Al-Jazeerah: Cross-Cultural Understanding
www.ccun.org www.aljazeerah.info |
Opinion Editorials, December 2011 |
||||||||||||||||||
Archives Mission & Name Conflict Terminology Editorials Gaza Holocaust Gulf War Isdood Islam News News Photos Opinion Editorials US Foreign Policy (Dr. El-Najjar's Articles) www.aljazeerah.info
|
Occupy Wall Street: Americans Continue Protests Against Greedy Capitalists in Washington and Other Cities December 8, 2011 Protesters clog US lobbying artery Press TV, Thursday, Dec 8, 2011 12:19AM GMT Demonstrators march on K Street in Washington on Wednesday,
December 7, 2011. Under the banner Take Back the Capitol, anti-corporatism
protests have shut down K Street in Washington, known as the home for
lobbying in the United States. Police raid Occupy San Francisco camp Press TV, Wed Dec 7, 2011 3:13PM GMT A demonstrator is arrested during a morning police raid on the Occupy San
Francisco encampment in California on December 7, 2011. US police have
dismantled over 100 tents at an Occupy camp in San Francisco, arresting more
than 50 protesters who refused to leave the site. Israel behind US police brutality Press TV, Wed Dec 7, 2011 12:13PM GMT An investigative journalist says that police tactics used against
peaceful Occupy protesters have brought to public attention the extreme
militarization of US police, which is more suitable for counter-terrorism
operations. Occupy DC - Thousands Shut Down K St., March On White House and Supreme CourtPosted 5 hours ago on Dec. 7, 2011, 2:16 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt LIVE UPDATES: 8:00PM - March arriving at the Supreme Court now.
Americans Re-Occupy Their HomesPosted 22 hours ago on Dec. 6, 2011, 9:38 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Today, Americans stood up and said, "We have a right to shelter. No one can take that right from us." Today we re-occupied our homes. In East New York, Brooklyn - a foreclosed home is being reclaimed today by a local homeless family. #OWS, along with local neighbors and community groups, has pledged to stay with the family and defend them from eviction. Kendall Jacklman from Picture The Homeless spoke to the housing crisis ongoing in New York City, saying, "There is enough housing in this city to shut down the Department of Homeless Services and offer everyone decent, affordable housing based on our real wages." Day of Action Against Home Foreclosures: Live Broadcast.Posted 1 day ago on Dec. 6, 2011, 1:57 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Note: the link titled "Official OWS Website" is a link to New York City's general assembly. NYCGA represents New York City, not the global movement as a whole.
Watch
live streaming video from
occupynyc at livestream.com
Breaking News for immediate release 99% Movement Occupies Homes Nationwide Online updates & multimedia: http://occupyourhomes.org Twitter hashtags: #OccupyHomes #D6 Location: East New York — 702 Vermont Street, Brooklyn (3 train to Pennsylvania, L train to Livonia) Brooklyn, NY — In a bold new phase for the 99% movement, a vacant home in the center of New York City’s foreclosure crisis is presently being reclaimed today for a local homeless family. Occupy Wall Street, along with local neighbors and community groups, has pledged to stay with the family and defend them from eviction. #OccuParty Benefit Concert: Dangerous Muse & Eva and Her Virgins on Dec 11thPosted 1 day ago on Dec. 6, 2011, 2:26 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Shut Down Wall Street on the Water FrontPosted 2 days ago on Dec. 5, 2011, 12:10 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt LIVE UPDATES: Building New Structures on K StreetPosted 3 days ago on Dec. 4, 2011, 11:23 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Last night, Occupy K Street-DC erected a wooden structure, a "People's Pavilion," at their main encampment in McPherson Square. According to Occupiers, the structure will be used as a warm place (designed to be heated by a novel sustainable energy source: water bottles that collect and store solar heat) for General Assemblies, teach-ins, and other community building purposes. They have also said that the structure represents the needs of the 99% who are being left houseless by economic inequality. The People' Pavilion is a symbol of all homes stolen by banks and corporate greed, right on K Street -- in front of the Wall Street lobbyists who buy the politicians on Capitol Hill. Or, as one Occupier said: Read More... UPDATES: Portland Holds New HomePosted 3 days ago on Dec. 4, 2011, 9:11 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Watch
