by Nicole Powers

The action that had taken up much of the first part of my day had gone down in my personal history as one of the most civilized political protests I’d ever participated in (see previous post). It was in a great neighborhood – the mayor’s – in the midst of a handsome tree-lined street, which provided just the right amount of shade. The neighbors we surprisingly happy to see us, which is testament to how popular Rahm Emanuel is in his own hood. There was lots of beautiful flowering shrubbery, albeit with riot cops popping up out of it at regular intervals, and vendors were serving ice cream and fruit popsicles out of carts.

Afterwards I’d hopped onto a train and returned to 99% Solidarity’s temporary base to edit images and exploit their wi-fi so I could upload them. I’d also intended to post an updated blog, but then shit started hitting the proverbial fan…

I first began to realize that something was awry when several sources warned me it might be best if I refrained from attending a National Streamers Meeting that was planned for that evening. Then Twitter started to explode with news that superstar livestreamer Tim Pool’s (aka @Timcast) Chicago lodging had been surrounded and searched. Later Pool tweeted that his car had been stopped and that he, fellow streamer Luke Rudkowski a.k.a. @Lukewearechange, and three others has been detained by CPD at gunpoint (see video below). Other 140 character or less posts confirmed the monitoring, detainment and/or arrest of several other online personalities and streamers.

Justified paranoia set in amongst their ranks as they realized they may have become targets of a coordinated effort to silence the truly free media. @YourAnonNews perhaps summed it up best, when they called it “a war on bloggers.”

The rationale for this strategy became all too apparent after two marches – one in support of the NATO 3 who had been arrested earlier in the day and another against police brutality – converged and rapidly devolved into a brutal cat and mouse game. After several hours, the police kettled increasingly panicked protesters in Millennium Park.

At this point, I got a call from one of our #CaliDST members @TRWBS, who’d been shooting at close quarters when a police van had seemingly deliberately plowed down a protester (he was later identified as Jack Amico of Occupy Wall Street). @TRWBS’ footage of the incident was among the first to be archived, and rapidly went viral (see video below). There were numerous other images being posted of shocking uses of force, arrests, and bloody injuries.

Like a deer in headlights, at one point I just sat head in hands, overwhelmed by what was coming through on the various Twitter feeds and Livestreams. Events were unfolding faster than I could process them. I was at a loss for words and stopped even attempting to type. And just when I thought shit couldn’t get crazier, it did.

Likely panicked by footage of the carnage on the street, which by now had hit the mainstream news, a call came into 99% Solidarity’s base saying that the bus company had cancelled all of the NNU-sponsored buses, which had been booked to transport protesters from Occupy Chicago’s Convergence Center to the main #M20 #NoNATO rally at Grant Park the next day. The tone of the bus coordinator’s voice, which I overheard as it was broadcast on speakerphone, said more than any of the words coming out of his mouth as he laid out a litany of so last minute they were implausible excuses as to why suddenly absolutely none of the fleet of 14 buses would be available the next day.

With chaos still raining on the streets, I monitored the livestreams to make sure my fearless #CaliDST friends were OK. One by one they signed off for the night, and as the Twitterverse calmed down I finally succumbed to sleep.

Full disclosure: Nicole Powers has been assisting with 99% Solidarity’s efforts and is in no way an impartial observer. She is proud of this fact.

Related Posts:

99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 1 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago
99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 2 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago
99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 3 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road TripFrom Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago
99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 4 (Pt. 1) Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago

by Nicole Powers

After 50 hours on the road, and three days without a proper night’s sleep, tiredness was becoming a serious factor. Our ragtag group of activists, occupiers, and livestreamers had gathered in Pershing Square between 3 and 4 AM on the morning of Wednesday, May 16, and most, including us, had foregone sleep the night before in order to make last-minute preparations. The expected 4 AM departure of the three 99% Solidarity-organized and National Nurses United-funded Los Angeles occu-buses had been delayed for two hours while we awaited the arrival of the Bay Area Nine – a heroic group of Oakland and San Francisco occupiers who had traveled down via Greyhound after their direct ride to Chicago had been cancelled at short notice. It was therefore around 6 AM before we finally set off from Downtown LA.

