Occupy's May Day

In January 2012 Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protesters returned to Zuccotti Park in New York (NY); the San Francisco, California (CA) OWS group acted poorly-blocking banks, chaining themselves to the buildings, taking over an abandoned hotel and smashing windows at a car dealership; 18 arrested, and in Oakland, CA 300 were arrested because they were throwing rocks, bottles and other objects as well as breaking into City Hall and a vacant convention center; 3 officers were injured. On February 5 the District of Columbia police cleared the OWS tents; 7 were arrested. On February 28 an officer was injured in a clash with OWS at the Sacramento, CA capitol. On March 18 (6 month anniversary of OWS) dozens were arrested in NY. We heard the movement was running out of funding and haven’t heard much since so I looked up what was happening on the internet.

On April 14 the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District (owns the Golden Gate Ferries that transport commuters and tourists on San Francisco Bay and operates special baseball ferries to AT&T Park when the San Francisco [SF] Giants are playing at home) workers who are part of the Golden Gate Labor Coalition that run and maintain the Golden Gate Bridge, Buses and Ferries greeted Giants' fans with a picket line of ironworkers, teamsters, electricians, boatmen/women, ferry captains, laborers, and mechanics. In support of the group the Occupy Oakland General Assembly on April 15 unanimously passed the following resolution: If any of the unions on the Golden Gate bridge declare a strike or shutdown action on May Day, we will act in solidarity with these striking workers and the international call for a general strike on May Day, by blockading the flow of capital to the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. This will be accomplished by a collaboration of pickets and direct action which will shut down all modes of transportation from Marin to San Francisco. The LA OWS decided to join in saying – “We’re going to converge on downtown LA from 4 distinct points with the intent to shut this city down in order to clearly and forcefully articulate the voice that the establishment continues to ignore, our voice which proclaims: we have had enough”. 

On April 17 the attorney for Occupy New Haven (ONH), Norm Pattis, argued in front of a 3 judge panel in a federal Appeals Court in NY City for the rights of his clients to remain on the Green. “… the court asked ‘haven’t they had a chance to protest? Do they have a right to do so day after day?’ I said I can’t believe I’m listening to a federal judge saying there is a time limited warranty on the Bill of Rights,” said Pattis. He added that he was concerned the judges asked him questions prompting him to justify occupiers’ rights rather than asking the city to explain their regulations. The hearing lasted for about 7 minutes and the judges notified Pattis when he had 40 seconds left to fight. “I felt like I was awaiting an execution and in a way I guess I was,” he said. Occupier Don Montano described what occurred in court as “an injustice.” “But what can we do about it? Stand and fight? I have no faith in the U.S. court system. It’s just as corrupt as any other corporation in America and this was proof of it today,” he said. Occupy New Haven, the last encampment in New England and one of the last in the country, had just celebrated their 6 month anniversary. The city released a statement following the court’s action which was deemed “decisive…The plaintiffs have no meaningful chance of success,” city spokeswoman Elizabeth Benton said in the statement. The city of New Haven has respected the rule of law and we expect that members of Occupy New Haven will do the same.” An occupier known as Short Dog said solemnly “Since this is a public park, we can still assemble here” and some will continue. Another (Montano) said he plans to pack up his belongings and go into the woods to spiritually regroup once all is said and done on the Green. “I have to go a few places but maybe I’ll come back here” and “Maybe not. I might just go to a place that needs me and fight the fight there.” Many of the occupiers don’t have homes to go to without the encampment. Home was what many members of ONH called the patch of tents on the upper Green and attorney Irving Pinsky used that as a defense when he filed a Verified Lockout Complaint and Application for Temporary Injunction that claims “the defendant city invited us to enter the premises, pitch our tents there and live there. We were there for six months. These tents have been our only homes. Defendant has attempted to take our homes.” The document further claims the city has “threatened to take our beds, chairs, cots, tents and food, but was temporarily stopped by US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.” Pinsky explained to legally evict the occupiers, the city would have to give them a notice to quit otherwise it would be in violation of the anti-lockout law. When asked if the anti-lockout appeal is the last resort, Pinsky said, “It’s the only resort I can think of right now” and Pattis added all of the federal legal channels have been exhausted. The attorneys could take the matter to the Supreme Court but Pattis said it is very unlikely that they would hear it.

Just a reminder that HR347-Federal Restricted Areas, that passed March 1, 2012 (March 5 blog), had no bearing on any of the above events. FYI, the world wide protests do continue. The best story was that the protesters had built igloos on January 17 to camp out at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland and 3 topless women were arrested on January 29. Let’s hope the May Day event that CA has started catches on.