live streaming video from
occupyptown at livestream.com
Last night, Portland Police used violent force to evict Shemanski Park. Photos and live footage show police in full riot gear aggressively taking down nonviolent protesters. Among other incidents, one 15 year old was smashed in the face with a baton. Undaunted, Occupiers took to the streets, routed lines of riot police, and marched on City Hall. As revelers joined in and the protest continued to grow, the march stopped downtown for a dance party and then returned to Shemanski to defend their new home while celebrating with more dancing and pizza. Proving that our determination cannot be halted, most police had left the scene and Occupy Portland continues to hold public space as of 9am EST (6am PST). Read More... Portland Re-OccupiesPosted 3 days ago on Dec. 3, 2011, 8:54 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Occupy Portland has reoccupied a new home. Marchers arrived at Shemanski Park at the corner of SW Park & Salmon around 5pm PST today and began setting up tents, canopies, and other infrastructure. Two police with batons arrived and threatened the crowd, but were shouted down by the jubilant Occupiers and eventually left. There is an open kitchen and live music on stage. As of 6:30pm PST, there were already over 20 tents set up. There will be a General Assembly at 7pm PST. Occupy Portland is anticipating an eviction and encourages all supporters in the area to join them in peaceful, nonviolent solidarity tonight! You can also follow @OccupyPdx and @OccupyOregon on Twitter. Like other occupations across the country, Occupy Portland has recently experienced police repression and was evicted from their original encampment. However, as in other cities, Occupiers have not allowed this to deter their efforts to protest economic inequality. In Portland, supporters have been organizing mobile flash mobs on bicycles to "bike swarm" banks. Meanwhile, Occupations in Los Angeles, Boston, and elsewhere marched today. In Philadelphia, Occupy Philly marched to proclaim: "You Can't Evict an Idea." Occupiers Launch Hunger Strike to Liberate Outdoor SpacePosted 3 days ago on Dec. 3, 2011, 8:52 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt On Saturday, December 3, in Liberty Plaza, we—THE OWS HUNGER STRIKERS—began a hunger strike. We are striking to demand outdoor space for a new occupation. We are holding our strike at Duarte Square on Sixth Avenue and Canal Street in Manhattan as part of a continued effort seeking sanctuary on Trinity Church’s unused land. This is a call for escalation, in response to the escalated levels of government-enacted violence and repression The Occupy Movement has endured over the last few weeks. In dozens of cities across the nation, Mayors chose to stifle freedom of speech and the right to assemble by evicting peaceful occupations using illegal and and unconstitutional force. Here in New York, on the night of November 14, the City—under orders from Mayor Bloomberg—violently evicted our community from Liberty Square. Occupy Seattle Joins Wave of Building OccupationsPosted 4 days ago on Dec. 3, 2011, 10:43 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Last night, undeterred by the city's destruction of their original encampment, hundreds of Occupy Seattle supporters occupied a vacant warehouse slated for demolition and condo development. After entering, Occupiers erected barricades, held a General Assembly, and began plans to fix up the space for community use. Using SWAT teams and a ladder truck, police swarmed the warehouse, making 20 arrests and setting an unsettling precedent for the escalating use of military-style tactics against nonviolent occupiers who are liberating public space. Occupy Seattle is currently holding a jail solidarity action in front of the King County jail and are requesting all their supporters show up! Like similar building occupations across the country and the globe, Seattle's occupation of the 10th and Union warehouse signals a new stage of the Occupy movement. Facing a coordinated crackdown on public encampments, occupiers are moving indoors. In the lead up to December 6th, the National Day of Action to Occupy Our Homes, Occupations from Los Angeles to Minneapolis to Atlanta to Boston are turning empty and unused buildings into commonly-held resources for our communities, and defending homes from foreclosure and forcible eviction.
