Transforming Harm & Building Safety: Confronting Sexual Violence At Occupy Wall Street & Beyond
Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 4, 2011, 7:22 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Statement by members of sexual assault survivor’s team at OWS
New York, November 4, 2011: We are writing this statement to inform our fellow occupiers about an incident of sexual assault at Occupy Wall Street (OWS) and the response to it. We are also writing this statement to respond to media accounts that blame the survivor, and that attempt to use this horrific incident to attack OWS. We write this statement as supporters of OWS, as fellow survivors, and as allies.
On the morning of October 29, a woman participating in OWS was sexually assaulted at Liberty Square. The person who she identified as having assaulted her was arrested on November 1 for a previous assault and is currently incarcerated.
On the morning of the assault, the survivor was accompanied to the hospital by a group of women from OWS, including a social worker, to support her and act as advocates. From the moment the incident was discovered to the present time, the survivor has been surrounded by a network of allies and trained advocates offering resources to provide emotional, medical, and legal support. At every step of the process, and in line with the core principles of survivor support, her wishes as to how she wanted to proceed have been honored, and information from a range of sources has been provided to her about her options. The survivor knew immediately that she wanted to make sure that the person who assaulted her did not harm anyone else at OWS. Community members honored this demand by asking that this person to stay off site, and, when he refused, monitored his activity and ejected him from the space.
These efforts provided the survivor with the time and space to carefully review the options available to her. Following two days of discussion with family, friends, supporters, and anti-violence advocates, the survivor decided to make a report to the police and to push for a criminal investigation and prosecution. Supporters from OWS accompanied her to the police station, and will continue to support her throughout the legal process.
We have been saddened and angered to observe some members of the media and the public blame the survivor for the assault. A survivor is never at fault. It is unacceptable to criticize a survivor for the course of action they chose to take or their community for supporting them in that choice. Additionally, we were troubled at the time of her report that responding police officers appeared to be more concerned by her political involvement in OWS than her need for support after a traumatic incident of sexual violence. A survivor is not at fault for being assaulted while peacefully participating in a public protest to express their political opinions. We are aware that this is one of several known cases of sexual assault that have occurred at OWS. We are dismayed by these appalling acts and distressed by the fear among many Occupiers that they have caused, as well as their negative impact on our ability to safely participate in public protests. We have the right to participate in peaceful protests without fear of violence.
We are also concerned that segments of the media have attempted to use this incident as another way to disingenuously attack and discredit OWS. It is reprehensible to manipulate and capitalize on a tragedy like this to discredit a peaceful political movement. OWS exists within a broader culture where sexual assault is egregiously common: someone in the US is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes, most assaults are never reported, and most rapists are never held to account. We live in a culture of violence in which sexual assault is often ignored, condoned, excused and even encouraged. We note that it is particularly difficult for survivors of assault at OWS to feel confident in reporting crimes to the NYPD – the NYPD’s unjustifiably aggressive and abusive policing of OWS has undermined trust in the police force amongst protesters.
As individuals and as a community, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to create an alternative to this culture of violence. Advocates, some of whom are survivors themselves, have worked for decades to address sexual violence generally. We are working for an OWS and a world in which survivors are respected and supported unconditionally, where they are supported to come forward, and where every community member takes responsibility for preventing and responding to harm. We are redoubling our efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence. This includes taking preventative measures such as encouraging healthy relationship dynamics and consent practices that can help to limit harm.
We are creating and sharing strategies that educate and transform our community into a culture of consent, safety, and well-being. At OWS, these strategies currently include support circles, counseling, consent trainings, safer sleeping spaces, self-defense trainings, community watch, awareness campaigns, and other evolving community-based processes to address harm. We encourage survivors to connect with support and advocates, and to access medical, legal, and social services, as well as available community-based options, many of which are listed below. We stand together as a community to work towards the prevention of sexual violence and harassment, and to provide unwavering support for anyone who has been assaulted. We commit to creating a culture of visibility, support, and advocacy for survivors, and of accountability for people who have committed harm.
With hope and solidarity,
Members of the survivor’s support team at Occupy Wall Street
Below we have included a list of trusted local resources that provide a range of options for survivors and allies. We recommend the services of these organizations, but we have not contacted them for endorsement of this statement.
Contact the Safer Spaces Working Group: saferspaceows@gmail.com
Audre Lorde Project's Safe Outside the System Collective: http://www.alp.org/community/sos
Center for Anti-Violence Education: http://www.caeny.org
CONNECT NYC: http://www.connectnyc.org
NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault: http://www.svfreenyc.org/resource\_list2\_New_York.html
New York City Anti-Violence Project: http://www.avp.org
Rape Crisis Providers in NY: http://www.health.ny.gov/community/adults/women/violence/rape\_crisis/rape\_crisis\_provider_report.htm
RightRides: http://www.rightrides.org
Rock Dove Collective: http://www.rockdovecollective.org
Safe Horizon: http://www.safehorizon.org
STEPS to End Family Violence: http://www.egscf.org/services/steps/
Streetwork Project: http://www.safehorizon.org/streetwork
Support New York: http://www.supportny.org
Good post. Keep the transparency and the communication coming--no matter what happens. Good faith is what matters.
