It was very chaotic in downtown Manhattan today and in the side streets lots of people milling around  Zucotti/Liberty Plaza --- I was there starting around noon -- police in vans racing around -- cops thick on the street -- helicopters hovering overhead, camera news crews and many many people milling around in the side streets. I spoke to a few people outside the fray, I couldn't get closer than two blocks away, the people on the street were in agreement with the removal of the folks from the plaza and also in agreement with the cause! Its hard to get it right -- you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time! To paraphrase Mr. Lincoln.

I was glad to have been there, one man I talked to worked in a street level bank and was in agreement with the OWS. He told me many of his customers were complaining about the take over of the plaza -- it limited their choices of places to sit and enjoy their lunch, even though there is a lovely park around city hall --- they had to lay off workers because of a loss of business, and no doubt these things influences the mayors decision to clear the place.In his press conference, he was asked why now and Bloomberg answered with a pathetic "Well if . . ." 

Bloomberg on Occupy Wall Street Zuccotti Raid: "The Decision Was Mi...

Mayor Bloomberg is in his third term, although in a referendum when Giuliani tried to extend his term, when he thought the city would never survive without him after 9/11. It was defeated by a large margin, Bloomie as he is affectionately known by some, and with the help of Christine Quinn running shot gun with the city council --did it by decree.

So we are allowed to be in the plaza but not sleep over with tents and such and there is a manned entry point, to search for prohibited tents hidden under a jacket I suppose. There is a country wide move to try to shut us down, to scatter us. The mayor of Oakland in an interview with the BBC said there was a co-ordinated plan to clear out 18 sites nation wide!

It is two days before a National Day of Action. November 17th 2011. Mr. Mayor, this is an idea, whose time has come. We are not going anywhere --- we are here and we are the 99%   

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imagine peace -- john lennon