Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Occupy Tompkins Square Park this weekend


Demonstrators from Occupy Wall Street will be headed to the East Village on Saturday. John Penley is organizing this event set to start Saturday at noon and end Sunday at noon. Via Facebook:

Picnic starts at noon. General Assemblies at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Bring food, sleeping gear, drums, guitars, banners, signs and your friends. In memory of Monica aka Catherine Shay, Bob Arihood and Terry Taylor [the homeless Tompkins Square activist who died in 1994].

"I talked to about 100 people from the neighborhood at Zucotti Park [Sunday] and they were all thinking about the same thing and immediately said, 'Hell yes let's do it,'" Penley told me via Facebook.

Also, Penley said, the presence of the protestors will draw attention to the Park's legacy of activism.

“One of the reasons that we want to do this is to educate the new people living in the neighborhood about what went on in Tompkins Square Park in the '80s and the '90s, and the police response to it,” he told Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo.

Planning meetings for Occupy Wall Street were held in Tompkins Square Park in August.

More details later this week...

120 comments:

Anonymous said...

WTF? I understand and sympathize with "taking back" Wall Street, but inconveniencing a wholly residential neighborhood? Seriously? John Penley sounds like a d-bag. My support for the Occupy movement just died.

VH McKenzie said...

This sounds like a somewhat misguided venture. What is the point of this exactly?

I'm gonna go way out on a limb and guess that most of the OW Streeters have never even heard of the 3 people they are going to "remember."

And then they're going to educate themselves about the police and protesters in TSP from the "80s and 90s?" Because, why?

Stay downtown with the source of your ire. Please.

Stedman said...

@Anon 7:44 What about the residents near Zuccotti Park who are "inconvenienced"? So you support a movement as long as it doesn't inconvenience you personally? Talk about douchery...

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness I'm out of town this weekend...

Anonymous said...

Oh brother.

The OWS crowd doesn't seem be guided by any particular goal, seems more an opportunity for lonely joiner-types to become part of a groovy 60's style "happening".

Could this aimless "movement" be a little MORE mired in nostalgia? "And for our next performance, we present a historical recreation drama in Tompkins Park (-to draw attention to the park's legacy of activism, if anyone asks). Costume change from tie-dye to leather! Man, wouldn't it have been cool to have been around in the '80's, dude? I hope we get arrested!"

It all makes me so ashamed to have once been 20.

Anonymous said...

Let's hope the meat-eaters of the bunch feast on some of the park rats. That'd be the only productive thing to come out of the occupation.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see others are skeptical. I support OWS, but it's not clear why they need to overtake every major park in the city. And I'm old enough to remember the 1988 TSP protests and subsequent riot and while I believe this history is vital to understanding our neighborhood, it's also why I think TSP is not the place for occupation by OWS, given how the police have been acting all over town (and in cities like Boston). I just don't have a good feeling about this and I hope no one is priming themselves for a fight.

Anonymous said...

This is so ill conceived- and certainly the press attention to what is bound to become confrontational (i.e. when the police ask the occupiers to leave when they close the park for the night) will be used to discredit the OWS movement as a whole. Folks- it's not the 80's. Those tactics didn't work then- so how about giving the new kids a shot at it their way...

Anonymous said...

Ugh seriously, what do these people think they are going to accomplish by occupying Tompkins Square Park, other than annoying a lot of people? Just because it used to be a place of protest for local politics doesn't mean it needs to become a place of protest for a national issue. I think the whole thing is ridiculous and too misguided to get real change done and I feel sorry for everyone that lives near Zuccotti Park because they've been dealing with this nonsense for weeks now. I just hope it doesn't last in TSP.

AveaisEssex said...

10:08 AM:

Chandler? That you?

Anonymous said...

Hide your kids, hide your wife! I'm out of town this weekend, let's hope they don't stay. Get ready for more crusties!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I expected more from my neighbors. This "not in my backyard" talk is a little shocking. How about the fact that these kids energized a complacent nation into the first stages of standing up? How much do we have to lose before we start fighting back? I agree that they'll likely get kicked out of TSP at curfew, but this push and pull is part of the process. Nobody said this was going to be easy or comfortable.

Shawn said...

I'm so sorry anyone will be annoyed but I'm "annoyed" the US government bailed out multi-billion dollar banks when they got too greedy. What happened was a crime, where is the prosecution of these individuals and corporations? How annoying is that?

We locals need to welcome these good people with open arms; they are fighting the good fight against corruption, greed, and corporate crime.

You can give up the park for 1/52nd of a year.

Let's welcome them!

It ain't 1988... this time the whole world is watching...

Anonymous said...

I agree that this is seriously misguided. Zucotti park is privately owned and therefore has no closing time, which is why the protesters can stay there without police interference. The only point of occupying Tompkins Square, therefore, would be to get arrested. Why, at least for these current protests, is this necessary? Like those Occupy protesters who decided to rush the police line and then provoked a violent response, it accomplished nothing.

If this weekend is about "drawing attention to the Park's legacy of acticism," as Penley says, then he is just hijacking a current movement to serve his own ends. These protesters are not the same breed as those from 1988 and their concerns couldn't be more different. It's unfair and counter productive to create waves "in memory" of any other movement while slapping an "Occupy" label on the thing.

If any older activisit wants to help with these protests, then by all means help. They certainly need assistance in the specificity-of-demands department. And use Tompkins Square Park. It does have a long history of activism, just like Washington Square. But consider this - the recent protests there didn't need any kind of forcible occupation, and no old-school yahoo felt the need to bring awareness to that park's glory days by leading young protesters into the police's hands.

Anonymous said...

Wait... are they protesting the '80s & '90s police responses in Tompkins Square... or the deaths of three neighborhood residents... or "greed"?

My banner will have to read "WTF are we doing here again?"

Lux Living said...

I happen to agree with Herman Cain on this one. Protest the White House. It's the White House giving bailouts to the banks.

Instead they will swarm the neighborhood and non-protesters will avoid it like the plague. And who will lose? The local small business, the very people these protesters are supposedly for. Genius move.

Anonymous said...

actually it's a 24 hour period - i.e., one day - so it's 1/365 of a year. 1/52 would be a week

but i agree - what's the big deal? and it's a noble cause - who doesn't want big money out of government? aren't we supposed to be living in a democracy?

wouldn't be surprised if most of the anonymous comments above are from one person. maybe one of the moneyed scumbags that have invaded the neighborhood over the last 20 years

Anonymous said...