Agreed; I'd also start providing self-defense and martial arts classes to any and all interested parties at the park; there should be enough people who have martial arts training (and probably a few bona fide marital arts teachers there as well) to teach. Mace, pepper spray, etc. should also be provided. I don't know what the exact laws are as far as knives are concerned in New York, but a blade doesn't have to be big to do permanent damage. If your protesters (especially your women) are armed and trained to react with force when threatened your rate of assaults will go way down, partially because women will be more able to deal with potential rapists and partially because even if they guy succeeds he's now going to be dealing with a bunch of pissed-off black belts with knives.
Having been down to Zuccotti more than ten times at varying hours of the day or night, and seeing no less than a dozen NYPD within a rat's toss of the park at all times, it is amazing that criminals and predators can have their way assaulting OWS-- unless a blind eye is being turned. Thanks NYPD. When are you going to accept that you're part of the 99%?
zygarch asks: NYPD. When are you going to accept that you're part of the 99%?
As soon as OWS members stop calling the NYPD pigs, Nazis, & brown shirts.
I'm part of OWS and I personally have not heard members "calling the NYPD pigs, Nazis, & brown shirts." If you have, you should not remain passive-- on the sidelines, but instruct your fellow OWS member that we are conducting a peaceful protest for the rights of citizens, and that name-calling, and other ignorant and negative behaviour is non-productive and does not service the movement. Thanks!
Is anyone standing up for the accused? Presumption of innocence should be one of those inalienable rights everyone is fighting to preserve. Describing an unsubstantiated accuser of an alleged event as a "victim" or "the survivor" without due process sets the stage for an old fashioned wild west necktie party rather than an "innocent until proven guilty" legal proceeding.
There are no sound proof walls on a tent (you can hear your neighbors whispering and snoring) and in a crowded park sounding an alarm with a scream of protest (such as "RAPE!" or "HELP! HELP! HELP!") would most likely have brought a squadron of rescuers in those close confines. If she made any attempt to fight him off the ruckus she would have raised in such a public area would have attracted immediate attention.
Of course if an attacker were to muffle her ability to scream with a gag that wouldn't prevent the event from occurring, but she should have been able to call for help loudly the moment she was free. Or perhaps she is claiming he left her "gagged and bound?"
Are efforts being made to provide legal aid and support for the accused? Hopefully in the rush to judgement the protection of his rights is not forgotten.
I'm sorry, I missed the part where we went back to the Dark Ages when a woman was required to physically fight back or scream for it to be rape. You are ignorant, naive, and probably dangerous to society if this is how you really think. Even when rape is clearly proven under the law, most perpetrators walk free or get a pathetically small punishment. And the number of times women falsely accuse men of sexual assault is vastly overstated by the media, because it's close to the only time anyone talks about rape. The number of unreported or unprosecuted rapes that actually happened so far outnumbers those who are wrongly accused that it is barely an issue.....barely, of course it is an issue, but barely in comparison.
Yes, of course he should have fair trial and legal proceedings. But I'm glad that you're more willing to trust the perpetrator than the survivor. Congratulations on continuing an age-old tradition of moronic bias. One of the most common responses to any kind of violence is to be frozen with fear. This makes it rather difficult to scream or fight back. Sexual assault is a terrifying act of interpersonal violence, and unless you have been in such a situation--and especially as a woman--you have no idea how you would respond. Not to mention that the shame and embarrassment that comes with being raped in this society is huge.
This man could be completely proven the perpetrator the DNA testing, brought to court, and then reach a settlement that will still let him live free like nothing ever happened. Or he could have just gone completely unreported, like most sexual assaults. But I'm glad that the hundreds of thousands (yes, literally hundreds of thousands) of survivors who never receive justice are so much less important to you than the handful who are wrongly accused. And if that wasn't bad enough, that you also feel the right to victim blame because she didn't scream (see Murder of Kitty Genovese for why that's not even a good point).
Yeah, I think you're the one who's mistaken.
Bravo! Thank you for your response! It saddened my heart to read the post you responded to. Our legal system is designed to operate on the foundation of "innocent until proven guilty." Which is a good thing. But that should not be an excuse to disbelieve a victim, nor an excuse to not act to protect them. If a victim cannot name or otherwise accuse the perpetrator, how can the process of justice even begin, let alone the process of healing? If a community cannot speak out against sexual violence, when will it ever stop being the norm?
If a woman is touched in ANY way she objects to, she's entitled to use force in her own defense right there on the spot. Given the number of over-sexed slimeballs hanging around, I think we need folks experienced in karate/judo to teach the women of OWS how and where to knee and mace these sub-human ghouls... Let the SLIMEBALL be the one trying to "work it out" in the courts !
We surely have people able to teach OWS women how to strike where it matters, and we surely have sufficient contributions to give mace/pepper spray to all !
Fighting OWS women will make slimeballs slither back to their porn !
"But I'm glad that the hundreds of thousands (yes, literally hundreds of thousands) of survivors who never receive justice are so much less important to you than the handful who are wrongly accused."
I just want to say that they are both important, and the numbers in proportion should not matter - whatever the ratio is between survivors and wrongly accused, we must still hate injustice. Calling it "a handful" is not a justification to stop caring; there is a reason why we remind ourselves that these are still human beings, not statistics.
I agree with the rest of your post, but don't let his framing (and he is for sure a man) force you into taking a stance you might not mean to take.
