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No tent, no arrests at Occupy Boston
By adamg on Mon, 12/05/2011 - 2:23pm
BPD Supt. William Evans surrounded and mic checked by Occupy Boston.
A pickup truck delivered a $1,350 winterized, fireproof tent to Occupy Boston today. And about 20 minutes later, picked it up again.
Protesters had decided, before the tent arrived, they would not fight, as they had a few days earlier for a sink, but would instead accede to the city demand, to show the hypocrisy of officials who say the encampment is unsafe but won't let the occupiers take major steps to increase safety. City officials say the tent is large enough that it would require a permit, but that they're not going to allow it in even if Occupy Boston applied for one.
When the tent, wrapped in plastic, arrived on the Summer Street side of the plaza, it was quickly met by police and fire brass, who in turn were quickly surrounded by protesters and a throng of media types. After a few minutes of discussion - relayed across the crowd through a "human mic" relay, the city officials walked away.
One protester climbed onto the unwrapped tent to lead the crowd in a chant of "This is what hypocrisy looks like." Another climbed up to extol the virtues of the tent, in particular its flame-retardant properties.
Then, the protesters softly sang "We Shall Overcome" as they wheeled the tent over to the corner of Atlantic and Summer for pickup.
Lenny Mather, who bought the tent, explains why.
Media get one last look at the tent as it's driven away.
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Comments
Hey, wait a minute...
I've seen that truck before. Around JP a whole bunch of times and down on Carolina specifically. I give the driver a lot of credit for getting down there, which isn't easy under normal circumstances.
Ron Paul defends Occupy as "a very healthy movement"
Ron Paul defends the Occupy movement as "a very healthy movement," slams Gingrich's childish insults of it VIDEO
Fireproof tent ?
The tent is flame retardant, it is not fireproof. It can still catch on fire, it just will not burn as quickly or easily.
Oh no, a truther.
Oh no, a truther.
Isn't it illegal for the city
Isn't it illegal for the city to a) refuse to let someone erect a properly permitted structure b) pre-deny someone a permit without accepting the application and c) deny someone a permit based on their politics and not on the merits of the permit application? I think Martin Luther King addressed this issue in Letter from Birmingham Jail, noting that while there's nothing wrong with requiring a permit to have a parade, that such statutes become morally offensive when they're used selectively to silence political speech.
Means vs Ends
This guy
http://boston.com/community/blogs/less_is_more/201...
makes a good point:
It's not about fighting the "banksters" or "ending corporate greed" anymore, it's about defending The Camp. Protecting the physical space they occupy in Dewey Square has become more important than bringing about the progressive change they so very much desire. Over two months into this they still act as if the camp is the only way they can achieve their broad goals.
I completely agree. While I
I completely agree. While I generally agree with their complaints, their methods have outlasted their usefulness. They're also bleeding the cities dry in which they've taken up residence, and will end up causing city services to be cut (likely affecting 99%er jobs) and trashing parks.
I've gone from thinking about joining to being completely annoyed by them,
I agree- the Occupy people
I agree- the Occupy people really need to "get to the point" before people start ignoring them for their positive activity, and only hear about the negative. ex: if they are upset about corporate influence in politics, why not "shame" Congressmen who appear to be most influenced by said corporations? Every Rep and 1/3 of the Senators come up for election every two years, that should be plenty of time to expose and potentially depose the crony politicians they are complaining about.
Sitting in a wet tent while it snows out in January isn't going to help; their time is better spent courting challengers to the incumbents.
Wrong.
This is incorrect. The media coverage focuses on the camp and only the camp. The initial goals are still very much the same, they just don't get TV/radio coverage.
The people who think it's only about the camp are usually the people who have never been near the camp.
I say this as someone who
I say this as someone who supports the movement (or at least the idea of a strong progressive movement) but what are their goals? Where is the platform presented in a clear and concise way? Where are the ideas and solutions to the issues that matter to them? A leaderless movement spread out across the country just can't be effective. Again, I'm a hard core progressive person, but they've lost me.
Why not visit?
In a nutshell, and among other goals, here's a quick synopsis: The protesters want Wall Street reform, more equal distribution of income, bank reform, and a reduction of the influence of corporations on politics. Not that hard to figure out, and pretty clear to anyone who has ever been by Occupy Boston.
It seems to me that most of the people who are getting burned out by the movement are those who never visited the place, never talked to people in and around the camp, and never actively supported the movement in the first place. Turn off your TV news some night and go see for yourself.
