I am in awe of the people who are protesting Wall St. in NYC.

They are still camped out in Zuccotti Park, renamed Liberty Park by the protesters.

The MSM for the most part, has ignored them, so far.

But the more I think about it, the more I believe that they are slowly building something that no one day protest, no matter how big and no matter how much Media coverage, could accomplish.

It's been a difficult week at times, mainly due to the harassment of the NYPD who sought every excuse to make arrests. Some of those arrests were unnecessarily violent. But rather than deter people from showing up, those arrests only served to increase support for the protesters and double the number of people who slept over after video of the police abuse was seen on their livestream channel and on Utube.

There were rainy days. Tarps were used to protect the media equipment and to stay dry. But the NYPD declared tarps 'are illegal'.

@OccupyWallStNYC
#OCCUPYWALLSTREET

When life gives you rain, you make umbrella flash art: twitpic.com/6pi8vh #OccupyWallStreet #sep17

Clearly their presence and peaceful protests are NOT being ignored by the rulers of this country:

(thank you dixiegirrrrl for the photo)

General Assembly

What I think will make this protest successful and grow in numbers, not only in NYC, but in other cities is the reliance on the idea of a General Assembly. Each day the protesters hold meetings which can be viewed as they are happening on their Global Revolution Livestream

They got the idea from the protesters in Spain. The process is very Democratic, allowing people to make suggestions as to what their goals should be. They keep minutes of the GAs and are forming groups to handle different issues, such as the Legal Group, the Food/General Fund Group and the Labor Group etc. Volunteers then focus on those issues in each group. They decide what actions they will take each day, such as when to march on Wall St. eg.

This is the site for news from the General Assembly Occupy Wall Street General Asssembly

Last night, eg, they joined the Troy Davis protesters and together both groups pushed through the police motor-cycle lineup. Cops weren't expecting such a large crowd. They joined the vigil for Troy Davis starting several minutes before the execution.

Moment of silence for #TroyDavis #OccupyWallStreet #ourwallstreet

At least six people were arrested at the Troy Davis protest.

And yesterday they disrupted an Art Sale at Sotheby's which was organized by one of the groups, The Labor Group

Sotheby’s Action Statement – Labor Group

This morning activists involved in #OCCUPYWALLSTREET disrupted an art auction at Sotheby’s Art Auctions on the Upper East Side. Last year Sotheby’s made profits of $680 Million Dollars. Their CEO Bill Rupprecht awarded himself a 125% raise. At the same time Sotheby’s has decided to use union busting tactics, demanding over 100 concessions to the IBT 814 Art Handlers Union Contract.

#OCCUPYWALLSTREET supporters are appalled at the persistent attack on workers rights. We support the right of the workers to collectively bargain. Sotheby’s wants all new hires to have no collective bargaining rights, no health benefits and no job security. After locking out their unionized work force, Sotheby’s continues to operate using scabs and a non-union subcontractor. Sotheby’s Art Auctions epitomize the disconnect of the extremely wealthy from the rest of us. Sotheby’s Art Auctions are a sanctuary for the financial elite; where hedge fund managers & wealthy bankers bid millions of dollars for art objects; while the rest of us struggle to put food on the table because of their actions. These are the same financial elites who were bailed out in their moment of need and now refuse to pay their fair share in taxes. Many of these Hedge Fund Managers still pay a smaller tax rate than the rest of us. That is our money! End the greed & expose the disconnect!

I have been following events at the blog, The Dissenter. Blogger Kevin Gosztola has set up a Twitter Page where you can find the most credible people who are on the ground at Liberty Park, to follow ~ http://twitter.com/#!/kgosztola/take-wall-...

Coordinating with other Organizations

They have been receiving support from around the country and the world and are getting support from some of the Unions already:

@DustinSlaughter
Dustin M. Slaughter

RT @OccupyWallStNYC: The @steelworkers union sent us encouraging words of #solidarity! #OccupyWallStreet

While the MSM is mostly absent, other media is covering Occupywallstreet:

Al Jazeera Live Stream

The Guardian: The call to occupy Wall Street resonates around the world

If the current economic woes in Europe and the US spiral into a prolonged global recession, people's encampments will become a permanent fixtures at financial districts and outside stock markets around the world. Until our demands are met and the global economic regime is fundamentally reformed, our tent cities will keep popping up.

Bravo to those courageous souls in the encampment on New York's Liberty Street. Every night that #OCCUPYWALLSTREET continues will escalate the possibility of a full-fledged global uprising against business as usual.

