# [Sep 17, 2011] Sept 17. Wall Street. Bring Tent. (#OCCUPYWALLSTREET) (New York City)



## occupywallstreet

*Alright you 90,000 redeemers, rebels and radicals out there,*
A worldwide shift in revolutionary tactics is underway right now that bodes well for the future. The spirit of this fresh tactic, a fusion of Tahrir with the acampadas of Spain, is captured in this quote:
"The antiglobalization movement was the first step on the road. Back then our model was to attack the system like a pack of wolves. There was an alpha male, a wolf who led the pack, and those who followed behind. Now the model has evolved. Today we are one big swarm of people."
— Raimundo Viejo, Pompeu Fabra University
Barcelona, Spain​​The beauty of this new formula, and what makes this novel tactic exciting, is its pragmatic simplicity: we talk to each other in various physical gatherings and virtual people's assemblies … we zero in on what our one demand will be, a demand that awakens the imagination and, if achieved, would propel us toward the radical democracy of the future … and then we go out and seize a square of singular symbolic significance and put our asses on the line to make it happen.
The time has come to deploy this emerging stratagem against the greatest corrupter of our democracy: *Wall Street, the financial Gomorrah of America*.
On September 17, we want to see 20,000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices.
​
Tahrir succeeded in large part because the people of Egypt made a straightforward ultimatum – that Mubarak must go – over and over again until they won. Following this model, what is our equally uncomplicated demand?
The most exciting candidate that we've heard so far is one that gets at the core of why the American political establishment is currently unworthy of being called a democracy: we demand that Barack Obama ordain a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington. It's time for *DEMOCRACY NOT CORPORATOCRACY*, we're doomed without it.
This demand seems to capture the current national mood because cleaning up corruption in Washington is something all Americans, right and left, yearn for and can stand behind. If we hang in there, 20,000-strong, week after week against every police and National Guard effort to expel us from Wall Street, it would be impossible for Obama to ignore us. Our government would be forced to choose publicly between the will of the people and the lucre of the corporations.
This could be the beginning of a whole new social dynamic in America, a step beyond the Tea Party movement, where, instead of being caught helpless by the current power structure, we the people start getting what we want whether it be the dismantling of half the 1,000 military bases America has around the world to the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act or a three strikes and you're out law for corporate criminals. Beginning from one simple demand – a presidential commission to separate money from politics – we start setting the agenda for a new America.
Post a comment and help each other zero in on what our one demand will be. And then let's screw up our courage, pack our tents and head to Wall Street with a vengeance September 17.
*for the wild,
Culture Jammers HQ*
*http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/occupywallstreet.html
*


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## bryanpaul

too bad this wasnt longer in the making/planning.......it seems like 2 months is a short time frame for people to plan on committing to somethin like this.......


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## scatwomb

I agree with bryanpaul. I am curious how many people will show up for sure. But, I also see this as a test-run for something bigger/with better planning. We will learn from the mistakes of this, as will the police. We'll just have to take better notes. And notes on the police, of course 

It will all be very interesting.


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## adragonfly

well if i'm in that neck of the woods ill show up and make coffee and oatmeal with my lil' propane stove for my neighbors until i get arrested or what have you. This thing seems like a small step in the right direction. I haven't seen any major protests by the youth of this country since Philadelphia.

I have always thought what would happen if there was a rainbow gathering in a densely urban environment. The possible consequences made me chuckle.


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## plagueship

i guess none of you have ever been to a protest in nyc. anyone who tries to do this will definitely get arrested. both the ideas and the tactics mentioned here are really, really silly.


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## Margarita

> I have always thought what would happen if there was a rainbow gathering in a densely urban environment. The possible consequences made me chuckle.



Hehe that would sure be interesting! I don't know how many actual Rainbow folk you'd get, though, tree-huggers and all that.  It would end up being a Drainbow gathering for sure, and people would be getting killed and mugged left and right more like...


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## pigpen

plagueship said:


> i guess none of you have ever been to a protest in nyc. anyone who tries to do this will definitely get arrested. both the ideas and the tactics mentioned here are really, really silly.



agreed. i've seen some things and some stuff, man.

seriously though, in the fucking capitol of capital?


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## scatwomb

plagueship said:


> i guess none of you have ever been to a protest in nyc. anyone who tries to do this will definitely get arrested. both the ideas and the tactics mentioned here are really, really silly.



I think the point is for people to get arrested in order to radicalize the public. It's to display that we live in a police state and to get media coverage - that's it.


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## plagueship

... like i said, really fucking silly.


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## acrata4ever

ever see those water soda bottle rockets? ok make a shoulder fired launcher pvc tube. cover the rocket with camo tape. a paper nose cone with a jelly doughnut payload.


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## scatwomb

plagueship said:


> ... like i said, really fucking silly.



I agree with you on a very surface level, but, the implications of radicalizing the public and participants have the potential of being meaningful. When people see police brutality, it angers some of them. The people who are angry may in turn protest in a more....ummm....meaningful and effective way in the future.

But yeah, I don't think people think in strategic terms like that. They think "FUCKIN POLICE STATE FUCK FUCK FUCK". Which, well, I think is silly.


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## acrata4ever

if they can get that many people as a flash mob they could just all puke on wall street and take off leaving a river of vommit behind. and maybe spray the side with YOU MAKE ME SICK! or sumn.