@shawnchittle I agree with you, but until OWS starts calling for the impeachment of Obama and the arrest of Tim Geithner, I can't take them seriously.

Anonymous said...

I am glad to hear more people are getting involved with OWS, but the point is we're targeting Wall Street. We're not doing any good gathering in the East Village. Let's take it down to Wall Street! Join and support the people who have been camped out in the heart of the financial district. They could use some reinforcements now. We're not helping anyone hanging out in Tompkins Square Park.

Anonymous said...

Shawn Chittle-- you say you're annoyed that the US government bailed out multi-billion dollar banks, yet you blame the banks for accepting the bailouts rather than the government for GIVING the bailouts.

The banks don't take our money by force, the government does. Perhaps your annoyance is... um... misdirected?

Anonymous said...

Finally, TSP being used for what it's good for - Getting the people out in large numbers, to DEMONSTRATE as is our right, and our responsibility, against a corrupt and criminal conspiracy that used to be a government by, and for the people!

I live less than a block off the park and I for one feel PRIVILEGED that this will be occurring here. Call me nostalgic, but yes, I do remember the riots and I do long for a time when folks actually gave a fuck enough to get out and raise their voices and fists in the air to protest injustice.

Fuck off all you cry-baby, NIMBY assholes - go change your diapers in central park this weekend. You obviously have no real connection to the East Village.

Anonymous said...

Shawn, no one is happy the government bailed out the banks. But this series of protests is not a "good fight". It's a disjointed cacophony of causes.

The protests will accomplish little, if nothing. Will any representatives or senators or the President make any changes to the status quo because of these 'protests'? Hardly.. which is why it's futile. The change they're looking for could only happen from the inside and that ain't gonna happen.

Therefore, I will not welcome this occupation of TSP (or any other part of the city) with open arms.

Anonymous said...

Anonomous @ 11:06: "wouldn't be surprised if most of the anonymous comments above are from one person. maybe one of the moneyed scumbags that have invaded the neighborhood over the last 20 years."

Anonymous 11:06 is clearly one of the UN-moneyed scumbags who has "invaded" the neighborhood. (But, make no mistake-- it's NOT about jealousy & class warfare!)

Dan LD said...

I'm looking forward to the cold weather, which is inevitably going to end this "protest." As for these people occupying TSP this weekend, give me a break. They're going to come to the park, make many inarticulte, unrelated demands (free tuition! no more bail-outs! re-forestaion?), try to bait the cops into macing them, and then leave behind a huge mess. The people I feel bad for here (aside from those of us who live in the neighborhood) are the grounds crew at the park, who do a great job of keeping it clean.

Anonymous said...

It's really obnoxious and unproductive to call people NIMBY assholes, crybabies, moneyed scumbags (big ha on that one), and suggest that we're all the same person despite the differences in opinions and writing styles. Take issue with individual comments (personally, I would start with Lux's "I'm with Herman Cain," lol) but why assume that everyone who is hesitant about supporting OWS in TSP is an asshole?

I really do not want to see a replay of 1988. People were seriously hurt! I know OWS is a totally different crowd but we all know how these things can escalate and I would not put it past the cops to seriously injure people. Also, as many have said, occupying Wall Street makes the most sense in the actual financial district.

I can support OWS and still not agree 100% with everything it does (or its various factions do). I hope that all goes well in the TSP occupation but would some of you please stop assuming that anyone who is nervous about it is a rich NIMBY jerkoff? And stop the name-calling!

Anonymous said...

"Fuck off all you cry-baby, NIMBY assholes... You obviously have no real connection to the East Village."

That's where you're wrong, ANONYMOUS @11:20! We're paying homage to the EV's ...erm... Legacy of Activism! We are the 99%, and we object to this idiocy!

Marty Wombacher said...

I don't live in the East Village (I'm nearby in Chelsea) so I don't usually chime in on neighborhood topics, but here's my two cents on this one: As Anonymous 10:54 AM pointed out, TSP has a curfew, like it or not. If OWS stays past the curfew, it's just going to be an excuse for cops to arrest and bust heads. In my opinion, they should leave at the curfew, like they did last week at Washington Square Park and avoid trouble. Otherwise it's just an excuse for media to label the whole protest as lawbreakers looking for trouble and for cops to arrest people and kick the shit out of them. And they will do it, they're just waiting for something like this to happen. OWS is not about a curfew in TSP.

nygrump said...

I'll just ask, did we vote for the curfew? Didn't think so, it was imposed on us. I would like to point out that as anonymous said "instead they will swarm the neighborhood and non-protesters will avoid it like the plague." If this is true then we should encourage them to come everyday.

Anonymous said...

Riight - the protests are unruly, inarticulate, and may stay up past curfew. We certainly can't have that in TSP!

Only sufficiently ordered and precise resistance will be endured, and only then between the hours of 6pm and 10:30pm - On weeknights, and only so as not to interfere with Glee, The Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Real Time, or Bored to Death.

Thank you. You may return to your lives of self-satisfied comfort and illusory safety.

LULU said...

another ratravaganza

Anonymous said...

Dan LD, I have reluctance about OWS occupying Tompkins Square, but by every account the Zuccotti protestors are clean and respectful of surroundings. They've organized park-cleaning night crews and offered to clean the bathrooms of local businesses whose facilities they use. Of course some people will always be slobs and litterbugs, but on the whole OWS has been really good about this and is not relying on city resources or leaving behind any mess, let alone a huge one.

Anonymous said...

If the disorderly and inarticulate "resistance" is unable to convey their message while the park IS open, what will it benefit if they occupy the park after curfew?

If only they had a few more precious hours, they might actually discover a purpose?

The first step to effective protesting, seems to me, is to have something in mind PRIOR to the creation of banners, the beating of drums, the pumping fists.

Otherwise, it's just masturbatory play-acting, isn't it?

And no, I don't believe that park curfews are generally put to vote. Nor are traffic laws, pooper-scooper laws, any laws. That's why we elect public servants-- to make these decisions rather than put every trivial detail of municipal management to popular "vote".

Anonymous said...

