movement, MP Birgitta Jonsdottir.
She said the group “wanted to raise awareness about the situation with Private Bradley Manning, whom way too few people know of.”
“It is extremely important that we honor the whistleblowers of our world,” she said, so people will not be silenced from performing their civic duty “by reporting on crimes, be it corporate, state or military.””
This is big news. Let’s say he won. Would the US still put him in prison? Surely the nomination will bring more attention to his case. I was glad to see the reporter let the activist talk for awhile. I kept expecting him to cut him off but he let him finish his thoughts.
I think this is a lot more admiral a nomination than Obama’s. Nominating a president (and having him win) for the Nobel Peace Prize before he’s even done anything? That was ridiculous. Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so.
From the Associated Press: Nobel peace prize jury under investigation
“Nobel Peace Prize officials were facing a formal inquiry over accusations they have drifted away from the prize’s original selection criteria by choosing such winners as President Barack Obama, as the nomination deadline for the 2012 awards closed Wednesday.
The investigation comes after persistent complaints by a Norwegian peace researcher that the original purpose of the prize was to diminish the role of military power in international relations.”
With the war drums beating for Iran currently I don’t think Obama is much interested in diminishing “the role of military power in international relations”.
This first one isn’t breaking news but it’s new to me. I saw this posted over on FetLife: Turn Off The Blue Light
“The Turn Off the Blue Light poster campaign has been designed to challenge the Irish public’s perception of sex workers, to get away from the overly negative or positive images of sex work that are so often seen, and instead show a more balanced, realistic view.”
What a great idea! I too “choose the job that suits my needs”-sex work supports my artistic hippie lifestyle.
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From AVN: Buck Angel Asks Fans To Buy Girl Scout Cookies
“A YouTube video featuring the ruggedly handsome Buck Angel asking fans and the general population to forgo a boycott of Girl Scout cookies called for by a young girl.
The original YouTube video, which is no longer available, the girl asked people to boycott the Girl Scouts and the organization’s annual cookie sale after the group allowed a 7-year-old transgender girl to join a troop in Colorado.
Angel, a female to male transgender and former Girl Scout, recently posted his own YouTube video, and his response is gaining quite a bit of mainstream attention. News outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and Huffington Post have reported on the debate the original video sparked, as well as publishing Angel’s video.”
Buck’s video is here. Go Buck go! And the Girls Scouts too-very open minded of them.
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From the Free Speech Coalition: LA City Council Approves Condom Ordinance in 9-1 Vote
“The LA City Council voted this morning, in open session, to approve a mandatory condom ordinance that would require adult productions to comply with condom usage on any adult set requiring a film permit in the Los Angeles City limits. The ordinance was approved 9-1.”
(snip)
Weinstein’s grandstanding on the condom issue is groundless – using provocative language like “epidemic” and quoting statistics that have proven to be inaccurate – Weinstein has politicized the issue of mandatory condom use while alienating the industry he claims to protect. He also has suggested that the City Council add an $85 fee to film permits for adult productions, in order to fund enforcement.”
I think this is more about the morality police trying to shut down pornography films rather than trying to protect performers.
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Stanley Siegel sent me his article via Twitter. I always appreciate readers that send in tips! Curing Pornophobia
“The great majority of us watch pornography. Nearly 87 percent of men and 76 percent of women reportedly visit adult entertainment sites. In fact, pornography drives the economy of the Internet and our appetite for it has led to Internet innovation.
(snip)
If we learn to identify and understand our fantasies, we can use them to create sexual experiences that are more aligned with our true desires by intentionally choosing partners with whom we are sexually compatible. If we can even go a step further, by decoding what they say about our past, we can use that knowledge to heal the conflicts that originally gave rise to them. Understanding our sexual fantasies is a key to understanding who we are.”
From BoingBoing: Undercover police had children with activists
“Two undercover police officers secretly fathered children with political campaigners they had been sent to spy on and later disappeared completely from the lives of their offspring, the Guardian can reveal.
In both cases, the children have grown up not knowing that their biological fathers – whom they have not seen in decades – were police officers who had adopted fake identities to infiltrate activist groups. Both men have concealed their true identities from the children’s mothers for many years.”
Whoa man, how fucked up is this? I can’t even think of something snarky to say.
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A SOPA/PIPA update from the EFF: The Internet Spoke and, Finally, Congress Listened!
