Timely: Sat Eve Update: About 9:50pm on Saturday, September 24th, police have surrounded Liberty Square/Zucotti Park. Rumors that people overheard police say they would move in at 10pm. Please go to the park or watch live feed NOW to support the folks…Live Stream at Adbusters: here.
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KW writes: My goodness. In a wise, creative, and mischievous response to the nasty rhetoric of the press, the Occupy Wall Street folks have answered propaganda with poetry. What a graceful maneuver in the struggle for social change. Beautiful and heartwarming!For a discussion on the media’s quest for one, clear demand from the Wall Street protesters, the group created the following consensus document:
A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Five)
Published 2011-09-22 07:51:42 UTC by OccupyWallSt
at OccupyWallStreet.orgThis is the fifth communiqué from the 99 percent. We are occupying Wall Street.
On September 21st, 2011, Troy Davis, an innocent man, was murdered by the state of Georgia. Troy Davis was one of the 99 percent.
Ending capital punishment is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, four of our members were arrested on baseless charges.
Ending police intimidation is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, the richest 400 Americans owned more than half of the country’s population.
Ending wealth inequality is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, we determined that Yahoo lied about occupywallst.org being in spam filters.
Ending corporate censorship is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly eighty percent of Americans thought the country was on the wrong track.
Ending the modern gilded age is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly 15% of Americans approved of the job Congress was doing.
Ending political corruption is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly one sixth of Americans did not have work.
Ending joblessness is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly one sixth of America lived in poverty.
Ending poverty is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, roughly fifty million Americans were without health insurance.
Ending health-profiteering is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, America had military bases in around one hundred and thirty out of one hundred and sixty-five countries.
Ending American imperialism is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, America was at war with the world.
Ending war is our one demand.
On September 21st, 2011, we stood in solidarity with Madrid, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Madison, Toronto, London, Athens, Sydney, Stuttgart, Tokyo, Milan, Amsterdam, Algiers, Tel Aviv, Portland and Chicago. Soon we will stand with Phoenix, Montreal, Cleveland and Atlanta. We’re still here. We are growing. We intend to stay until we see movements toward real change in our country and the world.
You have fought all the wars. You have worked for all the bosses. You have wandered over all the countries. Have you harvested the fruits of your labors, the price of your victories? Does the past comfort you? Does the present smile on you? Does the future promise you anything? Have you found a piece of land where you can live like a human being and die like a human being? On these questions, on this argument, and on this theme, the struggle for existence, the people will speak. Join us.
We speak as one. All of our decisions, from our choice to march on Wall Street to our decision to continue occupying Liberty Square, were decided through a consensus based process by the group, for the group.
# # #
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Filed under: News, progressive politics Tagged: | Financial District, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Wall Street message, our one demand, wall street, Wall Street protest, Wall Street protesters, What do the Wall Street protesters demand?
« Yesterday was some day… Ben Jealous, the world will remember that you put petty partisan politics above the life of Troy Davis. »
We thought it was brilliantly framed and delivered.
I didn’t know how you were going to pull it off…but you linked ALL your messages. Well done!! Awesome-kudos.
This is the most self righteous garbage I’ve ever read.
Good job.
I also put photo and videos of Occupy Wall Street here:
http://muslimjournalist.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/video-occupy-wall-street-to-protest-greedy-and-corruption-in-wall-street
I hope you could enjoy and spread it…
No, seriously, this is crap. Vague, irrelevant, and for the moment unattainable. End the death penalty? Wall Street has nothing to do with that. That is a state issue. “Ending War” ?!?! Argh. Great goals, in general. NOT good demands for the purposes of #OWS.
We still have some work to do.
Dear Damnitimpissed:
I totally disagree with what you are saying.
The government, the politicians, even the professional left, all want us to organize ourselves down to one demand. Then, there is only one thing that them and their paid spokespeople (the politicians) have to do to appease us.
By creating a whole vision, and stating everything we would like changed, we are starting in a better place for any compromise.
The list that the Occupy Wall Street made is a challenge to Obama and the Congress. They could start anywhere, they could start moving towards fixing it, towards meeting the demand. Then, they could see if what they did alleviates the outrage. If it does not, then they can go to the next area, and try to fix that just a little, too.
