Police arrest Occupy Wall Street protesters Marchers confront officers in heated exchange on Brookly

[icymist]

That's the MSNBC headline today:
Police arrest Occupy Wall Street protesters
Marchers confront officers in heated exchange on Brooklyn Bridge
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44742659/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

From this headline, one is to believe that the marchers blocked off the Brooklyn Bridge and had it out with the police. Here's the first paragraph in this article:
<snip>
Police confronted protesters in a heated exchange on the Brooklyn Bridge, where thousands of Occupy Wall Street marchers snarled traffic and blocked both sides of the expanse Saturday.
<un-snip>

Anybody see any indication here that the police corralled the protesters using the orange nettings? No! Blocking off both sides of the bridge is the only mention of what the police were doing to prevent these 'traffic snarlers' from getting away. Can the reader see how dangerous these bridge blockers are by reading how some of the protesters climbed up to fifteen feet on the bridge's structure, trying to escape arrest? The media is complicit in painting a picture of these brave people, these protesters, as first having no message and now as being recklessly dangerous.

It may be time to carry the protest to the media. It worked in the Arab Spring.

[MADem]

1. There is a great deal of detail in that account you linked to--you're saying it's not correct?

"Approximately 400 were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge late this afternoon after multiple warnings by police were given to protesters to stay on the pedestrian walkway," a police spokesman told Reuters.

"Some complied and took the walkway without being arrested. Others locked arms and proceeded on the Brooklyn-bound vehicular roadway. The latter were arrested," he added.

I am assuming that there should be some video to prove or disprove this account?

[icymist]

2. Here you go:

Today 6:01 PM Scene From The Brooklyn Bridge

More from Reuters:


Witnesses described a chaotic scene on the famous suspension bridge as a sea of police officers surrounded the protesters using orange mesh netting.

Some protesters tried to get away as officers started handcuffing members of the group. Dozens of protesters were seen handcuffed and sitting on the span as three buses were called in to take them away, witnesses and organizers said.


Today 5:42 PM Reuters Confirms Arrest Number

From Reuters:


"Approximately 400 were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge late this afternoon after multiple warnings by police were given to protesters to stay on the pedestrian walkway," a police spokesman said.

"Some complied and took the walkway without being arrested. Others locked arms and proceeded on the Brooklyn-bound vehicular roadway. The latter were arrested," he added.

And here:
Today 4:10 PM Protesters: Police Deliberately Put Crowd Into Arrestable Position





@ daveweigel : Protesters claim police corralled them off the pedestrian part of Brooklyn Bridge, onto road, where they would be breaking law/arrestable



Today 4:00 PM Police: Mass Arrests Part Of 'Planned Move On The Protesters'

From The New York Times:


"Police Department highway cars escorted as many as 10 Department of Correction buses from Rikers Island to Lower Manhattan in preparation for what one law enforcement official said was “a planned move on the protesters.”

The official said that the buses, which can carry roughly 20 prisoners each, were needed because of the expected large number of arrests and the need to transport those arrested to central booking."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/30/occupy-wall-street-protests-new-york_n_989221.html#28_brooklyn-bridge-shut-down-by-protests

[MADem]

5. According to someone who was there, it was a blunder BY PROTESTERS.

One speaker addressing the crowd basically suggested it was a blunder by protesters, who originally planned to just go over the pedestrian part of the bridge, but upon seeing some people take the road (against the suggestion of protest organizers!), started going more and more on the actual road, not really realizing what was going on.

A protester named Meg, who wound up on the road, specifically explained: "What happened was... we just started going into the bridge; the cops were directing traffic. We just kept going. Moral was really high."

Then: "We just stopped. Everything just stopped."

People who were on the pedestrian bridge above, alerted the protesters in the road that cops were on the bridge, stopping protesters, and making periodic arrests: "kind of choosing people at random."

It was her sense that the cops were initially just arresting people who were particularly vocal or provocative in some way.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/occupy-wall-street-400-arrests-on-the-brooklyn-bridge-2011-10#ixzz1ZaGnQgB4

[Eric J in MN]

3. It was a trap.

The police had 10 buses for prisoners parked near the bridge since this morning.

