Thousands of demonstrators forced shipping terminals in Oakland, Calif., Portland, Ore., and Longview, Wash., to halt parts of their operations Monday.
At least one outside observer who has followed political movements for decades said the port blockades were an indicator of the disruptive activities likely to continue for months and right until next year's presidential elections.
The movement, which sprang up this fall against what it sees as corporate greed and economic inequality, focused on the ports as the "economic engines for the elite." It comes weeks after police raids cleared out most of their tent camps.
Protesters are most upset by two West Coast companies: port operator SSA Marine and grain exporter EGT. Investment banking giant Goldman Sachs Group Inc. owns a major stake in SSA Marine and has been a frequent target of protesters.
Demonstrators say they are standing up for workers against the port companies, which have had recent high-profile clashes with union workers. Longshoremen in Longview, for example, have had a longstanding dispute with EGT, which employs workers from a different union to staff its terminal. The longshoremen's union says the jobs rightfully belong to them.
In Oakland, some 1,000 protesters vowed to at the port overnight, but the crowd had shrunk to around 150 by 9:30 p.m. Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday.
While the protests attracted far fewer people than the 10,000 who turned out Nov. 2 to shut down Oakland's port, organizers declared victory and promised more demonstrations.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Occupy Oakland: Raw Video
Ever since Occupy Oakland was evicted, the movement has been stuck in the mud. Efforts to find a new site for the camp have been less than successful, while the general assemblies have been alternately racked by controversy and sparsely attended. Shutting down "Wall Street on the Waterfront", as they've called it, is an effort to get some of their momentum back. And so far, it looks promising: perhaps a thousand community members gathered in West Oakland at 5.30am yesterday morning, marched into the port of Oakland and prevented port workers and container trucks from entering. Busloads of riot police were on the scene, but there was no riot and they went home. By late morning the port of Oakland was officially shut down: port officials cited "health and safety risks" and sent workers home, leaving container ships loaded at the docks.
Officially, the longshoreman union is not sanctioning the blockade. But then, given how firmly its hands are tied by anti-union legislation, it would be shocking if it had. While longshoremen are under no obligation to cross a community picket line, they are forbidden by law from striking except during very specific circumstances (say, during contract negotiations). If the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) had endorsed the blockade – even unofficially – union officials and stewards could face jail time. And so, ironically, while occupiers across the west coast are blockading ports in the name of labour – in particular Los Angeles truck drivers (non-unionised) who were fired for wearing union T-shirts and ILWU workers engaged in a labour dispute against EGT in Longview, Washington – labour has little power to speak in its own name here, except by refusing to cross a community picket line.
Officially, the longshoreman union is not sanctioning the blockade. But then, given how firmly its hands are tied by anti-union legislation, it would be shocking if it had. While longshoremen are under no obligation to cross a community picket line, they are forbidden by law from striking except during very specific circumstances (say, during contract negotiations). If the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) had endorsed the blockade – even unofficially – union officials and stewards could face jail time. And so, ironically, while occupiers across the west coast are blockading ports in the name of labour – in particular Los Angeles truck drivers (non-unionised) who were fired for wearing union T-shirts and ILWU workers engaged in a labour dispute against EGT in Longview, Washington – labour has little power to speak in its own name here, except by refusing to cross a community picket line.
Occupy Protesters Block Many West Coast Ports: Attempt to Shutdown Shipping
Thousands of Occupy Wall Street protesters blocked access to several major West Coast ports Monday in synchronized demonstrations that fell short of a complete shutdown of West Coast shipping:
Anchorage,AK
Oakland, CA
Long Beach, CA
San Diego,CA
Portland, OR
Longview, WA
Seattle, WA
In many cities, protesters targeted terminals operated by SSA Marine, a shipping company that is locked in a labor dispute with some port truckers, and is partly owned by Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Organizers said Monday's actions were also an expression of support for union workers in Longview, where the International Longshore and Warehouse Union has been fighting to ensure its members get jobs at a new shipping facility.
But Monday's protests were not endorsed by ILWU or the other major unions operating at the ports. A spokesman for ILWU, Craig Merrilees, said the union has specific rules about when it can agree to support a protest. "This was not a picket line under the legal terms of the current labor agreement," he said.
Still, the union's president said dockworkers agreed with the goals of the Occupy protesters, who assert that the economic system benefits the richest 1% of Americans at the cost of the other 99%.
