For those who don’t know what the protests are all about, or those who are complaining that the dirty hippie anarchists don’t have a clear list of demands, look here.
Now, it's nationwide. This was in San Francisco.
It’s pretty straightforward stuff. Limit the powers of corporations. Start regulating the banks again. A bit of campaign reform (repeal citizens United. Free air time on NPR for candidates – I really like that one). I never really understood what this Glass Steagall act was all about, but they spell it out pretty clearly. And, very importantly, right there in the opening paragraphs, they lay special emphasis on the non-violent intentions of the demonstrators.
That was on display on the Brooklyn Bridge as well. Although I must confess to being a bit of a hothead myself and thought it was quite thrilling to see the protestors actually blocking traffic, it turns out that the police actually told people they could walk in the street and then arrested them for it.
Of course, the police deny that but, as anybody who has ever had any dealings with the police can tell you, the police lie. Chronically. They lie if they want to arrest you, they lie to entrap you, they lie about your rights, they lie about their rights, they lie to the press, they lie under oath on the stand.
So, the protesters who are actually present and protesting are better human beings than I am, all around. And that’s good. If these protests remain non-violent then teachers, retired people and all sorts of working class regular people who don’t really relish the idea of breaking windows and hurling bricks at the police from behind barricades of burning tires will be more willing to join in.
They are part of the 99%. If they become part of the protest movement, then it will become unstoppable.
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