The warning not to walk on the bridge road came after people already there. The pedestrian walkway is 15 feet above the road and so people can't easily go between them.

50 cops blocked people in front when they were a third-of-the-way across, while other cops trapped people from behind. "Kettling."

Those 50 cops could have stopped people from walking on the road in the first place, if this weren't a trap.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/police-arresting-protesters-on-brooklyn-bridge/

[MADem]

4. Turns out that is not true. It was not a trap, and the organizers did NOT want people to walk on

the bridge, and TOLD them ahead of the arrests. Some people just did it anyway.

See the link at this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2039210&mesg_id=2039210

[icymist]

6. It seems that some are very vocal that this wasn't a trap while others

claim otherwise. Time will tell. Meanwhile, there are people who absolutely trust the business press that is currently in the US to report accurately about what happened to those protesting Wall Street. I do not. In this day and age the entire world can get the story and fairly fast.

[MADem]

8. So you are saying that the woman addressing the crowd at the park, Meg, is not a viable source?

She was there. I think her comments ring true, and I'd be inclined to believe her first-person account over generic descriptive phrases from MSNBC or Reuters.

The organizers were plainly -- according to her-- not looking to shit-stir. They apparently TOLD people to stick to the pedestrian walkway, but some people were apparently looking to cause trouble. Why these people who ignored the directives of the organizers wanted to cause trouble is anyone's guess. Rather than champion them, I'd question their motives--were they simpletons, innocent fuckups, or were they people who were led along by deliberate disruptors?

I can't help but think about this from another angle. If I were a Republican fatcat Wall Streeter, I'd hire a bunch of goons to fuck up a protest and get people arrested. I'd tell them to "link arms and block traffic" and urge other marchers to spit at the police and be provocative. I'd even hire people to go on the livestream and goad people, under a guise of "Fight The Power," to act like assholes, and tell 'em to turn up on message boards and urge other people to act like assholes as well. I'd also work real hard to dilute any protest message that had anything to do with the core issues of corporate corruption and government involvement by encouraging people to protest all kinds of completely unrelated shit, like, say, FREE BRADLEY MANNING or TROY DAVIS IS DEAD AND NYC IS THE PERFECTLY SENSIBLE PLACE TO PROTEST THIS ACTION BY THE STATE OF GA (not).

Just throwing that out there to the "Fuck Permits" crowd.

That said, there has GOT to be video of this business. Seeing as the pedestrian walkway is fifteen feet higher than the bridge road in some spots, there's probably some very good video out there as well. I imagine the NYPD has video too.

Something seems fishy to me. I don't think the protest organizers are BSing. I think they really DID tell people to stay on the sidewalk. You gotta ask yourself, who, in that crowd, persuaded those people to "link arms" and march across the road and goad the cops--and don't say the police, because I don't think they were responsible for that.

[Eric J in MN]

10. NY Times reporter, Natasha Lennard, and 500 others were arrested

...because they all intentionally walked where they knew the police didn't want them to and blocked traffic?

[MADem]

15. Who told them to do that? Don't say "the police" because every report

I've seen says otherwise. Protesters (or disruptors) "linked arms" and exhorted others to do so as well, and went into the road AGAINST THE ADVICE OF THE ORGANIZERS.

Ask yourself who benefits from making the police the "bad guy" here?

Police officers are not Wall Street bankers. But so long as protesters are spitting at cops, they are not protesting Wall Street bankers, are they?

I think those people got played--but not by the cops.

[icymist]

11. I believe that you and I are interested in what the truth is here.

What really happened today on the Brooklyn Bridge? I just found the NYC OWS GA notes about just that:
<snip>
Sandy—Direct Action planned for a peaceful march over the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway. During the march a small group of individuals took it upon themselves to take the vehicle roadway that was not blocked off. Immediately people from Direct Action started communicating to protestors that there were two options. The planned route on the public pedestrian walkway, or if they wanted, to autonomously take the vehicle roadway, which we warned them was illegal and highly unsafe. Many people were unfortunately corralled into the vehicle roadway.

