Social Activism
Occupy Wall Street ... Zuccotti Park

November 15, 2011 ... Woman Shows Court Order to NYPD, Gets Punched in Face. #occuppywallstreet

COMMENTARY
There is a complex balance between the rights of people to protest and the rights of others to have access to public space. The authorities have tried to make the case that the presence of Occupy protesters in Zuccotti Park has constained others from making use of the park. My observation is that anyone who is so minded can make use of the park ... the people in the Occupy Movement are many, but they have not blocked access to the park, and in fact have been very welcoming of anyone who wants to come to the park, whether or not they want to join in the Occupy activities.

The same cannot be said of the police who have made access to the park difficult, and in some cases impossible. It is the authorities and the police that have made access to the park problematic for the public at large.

In my judgement the city authorities have marched way beyond what seems reasonable in a free society where there is a 1st amendment and the press are expected to have enough access to report on events that are of interest to the public. The fact that there are no images of the events in Zuccotti Park during the early morning hours of Tuesday, November 15th is because the police made it impossible for the press to get anywhere near Zoccotti Park. The trashing of the property of the protesters seems to be a 'fait accompli' because things like the OWS Library have gone ... and I for one see trashing books as a symbol of tyrannic barbarism that reminds me of the Middle Ages. The presence of the NYPD is their riot gear reminds me of my youth when I was growing up in England and afraid that the German SS and Gestapo where going to invade London. I know there are terror threats, but the conversion of a civilian police force into a paramilitary oprganization is not my idea of what the founders of America intended.

There is huge profit in the security and military sector and little of economic value from it ... and there is huge profit at huge risk from the money banking and financial services sector, and little of economic value from it either. This is, in part what OWS is about ... huge resource allocations and huge profits in economic activities that do little or nothing for society and the quality of life of the population at large.

This short video makes me livid ... and I now even more committed to the support of OWS until my idea of transparency applies thoughout the media, money, banking and financial services sector of the economy is realized, no matter how long it takes. I have never been a US marine, but I understand the motto of the Gadsden Flag used by the Marines in the Revolutionary War ... 'DON'T TREAD ON ME' and still a proud part of the Marine culture. The ordinary people of the United States ... the 99% ... have been economically disenfranchised for far too long, and it is time for this to end.
Peter Burgess

Woman Shows Court Order to NYPD, Gets Punched in Face. #occuppywallstreet

http://12160.info -New Olbermann Comment #OWS http://ning.it/tGjQhZ Woman Shows Court Order to NYPD, Gets Punched in Face Uploaded by davisfleetwood on Nov 15, 2011 Dane from OWS is bounced by the NYPD and @ 1:45 of this video a woman brandishing a court order that affirmed the rights of protesters to occupy Liberty ark is punched in the face by NYPD.