“The misguided proponents of the disastrous Internet blacklist bills have blinked. Today, Senator Harry Reid announced he would postpone a cloture vote on PIPA scheduled for next Tuesday, which means, as a practical matter, that the bill is dead for now. Shortly after that announcement, Representative Lamar Smith issued a statement conceding PIPA’s evil House stepsister, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also wasn’t ready for prime time.
This is great news, and it is a direct result of this week’s mass protests. Together, we reminded the U.S. Congress who it works for. EFF alone helped users send more than 1,000,000 emails to Congress, and countless more came from other organizations. Web traffic briefly brought down some Senate websites. 162 million people visited Wikipedia and 8 million looked up their representatives’ phone numbers. Google received more than 7 million signatures on its petition. Everyone who wrote, called, and visited their Senators and Representatives this week sent a message that laws affecting the Internet can’t be made in a backroom by insiders bearing campaign cash.”
As the article rightfully points out this fight is not over. If you haven’t already I encourage you to join the EFF.
How has the movie industry reacted? By openly threatening the politicians they are buying.
From TechDirt: MPAA Directly & Publicly Threatens Politicians Who Aren’t Corrupt Enough To Stay Bought
“Reinforcing the fact that Chris Dodd really does not get what’s happening, and showing just how disgustingly corrupt the MPAA relationship is with politicians, Chris Dodd went on Fox News to explicitly threaten politicians who accept MPAA campaign donations that they’d better pass Hollywood’s favorite legislation… or else:
“Those who count on quote ‘Hollywood’ for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake,”
This certainly follows what many people assumed was happening, and fits with the anonymous comments from studio execs that they will stop contributing to Obama, but to be so blatant about this kind of corruption and money-for-laws politics in the face of an extremely angry public is a really, really, really tone deaf response from Dodd.”
“In the more than 30 years I’ve spent defending a woman’s right to choose, I can’t recall a time when politicians have been more out of touch with our nation’s values and priorities,” Keenan wrote in at op-ed at The Huffington Post.
Legislation aimed at restricting or eliminating women’s access to abortion abounded in 2011, thanks in part to the 2010 elections where Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives along with a number of state legislatures.”
The abortion issue always riles me up. It’s 2012 and we still haven’t moved past this? How can we ever get prostitution decriminalized if we’re still fighting over abortion? And how can we ever evolve and reform our electoral system if woman are still fighting for control of their wombs?
Tomorrow many internet sites will go black to protest the SOPA bill. I don’t know how to turn my domain black so I’ll most likely skip blogging or put up a black square.
From SOPA Strike:
“On Jan 24th, Congress will vote to pass internet censorship in the Senate, even though the vast majority of Americans are opposed. We need to kill the bill - PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House - to protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and prosperity. We need internet companies to follow Reddit’s lead and stand up for the web, as we internet users are doing every day.”
Wow, can you believe the sleazy Bush-like move Obama pulled NYE? While most of the country was out partying he signs a bill to lock up Americans without trial indefinitely. The candidate of change…really?
What’s this all about? Well, strap in as it’s not pretty. First up is the ACLU’s statement. I’m only posting a snippet but please read the entire statement at the link and afterward please consider joining this vital organization. President Obama Signs Indefinite Detention Bill Into Law
“WASHINGTON – President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law today. The statute contains a sweeping worldwide indefinite detention provision. While President Obama issued a signing statement saying he had “serious reservations” about the provisions, the statement only applies to how his administration would use the authorities granted by the NDAA, and would not affect how the law is interpreted by subsequent administrations. The White House had threatened to veto an earlier version of the NDAA, but reversed course shortly before Congress voted on the final bill.
“President Obama’s action today is a blight on his legacy because he will forever be known as the president who signed indefinite detention without charge or trial into law,” said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director. “The statute is particularly dangerous because it has no temporal or geographic limitations, and can be used by this and future presidents to militarily detain people captured far from any battlefield. The ACLU will fight worldwide detention authority wherever we can, be it in court, in Congress, or internationally.
Under the Bush administration, similar claims of worldwide detention authority were used to hold even a U.S. citizen detained on U.S. soil in military custody, and many in Congress now assert that the NDAA should be used in the same way again. The ACLU believes that any military detention of American citizens or others within the United States is unconstitutional and illegal, including under the NDAA. In addition, the breadth of the NDAA’s detention authority violates international law because it is not limited to people captured in the context of an actual armed conflict as required by the laws of war.”