I of course recognize that no human justice system will ever be perfect, and we will always have to grapple with the wrongly acquitted and falsely convicted. But just because we have to accept this doesn't mean we should cast it as acceptable. We have a long way to go to improve the situation for women, and making things worse for men might be the only way, but we should not be cavalier about making that choice.
"One of the most common responses to any kind of violence is to be frozen with fear." This is hard-wired into the human brain, some biologists conjecture its usefulness at some point in humanity's distant past. It can be overcome, but only with martial arts training (that's why you drill in a martial arts class, to develop reflexive responses to violence); even then, the sense of dread can be so overpowering as to leave someone drained of any ability to respond. Studies have shown that groups are less likely to suffer from this, so maybe OWS security patrols should be performed by groups of two or more. Sorry, can't find a link to this at present, my freakish brain can remember the contents of the article, but not which science magazine or science site it was in.
Training. Training and mace for all !
Muffin--- There is a logical and legal distinction between the behavior of someone who has agreed to consensual sex and someone being subjected to rape. It is not unreasonable to expect anyone being attacked, who is not being threatened with a weapon or gagged, to at least scream out for help through the thin cloth of a tent in a crowded area. Even the ows WOW group advises women to call out "SECURITY!" if they are being merely harassed. Lack of performance of defensive measures are prima facie indications which question the credibility of an accuser (and that's from the current principles of jurisprudence not from the "dark ages" as you maintained).
My posting above was not about justifying sexual assault but concerning preservation of the rights of the accused to be presumed innocent. Yes, it is an "age old tradition" and one which you will gladly embrace if you are ever accused of a crime (and I will be ready to also defend your rights should that happen). If he is guilty I want him convicted and punished.
But until those fair legal proceedings occur referring to the accuser as "the survivor" and the accused as "the perpetrator" is just being intentionally subjectively prejudicial.
"Lack of performance of defensive measures are prima facie indications which question the credibility of an accuser (and that's from the current principles of jurisprudence not from the 'dark ages' as you maintained)."
Yeah, that's going to change before too long. There is a lot we are learning from cognitive science and neurology that tells us how we think we will react when in danger is vastly different than how we actually react.
How long? Hell if I know; society as a whole habitually lags decades behind science, and law lags even further than that. But we have a responsibility as individuals to do better. And that means learning the truth about how people actually react in crisis.
http://www.forbes.com/2008/09/02/crisis-reaction-health-forbeslife-cx_avd_0902health.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=GH0DKsq4kVYC&lpg=PR12&ots=zu5OfZtpFJ&dq=Wainrib%20and%20Bloch&pg=PA33#v=onepage&q&f=false
I guess you failed to read the part that says hes incarcerated for a previous assault. This wasn't his first assault.
There are 3 reactions the human brain has in response to eminent threat, we usually hear about 2 of them. They are 'fight' or 'flight'. The one that most people use when faced with terror is "freeze". That's what deer do, that is what a rabbit, that is what a mouse does. That, in fact, is what most people do, their brain simply shuts down and the body, including the vocal chords, get frozen in the surge of adrenaline. Sometimes the fear is so charged that your hands curl up - much like posturing when the brain is damaged or seizing. That whistle they gave you and told you to blow if you were in danger? It is useless if your brain is too flooded with fear to move your lungs or even wrap your numb lips around it.
No matter what you say you'd do in a moment you were about to be raped, abducted, assaulted, whether it be to fight to the death or run as fast as you could, you will never know until you find yourself there. Especially if that other person is bigger, stronger, or faster than you.
The sad thing about blaming a victim about not yelling or fighting is that it is so easy to say, but cannot be statistically backed up. It is the victim's neuro-chemistry that dictates the response, not the victim. I am sure a rape victim would far rather outrun or beat the hell out of the perpetrator.
You are sadly misinformed if you think rapists are "guilty" before proven innocent. You have it quite backwards. I have been the victim advocate for a number of women and the thing we most have to prepare them for is that the truth about a rape trial is that the victim is more often the one on trial than the perpetrator. That is why for every victim that files charges, there are at least 5 that didn't. In the case of male victims that number doubles or more than doubles.
Do you have actual information or are you hypothesizing? This comment is scurrilous and typical of media opportunism and worse.
First of all, wishing well to the victim of this crime, be well soon.
Second, the media will use whatever it can to discredit OWS because the mainstream media is a servant to their corporate owners, filtering news however it sees fit for profits. OWS is a huge public crowd like any other, and unfortunate acts happen in large crowds like any other. But you won't see the media running any stories on the fact that OWS is strongly and actively against violence and assault, just stories to place false blame on the movement.
Give me a break. With the exception of Fox News and a handful of other right leaning news organizations and blogs, the coverage of OWS has been overwhelmingly favorable. If these crimes at Occupy sites continue that will stop. It's now overshadowing the movement's message, and with good reaon: Sexual assaults just don't happen at normal protests. The problem isn't the mission of OWS, but the stupid commitment to permanent 'settlements' in city parks. It's just dangerous and stupid and unnecessary. Who the hell is watching in the wee hours of the AM anyway? Continue the protests, stop the stupid, counterproductive, and dangerous park squatting.
Ok owstag, I see your point, and you're not wrong. With the winter cold coming the park occupations will dwindle automatically, but the point being that these crimes need to end is the most important thing right now.
Thanks.
agreed.
