MB Civic

Kevin Gosztola ..

Occupy was a moment. It is a moment with a story that should be told and retold again because it will forever be a shining example of the people rising up to take on power. On September 17, 2011, hundreds inspired by uprisings in Greece, Spain, Tunisia, Egypt and other countries attempted to get on Wall Street but were met with a huge show of force by the New York Police Department (NYPD). Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s army fortified Wall Street making it impossible for anyone to go in and register their discontent. By mid-afternoon, the police had pushed demonstrators back into Zuccotti Park—what this movement would call Liberty Square. It appeared, as it would for many of the coming days, that the police were going to move on demonstrators at any moment and there would be mass arrests. The police wanted someone they could take away and hold responsible for this act of dissent. However, there was no leader and there would be no leader. Around 10 pm, sleeping bags were unrolled. The owner of the park had apparently decided to allow people to remain in the park overnight. One occupier, Joanne Lipp, tweeted, “It really does feel like a mini Tahrir Square.”

here’s my post from MB Civic a year ago today – mab .. read more