Turn your anger where it belongs, not at the protesters, but at the banks, politicians, and corporations who have bankrupted the country (world), wrecked millions and millions of lives, and continue to destroy the world's economy by consolidating all the world's wealth in the hands of the very few.
I'm generally confused by
I'm generally confused by responses such as this when the idea and goal of Occupy is assumed to be to grow and bring new people in, in other words to become more popular. Instead, when criticism is made the response is always something along the lines of "you don't get it" or "you haven't visited" or something along the lines of being particularly obtuse or insincere for political purposes. I have yet to see a critique that is accepted in any context. Why isnt it the job of Occupy to craft a clear message? If it is mot, then fine, dint get so riled up when people criticize you fir that. It is interesting, but not new for leftist movements, to seem to think that people will automatically follow because of the virtue or morality of the message. We just out it out there and our virtues sell themselves! Who wouldn't want to join is the question really! If Occupy was selling a product and the public said, gee I don't like the taste of these Occupy crackers, Occupy would instead tell you that you have bad taste. That's all fine and good but some Occupy defenders/participants remind me so much of punk rock with all the connected aesthetics and motivations. Occupy can go ahead and be Fugazi but don't try to pretend that you're going to go platinum by doing so.
Great post, summarizes (one
Great post, summarizes (one of) Occupy's biggest problem.
It's their job to get their message out to us, It's not my job to go there and try to figure it out. Until they understand this, their message is doomed and will be co-opted by the wacos and marginalized by the media
I don't want you to be confused.
You missed my point entirely, or rather, read way more into it than was actually there. I wasn't talking to the general public with any riled up attitude, and I'm not a member of Occupy anything. I was replying to someone who claimed to support this movement and be a hard-core progressive, yet had no idea what the movement was about. It's not that hard to find out this stuff. You could substitute going to the camp with spending a half hour on the internet looking this stuff up. If you can read well, 10 minutes will do. My point is that if someone claims to be interested but isn't getting the info they want, there's an easy solution for that. I don't expect the average Joe to look search out this type of info, and I don't speak for anyone but myself here, but when someone calls themselves "hardcore" anything, you expect them to put a bit of effort into whatever it is they are hardcore about.
If you rely on the 6 or 10 o'clock news, the various morning news shows, or almost any talk radio station for your news, you are not likely to be very well informed on ANY political issue.
If you are curious about something, indulge that curiosity, don't wait for it to fall into your lap, because it never may. Applies to pretty much everything in life.
"Why not visit? - In a
"Why not visit? - In a nutshell, and among other goals, here's a quick synopsis: The protesters want Wall Street reform, more equal distribution of income, bank reform, and a reduction of the influence of corporations on politics. Not that hard to figure out, and pretty clear to anyone who has ever been by Occupy Boston."
1. A critique is made that the Occupy message is muddled. 2. Occupy supporters/sympathizers state "the message is not muddled" and then explains it again in a huff. This is certainly the way to gain new followers.
"It seems to me that most of the people who are getting burned out by the movement are those who never visited the place, never talked to people in and around the camp, and never actively supported the movement in the first place."
So read this and ask yourself, this isn't a huge problem?
Goals vs. Plans
I agree with you that the goals you list above have been pretty consistently stated since the first couple of weeks of the movement, but I have to tell you, that's actually where you begin to lose me. As presented, they are extremely vague and (in my opionion) unactionable goals. I agree with those goals, but that's not enough to make me think OWS is a worthwhile movement. What I'm looking for from OWS, what will make me see the continued cost to the cities as a reasonable outlay for change, is a PLAN. It doesn't have to be a total endgame right now - how about something as simple as:
Here are the five Congressmen up for reelection in 2012 who have taken the most money from bailed out banks. We will oust three of them from office, and replace them with candidates who have articulated banking reform plans. That's measurable, quantifiable progress toward a goal of bank reform - and more importantly, it's a way to test efficacy of the movement because frankly, if it's incapable of getting anything done, it needs to die out so something viable can take its place. These changes have got to happen in the near future, or we're all screwed. So I guess I'm saying put up or shut up at this point. It's been months. Time to put together some action steps if you want to hold on to any relevancy.
Progressive? O rly?
The movement has ALREADY been effective, as it is getting people to talk about these issues which have been ignored for SO LONG, as well as mobilizing people who have, for so long, not been active at all in political movements. I agree to a point with the distractions of maintaining the camp being a large distraction, and that they can look to places like New York where the movement has been maintained without a camp, but I actually like the camp there, and think that they can do a lot of good with it. To the morons who complain about how the park can't be used anymore, 1. NO ONE USED THAT PARK ANYWAY SO SHUT UP and 2. anyone can walk right though the camp, even sit down if you want. I do it many times, it's quite relaxing and I enjoy watching the various things going on.
