Bloomberg: Occupy Wall Street Can Stay Indefinitely

[Hissyspit]

Source: Wall Street Journal

OCTOBER 10, 2011, 12:33 PM ET
Bloomberg: Occupy Wall Street Can Stay Indefinitely

By Michael Howard Saul

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Monday that he’ll allow the Wall Street protesters to stay indefinitely, provided they abide by the law, marking his strongest statement to date on the city’s willingness to let demonstrators occupy a park in Lower Manhattan.

“The bottom line is – people want to express themselves. And as long as they obey the laws, we’ll allow them to,” said Bloomberg as he prepared to march in the Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. “If they break the laws, then, we’re going to do what we’re supposed to do: enforce the laws.”

Bloomberg said he has “no idea” how much longer the Wall Street demonstration will last. “I think part of it has probably to do with the weather,” he said.

Up til now, the mayor has been cagey when asked how long he’ll allow the protesters to stay, replying: “We’ll see.” His words Monday morning signal a stronger commitment to allowing the demonstration to continue unimpeded by municipal government.

Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/10/10/bloomberg-occupy-wall-street-can-stay-indefinitely

[tridim]

1. Flip-flop Bloomberg

[Lucky Luciano]

8. So, you're saying he should crack down with a heavy hand? nt

[tridim]

10. No, he should shut the fuck up and let Democracy happen.

[SemperEadem]

24. it would appear that that is what he is doing.

it's rather a "duh" issue on his part... if they're not breaking any laws, then there is no reason to treat them like Nixon did the Kent State protesters. The mood of the country isn't going to allow a wide spread crack down on lawful demonstrators, even if they are inconveniencing those working where the protests are taking place. In fact, those who work on Wall Street should not have any more special treatment than they've already given themselves.

[red dog 1]

55. Financial Giants Put NYC Cops On Their Payroll

Http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/10/10/financial-giants-put-new-york-city-cops-on-their-payroll/

[red dog 1]

31. Flip-flop because priests, nuns & rabbis announced they would join OWS?

[tridim]

36. Probably because of bad internal polling. Politics.

[99th_Monkey]

39. Well at least he flipped in OWS's favor, for once. nt

[Ship of Fools]

2. Gee, THANK you, Mr. Mayor Man!! Your permission is SO appreciated.

Think the weather will stop it? Just wait until spring ...

[Scuba]

3. As opposed to Bloomberg, who will be ousted in 2014. n/t

[Book Lover]

4. Oh, can they/ CAN THEY???

Thank you ever so much, sir, for your gracious dispensation. We shall surely remember your generosity when it comes to reclaiming what you and your friends have taken from us.

[Iliyah]

5. This is a peaceful

event unlike the tea nuts who were walking around with guns and threatening people with their presence. Also these protestors know how to spell unlike the crazed tea brats who were paid to occupy an hateful event by the corporations. I saw a sign that said "We the People"!

[bemildred]

6. Flip-flop. nt

[Downwinder]

7. The movement getting large enough to get him off the fence?

Lets hope he has more sense than the Bahrain Crown Prince and at least goes down to meet the folks on the street.

[Uncle Joe]

9. Yay, Bloomberg ratifies the Constitution!

:bounce:

Thanks for the thread, Hissyspit.

[Laughing Mirror]

11. "part of it probably has to do with the weather"

And we don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing, you silly old hag.

I imagine him praying for a freak blizzard to hit New York in October or early November, at the latest.

[Amonester]

13. Yep, That's the only "real" hope he has about it.

"Wait and see."

Best of luck and help to all campers.

[Jester Messiah]

28. Is there somewhere we can donate money to fund blankets, tents, and the like?

Can't be there in person, but I'd like to show my support with more than just keystrokes.

[boppers]

34. From a facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/OccupyWallSt

---
Comfort Committee's Current NEEDS: thermal wear (especially smaller sizes), blankets, toiletries (especially toothpaste), hats & gloves, towels for showers

We do NOT need more ponchos or space blankets.

All donations can be sent to:
The UPS Store
Re: Occupy Wall Street
118A Fulton St. #205
New York, NY 10038
---

[Jester Messiah]

44. Awesome, thank you. [nt]

[Myrina]

14. Didn't stop Wisconsinites in February ...

Bring it, Bloomie.