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From RSN: NDAA: Congress Signed Its Own Arrest Warrants
“Responding to the Senate’s overwhelming passage of the ‘Homeland Battlefield’ bill, Ms. Wolf first published this piece on December 12, 2011. However, her argument took on new relevance over the weekend when President Obama used the media blackout of the holiday season to quietly sign the bill during a vacation in Hawaii. - JPS/RSN
I never thought I would have to write this: but - incredibly - Congress has now passed the National Defense Appropriations Act, with Amendment 1031, which allows for the military detention of American citizens. The amendment is so loosely worded that any American citizen could be held without due process. The language of this bill can be read to assure Americans that they can challenge their detention - but most people do not realize what this means: at Guantanamo and in other military prisons, one’s lawyer’s calls are monitored, witnesses for one’s defense are not allowed to testify, and one can be forced into nudity and isolation. Incredibly, ninety-three Senators voted to support this bill and now most of Congress: a roster of names that will live in infamy in the history of our nation, and never be expunged from the dark column of the history books.”
The NDAA is the $662 billion National Defense Authorization Act that President Obama signed into law on New Year’s Eve. In addition to funding the United States’ ongoing wars and the 900 military bases it maintains in 130 countries, the bill provides for the U.S. president to have draconian worldwide authority to have the military seize anyone suspected of “terrorism” or providing aid to terrorists or “associated forces” anywhere in the world, including U.S. citizens on American soil, and detain them without charge or trial indefinitely. “It’s a little New Year’s present to our constitutional republic,” Alex Jones says angrily in a YouTube video.”
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Getting rounded up is not some fantasy scare tactic. It’s happened in this country before and it can happen again. During World War II Japanese Americans were rounded up for being the wrong race. From Wikipedia: Japanese American internment
“Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called “War Relocation Camps,” in the wake of Imperial Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.[1][2] The internment of Japanese Americans was applied unequally throughout the United States. Japanese Americans who lived on the West Coast of the United States were all interned, while in Hawaii, where more than 150,000 Japanese Americans composed over one-third of the territory’s population, 1,200[3] to 1,800 Japanese Americans were interned.[4] Of those interned, 62% were American citizens.[5][6]”
I think anyone who voted for this bill should be voted out of office regardless of political identification. Yup, that means I’m voting against Obama in 2012 despite voting for him in 2008. Some of my pro-choice friends tell me voting against Obama during the next election means voting to outlaw abortion. I counter that argument with this: If I get pregnant and I can’t get an abortion I can figure out how to give myself one. If I’m illegally detained for being a political protester I can’t figure out how to break out of a federal prison. That makes the choice easy for me.
Many I know are outraged over this. I certainly am. But not everyone. A disturbing trend I’ve noticed is people saying something to the tune of “this won’t affect me or anyone I know so why should I care”. I am baffled by this type of thinking.
Under that ideology straight people shouldn’t care about gay marriage because they can get married whenever they want. US residents shouldn’t care about the treatment of illegal immigrants because they’re legal. Non sex workers shouldn’t care about the West Mesa Murders because they’re not targets of a serial killer. But of course we care about the above and so we should care about this indefinite detention bill. Can you imagine who President Palin would like to round up? Just because this bill doesn’t affect you today doesn’t mean it won’t tomorrow.
At this year’s Red Umbrella Day I learned that the West Mesa murders were now a cold case. My first thought was that NO this couldn’t be true. But sadly it is. Checking the Albuquerque Police link on the murders confirms. Damnit!
The most recent news I could find was this story. From KRQE: Serial murder case on business cards
“A unique new business card is about to go into circulation that detectives hope will help find the killer of the 11 women found buried on Albuquerque’s west mesa in 2009.
The 2-year-old case has seen a lot of publicity since the first bone was discovered by a woman walking her dog. It’s even been broadcast on a national television show.
This will be the first time that the serial murder case is printed on a business card.”
On one hand I’m glad the Albuquerque Police is still trying to solve these murders. On the other hand I can’t help but think how much the APD itself has hurt the case. How? The Southwest Companions bust that’s how.
NM escorts and prostitutes have lost business and now can’t even trust each other because they fear one of their own may now be an informant. But most importantly a site that gave them the ability to verify a client’s reputation is now gone. This bust didn’t magically make prostitution disappear in New Mexico. I think it just makes these women take more risks to make money.
If one of these women has information about the case can we really expect her to confide in a police department that says it cares about the West Mesa victims but is putting living sex workers lives at risk by shutting down SW Companions? I don’t think so.
