Time for action: Wednesday - Occupy Wall Street with GEM/NYCoRE/Teachers Unite

GEM/NYCORE/Teachers Unite Contingents 

MEET-UP AT TWEED AT 4:30

Joining the rally today

Today is the big day when many forces join together at #occupywallstreet as NYU students walk the walk (see below) and some of the unions join in. While the Transport Workers Union was quick to support last week, reports of UFT support came in slowly. But as usual, as the event heated up, the UFT tailing along, jumped in. At least the leadership. There hasn't seemed to be much organizing going on at the school level to bring people out. How amazing if a 100,000 people came out like they did in Israel this summer? Not without a big push from the UFT.

I got a message that Michael Mulgrew will be on MSNBC Lawrence O'Donell tonight to talk about the Wall Street action. Pretty funny that the tail jumps to the head. Mulgrew a spokesman for the occupation? - a bottom-up operation absolutely antithetical to the way the UFT and most unions and corporations and guvment seem to work. Funny, but someone left a comment that we should expand the occupation to 52 Broadway. [Follow my parallel stories on ATRs - got one coming later.]

Even before the events on Wall Street started capturing the imagination of the nation, we could see signs of far-reaching support as parents were bringing peanut butter sandwiches down [See report from Tory below] and people starting coming to NYC from far off places to join in in some way.

I see this report as a sign of what has been tapped:

Peanut Butter on Wall St. No Peter Lugers for these Wall Street Occupier: 
From a NYC Parent leader/activist, Friday Sept. 30

Hi All,
So what a week it has been!  Sandwiches in Solidarity was a success; we delivered about 70 sandwiches to the Occupy Wall Street folks on Friday. While we were there we were interviewed by Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes, Norwegian TV and Natasha Lennard (free lance NYTimes reporter, who was arrested the next day).  A number of families were there, making signs, delivering food and generally offering support.  The occupiers need a lot of supplies though; the bad weather means they need: blankets, waterproof boots, sleeping bags, laundry support, wool socks, etc.  If you can offer anything, please do.  You can also donate here: http://nycga.cc/donate/

It is now officially safe to enter the OWS water.  The big labor unions are joining in a solidarity march on Wednesday (see here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=282473051782707) and Nicholas Kristof and others are offering their support (see here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/opinion/sunday/kristof-the-bankers-and-the-revolutionaries.html?ref=todayspaper). (PS The Times' editing of the  OWS BB arrest story has famously gone viral - see here: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/10/01/new-york-times-blatantly-edits-article-about-occupy-wall-street-to-protect-police-image/)

I hope that you will consider joining us on Wednesday.  Our public schools are being destroyed by budget cuts (you enjoying generic education?); you are being hit with new bank fees; insurance premiums (and profits) are at an all-time high...even if you don't worry about the last two, you are parents of public school children and if the divestment hasn't hit you yet, it soon will!  So please please please consider coming out and supporting a movement to reduce the inequality that characterizes our society and hurts all of our children!

Thanks!
All best,
Tory

Press coverage
Note how Tory mentions the way the Saturday arrest story in the Times went from sympathetic to the marchers to pro-police in the blink of an eye.

The evolving press coverage has been interesting to watch as it moved from mocking to scared mocking. Just follow some of the articles in the business section. They always try to find some kook to interview so they can make twist it a bit. But as articulate spokespeople emerge that will change, though you can always find some people who are there to do self-promotion. I even found a guy with a puppet to interview.

SHAMELESS PLUG

Make sure to see the 3 vids I made from Friday night

http://youtu.be/TwRu2Pxb6mg
http://youtu.be/IRcd0B7VX1c
http://youtu.be/Cc4X3arPZSk

Keep watching the press. They seem crazy over the fact that there is no leader they can zero in on. We know that drill - they turn the leaders into media stars and then separate them from the movement. So far this is not happening. But as an old grizzled skeptic, watch out for someone trying to seize the platform (remember the days of the Yuppies in the 60's) for fame and fortune. I bet you'll see some names of leaders emerge in the next week - but as long as they are in some way responsible to the mass that can be controlled - I would urge them to change people frequently. I should point out that Justin Wedes, who was pretty much the first person arrested the day after the occupation began has been involved at the top level from the beginning. [See that video: Justin Arrest in Wall St. Occupation/...]

