Intro: "When New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg decided to stage a middle of the night raid on the Occupy Wall Street protesters in Zuccotti Park, there was one thing he didn't want ... media coverage. So Bloomberg said screw the First Amendment."
Mayor Michael Bloomberg suspends the First Amendment. (photo: Andrew Burton/Reuters)
Media Blackout on Mayor Bloomberg's Raid on Zuccotti Park
15 November 11
hen New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg decided to stage a middle of the night raid on the Occupy Wall Street protesters in Zuccotti Park, there was one thing he didn't want ... media coverage. So Bloomberg said screw the First Amendment:
New York Observer Politics Reporter Hunter Walker:
I was blocked from viewing nypd raid at #occupywallstreet along with reporters from cnbc, nbc, cbs, wsj and reuters #mediablackout
New York Times Reporter Brian Stelter:
I'm w/ a NY Post reporter who says he was roughed up by riot police as Zuccotti was cleared. He thinks violence was "completely deliberate."
Mother Jones reporter Josh Harkinson:
Cops just violently shoved me away as I tried to shoot this man in a stretcher being loaded into ambulance http://twitpic.com/7efa2v
And from the gothamist:
During our coverage of the eviction of the Occupy Wall Street protesters early this morning, a NPR reporter, a New York Times reporter, and a city councilmember were arrested. Airspace in Lower Manhattan was closed to CBS and NBC news choppers by the NYPD, a New York Post reporter was allegedly put in a "choke hold" by the police, a NBC reporter's press pass was confiscated and a large group of reporters and protesters were hit with pepper spray. According to the eviction notice, the park was merely "cleaned and restored for its intended use." If this is the case, why were so few people permitted to view it?
So what was the rationale behind Bloomberg's crackdown on a free media? It was to "protect" them ... apparently from freely exercising their First Amendment rights.
But why worry about the Constitution when you're busy ignoring a court order?
At 6:30AM this morning, following a midnight police raid evicting protesters from Zuccotti Park, Justice Lucy Billings issued an order requiring the protesters to be readmitted to Zuccotti Park with their tents. ThinkProgress just spoke to one of the plantiff's attorney's, Gideon Orion Oliver, who confirmed that the order was served on Mayor Bloomberg and the other defendants via fax at 7:50AM. During his 8AM press conference, Mayor Bloomberg seemed to acknowledge he was familar with the temporary restraining order, but claimed that he had not been served and was keeping the park closed. As of this writing, Zuccotti Park remains closed to protesters in direct contradiction of Justice Billing's order.
God bless Michael Bloomberg's version of America.
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Carolyn - I am sorry you lived through Nazi reign as did my mother.
The police hired by Bloomberg are "private" contracts - (reminder of brown shirts?)
The problem is CONGRESS and the SUPREME COURT - for they allow the banks to do dirty.
To make the 1% suffer, look at who makes the products you buy. Brawny paper towels are made by Koch own industries (example)
Write you congress people and make sure you will not vote for them if they don't enforce "oversight" (that is not de-regulation or regulation) on the banks and to be sure to let the Bush Tax cuts expire in 12/2011 (part of the bill to cut taxes).
NEVER VOTE REPUBLICAN. Help all get registered to vote in a Dem district such as almost all poor and minority districts, students, old folks. GET mail-in ballots.
Tell your congressman to "include revenue and cuts" or they don't get your vote.
Read their "oath of office to them" - It's about 6 sentences and tell them THAT OATH Trumps any agreement they have made with "guber" Norquist!
Apparently we can't even watch with the media barred from the site.
They are not going to let Bloomberg the Republican get in the way of Change.
Coulter/Hannity/Fox News. Google "Soros Nazi" to get the real details.
But today's Ruling Class media -- and I speak from a half-century's experience as a both a photographer and a reporter with a history that includes a half-dozen major investigative coups -- is infinitely worse than a grubworm: it's a club for Josef Goebbels wannabes.
Use yur talent
Two things need to happen, right now. This needs to be broadcast to the world, especially to our troops overseas. Next, we need to Occupy the courts with law suit after law suit! Thanks, Mayor. You may end up being our biggest ally!
(from JOan Wile's Daily Doggerels on Twitter/Facebook Nov. 15, 2011)
What did they plan to do if the helicopters had not left? Shoot them down?
It's called hypocrisy. When politicians like Obama support peaceful protests in other countries but does nothing about protecting peaceful protesters in his own, it's strictly to make brownie points and nothing more.
The federal government in this country has the responsibility of protecting the civil rights of American citizens as they did during the civil rights movement back in the late 1960s in the southern states. The Obama administration has done nothing to protect the civil rights or the civil liberties of these peaceful protesters.
