‘Shut This City Down’: Inside Occupy Wall Street’s Anti-Police Racial Justice March
- Posted on November 3, 2011 at 2:29am by
Buck Sexton
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During Occupy Wall Street’s March for Racial Justice and Against Police Brutality march last night, the Occupiers gave me a glimpse into their game plan going forward, and it’s looks like things could get really ugly.
In strategic terms, the OWS next phase plan can be broken down into two parts:
- The Occupiers will force a major confrontation with police.
- They will attempt to effectively shut down a portion of New York City.
It is not clear to me in what order those events will occur, or when either will be attempted, but I do believe after hearing and seeing the marchers in action that both a confrontation and shutdown are now goals of the OWS movement.
What I observed last night was a march that highlighted Occupy Oakland’s new temporary status as the heart of the resistance and the Occupiers’ deep rage against the police.
Solidarity with Occupy Oakland has in fact become a huge rallying cry for the Wall Street Occupiers. Their recent clash with Oakland police resulted in the serious injury of Iraq war veteran, Scott Olson, which has given considerable momentum to the overall Occupy movement.
In addition, the Port of Oakland has been successfully shut down, much to the pleasure of the Occupy Wall Street crowd in Zuccotti Park. While there are rumors that Oakland, not downtown New York, will officially become the epicenter of the OWS movement, what I saw during the March For Racial Justice Against Police Brutality led me to believe that the Wall Street Occupiers are readying for their next phase.
I arrived at Zuccotti around 3:00 PM yesterday. A group of Occupy Veterans had marched in protest from Zuccotti park earlier that afternoon, and I could still see some men milling around the crowd in army digitized camouflage uniforms later on as the sun was setting.
The organizers left little to the imagination regarding OWS plans going forward. More “general strikes” are in the works, it’s just a matter of organizing the participants and picking a day. As the Occupiers prepared to march on Police Headquarters (located at 1 Police Plaza, and often referred to as One-PP), one organizer gave the crowd some history on general strikes, and explained that the Occupiers hope to shut down cities across the country and the globe.
Here is a transcript of her comments on the Occupy Oakland and the way ahead:
”The last city in the United States to have had a general strike, it was 1946. Today is not quite a general strike, it’s not too f***ing bad, in fact right now there are at least 5,000 gathered at the spot of Occupy Oakland three hours before the rally. Many city workers were told not to bother, don’t come in, shut the city down. Many students, as well as teachers and professors, have walked out of school, and are gathering in Occupy Oakland. And we are here today to stand in solidarity along with our brothers and sisters in Tahrir Square, in Chicago, in Denver, and in Oakland. Because ours is a global movement, and this is our day of action.”
And below is the raw video from the event:
Another march organizer was even more explicit in his threats about citywide shutdowns:
“We are Oakland. If you move on Oakland we’ll shut you down. If you move on New york, well shut you down. The people have the right to stand up whatever city they’re in. Right now new york is showing you the happy face, Oakland showed you the other face so we here we’ll deal with the face were given. If we see the ugly one, we’ll move on it. If they let us stay here we’ll be here in peace. The choice is not that of the 99, it’s of the 100. The 1% will suffer the consequence if they try to take away our rights. New york in general strike, Houston in general strike Sacramento in general strike. We will go wherever we need to when they try to shut us down.”
Below is a short clip of that exchange on city shutdowns across America:
A member of Iraq Veterans Against the War seemed to have a Freudian slip when he told the crowd that they were about to embark on an illegal march, and some of them would probably be arrested. He was quickly corrected by agitated organizers who stated their belief that the Constitution gives them the right to march when they want, where they want, without heed of local laws.
The march, technically called the “March For Racial Justice and Against Police Brutality,” moved north up Broadway without incident. The usual gaggle of reporters and photographers walked a few feet ahead of the main protest group and jockeyed for the best oncoming shot. Along with the standard refrain of ”All day, all week, occupy wall street,” the protestors worked in the chant of ”Oakland, New York, Wisconsin, We Will Fight, We Will Win.”
But most interesting to me was the cry of “Students and workers, shut this city down.”
I arrived just a few minutes ahead of the main protest column at NYPD headquarters. There were metal barricades around the entire space, and police standing at intervals of about 10 feet on all sides. Somewhere around 500 protestors were gathered.
Some Occupiers in the crowd worried aloud that it was a “trap” by the NYPD, and that the police were going to pen in all of the protestors and arrest them en masse. On the contrary, and to the Occupiers’ apparent disappointment, I overheard several NYPD officers explain to protestors who asked them that they were free to gather and speak to their hearts’ content within the plaza area enclosed by the barricades.