[CoffeeCat]

53. This is a case...

...where global warming may work in our favor. I guess the oil companies and their climate-change inducing fuels---didn't realize that
they'd end up helping a protest movement that would eventually take them down, now did they???

Muahahahahah!

[Javaman]

12. smart move bloomass...

he knows if he as so much tries anything to get them out of the area, the weight of public opinion will fall on him like a guillotine.

two more long years of that fool.

[stonecutter357]

15. get the money out of politics.

get the money out of politics.

[Jello Biafra]

16. It might be interesting to note that...

Mike Bloomberg's girlfriend, Diana Taylor, is on the board of directors of Brookfield Properties which owns Zuccotti Park

http://www.brookfieldofficeproperties.com/content/corporate_governance/board_of_directors-16350.html?Page=2

Maybe Mayor Mike likes not sleeping on the couch......

[markpkessinger]

18. I'm sure if the Brookfield board had its druthers...

... the protesters would have been ousted on about day 2.

[ooglymoogly]

27. I don't think other than naming the park and or donating money to

it, Zucotti (as co chairman w/controlling interest) of Brookfield) actually owns Zucotti Park, even though Brookfield owns all the buildings around it. Do you have any link that shows Zucotti or Brookfield owns Zucotti Park. I'm here to learn.

[Jello Biafra]

43. More than happy to oblige...

"Zuccotti Park, formerly called Liberty Plaza Park, is a 33,000-square-foot (3,100 m2) privately owned, publicly accessible park in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The park, which is owned by Brookfield Office Properties, was renamed after John Zuccotti, its chairman, after renovations in 2006. It is located between Broadway, Trinity Place, Liberty Street and Cedar Street. The park's northwest corner is across the street from the World Trade Center Site"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuccotti_Park

[ooglymoogly]

45. Thanx color me surprised. nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

17. The backpedaling wall street billionaire doesn't want to appear as he is, THE 1%.

[Divine Discontent]

19. "we'll allow them" - no you smug f*k you are required by law to to allow peaceful protests! amazing.

reading that comment just pisses me off.



get it here - http://www.zazzle.com/the_party_of_no_has_to_go_gop_republicans_obstruct_bumper_sticker-128224072221438203?rf=238107662556833486

[Lucinda]

20. Good. I'm glad he is on the record with this. n/t

[frazzled]

21. Taking a tip from the 60s institutions on how to kill a protest?

I recall, at NYU in the late 1960s, how we students took over an administration building. What a coup. Can't remember the demands, but it probably involved cutting reasearch contracts with war industries (which of course had already been done). But the university administration soon sent in complete banks of telephones for us to use, then mimeograph machines so we could distribute updates to the press and outside world, etc. I soon saw how ridiculous the whole thing was. As the administration became more and more solicitous and supportive of the "occupation", the whole thing fell apart and everybody moved on. This is what I think Bloomberg's motivation is. Confrontation is what is desired; conciliation is frustrating.

[valerief]

23. Nope. He'll black ops it. nt

[Imajika]

46. You get it, most people don't...

"Confrontation is what is desired; conciliation is frustrating."

The establishment has no problem with protests and park occupations. Doesn't effect them hardly at all and they've learned how to deal with civil disobedience. The elite view this stuff as a way for activists and the disenfranchised to blow off steam. As long as the establishment simply allows it to happen, nothing changes for them unless these protesters actually influence public opinion and drive voters to the polls (and their message is just too varied and unfocused for that to happen now). If the police are ordered to hold back and don't crack any heads, there is no spike in sympathy from the masses. By being as accommodating as possible, it won't be long till major interest groups and the Democratic party simply co-opt the protests and the revolutionary spirit dies. Once that happens, the protest becomes status-quo, everyone goes home, and the establishment wins.

[frazzled]

50. We had to read Marcuse back in college

Ask me anything about co-optation. (But I probably won't remember: it's been almost 40 years). Do they still teach Marcuse?

[valerief]

22. "They can stay but we'll still arrest them, beat them, and pepper spray them."

And I'm sure his undercover goons will "break the law".