Our journey time had been further extended by two separate cases of overheated-engine syndrome as we convoyed through the Nevada desert, and a minor medical emergency 100+ miles away from the Illinois state line. A few over-extended, but essential, pee and smoke breaks had also impacted our ETA. When we arrived at our final destination, a short walk away from Occupy Chicago’s Convergence Center at around 6 AM on Friday May 19, we were nearly half a day late. But despite the exhaustion, our spirits were for the most part high, boosted by the excitement of what was to come, and by the beauty of the city, which the majority of our group had never visited before.

As one of three designated bus captains, I hung around to make sure everyone was situated. Since the lateness of our arrival meant we’d mostly missed our accommodation opportunities for the night, some of our group decided to join other occupiers who were occupying Lake Michigan’s beach, some headed off to meet with friends, and the rest followed representatives from Occupy Chicago, who had kindly greeted us with an offer of breakfast, which would be served was soon as their Convergence Center opened at 8.30 AM.

With photos to edit and upload, and words such as these to file, I headed to a motel room which was serving as 99% Solidarity’s temporary base. Having been starved of a reliable internet connection for the past two days, there was much to catch up on, and very little time, since the march leading up to the NNU organized People’s G8 / Robin Hood Tax Rally was scheduled to star at 11 AM.

Following a shower, and a frenzy of emails, uploads, and social media posts, I grabbed a much-needed Starbucks, a liquid breakfast/boost being all I had time for. (Unfortunately, sometimes, corporate crack is unavoidable – and this was one of those occasions!) I met up with a core group of occupiers and activists at Michigan and Madison, and headed over to Daley Plaza with them.

As we made our way down East Washington, we admired the barricades which the Chicago Police Department had kindly laid out on either side of the street to make out of town occupiers feel right at home. Given the much-publicized increased police presence, which involved importing officers from several other states, the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed. When a group of CPD officers wearing full-on riot helmets cycled past on bikes, at this juncture, quite frankly the sight was more ridiculous than threatening. But as we closed in on Daley Plaza, the police presence was far less frivolous.

It was heartening to see an impressively large crowd had turned out to support the nurses and their call for a Robin Hood Tax. This overworked and underpaid group are on the frontlines of the war against the working and middle class – the breakdown of the economy being particularly salient to those who staff our emergency rooms. There is therefore a natural affinity between the goals of Occupy and the nurses union, who were among the first of the traditional labor organizations to support the fledgling alternative grassroots activist movement.

Another stalwart supporter of the Occupy movement is Tom Morello, who performed at the rally once the talk was done. He gleefully taunted Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who had attempted to silence the Rage Against the Machine guitarist by pulling the NNU’s permit after they announced he was scheduled to perform. The resulting public outcry, and the tenacity of the nurses who were determined to exercise their right to free speech with or without a permit, having forced Emanuel to relent.

“I know damn well I’m welcome in Chicago” Morello said to the cheering and appreciative crowd. “The mayor’s office tried to shut this whole thing down…How ridiculous for the mayor’s office to think I would do anything to hurt Chicago? Chicago is my favorite city on the whole world.”

After Morello’s perfectly pitched mix of rhetoric and rebel songs, the rally dissipated. The nurses took to their buses, occupiers took to the streets, and, after another burst of essential online activity, this activist/journalist voted for sleep.

Visit our gallery at SuicideGirls.com for oodles more images from the event.

To keep tabs on the progress of the Chicago bus trip and actions, subscribe to the 99% Solidarity media Twitter list and check in with us via the following livestreams:

Full disclosure: Nicole Powers has been assisting with 99% Solidarity’s efforts and is in no way an impartial observer. She is proud of this fact.

Related Posts:

99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 1 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago
99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 2 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago

by Nicole Powers

Day 2 of our epic journey was very flat, but literally, rather than metaphorically. Having made it through Denver’s Rocky Mountains under the cover of darkness while most on the bus were asleep, we woke up to a spectacular sunrise as we sped across the border into Nebraska. There the terrain was level, very level, as were heads on our designated LA media bus.