Sexual assaults happen anytime, anyplace. Try not to be ignorant about that fact.
Your attitude is reminiscent of the Catholic church's rationalizations about priest pedophilia (e.g. "Terrible business that, but why are you picking on us? This is a societal problem, not a priest problem" etc.)
No, people are trying to tell you that you are wrong to assume that sexual assaults don't happen at other protests. It is wrong to equate sexual assault with sleeping in tents in the park. Sexual assault can only be equated with sexual predators. That is the end of the causation.
They've never happened at this frequency at any prior protests, and the unusual setting clearly heightens the risk. Denying the obvious doesn't make the problem go away. There seems to be some denial here presumably motivated by concerns that reports of these incidents make the movement look bad. I say safety trumps PR concerns. We should do more to ensure the safety of protesters.
I agree.
What did I say that indicates gender specificity? Also, please provide evidence that sexual assaults have 'never' happened at 'this frequency' at 'any prior protests'. All very general and vague statements.
I agree that safety should absolutely be a priority, but please know that responsibility for this event lies on the perpetrator of the crime.
Sorry; my comment about gender was intended for 'TheoSocrates'. As far as data regrding sexual assaults at protests, the onus of proof is on those making the extraordinary claim here ( that sexual assaults are a regular occurrence at protests ). I never suggested the responsibility lies with anyone but the perpetrator of the crime and am frankly mystified as to how you construed anything I said as suggesting otherwise.
"Sexual assaults just don't happen at normal protests. The problem isn't the mission of OWS, but the stupid commitment to permanent 'settlements' in city parks." No, the problem is that someone was a sexual predator and that person should see justice.
You know, I've tried to be patient with you, but you've made it clear you are an idiotic ideologue with the same mentality as a religious zealot. You're also not very intelligent, or at the very least, have a very poor capacity to think critically.
The fact that the sexual predator is responsible for the crime doesn't mitigate the responsibility of OWS to do all that it can to ensure the safety of protesters. The park simply is not as safe as it should be. You are effectively enabling sexual predators by resisting common sense calls to eliminate unnecessary risk, prioritizing politics and public relations over safety, which ironically is itself a black eye for OWS.
You're dangerous and effectively enabling predators.
You are also very presumptuous; no reference was made to any gender whatsoever. You have no idea what my gender is. But you've revealed a lot about yourself.
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You offer a fascinating example of the psychological phenomenon of projection (accusing others of what they themselves are guilty of); you're the one suggesting women who camp out should at OWS should essentially expect sexual assault as a possible or even probable occurrence, not I.
In all seriousness, I strongly recommend you seek counseling. You seem profoundly confused and disturbed.
You're insane.
[Deleted]
You are very presumptuous; no reference was made to any gender whatsoever. You have no idea what my gender is. But you've revealed a lot about yourself.
I hear you: "Get it out of my sight, I can't stand to look at the truth any longer. Have your little march and go home already." This, my friend is a peaceful Revolution. Things are actually going to change this time. OWS and the 99% are not going away.
Your response is completely irrelevant to what I wrote. The fact that you obviously interpreted my post as anti-OWS indicates you did not understand it at all. Can you understand anything that can't can't be simplified into a mindless slogan or rhyming call and refrain? Geez....
There is tremendous value in continuous occupation. I wish it weren't so but that is a fact. I have participated in antiwar demonstrations of 400,000 people just before the invasion of Iraq that got less coverage than a "tea party" gathering of 40 people in 2009. The media is... weird. So, owstag, I do understand your point, but I think the thing to do is work on making the continuous occupations safer, healthier, cleaner, more organized. I myself am just a supporter. I respect the actual Occupiers for the measures they've taken. I respect you for your sincere criticisms. More has to be done, and I'm sure it will be.
No disagreement here. You are correct; as I've said repeatedly, the problem isn't OWS, it's safety.
This is good answer, and clarifies one of my own questions and concerns as potential, active supporter.
agree
"Normal" protests don't usually involve people sleeping there, so I'd like to see numbers from you that involve comparable situations, not apples to oranges. Also, Just because none were made visible like this, does not mean they haven't happened. Your logic is seriously flawed.
You're incredibly confused. So far as normal protests not involving people sleeping there, that is precisely my point. Also, what are you talking about with respect to things 'not being made visible'? The sexual assaults? My whole point is that the assaults ARE occurring and it's not normal, and the unconventional 'settlement' and overnight aspect of OWS (sleeping in urban parks for crisakes) is unnecessary and dangerous.
I guess you'd be surprised by the facts of when, where and how often sexual assault does happen.
You're attempting to suggest that the sexual assaults at OWS are not unusual, which is ridiculous. I'm well aware of how common sexual assaults are; they should not be happening at OWS protest sites, and it isn't something that can be understood as tragic but neither unexpected or unusual.
The world is watching.
Except the 1.6 billion living without electricity.
Nobody is watching Zucotti Park in the wee hours of the morning, shallow slogans notwithstanding.
The world isn't watching.
You are, or you wouldn't be posting here.
Unless you were being paid to troll. . . Hmmmm I wonder.
Good call!!
Sorry, I'm not being paid. I enjoy a good laugh, ows provides that.
I stopped watching around day 5 when I saw the video of the guy counting a big stack of cash is his backpack. Do grassroots movements start with large wads of payoff money?