Michael—I was a scout for today’s march. I found it bizarre that there was very little security or police presence on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. There was a lot of police activity on the Brooklyn side.

Chris—I arrived in the middle of the march. When I got there, folks from my working group were directing people from taking the pedestrian walkway as was planned. Despite this, when I got there hundreds of people were marching on the vehicular roadway. I saw almost nobody following our working group’s recommendation to follow the pedestrian walkway. In fact, the crowd marching on the highway was so big that I myself followed them for about 200 feet before realizing what I was doing.
<un-snip>
http://nycga.cc/2011/10/01/general-assembly-minutes-101-730pm/#more-836

Here is that line again: "Many people were unfortunately corralled into the vehicle roadway." Who corralled these people onto the roadway? Why are people from the 'working group' directing others onto the roadway, ignoring their own group's recommendations? I believe that the answers to these will be discovered in the days to come.

[MADem]

14. I agree that we'll find out, eventually. And yes, I'm with you--I just want the truth.

I don't want the stuff that smells like propaganda, or pure horseshit.

I do find this small subset of "blame the police" people very curious. It is almost as though there is a push to make this "Protesters VS The POLICE" instead of "Protesters VS WALL STREET."

You gotta ask yourself, cui bono, here? I'm sure that makes the Fatcats happy, to see the police taking the shit and becoming the protesters' boogeyman, instead of them!

The police are not "the rich." They've got car notes and mortgages like everyone else, and rising grocery bills, and kids, and they're worried about their kids' education and if they can afford college for them. Why is a small group of people--against the advice of the protest organizers--trying to make this about THEM? And it's not just at the protest--it's on the internet, too.

It's very curious.

[icymist]

18. The police have behaved kind of badly in past OWS protests...

The apparently random pepper spraying of corralled women comes to mind. People remember this other corralling of protesters. And I'm sure that some of the officers that were nearby when a white collar spayed this into the crowd were surprised at this action as well. Is it any wonder why some are weary of the police? Sure, the fatcats are happy that blue-collar policemen are becoming the bogeymen, as you say, but I believe that too will change. As these protests grow across the country, everyone, including the police will begin to see that the real evil here is the unregulated greed of Wall Street infiltrating our political system. This has ended our country as we knew it.

The whole world's attention is now being focused on Wall Street and it's about time.

[MADem]

20. Most of the police I've seen in video have been very restrained, with just a couple

of notable exceptions, like that Bologna guy. Some cops, like some people, are jerks. If someone said something a little mouthy, he probably felt "entitled" to use the pepper spray. Doesn't make it right, but he's just one guy. We haven't seen wholesale pepper spraying, batons, slugging, and stuff like that--the police have actually been quite restrained, particularly since this entire protest is an act of civil disobedience (specifically, the occupation of the park). And that Bologna guy, he didn't get away with it--it's being investigated, which is a good thing. He's probably, to his surprise, a LOT closer to retirement today than he was two weeks ago as a consequence of his ... exuberance.

The police ARE charged with safeguarding the citizens of NYC, and upholding the laws of the city which aren't arbitrary, they're laws that the citizens of the city have endorsed through their elections of city leadership to include their mayors over the years. The police can't let people walk in the street with cars whizzing by, blocking traffic and access by emergency vehicles. They just can't. If the protesters wanted to walk in the street, they need to get a permit so the cops can block off a lane or two for them to walk, and route the traffic safely around them. Permits are free, so people can't complain about the expense.

So long as the world's attention is focused on a few disruptors taunting the police, and people screaming about unrelated issues that have nothing to do with the corruption of wealthy corporations and their obscene interactions with government, this thing won't take off or make sense to the rest of the watching world. I still wonder who the people were who disregarded the instructions of the organizers, and told others to "link arms" and take to the roadway. "Take the bridge?" I mean--come ON. That's just stupidity talking. Bridges have NOTHING to do with Wall Street excesses. Bridges are things that custodians and office workers and schoolchildren use to get to and from work and school. Wall Streeters take their helos and fly over all that mess. I hold the "Take the bridge" jerks responsible for this arrest mess.

