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November 17, 2011

Bloomberg-Secret Ally of the Occupiers

By Justin Samuels

Bloomberg's actions have revitalized the movement.

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One percenter Bloomberg maybe an ally of the occupation movement. He has done much to help this movement grow. The first time I and others saw the protesters in Zucotti Park, we dismissed them. Drummers and musicians perform for money all over New York City on a frequent basis. The pepper spraying of marchers on union square changed all that. For the first time, Occupy Wall Street got mainstream media attention. For the first time, the movement was known to the public.

Bloomberg wasn't done. Apparently he felt Occupy Wall Street needed a bigger boost. So when the marchers tried to cross the Brooklyn Bridge they were arrested. Seven hundred protesters being arrested caused the occupy movement to go worldwide. Media from the smallest players to the largest players covered this. The movement grew until it had political influence. An anti union law was overturned by public referendum in Ohio. A conservative ban on birth control was defeated in Mississippi. A move to recall Scott Walter in Ohio is in the works.

Despite all the good things happening because of Occupy Wall Street, Bloomberg evidently wanted us to step up the pace. While OWS worked hard, in camps around the country you had some lazy people who did nothing but sleep, drink, and party. While most protesters were law abiding citizens, there were a minority of criminals who wanted to take advantage of the openness of protesters. And yes, there is truth to this particular element causing health hazards such as insect infestations and other health hazards. Too much in the way of resources was spent on people camping out in the park. So the movement needed to be literally cleaned up, and Bloomberg delivered. In order to make this into a full fledged political movement, Bloomberg had to join the national move to close the camps. The mayor's office conducted a sneak raid on the camps. In the early am hours Zucotti was surrounded. This was at a time when lawyers and judges are sleeping, when there are almost no passerby, and when most media aren't going to be present. Trains bypassed stops in lower Manhattan. The press were not allowed in, Journalists were roughed up and arrested. The police shut Zucotti Park down. Networks weren't allowed to fly helicopters over to film this raid. According to the New York Daily News, 8 journalists were arrested.

The brutal tactics didn't wash well with the public. Worldwide it gave occupiers a big boost in moral. Mainstream media was more sympathetic with protesters. Coming out of the American capital of media, this occupy shutdown got attention like no other occupy shutdown would. Occupy now doesn't need the camps. Like any other group of people, occupiers have cellphones, computers, and electronic media. Occupiers may not be able to camp out in locations, but the real work of any political movement isn't in camping. Thank you, Mayor Bloomberg, for giving occupy, the city, and the world this new day.



Authors Website: http://twitter.com/#!/screenwriter32

Authors Bio:

Screenwriter. Historian. BA in History and certificate in Latin American studies from Cornell University. MA in English Education from Columbia University. Very interested in public policy.


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