Ever heard of donations? New York city is a busy place. If you received 1 dollar for 1/10th the people you pass in a given day, you could raise a good amount of money for your organization. Especially if it is something people agree with.
actually there is the police are encouraging and sending the homeless and convicts downtown - a reporter for the New York Sun interviewed two drunk men at OWS who said that cops told them to take it down to Zucotti Park. Also cops have been dressing up as OWS protesters and actually causing chaos at Oakland to make an excuse to stop the protest and fire rubber bullets at veterans. Read the articles below with pictures:
Just be vigilant and safe guys!
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/30/is-the-nypd-pushing-drunks-and-drug-dealers-on-occupy-wall-street/
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/19/ows-disruptive-citibank-protester-was-undercover-cop/
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/30/busted-occupy-oakland-police-infiltrators-exposed-on-video/
Unbelievable. Where are Anonymous when we need them? They need to make his life difficult. Disrupt his life!!!!!
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I'm not interested in your provocative straw man. If you can read and have a modicum of intelligence it should be clear that I neither said or even implied any such thing. It is telling that this idea arises in your head, however (you know what they say; you can't point a finger at another without pointing three back at yourself).
It's a fairly straightforward safety concern.
It is blaming the victim - for having the audacity to think that they should have the right to be out late without getting raped.
I understand that this is not within your perspective, but this is what EVERYONE here is trying to explain to you... like trying to teach a fish that it is wet... but, it just doesn't fucking get it.
I never said anything about women or whether they should stay out late; these are the reflections of your own warped, prejudiced mind. Why do you assume I'm a man, sexist?
actually there is the police are encouraging and sending the homeless and convicts downtown - a reporter for the New York Sun interviewed two drunk men at OWS who said that cops told them to take it down to Zucotti Park. Also cops have been dressing up as OWS protesters and actually causing chaos at Oakland to make an excuse to stop the protest and fire rubber bullets at veterans. Read the articles below with pictures:
Just be vigilant and safe guys!
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/30/is-the-nypd-pushing-drunks-and-drug-dealers-on-occupy-wall-street/
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/19/ows-disruptive-citibank-protester-was-undercover-cop/
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/30/busted-occupy-oakland-police-infiltrators-exposed-on-video/
Yes, that is a good point, which is another reason for the unusually heightened risk. Maybe something as simple and cheap as distributing whistles to blow in the event of danger would be helpful.
I went down last night to deliver foam insulating panels to help keep the occupiers warm. I did see a number of shady characters. I talked to some full time occupiers about it and they said that there are people camping primarily in one corner of the camp that they feel nervous about.
As I continue to donate materials to help winterize, I would like to know that I am helping provide shelter to people who are helping the movement and not predators.
I would like to adopt some occupiers. I met several last night that I truly admire and want to support. I also like the idea of the large tents as a security measure. Anything I can do to make the all-ladies tent warmer and safer I would love to do. Is there any mechanism in place that would allow this kind of directed contribution?
I want to adopt some occupiers too! How do we make this happen?
http://youtu.be/thOYSryplII
I hate it when the media tries to marginalize OWS.
This has happened more than once, and they were told not to cooperate with police.
Come on, admit it. Your own people said so.
This is so unfortunate... I had an incident at OWS with a homeless crackhead who kept touching me, bothering me, offering me an array of drugs, etc. It can be scary! Especially since I'm a 17 year old girl who was staying there alone that night.
My regards to this victim. I wish I knew who it was so I could talk to them, but everyone has their right to privacy.
The media will twist anything and everything we do in any way they can. It is sad and unfortunate, but it is true. I just hope that the victim understands that no matter what anyone says, this is not her fault.
We need to keep standing together in solidarity against people in Liberty Square such as the person who violated the victim. There are far more people like this in the park than any of us could imagine. It's so sad... I remember the first week of the protest when we were such a tight-nit community. I would never have thought there'd be people violating other protestors there =(
I'm sending positive vibes to the person who was victimized there, and good vibes to all the people surrounding and helping the victim as well. <3
Take care of yourself out there!
How about we all focus on getting all Government appointed officials, from our local City, County, State, Mayors to Governors and all their elected cabinets, all the way up to and including the Federal Government, Congress, Senators’, Obama and his cabinet take, a 10% cut in their outlandish salaries and freeze their raise for the next two years!!! This would make a serious impact on our economy, Christ maybe even balance the budget!!!! They all keep talking about cutting into our very needed social and educational programs, but no mention on their lavish life styles.
GREAT idea! Let's keep this one circulating!
Is this the more rapes that Biden talked about ( threatened)?
OWS is showing the way for civil society toproceed.
Is there an inconsistency between OWS unequivocally condemning sexual violence in this article but not unequivocally condemning physical violence and property damage in regards to OWS demonstrations?
On the main page of this site it says "We ... encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants"?
What would the reaction of the general public be if OWS just said on the main page or in the above article something like: "We encourage the use of nonviolent sexuality to maximize the safety of all participants"? What kind of message would that be sending? Would people read it as "It's OK to be violent if you want to be"?
What would be the response by the same people posting in this thread about such a position statement by OWS?
Well, how do the owners and/or workers of Whole Foods in Oakland feel that OWS does not seem to take a united stand against violence and property damage? It is made even worse ironically that Whole Foods in general is trying to go against the mainstream junky food industry and help people stay healthy and happy by better nutrition.