We will remember the West Mesa victims. And we will continue to hope for justice.
It’s that time of year again-holiday giving. If you can give to charity I encourage you to give to the following groups. Some are a repeat from last year, some are new.
American Civil Liberties Union
“The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
(snip)
The ACLU also works to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.
If the rights of society’s most vulnerable members are denied, everybody’s rights are imperiled.”
With the current loom of the indefinite detention becoming law the ACLU is one of the most important organizations out there fighting for our freedoms.
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Circle Sanctuary
“Circle, also known as Circle Sanctuary, is a non-profit international Nature Spirituality resource center and legally recognized Shamanic Wiccan church. Founded in 1974, Circle helps people from many spiritual orientations connect with each other as well as with the spiritual dimensions of Nature. Circle’s executive directors, Selena Fox and Dennis Carpenter, work together with staff and volunteers to carry out a variety of activities and services
As a Pagan I want to highlight Circle Sanctuary. They have been around for years and are an excellent resources for us Pagans.
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Electronic Frontier Foundation
“Blending the expertise of lawyers, policy analysts, activists, and technologists, EFF achieves significant victories on behalf of consumers and the general public. EFF fights for freedom primarily in the courts, bringing and defending lawsuits even when that means taking on the US government or large corporations. By mobilizing more than 61,000 concerned citizens through our Action Center, EFF beats back bad legislation. In addition to advising policymakers, EFF educates the press and public.”
Like the ACLU the EFF is one of the most important organizations fighting for a freedom. With the loom of SOPA happening it’s vital we support them.
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Food Not Bombs
“We recover food that would have been discarded and share it as a way of protesting war and poverty. With fifty cents of every U.S. federal tax dollar going to the military and forty percent of our food being discarded while so many people were struggling to feed their families that we could inspire the public to press for military spending to be redirected to human needs. We also reduce food waste and meet the direct need our our community by collecting discarded food, preparing vegan meals that we share with the hungry while providing literature about the need to change our society. Food Not Bombs also provides food to protesters, striking workers and organize food releif after natural and political crisis.”
Food Not Bombs is a great group though they don’t think of themselves as a charity. They run on the simple idea that we should feed the hungry instead of dropping bombs on people. They were one of the first groups at Ground Zero and at Katrina to feed the hungry. They are an awesome and important group.
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Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP)
“Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA is a national social justice network dedicated to the fundamental human rights of sex workers and their communities, focusing on ending violence and stigma through education and advocacy.”
SWOP does such good work. We sex workers need more groups like them.
From Women With A Vision: December 2nd: Save the Date! Summit on Sex Work in the South
“On December 2nd, 2011, Women With A Vision is joining forces with the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, Asheville Sex Worker Outreach Project, Sex Workers Without Borders, North Carolina Sex Workers Alliance and Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS) to host the first regional Summit on Sex Work in the South. Attendees include the awesome Human Rights Watch and other national allies.
We will be discussing sex work in the South, human rights & sex work, the negative public health & criminal justice effects of criminalization of condoms, advocacy for sex worker related issues, risk reduction for sex workers, drug use & sex work, bad date reporting and more!”
If I were in the area I think I’d go to this.
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From Self Served: Haystacks, Fucking, and Needles: Is Sex Work a Cop-out?
“Let’s talk about the world’s oldest profession. In my experience, the societal view of sex work claims it’s easy. Women and men who choose sex work, our culture tells us, are throwing away their education, or should go make something better of themselves, because exchanging sex or sexuality for money is a drag on society, morally corrupt, and a waste of one’s talents. For this blog, we’re going to examine the last stereotype—that being a sex worker wastes a person’s talents because it is easy. The implied idea in this stereotype whispers: “You’re such a smart/pretty/talented/capable girl; you come from such a good family/religion/socio-economic status; why are you doing this?”
I don’t know that I can argue that being a sex worker is easy, even for the sake of argument. I do know that not everyone can do it.”
My friend Sera Miles is blogging over at Self Served, a hip sex store in New Mexico that gives a discount to sex workers. In this post he writes about traits sex workers need to have to do well in the industry. It’s a good read.
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Found via Tits and Sass: Why are sex workers and their allies occupying Wall Street?
