• Daily Kos: A Black Woman Who Occupied Wall Street: Why She Won’t Be Going Back.
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/17/1027186/-A-Black-Woman-Who-Occupied-Wall-Street:-Why-She-Wont-Be-Going-Back

    The days I spent at the Occupy Wall Street action in the park were harrowing to say the least. The racism is rampant. There is no regard for the need to factor in black issues or empowerment nor is black leadership in actuality encouraged or welcome, even though they claim it is. There are many white men there are very domineering, controlling, demeaning, sarcastic, condescending and do not make black women feel safe, welcome, empowered, appreciated or protected. They have no regard for black people or women.

    Women are being molested in the park and there is no real viable system in place to handle it without the need for police intervention. There are white supremacists groups running around there. There are people smoking drugs there even though it puts the entire action at risk and even after being told that the General Assembly had consensus on the fact that there should be no smoking of cigarettes as they are not only a health hazard to everyone and gives support to the tobacco companies, but also a potential fire hazard, people continue to smoke with no regard for their fellow protesters.

  • Daily Kos: BREAKING: Cuomo Tries to Shut Down Occupy Albany (But Cops Push Back)
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/24/1029509/-BREAKING:-Cuomo-Tries-to-Shut-Down-Occupy-Albany-(But-Cops-Push-Back)?det

    In a tense battle of wills, state troopers and Albany police held off making arrests of dozens of protesters near the Capitol over the weekend even as Albany’s mayor, under pressure from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration, had urged his police chief to enforce a city curfew.
    ....
    “We were ready to make arrests if needed, but these people complied with our orders,” a State Police official said. However, he added that State Police supported the defiant posture of Albany police leaders to hold off making arrests for the low-level offense of trespassing, in part because of concern it could incite a riot or draw thousands of protesters in a backlash that could endanger police and the public.

    “We don’t have those resources, and these people were not causing trouble,” the official said. “The bottom line is the police know policing, not the governor and not the mayor.”

    A city police source said his department also was reluctant to damage what he considers to be good community relations that have taken years to rebuild. In addition, the crowd included elderly people and many others who brought their children with them.

    “There was a lot of discussion about how it would look if we started pulling people away from their kids and arresting them ... and then what do we do with the children?” one officer said.
    ...
    Joshua Vlasto, a spokesman for Cuomo, did not respond directly to questions about contact between Cuomo’s secretary, Larry Schwartz, and Jennings. “The state is working collaboratively with the city to enforce the curfew,” Vlasto said in a statement Friday evening.

  • Daily Kos: Occupy Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, Police, to provide OWS Convoy Escort
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/24/1029667/-Occupy-Army,-Marines,-Air-Force,-Navy,-Police,-to-provide-OWS-Convoy-Esco

    Apparently spurred by the shoutdown delivered by Marine Veteran Sgt Shamar Thomas to NYPD officers in Times Square, more military Occupy groups have been started. The Veracity of the these organizations may be questionable at this moment, but what can’t be questioned is the growth of the Occupy Movement, and its ability to attract Military Veterans, Active duty as well as retired and current Police Officers.