[jmodden]

26. Pepper spray

Let's call pepper spray what it is ->

A Chemical Weapon!

[valerief]

33. Same as the contaminants in our drinking water thanks to fracking. nt

[MichiganVote]

25. So can they have umbrella's Bloomberg? *Smirk*

[russspeakeasy]

29. Arrogant prick.

[johnnyrocket]

30. So it's like Bloomberg is giving the people some slack, doing them a favor...

...Do the demonstrators need Bloomberg's blessing? They certainly don't need to ask for it.

[valerief]

32. He should go vacation where gazillionaires vacation and let a real representative of the 99% take

his job.

[NICO9000]

35. Was he planning on martial law?

Who does the little king think he is? I hope people stay there even if he decides he can no longer "allow" democracy in action. What a pisher...

[rosesaylavee]

37. He's anticipating a run for President...

He needs the impression to be that he has supported this... not the impression that he sicced his white shirts on them early on.

:eyes:

[Blaze Diem]

40. Ya, Did you see his gold tooth twinkle when he said that?

Did you hear the "ting ting" sound the twinkle makes as it reflects off his greedy lying solid gold tooth?
" Here you can hide in the hen house, I'll guard the door. You'll be safe in there. Trust me..Lets be friends," flashes a gold tooth smile (ting ting)

The villain always does that!

[defendandprotect]

42. Think NY'ers should dump Bloomberg and Kelly -- !!!

[Blaze Diem]

38. "And as long as they obey the laws.." This part scares me..

most likely I suspect they could just create a couple NEW laws to suit their needs. Just in case the weather doesn't disperse the OWS crowd, ya know.

Wouldn't put it past them, don't trust them, and especially when they start being reasonable..

[defendandprotect]

41. Think it's dawned on Bloomberg that the protesters are backed by the public ...

and that the police brutality put Kelly and Bloomberg in opposition to the

sentiments of the city!

[JDPriestly]

47. Good. Now let's see Wall Street do something about

putting Americans in meaningful jobs that pay a living wage.

[Deep13]

48. Good boy. Someone give him a biscuit.

It was never Bloomberg's decision to make.

[DaveJ]

49. No comments on the macings?

Is NYC Hell on Earth where cops are still allowed to mace women in the face willy nilly? I've never been to NYC, so tell me when people are noisy at a movie theater, do people gets sprayed in the face with crowd grade mace at 2 ft range there too? Is Anthony Bologna in jail yet?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

51. his poll numbers must have fallen since he last spoke against this. LOL

fucking joker

[CoffeeCat]

52. Make no mistake, this was a self-serving decision...

The police brutality wasn't playing well and was only empowering OWS and making it grow larger.

They did this to take the wind out of the sails of OWS. Bloomberg isn't being nice.

He figures in a month or so--the cold winds will settle in--and the protests will die down.

Another problem is protesters and their cell-phone cameras. The police can't get away with brutality anymore. Brutality
was used to dissuade additional protesters from joining. But now, brutality has too high a cost--strong lawsuits, sympathy
for the protesters, disdain for the police and increased growth of the protest.

Brutality and being hostile wasn't working for them. So, now they're going to try to be accommodating--and they're hoping
this will stop the protests.

Seriously. Bloomberg is not on our side.

At this point--OWS is gaining so much strength. They're hoping that if they quit fighting--the excitement about the movement
dies as well. Sort of a..."ignore them and they'll go away" mentality.

I think the new "banking day" idea is brilliant. A National day for withdrawing your funds from the big banks and putting them
into credit unions. Stuff like that will really have an impact. We need more of that!

[red dog 1]

54. BREAKING NEWS! "Financial Giants Put NYC Cops On Their Payroll"

"Who Do the White Shirt Police Report to at Occupy Wall Street Protests?" 10/10/2011

"Videos are springing up across the Internet showing uniformed members of the New York
Police Department in white shirts pepper spraying and brutalizing peaceful, non-threatening protesters attempting to take part in the Occupy Wall Street marches.
Corporate media are reporting that these 'white shirts' are police supervisors as opposed to rank and file.

Recently discovered documents suggest something else may be at work"

(For rest of article go to http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/10/10/financial-giants-put-new-york-city-cops-on-their-payroll/)