#Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street May Seize Church-Owned Property 

Digital Journal,18 December, 2011

Occupy Wall Street protesters may try to seize a vacant lot from Trinity Church, says a member of the group's press team. But Trinity Church, a one-time ally, is refusing to let the Occupiers use this lot for their protests.

Their refusal is raising the hackles of the protesters, who are threatening to stake their claim anyway. In their zeal, they have turned on the church that had offered them meeting rooms and other facilities in the past.

According to MSNBC:

“Under the banner of "Re-Occupy," the protesters said they've assembled more than 1,400 people -- elders of the civil rights movement, prominent artists, faith leaders and community members -- to help them in their bid to try and set up camp in a nearly half-acre plot about one mile northwest of their former camp at Zuccotti Park, from which they were evicted on Nov. 15.”

The rector of Trinity Church, the Reverend Dr. James H. Cooper, refuses to cave to the pressure of the Occupy Wall Street movement. In a strong statement posted on the church’s website on December 9 he wrote:

“Calling this an issue of "political sanctuary" is manipulative and blind to reality. Equating the desire to seize this property with uprisings against tyranny is misguided, at best. Hyperbolic distortion drives up petition signatures, but doesn't make it right. Those arrested were not seeking sanctuary; they were seeking to be arrested. Trinity will continue our responsible outreach and pastoral services for all. We appreciate the many expressions of support we have received from so many in the community.”

Are the Occupiers Being Bullies?

If the Occupy Wall Street movement tries to occupy Trinity Church, they may gain supporters. But their actions may not help their movement or further their goals.

In a telephone interview with this reporter on Friday, Amy Showalter, author of The Underdog Edge, said that the Occupy movement is ignoring a central tenet of changing public opinion and facilitating political and social change—that of “playing nice.”

Showalter, an expert on grassroots political movements and how to influence powerful people, said that all of her research shows that “playing nice” and being respectful towards others is one of the most important qualities a group must demonstrate in order to affect social change.

Given Showalter’s statements, one must wonder if the Occupy Wall Street’s plan of occupying the highly respected Trinity Church is a smart move.

New York Occupy Wall Street Protestors March On After Day of Arrests At Vacant Lot Near Duarte Square

Huffington Post, 

18 December, 2011

NEW YORK -- Dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested Saturday after they scaled a chain-link fence or crawled under it to get to an Episcopal church-owned lot they want to use for a new camp site.

Protesters used a wooden ladder to scale the fence or lifted it from below while others cheered them on. A man wearing a Santa suit stood on the ladder among others, as they ignored red "Private Property" signs.

As officers made arrests, protesters shouted obscenities and hollered: "Make them catch you!" The group was inside the lot for a short time before being led out by police in single file through a space in the fence. About 50 people were arrested, police said.

"We're just trying to say that this country has gone in the wrong direction, and we need spaces that we can control and we can decide our future in, and that's what this is about," said David Suker, who was among those who scaled the fence.

For article GO HERE

Bid to evict St Paul's protest camp begins at high court

Lawyers to claim Occupy London movement 'setting rules and policing behaviour' in churchyard

US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has been among the high profile visitors to the St Paul's Occupy London camp. Photograph: Sean Smith for the Guardian

the Guardian,

18 December, 2011

The City of London Corporation has lost control of St Paul's Cathedral, the high court will hear on Monday, with members of an activist camp "setting rules and policing behaviour" in the churchyard.

A trial, lasting up to four days, will determine whether Occupy London protesters can stay on the land outside the building or not.

The movement is fighting the corporation's eviction attempts. It says members are acting within article 10 and article 11 of the Human Rights Act – freedom of expression and freedom of assembly – and has produced several defendants to contest the corporation's claims in court.

But David Forsdick, counsel for the corporation, will tell Mr Justice Wilkie that these rights do not "contemplate or justify a semi-permanent campsite".

The trial pits the Square Mile's local authority and the mayor of London's office against the movement for economic and social reform which has supporters. Thom Yorke, Vivienne Westwood, Jesse Jackson and Alan Bennett are among the celebrities to have dropped in to the cathedral-based camp.

Two leading clergymen at St Paul's have resigned over issues arising from the encampment: Giles Fraser, the former canon chancellor, stepped down at plans to forcibly evict protesters from the churchyard, and Graeme Knowles, the dean, resigned amid criticism over the cathedral's dramatic, albeit shortlived, closure to the public.

Although the cathedral is not joining the corporation in its legal battle to rid the churchyard of activists, it provided a witness statement saying the camp's presence was having a detrimental effect on the life of St Paul's. The evidence forms part of the corporation's case against the activists.

In its legal documents, filed ahead of the trial, the corporation says the protest camp is a "public nuisance".

"The protest camp has acted as a magnet for people who have caused significant disorder and a substantial increase in crime in this area," it says.

"There have been elements of passerby-induced disorder but there is very strong evidence of tension and violence within the camp community and from some at the camp against outsiders."

John Cooper QC, representing the principal defendant, Tammy Samede, denies the camp has any or "any significant implications" for the rights and freedoms of others.

"The protest camp does not prevent or restrict those who worship or wish to worship at St Paul's," he said. "The protest camp does not have significant impact on the rights and freedoms of those visiting, walking through or working in the vicinity. Any impact the protest camp may have on the rights of others is not solely detrimental.

"Arrangements have been made for sanitation, disposal of waste and cleaning. The location is suitable for a semi-permanent expression of article 10 and article 11 rights. The level of criminal activity has not increased. The camp is being properly managed."

Samede is one of three named defendants. The other two are George Barda and Daniel Ashman.

Although the trial finishes this week, judgment is not likely to be handed down until the New Year.