11.15.2011

occupy everywhere: you can destroy the tents in a park, but you can't kill an idea



As I'm sure you know, city governments and police forces around the continent have been moving against Occupy camps, along with the accompanying unnecessary and expected police violence used against peaceful citizens. This overkill and intolerance will only strengthen the movement in the long run, but meanwhile, it's a tough road to go.

I've been finding it heartening to follow the Occupy Wall Street through the People's Library blog. Recent posts:

Raid of Occupy Wall Street, including much video footage:
URGENT CALL FOR ACTION: The Occupation and the People’s Library are being destroyed right now by the NYPD. The Library and all the tents and equipment from the camp are being thrown in dumpsters.

Eviction Notice & Property Removal:
Here is a photo of the eviction notice from a photograph posted by twitter user @harrysiegel. Note that it says the property will be stored at the Department of Sanitation parking garage at 650 West 57th St. However, it was clear from the livestream and witnesses inside the park that the property was destroyed by police and DSNY workers before it was thrown in dumpsters.

Today: Post-Raid Rally and General Assembly:
New Yorkers! Meet at 9am at Canal and 6th Avenue. Spread the word...

This movement can’t be contained in one square block in lower Manhattan. It is bigger than that. You can’t evict an idea whose time had come.

Show your support. Turn out en masse. . .

I think it's time to quote Howard Zinn again:
There is a tendency to think that what we see in the present moment will continue. We forget how often we have been astonished by the sudden crumbling of institutions, by extraordinary changes in people's thoughts, by unexpected eruptions of rebellion against tyrannies, by the quick collapse of systems of power that seemed invincible.

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