OWS 10 Year Anniversary + XR

Left: Extinction Rebellion (XR) wood pyramid frame structure blocade with protesters chained to each leg of the structure as a protest on Wall Street Sept 17, 2011. Right: Giant metal sculpture "Pyramidion"by artist Mark Di Suvero, installed in a in a green field. The pyramid shape of which is mimmicked by the XR blocade structure on the left.

 

In case you missed it, Extinction Rebellion NYC (XR) had an eventful post-pandemic reemergence on Occupy Wall Street's 10 year anniversary September 17 (S17) —I was excited to see XR doing direct actions throughout the city again. I love these blockades - those pyramid things always remind me of Mark Di Suvero— maybe we can get NYC's Department of Cultural Affairs, current Commissioner to support 50 of these blockades around the city as part of NYC's public art program??? Here is a decent round up of XR's activities throughout the day:

"40+ NYC Activists Arrested for Protests Against Banks Fueling Climate Emergency"
"We're sending a message loud and clear that the little action that politicians and greenwashing CEOs have taken so far does not begin to deal with the magnitude of this crisis."
Jessica Corbett via Common Dreams, September 17, 2021

Folks from the XR crew started coming throught my East Village. I bumped into one of them as we were both wearing XR schwag—- I had to admit mine was a bootleg hoodie- anyhow, small world!

It was also Occupy Wall Street's 10 year anniversary… Democracy now did a good looking back segment on the anniversary:

"Another World Is Possible”: How Occupy Wall Street Reshaped Politics & Kicked Off New Era of Protest"
Democracy Now Semptember 17, 2021

I’ll never forget eviction night- Amy Goodman was rushing to cover the OWS eviction and I passed her on the street- she was later grabbed by the neck and forced to the ground by NYPD. In hindsight- OWS was soooooo unprepared for the forced eviction that night.

Also Decolonize This Place did a OWS anniversary zoom- I watched it and it was pretty good- interesting to hear the connections, and now incarnations, of the group (DTP) - originating from those says spent on Wall Street @ OWS. A lot of us cut our teeth on Wall Street, incase you didn’t know. They said they would post the video on their YouTube channel but I don’t see it. Stay tuned.

Lately I started to think that maybe The People's Cultural Plan should have an anniversary too? I’ve been in many meetings where the People’s Cultural Plan has been cited several times in a very positive light. Let's not forget our successes and victories, however small and difficult they maybe have been.