[icymist]

26. Policemen are public servants. If one of these public servants are bad, then it reflects on all...

reflects on all of them. My main employment is in nursing and if one nurse is bad in a nursing home, that makes us all look bad. Yeah, that one nurse will get punished, but we all still look bad in the eyes of the public we are supposed to serve. The same goes for policemen. Is the mishandling of protesters at the hand of one bad cop going to affect how others see all cops? You tell me. As for "the jerks responsible for this arrest mess", well we still need to know the facts of this situation.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that MSNBC is now reporting that about 700 have been arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge. Can you explain how 700 people got duped by a few into this?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44742659/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

[MADem]

28. I think "a" bad nurse is "a" bad nurse. The behavior of one does NOT reflect on all, at least not

to me. I've known some fantastic nurses, and hearing/reading about one crazy one that kills all her patients or gives bad care is not going to make me generalize.

Same deal with police. I know some great ones. I also got stopped recently by one who was a total blowhard. He didn't make me hate all cops, though.

The NY DAILY NEWS reported 700 people as well--I guess they got the number from the NYPD. There was a large crowd yesterday, because the protest organizers put out the word that RADIOHEAD was going to play at the park (that rumor turned out to be bogus, but it got a lot of people out there). They probably got "duped" by the people in the crowd screaming "Take the bridge" over and over again. The organizers said that they told everyone to stay on the sidewalk, but they share in the blame--they should have gotten off their asses and gotten a damn (free) permit. Then, no one would have had to have been arrested. They might have gotten what they actually wanted, though.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/10/01/2011-10-01_dozens_arrested_at_occupy_wall_street_protest_brooklyn_bridge_shut_down_.html?r=topnews

[icymist]

30. Is there a way for you to explain this eyewitness account of the pepper spraying?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0LMJw81pHM

[MADem]

36. Why do you think I approve of one idiot supervisor pepper spraying anyone?

There are jerks in every job--policing and nursing. I thought that was pretty self-evident. There can even be jerky presidents, we had one from TX for eight years.

The guy abused his authority. I think he'll be surprised to find he's retiring earlier than he planned, at a minimum.

[ohheckyeah]

35. Watching the live feed with over

20,000 viewers and people checking in from all over the world in chat the rest of the world seems to get it just fine.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

12. Never trust the establishment media - they lie, obfuscate, cover up, embellish

I'm not saying what did or didn't happen on the bridge - but I am saying never trust the establishment media.

[EFerrari]

7. How much bail is 500 arrests?

[MADem]

9. The city doesn't keep the bail. Are you inferring that NYC bail bondsmen got together

and disrupted the protests to make a payday on the surcharges?

[brooklynite]

13. Why would marching in the roadway ever be construed as "okay"?

Let's be clear, whatever you think of the protester's motive and goals, one thing they are not doing is coordinate with the authorities. They haven't requested march or assembly permits, and they haven't negotiated arrangements in advance with Police or other authorities. The fact that Police officials didn't physically prevent people from walking on the Bridge road doesn't make it legal, and marchers should be intelligent enough to know that, especially when a pedestrian walkway was available.

FWIW, there was http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/148212/city-s-poverty-rate-inspires-march-across-brooklyn-bridge">ANOTHER march across the bridge earlier in the day. They all stayed on the walkway and nobody got arrested.

[MADem]

16. +1 n/t

[Eric J in MN]

17. In order to speed up getting a large number of marchers across the bridge

...while leaving a lane open in the Brooklyn-bound direction.

[brooklynite]

19. Let me rephrase: When would it be okay when NO PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS had been made?

New York has street marches all the time. They are arranged in advance and scheduled with a start and end time, and steps are taken to reroute traffic during the interruption.