See also: http://occupywallst.org/forum/if-it-has-not-been-done-already-the-ows-needs-to-p/#comment-276387
Sexual violence often follows on other forms of physical violence, so the two issues are more connected than might seem at first. See the history of Columbia as an example, or just about any war (including Iraq): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Violencia#Humanitarian_consequences
G. William Domhoff provides reasons why OWS as a movement needs to unequivocally condemn any sort of physical violence and disassociate itself from anyone planning violence of any sort if it is to be either moral or effective: http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/change/science_nonviolence.html
If the person is accused of sexual assault the police should be called and he should be arrested. That's what the police are for. Women are indeed tired of being "victims" but at least 30% of women have experienced some kind of sexual assault in their lives. Are we victims or are we targets. The story has always been to doubt the woman, claim that she has a personal agenda, make her defend herself, her sexuality, and her behavior, and turn her into a moral pariah. Or say that she misunderstood. Women seldom misunderstand the sexual intensions of men. I'd say take her word for it and charge the man with a crime.
Maybe OWS needs to start a civilian security at night. Get a few members to stay up late and patrol the area.
Great Idea, plus, form Affinity Groups, and have folks sleep in pairs or 3's or 4's (or more) per tent. Thank you, 99% for standing up for what's right!
here's a good article from Bruce Bartlett who was in Bush administration:
DO TAX CUTS INCREASE REVENUE?21 commentsPosted on 26th July 2011 by Administrator in Economy |Politics |Social Issues Bruce Bartlett, Bush tax cuts
http://www.theburningplatform.com/?p=19171
and more on tax cut lies of GOP:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/break-free-corporate-tax-code-falls-shy-of-republican-rate-goal/2011/11/02/gIQA5ntdfM_story.html
Report casts doubt on GOP efforts to cut corporate tax rates without increasing deficit
http://rricketts.ba.ttu.edu/Tax%20Rates%20and%20Revenues.htm
Do Tax Cuts Increase Revenue?
If I have one criticism of OWS, it is that I don't find them on the comment pages of WP, NYT, Politico. These websites are viewed by many middle of the roaders who could be swayed
Thank you for posting and facing the facts of the issue. The United Nations Development Fund for Women estimates that at least one of every three women globally will be beaten, raped or otherwise abused during her lifetime. In most cases, the abuser is a member of her own family. There were 248,300 rapes/sexual assaults in the United States in 2007, more than 500 per day, up from 190,600 in 2005.
Nothing justifies this behavior.
Like I have been saying for weeks.
This is what a police state looks like. Love the new America for we gave them this power and it will be much harder to tale back than it ever was to give away.
Stand up to them, Police the police do not let them get away with turning a blind eye. Do not let the media get away with their spin either.
We have our right to peaceably assemble. But that does mean peaceful. When we insist on doing something that breaks another persons rights, its not peaceful assembly anymore. Like for example, if we block a road and it keeps other people from using it. Then we are violating their rights and the police can take back their rights for them. If we take a park and keep the kids from playing in it on the swings, then we are violating their rights and the police can take back their rights that we took. when we blockade a port and close it and keep people from earning their paycheck, we are stealing their rights and the state can come in and take back their rights for them that we took. Just to be clear. peaceful assembly does not equal forceful occupation. We are forcefully occupying. Police action is to be expected, we can't kid ourselves we aren't doing 'anything wrong'.
I understand what you are saying, but as it stand no one person or one groups rights shall come above that of another. Or at least that is how it is supposed to work. The people who want the park back have made no compromise in letting you guys have a voice. Such as making the OWS have 2 locations. Two parks. One week here and one week there. This gives time for clean up, and normalcy to return to the are for a moment. Or how about protesters pooling their money and getting hotel rooms. Having OWS security and an office of NYPD or two in the room, make it a shower room. Give everyone 20 min to shower. This means you can shower 3 people in an hour, that's about 72 people in 24 hours. 2 rooms; 144 people in 24 hours. 3 rooms; 216 people in 24 hours. That right there helps with the smell of BO people are talking about, as well as some of the Human waste problem.
My point is no one is working to compromise so that EVERYONE has their rights intact. That include police overreaction to the situation, and barricading off were there may in some cases be no need.
What media outlet blamed the victim, and post proof. Don't just say 'probably FOX news' and not give evidence. I've been following this movement since day 1 and it sounds like they decided to fabricate something to 'empower a woman' in the name of women when no one was dis-powering her to begin with. Who said it was the victim's fault? Because if no one did, OWS should stop trying to look like heroes in the Charles Foster Kane kind of way at the same of time of doing damage control. Just fix the problems.