“In the last four weeks, many have been wondering what has driven people to Occupy Wall Street (OWS) and bring attention to the economic situation that has developed in our country. Critics have argued that so many issues are being discussed and that so many disparate groups have joined forces, that the occupation has no cohesive message, purpose, or goals. As our group of sex workers and allies stood in solidarity with our fellow revolutionaries Wednesday, October 5th at the rally at Foley Square in New York, it was apparent that we were included in that critique or question. What were we doing there? What was our purpose? What was our message? And how do sex workers’ rights connect to the larger OWS movement?
Those of us who were there, or who are active in the sex workers’ rights movement generally, have no doubt about how we fit within OWS and how OWS fits within our movement. United, in solidarity, with everyone coming together in Zuccotti Park and in all the plazas nationwide, we can bring about greater change. After the rally, we decided to highlight the points that bring together our intersecting movements and realities.”
Yes, yes and yes. This post is from last month but is still a good read. I wholeheartedly agree with it!
SWAAY’s text-only billboard reads, “Sex worker: a person who consensually exchanges their own sexual labor or sexual performance for compensation. Sex work is not the same as forced sex trafficking or sex slavery. Learn about the people and facts behind sex work at SWAAY.org.” Any variation of the group’s message was banned by Clear Channel, CBS, Lamar, Regency, Van Wagner, Avant Outdoor, LA Transit Authority, and Outdoor Solutions, but was finally picked up by a mobile billboard company.
The sex workers’ rights billboard was paid for by 115 supporters on EpicStep.com, a Kickstarter-like website that allows grassroots activist groups to crowdsource the funding of a media campaign. Previous billboards successfully launched through Epic Step include messages in support of WikiLeaks and accused war crimes whistle-blower Bradley Manning.”
While a billboard would have been awesome I’m glad SWAAY got the mobile billboard as a backup. It’s so nutty that the simple definition of a sex worker is considered controversial. Let’s hope this campaign gets bigger and goes nationwide.
I majored in journalism in college for awhile and am struck by the above image. Of all the images coming out of the Occupy Wallstreet movement this one of veteran Scott Olsen being carried away after Oakland police injured him is the most breathtaking. BagNotes analyzes the photo here. A commenter over there remarked how the photo looked like the Descent from the Cross paintings. I can see it. You have the injured martyr figure being carried down from the makeshift lamppost cross in the background by mourners.
If you don’t know the story Olsen was at Occupy Oakland when he was struck by a tear gas canister. He has a skull fracture and was until recently in critical condition. Video of the incident shows police throwing the tear gas canister at him. I suppose I should put “allegedly” in front of that. After watching the video tough it seems pretty clear to me what happened. Video of Olsen getting hit with tear gas is here and him being carried away by fellow protesters is here. (searching YouTube will give more videos from different angles) In the first video you can see the police throw more tear gas at the protesters who ran towards Olsen to carry him to safety. The irony of a US Veteran surviving two tours in Iraq getting critically injured in the US by police is staggering.
Call for Vigils for Scott at Occupations Everywhere
Occupy Oakland contact:
Matt Howard, Iraq Veterans Against the War Bay Area
415 819-6430, matt.dubya.howard @gmail.com
National contact, to arrange interviews with veterans:
Joseph Carter, Iraq Veterans Against the War national office:
253-777-6117, josephcarter @ivaw.org
This morning Occupy Oakland and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) put out a call for occupations across America and around the world to hold solidarity vigils for Scott Olsen, a former Marine and two time Iraq War veteran. Olsen sustained a skull fracture after being shot in the head on October 25 with a police projectile while peacefully participating in an Occupy Oakland march.”
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From Reuters: Injured soldier spurs veteran support for “Occupy”
“A former soldier wounded in a protest on the streets of Oakland after surviving two tours in Iraq has put a new face on the ‘Occupy’ movement by galvanizing veteran backing for the push against economic inequality in the United States.”
It’s sad that it took a critical injury to force news coverage away from the dirty hippie tent city angle. Not all news agencies of course but some of it was pretty bad.
Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old former U.S. Marine struck in the head during Wall Street protests on Tuesday night, had been upgraded from critical to fair condition overnight.”
However, the decision doesn’t mean the nationally known political science scholar is out of hot water.
It’s a move that buys the D.A. and the police more time to analyze evidence and the build their case against Garcia and other men busted in what police call a prostitution ring.”
I’d been hearing some NM rumors that the case against Garcia was falling apart. I don’t like this whole “buying time” bit. If prosecutors don’t have a case then they shouldn’t file charges in the first place.