No such advance arrangements were made by ONY.

[Eric J in MN]

27. This 14 second video

...shows protesters on the pedestrian-area of the Brooklyn Bridge stopped, while cops are walking with protesters behind them towards the road of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Climbing from the pedestrian-area onto the road to keep moving seems sensible in this situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz67fULXc-0

[icymist]

29. It does appear that the cops are leading the protesters onto the roadway of the bridge.

More of these images will be released. The guy on the bicycle yelling "Take it" isn't helping to win me over except that the protesters are being escorted by NYPD. The truth will be known.

[MADem]

21. You need a permit to do that.

Permits are free.

When you get a permit, the police put up barricades, so everyone can be safe.

They route traffic around the marchers, and make sure there's room for emergency vehicles to get to anyone having difficulty.

Permits are not a bad thing. The organizers, if they do not want disruptors to cause trouble and taunt/vocalize to the police, should just bite the bullet and get permits for their marches, rather than try to persuade people to stick to the sidewalks, and take away the opportunity for arrests.

[rhett o rick]

23. How sweet. Ask the police permission to protest. "mother may I protest if I be good".

Our founders didnt have a fucking permit to dump tea in Boston Harbor.

[MADem]

24. Stop confusing federal law with the laws of a city, approved by the citizens of the city.

The police RARELY refuse permits.

Of course, if you want to not ask because you fear you'll be refused, that's on YOU. Not them.

Don't believe me, go ask the ALCU--the police prefer to grant the permit, because it ensures that they will have roads divided so that emergency vehicles can get through, and regular traffic can be diverted so no one gets killed/run over.

[rhett o rick]

33. I got my fill of those police ochestrated "protests" where we all were literally herded down

streets in the poor section of town so not to scare the overlords. Two police to every protestor. Horses, motorcycles, guns, and pepper spray. Protesting does no good if you dont get to the public.

[MADem]

39. If you have a permit, your route is already established. No "herding."

No deviation. Sometimes, they'll even publish the route in the paper, if the event is significant. The only time you find difficulty is when you stage a sidewalk, no-permit protest and end up in the street.

Don't believe me, ask the ACLU.

[rhett o rick]

45. With police leading the crowd, lining both sides of the street and following the crowd.

That's what I call herding. The route is "approved" (read dictated) by the police to have as little impact as possible. Damnit, a protest is supposed to have impact. We were generally routed thru the slum areas of town.

[MADem]

52. That's why these organizers should take the help of the lawyers and others who offer it.

But they don't.

A lawyer showing up with an organizer with a permit request is going to get the route they want. They are going to be expected to stick to the lanes provided, and start and end their demonstration at the agreed-upon times. Once the route is established, that's when the regular traffic (cars, taxis, buses, etc) are detoured, jersey barriers go up, so there's a lane for the protesters, a space so emergency vehicles can get by, and a sidewalk that ordinary citizens, going to their jobs or doctor appointments or off to get groceries, are allowed to go about their business unimpeded. That surely is not too much to ask. Your "rights" shouldn't trump the rights of the citizens of NY to get an ambulance if they need one, to have a fire truck arrive at their house that is burning, or get to their job without having a bunch of protesters preventing them from passing.

Permits are ROUTINE in NY. The only time they might take issue with your route is if you want to shove a thousand people into a dead end alley, or something like that. Police are quite good at routing traffic, it's the job they do MOST FREQUENTLY.

You keep talking about slums and "poor" areas. If you have a permit with a route on it, you can AVOID these "awful" places where (how dare) those poor people live. But your repeated comments are curious to me. Isn't the whole idea of this OWS effort to help those people you don't seem to want to go near? Or is it a "Fight the power, fuck the police" load of nonsense?

This is not rocket science, and it's flummoxing that you keep insisting that it is. The ACLU has had a primer on permits and protests up on the net for YEARS now. Apparently none of these OWS whiz kids bothered to read it.