In addition, it is a MIRACLE that anyone got that assembly to agree on so many items. It is a difficult thing to see where the consensus is, where it is that everyone meets on the plain of values and pragmatism. That was hard work. And, the product is powerful. It is a vision statement. It is a bonding experience. It is a platform to create a new affinity group, political party, social network, or culture in the bigger universe.
Thanks,
Kimberly Wilder
I think the idea of one demand isn’t such a bad thing if we think about it outside of this arena for a moment. The right has a battle cry of guns, god, and gays (and now women). But what does the left have to rally around? The left doesn’t have a cohesive brand, so to speak. We’re a bunch of cats with our own ideas. We over think and can’t whittle down our message into one clear, concise, laser focused statement.
The big corporations and the ‘All Powerful’ 1% are ultimately at fault for the majority of the corruption in our government and the problems that we (and the world) are facing. So, yes Wall Street has everything to do with the death penalty. Goals ARE demands… these Goals will never happen so long as the 1% is in control.. All those things combined are very clear.. The 1% needs to relinquish the stranglehold they have on our society.. We the People for the interest of The People, ALL the people.
I agree with damnitimpissed. great goals for a larger movement and goals we should all be working towards, but not necessarily right for an occupation of wall street. war policy does not come from wall street.
If you think war doesn’t come from Wall Street, I’m sorry, but I have to vehemently disagree. Who builds all the tanks, bombs, planes, etc.? Not the US Government. War policy is fueled by a system of government contracts that feed the wealth of a very small group of people. That’s all financed, in the end, through Wall Street investors. Steel, oil, and everything else that fuels the war machine comes through money on Wall Street. The taxes we pay that the government uses to buy that stuff is a drop in the bucket, folks. People are making money every step of the way in that process, and it all feeds back to buying the right politicians to feed them MORE money. Partially financed by us taxpayers, to boot.
Sorry, but I think hitting Wall Street is exactly the right approach to several of these issues. Without politicians, paid for by the generous contributions of the high end of Wall Street, supporting a particular stance on crime, criminal punishment, war, and foreign relations, we wouldn’t be paying for a government that cares more for the top 1% than the other 99%. War = money for someone. Drugs = money for someone… and on it goes. We, as a nation, need to put a stop to the profiteering and get back to taking care of each other, rather than this widening gap between have everything, and have nothing.
This ‘Demand’ is concrete & something that is doable now & leads to the ‘exposure’ & solving of all other Wall Street problems. Please ‘Share’. An ‘Independent Special Prosecutor (RICO)’ for criminal Banksters & some Politicians. Teapot Dome Scandal of our time.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_joe_conason/a_special_prosecutor_for_wall_street
War policy does not come from wall street? So I guess you truly believe that Afghanistan & Iraq are not wars for rights to oil.
They ARE great goals for a large movement, correct! OWS IS a large movement and becoming larger everyday, spreading across the country. The occupation was just the beginning.
Okay, you guys make some pretty good arguments that Wall Street is a good place to protest wars, death penalty, etc. It’s hard to think of a place where it would be more appropriate to protest those things. I apologize for my testy tone earlier.
I still don’t think it’s a good idea to have such vague demands, though. I am afraid that no one can live on Wall Street forever, and not having a specific goal could lead to this withering away instead of staying strong and united until our demand is met. Goals of ending things like war, and poverty, and joblessness are excellent lifelong guiding values, but they are simply too EASY for the establishment to ignore.
We need to make it harder for them to ignore us, not easier!
Occupy Wall Street – Liberty Square – Day 6 – 23 September 2011 « News Worldwide, on September 24, 2011 at 12:47 am said:
[...] Occupy Wall Street finally releases their one demand (wilderside.wordpress.com) [...]
Long have we enjoyed our liberty
paid with other’s blood
war now comes to our very shores
A shadow cross our land
A time to sorely test our country’s
heart, each child, woman, man
The flame of Freedom flickers
will we fan it high and bright
Will we give in to evil
or will we stand and fight
Our forefathers knew well this test
and bravely they did stand
Now we must take up the torch
and drive them from our land!!
If you intend to offer and help implement solutions, I totally believe in your cause!
[...] Occupy Wall Street finally releases their one demand (wilderside.wordpress.com) [...]
I read this to my 78 year old dad who, until last month when he finally got fed up with the b.s. going on, was a die hard Rep. He agreed. I agree. Everyone that I have sent it to agrees. Enough is enough.
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[...] Occupy Wall Street finally releases their one demand (wilderside.wordpress.com) [...]