I wish the best for the woman who was assaulted, it was just plain wrong. However, the people of OWS should have turned him over to the police immediately after stomping his ass. It would help bring closure. Fair-ness.
this is one of the darkest shadows we have to face as human beings, for both men and women, and represents some of the most ancient problems of human solidarity. as this movement progresses, it is vital that we look into these shadows as OWS clearly is...and face the responsibilities they call for. all of these moments of human compassion, where we rally around those that are hurt take time, and they demand effort, and they demand that we ignore a machine that wants us to push on, to be obedient workers who ignore pain. I honor OWS for its humanity, for its willingness to deal with the emotional aspects of a political movement. In fact, i believe it is this emotional clarity that is the very heart of this movement. when i was released from jail after getting arrested on Brooklyn Bridge, and i walked out at 3:30 am out in Crown Heights Brooklyn and found movement members waiting for me with food, water, hugs, rides and places to stay, i was overwhelmed by the humanity... Many blessings to the Occupy Movement and those that have been victimized by sexual assault.
actually there is the police are encouraging and sending the homeless and convicts downtown - a reporter for the New York Sun interviewed two drunk men at OWS who said that cops told them to take it down to Zucotti Park. Also cops have been dressing up as OWS protesters and actually causing chaos at Oakland to make an excuse to stop the protest and fire rubber bullets at veterans. Read the articles below with pictures:
Just be vigilant and safe guys!
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/30/is-the-nypd-pushing-drunks-and-drug-dealers-on-occupy-wall-street/
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/19/ows-disruptive-citibank-protester-was-undercover-cop/
http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/10/30/busted-occupy-oakland-police-infiltrators-exposed-on-video/
I completely support OWS and the woman who was assaulted on the 29th, and greatly admire the wide-ranging and sensitive support you gave her. But there's one question that worries me: why didn't OWS immediately turn the rapist over to the police? To only eject him from the park allowed him to remain at large, and, if I understand the OWS statement above, the same person later attacked another woman on November 1st--so that if he had been apprehended on Oct. 29, the Nov. 1 rape might have been prevented. Do I understand it correctly? If true, it's very serious and I think confirms the need for a much, much tighter, more unified organizational structure for future OWS activity.
And apparently there was a rape at the park several weeks earlier, which OWS did not acknowledge publicly, which, if other ocuppiers had known about, might have led them to take appropriate precautions--and, again, possibly prevented the two later rapes.
I don't mean to grill OWS, but do I read the statement as saying that at this time there have now been three rapes at Zuccotti Park? We do need to know facts. Is that true?
This question about the evolving relationship between OWS and the NYPD has come up in the press, and I'm concerned that OWS hasn't adequately addressed it in terms of the rape cases. (Also, it bothers me that the issue of rape is covered up by the word "sexual assault." Maybe I'm wrong, but there seems to be a difference of degree between assault and rape.)
I believe it was a grave mistake by OWS to wait a couple days before finally turning the rapist over to the police, and would be grateful if OWS could be honest with us, its supporters, if that in fact was what happened. (Another quote from Leon Trotsky: a revolutionary has "to tell the truth, no matter how bitter it may be.")
I've written another post in support of OWS, in response to the immediately preceding OWS article on quality of life, in which I state that it's the height of hypocrisy for Bloomberg et al. to demand that OWS, in effect, substitute its own (albeit impressive but still extremely limited) resources for those of the wealthiest nation in the history of the world.
The problems of capitalism were created by capitalism, and only the wealth of the 1%--the wealth that we have created-- can solve the overwhelming social problems which continue to cause untold suffering to millions. OWS is a pioneer in exposing the hypocrisy of the 1%, and what OWS has accomplished already in less than two months is nothing short of historic.
With healing prayers the rape victims, and my deep gratitude to all of you for your heroic work.
I can't say for the laws in NY but in the UK the police can't do anything about any crime against a person short of Grevious Bodily Harm (GBH)/hospitalisation) or murder unless the victim files charges; this includes Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), domestic violence and rape.
If the laws in NY are similar, it's possible that people at OWS did report each instance but that even if the police wanted to do something they couldn't.
I really appreciate all responses, and, I apologize, I think I misread the information about Nov. 1--somehow I took it that another rape had occurred on Nov 1, but then I realized that that was the day the rapist was turned over to the NYPD. Sorry I misunderstood.
Here's a question--and, by the way, I'm being educated by you and completely respect what everyone says about what the victim has to consider in deciding whether to press charges. Isn't OWS in effect substituting itself for the police? Kind of becoming its own security operation. It's a little tricky, in that OWS is offering up itself as a model of a better, future society--to feed the hungry, clothe the homeless, minister to the sick and send them to a free doctor near the park. That's all good, in fact it's great.
But I think there's a difference between offering a model of what one wants to see in the future and attempting to achieve it in the present society ruled by the one percent. We're not living in that future society. And it seems OWS does not yet have the means to adequately police itself--or, more accurately--police those who come and go at Liberty Plaza. I guess the walkie talkies haven't worked--or did they arrive yet? No one is authorized to speak for the organization. There are no codified rules or penalties for breaking them. For example, instead of OWS being, say, a drug-free zone, by allowing drugs at LIberty Plaza, OWS has established itself as a haven from the police, with predictable consequences, where sicko predators, like the one who attacked on the 29th, are hard to get rid of--until it's too late.
Here's the question: is OWS its own militia? Would that be a good idea? Is it legal? Is this a question like armed defense of the black community against police brutality? Ultimately, OWS doesn't have the resources yet to take on the dregs of society (referring to the rapist, although you could also consider the 1% the dregs). And just as it's important to plan safe, legal actions that the public can participate in, the encampments, as the public face of OWS, also need to be safe. Or OWS should not be leading primarily young people (the majority of the occupiers) into situations that OWS cannot adequately control.
I guess I'm saying that there has to be some responsibility by OWS for what happens, and for responsibility you have to have leadership. If anything goes, how is Occupy Wall Street any different than what we've already got?