It is ironic, isn't it, that a Jew would be a Nazi.
He certainly has made his spot in history, somewhat similar to Quisling's
I happen to be a Jew and I condemn Michael Bloomberg for what he has done and what he continues to do. Instead of whining, I wish that the 99 percenters of New York City would take some action against Mayor Bloomberg by at least attempting to recall the SOB from office and actually voting a true progressive into office as Mayor of NYC.
I also condemn what Israel is doing to the Palestinians, slowly but surely and incrementally stealing their land from them under the guise of phony peace talks with Obama's and Hillary Clinton's full knowledge and approval. I wish to God that Obama could be replaced by someone who was truly honest and sincere to run for president in November of 2012, someone like Alan Grayson of Florida or Cynthia McKinney, someone with enough huevos to tell the Republicans where to stick it, a no-compromiser.
Nothing (or very little) will change if Obama is reelected. The only critical difference between Obama and a Republican president will be the federal court system and the possible makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Since when does a city MAYOR have the authority to suspend the first amendment? What self-respecting journalist would give a freakin' FLIP what a mayor says in ANY event? If I were a journalist and I failed to perform my job based on something this blow-hard said, I would regret having to live the rest of my life with my head drooped down in shame. How do we defend our level of submission to these charlatans?
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I wonder if this whole Occupy thing wasn't doomed from the beginning? What -- in the history of civilization -- has peaceful protest EVER accomplished? Even Ghandi had allies who were eager to use violence. Those in power never surrender to recommendations . They only "give up" what is taken from them.
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sail4free
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They gave up a physical site for now not their ideals.
Naysayers, you like many have consistently believed or perhaps want this to fail since you do not attend...
The Far North Country Speaks out -- I love it - you go Toby!
These monsters are part of the violence perpetrated on the 99 percent which is why the 99 percent is in the streets.
What part of this did you miss?
America is watching and the World is watching.
He seems to feel above the US Constitution and needs a wake-up call, perhaps in the form of a legal suit.
His cops are behaving like the thugs they are and he should be held accountable.
And never forget that he is a media man too.
Recall Bloomberg! Why not?
They want us to follow the laws they themselves arent willing to follow. Its called freedom of speech and the press, a little thing called the constitution!
Herr Bloomberg lit the match of insane intolerance last night with the wanton destruction of the Peoples' Library. I was reminded of Fahrenheit 451. I hope there are no Mechanical Hound in Bloomberg's stable.
http://news.yahoo.com/judge-rules-against-occupy-wall-street-encampment-215554380.html
What I don't understand is this. This article explains that Judge Michael Stallman is also a member of the NY State Supreme Court as Judge Lucy Billings is. How can he override her ruling? The only way her ruling could be overrode would be by a judge at a higher level, and anything higher than the NY State Supreme Court would have to involve a federal court judge. The only other way would be if a majority of the NY State Supreme Court voted against her, and that hasn't happened.
Hitler's "Dritte Reich" had lasted only a 12 year period, this one has superceeded it by at least 2.5 times (30 years)! I have warned before that Amerika was headed in a fascist direction, and indeed LOOK WHAT IS HAPPENING! It's F****ng HAPPENING! Shameful!
There is really nothing here left! The corporate fascist Nazis have already taken it over! It's doomed (I am sorry to have to say)! (It's time at least for me to go back home to Switzerland, a land of CIVILITY and SANITY! (Also the oldest democracy in Europe -- 1291).
First they must clean out the snitches...
Though I was called "alarmist," I still think one has to be prepared for a "Tienanmen Square" reaction. (prepare for the worst)
In fact, it would be careless and lax - also fatal (tactically) - for OWS to let its guard down; be diverted or put to sleep, to become careless about accepting agents provocateur and to forget to be on the alert for snares and traps. (Brooklyn Bridge,Oakland etc. anyone?
The "controllers" will use ANY means to retain their positions. They will smooth talk and beat you at the same time. If you don't fall for their con the Pinkertons will 'take care'of you.
I have no advice on how to handle violence except for admonishing OWS to BE PREPARED!
That said. all power to OWS...and I'm sad I'm not in NY.
Fortunately we haven't reached the stage of extreme dictatorship - yet - and we had better resist loudly and clearly while we still can. (actually, it is probably too late already)
Our lives will be continually destroyed as long as we have these serial psychopathic greedy political control freaks like Bloomberg, most of Congress, and wantebe millionaire presidents. We need to go to www.getthemoneyout.com to begin taking back our lives and government from these sicko's.
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