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From the Advocate: A Gay Grandson to an Evangelical Empire
“Ten years later, Potts sits in front of an emotional crowd — many of them Oral Roberts University alumni — inside the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center to speak about his perspective on faith and sexuality, as he often does as a member of the Liberty Education Forum’s speakers bureau. He shakes his head, smiles a honeydew grin that belies memories big enough to break through stained-glass windows, and then begins sharing them. Potts continues to measure his former self — the closeted grandchild of televangelist Oral Roberts — against the one we see onstage: a proud, openly gay man.
(snip)
Oral Roberts pioneered TV evangelism, conducted more than 300 crusades on six continents, and founded Oral Roberts University and the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association —a holy empire that was worth more than half a billion dollars. He would also achieve worldwide notoriety after he claimed that God “would take him home” unless his followers raised $8 million in cash.”
Congrats to Randy Roberts Potts for speaking his truth!
As United States Ambassador to the United Nations under the Nixon Administration, President George H.W. Bush (the first President Bush) wrote a letter to Alan Guttmacher (founder of the Guttmacher Institute) congratulating him on creation of a “family planning” stamp commemorating (gasp!!) Margaret Sanger.”
Considering how many anti-choice laws are being hurled Planned Parenthood’s way these days it’s important to remember the Bush’s family one time spot on their board.
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Found via Tits and Sass: Get on the bus: St. James Infirmary’s new sex worker PSAs are
“St. James Infirmary has been providing free, non-judgmental medical and social services for sex workers since 1999. This week, it’ll take the next step. The clinic is putting ads up in Muni buses throughout the city this month meant to educate and inspire Muni riders throughout the city.
A statement from New York City Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway explained that the park’s owners were “postponing their scheduled cleaning of the park, and for the time being withdrawing their request from earlier in the week for police assistance during their cleaning operation.”
“Our position has been consistent throughout: the City’s role is to protect public health and safety, to enforce the law, and guarantee the rights of all New Yorkers,” Holloway explained. “Brookfield believes they can work out an arrangement with the protesters that will ensure the park remains clean, safe, available for public use and that the situation is respectful of residents and businesses downtown, and we will continue to monitor the situation.””
Wow did Occupy WallStreet go viral! Are you following this?! It’s crazy, inspiring and revolutionary.
Some links:
From Adbusters:
“#OCCUPYWALLSTREET is a people powered movement for democracy that began in America on September 17 with an encampment in the financial district of New York City. Inspired by the Egyptian Tahrir Square uprising and the Spanish acampadas, we vow to end the monied corruption of our democracy … join us! We’re now in DAY 22.”
The above link also has a live stream of Occupy WallStreet.
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From Occupy Together:
“Welcome to OCCUPY TOGETHER, an unofficial hub for all of the events springing up across the country in solidarity with Occupy Wall St. As we have followed the news on facebook, twitter, and the various live feeds across the internet, we felt compelled to build a site that would help spread the word as more protests organize across the world. We hope to provide people with information about events that are organizing, ongoing, and building across the U.S. as we, the 99%, take action against the greed and corruption of the 1%.”
Occupy Together has a lot of info on their site.
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From Reddit: OWS: The US vs International Media
“The limited coverage the Occupy Wall Street protest has had from US media has been dismissed on the claim that the protesters “lack a clear objective” other than to protest. This line is widely parroted.
AP via CBS, NPR, ABC, Forbes, Newsday, MSN Money, and many others.
(snip)
vaslittlecrow made a great post that spells out why the US media coverage is currently dismissive, what to expect next, and how this movement may survive becoming the next “Tea Party”.
The media in the US is lying. The protesters are diverse, but have some general unifying objectives. The non-US media sees that.”
This is a great post to see how the international media is covering the protests.
From Forbes: Some Say Occupy Wall Street Protesters Aimless; Facts Say Otherwise
“There has been a lot said about the lack of vision, lack of specific demands, and a disparity of beliefs and goals among the Occupy Wall Street protesters in the media in the past several weeks. A survey of the protestors shows that none of these criticisms are true.”
There are some good statistics in this post.
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Is there a protest near you? Click here to find out.
From Daily Kos: UPDATE-Anonymous YouTube video censored
“This video was originally uploaded early this AM. I know, I watched it and bookmarked it to post later. When I went looking for it, it was… gone.
Anons have re-uploaded it, but it may well be taken down again. If you have the ability and will to do so, please copy and re-upload.
Below the orange solidarity squiggle, the transcription,and an UPDATE.”
The link above has the video transcript. Here’s a direct link to the video which may get pulled.