[rhett o rick]

60. You missed the point entirely and made this into how I am denigrating the "poor".

The current protest is for Wall Street for a reason. We need people to wake up. Those in the poor sections dont need the wake up. We were "routed" thru areas where we wouldnt interfere with commerce. Someone didnt want us to bother the businesses. These protests were a sham.

[MADem]

61. All I did was note what you, yourself, said -- repeatedly. Don't put that on me.

Own your own comments.

[rhett o rick]

22. Listen Jacko. This isnt a picnic. What the hell kind of protest is it if you "ask" permission.

I dont think you understand the situation here. Whose side are you on? Ask permission? Get real. It's time to disrupt the lives of the over-lords. You with us or not?

[MADem]

25. Martin Luther King threw a protest in DC that people still talk about.

A shitload of people showed up.

HE HAD A PERMIT.

What the hell kind of protest was that?

A pretty damn good one, I'd say.

[patrick t. cakes]

31. he gave a speech

a damn good one, but a speech none the less.

[brooklynite]

32. A speech that clearly defined a problem and a goal...

...which the greater audience could easily understand.

[MADem]

37. Wow, you've told me all I need to know about your level of understanding!

He gave a speech. OK....!

[rhett o rick]

34. And you think we should sit on our hands until MLK Jr. shows up. No thanks. nm

[MADem]

38. I didn't say that. I do think that a more cohesive expression of dissatisfaction could

be made. Don't sit on your hands, but start making some fucking sense. What does "Take the bridge" and fighting with rank and file policemen have to do with Wall Street corruption? Why the fuck make a stand in Brooklyn? It's like a sick joke--everyone needs a goddamned GARMIN...but wait--aren't those made in China?

I have a feeling that idiots and would-be anarchists and disruptors from right-wing elements are giving the well meaning "fight the bankers" people an awful lot of "help." I was appalled to hear the effort called the "Tea Party of the Left." Great. Another set of intractable bastards joining the debate!

This effort needs a spokesman who doesn't lie on the internet about RADIOHEAD showing up to give a "surprise, free concert" in order to plus-up the crowd, who has a sense of what is really going on, who can coordinate with the police for community and crowd safety, and who knows how to waddle down to the precinct and get a free permit to march. If the police are slow to grant the permit (and they generally are not), said spokesman needs to grab one of the many lawyers who stop by and offer (unheeded) advice and ask them to come along with them to expedite the application process.

You can be innovative and attention-seeking and still be halfway mature. It helps to have a cohesive message, though, and this effort does not.

[polly7]

40. With social networking, a simple rumour can be spread now to millions

of people in half a second. You keep saying the Radiohead rumour was a deliberate ploy. Do you have a link to that?

[MADem]

41. Put it this way--you want a few thousand people to show up and follow you?

Tell 'em that their favorite band will show up.

The RADIOHEAD people have said they never intended to give a concert.

The "PR" spokespeople at the park, a guy named Hero something and another guy, repeated tweeted that they would be there. That Hero guy even cleared a path in the park so they could come through.

Someone's bullshitting.

Ask yourself, cui bono?

On edit--you wanted a link. HERE: http://gothamist.com/2011/09/30/occupy_wall_street_says_radiohead_s.php

A snippet:

The Occupy Wall Street crowd says don't believe the band's management, believe the demonstrators who are hungry for more publicity. Hero Vincent, an artist who is serving their pr spokesperson, tells us Radiohead's management is denying it because they don't want a million people here. "They will 100 percent be here," he says. But it's "not confirmed that there will be a show, only confirmed that they will make a performance." A protester also insists they have had direct email confirmation from band members that they will perform. From [e-mail]?

Meanwhile, the band's publicist has updated their website with this: "RADIOHEAD IS NOT PLAYING WALL STREET TODAY nor were they ever confirmed to do so." But what's The Universal Sigh reporting?!

Update 1:55 p.m.: A source with MoveOn.org also maintains that Radiohead WILL play, and that the band's management has "officially" denied any performance because the band wanted this to be "only for the protesters." A spokesperson for the Mayor's office has not responded to requests for comment, but police have put in new barricades at Wall Street and Nassau.