Anchorage,AK
Oakland, CA
Long Beach, CA
San Diego,CA
Portland, OR
Longview, WA
Seattle, WA
In many cities, protesters targeted terminals operated by SSA Marine, a shipping company that is locked in a labor dispute with some port truckers, and is partly owned by Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Organizers said Monday's actions were also an expression of support for union workers in Longview, where the International Longshore and Warehouse Union has been fighting to ensure its members get jobs at a new shipping facility.
But Monday's protests were not endorsed by ILWU or the other major unions operating at the ports. A spokesman for ILWU, Craig Merrilees, said the union has specific rules about when it can agree to support a protest. "This was not a picket line under the legal terms of the current labor agreement," he said.
Still, the union's president said dockworkers agreed with the goals of the Occupy protesters, who assert that the economic system benefits the richest 1% of Americans at the cost of the other 99%.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Police Raid Occupy San Francisco: Dozens Arrested (55)
Dozens were arrested in a raid Occupy San Francisco for illegal lodging on Sunday
Police have arrested dozens of people during a raid of an Occupy San Francisco encampment outside the Federal Reserve building early Sunday.
San Francisco police Officer Albie Esparza says that around 4 a.m. officers arrested about 55 people for illegal lodging.
No officers or demonstrators were injured, but Esparza says some officers were spit on and one officer was pushed by demonstrators during the arrests.
Esparza says that before police moved in on the encampment demonstrators had been warned on an hourly basis over a 24-period that they were subject to arrest.
The arrests Sunday come after at least 85 people were arrested Wednesday when police cleared a separate Occupy encampment in nearby Justin Herman Plaza.
Police have arrested dozens of people during a raid of an Occupy San Francisco encampment outside the Federal Reserve building early Sunday.
San Francisco police Officer Albie Esparza says that around 4 a.m. officers arrested about 55 people for illegal lodging.
No officers or demonstrators were injured, but Esparza says some officers were spit on and one officer was pushed by demonstrators during the arrests.
Esparza says that before police moved in on the encampment demonstrators had been warned on an hourly basis over a 24-period that they were subject to arrest.
The arrests Sunday come after at least 85 people were arrested Wednesday when police cleared a separate Occupy encampment in nearby Justin Herman Plaza.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Occupy Palm Beach Protestors Move Encampment Prior to Noon Deadline
The Occupy movement locally has had minor problems with West Palm Beach officials and police, compared to larger cities like Oakland, Calif., and New York City. They may be minimalist on hygiene, but the Occupy Palm Beach protestors prefer their methods to the conflict elsewhere that has involved violence and arrests.
"We strive so much to remain non-violent, non-confrontational. It's easier to maintain an established presence here," Allison Bannon of Loxahatchee said while struggling with tent poles just moments after relocating her "gingerbread house" a block. "This isn't about violence or negativity, it's about being part of the community."
While demonstrators are concerned about space to place more tents when or if the encampment grows, the grassy areas flanking a cement courtyard near old city hall have just enough room for the current crew. The city offered protestors an alternative site when they told them they'd have to move from the grass at Narcissus and First streets where a circus performer is scheduled to offer trapeze lessons.
"We worked out a deal with the city," said Mark Schall, who serves on several committees for the Occupy group although he only sleeps at the encampment on the weekends due to his 34-hour-a-week job. "If you look around the country, we're being treated pretty good."
Bannon, a freelance geneologist, moved the tent she shares with Aaron DuBois still fully assembled, so the block and a half walk looked something like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon crews, as the wind luffed the canvas. The mostly cloudy but warm morning was accomodating. A city maintenance crew kept up a roar at the street while working out of a manhole, and a block down Olive, St. Ann's Catholic Church parishoners strolled toward services.
The new location gives protestors a presence on Olive, where many people move to and from county offices and other businesses. The old location was within earshot of the waterfront.
Frazier Williams, who moved his "Indian reservation" tent over well before the deadline, said he was happy to move away from the waterfront.
"We can continue to protest in peace," said the West Palm Beach man who has a full-time job at a local florist. "That's all we're looking for, peace and justice."
Staff writer Alexandra Seltzer contributed to this report.
emily_roach@pbpost.com
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/occupy-palm-beach-protestors-move-encampment-prior-to-2025688.html
"We strive so much to remain non-violent, non-confrontational. It's easier to maintain an established presence here," Allison Bannon of Loxahatchee said while struggling with tent poles just moments after relocating her "gingerbread house" a block. "This isn't about violence or negativity, it's about being part of the community."While demonstrators are concerned about space to place more tents when or if the encampment grows, the grassy areas flanking a cement courtyard near old city hall have just enough room for the current crew. The city offered protestors an alternative site when they told them they'd have to move from the grass at Narcissus and First streets where a circus performer is scheduled to offer trapeze lessons.