Farmers Join Occupy Wall Street, Calling for Food JusticePosted 5 days ago on Dec. 2, 2011, 6:21 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt As Wall Street’s corrupt influence on the economy has grown, the corporate ownership of our food system has hurt the health and livelihood’s of some of our most vulnerable communities. This Sunday, December 4th food justice activists and occupiers will be traveling from as far as Colorado, Iowa, Maine and Upstate New York to join together for the Occupy Wall Street FARMERS’ MARCH.Through a day of dialogue, musical performances, and a march, farmers and their urban allies working for food justice in their communities will form alliances to fight and expose corporate control of the food supply. Events throughout the day will call and inspire participants to fight against the corporate manipulation of the agriculture system. An industry that is responsible for using chemical toxins tied to soaring obesity rates, heart disease and diabetes and limiting access to affordable, wholesome food to the country’s poorest citizens. Occupy Wall Street Goes HomePosted 6 days ago on Dec. 1, 2011, 3:04 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt On December 6th Occupy Wall Street will join in solidarity with a Brooklyn community to re-occupy a foreclosed home. The day of action marks a national kick-off for a new frontier for the occupy movement: the liberation of vacant bank-owned homes for those in need. The banks got bailed out, but our families are getting kicked out. The fight to reclaim democracy from the banks is growing from Wall Street to Main Street. The NYC foreclosure tour and home re-occupation is part of a big national day of action on Dec. 6 that will focus on the foreclosure crisis and protest fraudulent lending practices, corrupt securitization, and illegal evictions by banks. The Occupy movement actions, including eviction defense at foreclosed properties, takeovers of vacant properties by homeless families, and foreclosure action disruptions, will take place in more than 25 cities across the country. Millions of Americans have lost their homes in the Wall Street recession and one in four homeowners are currently underwater on their mortgages. The 99% is bearing the brunt of a crisis caused by Wall Street and big banks. That's why, all across the country, Americans have begun standing up to the banks that are trying to evict them. It's already happened in Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and cities and towns across the country. Now, it's happening in Brooklyn. Soon, it will be happening everywhere. Wall Street and the big banks are making record profits while most Americans are struggling to stay in their homes. They break the law with impunity, but millions of us get served with eviction. They make trillions and get bailouts, while we face record unemployment and record debt. No more! Our system has been serving Wall Street, big banks, and the one percent. We are the 99%. We are reclaiming our democracy. Facebook
Event Page #OCCUPYOURHOMES #DECEMBER6TH #D6- "Homeowners Speak Out" - Mimi Pierre Johnson & Jean Sassine from Rhodes Pictures: Occupy Our Homes from Housing is a Human Right: NYC Event DetailsForeclosure Tour: Meet @ 1pm for March starts at Pennsylvania and Livonia. Ends at undisclosed location of home re-occupation. Block party and house warming to follow. Bring gifts and food! Take 3 train to Pennsylvania Ave or L train to Livonia Ave. March: At 1pm, we are gathering at Pennsylvania and Livonia in East New York, Brooklyn (3 train to Pennsylvania or L train to Livonia) to march through a neighborhood on the front lines of the economic crisis. Along the way, we will take stock of foreclosed properties for the growing Occupy REAL Estate Listing Service, so families can reclaim stolen homes in their neighborhood -- and connect with allies in their communities to defend the human right to a home. The march will end at a house warming and block party for the family and their neighbors. Bring housewarming gifts and food to share! Mic Check the Subways on the Way On your way out to the action on Tuesday, come together with other NYC GAs for a Subway People's Mic! Here are the meeting points: Bronx: Hunts Point station, 10:30 am
Feel free to just show up and join in, or help bottom-line by doing the following:
Occupy BroadwayPosted 6 days ago on Dec. 1, 2011, 3:01 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
This Saturday, creative artists, performers occupy Broadway and commence an all-night performance in an undisclosed bonus plaza.
EVENT: Occupy Broadway (theatre/shopping district) with
a 24-hour performance. Moving Forward Together: An Open Space for DiscussionPosted 6 days ago on Dec. 1, 2011, 1:36 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt When: Saturday, Dec 3 from 11am-6pm @ 311 W 43rd St. Since losing our encampment, different spaces have been used for continued discussion and creative reflection together. This Saturday, a process called Open Space will be piloted to look at what we value, what we’ve accomplished, and where we are going. Please join us as an individual or with your work group. Invite friends, family or any others who you want in this conversation with you. Open Space is based in decentralized small conversations that are documented and shared with the whole group. It is more resilient to disruption and less centered on facilitators. There will be opportunities to be trained in hosting Open Space gatherings in the coming weeks if people are interested. You can learn about Open Space
here
and here.