Joe Strummer would be deeply disappointed by the hand-wringing NIMBY's more concerned with aesthetic and inconvenience of the protest, than they are with the wholesale shredding of the Constitution and the massive theft and reallocation of pubic wealth that's taken place in this country.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!

Indeed Joe!

dave said...

I still dont get the point of a demonstration/exhibition/ruckus/whatever at TSP. This is probably the least Wall Strreet-like place on this island so the relationship is pretty strained. Yeah,yeah - '80's and '90's - I remember those days too and those battles are long over and we've all moved on. Or at least most of us have.

Lux Living said...

@ Anon 11:44 AM

There's nothing funny about what I said.

People who would normally come to the neighborhood on the weekends and spend money in the small / local businesses are going to avoid the area. The protesters are going to financially burden the very people they claim to be fighting for.

Take the fight to Washington where it belongs!

Anonymous said...

Time to "head for zee hills" this weekend or pray for rain. A LOT of it.

Anonymous said...

Lux, I'm not LOLing at your rational observation to take the protest to Washington where it belongs. I'm laughing at your need to attribute this commonsense thought to Herman Cain of all people.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Penley, while often well-intentioned in his pursuit against injustice and bad things, can occasionally be IMMATURE regarding ancillary results of certain protest tactics he promotes (not to mention garnering support, i.e. can offend those on his side w/ similar beliefs and demands). This particular stunt, while it does have some merit, is self-indulgent/masturbatory. I’ve lived in the EV three decades and have totally supported Occupy Wall Street from day one. I don’t think a protest in TSP for a day would be any worse than a weekend of NYU student activity, but the whole thing reeks as much as Sharpton and Heraldo’s involvement...

bayou said...

Regardless of the causes that fuel the protests move to TSP, a real difference between the park today and in 1988 is that the park is again the vibrant center of the local community, as it is meant to be.

I am not crying NIMBY because of the influx of unwashed masses, however polite they may be (after all I have lived near TSP for 15 years) but because the park will be unusable for the children, dogs, musicians, painters, gardeners, joggers, birders, readers, hare krishna, yogis and thinkers who seek solace and play there on weekends, all of whom engage in those activities for free.

I'd favor a political rally at TSP if it supported a local cause.

The very name and mission of this movement is Occupy Wall Street, not Occupy Ninth Street.

Lux Living said...

@ Anon 1:22 PM

I'll agree with that! :)

Anonymous said...

bayou - Have you walked down Wall Street lately? Wall Street is no longer home to the banks and institutions that have wrought global economic devastation - it is home to a mish-mash of condos restaurants, small offices and luxury retailers. The point is than it doesn't matter where the object of the protest is - it DOES matter that people everywhere get out in their own, local public spaces and give voice to the economic and social devastation that the banksters have wrought. TSP is the central gathering point for a huge community of people affected by the political and economic crime-wave that has terrorized this nation, and many others. TSP IS the right place, just as Boston, DC, Seattle, Syracuse, and every other community in this nation are!

It's clear that elections in this country are owned by corporate interests and that the media will provide a suitable and soothing narrative - UNTIL - people, in large enough numbers to be ignored, EVERYWHERE in the great country , stand up, stand together, and demand change.

So sorry to inconvenience the NIMBY cynics. Your soy latte awaits...

Anonymous said...

This is so fucking stupid. These people don't even know what they are protesting. I was going to through a birthday party for my Brother at a restaurant/bar right by the park and spend thousands of dollars to help support out neighborhood and a local business but because of this I am canceling and going else where.

Anonymous said...

I think that most of you are missing the point, which is to increase exposure of our outrage. The point is, this may or may not be a group of kids with a mixed (or confusing) message, but what isn't confusing is their momentum. The OWS protesters, like them or not, have spawned similar protests across the country. I'm not saying this is the solution, but this is a beginning. What have each of you down that has inspired other cities to take a call to action? What happened to the whole essence of this anti-authority, anti-establishment neighborhood? Am I the only one left living here with no money in my pocket? There, and before any of you tell me to "get out"—I spent it all on rent and banking fees. I love NYC and I love the EV. And, as messy as it may get, I also love the OWS protesters. Come by and talk with them; give them a chance. Listen for once before barking.

dwg said...

I'm for the movement gathering momentum and attention wherever it can.

Anonymous said...

I guess negative attention is better than none.

Hey19 said...

Wall St does have a certain place in Americas history that makes it a meaningful place for a protest like this. TSP does not. This does seem onanastic on the part of some of the local rabble rousers to hijack a legit cause (with some flaws) for their own antics.

I feel bad for that sweet lady who works on the landscaping every weekend. And I hope nothing gets violent after dark, although I fear that is exactly the intention of some of these organizers.

+1s to Marty, Lux and Bayou.

Anonymous said...

!!LOOK - It's working already!!

Check the pouting anon douche:

"I was going to through a birthday party for my Brother at a restaurant/bar right by the park and spend thousands of dollars..."

If just one single douche party is all the OWS succeeds in changing this weekend it the East Village, we have all benefit.

Anonymous said...

Brush up on your Tompkins Square Park history people. From Ephemeral New York:

"

It’s been the scene of some pretty bloody riots since it opened in 1850. Food shortages and unemployment prompted demonstrations in 1857; the deadly 1863 Draft Riots spilled into Tompkins Square as well.

Then came the Tompkins Square Riot. In 1874, thousands of workers gathered at the park to protest poor economic conditions brought on by the Panic of 1873. Police on horseback fought back the crowds by beating them with clubs.

"

This is part of the Park's activist spirit that Penley evokes. Oh, waaaa, what does a draft have to do with me? Why in this neighborhood?

All of these things have an impact on us. Feel free to get out of your isolated little worlds once in awhile.

Cosmo said...

I support the protesters and if they can educate those who haven't paid a visit downtown, go for it.

My only reservation is the park curfew. No one wants a confrontation with the police and I think deliberately ignoring the curfew would only discredit the group. They had a peaceful gathering in WSP the other day, so I hope they achieve the same results in TSP.

As for those worried about the grounds crew, the protesters have been keeping Zuccotti park amazingly clean. In fact, they could teach EVers a thing or two about picking up after oneself.

Kurt said...

