So How Did the Occupy Movement Celebrate Thanksgiving?
- Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:49am by
Billy Hallowell
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Occupy Wall Street protestors dig into their thanksgiving dinner in Zuccotti Park, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
SAN FRANCISCO (The Blaze/AP) — Anti-Wall Street demonstrators in encampments around the country spent Thanksgiving serving turkey, donating time in solidarity with the protest movement and, in some cases, confronting police.
In San Francisco, 400 occupiers at a plaza in the financial district were served traditional Thanksgiving fixings sent by the renowned Glide Memorial Church to volunteers and supporters of the movement fighting social and economic inequality.
“We are thankful that we are, first and foremost, in a country where we can protest,” said the Rev. Cecil Williams, the founder of Glide and a fixture in the city’s activist community. “And we are thankful that we believe that there are things that could be worked out and that we have a sense of hope. But we know that hope only comes when you make a stand.”
While things were peaceful in San Francisco, the situation became heated in Oakland when police say a truck driver tried to deliver portable rest room to protesters at Frank Ogawa Plaza.
When officers ordered the driver to leave because he had no permit, police and about 150 protesters squared off, according to police spokeswoman Johnna Watson.
One person was arrested, Watson said.
In New York, a squabble erupted when police ordered a halt to drumming by protesters at an otherwise traditional holiday meal.
About 500 protesters were digging into donated turkey and trimmings at lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park when police told a drummer to drop playing.
About 200 protesters surrounded a group of about 30 officers and began shouting in the park where the Occupy movement was launched Sept. 17.
“Why don’t you arrest the drummers in the Thanksgiving parade?” a protester hollered.
A van rolled up with more officers, but they stayed back as protesters eventually decided to call off the drumming and return to their food. Tensions have run high at the park since campers were evicted Nov. 15.
In San Diego, four Occupy protesters were arrested between midnight and 2 a.m. Thursday at an encampment at the City’s Civic Center Plaza, said Officer David Stafford. Three were taken into custody for sleeping overnight in public, while the fourth was arrested for spitting on an officer, Stafford said.
Demonstrators nationwide say they are protesting corporate greed and the concentration of wealth in the upper 1 percent of the American population.
The movement was triggered by the high rate of unemployment and foreclosures, as well as the growing perception that big banks and corporations are not paying their fair share of taxes, yet are taking in huge bonuses while most Americans have seen their incomes drop.
In upstate New York, Danny Cashman, 25, an Afghanistan war veteran who works for a company that resells cellphones, said he sleeps at least three nights a week at an encampment in Rochester to show his solidarity with the movement.
“For today, this is my family,” Cashman said as he dug into a chicken dinner at the 35-tent encampment in tiny Washington Square Park. “We have a great brotherhood, great friends, a great community.”
In Los Angeles, where more than 480 tents have been erected on the lawns of City Hall, activist Teri Adaju, 46, said she typically serves dinner to homeless people on Thanksgiving and knows that many at the Los Angeles encampment were just that.
Still, she added, “Everybody’s in good cheer.”
In Las Vegas, Occupy protesters had a potluck meal at their campsite near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Organizer Sebring Frehner said he was happy to skip his traditional meal at home.
“Instead of hunkering down with five or six close individuals in your home, people you probably see all of the time anyway, you are celebrating Thanksgiving with many different families – kind of like the original Thanksgiving,” Frehner said.
Trisha Carr, 35, spent her holiday at the Occupy encampment at City Hall in Philadelphia. She has been out of work for more than two years and lost her car and home. She’s been living in an Occupy tent for two weeks.
“Some days are harder than others,” she said.
The sunny, crisp weather Thursday put her in a good mood, and she watched the annual Thanksgiving parade before coming back to the encampment for a plate full of turkey and fixings.
Carr said her job search has been fruitless, and the government needs to do more to help people like her.
“I had the benefits, I had money in my pocket, I had health care – I had it all,” Carr said. “There should be no reason why people aren’t working.”
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Comments (66)
houndplus
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:24amThe Occupy movement is starting to adopt an anti-corruption platform that will garner much more respect. An Occupy member’s page http://owwc.gu.ma , supporting a business owner who lost millions of dollars to a corrupt officials seems to illustrate this.
Report Post »RossPoldark
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:26pmYah, they are just doing this to desensitize people to what their real goals are. They are not unlike the muslims using Taguiyya. Lie and deceive to further the cause.
