Occupy movement at an important junction

The Occupy movement is still being portrayed as just a bunch of kids out for excitement. The mainstream press still isn’t taking this seriously.  A recent letter to the editor in The Wichita Eagle and elsewhere try to portray the Occupy people as lazy unemployed or underemployed, and not working with the system as the Tea Party did. Now in Oakland they are complaining that criminal elements, such as drug dealers are moving in.

This is not much different that what they accused the New Left of during the 1960s. When the press covered The Ozark Music Festival they claimed there were buses of prostitutes and sites for heroin users to buy dope and needles all at once. There was drugs and nudity, but I was there and saw no one selling heroin nor did I see any prostitutes.

This is not just a junior camp out. This is the beginning of Change. Much of the media and mainstream politicians are in denial. Their power is being threatened and they believe arresting a few people and throwing there sleeping bags away will solve the problem. They are very wrong. Once the elections are over this will only ratchet up not go away. Even here in Wichita, there is a small hard core who will not just go home and forget about it. This is real. The Tea Party was quickly co-opted by Greedy Republicans who took serious concerns and spun them in a way that fooled the workers that they were the victims and the Republican Party was their savior. This will not happen to the Occupy movement.

The revolution will not be sponsored by a lip-gloss company. - សតិវ អតុ

From the Occupy Oakland movement;

Occupy Oakland has been raided for a second time. Several people with the Interfaith Tent refused to leave Oscar Grant Plaza in an act of civil disobedience and were arrested in front of their tent. Likewise, three others who refused to leave the camp and sat on the amphitheater stage meditating were also arrested. At least one other occupier who refused to leave his tent was arrested. All tents and camp facilities that were not removed by occupiers before the raid have been smashed.

The plan now is to reconverge at the Oakland Main Public Library at

14th Street

and Madison at 4pm.

From the Mercury News;

Occupy Oakland Live Blog: Some protesters remain, while city workers dismantle camp

12:10 p.m. Some protesters remain while city workers throw away campers' belongings

More than a dozen protesters continue to congregate at the corner of 14th and Broadway, standing in front of about a dozen police officers who are behind metal fences. The protesters are doing TV interviews and sitting in a prayer circle.

A group of Hari Krishnas is playing drums and singing.
Meanwhile, inside the camp, public works crews are slowly removing items using two dump trucks. It appears they are throwing everything in the garbage.

11 a.m. Teacher observes scene

Also at the intersection of 14th and Broadway was a line of union workers, all wearing white armbands, who planned to help mediate if tensions erupted between police and protesters.

"We are a peaceful observer presence, to make sure nobody gets hurt," said Janan Apaydin, 55, a 4th grade teacher at Oakland's Kaiser Jr. Elementary School.
Like much of the crowd on Broadway, the union line found itself blocked off from the plaza when police swiftly overtook the camp area from multiple directions.

Hundreds of police officers raided the Occupy Oakland tent city at about 5 a.m. Monday. There were no reports of injuries or skirmishes and 32 were arrested for failing to disperse. Some campers started taking down their tents early. Officials are inventorying the camp so belongings can be returned.
For more click here.

From Occuypy Wichita, pix.