Walking around Zuccotti park yesterday I saw two pretty distinct groups. On tthe east side of the park were activist, labor unionist and OWS organizers. On the west side of the park there was a large group of crusties doing what crusties do, sitting/lying around spangling and eating free food. I suspect it's the latter group that is going to show up to TSP and give a big black eye to those doing the heavy lifting at OWS.

The protest have been doing fine without John Penley. He's done his part let the ones who have been successful keep doing what they have been doing keep at it.

Anonymous said...

Penley may have his own agenda..TSP is not the focus of the bank mortgage bail outs..but a place to enjoy communally--we should try to do that this weekend..I plan to take some photos and check it out.

Jeremiah Moss said...

OWS is an important movement, and
are we seriously crying about a protest in TSP? protest activity has been a vital part of TSP for the past century--not so much the past decade, however.

i hardly see how it will substantially inconvenience anyone who lives on the park--more than loud punk shows? really? i like the fact that OWS is bringing it to various parts of the city, where more people can't avoid and therefore ignore it.

and all those Anon comments sound like exactly the same person, which means they amount to nothing more than spam.

Anonymous said...

Wall street is 10th street- greed crawls all the streets
and sucks the life out of the roots of a once great city,
the landlords are the other terrorists!

HappyNow? said...

Mr. Moss, it's great that you're chipping in to the discussion, but why do you have to be so childish as to accuse people who don't agree with you to be "one person"? Is it really beyond your imagination that some people, maybe even "real" EV residents, may *gasp* disagree with you?

Anonymous said...

This is not an OWS event. This is a John Penley event. Very different energy coming out of this than what is coming out of every other OWS gathering around the country.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Jeremiah. Now I know that my polite expressions of worry about violence and police brutality in TSP are nothing more than "spam." Even though I said I support OWS. Even though I defended them from accusations that they were slobs. And all the other anons who are not bitching ridiculously about several-thousand-dollar birthday cancellations, but daring to express anything other than 100% support for every single thing this unwieldy and purposefully leaderless movement does -- spam, all of it.

I'll try to be more knee-jerky next time.

newcombat said...

I've known John P since the 80s. Like him.

But I doubt it's a good idea to divert people and focus from Wall Street and what might be called the Financial Rights movement to the very local politics of Tompkins Square.

The plan for a round-the-clock occupation seems obviously intended to provoke the police, which is a bad idea.

I hope the Occupants in Zuccotti Park don't allow themselves to get sidetracked by this. I covered the police riot of 1988 as a journalist but at this point it's nothing but old news.

john penley said...

First of all anonymous Occupy Wall Street has encouraged people to do what we are doing at Tompkins Square all over the country and there is no central clearing of events that are not at the park. The Globalrevolution livestream team which I have worked with in the past will be livestreaming it. I got an amazing response there last night with my Occupy Tompkins Square park sign and there will be a march from Wall Street to Tompkins Square. Anonymous I have been there since day 1 and the central core all support Occupy Tompkins Square. You don't speak for OWS so stuff it asshole. It is sad that too many of the people that comment on this blog are part of the 1% that gentrified and destroyed the LES. Like it or not we will be in TSP Saturday and if you want more details read the DNA info story and look at out statement on Nonviolence. I find it amazing that so many assholes would get so worked up about a picnic. PS All 100 people I talked to at OWS from the neighborhood knew the people we are dedicating this occupation too.

john penley said...

To restate what I told DNA info we plan to leave the park at midnight if the NYPD enforces the curfew which they may not. A general assembly will be held at 10 pm. We will not be starting a riot. Anyone who wants to is free to do nonviolent CD by staying in the park. We will stay on the sidewalk on Ave. A in front of the park until noon on the 16. I hope this info shuts up you yuppies who are the 1%.

john penley said...

Occupy Wall Street held its first public assembly at Tompkins Square park which many of you who know nothing about OWS history have neglected to note. Peace OCCUPY TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK !! PS Anonymous is a real estate developer who posts under different names and like I said before is a COWARD who will never put their real name up.

Chris in BK said...

If you all seriously think TSP has a curfew you haven't actually been there at night. People spill over from the bars and make out until all hours of the morning. The police have NEVER enforced the curfew. If they do this weekend, it will so obviously be targeting protesters that it won't even be funny.
I'm all for Occupy TSP because Zuccotti is getting damn crowded. People are coming from all over the country because they are pissed about 20 years of policy and economics that has destroyed this country. If it starts making bullshit commercialized culture peddlers like you slightly inconvenienced well too damn bad. Sorry your particle board condo doesn't have enough sound proofing to keep the riff raff out. I don't moan when the neighbor who owns the townhouse next doors has contractors jamming up the sidewalk until 10 AM to put in her Italian marble counter top. I have no one to bitch to every time some film crew sets up (with a massive tax credit) and some Hollywood celebrity barricades me in my own house for 14 hours while shooting. I just gotta go with it. So now the "hippies" are coming to your backdoor with hand drums and chants. Too effing bad. You don't own public space. I hope all your Banana Republic wearing babies and labradoodles stay up all night screaming because of the noise. Chickens are coming home to roost now and your money won't save you.
Welcome to America, land of the free, home of the brave.

Anonymous said...

"OWS history"

history? please. OWS is what, three? four weeks old? Why don't you do something before you start going on about history. Sleeping in parks doesn't count.

re: anonymous. keep the paranoia alive.

Anonymous said...

Hey Penley! Could you guys manage to all wear Santa suits? You know, so those of us who live on the park can get the practice before that other "public assembly" in December...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVasPttG6pQ

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

ooooooooooo Nooooooo!
Call in the tanks!! When I went to OWS last weekend it looked exactly like TS Park did during the riots. AND smelly!

Lux Living said...

It's rumored Lady Gaga will lend her support to the OWS movement with a free concert in TSP Saturday! #gagaOWS

Crazy Eddie said...

I rode down to Zuccotti yesterday and I think Kurt nailed the East/West . Let the serious ones come to TSP and leave the Crusties behind. Also, one major suggestion for OWS at Zuccotti and anywhere else. Leave the bongos and the Che flag at home. I know with Che, it’s complicated but I would flood everyone with the Stars and Stripes. Use the Betsy Ross flag version, that would drive the Tea Baggers nuts! Use the WI Madison demonstrations (I apology to Jeremiah-I can’t believe I am fucking saying this) as the template, not the 1968 Columbia University student demonstrations. Try to get police on our side, they are union members after all.

