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Van Jones

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Defend Occupy Wall Street From Eviction

Posted: 10/13/11 09:35 PM ET

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is making a cowardly attempt to end Occupy Wall Street, the anchor of a movement that has captured the hearts and minds of the country in just four weeks. Tomorrow at 7 a.m., under Bloomberg's orders, the NYPD will evict the 99%.

Unless we stop that from happening.

We have very little time to act. There are at least three things you can do right now:

  1. SIGN THIS PETITION now. MoveOn.org has started a major petition drive to tell Mayor Bloomberg: "Respect the protesters' First Amendment rights. Don't try to evict Occupy Wall Street." The petition will be put in the hands of the occupiers TONIGHT, and then delivered to the mayor. A massive stack of signatures will show Occupy Wall Street and Bloomberg that the nation stands with the 99%, not the 1%.

  2. Tell everyone you know in the New York area that they should head to Zuccotti Park at 6:00 AM tomorrow (Friday Oct 14) to prevent Bloomberg from evicting the protesters. If enough people literally stand with the protesters, Bloomberg could back down.

  3. Call 311 (if you live in New York City) or 212-NEW-YORK (if you live elsewhere in the US) and demand that Bloomberg back down from interfering with the occupiers' brave stand on behalf of the 99% of us.

The mayor's justification for this eviction is a ruse. Bloomberg says authorities need to "clean" the park. Meanwhile, he refuses to acknowledge that Occupy Wall Street has a functioning sanitation detail, just as they've self-organized every other aspect of their dignified, intentional community (including a working library).

Bloomberg says the protestors may return after the "cleaning," but this also is less than honest. Upon returning to the park, occupiers must follow rules that make the occupation impossible: no camping; no sleeping bags; no tents; no lying down; no storage of personal property.

Make no mistake -- this is an eviction. Winter is coming, and the occupiers cannot continue without the ability to stay safe, warm, and dry.

This is about more than just one protest. What's at stake is the very right we have as Americans to speak out when we've been wronged, and to peaceably assemble as a community to seek redress from the government.

Occupy Wall Street is resonating with the American people. More than a thousand occupations have sprung up in cities and towns everywhere, following the example set by those in New York City. As Al Gore said, Occupy Wall Street is a "primal scream of American democracy." This beautiful manifestation of moral clarity and dignified, nonviolent protest must be allowed to continue.

 
 
 

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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
momoluvsu
We live in a parallel universe
05:42 PM on 10/16/2011
And the men who hold high places
Must be the ones to start
To mould a new reality
Closer to the Heart

The Blacksmith and the Artist
Reflect it in their art
Forge their creativity
Closer to the Heart

Philosophers and Ploughmen
Each must know his part
To sow a new mentality
Closer to the Heart

You can be the Captain
I will draw the Chart
Sailing into destiny
Closer to the Heart
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
beckjr2000
been there done that & tired of it
05:49 PM on 10/14/2011
Communists like Jones love to take other people's property! "What yours is mine and what mine is mine!"
03:43 PM on 10/14/2011
They have the right to stay in the park based on the 1st Amendment
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
beckjr2000
been there done that & tired of it
05:38 PM on 10/14/2011
Not if the owner won't allow it! Then there are all those pesty sanitation Laws that they have to comply with. No their 1st Amendment Right has nothing to do with Trespass or Sanitation Laws. They can express themselves in jail or where ever they wind up.
03:38 PM on 10/14/2011
i have this to say to all the people who think the rich should not give America more of their profits in the form of taxes....I see it this, its like you and a friend are playing the game Monopoly and halfway in the game someone else comes alone and want to play. Well when it is this late in the game there is no way that person can win.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
laptop603
it's always 42.
03:10 PM on 10/14/2011
Get out of the park and get a job. America runs on tax money and the d$^kheads sitting in the park not lifting a finger to help want more given to them. This is America, if you want more, go get a student loan and go to school. get a job and contibute to our Income so we can be a better country instead of whining that nothing is changing when you won't change yourself. This may not be a perfect country, but it is the best in the world.
If you want the rich to take care of the poor, go to Cuba.
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AlexNYC
Pumps dont work cause the vandals took the handles
03:40 PM on 10/14/2011
Most ignorant post of the day. Congratulations. Johnny, tell him what he's won.

The people at Occupy Wall Street want to voice the frustration of not having a voice in the government. The richest people and the multinational corporations are the only ones influencing what local, state and federal government are listening to. The banks and corporations at Wall Street are the leading manipulators of the system who have influenced deregulation and are respoinsibel for the economic mess we've been in for 4 years now. Many of the protestors are unemployed or underemployed not out of choice, but because there are no better options available. Some are college grads, many with massive student loans, and cannot find a job after months and years of searching. Others cannot afford to continue higher education due to outrageous tuition costs and high interest student loans. The corporations are shipping jobs fromt he US overseas and still receiving sizeable tax breaks for doing so. The 99% of Americans who are not millionaires or billionaires are also entitled to a voice.