California Dream Stream Team member, OccupyFreedomLA conducted classes aboard the bus on livestreaming and social media. A veteran occupier, she also made sure everyone knew the local Chicago National Lawyers Guild number and also read out a briefing she’d been given on the Chicago Police Department’s provisions for press over the long weekend. The CPD “Ground Rules For Media” included these ‘highlights’:

No “cutting” in and out of police lines will be permitted, or “going up against their backs.” Those who follow protesters onto private property to document their actions are also will be subject to arrest if laws are broken. Any member of the media who is arrested will have to go through the same booking process as anyone else. Release of equipment depends on what part the equipment played in the events that led to the arrest…

There will not be any quick personal recognizance bond just for media members…

But police emphasized that those who choose to walk amid the protesters are “on your own.” The department cannot guarantee the safety of those who do so and cannot guaranteed that they can extract any reporter who ends up the target of protesters.

That last line about reporters becoming targets of protesters was particularly inflammatory, and received the appropriate derisive response from our 99% Solidarity media crew, who though not impartial, were there to accurately report the news rather than make it with acts of violence. Indeed, everyone on board all of the 99% Solidarity buses had signed a non-violence pledge confirming their peaceful intentions, which was a pre-requisite for boarding.

Talking of peaceful, positive and progressive intentions, after members participated in one of the weekly Media Consortium Inter-Occupy press briefing calls, we had some great conversations on the direction of the movement over the course of the day – and some even greater ones with our bus drivers’ who shared their thoughts on Occupy, which were all very constructive if not entirely supportive. Of the three drivers we’d had (who’d operated in shifts due to the length of our trip), somewhat surprisingly given his former occupation, it was our last driver who turned out to be our biggest champion. Though a former Marine, he shared many of our anti-NATO sentiments, expressing a frustration at our government’s overseas policy and treatment of veterans, which was naturally tempered by his loyalty to his fellow servicemen.

When the conversation died down, the documentaries Casino Jack and The United States of Money, about corrupt lobbyist (is there any other kind?) Jack Abramoff, and Exit Through the Gift Shop, about street artist Banksy and his accidental protégé Mr. Brainwash, kept our group entertained. The standard revolution diet of pizza, again, kept them sustained.

As we drove into Iowa, we were confronted by another spectacular sunset. Our livestreamers, who by now had their own designated hashtag #CaliDST, were getting quite competitive when capturing these.

A minor medical emergency delayed us for an hour just before crossing the Illinois state border. As we headed into Chicago almost 50 hours after our journey had begun, those on the bus let out a collective cheer as we spied the spectacular skyline. Another sunrise, this time over the waters of Lake Michigan, greeted us as we drove into the heart of the city.

Our buses stopped at Lakeshore & Belmont, just a few blocks away from Occupy Chicago’s Convergence Center. Local Occupy members kindly met us with promises of a much-needed breakfast as soon as the staging area opened at 8.30 AM that day. Most on the bus decided to take them up on their offer, not wanting to make history on an empty stomach. Indeed news of the protesters arrival in the Windy City in a fleet of 14 99% Solidarity/NNU buses had already found its way into the mainstream media, with a photo of the first of four from NYC taking up most of the Chicago Sun-Times front page!

To keep tabs on the progress of the Chicago bus trip and actions, subscribe to the 99% Solidarity media Twitter list and check in with us via the following livestreams:

Full disclosure: Nicole Powers has been assisting with 99% Solidarity’s efforts and is in no way an impartial observer. She is proud of this fact.

Related Posts:

99Solidarity Bus Trip: Day 1 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago

by Tim Hardy

The livestreams and photographs coming from the May 12th Occupy London action outside The Royal Exchange are deeply distressing. The police are acting with impunity, seemingly unconcerned by the fact that their behavior is being witnessed. There are many images to review and videos to watch but the sequence in this video from 8.52-9.22 stood out immediately.