Occupy to Celebrate: The Resilience of OWSPosted 6 days ago on Dec. 1, 2011, 1:18 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt On Saturday December 3rd, 2011, at 10:00 am, Occupy Wall Street and members of the New York faith community invite the Occupy Movement to join in a celebration of our occupation at Liberty Square. We are calling on all occupiers to reenergize our movement, keep Liberty Square active, and share ideas about the importance of outdoor spaces for our future. Bishop George Packard, Pulitzer prize-winning author and journalist Chris Hedges, and OccupyFaith will rally around Occupy Wall Street's immediate need for spaces to continue organizing for social and economic justice. Read More... Phillip Glass Joins OWS in Protest at Lincoln CenterPosted 6 days ago on Dec. 1, 2011, 1:09 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Phillip Glass will join OWS for an action at the Lincoln Center tonight, outside the final performance of his opera Satyagraha, on the life of Gandhi and the history of non-violent civil disobedience. Lincoln Center is sponsored by the Koch Brothers and Bloomberg. At the same time that they celebrate this story of a historic social movement, they are working to shut down the contemporary Occupy movement. In protest, Phillip Glass will lead a mic check / people's mic outside, reciting the libretto (chorus of Gandhi quotes). When: Thursday December 1, 2011 at 10:30PM. It is no doubt timely that Philip Glass' opera 'Satyagraha'--which depicts Gandhi's early struggle against colonial oppression in India --should be revived by the Metropolitan Opera in 2011, a year which has seen popular revolutions in North Africa, mass uprisings in Europe, and the emergence of Occupy Wall Street protests in the United States. Yet we see a glaring contradiction in ‘Satyagraha’ being performed at the Lincoln Center where in recent weeks protestors from Occupy Wall Street have been arrested and forcibly removed for exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceful public assembly. Read More... March for Jobs and Economic FairnessPosted 6 days ago on Dec. 1, 2011, 12:33 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt The NYC Central Labor Council has called a march on Dec 1st for Jobs and Economic Fairness that's "not just for the labor movement, but for everyone who is frustrated and worried about the growing economic disparity in this country. It's for anyone who has ever agonized about finding a job, paying for college, meeting a mortgage payment, or how to buy enough food for dinner. " #OWS will be there. More info here. Image Info Police Reattempting Raid On Occupy Los AngelesPosted 1 week ago on Nov. 30, 2011, 12:54 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Police are once again attacking Occupy Los Angeles after occupiers successfully defended Solidarity Park a few nights ago. Read More... War Profiteers Meet Tomorrow In NYC. They Won't Be Alone.Posted 1 week ago on Nov. 29, 2011, 12:46 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tomorrow, the Aviation Week and Credit Suisse will be holding their 17th
annual Aerospace & Defense Finance Conference in NYC. These war
profiteers export death in the name of defense. They have obscene
influence over our democracy with politicians in their pockets and
hundreds of lobbyists working congress. They sell arms to to the 1% so
that war can be waged against the 99% in efficient and technologically
advanced ways. #OWS will not stand silent as these dangerous parasites
take our tax dollars and turn them into arms and profit. WHEN: Wednesday, 11/30, two rallies/marches--6:30am
meet up and rally to non-violently interrupt business as usual as
delegates enter the conference, and 4:30pm to rally against militarism.