As Jay Gould, that old robber baron rascal, was alleged to have said:

“I can hire one-half of the working class to kill the other half."

Hey how about a march to Fox News?

blue glass said...

occupy wall street not TSP. we've had enough occupation of the park. both from the penley folks and the police. and exactly what are penley's motives?
demonstrate here? fine.
just let's not go back to the 1980's. the park is finally available to everyone (including rats).
i couldn't use the park in the 1950s because of the gangs. i couldn't take my son to the park in the 1960's because of the drugs and violence. the encampments and riots (police and anarchists) kept me out of the park till the charlie parker concerts helped reclaim the park..
those were not the good old days.

Marty Wombacher said...

@John Penley: Glad to hear that you plan on leaving if cops enforce the curfew. I'll see you Saturday.

Crazy Eddie said...

@Anony 6.41PM. You are being ironic here, aren’t you? Or are you a secret admirer of Li Peng and Leonid Brezhnev? Hard to tell.

Anonymous said...

From what I read of the OWS working group minutes. they have succeeded in telling people not to leave food around, littering, and encourage people to actively discourage pigeons from hanging around the park.

Something residents of TSP should learn from.

esquared™ said...

#ows protested in the upper east side today, where the wall streeters live. and #ows should also be able protest where those wall streeters slum and play. the 1% have treat the ev as their own personal playground and wooooo-wooooing thursday nights to sunday all year. this protest is only for one night/day. if people are concerned about the noise and the inconvenience this protest would bring, they should be more worried when the zombiecon and santacon takes over the ev and tsp. at least this saturday's 'noise' is protesting against and bringing attention to the social and economic inequality, and corporate greed. what are the reasons for the fratboy d-bags woooo-woooing and the santacon and zombiecon's noise? nothing, except for idiocy and to bring attention to themselves.

Jill said...

First, it is totally clear that the 1st few anon posts are the same person, making it seem like there are a bunch of people against the idea of a rally at TSP.

Think what you will of Penley, but someone has to organize, and he's as good as any, with a strong dose of enthusiasm.

I like that this is coming to TSP, why should Washington and Union Squares have all the fun? There are marches all over the country showing support for the mothership, why not our local park too? I hope the 9th can control themselves and nobody gets hurt.

I went to the rally the very first day and marched to Zuccotti park with the first wave of protesters. They were a little dismayed at the low turnout and seeming lack of attention. Amazing how this has grown and sustained.

Whose streets?

AC said...

@Jill

+1

Jeremiah Moss said...

Anon 4:02, i don't know which Anon you are, but one of the Anons is obviously a multiple poster trying to look like multiple people. a little obsessive, i guess, and perhaps feeling outnumbered. it's understandable. OWS is starting to scare people.

esquared is right--the EV is where the Wall Streeters play, puke, and make the rest of us miserable. so Occupy TSP makes sense.

Lisa said...

"...Occupy Wall Street has encouraged people to do what we are doing at Tompkins Square all over the country..."

And, what is that... exactly?

No matter how many copycats, these meaningless "protests" are as profound as other inane fads-- goldfish swallowing, telephone booth stuffing, streaking.

Anonymous said...

Bad idea. It's preaching to the choir and confuses the point of OWS. The cops remember the significance of Tompkins Square Park and will be itching for an ugly rematch with a new generation of protesters on their home turf.

john penley said...

This is the funniest bunch of comments I have ever seen on EV Grieve. Glad I could be of service and get this exchange going. I just got back from Wall Street and the support for Occupy Tompkins Square park is massive. Everyone there was laughing at the Yuppie comments here and your attitude about our event has made even more people want to show up. We are laughing at you and the message from OWS was kiss our ass Yuppies !!

Kurt said...

@Lisa -' "...Occupy Wall Street has encouraged people to do what we are doing at Tompkins Square all over the country..."

And, what is that... exactly?'

To provide a venue for the disenfranchised to be heard, I hope your ilk take it for a fad. Sleep on it, please, until it gets real traction.

@Anon 10:29 - You really think the cops today remember '88? Maybe some of old timers but that was 23 years ago. Most of the rookies from that year have since retired.

Rocky Raccoon said...

Rocky is a bit confused here. This summer TSP is occupied by a corporate sponsored movie series so they can hawk their product and noone complains,

almost every night this summer the softball daimond is occupied by the wall street corporate softball league and noone complains

and every saturday and sunday from summer straight through the fall the entire part of the park along 10 street is occupied by a private street hockey league and noone complains.

For the over 20 years Rocky has lived in the park kids and young men have used this section of the park to play pick-up softball in the summer, touch-football in the fall, the skate kids would do their thing, and now they can't because of a bunch of yuppies and their corporate softball league and a bunch of yunnies and their assinine private street hockey league have occupied the park and noone gives a rat's ass (pardon the pun). 



Yet people are all bent out of shape because for about 12 hours a group of young people trying to point out that our government is owned by corporate america and a small group of extremely wealthy people want to picnic and hang out in TSP. 



What is the LES coming too, when we accept Bloomberg selling our park to the highest bidder every weekend and want to ban some folks from exercising their right to public assembly and freedom of speech. 



Rocky says bring on the OWS crowd and has one request of Mr. Penley, please march right through those idiots and their stupid fake hockey games chanting "Whose Park - Our Park" and he will be there!

Lisa said...

"...one of the Anons is obviously a multiple poster trying to look like multiple people. a little obsessive, i guess, and perhaps feeling outnumbered. it's understandable. OWS is starting to scare people."

Does everything come down to consensus & mob rule to you? A number of commenters, both anti AND pro OWS, happened to sign in as "Anonymous" and all YOU can think about is insinuating that they're one single poster-- as if any valid points made would therefore be invalid if they were being made by 1 person rather than 10? What is this-- a school yard?

Rather than obsessing on which "side" may or may not be "outnumbered" -- an issue neither here nor there to anyone but the lowliest thug -- why not offer a syllable or two in defense of the incomprehensible "movement"?

It's a pretty pathetic nonargument, this focus on HOW MANY anonymouses there are... what their incomes are... how long they've lived in the neighborhood... what kind of car they drive.