Once all elements of the march caught up, the anti-police portion of the evening kicked into full swing. The human microphone was actually necessary this time, as the people were packed in closely enough that it was difficult to get near “facilitators” who gave the speeches.
One of those facilitators pointed to NYPD headquarters in the background and said that “to people of color, this building is a tombstone…here lies Sean Bell… Abner Louima…” and listed the names of several more individuals killed by police. The speech went on to call for the protestors to “make some noise for Oscar Grant,” referring to an unarmed man killed by police in Oakland whose death lead to widespread looting and riots.
Accidental or not, and regardless of punishments meted out to the officers who made grave errors, all the police were considered guilty last night.
“We will defend these neighborhoods,” another Occupiers said, ”we will march to these communities of color.” The theme was simple enough: the police are bad, and the Occupiers will march on poor neighborhoods to further impress upon minorities that the police are racist murderers.
The Occupiers even took an oath to to this effect on the spot. One organizer told the crowd to raise their right hands, and say ”I swear to protest under the First amendment Rights whenever there are acts of brutality or other oppression of rights for communities of color.”
But the moment that received the biggest reaction from the crowd was when an Occupy Oakland medic who claimed to have been with Scott Olson on the night he was wounded spoke up about the recent clash with police. A placard with Olson’s photo on it was passed around the crowd, carried by Sgt. Shamar Thomas, famous for his own clash with the NYPD on October 15th.
As I walked away from the protest in front of 1PP, it became clear to me that Occupy is putting a dangerous narrative in place. The Occupiers are setting up the police as the enemy, and Occupiers are the so-called liberators. Whatever Occupiers have to do in the course of their revolution to end oppression will be justified in their minds, because the alternative is racism and murder at the hands of the police, or so the propaganda goes.
It is a deeply cynical premise that will be incredibly effective at inciting a mob.
Based upon what I saw, I think the protestors will purposefully flout the law at some point with a sit-in or street blockade, knowing that if the authorities use force in response, they will be skewered in the media. Once the message of “police brutality” is sufficiently embedded in the public discussion surrounding Occupy, the protestors will be able engage in direct action with impunity.
Then they can really “shut this city down.”
If the people of the City of New York decide the Occupiers cannot be touched– for fear of causing a casualty like Scott Olson in Oakland– the Occupation will have won a massive psychological victory.
And if somehow the police brutality meme fails to seep deep enough into the public mind, the Occupiers will continue orchestrated face-offs until there are so many “police brutality” videos on the internet, only those paying close attention will know that it was all planned to be that way from the start.
Assuming that happens, honest citizens will be left wondering how all the ensuing chaos and violence could ever be necessary. If the Occupiers really are the 99%, why couldn’t they just vote for leaders who would reform Wall Street? Wasn’t that the whole point?
But we already know the answer. The Occupiers have said it from the beginning:
‘It’s revolution, not reform.’






















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Comments (131)
ree758
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 6:43amTake away their drugs and they will go home. Since the police dont want to do this that means the protests have a purpose to the police or someone in government higher up the chain.
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 7:18amIts obvious…..the police will have to prevent the mob from being the ‘victims’ by taking the anarchists abuse. Police will have to let the protestors destroy property and, hopefully, no non-anarchists or police will be seriously injured.
Report Post »This is very infuriating, but you have to be pragmatic here. If the anarchists become the victims, they win. If they become the villians, we ( patriots) win.
PA PATRIOT
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 7:49am5000 whack jobs
Report Post »Vechorik
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 8:15amKeyword in this article is GLOBAL GOVERNMENT, that‘s United Nations Agenda 21 I’ve been harping about for months here (and voters ignore).
It’s not just Republicans against Agenda 21. Google “Democrats Against Agenda 21”
Report Post »Their web page has a good description of this global movement and steps we can take to fight it.
I’m serious — GLOBAL GOVERNMENT is the most serious threat to America as we know it.
mils
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 9:55amOBAMA AND THE UNIONS are behind this rioting.
It scares the bejibers out of me. I think we’re prepared in our family..but you never kn ow…
Let them kill each other, cut off the food supply, water etc. Of course their pathetic mayor would stop any such action as being inhumane .
They will be off the new york next..destroying, pulling our country down to obama’s level.