This is Phil. He's an asshole
The recent Nation article about Occupy Boston devoted considerable space to organizers' efforts to contain Phil, one of the homeless guys living in the encampment.
Phil was in fine form today. Before the arrival of the tent, Occupy Boston had a general assembly to discuss strategy for dealing with police. Phil demanded to speak. When told he could speak later, at the free-speech time the encampment has, he started screaming obscenities at the assembly. When he picked up a mic stand and started swinging it around as he screamed, this one guy tried to usher him off the speaker's rise. The woman facilitating the general assembly at first tried to stop him, maybe under the theory that if you ignored him, he'd stop. Only he didn't, that just seemed to incense him more and he kept screaming about free speech and how people like him who actually live at the encampment should always be allowed to have their say. Two more guys walked up and joined the first in trying to surround Phil and get him away.
And then a woman urgently began yelling "Mic check!" because the tent had arrived at the other end of camp, and people should really get over there now.
Phil followed and, at first, tried ranting at some of the reporters and TV cameramen, until they turned away from him, at which point he sort of just faded away.
If Phil is an asshole, what are his companions?
What makes Phil an asshole? He's squatting on public land without benefit of permit like the others. His message is equally incoherent, in fact according to The Nation, he rants against the "Nazis" which seems more rational than the rants against the "Jews" seen at other Obamavilles. So Phil wears a kilt, enjoys an adult beverage, speaks out of turn and swings the mic stand? Big deal. Based on the atrocities we've heard about during Occupy, he seems like a model citizen. If he's an asshole, what are the rest?
What a circus! No ring leader,
animalsentertainers gone wild, an angry father who initially thought it was a good idea (Menino) now trying desperately to get his remaining dozen kids to leave, while mother (Betti Warren) has already ran the other way. They should really make a movie. I nominate Liam Neeson as "Phil".I thought I missed you at the general assembly today
They were having a calm discussion. Then this guy goes to the front and just starts screaming and cursing everybody and waving a mic stand around. Seemed like an asshole and a bully to me.
Re: I thought I missed you at the general assembly today
You did miss me. I wouldn't be caught dead there. City Hall, the State House maybe, that's where I take my grievances. I guess I'm the 1%. As to your comment, I thought the country was having a calm discussion. Then a bunch of agitators with no coherent objective took over our public parks without permits, at best acted as a magnet for criminal activity, then, today attempted to bring in a permanent structure even after they had been politely told not to. Seem like they're all a bunch of
assholes(I save that term for more important situations) clowns to me.Can't wait for the endgame. If Phil is the last one left, will the media cover him? Is there a Dewey Square live cam, I'm not too interested in Monday Night Football tonight.
The message is there
The message of the occupiers is pretty clear to anyone who bothers to listen instead of repeating the bullshit right wing talking point that there is no coherent message. You don't have to rebut an argument if you refuse to recognize it.
smell his breath?
Asshole might not be the right term, addict is probably a better description.
I'm pretty sure I've seen Phil getting crunked over on the other side of the four point the past few years. He's homeless, and he's got an substance abuse problems, if not mental issues on top.
Sounds like he's got a violent streak too. Wonder what his BPD record looks like.
Ideally he'd be in forced rehab for treatment, but anything like that in this state has long been defunded. So here he is, chilling at OWS, unstable, causing a scene, and possibly is a danger to himself and others.
Can't wait until he throws a bottle at a line of police, and the rest of the protestors get the short end of that stick.
Bostons got a really bad homeless problem, but Mr. Menino doesn't want to talk about that. He also doesn't want to talk about the death triangle that's devolved into gang turf. Or the hole in DTX. Or the Washington street bridge. Or the property destruction going on in the winter in Southie and other neighborhoods.
He will talk about his legacy castle on the water, moving City hall to the seafront, away from any public transportation.
After all, he hasn't been pulling strings for all these years for nuttin'
Hey now!
...speaking of incoherent assholes...whaddayaknow!
Sure you weren't thinking of this guy?
The hypocrisy is in the fact
The hypocrisy is in the fact that $1,350 was raised to buy this tent, while they knew it would not be acceptable. This $1,350 could have been used to help people who REALLY need it, instead of those protesters that, as someone points out above, seem now to more make a point of having/keeping the camp than their ideals.