I guess it's fitting that the only defense of the mob in question is the claim that OWS supporters somehow outnumber OWS detractors. Case closed, end of argument.

Anonymous said...

Jeremiah, this is 4:02. I get that all the anons can be a pain in the ass to parse, but people have good reasons for staying anon. It's simple enough, if a bit tedious, to direct responses to particular anons to specific times.

You are well-known to be a meticulous, intelligent journalist, so maybe I expected more nuance from you than "all those Anon comments sound like exactly the same," and I jumped on that. But I know what you're saying and in hindsight, yeah, I can see repetition among a certain bunch of anon posts. Peace.

Anonymous said...

will this ACT UP end at the CHRISTADORA once again

S said...

I'm sorry, but if anyone thinks that the anonymous comments are "the 1%", they have to be completely and utterly out of touch with both the EV and the disgustingly wealthy. The majority of people I know have never and will never meet or spend time with anyone who is part of the 1%. They're not rich people, they're not kids with a couple hundred thousand dollars grandma left them in the will. They're well off but they're nothing compared to the insane wealth of the 1%. I had the misfortune to know a man who owned part of large bank. He spent around 20K a day and it was nothing. He's not the people in the EV who buy $5 cupcakes. Those people don't even think about living downtown. So the "moneyed yuppies"? The artists with 5 roommates in a 2BR? The residents who have been here for 2 years or 20? We're ALL the 99%.

Jeremiah Moss said...

no problem, 4:02. i do wish people who sign on as Anon would just use a handle. any kind of handle, which is easy to do in the blogger comment form, and keeps the conversation easy to track. of course, the same person can sign on with multiple handles, too.

anyway, this comment thread is huge, whether or not there's a troll here. and i'm amazed by how much negativity there is toward OWS.

i'm with Rocky. is the EV turning into a red-state neighborhood?

Thomas Jacobs said...

Wow, Well I am really encouraged that a few folks understand that public parks, and perhaps especially, Tompkins Square Park, server their ultimate purpose when citizens use them to come together in exercise of their constitutional rights to assemble and speak truth to power.

I regret I won't be in town this week to join the TSP protest. I hope this is only the first public OWS event at TSP, and that it finds the support it deserves from a local community that has suffered enormously in this political-economic crime wave.

Good thoughts and good energy to the TSP demonstrators this weekend!!!!

Anonymous said...

For those of you bashing the 1% let me put something in perspective for you that might hopefully make you think a little differently. I have a family friend that is part of the "1%" of New York and the US he is a billionaire. Alot of you out there just see how much money he has and for some reason you think these types of people are doing harm to this country or are bad and don’t deserve the wealth they have worked hard for? He came from a very poor family and is a college dropout. My friend started his company with 1 person himself about 25 years ago. Through a lot of hard work he has grown his company to employ 10,000 people, he has given away 100s of millions of dollars to various charities, and has willed that when he dies a large amount of his estate go to charitable organizations and the bulk going to his own charity foundation. His company pays one of the highest average salaries to his employees, he has built housing for thousands in the extremely impoverished parts of the world, this is just a few of the good things he has done with his wealth the list goes on and on.

So please people tell me how this is unfair, how this is un-American, how he doesn’t deserve the wealth that comes from his hard work and all the incredible things he has done for this country and around the world? And if you look at a lot of the wealthiest Americans there is a very common trend. They employ thousands and thousands of people and many have given away millions of dollars away to charities or have started their own charity foundations that have done wonderful things for this country and around the world. It probably doesn’t really matter what I say as a lot of the public out there just want to put blame the government, wall street, and the wealthy. What are you looking for a handout? You think its fair that because someone has worked their ass off all their life and have been successful that you have the right to tell them they have done somehting wrong or you have the right to demand something from them because they are well off and you aren't? Stop looking at others to improve your life situation and start looking in the mirror and doing something for yourself.

Anonymous said...

Not everyone is so lucky to become a millionaire..it's soo much more than money and they do not get it.

Anonymous said...

11:57, OWS (and other like-minded folks) are simply asking that the 1% pay more in taxes. Did you know that some 1%ers are sympathetic and support this tax increase? Maybe even your billionaire pal! No one is saying a person can't start a business or that your friend doesn't "deserve" his wealth (although not all billionaires do, since many are basically criminals). Maybe you should understand how the distribution of wealth works before accusing hard-working but not rich people -- who the bulk of the 99% is comprised of -- of wanting "handouts."

You are completely delusional to think that all it takes to become a billionaire is hard work, or that we all could become even millionaires or even merely very rich simply if we tried hard enough. Your bootstrap, rugged individualism bullshit is just too remedial for me to even address. Stop worshipping your friend and spend more time in a library.

Anonymous said...

!!LOOK - It's working already!!

Check the pouting anon douche:

"I was going to through a birthday party for my Brother at a restaurant/bar right by the park and spend thousands of dollars..."

If just one single douche party is all the OWS succeeds in changing this weekend it the East Village, we have all benefit.

Somehow I think you're missing the point of OWS. This is a national movement and the focus should be on areas that are symbolic of the causes of our problems as a country (Wall Street, the Millionaire March etc.). Protest at the offices of legislators, hedge fund managers and banks themselves. To protest individual "douches" or to educate people about the history of the park draws attention away from the overall meaning of the OWS movement. If you want to protest conditions in the neighborhood, organize something on your own, not under the banner of OWS. Otherwise, get off your ass and get downtown (if you haven't already) and join OWS.

glamma said...

OWS, the East Village PROUDLY welcomes you!!!

Anonymous said...

12:44 I do not worship my family friend was just trying to make a point. I suggest you do some simple research and look at a tax bracket as they do pay the biggest % of their income. And while I am at it I will tell you my story. I am only 26. I dropped out of college and with $5,000 in savings from summer jobs started my own company in 08. I know employ 50 people. I did this by working my ass off for 4 years with getting little to no sleep. So go fuck yourself you douche bag.

josh davis said...

John Penley is a pretty smart guy, and tying the OWS movement to the 1980s/90s Tomkins Square Everywhere movement is rather astute. They have more similarities than may of the commenters on this blog post think. Just see John Penley, in his own words, talking about it.

http://vimeo.com/26411386

Anonymous said...