As the policeman in the front pulls back at 8:52 you can see one of his colleagues in the background has his gloved hand clamped over the mouth of a woman who is seated. As the video continues, you can see quite clearly how distressed she is by police behavior.

Whatever you think of Occupy, whatever you think of protest, whatever your politics – this is unacceptable behavior and the police officer in question should be suspended from duty immediately. There needs to be an urgent review into policing of peaceful protest like this.

With the police behaving with such open aggression towards peaceful protesters, how long will it be before they kill another innocent?

There were further reports of excessive force being used against women on May 12 including this tweet from @jjarichardson:

And this video from @wyrdsisterz:

The above video was upload by YouTube user yetanotherwyrdo who writes:

May 12th 2012 peaceful protest against global economic injustice outside Bank Of England, women targeted, pulled from peaceful assembly, arrested and being man-handled by 8 x City Of London Police, arms handcuffed behind back, 4 on top of her, Police kneel on her neck and then neck braced by 4 x City Of London Police, she unsurprisingly has an anxiety attack.

Another video, below (via occupylondon.org), includes an interview with a woman who was threatened by the police with having her children put into the custody of social services because she was a protester.

If you were involved in or witnessed any of these incidents please contact the Green and Black Cross legal team at gbclegal@riseup.net.

Tim Hardy is a software engineer, activist and writer from London with a particular interest in the role of technology in driving social and political change. He is the founder and editor of beyondclicktivism.com and can be found on twitter at @bc_tmh.

by Blogbot

We last had the folks from OccupyLA in the SG Radio studio on October 6th, 2011. Since then, a lot has happened for them – and the Occupy movement as a whole.

Back then, OccupyLA’s occupation of the grounds outside City Hall was barely a week old, and no one had much idea of what the future might hold. Certainly few outsiders would have predicted they’d be alive and kicking seven months on.

Though they lost their permanent encampment in early December, 2011, after a brutal police raid, you can’t evict an idea – and OccupyLA had a big one – to mark International Workers’ Day with a massive day of action.

The resolution, which was first tabled by members of OccupyLA in a General Assembly (GA) held in November 2011, was taken up by other occupations nationwide, and on May 1st thousands of people in well over 100 cities participated in the May Day General Strike.

In Los Angels, the day was marked with marches from the 4 Winds in the North, South, East, and West corners of the sprawling metropolis, which converged with other immigrant/workers rights protests in Downtown LA. A special OccupyLA May Day GA was then held in the evening in Pershing Square, where it all began.

By sundown, Pershing Square was packed, with many new and perspective occupiers experiencing a GA for the first time. The overwhelming sense of camaraderie emitted by the large crowd was palpable, as strangers were quickly united by a common goal and the process of radical and truly representative democracy.

The momentum of the movement (that most in the mainstream seriously underestimate) continues as the focus shifts to Chicago, with large gatherings and protests planned in honor of the People’s Summit, NATO, and the (hastily relocated) G8.

On Sunday, as OccupyLA encamps in the SuicideGirls Radio studio, we’ll be reflecting on May Day, celebrating the many triumphs of the movement, and talking about its future hopes, dreams, and grounded, pragmatic and attainable goals.

For more on OccupyLA visit their website, Facebook and Twitter.

We’ll also be hearing from our good friend George from Occupy affinity group 99% Solidarity. He’ll be calling in from NYC to give us the skinny on the FREE Chicago bus trips the group is organizing to coincide with the various planned protests there later this month. For more details visit: 99solidarity.com/chicago/

Tune in to SuicideGirls Radio live on Sunday May 6 from 10 PM til Midnight PST at: suicidegirlsradio.indie1031.com/
(hit the top right “listen Live” button)

For updates on all things SG Radio-related, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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by Aaron Colter

As unpopular as black bloc tactics are with the general public following vandalism across the country during May Day, the Occupy movement still needs support from more radical members if it’s to continue to be effective.

First, understand that black bloc isn’t just a handful of young punks dressing in all black to smash windows. Unfortunately, all black bloc members and anarchists have been categorized as people who engage in ill-targeted property destruction. In fact, however, one core idea of black bloc is to act as a wall of protection against potential police brutality at non-permitted marches — a human circle of sacrificial activists who are willing to push the line forward and become the first to defend protestors from riot cops.

