Banks Share Info From Robots, Security Officers, Video Surveillance As Occupy Protests Loom: Report

Occupy Oakland protesters rally in front of a Wells Fargo bank Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Banks are collaborating by sharing surveillance information in order to prepare for Occupy Wall Street protests, Bloomberg News reports.

In a real-life situation reminiscent of many an Arnold Schwarzenegger flick, banks are using information gleaned from robots to fend off the Occupy movement.

Big banks are giving each other information they got from robots, security officers, and video surveillance as they brace for Occupy Wall Street's planned protests at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Chicago in May, Bloomberg reports. Starting May 1, about 50,000 demonstrators plan to camp out in Chicago for a month to protest the NATO meeting, according to Adbusters Magazine, which first coined the phrase "Occupy Wall Street."

This isn't the first sign of a collaborative effort to obtain information about the Occupy movement. first Last fall, rumors floated of an organized national crackdown by city officials on Occupy Wall Street -- most notably in New York, Oakland, Denver and Portland -- after police evacuated Zuccotti Park in the middle of the night. Emails obtained in January showed the U.S. Conference of Mayors surveyed city administrations across the country about the movement.

Occupy organizers plan to revitalize the protest movement and "stand together for economic justice" by organizing strikes in more than 125 cities around the country on May Day, or May 1, according to Occupy Wall Street's website. The Occupy movement has been less visible in recent months, as cold weather and police clashes have pushed protesters away from many of the spots they initially occupied, including Zuccotti Park where the movement began.

On the same day as the Occupy launch in Chicago, Occupy protesters in New York City plan to target JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, as two of 99 targets in midtown Manhattan, according to Bloomberg News and an Occupy Wall Street blog. Tom Morello, the guitarist from Rage Against the Machine, will host a guitar workshop in Bryant Park for Occupy Wall Street protesters that day, according to Occupy Wall Street's website.

The protest movement has already staged some actions in recent weeks as part of its comeback. College students supporting Occupy Wall Street protested student loan debt in 20 cities nationwide on Wednesday. Occupy Wall Street activists protested General Electric's low tax rate during a speech by Jeffrey Immelt, GE's CEO, in Detroit on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters tried to crash Wells Fargo's annual shareholders meeting in San Francisco, and police said that 24 were arrested.

 

Comments

[paymyrent]

02:02 AM on 04/30/2012

Instead of school shootings I just wish they would do OWS shooting sprees.

[InfinityCircle]

06:12 PM on 04/26/2012

Robots? Would you mind expounding on that further? I mean really, if you're going to make a statement that robots are being used, some documentation or info would be nice. Otherwise it sounds somewhat Alex Jonesian, i.e conspiracy nut.

[Timothy Edgin]

01:53 PM on 04/26/2012

As of yesterday, April 25, 2012, my politics have formally changed. I now support the Democrats, Republicans, Constitution, Libertarian, and Independent Parties, and announce to any and all readers that should America be dragged into a wider Military conflict, even if we are wrong, I will defend my country and the Constitution, my family, and any American families I can. I support many of Occupy's goals, and I am extremely against the foreign wars and the Drug War, but even if we brought it upon ourselves via complacency, I am an American.

[aforbes808]

05:59 PM on 04/26/2012

In other words, I have no problem being a tool? Come on.

[Timothy Edgin]

11:56 PM on 04/26/2012

No, I in no way enjoy being a pawn; the fact is I support OWS but it appears your sources are limited and it is not my place inform you as I use my real name. Something has changed and it is beyond our control now. The sources are removed too quickly and I am not an anonymous type- I Publicly supported OWS via water, food ect. and participated using my real name at all times cause I have no fear of retaliation. But I swear if my country is attacked I by foreign powers I will defend it no matter what, but I cannot go into details. That is all I am saying. I am still a patriot even if we are f'ed up beyond all recognition.

[Timothy Edgin]

12:05 AM on 04/27/2012

No, I despise being a pawn, but I have seen something that I cannot expound on as I use my real name. The videos are taken down too quickly so I cannot elaborate. I support OWS and supplied food, water, and debated online using my Real Name as I have no fear of reprisal. I do not fear death. But no matter how bad we are, what may be coming is now beyond our control. I just pray we (America's controllers) back down. All I am saying is I am still an American first, and will protect my country using my real name, even if it sucks beyond all recognition.

[paymyrent]

02:03 AM on 04/30/2012

Nice comment for me to poop on. Don't side with the liberals they don't want you unless you obey fully