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:15amSo How Did the Occupy Movement Celebrate Thanksgiving?………the answer who gives a crap comes to mind.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:10pmJust once I want to see someone pull the bandana off one these idiots…what are they protecting? Their good name and reputation? LOL.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:46pmThe acronym DILLIGAF comes to mind as well……
Report Post »SLEUTH
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 2:30pm@MRSMILEYFACE, me too. we should all have our peaceful, [without any violence] ,protest against the ‘banks and big business’ since their greed is in the way of them making a decent living. congress should be making laws to protect the consumers and not the corp. congress should be replaced with people who advocate a fair govt for all and no bail ours or hand outs.
Report Post »sweetgold
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:18pm@ MRSMILEYFACE
I agree with you but they did what they thought they should do. I would like someone to carefully explain Trisha Carr’s her last quoted sentence to her and the real reason she has to say thanks from a park.
Report Post »Greenwood
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:11amcelebrating Thanksgiving with many different families – kind of like the original Thanksgiving,” Frehner said.
Report Post »But who are they giving thanks to? No mention of God from them or our POTUS
Bronco II
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:10amI know GOD sees and hears all and will handle things his way.GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN AND MOST OF ALL THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.Thank you FATHER for all your blessings everyday and all day and for dwelling in me as I in you.I pray for these lost people who have been misguided and lied to and only you can change hearts and minds and you will in your own time and your will not ours.We should not have hate in our hearts but love I know it‘s hard but GOD isn’t always so pleased with us either but he loves us and shows all of us mercy and unmerited favor and we should be thankful to him for that.
Report Post »TELITLYKITIS
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:35pmAMEN ,AMEN Brother GOD bless One and All !
Report Post »UNBOTHERED
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:04am@Naneyye
Report Post »What pun was I replying to, because I did not see one. I was replying to the devil who said he would have poisoned them with Rat poison. The he said Sarcasm and I said I doubt that he really meant that as sarcasm. And you act like you went to the OW and interviewed these people about what they are protesting. I am sure you did not since you loathe them so much. I, on the other hand have talked with several in Manhattan, as well as one 50 year old nurse who lives in Pittsburg, when I was there for the Pittsburg vs Ravens game two weeks ago. Most of the protests is against the way the banks are still not being held accountable for their roles in messing this country up, others protests are against the tax breaks of the super-rich. Nobody has yet to properly defend the reason for continuing these breaks. It does not promote jobs, it hasn‘t so far and it won’t in the future. The super-rich cares nothing about middle class. They only care about their shareholders and cheap labor. I wouldn’t dare waste my time asking you all to at least TRY to put yourself in the shoes of people who have worked all their life, paid taxes and are not unemployed and in fear of losing it all, while the super-rich has no problems seeing an entire country falter, because they feel they had nothing to do with that faltering. It’s a shame that the people who need no protection, get all of your support. And the people who need help, get your loathing and contempt
UNBOTHERED
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:07amCorrection:
I wouldn’t dare waste my time asking you all to at least try to put yourself in the shoes of people who have worked all their life, paid taxes and are NOW unemployed and in fear of losing it all
Report Post »Jack of Hearts
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:33amGreat post, some intelligent comments and a great understanding of the issues. Presumably you’re just a visitor to this site. Please stay, you’ve raised the level of debate already.
Report Post »spfoam1
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:16pmYou seem to hate the rich and lump them all together as not caring about anyone. The government caused the bulk of the problems we have, not the banks, but you apparently hate the banks and attack them because they represent money. You claim intimate knowlege of these protestors because you talked to several of them and one nurse…..wow, I’m impressed. Class envy got you by the short hairs?
Report Post »Thevoice
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:48amI love the two Chinese or N. Korean spies right at the end …
Report Post »DianaS2935
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:11amAnd, they still love feeding off of what someone else prepares. They should all be thankful that they aren’t one of my kids.
Report Post »UNBOTHERED
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:07amAs many stories as there are on this website, not one of them is a section for you all to say what you are thankful for. You pretend to love God and accuse everyone who is not a Republican of not being christian, yet you all much prefer complaining and saying negative comments about someone, rather than commenting on what you are thankful for. Typical contradictory group.
But hey, you guys have to have something to complain about, right??
As you all were, business as usual at the Blaze.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:55amThis is the me me me generation, no thanks, just the freebies please….
Report Post »bringiton
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:44pmOh, great. Another pathological narcissist.
Report Post »Tired_of_The_Liberal_Spin
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:58pm@UNBOTHERED Way too much usage of the phrase, “you all”. This site has 10s of thousands of members; therefore, the use of ‘broad paintbrushes’ in response to 20 or so postings unfortunately undermines your message.
