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It is enforcement of the rule of law, which was inevitable. That these protests would only be tolerated for a limited period of time should come as no surprise to anyone.
Unless the occupy movement can rally 100,000 people to go on a march, or rally smaller numbers to go on daily marches, it is over. The size of the protests seen to date indicate a lack of support among the public for these tactics. Small scale protests are futile - OWS must now grow or die.
The question is what the rule of law is. The Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of assembly and expression, and trumps local law. Depends on how the courts decide on this.
I don't agree with your assessment of size either. I think that the strategy is working just fine so far.
I remember at one point hearing that Brookfield (which is a Canadian Private Equity Co.) was mentioned as having some sort of concerns about the Occupy at Zucotti Park....
And then the raid in North Carolina sounds like it was at a vacant building (again private property)
Zuccotti Park is complicated. While the land is privately owned, the owners have a deal with the city to make it available as a public park.
The occupied unoccupied building in Chapel Hill was private property. But riot police armed with assault weapons being used to evict the squatters?
I recall being in Paris in the early Sixties and hearing the very distinctive honking of a black mariah approaching. It got closer and closer until it pulled up quite close to me. A gaggle of French police piled out of the back, with submachine guns slung over their shoulders and truncheons in their hands. The set set upon a guy, beat him up with their sticks and through him in the back of the van and sped away, siren honking again.
I was stunned. I had never seen anything like this before, even in the movies, except in a Gestapo raid. I thought, Thank God, this kind of thing can't happen in America. How wrong I was.
5 comments:
It is enforcement of the rule of law, which was inevitable. That these protests would only be tolerated for a limited period of time should come as no surprise to anyone.
Unless the occupy movement can rally 100,000 people to go on a march, or rally smaller numbers to go on daily marches, it is over. The size of the protests seen to date indicate a lack of support among the public for these tactics. Small scale protests are futile - OWS must now grow or die.
The question is what the rule of law is. The Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of assembly and expression, and trumps local law. Depends on how the courts decide on this.
I don't agree with your assessment of size either. I think that the strategy is working just fine so far.
Tom,
Was Zucotti Park private property?
I remember at one point hearing that Brookfield (which is a Canadian Private Equity Co.) was mentioned as having some sort of concerns about the Occupy at Zucotti Park....
And then the raid in North Carolina sounds like it was at a vacant building (again private property)
Zuccotti Park is complicated. While the land is privately owned, the owners have a deal with the city to make it available as a public park.
The occupied unoccupied building in Chapel Hill was private property. But riot police armed with assault weapons being used to evict the squatters?
I recall being in Paris in the early Sixties and hearing the very distinctive honking of a black mariah approaching. It got closer and closer until it pulled up quite close to me. A gaggle of French police piled out of the back, with submachine guns slung over their shoulders and truncheons in their hands. The set set upon a guy, beat him up with their sticks and through him in the back of the van and sped away, siren honking again.
I was stunned. I had never seen anything like this before, even in the movies, except in a Gestapo raid. I thought, Thank God, this kind of thing can't happen in America. How wrong I was.
Maybe they should look at occupying only truly public property from now on....
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