Call me a process guy
The press also seems crazed over the broad and non-specific agenda so they can't zero in on things to pick apart. I just heard a guy on the Today show talk about how they have to come up with legislation and get involved in traditional politics to make a difference. Sure, that's what we need - let the political system suck a street movement into its jaws.

What the smart people I've heard from the movement - or the nascent movement say is the important thing is the process of building activism in a great mass of people who at some point will decide exactly it is what they want. Gee, democracy of some sorts. Drives them crazy that this doesn't have someone standing up and telling everyone what to do. In a world where results are all that seems to matter, the idea that the process takes precedence over results makes the people with the corporate mentality that is running the world nuts.

That seems to be what we've been trying to do in GEM. "What are your aims," is what I get all the time? I don't know. My aims are to get as many great people working together as possible and assume they will figure all this stuff out while I head out to pasture. [Just a side note - when we started ICE 8 years ago it was more specific - run in the 2004 UFT election - and the focus became much too much the UFT, which really became boring after a while. Thus the more generalized and broader work we're doing in GEM - and many core ICEers are involved - has allowed much more outreach and attracted people who don't really give a rat's ass about nitty gritty of the UFT.]

Yesterday after handing out ATR leaflets at the Brooklyn UFT ATR meeting [Ed Notes:GEMATR Committee Report: What Happens in the Bronx Doesn't Stay in the Bronx] I headed over to the DC37 rally at City Hall [Ed Notes:Wall Street Merger: DC37 School Aide Protest + #Occupy Wall St] just in time to hear Mona Davids speak. I got there at 5:30 and the event didn't look like much. I did see James Eterno and Sean Ahern. But people who had been there earlier estimated a few hundred people to start and that doubled when the OccupyWallStreet people marched up to join them.

Angel Gonzalez who has been working with the teacher union in Puerto Rico sent this along:

 Puerto Rico Educators send support: UPR Strike Leaders Solidarity with Wall St. Occupation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkklXJvOspI

Angel Gonzalez, FMPR Support Committee

 

NYU Students announcement

NYU Walkout in Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street

Wednesday, October 5th

4pm, Washington Square Park (by the fountain)

March to City Hall to join the Community/Labor March to Occupy Wall Street

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168561836560896

(Come at 3:30pm for poster-making, or bring your own!)

*NYU students and workers: Join us for the National Student Walkout in Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street!

*Stop what you are doing/walk out of class/leave the library at 4pm on Wednesday, October 5th. 

*We will meet in the middle of Washington Square Park and march together to City Hall, where we'll join the Community/Labor March in Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, endorsed by dozens of NYC unions and community groups including the United Federation of Teachers, SEIU 32BJ and SEIU 1199, the Transit Workers Union Local 100, Make the Road New York, New Yorkers Against Budget Cuts, the Alliance for Quality Education, and more!

We will also be joining students from around the city who are organizing walkouts against unforgivable student debt and soaring tuition rates

Join us to protest the arrest of 700 marchers on the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday, while the banksters who wrecked the economy remain free. Join us to protest the horrific inequality that leaves 1 in 3 New York City children in poverty while Mayor Bloomberg sits on a $20 billion fortune. Join us to protest the foreclosure crisis that has driven millions from their homes, while bank profits soar. Join us because We Are the 99 Percent! Join us because a better world is possible!

If your group would like to endorse, please be in touch! 

Most importantly, spread the word by inviting ALL of your friends on Facebook, making announcements in your classes, and sharing this e-mail. 

Contact: owsnyu@gmail.com

I am not sure if I can make it down today as we have tickets to a Spiderman matinee - TDF half price of course - maybe a sign the show is waning in interest? I am bringing a net in case someone falls on me. I may have them hook me up to the harness and fly me down to meet the crew at Tweed at 4:30


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