There are many who considered the entire notion of having to request a permit in order to protest to be absurd given the language of the Constitution and the rights guaranteed within, and have no desire to be financially liable for any potential expenses appraised by the city following such a protest or march.

Considering the aggressive, indiscriminate, and, at the very least, excessive use of force by police departments against protestors in nearly every major city in America during non-permitted marches, at least some black bloc tactics seem necessary in order to engage in any form of mass public protest today.

Second, while it’s true that the adolescent, mostly male contingent that has been breaking windows of late negatively effects the perception of the Occupy movement as a whole, the aggression and desire for destruction should be understood.

Like in London, when mass looting engulfed portions of the city in the summer of 2011, the smashing of windows in American cities in the spring of 2012 can be seen as natural, albeit ignorant, physical projections of a society that has raised its children under the absent culture of unchecked capitalism and the systemic corruption of nearly all leaders.

But just as both the looting in London and the smashing of windows in America is a failure of society as a whole to install civic responsibility in its youth, it is also a horrendous failure on the part of the Occupy movement for not properly channeling the anger of its more radical protestors into actions that have a more substantial effect towards the goals of abolishing economic injustice.

Furthermore, the misguided actions of the youth today are not necessarily the foundations for a violent and unproductive future. Consider, for example, Bill Ayers.

While aggressive male behavior is a serious issue for public safety in modern culture, there are strong tones of hypocrisy in what is considered acceptable forms of these outburst on the part of society when reflecting on the response of police towards vandals following a sporting event riot compared to the outcry when similar destruction is born out of political outrage.

Those who have become disenfranchised may not see any hope or value in appealing to government representatives inside the legislative process. Still, there are types of vanguardism that could satisfy the primal urges of frustrated individuals unquenched by standard marches, and even some tactics that can be employed by individuals too indifferent to work on projects both within and outside the established system to cause incremental change.

Guidelines for defending against agents of the state, engaging in property destruction, and other radical actions are necessary to encourage the following:

1. That supporters and other members of the community who have not sanctioned such actions are not physically harmed. The idea that provoking police brutality will call attention to the violence of the state is false as such brutality is well-known and often ignored in the mainstream media, and also because it creates a sometimes lasting rift between individuals who might otherwise become collaborators.

2. That targets selected be those that are the worst violators of community sustainability, those that are activity contributing to the demise of workers’ rights, organizations profiting off the erosion of personal liberty, and global corporations continuing to economically exploit underprivileged people.

3. That actions are intelligently focused on spreading a message that will ultimately convert more people to the cause of ending oppression.

By considering the above ideas, a wide range of tactics can be adopted by those who wish to directly confront organizations they see as damning to their well-being through subversion without compromising the security of less extreme individuals or the much-needed populist support.

Breaking the windows of random cars owned by ordinary citizens during a mass gathering is not a tactic that falls within any of the guidelines above. A well-positioned display of graffiti art on a billboard, corporate bank, or police station that is deployed during the night, however, could be a worth-while action depending on the values of the community and possible support the movement could gain from such a tactic.

Marches, rallies, and other large public display of dissidence are ways to encourage the amiable base of current supporters and perhaps a way to change the modes of thinking of potential comrades, but such gatherings and actions are rarely a way to provide concrete alterations in the economic structure of our society.

In the end, if a successful revolution is to happen – one that does not completely destroy the framework of a functioning community, but dynamically changes the systems in which we as humans relate to one another through the exchange of goods and services in harmony with the environment – then a great and diverse amount of support will be needed.

Never in the history of mankind have the rich and powerful given up government control, the means of production, or positions of unearned entitlement willfully. Only a well-coordinated effort on the part of all working class people can alleviate the burden the classist machine now in place. To do so, we much embrace different approaches, but always be mindful of our common goals.

“Anything you can do to rebel against economic tyranny and financial oppression in a nonviolent manner is welcome. You are the leader!”