I really do not get how people that have a home think it makes any sense to camp out on the street. To ask for food and other donations while they are perfectly able to buy this stuff themselves. At the same time, they complain about the homeless people that flocked to the tent city. Because that is what they protest, inequality. Why aren't they happy with what they DO have? Some people (1/3 of the world population) do not even have a toilet!! Why don't these protesters give the right example? And do what they want the rich to do, namely help someone that is less well off than they are? If they do insist on living in a tent, they could at least provide their place to someone who does not have a home! Change starts with yourself, right?
Your logic is idiotic.
The police aren't shooting us in the streets (unless you happen to be black and live in the inner city, but they don't have internets!), so why complain about police brutality! Personally, I find many of the people at Occupy Boston to be rather annoying in many respects, but they have done so much to help the homeless who having nothing else, and then assholes like you make complaints like this. They ask for donations because many people there ARE homeless or cannot find a job in this crappy economy, and thus don't have money, and even people who are there with jobs cannot possibly get enough money to pay for all the services that are offered, and there are people WILLING to help. They aren't taking government money, yet when banks take government money, Fox news watching robots like you don't complain at all. This country makes me freaking sick.
Sorry?! I do not possess a TV
Sorry?! I do not possess a TV and thus do not watch Fox News, and even if I owned one I would not watch that brainless "news". I have been to Occupy Boston a few times, and the above opinion is based on that. It is smelly, dirty, and costs money in a way that could have been spent better (that tent, extra police surveillance are just 2 examples). Occupiers (i.e. non-homeless) even appeared at the homeless foodshelter asking for/getting food, leaving the real homeless without. I feel that that, among many other things, is not about equality at all. Those "protesters", take what is not supposed to be for them. And THAT is exactly what they are protesting themselves....
That's the "Boston" part of Occupy Boston
They'd rather be principled than helpful. Can't blame that one strictly on the occupiers. Fifty years from now, this area will be littered with tombstones reading "He Was Technically Correct."
This made me giggle.
This made me giggle.
William Evans
is the friendliest cop I've ever met in Boston, hands down.
He should teach others!
He should go work in Cambridge, where the cops are all complete jerks.
Agreed
The guy is a class act. Treats people with respect and friendliness, which sadly, a significant amount of the police officers do not do, especially those guys on the motorcycles. Ironically, those cops on the bicycles around Downtown are pretty nice.
I'm not sure
How squatting in Dewey Square is getting any done? Other than giving a few people there a chance to get on tv, or maybe a book deal, what have they done? How many of the squatters are registered to vote? How many know who their representatives are in this state? Or what ever state they call home, be it denial or confusion?
The beltway
and national media turned on a dime.
Austerity / SS/Medicare were all that was being talked about, and was the focus of DC.
Thats changed and income disparity, wallstreet and the economy/jobs replaced all the bullshit beltway crap.
Thats no easy task to get the national media to turn on a dime like that. That's also something no politician wants to be talking about leading up to next year. When you get the minority leader of the Senate having to talk in that sort of frame, on those terms with reporters, you won a battle.
A small one, but over time it's adding up.
Something to Remember
Occupy Boston seems like a small thing.
Occupy encampments all across the nation and in other areas of the world is not a small thing.
What you see may seem small and trivial. Taken in total, with a very very wide geographic spread, it has become non-ignorable.
Occupy Boston doesn't seem to have changed much.
The Occupy movement has changed and refocussed the debate in our society onto many of the right things.
Here she goes again..
miss almighty..has a comment about everything !!!
Swirly why arent you camping out at Occupy Boston if you believe in them so much? What are you doing other than making comments....typical ALL TALK
heh
Says our resident anon troll....
What are you doing other than making comments?
Your response is limited to ad homenim. You have not one thing to say about her thesis, which leads to the question: Did you even read it? #fail
You'd be surprised.
Most of them probably know their representative. It's definitely higher than the regular population (not saying much, I know)
They sang "We shall overcome"
They sang "We shall overcome" as they loaded their tent back onto the truck. That song has such strong connotations - blacks being beaten as they struggled for their civil rights in the 1960's. These people are going to lose a lot of support if they think for a second that they as oppressed or mistreated as people who were sprayed with water hoses and attacked by police dogs.
I'm a supporter of Occupy Boston
and I actually agree with this. I have no problem with them singing it when police are brutalizing them, as we have seen too often in California. But this time, the tent really was just a tent.
Oct 11