Report Post »There has been nothing but trouble since obama took office…
lillymckim
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:02amThis Mayor has created a … monster
If I were a policeman in Oakland I would be handed out maps to her house.
Report Post »lillymckim
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:04amThe business owners in Oakland and NYC should be “storming” the majors office!
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 6:43amDeclare war on Saudi Arabia. Nuke Mecca. Oppress the muslim population. Islam is behind OWS.
Deport all muslims. Imprison all OWS participants to treason.
Shut down the Department of State as it is a tool of a foreign government now: Saudi Arabia.
Report Post »mamajo612
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:29amI heard that Obama was behind OWS. He wants the violence to come out and then he can declare military rule and then there won’t be an election. He will do anything to stay in the WH. I wouldn’t put it past him.
Report Post »I would like to see Tea Partiers get half the slide these filthy people have. Of course, Tea Party people don’t behave like this, paid thousands of dollars in permit fees and had to be out of parks by a certain time. And, no one could find a gum wrapper after a TP event unlike the human waste left by this bunch. Absolutely no comparison. It should have never gotten this far.
1389AD
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 9:18pmCAIR and at least one other Muslim Brotherhood front group are involved in OWS. As are various pro-Palestinian contingents.
Report Post »HumbleCitizen
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 6:18amBreaking news this morning…Oakland OWS protesters lobbing homemade bombs at police.
Report Post »EP46
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 7:04amOh, has Bill Ayers joined them now in Oakland instead of NYC?
Report Post »I Luv America
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:47pmIs that true? I hadn’t heard. I did hear, though, that the union at the Port of Oakland made a deal with the protestors to give them a hot breakfast in exchange for allowing trucks through. No doubt, Soros paid for the breakfast.
Report Post »garyM
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 6:17amWhat will eventually happen OWS will step on other people’s rights so bad, the police will have to make a choice on who they are going to protect, I hope they make the right choice!
Report Post »bcope01
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 7:14amThe police belong to unions and unions are partially responsible for the protests. Don’t expect help from the police. They are “beholdin”.
Report Post »Popp40
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 7:56amWell when they say close this city down….they are stepping on the rights of others. It’s well pass time to deal with this parasites at these occupations….however, the main stream media loves them and they have the support of the democrats, so we all know nothing will be done.
Report Post »1389AD
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:20pmBCOPE01,
The public employee unions do support OWS, and the police superintendents may forbid the police to say anything, but the real rank and file are disgusted with OWS.
Report Post »Iceonfire
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 10:08amYes the police may belong to unions, but when they see their fellow officers getting endangered then that isn’t going to make these miscreants look good to them. I think it stinks that the “higher ups” have allowed this mess to percolate to this level while the rank and file officers are the ones risking their necks. I’ll bet you 10 to 1 they have their hands tied too, by politicians with their fingers in the wind, making sure they don’t lose any votes in the coming election. If I lived in the area, for sure I would vote against Oakland’s mayor, and anyone else who sat on their hands letting this crisis continue to get worse. For sure I’m voting against the bozo in the White House, because he hasn’t done boo to stop it. Remember when the rioting happened in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina? Remember all the howls of protest that Bush didn’t care, because he didn’t stop it? Where are those same people now? Why don’t they speak up now?
Report Post »grudgywoof
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:55amWhen you get the video of the copes beating the snot out of them please post it but I really don’t want to hear the stupid hateful chanting it gives me a headache. I want lots of busted heads, tear gas and perhaps some k9 footage. Woof Woof bite that dirty hippie!
Report Post »PhunkDaPhish
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:33pmI agree! And, tell you what, it irks me to no end to see these losers whining day in and day out. The authorities need to do something. Crap, zip tie them all together and let them occupy a vacant warehouse or something.
I’m really starting to dislike these people. I don’t know anyone that supports this crap. Of course, all of my friends and family have skill sets and are responsible people. Most have served in the military too. Go figure.
Report Post »byehlik
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:51amPractice Practice Practice off to the range again.
Report Post »carnifex
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:47amI just erased a lot of response I was just getting ready to post. I would have been lowered to the standards of the OWS crowd if I had posted it. Best way to deal with these retards is just let ‘em be. Arrest ‘em when they break the law, but otherwise ignore them. after all you would be denying them the one thing they do crave. Validation.
Arrest the law breakers, let the rest be. Oh, and vote that moron Bloomberg outta office (I think he’s done a fine job getting to that part himself though).