This phrase was one of the founding calls to action when Occupy Wall Street first began in October of 2011. Now, tactics must advance to ensure actions undermine the structure of global dominance born from the unholy marriage of big business and big government while converting hearts and minds to the cause of personal liberty and communal happiness for all people.

Engage. Educate. Evolve.

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by Nicole Powers

This #M1GS post will be updated as news comes in throughout the day. We’re working with Media for the 99 Percent to bring you up-to-the-minute coverage. If you have a photo, link, or news item you’d like us to diseminate, please Cc. @SuicideGirls and include the #M1GS hashtag in your tweet.

Occupywallst.org have put together an excellent Checklist for May Day protesters, which includes advice on what to bring, how to deal with the police, and what to do if you find yourself facing arrest.

For a nationwide directory of May Day actions visit: occupywallst.org

Catch the OccupyLA #M1GS Action Via The Following Livestreams:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/crossxbones
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/savagetruth
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spiritanimalsola
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/PMbeers
http://www.ustream.tv/occupyfreedomla
http://www.ustream.tv/willyforeal
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Occupyminds
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupy-fights-foreclosures
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupysfvmedia

Catch the OccupyNYC #M1GS Action Via The Following Livestreams:
http://www.ustream.tv/timcast
http://www.ustream.tv/user/OccupyCarlisle
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupymusician
http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

3:03 AM PST: May Day gets off to a flower-powered start as masked protesters distribute thousands of roses and carnations to commuters at London’s Liverpool Street Station. Attached were tags which read: “This flower is a May Day gift from Occupy London. Please put it in water and enjoy it. There is something better out there.”

3:46 AM PST: The NYPD have been doing their homework and studying the history of #M1GS. In a report titled “NYPD Shield: Countering Terrorism Through Information Sharing” (fo’ realz!) they note:

The “General Strike” was initially proposed by the Los Angeles node of OWS in November 2011, endorsed by Occupy Oakland at the end of January 2012, and subsequently endorsed by the OWS New York General Assembly on February 14.

3:53 AM PST: The media lineup to report in NYC (but will their coverage be fair and balanced?). @Occupied_Air reports that “At least 18 Media Vans already line the streets around #BryantPark In preparation for #Mayday events.”

4:18 AM PST: Embrace your inner Pagan and get your Wicker Man on! (But watch the original 1973 version featuring Britt Ekland and not the well dodgy 2006 remake with Nicolas Cage.) May Day is an ancient holiday which celebrates fertility. In Europe traditional rituals include Maypole and Morris dancing.

4:28 AM PST: And tents will fly!. A flying tent is spotted rising above London’s Barbican heading towards Paternoster Sq. Let the spring silliness begin.

5:35 AM PST: We’re with the band. @macfathom reports that unofficial #OWS house band the Rude Mechanical Orchestra is jamming out on “Which Side Are You On.”

6:12 AM PST: First reported #MayDay arrest in NYC at the protest outside the Bank of America at 6th Ave and 50th St. Vietnam vet stands in the middle of street as an act of pre-planned civil disobedience. Keep moving if you don’t want to enrich the prison industrial complex folks.

6:48 AM PST: A woman’s place is in the revolution. Great pic from NYC via Laurie Penny a.k.a. @PennyRed.

9:59 AM PST: 4,000 registered nurses strike in Northern California. Nurses at 10 Sutter Health hospitals walk off the job following a contract dispute that has lasted over a year. CBS reports that “though the strike is only supposed to be one day, the nurses have been told they won’t be allowed back to work until Sunday.”

10:19 AM PST: “Twitter is over capacity.” A sight I haven’t seen in a while – the Twitter fail whale blows.

10:36 AM PST: Occupy Oregon in da house. Portland schedule is in full effect. PDX students take the Broadway Bridge before marching on City Hall, and a foreclosure liberation is underway. This is what effective resistance looks like! A Roving Dance Party is to be held at 6 PM in the South Parks. Wanna tune in? A full list of PDX streams can be found at: http://www.opdxlive.org/#1

11:04 AM PST: Tom Morello and his big band stage in Bruyant Park before marching to Union Square for an epic performance of “Worldwide Rebel Songs” featuring the OWS Guitarmy.