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## Linda/Ziggy

Well it is an Adbusters 'action' afterall.............
But saying that !
Where are all the folks willing to get arrested for what they believe in ?
The USA is in the state it is in not only because of corporations , the govt, Feds, Banks etc,
but because people are so willing to lay down and 'take it'..............
People complain about Wallmart - but do ALL their shopping there !
It's a vicious circle. Supply & demand.
We have been conditioned in the country to accept crap.
I speak as someone who has lived in the USA and the U.K.


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## robbaked

I'd be there if i was still in the city... hide your stash beforehand


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## bryanpaul

"livestream" of the protest: http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution


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## Earth

I was in NYC when the Tompkins Square riots took place in the late '80s and man, it was insane!! 
Some guy came out of a bodega on ave A and got cracked in the head with a stick from a cop, it was no joke - but that was when the big apple was still rotten to the core and it was totally out of control. Since then, it's gotten real tame but at the same time TOTALLY under survailence....
But, no.... something like this has to be planned real quick otherwise too many of the wrong people find out.
I knew about this but could not break away from where I'm at.
But then again, I can't get arrested either - I've got my dog to think about now, ain't nobody gonna be able to take care of her the way I do, ain't no one around I could trust with her if something happened to me....
Sometimes I wonder who's really behind these rallies and if they are even worth risking ones neck for anymore...
I know, I'm getting cynical, that comes with age unfortunately, along with too much bad luck........


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## Hillbilly Castro

Any more reports on what's going on down there? I heard there are massive CUNY and NYU student walk-outs planned for the 5th...


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## CardBoardBox

Here's a video in response to this event. I also posted a thread, hope this ain't spamming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYVG3SQBqqw&feature=player_embedded


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## CXR1037

Have they narrowed it down to one goal yet?

I loved the idea at first but upon seeing how disorganized it's been, I can only laugh. And now Anon is threatening to ragequit the NYSE...I'm having a hard time taking it seriously. But maybe enough people will jump on board and make something of it?

If Obama called you before Congress right now and asked what OWS' demands are, what would you say?


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## godsahn

I am someone who would like to see Capitali$m abolished altogether.....not "reform" it. And I know that I don't agree with some of the rallying points.....which there are many from what I gather. There are a conglomeration of "Ists/Isms" :Anarchists, Reformists, Dems. Repubs....etc. I do think constructive critiques are necessary to further the discussion...neg. or pos. But you know what: AT LEAST THEY ARE DOWN THERE DOING SOMETHING.

And if someone feels that strong of a negativity towards it: than start your own "MOVEMENT ".

Most Americans have been passive for to long....including myself.


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## jjoshea

working here in asheville, if not now when? passing out food clothes hope and clarity. yea there are a lot of different ideas cultures etc.welcome to our country.


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## supertramp1990

im working on the medical team for occupy richmond va. it seems a lot more planned out than wall street. weve been having meetings and such. the rally starts saturday the 15th


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## sideshowbxb

http://www.sonyclassics.com/insidejob/


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## jjoshea

supertramp1990 said:


> im working on the medical team for occupy richmond va. it seems a lot more planned out than wall street. weve been having meetings and such. the rally starts saturday the 15th


thinking of coming up from ashevillle,but ill have to camp.not knowing any folks up yonder.hows that working out.


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## supertramp1990

theres lots of bridges to sleep under, richmonds pretty legit


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## jjoshea

yea that aintt bad got the food card and the gear. gotta stay over saturday in case the security forces in asheville decide to remove our brother and sister campers from the park.talked to another bro today whos from richmond and wants to go to.we are very committed,as all the working class should be.


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## Kalamity Jean

CXR1037 said:


> Have they narrowed it down to one goal yet?
> 
> I loved the idea at first but upon seeing how disorganized it's been, I can only laugh. And now Anon is threatening to ragequit the NYSE...I'm having a hard time taking it seriously. But maybe enough people will jump on board and make something of it?
> 
> If Obama called you before Congress right now and asked what OWS' demands are, what would you say?


i agree i thought this was a great thing and still do but when reporter are coming up to people asking why they are there everyone has a different answer and many say they dont even know why they are there. i am glad how much publicity this is getting i wish it were better organized .


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## mamamutiny

i just wanted to say that i have been part of the occupation in my current town, and have seen incredible things come from it already. we essentially have a temporary autonomous zone in the middle of our downtown, with everyone working together to feed, clothe, house (tent), and support each other's mental and physical health. and though it is in the name of occupy wall street (now a whole movement), and we have people out here for all kinds of reasons, they are experiencing radical community, and many for the first time ever. our occupy camp is an example for everyone to see of what cooperative living looks like. so even if the banks or our fucked government aren't looking, we've created something good together, and i think that's something. i can't wait til november, when i'll be on the road again. then i can participate and learn about what occupy means to folks in other cities, and help this movement to grow and evolve to better serve us.


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## LeeevinKansas

ever since this occupy movement started all i can see is 2 groups of people. one side is real "revolutionists" (who dont even know what they fucking want, prolly just some teenage anarchists in their mom's basement who started this shit cuz i honestly wouldnt believe any other person would do this because anyone else who was serious would either not attempt it or bring guns but we know nobody has the balls to do that why? cuz its illegal we might go to jail! oh no!) the other side is the people who want to live dangerously and try something new and hey lets go join the local occupy movement! we'd be so cool! 


you all look like morons.

bring weapons or go home. 

lame. 
weak.
totally weak. 

(goodjob)


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## Matt Derrick

> An administrator or the event organizer has deleted this event from the system.





> *This thread has now been automatically locked.*


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