Report Post »schlepnier
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:43amThis is going to be so very entertaining………
Report Post »OWS useful idiot…… meet mr. nightstick, mr. teargas and lets not leave out little miss water cannon. we will see how your confrontation with the police agenda is going for you then.
loriann12
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 6:42amoooh, water cannons in below freezing weather. Sounds good to me.
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:09amWake me when shoot a commie day gets to Texas…
Report Post »freedomofspeech
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 4:35amwhat more is to say about the “occupy” supporters? we all know. To bad, I always wanted to visit NYC. It is hard to see ppl have to learn from hard knocks, however It does make them stronger and wiser if they survive. I will keep those in my prayers. (sigh)
Report Post »Steve0218
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 4:34amSo when did this turn into “a people of color” thing. Shut up, sit down and take a seat….you know your place!!!!
Report Post »Iceonfire
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 10:14amWell, I’m a person of color too. My color just happens to be White. I am getting sick of the ethnic excuse too. I know, work with, and have friends of every race. These people doing this protesting don‘t really care about color as much as they want to take what they didn’t earn, destroy what they can’t take, and demonize what they can’t destroy. I guess it’s so much easier to take what someone else has than to go out and earn it for yourself. Why bother with dedication, hard work and honest soul searching? You don’t really have to look in the mirror when you can just throw a trashcan through it.
Report Post »raderby
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 4:33amWATCH “On the Waterfront”. Tell me the mob and the mob’s union is not behind this. They have a limited number of tricks they have used for 100 years. The truth is not a trick, so that always works if people look for it, and stand by it, no matter what the cost.
These commie/prog doofs are what they are – liars. Drag them into the sunlight to reveal the truth.
Thanks Buck.
Report Post »Iceonfire
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 10:19amI agree with you, Buck. Did you ever lift the stone, and watch the bugs scramble for cover? Ever walk into a darkened room, flick on the light and see the rats run? These people are at the heart of it cowards. That’s why they run in mobs like this. What they, being complete idiots don’t realize, is that if they get their way, they won’t be better off. It will be a nightmare that they never imagined. After they shut down the ports, and no food can get to the stores, no gas to the stations what then, geniuses? Maybe they can eat their protest signs. Do they think that their sugar daddy George Soros will just keep giving them free food after this is over and he has what he wants?
Report Post »BO_Bill
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 4:08amThe neat thing about many cities is that you really can shut them down. It just takes perhaps two front end loaders with some Fast and Furious types parked across each bridge and tunnel access and then you have nothing in and nothing out. The college educated protesters can then finally prove the value of their non-violent conflict resolution skills to start some backyard organic farms and keep all the urban residents fed in an equitable, fair, and race-neutral manner.
Washington DC might take a little more work, but it is still doable. In this instance, we could (finally) get Halliburton out of Iraq and relocate them to the DC beltway pavement, where they could erect a 16-ft wall around the entire US Capitol.
After perhaps two years, we can invite the utopia-builders out and they can give us Powerpoint presentations on how to create a more just order among men.
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:14amI think you are right as long as they can keep their iPhones, Facebook, WiFi and Starbucks coffee and maybe a few other capitalistic inventions they will be fine. I am sure they can use their feces and pee as organic fertilizer and waarm themselves with their own body heat. I think you have stumbled on to a great idea.
Report Post »David Foxfire
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:42amI‘ll say it before and I’ll say it again, you won’t get crap like this in a Tea Party.
Also, in OWS’s world, I would be the first person to be up against the wall. Long before the Stock Brokers, CEOs, and Entrepenures. Just because of being an autie with a Google-verified past.
Report Post »LastCallForEmpathy
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:41amNature… Nurture…
Empiric… Innate
Both? Wonder if the left hemisphere of my brain has conspired against my right…Or vise versa…
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Confucius
It is the neglect of timely repair that makes rebuilding necessary.
Richard Whately
Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
Mark Twain
O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet.
Saint Augustine
Of prosperity mortals can never have enough.
Aeschylus
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
Socrates
Someone will not like this comment…You can quote me on this…
Report Post »AmericanStrega
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:02amWho’s more the fool? The fool for the fool who follows him?
Report Post »chinqua
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:33amBloomberg – what a slug. What was his policy on squatters or vagrants before they called it OWS?
Report Post »Verity58
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:30amWell folks the sad part is this is just the start, the way I see it evil is all in and is not going away on its own. Every time evil shows its face like this blood flows freely and deep. Lord Jesus help us all.
