Lisa Ortega from Alex Robinson on Vimeo.
Tag Archives: Occupy Wall Street
The Entrepreneurs of Zuccotti
The protestors at Zuccotti Park style themselves as anti-corporate, and some even go as far as to call themselves anti-capitalists. Despite the movements aversion to private money, the occupation has seen a number of ambitious and industrious individuals make a buck or two off the encampment in downtown Manhattan.
From selling buttons in support of the 99% to making t-shirts, these entrepreneurs of Zuccotti support the movement, but have nothing against making some money on the side.
At Occupy LA, a Sunnier Scene
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The fate of Occupy Wall Street seems to change with the wind. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has threatened to close down parts of Zuccotti Park for cleaning–only to back down–and insisted that the Constitution does not protect tents.
In LA, however, City Council passed a resolution endorsing the Occupy LA movement headquartered at City Hall. The West Coast 99 percent have transformed the space into a virtual campground. They’ve established many of the same facilities present in Zuccotti–a library, media station, finance department–but they also have portable toilets provided by the city. Artists are setting up installations on the lawn surrounding City Hall. They aren’t banned from using amplified devices, so the people’s mike made iconic by Zuccotti protestors is not as central to day-to-day organizing. Music performances and speeches at this past Saturday’s [R]occupy LA gave the scene the flavor of a festival.
No doubt: the LA protest is inflected with a distinctly West Coast vibe, right down to the bacon-wrapped hot dogs. With permission from the City Council to camp out indefinitely and the cooperation of the mild So-Cal winter, the occupation only seems likely to grow, and perhaps, to outlast Occupy Wall Street.
Occupy Wall Street Protests Spread to The Bronx
Dozens of people gathered at Fordham Plaza on Saturday to participate in Occupy Wall Street protests that have spread to the Bronx.
Protesters came together to voice their concerns about a variety of social and economic issues.
“I think that this is a great opportunity for the people of the Bronx to get together and form an alliance with others, for us to really get out there and to be able to start demanding what it is that we should have had all the time, which is our fair share of resources,” said facilitator Lisa Ortega.
Ortega said it was only a matter of time before the movement spread to the Bronx which contains the country’s poorest congressional district.
The Occupation Establishes a Community
The Occupy Wall Street movement that has captivated the minds of frustrated citizens around the world passed the one-month mark this week, and it shows no signs of letting up. On the contrary, the band of protestors at Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan have dug-in, establishing what is starting to look like a small town. Complete with a kitchen, library and sleeping areas, the occupiers are proving the longevity of their cause.
From daily meals to educational sit-ins, the occupiers have plenty to do between protests. While the movement has come under fire for lacking a clear focus, the encampment in Zuccotti Park in many ways allows the demonstrators to establish the kind of society they are advocating for. Donations for food are suggested, but not required. Meetings are communal and democratic. After a near-eviction last week, the occupiers clean the park themselves. Occupy Wall Street is beginning to look like a functioning community.
The occupiers have amassed hundreds of thousands from a variety of sources, and receive hundreds of shipments of supplies every day. With the park too small to hold everything, much of the protestor’s loot is being kept at United Federation of Teachers storage facility not far from Zuccotti.