1:32, Congratulations on your company, whatever the hell it is. Your dropping out of college yet being an arrogant, Ayn Randian 26-year-old tells me everything I need to know. Not everyone wants to kill themselves in pursuit of the almighty dollar, start our own company, or employ anyone, and more important, not everyone can in the first place. It doesn't mean we don't work our asses off too, and a big bank account doesn't make you a better or smarter or more hardworking person than anyone else. Do you honestly not understand this?

Your "story" makes me feel sorry for you. You need to learn, son. But I'll bet you don't even read books, unless it's that Rich Dad, Poor Dad crap.

Also, you shouldn't call ladies "douchebags."

john penley said...

I think I should loudly proclaim victory as I have caused Yuppies to leave the neighborhood and cancel parties and we haven't even started Occupy Tompkins Square Park yet. Hay Hay Ho Ho Go Yuppies Go !!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Good gods, a political demonstration in TSP!?!? Who ever heard of such a crazy thing!?!?

Bread and Circuses said...

The people who are complaining on this blog have been 'drinking the cool-aid too long'. C'mon guys, you ought to 'think' before passing judgement on the activists, anarchists and average Joe worker bees that are tired of our broken and corrupt system. There IS a reason that all these different people and factions have united, it's not a coincidence. And it is not easy to assemble people like this. People can armchair quarterback this all day, however these people are exercising their Constitutional rights, something that the Gen Yers and Millenials have forgotten about until NOW. And as for the yuppies, well, you have the most to lose, do you like doing the work of three people for the same salary you made years ago, or less? The new generation is now AWAKE and making REAL change for their future and yours. I've never heard of a comfy convenient and effective protest, so going to a residential neighborhood makes sense; it's not a popularity contest. Otherwise, people will just sit in front of their computer and be non participants. John Penley is reinforcing this new found spirit in a very memorable and symbolic way. Some may get arrested, that is a sacrifice. Our forefathers sacrificed a great deal and they took our country back. Support these people at least their doing something about it. Get out of your houses people, join the crowd, hang banners out your windows. You'll feel great and it will feel RIGHT. I'll see you there this weekend and I'm traveling 950 miles to do it.

Lisa said...

"Not everyone wants to kill themselves in pursuit of the almighty dollar".

No, but they'll go to great lengths to get their mitts on another person's almighty dollar, won't they?

You knuckleheads talk about wealth as if it's some kind of natural resource like oxygen, which the "1%" has hoarded at the expense of the "99%".

Then, to further illustrate your exquisite sense of justice, you think it fair that the self-proclaimed "99%" should be able to bully the "1%" into parting with a greater percentage of their income; based not on any rational principle, only the fact that 99 outnumbers 1! Mob rule!

Whenever I see one of these "I am the 99%" placards or banners, it reads to me like a boast of being backed by a big ugly posse-- a posse with no respect for individual rights, respectful of only of the size of their gang. Why else the infatuation with the percentages? Divide and conquer-- one percentage point at a time!

john penley said...

Lisa the rich have divided and conquered the country and all throughout history the poor have had to fight for survival. FYI I am a vet and the rich use us to fight their wars and let us live on the street when we come home. Here is a link to some Tompkins Square history I bet none of you know about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tompkins_Square_Riot_(1874)

Hey19 said...

I work in the industry, and I fully support OWS. I just dont support Penley hijacking a legit cause for his mischief. All its going to do is bring bad press to a good grassroots movement. Prove me wrong and have this be a semi orderly, semi drug free rally, and Im all for it, not sure why Tompkins is a target, and not, say, Gramercy, but if it adds momentum to the movement, I guess I can get around that.


Do I get something for being the 100th poster?

john penley said...

Hay 19 as I said before the first OWS organizing meeting was in TSP and I am not "hijacking" anything. Everyone like me who has been at OWS since the beginning supports what I am doing and so do lots of people from the neighborhood so come and talk to me personally on Saturday and see what happens for yourself. Saturday is a day for occupations all over the city so Tompkins Square is only one of them and Gramercy Park is not a bad idea since it is a private park Peace and Justice. JP

john penley said...

For being the 100 poster you get a kiss from me if you show up at Tompkins Square on Saturday.

Lisa said...

Yes, Hey19-- your reward for being the 100th poster is that we've decided to single you out as the 1%. We the 99% plan on denouncing you in TSP this weekend, die yuppie scum!

john penley said...

I just got calls about coordinating the Islamic prayer service at Occupy Wall Street on Friday at 1:30pm followed by a big meal. Don't miss this gathering in support of OWS as it will be uplifting and beautiful. FYI people who call me a "hijacker" I put this event together with the head of NYC's Islamic Leadership Council.

Hey19 said...

Actually, John beat me to it. I was the 101th. So I guess I owe you a Kiss John. Ill be there, I was at WSP last sat. Ill be at TSP this sat. Like I said, I really support OWS. I just dont want to see the movement discredited by some of the standard east village characters. Keep it legit, keep it on message, and keep it safe/non violent.

cornbread said...

i am just astounded by the number of right wing idiots on EV GRIEVE of all places.
And John is no hi-jacker, he is a fuckin HERO. Get it straight people and let's bring it fucking back where it belongs!!! SICK!

Anonymous said...

John, The fact that you'd claim "victory" because "Yuppies" will leave and a party got cancelled just tells me that you have in fact glommed OWS. This isn't about the conditions of the East Village, it's about something bigger. If you think it's the 1% roaming the streets here, you're sadly mistaken. The fact that OWS planning took place here, but the demonstration is elsewhere should tell you something. I'm all for OWS and getting their message out everywhere, but from your comments here it seems you've got a separate agenda.

Anonymous said...

at least this is not a YIPPIE ZIPPIE action.. HATS OFF TO MR. PENLEY THIS BUD'S FOR YOU

Lisa said...

"i am just astounded by the number of right wing idiots on EV GRIEVE of all places." (-Cornbread)

I'm trying to keep non-conformism alive & well, Cornbread. Just consider my "right wing" ideology a Punk gesture.

Lindsay said...

Well, Johnny Ramone was a republican...

john penley said...

I plan to spend the night with OWS on Wall Street tonight and will possibly be arrested in the morning. In the event that I do not get out of jail in time to start Occupy Tompkins Square Park I hope you all will do it for me and I will be there as soon as I can. Revolt and Resist John Penley

Anonymous said...