11:17 AM PST: Time for a sleep-in at London’s Stock Exchange. Tents now occupy Paternoster Square.

11:41 AM PST: #M1 protesters and the Guitarmy take 5th Avenue. Protesters spill from the pavement onto the street.

12:02 PM PST: Occupy Denver rally at Civic Center Park. See pics via @EisMC2. The Wikileaks truck arrives – “Now the party can officially start!” A sleep-in protest on 16th Street Mall is planned later (9.30 PM thru 5.30 AM).

12:22 PM PST: Solidarity rally/concert feat. Tom Morello, Dan Deacon, Immortal Technique, Das Racist, Bobby Sanabria, and more is underway. NYCs Union Square in packed. “Let Freedom Spring!”

12:31 PM PST: Things have taken a turn for the worse in Oakland. Mother Jones writing fellow @garonsen reports that tear gas has been deployed and that arrests have been made. In his latest tweet he states “Police have backed off again and are warning protesters to clear the street. Unclear how many arrested.”

1:03 PM PST: Mother Jones has posted some powerful pictures from earlier on the Williamsburg Bridge. They report that 200 people marched from Brooklyn to Manhattan and were met by 100 cops “in varying degrees of riot uniform.” Nice police to protester ratio! #YourTaxDollarsAtWork

1:37 PM PST: Two arrests reported at Occupy Philly during action to close Wells Fargo branch. @GoPHARE says “All Other occupiers evade arrest” as they “Shut It Down!” @OccupPhilly says they’re now “Regrouping at rittenhouse.” More Philly #M1 action is planned for later in the day – see schedule.

1:54 PM PST: Stream is now live at London’s Paternoster Square sleep-in. (Watch at: http://bambuser.com/v/2604128) Police tell protesters they are “blocking the highway” and have just given them a second verbal warning. Having been threatened with impending eviction in 10 mins, sleepers are currently deciding how to respond. Should they stay or should they go? *Update* Protesters cautioned that if arrested they may be subject to an injunction which will ban them from the UK’s capital for 6 months.

2:27 PM PST: Union Square crowd estimated to be 8,000+ strong by Guardian and Independent writer Laurie Penny.

2:51 PM PST: Massive march snakes away from still packed Union Square. @OccupyWallStNYC reports that NYPD was “totally confused about how 2 let this huge permitted march happen” and that cheers erupted “as police finally back off and allow marchers to enter onto Broadway from Union Square.”

3:31 PM PST: OPD declares “unlawful assembly” and issues a dispersal order for Broadway & Telegraph. Watching livestream as instructions for leaving are given: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pfailblog “You must leave now. If you refuse to move you will be arrested. If you refuse to move chemical agents will be used.”

3:49 PM PST: Occupy Chicago own the banks. @occupychicago tweets: “just shut down the 5th boa of the day!” Strong turnout too – check out this great shot from above the streets posted on their Facebook.

4:09 PM PST: Thousands make their way down NYC’s Broadway and yet more are still stuck at Union Square – and Reuters just said “Occupy Wall Street resurgence a dud.” Call yourselves reporters; Try looking out your window people!

4:39 PM PST: NYPD has barricaded Wall St. even though unions apparently had permit for their Solidarity March there. Thousands of protesters are heading down from Broadway; The NYPD is telling them to move on, but there’s no where to move on to.

5:44 PM PST: Thousands converge for celebratory People’s Assembly at 55 Water in NYC’s Financial District – and more are on their way.

We’re signing off now, and heading down to Pershing Square for OccupyLA’s special May Day GA.

In Solidarity.
SuicideGirls
XOX

11:48 PM PST: Just got back from the special May Day Occupy LA GA. Following the 4 Winds marches, a massive crowd converged at Pershing Square in DTLA. A truly inspiring way to kick off the American Spring.

For more images from Occupy LA’s May Day GA visit our gallery.

Support Media for the 99 Percent by donating here.

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