"We worked out a deal with the city," said Mark Schall, who serves on several committees for the Occupy group although he only sleeps at the encampment on the weekends due to his 34-hour-a-week job. "If you look around the country, we're being treated pretty good."
Bannon, a freelance geneologist, moved the tent she shares with Aaron DuBois still fully assembled, so the block and a half walk looked something like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon crews, as the wind luffed the canvas. The mostly cloudy but warm morning was accomodating. A city maintenance crew kept up a roar at the street while working out of a manhole, and a block down Olive, St. Ann's Catholic Church parishoners strolled toward services.
The new location gives protestors a presence on Olive, where many people move to and from county offices and other businesses. The old location was within earshot of the waterfront.
Frazier Williams, who moved his "Indian reservation" tent over well before the deadline, said he was happy to move away from the waterfront.
"We can continue to protest in peace," said the West Palm Beach man who has a full-time job at a local florist. "That's all we're looking for, peace and justice."
Staff writer Alexandra Seltzer contributed to this report.
emily_roach@pbpost.com
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/occupy-palm-beach-protestors-move-encampment-prior-to-2025688.html
Woman Attempts Meth Production: at Walmart, of Course!
An Oklahoma woman was caught trying to make meth inside of a Walmart. Meth making reaches a new low in Tulsa when a woman starts mixing the drug inside a local Walmart.
Did you hear about the Walmart meth lab? It's not in every store, just the location in Tulsa, OK. You don't have to rush over there to check it out, it was temporary and it is gone. So is the woman who started cooking meth in Walmart.
Alisha Halfmoon, 45, got caught with her hands in the cookie jar, or the meth lab jar to be precise. She did a little 'free' shopping, she took the chemicals needed to make meth and started to open the Walmart met lab right there in the aisle.
When police got there and questioned Halfmoon you won't believe what she told the cops. She said she had to steal the stuff; she couldn't afford to buy the chemicals. By that time Halfmoon had already mixed two containers of sulfuric acid. Have you ever said, "I've heard it all?" Did you ever think you would hear about the Walmart meth lab and the woman who mixed chemicals in the aisle and those chemicals ate the paint off the shelf?
Needless to say, Alisha Halfmoon and the temporary Walmart meth lab are gone from Walmart. Halfmoon was arrested, something she is getting used to. This woman obviously doesn't know how to learn a lesson. She had been arrested in a meth sting and had just been released from jail. Hopefully they will keep her a little longer and try to get it through to her that a Walmart meth lab is against the law.
Did you hear about the Walmart meth lab? It's not in every store, just the location in Tulsa, OK. You don't have to rush over there to check it out, it was temporary and it is gone. So is the woman who started cooking meth in Walmart.
Alisha Halfmoon, 45, got caught with her hands in the cookie jar, or the meth lab jar to be precise. She did a little 'free' shopping, she took the chemicals needed to make meth and started to open the Walmart met lab right there in the aisle.
When police got there and questioned Halfmoon you won't believe what she told the cops. She said she had to steal the stuff; she couldn't afford to buy the chemicals. By that time Halfmoon had already mixed two containers of sulfuric acid. Have you ever said, "I've heard it all?" Did you ever think you would hear about the Walmart meth lab and the woman who mixed chemicals in the aisle and those chemicals ate the paint off the shelf?
Needless to say, Alisha Halfmoon and the temporary Walmart meth lab are gone from Walmart. Halfmoon was arrested, something she is getting used to. This woman obviously doesn't know how to learn a lesson. She had been arrested in a meth sting and had just been released from jail. Hopefully they will keep her a little longer and try to get it through to her that a Walmart meth lab is against the law.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Dozens of Occupy DC Protesters: Arrested on K Street
More than five dozen protesters upset about what they call corporate greed and the excessive influence of money in politics were arrested Wednesday after shutting down K Street, home to many of the city's influential lobbying firms, in a mass demonstration that snarled mid-day traffic in the nation's capital.
The arrests came as demonstrators from across the country converged on K Street for a march that included participants from Occupy Wall Street encampments as well as other groups — including unions — sympathetic to their message about income inequality. D.C. police had made 62 arrests by 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, said spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump. Sixty-one of the arrests were for obstructing a public highway and an additional arrest was made for a misdemeanor assault on a police officer.
