[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Riot

The fact that peaceful legal protest is ... legal seems to have perhaps changed a bit since the Patriot Act. Or maybe it was never a right we really had. Although people literally carrying guns at a rally near the President was tolerated. You'd think unarmed people wouldn't be a threat!
They have paraded and protested all over the city for 2 months now. Today was different because they made a threat to close the exchange.

I don't think the protesters should occupy Bank of America lobby. I don't see anything wrong with keep the street in front of NYSE blocked (as it pretty much as been since 9-11). Protesters should not be allowed to block a street (so others can't use it) without a permit.
The security by the exchnge is always tight. Besides that, there's really not much room over there for a ton of people.

But, hundreds of people in a 24-hour a day park is LEGAL. Walking along a sidewalk is LEGAL. Chanting and carrying signs is LEGAL. When a hundred extra cops surround Zuccotti, because they are going to arrest the guy who was kicking barriers, and someone says, "please let me out", and they say, "sorry" - that's simply not right.
It's not right, but did you think that there might have been other factors involved? Maybe they needed to keep the group together because they were looking for somene in particular.

There are nearly a hundred Occupies in the US right now - and some are there with the blessing of the city, and some are fraught with disaster (Oakland). But everyone has the right to free speech, freedom of assembly, etc.
Let's be truthful, for the amount of people marching/involved, there have been a couple of isolated incidents. It's a very tough situation and it's not always going to go down perfectly.



No. The police kept people from getting to work this morning, around Zuccotti. People trying to get into Wall Street for job interviews were not allowed in (they had no corporate ID), and people trying to get into the subway stop there this am were not allowed past unless they were wearing suits, etc. One young guy (wearing a nice sweater, tie, neat) wasn't allowed through into the subway because he looks like a protester, and he was complaining to the cameraman that now he'd be late to work, had to go blocks out of his way to another stop - the protesters were not in that area.

Firms and buisnesses were warned ahead of time of protocals so that they would be able to prepare for what to do to get guests in to the area this morning. Like I said above, unfortunately it's not always going to be perfect.

Originally Posted by Riot

Check the live stream - there are masked anarchists knocking over police barriers, trying to incite. The rest of the protesters are marching peacefully.

How do you know they aren't part of the protest/movement? So everything bad is the cops/mayor's fault and when they movement does something wrong, there not part of the REAL movement.

Originally Posted by Riot

Their lives are not negatively affected, when streets are not blocked, when protests are peaceful, when others are not blocked from their daily activity.
I think more people would be on board if they knew what the protest was really about. It hs become this ten thousand head monster. The movement needs one solemn voice so people could really understand.


FTFY. You mean like the Tea Party taking over all the healthcare town halls in 2008? God, that was awful! Yes - the protesters are trying to draw attention. And it's not because they are narcissists.

Right, cause those town hall meeting were on the up and up. With all the hand picked layup questions. .