[polly7]

42. It looks like it was probably an honest mistake, and they apologized..

"UPDATE 1:37 pm: It looks like it may be a rumor after all. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Observer have both confirmed that Radiohead is not playing the #OccupyWallStreet protest Friday. The band released a statement on their website: "RADIOHEAD IS NOT PLAYING WALL STREET TODAY nor were they ever confirmed to do so." Contrast this to the official website of Occupy Wall Street currently up: "Radiohead will play a surprise show for #occupywallstreet today at four in the afternoon." Will update you with information as it comes in.

Patrick Bruner, a spokesman for OccupyWallst.org says that he is retracting his earlier statement. "The concert is unconfirmed. Sorry about this - I'm in the dark as much as you as to what's going on right now."

UPDATE: 3:36pm: Bruner confirms that this was a big hoax, the origin of which is still unclear. "I got hoaxed. Radiohead was never confirmed," he said. "Completely our fault. Apologies. The band were victims in this hoax as well."

Earlier: For anyone who missed out on the highly coveted tickets to see Radiohead play at Roseland Ballroom this week, Friday might be your chance to see the band perform, and for free.

Rumors are swirling that the band will be making a stop downtown in support of the Occupy Wall Street protestors."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/30/radiohead-rumored-to-play_n_989024.html

I remember seeing people tweeting the apology and messaging that the band was NOT playing days ago, that it was just a mistake. So, not a biggie, imo.

[MADem]

44. No biggie? It was YESTERDAY that the "spokespeople" for OWS were insisting that they were still

coming--not "days ago." Let's not parse--let's get the WHOLE timeline out there. As late as three thirty yesterday, "spokespeople" were still insisting that they'd show up:

Update 3 p.m.: An Occupy Wall Street spokesman, Hero Vincent, claims to have direct contact with the band, and insists he has received "reconfirmation" that there will be a performance. (If true, we hope they vary the set list a little from the two all but identical shows at Roseland!)

But then whoever's doing the Twitter feed for Occupy Wall Street retweeted this: "#Radiohead pulled out b/c the surprise concert was announced to the world by #occupywallstreet #Fail." We get the sense that this loose affiliation of leaderless protest groups is sending mixed messages!

Update 3:20 p.m.: Patrick Bruner, the Occupy Wall Street spokesman who earlier confirmed the concert, emails this carefully-worded statement: "The concert is unconfirmed. Sorry about this - I'm in the dark as much as you as to what's going on right now." Hero Vincent, another Occupy Wall Street spokesman, says Radiohead are on their way, and are going to be in the middle where general assemblies are held. This really is The Great Pumpkin Hipster Charlie Brown.

Update 3:30 p.m.: On Facebook, Radiohead writes, "We wish the best of luck to the protesters there, but contrary to earlier rumours, we will not be appearing today at Occupy Wall Street." At Zuccotti Park, there is a wire being strung from the media booth to the middle where the general assemblies are held. Hero Vincent tells us that at 4 p.m. everyone will be asked to sit down and let Radiohead walk right through the park to the center were the media center is. And then the Great Pumpkin will rise up over the pumpkin patch...

At 3:45 we will be starting a new post with a live stream of... something?

Update 3:40: p.m. Patrick Bruner, the Occupy Wall Street spokesman who earlier confirmed the concert, emails, "I got hoaxed. Radiohead was never confirmed. Completely our fault. Apologies. The band were victims in this hoax as well." For more, we turn to Fox News!


Good propaganda--put out a lie, get a crowd going, then, after you've got 'em there, put out an insincere apology, while leading them to a "mysterious" party in Brooklyn.

I was born at night--but not last night.

[polly7]

47. Rumours happen, mistakes happen. I wouldn't get so upset about it.

The protesters didn't seem to be upset at all, and I can't find any outrage over it anywhere but yours, here. Presumably, they saw the same 'RADIOHEAD IS NOT PLAYING' tweets I did and knew what was going on.

