Wall Street Protest

The unions march to Foley Square and Zuccotti Park,
October 5

 Foley Square Rally: Save the American Dream

The march was a controlled event. Although it had been advertised as starting at 4:30 by Move-On.  I decided to get there early. By 3:30 the marchers were already moving slowly from someplace around City Hall on the west sidewalk of Broadway, north to Foley Square. The route had been prepared by the police with metal barricades.  The police, in large numbers, on foot, in cars and on motor scooter, made sure that the marchers stayed on the sidewalk. There were as many as seven helicopters circling above -- at taxpayers' expense.

The composition of the marchers: mostly white collar union types -- municipal unions -- nurses, teachers, professors and students, with a sprinkling of UAW and many others. The largest contingent was from CUNY (the PSC). The NYPD was playing "good cops"; the white shirts in the background rather than near the marchers. Nobody was going to get out of line in this group.  Onlookers and those taking pictures were gently managed and it was possible (at that time) to move on and off the sidewalk if one was not carrying a sign and not perceived as "a marcher."

Once in Foley Square the barrier was tightened between the "outside" and the mostly inarticulate demonstration on the square (milling around, some bongo drums, lots of signs, cheers, but no speeches). There was a holiday atmosphere from a lively group showing support for the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators. The soul and determination of this movement reside in the protestors encamped in Zuccotti Park.  Bloomberg, Kelly and the cops know this, and that is the group they want to break.

I snapped a few pictures. Anyone deciding not to  continued on to Zuccotti Park was unable to leave except by the Lexington Ave Subway entrance which the police controlled,  permitting entrance to the subway but no exit from it.  I left at six fifteen and headed home.

Addendum: After I left, under the cover of darkness and out of public view, the cops arrested 23 protestors. That's what New Yorkers get for electing a billionaire for a third term after the City Council narrowly reversed the term limit law.

Thus far only one public official, Councilwoman Gale Brewer,  has publicly complained about the pattern of police brutality. 

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