NY mayor lashes out at Occupy Wall Street protesters
29 replies, posted
[quote]NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg lashed out at anti-greed Occupy Wall Street activists on Thursday after reports of self-policing, his patience seeming to wear thin with the seven-week old movement.
The mayor said there were sexual assaults and a possible rape at the protesters' gathering place in Zuccotti Park.
"There have been reports, which are equally as disturbing, that when people in Zuccotti Park become aware of crimes, instead of calling the police, they form a circle around the perpetrator," Bloomberg said.
People in the park then "chastise him or her and chase him or her out into the rest of the city to do who knows what to who knows whom," the major said.
Bloomberg called that "despicable and ... outrageous" behavior which makes "all of us less safe."
An Occupy Wall Street kitchen worker has been charged with sexually abusing an 18-year-old activist in her tent. Bloomberg said the man was also a suspect in a rape at Zuccotti Park.
Protesters set up camp in the park in mid-September to protest a financial system they believe mostly benefits corporations and the wealthy. Similar protests against economic inequality have since sprouted globally.
A growing chorus of residents, politicians and newspapers is pressing Bloomberg to clean up the park. They complain that the proliferation of tents has spurred crime, sexual assaults, drug dealing and mischief.
And two polls showed support for the protests waning.
Police made three arrests on Thursday at Zuccotti Park on charges of loitering and resisting arrest.
The New York Post ran a front page editorial under the headline "ENOUGH! Mr. Mayor, it is time to reclaim Zuccotti Park -- and New York City's dignity."
BACKLASH AGAINST PROTEST GROWS
The Post urged Bloomberg to evict the protesters. The protesters cannot be removed unless the park owner complains.
"Occupy Wall Street has its own well-trained internal security force, but this team does not substitute for the police when it comes to criminal activity that threatens our community or local residents, " Andrew Smith, described as a member of OWS' overnight Community Watch, said in a statement.
"Occupy Wall Street participants have called upon police on occasions when people with predatory intentions have come into the park and engaged in illegal and destructive behavior, and have in fact turned over criminals to the NYPD," Smith said.
"The Mayor should get his facts straight before he calls responsible citizens protecting our community 'despicable.'"
Protester Bill Dobbs said while Bloomberg as mayor wants to honor freedom of speech, "as a billionaire, he's under constant temptation to squelch protest."
Bloomberg's comments came after police in Oakland, California, clashed with protesters overnight.
A Quinnipiac University poll on Thursday showed 39 percent of U.S. voters have an unfavorable view of Occupy Wall Street and 30 percent favor it. The October 25-31 survey of 2,294 registered voters had an error margin 2.1 percentage points.
A Marist Poll found 50 percent of registered New York state voters oppose the protests and 44 percent support them. That survey of 1,030 people had a 3.5-point error margin.
Georgetown University history professor Michael Kazin, an expert on social movements, said Bloomberg might be prompted to end the encampment in Manhattan after the violence in Oakland, "if he is looking for an excuse."
But Kazin, co-editor of Dissent magazine, said it does not ultimately matter when the New York protests end because they have already "changed the conversation about economic inequality in the country."[/quote]
[url]http://www.wtkr.com/news/nationworld/sns-rt-us-usa-protests-newyorktre7a28md-20111103,0,3999946.story[/url]
I will admit that I really like that they call the protestors "anti-greed" protestors. It shows that someone is actually doing their job for once.
Soo.. He's now classified under "Stupid/GOP" in my book.
[QUOTE=Thyroxin;33120180]Soo.. He's now classified under "Stupid/GOP" in my book.[/QUOTE]
he's actually an independent
[QUOTE=Zeke129;33120251]he's actually an independent[/QUOTE]
Yeah, What i was getting at Stupid and GOP are in the same chapter in my book.
[QUOTE=Thyroxin;33120180]Soo.. He's now classified under "Stupid/GOP" in my book.[/QUOTE]He might actually have gotten reports that this has occurred. Sure they might have been incorrect but that doesn't make him stupid, it makes the guy that reported it stupid.
I think he's just trying to stir up controversy to get them out.
[QUOTE=Thyroxin;33120180]Soo.. He's now classified under "Stupid/GOP" in my book.[/QUOTE]
I'm sorry, but this statement just seems to fall under the category of "He doesn't like what I do, so he must be stupid." While OWS at least has a purpose and a clear directive, the conditions at the camps at pretty much all the protests are unsanitary, and considering people have been committing crimes there, I can understand why people would be angry with them taking over a park with a camp with probably below-standard sanitation and a known locale for crimes (as mentioned, at least one person arrested for sexual assault). I know at OccupyTO, the residents near the park the protestors took over don't like the fact that when they'd walk their dogs through the park the protesters took over illegally, which they did, they have no permit, that they'd be yelled at, harassed, and they don't even really feel safe walking by it anymore.
It's all well and good to protest, but do it in a respectful manner that doesn't impede anyone, and taking over a public park, then telling people to [i]leave it if they don't agree with them[/i] (Sun News, granted the guy was being a bit outta line but the protesters were as well) is definitely not being respectful and being an impedance.