Dozens of Occupy DC protesters were arrested on K Street in Washington D.C. today for obstruction of a public highway. Officer Hugh Carew from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department said that 62 people have been arrested. Of the 62, the public affairs official stated 61 were for obstruction of a public highway.
Occupy Boston: Protesters Evicted, Dozens Arrested
Police officers swept through Dewey Square early Saturday, tearing down tents at the Occupy Boston encampment and arresting dozens of protesters. (Dec. 10)
BOSTON -- Police officers swept through Dewey Square early Saturday, tearing down tents at the Occupy Boston encampment and arresting dozens of protesters, bringing a peaceful end to the 10-week demonstration.
Officers began moving into the encampment at about 5 a.m. to "ensure compliance with the trespassing law," police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said. The city had set a deadline for midnight Thursday for the protesters to abandon the site but police took no action until early Saturday, making Boston the latest city where officials moved to oust protesters demonstrating against what they call corporate greed and economic injustice.
As the officers moved in, about two dozen demonstrators linked arms and sat down in nonviolent protest and police soon began arresting them, according to the Boston Globe.
The protesters were "very accommodating" to the officers, Driscoll said. Forty-six people were arrested on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct, police said. No injuries were reported.
The entire operation lasted less than an hour. Crews then entered the area to begin cleaning it.
Protesters first erected the encampment on Sept. 30. Many pulled up stakes and left the encampment Thursday after learning of the midnight deadline Mayor Thomas Menino had set for them to leave the square, but others stayed, and some said they were prepared to be arrested.
While Menino previously had said the city had no plans to forcibly remove the encampment, he appeared to become increasingly impatient with the protesters in recent days, saying the occupation had become a public health and safety hazard. He issued his ultimatum after a judge ruled on Wednesday that the protesters had no right to stay in Dewey Square.
Protesters estimate that 100 to 150 activists lived in the Boston encampment. Demonstrators were forcibly removed from similar encampments in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/10/police-evict-occupy-boston-protesters-46-arrested/#ixzz1g9VnAIG5
BOSTON -- Police officers swept through Dewey Square early Saturday, tearing down tents at the Occupy Boston encampment and arresting dozens of protesters, bringing a peaceful end to the 10-week demonstration.
Officers began moving into the encampment at about 5 a.m. to "ensure compliance with the trespassing law," police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said. The city had set a deadline for midnight Thursday for the protesters to abandon the site but police took no action until early Saturday, making Boston the latest city where officials moved to oust protesters demonstrating against what they call corporate greed and economic injustice.
As the officers moved in, about two dozen demonstrators linked arms and sat down in nonviolent protest and police soon began arresting them, according to the Boston Globe.
The protesters were "very accommodating" to the officers, Driscoll said. Forty-six people were arrested on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct, police said. No injuries were reported.
The entire operation lasted less than an hour. Crews then entered the area to begin cleaning it.
Protesters first erected the encampment on Sept. 30. Many pulled up stakes and left the encampment Thursday after learning of the midnight deadline Mayor Thomas Menino had set for them to leave the square, but others stayed, and some said they were prepared to be arrested.
While Menino previously had said the city had no plans to forcibly remove the encampment, he appeared to become increasingly impatient with the protesters in recent days, saying the occupation had become a public health and safety hazard. He issued his ultimatum after a judge ruled on Wednesday that the protesters had no right to stay in Dewey Square.
Protesters estimate that 100 to 150 activists lived in the Boston encampment. Demonstrators were forcibly removed from similar encampments in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/10/police-evict-occupy-boston-protesters-46-arrested/#ixzz1g9VnAIG5
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Occupy Protesters in U.S. Target Foreclosures
CBC's Keith Boag looks at the changing face of the Occupy movement as protesters shift their focus to American neighbourhoods besieged by foreclosures.
She 'Could Pay', But Won't!
She 'Could Pay', But Won't!
Occupy Houston Shooting Caught on Camera (Graphic!)
Police said officers shot and injured an armed man Monday in a park near Houston City Hall, where protesters have been gathering as part of their "Occupy Houston" demonstration, myFOXhouston.com reported.
The shooting was reported around 5:00pm local time at Tranquility Park. The suspect was seen carrying a rifle, according to the Houston Police Department.
Several protesters told the Houston Chronicle that the man was not part of the "Occupy Houston" movement. They said the man pointed his rifle at several people before firing several shots in the air.