And a great article from Amy Goodman at The Guardian:

Why 'Occupy Wall Street' makes sense

Outside in the cold Tuesday morning, the demonstrators continued their fourth day of the protest with a march amidst a heavy police presence and the ringing of an opening bell at 9.30am for a "people's exchange", just as the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange is rung. While the bankers remained secure in their bailed-out banks, outside, the police began arresting protesters. In a just world, with a just economy, we have to wonder: who would be out in the cold? Who would be getting arrested?

Keith Olbermann did a piece on the protests last night also.

Several other US Cities are now organizing occupations in solidarity with the NYC Protestors. I don't have links yet but some of the cities are:

@OccupyCleveland
Occupy Wall Street
#occupycleveland Makes Local News bit.ly/r4oAa0 #occupywallstreet @occupywallstnyc #Oct6 #ohio #cleveland

......

@revolution_info
Révolutions Info
#sep17 Occupy Houston Oct 6th Official Press Release Video: Occupy Houston Oct 6th Official ... bit.ly/ngAM35 #OccupyWallStreet

San Francisco
Cleveland
Atlanta
Houston
Chicago
LA

They are organizing and at least one has already begun their occupation with about 25 people so far.

Donations and food and requested equipment is still pouring in. And Liberatos Pizza is still delivering 'Occu Pies'!

Car Pools are being arranged all across the country for people who want to go to NY. There is a FB link where people can hook up for a car pool in different states

Wisconsin is sending buses.

Speaking of the Police. After the violent arrests on Wednesday people were angry. There was a discussion at the General Assembly as to how they should react to the Police, acknowledging that it is hard not to be angry when they police behave as they did that day. It was decided that they should not react angrily but work on getting the police over to their side. Since some of the cops have said they agree with what they are doing and would be with if they didn't fear losing their jobs, at least some of them understand, they are also threatened with cuts and lay-offs. Tonight one of the protesters gave a cop a flower, and 'he took it'

And someone left a teddy bear ~

Tomorrow, Saturday 24th there will be a rally at Wall St. if the cops do not shut it down again.

They are there for the long haul. This is from the Spanish Revolution about the idea of the General Assembly which was very successful in Spain. They are still protesting there and have sent good wishes to NYC.

Protesters in Spain

The disgust becomes a network.

But what is transformative is the process more than the product. It is the elaboration in open commissions and the decision taken in assembly. It is a new politics for exiting the crisis toward a new way of life built collectively. A slow process because, as a poster reads in Barcelona, “we’re going slowly because we’re going far.” So those who minimize the wikiacampadas still do not understand how profound they are. They may leave the squares, to return to them periodically, but they will not leave the social networks and the minds of those who participate. They are no longer alone. And they have lost their fear ..

The principles behind this form of protest are different than the one day big demonstrations. I can see it growing already.

And finally:

11 Things You Can Do to Help the 'Occupy Wall Street' Movement

1) Spread the word -- there's something going on. People have started a movement -- they're occupying Wall Street. Hundreds of people have been camped out in lower Manhattan for four days!

2) If you're in New York and can only spare a little time or money: bring American flags, cardboard, markers, water, etc. down to Liberty Park.

3) If you're in the New York area and have a day, a morning, an afternoon, go down there. The weather appears to be holding. Take the day off and just go. I know it sounds hard to believe but you will be heard. This is an open general assembly effort and you will get your say and be a real participant.

4) If you are a little ways from NYC, organize foursomes to go to NYC for the day. It will cost you the train/bus/car fare. Take nothing but some food and water and your body.

5) Too far to get to NYC? Sign this petition and I will read your name and comments in Liberty Park this week, I promise. Break Up Goldman Sachs Now!

6) Be subversive against the big money interests wherever you are and encourage others to do the same. Don't give the banksters 4 percent of every purchase you make with a credit or debit card -- use cash. See: UseCashMovement

7) Be subversive: max out your credit card on large ticket items and return them the next day. (This one is right out of the Saul Alinsky playbook.)

8) Move your money from a big bank to a credit union.

9) Picket a local branch of a bank. When the press asks you what the heck you think you're doing, tell them it's in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street.

10) Send food to the protesters in Liberty Park through a New York friend or go to the live stream chat for information on local eats that will take your order. (Yes, you'll have to use your credit card, big spender!)

11) Do you know anybody who knows anybody who knows a writer, a celebrity, etc. who will show their face at the protest? Get to them now.

Bonus Support Idea 12) Spread the word again, and repeat!