How dare people use their right to protest about what they see as bullshit!
Dude.
7 week old protest. That's pretty old and the people are persistent.
Just do what they want, it might turn out for better after all.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;33120251]he's actually an independent[/QUOTE]
The Canadian Zeke Of Facepunch actually knows NYC's mayor's politics probably better than a lot of new yorkers
[QUOTE=DrBreen;33120957]The Canadian Zeke Of Facepunch actually knows NYC's mayor's politics probably better than a lot of new yorkers[/QUOTE]
Zeke probably knows a lot of politics better than their respective locations' denizens.
So we take one isolated incident and slap a label on the rest of the group? I went to an occupy movement and saw absolutely NOTHING like what is being described. Just because one sick bastard attended the rally doesn't mean the rest of the group is tainted.
I think the crimes happening inside the protest [B]need[/B] to stop. Its only harming a good cause.
[QUOTE=Bloomberg]The mayor said there were sexual assaults and a possible rape at the protesters' gathering place in Zuccotti Park.
"There have been reports, which are equally as disturbing, that when people in Zuccotti Park become aware of crimes, instead of calling the police, they form a circle around the perpetrator," Bloomberg said.
People in the park then "chastise him or her and chase him or her out into the rest of the city to do who knows what to who knows whom," the major said.
Bloomberg called that "despicable and ... outrageous" behavior which makes "all of us less safe."[/QUOTE]
Great, Fox News and the rest of the media labeling them as rapists in 3...2...1
Better fix that greed problem as soon as possible then huh.
I'm pretty sure we all know that despite the posturing, Bloomberg is a tool of the financial industry and is under huge pressure to get rid of them.
It would be a lot better for the movement if their locations didn't turn into gathering spots for homeless people and occasional criminals, though.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;33120251]he's actually an independent[/QUOTE]
he's also a scumbag who fucking changes the law to extend his terms
[QUOTE=HolyCrusade;33122969]he's also a scumbag who fucking changes the law to extend his terms[/QUOTE] So he's just your average American politician then?
Still think these protests are stupid, just a bunch of misinformed lazy people complaining about the way of life.
Harsh?
It's true we need to change some things, but the way people go about it is embarassing
[QUOTE=Glitchman;33123536]Still think these protests are stupid, just a bunch of misinformed lazy people complaining about the way of life.[/QUOTE]
How are they lazy? What are they misinformed about? That corporations influence elections too much and that the banks received barrels of government money while any stimulus for the middle and lower classes is dismissed as 'socialism'? Is that what they're misinformed about?
[QUOTE=Glitchman;33123536]Still think these protests are stupid, just a bunch of misinformed lazy people complaining about the way of life.
Harsh?
It's true we need to change some things, but the way people go about it is embarassing[/QUOTE]
Only way they can, so unless you have a better idea you're kind of a dick for thinking that.
[QUOTE=Glitchman;33123536]Still think these protests are stupid, just a bunch of misinformed [b]lazy people complaining about the way of life.[/b]
Harsh?
It's true we need to change some things, but the way people go about it is embarassing[/QUOTE]
The bolded part is what I really don't understand. I mean, I really don't understand why people like you insist on calling them lazy. They're the ones going out and protesting about things that are clearly incredibly wrong being done while thousands of other people just sit idly by and just let those things happen.
Hell, right now they're doing far more good than you're doing sitting there complaining about them (with flawed arguments may I add, if they can so be called arguments at all) because at the very very [i]super[/i] least they're drawing attention to the issues at hand.
When there's crime in the protests they should make citizen's arrest and haul them off to the nearest police station.
[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33123800]How are they lazy? What are they misinformed about? That corporations influence elections too much and that the banks received barrels of government money while any stimulus for the middle and lower classes is dismissed as 'socialism'? Is that what they're misinformed about?[/QUOTE]
Yes, but I guarantee most of them there won't give you nearly as an educated answer, maybe even a complete wrong one.
how ironic ^
you're about as misinformed as you say they are
[QUOTE=Glitchman;33124952]Yes, but I guarantee most of them there won't give you nearly as an educated answer, maybe even a complete wrong one.[/QUOTE]
You shouldn't assume things like that, and I'll have none of this "I guarantee you" nonsense. For example, and this is anecdotal obviously, I visited my local protest and they were all coherent folks, none of them seemed oblivious to their cause, and they were well-kept.
[QUOTE=Glitchman;33124952]Yes, but I guarantee most of them there won't give you nearly as an educated answer, maybe even a complete wrong one.[/QUOTE]
Oh well if Glitchman says it...
[QUOTE=Glitchman;33124952]Yes, but I guarantee most of them there won't give you nearly as an educated answer, maybe even a complete wrong one.[/QUOTE]
Who the fuck are you in that your guarantee means anything?
I'm pretty sure when you don't trust the cops you aren't going to call them.
The nerve of those idiots to hide behind a good cause to commit mischief. Fucking assholes only think for themselves. OWS movement is a welcomed changed from the norm
I feel for the women, this should be avoided in this day and age. Having a GF puts you on the spot for these kinds of stories
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