Witness Capital Baker told the Chronicle the man pointed his gun at the crowd of protesters and shouted, "Kill me, kill me."
Another witness told the newspaper that after police arrived, the man pointed his gun in the general direction of police, who then fired at him -- hitting him at least once in the ankle.
The suspect, who KHOU-TV reported was wearing a suit during the incident, was then apprehended and taken to the Ben Taub General Hospital by ambulance. No one else was injured in the shooting.
The shooting was reported around 5:00pm local time at Tranquility Park. The suspect was seen carrying a rifle, according to the Houston Police Department.
Several protesters told the Houston Chronicle that the man was not part of the "Occupy Houston" movement. They said the man pointed his rifle at several people before firing several shots in the air.
Witness Capital Baker told the Chronicle the man pointed his gun at the crowd of protesters and shouted, "Kill me, kill me."
Another witness told the newspaper that after police arrived, the man pointed his gun in the general direction of police, who then fired at him -- hitting him at least once in the ankle.
The suspect, who KHOU-TV reported was wearing a suit during the incident, was then apprehended and taken to the Ben Taub General Hospital by ambulance. No one else was injured in the shooting.
"Occupy" Popping Up On a Lawn Near You?
Occupy Ft. Myers wants to camp at foreclosed homes in Lee County.
Occupy Boston: Days Numbered
Philip Anderson, who is with the Occupy Boston group, stopped by the FOX 25 Morning News to talk about a Superior Court judge's ruling giving the city the green light to remove protesters from the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Police Clear Out Occupy New Orleans Camp
“You people are treasonous!” one protester shouted as more than 100 uniformed officers moved through the makeshift camp grounds at Duncan Plaza, a city block of green space that has been home to the loosely knit Occupy New Orleans movement since Oct. 6.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Occupy Orlando March to Mayor's House: 5 Arrested
Occupy protesters marched to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer's house singing carols and offering Christmas cookies in an unsuccessful effort to get postponed a deadline to remove their possessions from a park.
But Monday's deadline was enforced and the protesters' possessions were removed Monday by police and code enforcement officers.
At least five protesters were arrested for violating previous trespass warnings.
Protesters have been camped out in the park near downtown Orlando for more than a month.
During the visit to Dyer's house a day earlier, the mayor declined the protesters' offer of Christmas cookies.
Occupy Tampa Protesters = Poor Voting Records = (WTSP 10)
TAMPA, Florida - After the first mass arrests of Occupy Tampa protesters, The 10 News Investigators pulled their voting records to see how active the protesters have previously been in the democratic process.
While the 29 people arrested Thursday night fared slightly better than the 22 protesters analyzed in the Investigators' initial report, the group cast ballots at lower rates than non-protesting Floridians.
Forty-seven Occupy Tampa protesters - almost all Florida residents - have been arrested since Oct. 21 a total of 62 times. And by cross-referencing arrest reports with public records from various elections offices, the Investigators compiled the following statistics:
Connect with 10 News Investigator Noah Pransky on Facebook at www.facebook.com/noahpransky or Twitter at www.twitter.com/noahpransky.
Send your story tips to noah@wtsp.com
http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/224478/8/UPDATE-Arrested-Occupiers-have-poor-voting-records
While the 29 people arrested Thursday night fared slightly better than the 22 protesters analyzed in the Investigators' initial report, the group cast ballots at lower rates than non-protesting Floridians.
Forty-seven Occupy Tampa protesters - almost all Florida residents - have been arrested since Oct. 21 a total of 62 times. And by cross-referencing arrest reports with public records from various elections offices, the Investigators compiled the following statistics:
- Only 67% of arrested protesters - all over the age of 18 - are registered to vote. The state average is 76%.
- Only 42% of arrested protesters who were 18 years old in 2008 voted in the presidential general election. Across the state, 57% of Floridians 18 years and older cast ballots that year.
- Only 22% of arrested protesters who were 18 years old in 2008 voted in the presidential primary, compared to 27% across the state.
- In 2010, when Floridians decided a gubernatorial and U.S. Senate race, only 21% of arrested protesters who were old enough to vote cast ballots. That year, 38% of all Flordians 18+ voted in the general election.
Connect with 10 News Investigator Noah Pransky on Facebook at www.facebook.com/noahpransky or Twitter at www.twitter.com/noahpransky.
Send your story tips to noah@wtsp.com
http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/224478/8/UPDATE-Arrested-Occupiers-have-poor-voting-records
Friday, December 2, 2011
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