[MADem]

48. I am not "upset about it." But I do have a brain and the ability to add two plus two.

Why would the protesters be upset? I'm betting many of them believed that they'd find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow RADIOHEAD at the other side of the bridge...but, ya know, hush-hush, we don't want people who aren't at the protest to show up, donchaknow!

Can you link to all the tweets you saw 'days ago?'

[polly7]

51. No, I don't have a link to the tweets, but I see and read perfectly well.

You could probably do a little hunting and find them. You'd think if the protesters felt cheated there would be some evidence of that. But so far, nothing except for your outrage, here. Looks like a non-issue. :shrug:

[MADem]

53. You got them. Who sent them? Can you even remember that?

What hashtags were on them?

I gave you linkage, you should return the favor if you want your assertions to be regarded as reliable.

[polly7]

54. Nope, can't remember. sorry. lol. nt.

[MADem]

56. O...K. nt

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rhett o rick]

43. I dont disagree with most of what you say. We need a leader but no one is stepping forward

So do we put the revolution on hold? This is a revolution that your denial wont stop. Leaders dont start movements, movements attract leaders. Even with a leader this is going to be disorganized and chaotic. For the last decade we begged our Democratic leaders to help us only to see them kow-tow to the Koch brothers. THe cohesive message is STOP TREADING ON ME.

[MADem]

46. Do you know who created that "Don't Tread on Me" (not stop treading) cartoon?

It was later made into a flag?

Benjamin Franklin.

Read history. You'll find that the Founding Fathers gave us all the tools we need to change our government. The trick is to muster the will to USE those tools, rather than create crowds with RADIOHEAD rumors.

Step One--Register to vote. I wonder how many of those people screaming at the police are registered?

[icymist]

57. Dude! Don't you ever sleep?

I petered out last night sometime around three a.m. and woke up a few minutes ago just to find that you are still going at it! Yawn! I need more sleep. I have to work tonight. Later.

[MADem]

58. Do you?

I'm at the bedside of a terminally ill relative right now, so no, I am not sleeping much lately, thanks for asking.

[icymist]

59. I'm sorry to hear that.

I hope your relative is comfortable despite the cirmustances. Yes I do sleep and I need some more. I just got up to check the email. Peace.

[rhett o rick]

63. My best to you and your sick relative. nm

[MADem]

64. Thanks. I'm doing the "weekend duty." nt

[rhett o rick]

65. I recently visited a good friend of mine that is in the final stage of cancer.

He is doing relatively well on chemo but lives on the opposite side of the country from me. Tough to comfort via phone.

Best of health to you.

[rhett o rick]

62. Good Grief. Of course I know all about the flag. I had it as my icon for most of the Bush era.

I am changing it to "Stop Treading on Me". I dont think Franklin would mind.

I knew it. Vote. Be good little citizens and vote. Write emails and vote. Dont step off the side walk and be nice and be sure to vote. If you havent noticed, our voting system is totally suspect. I voted in 2000 and 20004 and saw that our Democratic leaders didnt give a shit if the republicans stole the elections. Well at least I got to participate in the process, right. I feel so much better.

The revolution is happening with or without you.

[ChiciB1]

50. I Called NYC Police Internal Affairs & Asked Them To Leave & Let People

protest peacefully. Got officer's name & badge number, but wouldn't give me his first name. I have a feelings that THEY want to join them. Just a feeling. It may happen like it did in Cairo. Who knows.

Here's the number I called and "asked nicely" to let them protest peacefully. We are seeing more cities coming on board down here in Florida. I think Tampa started yesterday, but was first slated for Oct. 6th. We have LOTS of people going on the 6th... it's growing!

Call everyone you know because cities are cropping up all over.

Also you can chat at irc.indymedia.org#occuplywallstreet. Sorry if all this info has been posted before. Just adding what I've been getting from livestream.

[ChiciB1]

55. Correction About irc.indymedia.org. If You Link To Chat There's Info

at the site. I gave wrong link. More links at above link.

Outta here, back to livestream for me.