Occupy Wall Street Cleanup: Russell Simmons Offers To Pay To Avoid Violence

[cal04]

Source: Huffington Post

Following an evening of mopping, sweeping and trash collecting, the Occupy Wall Street protesters at Zuccotti Park readied themselves for a Friday morning confrontation with NYPD, preempting city efforts to clean the park and promising to defend their camp against what they suspect is a ploy to ouster them permanently.

Russell Simmons, hip hop mogul and early supporter of the movement, hopes to make any such confrontation unnecessary.

Taking to Twitter late Thursday, Simmons appealed to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who first announced that the protesters would be asked to leave the park while it is cleaned, saying that he'd personally bankroll sanitation efforts.

"Dear @MikeBloomberg -- I will pay for clean-up of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation. I don't wanna go to jail but I will be there ready!" he tweeted, which followed a series of messages that started with a dire prediction.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/occupy-wall-street-cleanup-russell-simmons_n_1010213.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

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http://twitter.com/#!/UncleRUSH/status/124681711643660290

[me b zola]

1. Thank you Russel

We need more actionable support like what Russel is offering to do instead of vague, empty words of support that we hear from some quarters.

[unionworks]

2. these brave kids

Are going to martyr themselves. It makes me hang my head in shame. Bloomberg, this will be the last mistake of your political career.

[unionworks]

3. Bahhhh!

"I HAVE TO DO IT! RUPERT MURDOCH TOLD ME TO! BWAHHHHAAAAHHH!

[SoapBox]

4. Odds that Bloomie will ignore and invade?

...let's see if Bloomie has the balls. Especially, right at 7AM when all the morning
TV shows are starting.

Will he or won't he? THAT indeed is the question.

[rpannier]

7. Maybe he can get Steven Segal to do an episode of that crappy 'reality series' he does

with Sheriff Slow Joe Crapahoe at the park.
They can roar in with their tank, roll over benches, people's pets, little old ladies, tear up the grass and maybe hit a car or two

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[slay]

6. K&R

Russell Simmons is awesome for doing this.

[wial]

8. crackdown in Denver tonight

Protesters remaining peaceful as police steal property, blindly following instructions from their 1% overlords.

[cal04]

9. Protesters clean NYC park, some may resist removal

Updated: October 14, 2011 5:35 AM
http://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.3244804.1318584166!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/display_600/image.jpg
(Photo credit: Charles Eckert | A man tries to sleep by a collection of cleaning supplies early Friday morning as Occupy Wall Street protesters prepare for a possible early-morning standoff. Police have arrived at the request of Zuccotti Park owners to help remove the occupiers from the public plaza so it can be cleaned. )

Wall Street protesters scrubbed, mopped and picked up garbage at the corporate-owned park they have been occupying in an attempt to stave off a scheduled cleanup Friday that demonstrators suspect is a pretext to evict them.

While moving out mattresses and camping supplies, organizers were mixed on how they would respond when police arrive at the request of Zuccotti Park owners to help remove the occupiers from the public plaza so it can be cleaned.

Some protesters said they would resist; others planned to cooperate but engage in nonviolent civil disobedience if they are not allowed back in the park.

(snip)
"There is a strong commitment to nonviolence, but I know people are going to vigorously resist eviction," he said. "I think we're going to see a huge number of supporters throughout New York and the surrounding area defend this thing ... I'm hoping that cooler heads will prevail, but I'm not holding my breath."
(Han Shan, 39, of New York, a spokesman for Occupy Wall Street)
http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/protesters-clean-nyc-park-some-may-resist-removal-1.3244798


Occupy Wall Street early morning thread
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/14/1026214/-Occupy-Wall-Street-early-morning-thread?via=blog_1


This morning, thousands of people are gathering in Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan to resist an attempt to clear out the main Occupy Wall Street encampment.

The AFL-CIO, Drinking Liberally, SEIU, CWA and the UAW are among the many groups who have sent members to the park in support of Occupy Wall Street. Roughly 2,000 people have pledged to attend the action defending the encampment on Facebook.

A group of attorneys from the National Lawyer's Guild is accusing Brookfield Properties, the private managers of the park, of first amendment violations. Fourteen members of the New York City council have called on Mayor Bloomberg not to clear the park. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who represents the area, sent out a press release rebuking Mayor Bloomberg. Russell Simmons has offered to pay for any clean-up himself, in order to prevent a confrontation.

There also appears to be a police action taking place at Occupy Denver. The #OccupyDenver hashtag on Twitter is likely the best place to monitor events there.

[AikidoSoul]

13. I think you should make this photo a separate post. It is a powerful photo and statement

Please do it! It should go viral!

:hi:

[lunatica]

10. Are the cleaning crews unionized?

They're part of the 99% even if they aren't unionized. Would they dare defy the Mayor?

And if they did would TPTB suddenly realize they're literally surrounded by the 99%? What a wake up call that would be.

[RoccoR5955]

11. No need for that... They caved!!!

No cleanup for a while. The 99ers are staying!

[Jefferson23]

12. Great thing to do..and money well spent if they let him help. n/t

[BlueIris]

14. I've always had a soft spot for Russell Simmons.

All the way back to Def Comedy Jam in the early '90s.