Report Post »olddog
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:28amThere is no such thing as a government worker, they are government employees. To say worker would emply that they are working, which is not the case..All you have to do is go to Any government office and see for yourself to verify this fact..
Report Post »1389AD
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:17pmAll too often, the only “work” they do is stabbing each other in the backs.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:19amThe only thing hurting capitalism , is socialism . The parasite is killing the host…
Report Post »sissykatz
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 5:04amI personally wish Bloomburg would give the Police the permission
to get it under control when it starts, and not wait and send them
in after they have gotton all riled up. I still can’t believe the Mayor is
letting them keep doing this until some people get hurt.It is time to end
this mess now so the stores can go back to making a living and clean that
rat hole out down there, before some “Disease” really gets spread.
Francis Fox Piven and van Jones and Stephen Lerner. want it to become
violent so they will be doing all they can do to make it happen.
Get the Skuzz out of there and tell them to go home..
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:15amThe “OWS” people are disgusting and revolting. I will not vote for any candidate who supports these disgusting people. The “OWS” people are total morons. I only have one question for them – who’s going to pay for your free lunch?
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:12amOCCUPY – willing or unwilling, you are the pawns of Communist revolutionaries. This is AMERICA, we are SOVEREIGN, and will NOT be ruled by global governance, or global movements, or global whatever.
No person who TOOK AN OATH to defend our Constitution should partake with Occupy. You are lending succor to radicals thirsty for blood. They WANT war on American soil. Will you be able to say you aided them in this endeavor in good conscience? THINK about it. What is done cannot be undone & your actions will bring consequences beyond your control.
Report Post »flagtag
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 8:18pmAmen to all you said here!
Report Post »In my opinion, they are all traitors to the United States of America! The leaders should be rounded up and charged for everything the group as a whole is doing.
Lord_Frostwind
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:05amAmusing little children aren’t they. A phrase they should all remember, Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword, or in their case the Molotov. Still, “if it‘s a whoopin’ they’re a wantin” I’m certain that the police will oblige their request.
Report Post »Huguenot1732
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:38amI fear the “peaceful” mom and pop protestors don’t understand who is really pulling the strings and they will soon become collateral damage as the black bloc anarchist and hard core socialist ratchet up the violence. The video of the Whole Foods vandalism in Oakland demonstrates that these groups will not hesitate to turn on one another. Black Bloc has a habit of using protest crowds as human shields, they strike and then blend back into the larger crowd to escape police, the tactic is effective in limiting police response to their violence. If police enter the crowd, deploy tear gas or pepper, the police are subject to the charges of brutality because they used pepper spray on a baby. Cops will hesitate and people will be injured, or cops will engage and people will be injured, and in either case a cop doing his or her job will face a lawsuit.
Report Post »scout n ambush
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 2:57amWell imagine that …They always told me mess around you won’t be around..
Report Post »AugustSpies
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 2:51amYou can’t vote for candidates to reform wall street because wall street owns the candidates. Obama was supposed to be the candidate of ‘change’ and ‘transparency’ and guess who his biggest contributors were? Jp Morgan chase, and Goldman sachs.. This is the problem they are protesting against, money in politics. And they are protesting police, but police brutality. There is a difference.
Report Post »Alucard
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 3:31amExcept when they push police off of their bikes and then get arrested and yell brutality. Sorry but just because I agree with a fraction of what they are protesting about doesn‘t mean I’m about to lower myself in support of such a dishonest and dangerous movement.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 8:11amBull hockey! They want someone to pay their student loans off. They want more government give-a-aways. They want a socialist government. Many of them want chaos. They hate capitalism. There was a clip yesterday of job head hunters trying to give out job applications at Wall Street and very few of these clowns were interested. They think that any job that they get should be in upper management. Listen to interviews of these clowns. They have no idea of why they are there. They are a bunch of parasites whining for more and their biggest complaint seems to be that no one realizes how brilliant they are and will not pay them hundreds of thousands a year for a job where they don’t have to do any work. They are spoiled little children who refuse to clean their room but want a huge increase in their allowance.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 2:37amI’m with RayGun on this… if Government Workers strike, fire them!
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 2:56amAgree…… let them make it in the real world.
Report Post »babylonvi
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 10:47amGovt. workers won’t strike as long as they get their pay and benefits. On the other hand, if you hack away on this until they have nothing to loose, all bets are off and Obama will get his way.
Report Post »1389AD
Posted on November 3, 2011 at 11:16pmNo recovery from the housing bubble until ALL public sector unions are GONE.
Just sayin’.
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