I moved to the LES in 1979, I am still here, but not for long as things change and I can longer afford to live here. I have been down to Liberty Plaza and it is a beautiful, energized movement of PEOPLE! All people! This is the only way to create change. People power. I welcome the people to TSP. I retract an earlier reaction, if I may, and say that I applaud John for his commitment and energy to this people's movement.

Crazy Eddie said...

From MoveOn:

"Unless we act now, tomorrow morning could mark the end of the occupation of Wall Street.

Mayor Bloomberg has ordered the NYPD to clear Zuccotti Park at 7 a.m. tomorrow. Protesters would only be allowed back inunder new rules that would make it impossible to continue the occupation.1 But this is our city, our park, andour mayor, so as New Yorkers, we can put a stop to this.

If you can, come to Zuccotti Park tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. to stand with the protestersat the moment when they need us most. They've put everything on the line to stand up against Wall Street greed andthe corruption of our democracy. Tomorrow morning it's time to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

And right now call the city at 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675), and demand thatMayor Bloomberg respect the protesters' First Amendment rights and not interfere with this peaceful occupation. Press "0"to speak to an operator when it asks you to choose a language.You can also text the Mayor at 311692. Your regular cell phonetexting charges will apply.

Mayor Bloomberg claims the shutdown is necessary for "cleaning operations," but this tactic has been used to endprotests before. And the new rules explicitly prohibit tarps, sleeping bags, and even "lying down."

This "operation" is not about cleaning, it's about trampling on the First Amendment rights of protesters to speakout against economic injustice and gather peaceably to petition the government. It could damage the movement that has beenspreading across the country.

So come to the park Friday morning at 6 a.m. to stand with the protesters.

And right now, call 311, or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675), and tell them you want Occupy Wall Street to be allowed to remainin Zuccotti Park without restrictions on their ability to camp overnight. You can alsotext the Mayor at 311692. Your regular cell phone texting charges will apply.

Thanks for all you do.

–Justin, Carrie, Michael, Anna,and the rest of the team

P.S. You can also sign up to get SMS text alerts on OccupyWall Street."

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/user/HowTheWorldWorks

Anonymous said...

I am starting a we support wall street and everything they do protest in TSP next weekend. Please everyone come support Wall St and all the awesome conservatives in NY!

Anonymous said...

JOHN PENLEY, HERO AS HE HAS THE GUTS TO SAY AND DO FOR ALL OF US ....

Anonymous said...

I don't think any East Villager would object to OWS in the park--regardless of how one feels about the movement--so long as the participants are respectful of the park, the neighborhood, and the neighbors. (And thus far, that's been their M.O.)

Sure, the EV has a long history of activism, but it's primarily--and for much longer--a home for peace-loving families and people who like it that way.

It's loud mouthed rabble-rousers, looking for TV time or to be "livestreamed" in the name of some specious cause, that draw the ire of residents and are no less disruptive than frat boys puking on our streets.

Rocky Raccoon said...

Hey Penley:

Are things on for tomorrow in TSP and if so when and are people going to go from TSP to Times Square for the action there at 5 pm?

john penley said...

Hell yes things are definitely on for tomorrow. People will be at the park at noon. Some will be leaving for Times Square and some will not. It is my understanding that Judith Malina and the Living Theater will lead a march from Times Square to Union Square and then on to Tompkins Square. Anyone who can bring food to share, drums, musical instruments, art supplies anything else you can think of to make this a fun and noisy but peaceful occupation.

Jeremiah Moss said...

Anon 10/14, i have to say that demonstrators are much less disruptive than the puking frat boys, since the frat boys are here all the time, every night, and worse every single weekend. demonstrators, however, come to the EV and make noise how often? once or twice a year?

if the frats and bachelorettes and pub crawlers came through just a couple times a year, this neighborhood would be so peaceful!

let's save the ire for the Wall Street-loving douche parade that ransacks the neighborhood every weekend, not for the people who are trying to make a difference.

idiothockeyplayer said...

Dear Rocky Raccoon,

I support OWS.

I also support the street hockey league that I play in at TSP every week, and so I don't much care for your thoughtless comments targeting this group in particular.

In case there's a lapse in memory on your part, you called the group 'assinine' and 'stupid', and you called its members 'idiots'. That's harsh, Rocky! And unbefitting for a Raccoon!

Allow me to deflect some of your oh so angry and bitter remarks:

First, the league only meets every Sunday, not every Saturday and Sunday as you erroneously report. Check your facts, Rocky! And games run from noon until 6pm. Whoever wants to skateboard, play pick-up softabll, touch football etc., is free to do so before or after those times. Indeed, they usually do, and no one raises a fuss.

Second, it's run entirely by volunteers who wanted to have a fun way to get some exercise and meet new people on Sundays. (How dare they?! Bring on the pitchforks!) The league regularly puts on tournaments to raise money for charity and recruits volunteers to help out at youth hockey games. (Ugh! Those slime balls!)

Third, you claim it's private. In what sense? In the sense that it's not run by any level of government? Sure, the OWS protests are private in that sense, too, no? In the sense that it's *closed* to the public? It's not. Anyone can join. In the sense that it's for profit? Again, no. So, what's your point here, Rocky?

Full disclosure: There is a registration fee to join to help with the costs of running the league (permits, equipment, etc.). Depends on how many players you have on your team, but it can be up to $90 for about 25 games and 7 months of hockey. Is this cheap? No, but it's reasonable for what you get, if ball hockey is your thing. Is this only within the means of the 1%? Hardly.

(By the way, I take it that you were calling it private to link it in spirit to the "corporate" soft-ball league and movie series that you were insulting, but that's just silly. Come now, Rocky!)

Fourth, many of the people who play in the league live in the East Village. Many of the people who come out to watch the games also live in the East Village. Every week after our games we head to local bars and eat their food and buy their beer, and they welcome us with open arms. And every week we clean up after ourselves, leaving the courts as pristine as they were when we arrived. Someone less grumpy than yourself might consider it a vibrant fixture in the community rather than a threat to all that you hold dear.

So this Sunday, after you're done protesting the massive injustice of corporate greed and wealth inequality, do something else good and hug a local street hockey player.

Sincerely,

Idiot Street Hockey Player