Mayor Michael Bloomberg did two favors for the Occupy Wall Street protestors. First, he let them stay in Zucotti Park long enough for them to be missed when he kicked them out. Second, he kicked them out. The latter may need explaining.
At 1 AM on Tuesday morning, 11/15, an overtime army of New York City Police Officers removed the Occupy Wall Street protestors, sleeping bag and baggage, from Zucotti Park in lower Manhattan. The stated reason for evicting them was offenses in excess of their First Amendment right to gather. More likely, the reason was being an unwholesome encampment on public property, unredeemed by Hippie nostalgia. Either way, their removal was complete, but not permanent. As a judge affirmed later that day, they may return to Zucotti Park and protest, but they may not live there. That’s the favor.
Now, that Occupy Wall Street supporters can only stand in protest, they have to stand for something. There are no secondary benefits to being on your feet all day in all kinds of weather. You’re never going to outlast an executive in an Aeron chair, so you need a specific goal and, most of all, you have to keep your eyes on the prize. A strong commitment to a vague ideal won’t work anymore. Everyone is against economic injustice. If the one per cent could have the same amount of wealth and privileges without doing violence to the ninety-nine per cent, they’d grab it. Some wouldn’t, but some protestors attacked an Emergency Medical Service worker. The Occupy Wall Street movement needs an agenda and to achieve that, they need a leader. None of this hand-waving stuff, you might as well wring your hands against injustice. The movement needs someone who will both take the lead and take the call when Mayor Bloomberg wants his favors repaid. (Don't think he forgot.)
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