Please stop listening to Rush and Faux New, nd learn to create your own thought process and speak for yourself. Pull off your blinders and see the world as it really is, and envision what we can do to make our world better.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
beckjr2000
been there done that & tired of it
05:40 PM on 10/14/2011
If you want a voice in Government, vote. This bunch is protesting at the wrong place. It should be in front of the White House not on Wall Street.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
laptop603
it's always 42.
06:38 PM on 10/14/2011
So the people who need jobs should get jobs ! Do they think because they have a degree that flipping a burger is beneath them??? They have no income. They can't afford anything because they sitting and protesting. Any money coming in is useful. No money coming in hurts. Go get a job!! The wealthy do not have to pay more. The only voice these lawmakers should listen to are the one who put in the money. Bitches who don't put money in should NO say in what happens to that money. Go flip a burger.
You're not gonna break my heart with the " I deserve a better job" syndrom.
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02:32 PM on 10/14/2011
Occupy Wall Street is nothing but a Wet Dream. And they are leaving behind a mess.
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fanofariana
Rooting for Obama
01:26 PM on 10/14/2011
Called and emails the Mayor. This attitude from Bloomberg is rather odd since a week before, he was defending an increase in tax for the top 1% exactly to avoid an "Arab" Spring happening here.And now this?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
James Haun
the first 374 fans are always the hardest
11:51 AM on 10/14/2011
they are occupying private property, therefore they must abide by the owners rules for its use. if they don't like the rules they can go to an actual 'public' park and see how the city treats them
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scottishboy
Born in the USA!
02:32 PM on 10/14/2011
No, it is not private, they took control under eminent domain.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
James Haun
the first 374 fans are always the hardest
02:44 PM on 10/14/2011
nice fantasy, but it is in fact a piece of private property that is in public use - with some very specific usage restrictions that are being violated
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
FogBelter
Illegitimis non carborundum
11:23 AM on 10/14/2011
OccupyDenver needs support now. They were assailed last night. We need to get them back in their park.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
James Haun
the first 374 fans are always the hardest
11:52 AM on 10/14/2011
assailed??? sounds a bit over-dramatic...from what I have read, they were told to leave and they didn't - so, many were removed or arrested because they failed to obey lawful orders
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
FogBelter
Illegitimis non carborundum
12:34 PM on 10/14/2011
Have you ever heard of the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution? It goes something like this:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Note the " the right of the people peaceably to assemble"

When the government interferes with the peaceable assembly of citizens they are assailing their Constitutional rights.

My use of the word in this context was correct.
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WI Patriot
Defending the Constitution.
11:54 AM on 10/14/2011
Its kinda tough getting support isnt it?
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10:14 AM on 10/14/2011
Besides costing the City Millions in overtime costs, which will come from programs for poor people, what exactly have they accomplished? Has wall street shut down? Has any trader been prevented from going to work? Has anything been done to wall street at all? Wealthy people? anything? no. "Corporations are evil" /posted from my Ipad
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
FogBelter
Illegitimis non carborundum
11:21 AM on 10/14/2011
We could always raise the taxes on the rich and corporations to cover the costs of the protests against them ... that would work.
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11:28 AM on 10/14/2011
NYC isn't going to raise taxes on the people who provide them with the most revenue. I live on Long Island. We just lost one of our major business to Nebraska because they have a lower tax rate.
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Quitcherbichin
If you are posting here, thank a veteran.
11:43 PM on 10/14/2011
Do you walk around in a "fog" all the time?
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10:10 AM on 10/14/2011
Coast Guard member spit on near Occupy Boston tents Updated: Friday, 14 Oct 2011, 8:53 AM EDT Published : Thursday, 13 Oct 2011, 10:13 PM EDT BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - The Coast Guard in Boston confirmed that a woman in uniform was harassed and spat upon near Occupy Boston protesters. The woman was walking to the train and said protesters spit on her twice, called her foul names and even threw a water bottle at her. Now, the Coast Guard is warning all staff working on Atlantic Avenue to avoid those protesters while in uniform. Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/occupy-boston-protesters-spit-on-coast-guard-member-20111013#ixzz1alVOhULZ
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10:09 AM on 10/14/2011
the recent pew poll found only 17% of americans care about the movement at all. We are the 17%?
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Quitcherbichin
If you are posting here, thank a veteran.
11:44 PM on 10/14/2011
Damn! In the minority again.
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10:08 AM on 10/14/2011
It's a private park and the protesters are violating the park rules.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Gurinder Dhillon
Federal Reserve is as Federal as Federal Express
09:42 AM on 10/14/2011
Michael Bloomberg only wants to further empower his fellow 1%'ers, any flow of capital that doesn't resemble one from the last 30 years is unacceptable to him. I can't believe there was a time when I thought it would be a good idea to lift term limits for this puppet; Bloomberg is a Republican, and an Independent in name only. If anyone in the city of New York under the age of 30 still supports this man, they should be mentally evaluated; Bloomberg is an enemy of the 99% plain and simple.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Gurinder Dhillon
Federal Reserve is as Federal as Federal Express
08:58 AM on 10/14/2011
OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTERS EVICTION = MEDIA BLACKOUT
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10:14 AM on 10/14/2011
It was covered in all the NYC media
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shooter486
I am the 53%
11:05 AM on 10/14/2011
It was all over the news in CA.