Some background info Occupy Oklahoma City Now Facing EvictionPosted Nov. 28, 2011, 11:17 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt
Washington State Capitol Building OCCUPIEDPosted 1 week ago on Nov. 28, 2011, 9:14 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Today in Olympia, Washington, the Washington State Capitol was occupied. Several occupiers were arrested and forcibly removed by Washington State Troopers. In yet another display of excessive force, three people were reportedly tased by police.Last Updated, 12:28 EST CUNY Protests Happening NowPosted 1 week ago on Nov. 28, 2011, 5 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Inside of a barricaded meeting at Baruch College (24th and Lexington Ave), the City University of New York Board of Trustees is voting to raise tuition at the school. Outside, hundreds of Occupy CUNY students and their supporters are chanting, "Education is a right, Fight! Fight! Fight!" Students are asking all supporters to join them at Baruch College until 8PM this evening. Eviction Deadline Passes, Occupy LA Holding GroundPosted Nov. 28, 2011, 1:58 p.m. EST (1 week ago) by OccupyWallSt
LIVE: Occupy Philly Still Standing StrongPosted 1 week ago on Nov. 28, 2011, 12:06 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Though ordered by the city to leave yesterday and threatened with arrest, Occupy Philly remains peacefully assembled. For background on the situation in Philly, see our earlier post. Updates:
#OccupyLA Refuses To Leave, Police Attempting To Evict NowPosted 1 week ago on Nov. 28, 2011, 4:50 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Yesterday we reported about the
planned eviction of Occupy Los Angeles. Occupiers have refused to
leave and the police are currently enclosing. Thousands have arrived to
defend Solidarity Park, forming human chains. More InformationOccupy Philly Facing Eviction TODAYPosted 1 week ago on Nov. 27, 2011, 12:04 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Despite having sent a letter of appeal to City Hall, Occupy Philadelphia is facing imminent eviction:
Occupy Philly also released the following statement urging solidarity from the 99% and offering ways for supporters to help today: Read More... URGENT: Occupy LA Prepares for EvictionPosted 1 week ago on Nov. 27, 2011, 10:40 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt The mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, has ordered Occupy LA to pack up and leave Solidarity Park (formerly City Hall Park) by 12:01AM tonight or face arrest. Villaraigosa – who initially claimed to support the Occupation and has lauded OWS for "awakening the country's conscience" – is now citing "public health and safety" as justification to evict the encampment, even as LA police chief Charlie Beck refused to reject the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against nonviolent protestors. As Villaraigosa held a press conference announcing the park would be closed indefinitely after eviction, Occupy LA held a counter press conference outside City Hall. Meanwhile inside, Occupy LA delivered part of its General Assembly's response, including their so-far unmet grievances:
Answering Egypt's Call for SolidarityPosted 1 week ago on Nov. 26, 2011, 9:56 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
On November 22, occupiers of Tahrir Square issued an urgent call for global solidarity, asking the world to:
The Occupy movement is answering their call. Yesterday, hundreds marched on the Egyptian consulate in New York City. In NYC today (Saturday, Nov 26), an Egyptian solidarity rally will begin at 1 PM at the Egypt Mission (East 44th St & 2nd Ave), with a march at 4PM. An action is also being planned for Thursday, December 1st in front of a tear gas plant in Jamestown, Pennsylvania that has been supplying the Egyptian military junta. Participants from Occupy camps across the Northeast region will gather outside of the plant, which is owned by Combined Systems International. Read More... Boycott "Black Friday!" Solidarity with Striking Chinese Workers!Posted 1 week ago on Nov. 25, 2011, 1:36 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
This Black Friday, as millions of Americans scramble to find the
"best deals" on consumer goods, thousands of Chinese manufacturing
workers are striking to demand livable wages, job security, and other
basic rights. In Huangjiang alone, 8,000 striking shoe factory workers
took the streets Thursday, blocking roads and standing down lines of
riot police. Their factory, owned Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings, is a
major provider to the sportswear company New Balance. It seems fair to say these workers are striking for a "new balance" with their management, and the system of global exploitation that management serves. Facing police repression and media censorship, striking Chinese workers are standing up against the same unfair economic system we are fighting on Wall Street and across the world. Today, Occupiers everywhere are standing up to Boycott Black Friday in an effort to raise awareness about the exploitation and inequalities that produce the goods Americans purchase. Read More... After Feeding Thousands, OWS Sits Down in Liberty SquarePosted 1 week ago on Nov. 24, 2011, 6:09 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Today, Occupations across the U.S. have shown that the 99% Movement can do more than protest—we can also take care of one another. Across the world, people still reeling from homelessness, poverty, foreclosures, and economic inequality have a lot less to be thankful for. But today, we reminded ourselves—and the world—that we can still be thankful for our mutual solidarity. From D.C. to Oakland and everywhere in between, Occupiers sat down for communal meals. Others marked Thanksgiving by honoring indigenous Native communities and First Nations who continue to fight for their land and sovereignty against colonialism and corporate greed. Read More... |
|
Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org. |