Report Post »RobertWolfe
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:11pmSorry that you feel the way you do, but you first need straighten some things out. My future wife was surrounded by the Occupiers and they knew nothing of her. She was on her home, when they started to yell that wanted more of the money she earned. She works hard for a paycheck, and it varies $18.00 to 250.00 for two weeks of work. She takes care of her and mine children. You may take a general statement and apply it to everyone. We work hard for what we do have, we help her parents as much as they help us. That is what families do, or did your Occupiers not know that. We are spiritual people and don’t down people for having a different faith or belief system. Occupiers right end when they interfere with ours.
Report Post »pecosval
Posted on November 26, 2011 at 9:56amsour grapes…
Report Post »ares338
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:04amOf course OWSers are thankful……..FOR EVERYONE ELSES MONEY!
Report Post »gwssacredcause
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:58amThe Rev. Cecil Williams founder of Glide Memorial Church said “We are thankful that we are first and foremost, in a century where we can protest.“ The ”Reverend” should consider where our many blessing come from and concentrate more on giving thanks to God for those blessings instead of being thankful they can protest.
Report Post »Unix
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:47amTime to take out the paper and the trash, yakity yak, don’t look back!
Report Post »HTuttle
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:43amWhat about the 99% of turkeys who are eaten and not granted a presidential pardon!
Report Post »qpwillie
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:34amSo that girl thinks it’s about being thankful to the occupiers. I think she missed the purpose for Thanksgiving.
Report Post »FoxholeAtheist
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:50amWhat? Being thankful to the Native Americans for not allowing the pilgrims to starve?
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:01amFoxholeAtheist, if you think that’s who the pilgrims were thanking, you should read a history book.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:22amObama’s people turning a day of thanks to God into a day of gorging on free food. Nice work Obama, you have lowered tha bar.
Report Post »kentuckypatriot
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:21amI would’ve gladly served them.. adding rat poison…( sarcasm ).
Report Post »Yea, they are thankful alright… for the National Guard not being called in yet.
UNBOTHERED
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:45amYou are not fooling anybody devil. That was not sarcasm. You know that you, your family and probably every GOP’er would love nothing more than for every single OW protestor to be murdered, poisoned or imprisoned. The one thing I can’t stand is a closeted evil person. Let it out, so we all know where you stand.
Report Post »Naneyye
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:54am@ Unbothered! LOL! You are young and look well feed and probably have parents that have taken care of you for awhile! What a way to reply to a “pun”! Supposedly, according to OWS protesters, I am one of the 99%, NOT! They in no way represent me at all, or many of us! First, OWS protesters are protesting the WRONG people, they need to protest at the White House and Congress! They are against capitalism and want the Government to once again step in and take care of them! What is on your label on you shoes, coats, technical devises? be real careful of what you back, if this administration gets what they want for the young people of today, you will have a society like Spain, Greece, Portugal and ect.! Utopia does not exist in this world! With the way humans are built there is no TAKING from some to give to others, is crazy! To think that the OWS wants the government to get more taxes to give to the WHO? Will not go to the so called 99% It will go to where the government wants it to go! To think anything else is pure ignorance! Get FACTS!
Report Post »Discord
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:50pmNan, I don’t think you understand what a pun is.
Report Post »showmerancher
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:15amOWS chowing down on turkey? Wouldn’t that be considered cannibalism?
Report Post »Barack Must Go
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:13amI would assume they ate crow.
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:12amDonated food !!!!!!,I would not give them dog food ?
Report Post »love the kids
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:08amWhy would these people celebrate thanksgiving, By their own statements, they don’t seem to have anything to be thankful for?
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:37amIt’s about the free meal, not thanksgiving….
Report Post »jackbauer
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:56amFeed them and they will come.
Report Post »Errol79
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:05amI bet their families were Thankful….Thankful they were there, instead of at Dinner with the family…..
Report Post »Gorp
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:00amHere in MN there was a 70 year old woman who brought turkey with trimmings down to the protestors in Mpls so they could celebrate Thanksgiving.
I guess age doesn’t necessarily mean wisdom. How can anybody in their right mind support those who want to ruin this great nation?
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:39amDid they rob here or rape her on her way out ? That’s what I would expect,from them… Get the free meal then rob her of her belongings, showing their thanks..
Report Post »lel2007
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:00amoccupy movement “fighting social and economic inequality.” There’s a never ending battle for ya.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:57amGod above these groups have demonstrated they want violence and rebellion; It is past time to go in and clean them out once and for all.
Report Post »olddog
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:55amGimme,Gimme, Gimme.. ONE ARREST??? Californication is the perfect place for non-ending protests, mainly because they have all been short changed on brains and common sence..
Report Post »Protest On Garth..
MinutemanOnTheBorder
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:54amZetas cartel violence in the US! http://www.americanborder.blogspot.com for info!!
Report Post »KingCanon
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:52amOn somebody else’s dime!
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