That two young women have been raped within less than two months does tell you that self-policing has failed. It just has. It is not blaming the victims in any way to say that.
Thanks very much, and I really appreciate the heartfelt comments by people here who really have thought deeply about such a pervasive problem, both at OWS and in society at large.
Thanks again for your ideas and loving hearts. It seems that most of us are basically on the same page.
I don't think it's realistically possible for the people in the camp to actively police to the extent that official police could, even in a situation in which the police could be said to be acting in the interests of the public their job would require them to do things such as search, transport and imprison a person which would be illegal for anyone else to do. Whether problem people are dealt with is going to rely sometimes on how helpful the police are.
When it comes to something like rape it's usually impossible to tell who's capable of it. It's not necessarily even possible to say 'stay with people you trust' because, well, a lot of women are raped by someone they trusted, or at least knew. The only way to prevent it at all is to take it seriously and ensure there's a punishment, the key reason rape is so endemic is that the rapist is not only very likely to get away with it but even if it does make it to court they'll often be allowed to make it hell for the victim.
From reading other comments here I think things are being done to attempt to deal with problems but there's been a certain level of naïvety and a lack of experience in how to manage the situation. This is a new (or sufficiently old to be forgotten) way of doing things and a lot of people are going to be winging it. At the same time the support has most definitely there so that's already one up on broader society and there was a concerted effort to oust the man before they could get the police involved but they can't physically manhandle someone without risking arrest themselves.
Probably the most that can be done now is to have volunteer patrols, keeping an eye out and on each other. Hopefully that the victim was so well supported and the attacker so thoroughly ostracised (and eventually, shopped) will send a strong enough message that this isn't some easy-mark protest.
On a final note: as I've written elsewhere you've got to compare the number of incidents against what is usual (and when some stats don't even include those that were reported but didn't make it to court? I'm not even gonna try). I'm not trying to say that any number is OK but at some point you've got to look at whether people are already doing the best they can under the circumstances. You've also got to ask whether these women would have reported their 'assaults' under different circumstances and whether this appearance of greater instances is due to more occurring or whether it's down to the greater openness and support helping a person come forward.
Whether they've been inept at preventing these things from occurring, they're looking to improve on this and while the media and police carry on blaming the victim the OWS camp have been nothing but supportive. That's the sad thing here, even if it is a failure on the part of OWS, there are a lot of ways in which they're still the better model for society.
Thanks so much for the reply, and you're right. I wrote in another comment that it's outrageous for the 1% and their representatives to blame OWS for the problems we're having with: homeless people; people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol; people with serious mental illnesses and anti-social behavior. If capitalist society were taking care of their problems (which it can't and won't), OWS wouldn't be saddled with trying to accommodate dysfunctional people who are not the responsibility of OWS.
But this issue of safety is real, and it seems like in the past couple days the NYC OWS has made some good decisions, like having women sleep together in one tent, with patrols outside.
This dilemma about security brings up a huge issue. Can you reform the army and the police, or are they going to have to be smashed, as they say, by a revolution. We're seeing the problem in microcosm, where the instincts of OWS to not involve the police is pretty sound. Except that OWS isn't strong enough to solve all the social problems capitalism creates--the very problems that prove why we need OWS.
Thanks again.
I didn't read anything in that statement above about any rapes. The while rape is sexual assault , all sexual assaults are not defined as rape. Having been a victim of sexual assault myself, it is not always such a clear decision for the victim as to how to handle the situation and how much of the terrifying and degradingly explicit testimony required to move forward with such an accusation an individual can handle, not to mention being blamed by officials and in this case the media for what happened to you. She would have first needed to process her own emotions after such a traumatic event, which takes varying amounts of time depending on the individual. Please don't judge the victim for her actions because you think she should have done things differently or you would have done things differently. Even if you have been a victim yourself, that does not give you the right to judge. I believe it was right for OWS to support the woman and her decision, which in the end was to come forward and report it. I'm not sure how the police force is mandated to respond to anonymous third party reports, but I don't feel it would have gone very far had others from OWS reported on the woman's behalf, unless maybe they were actually witnesses to the event. If you know what the protocol for the NYPD is for that type of reporting, I'd be curious to find out.
Thanks for the transparency. Keep posting everything.
Protesting Wall Street, or Lafayette park or downtown Oakland doesn't get the message across. The real enemies to this country are the right-wing politicians who empowered the Wall Street robber barons.
Picket Congress itself. Picket the Republican National Committee. Picket every GOP official's office. (Good touch occupying Mitch McConnell's office!) Chant, sing and demonstrate at every last right-wing campaign gathering.
Right-wingers sold this country's future out for rich people's mega-wealth. The rest of us have to try and survive the devastated country left behind. It was only a generation ago this country was the preeminent military power, the preeminent space power, the preeminent power in education, science and research. Thanks to right-wing policies this nation is hard pressed to find any field where we are second place, except in how fast we can drive millions of our own citizens into poverty.
No one in this country is safe until every last right-wing politician is driven from office. No exceptions.
Ask the Tea Party how that tactic worked.
The Democratic party may be a bit less extreme but they take huge amounts of money from big banks and corporations. Among Barack Obama's top 10 campaign contributors was Goldman Sachs, Chase, Citigroup, Microsoft and Time Warner. The Democrats hands aren't even close to clean.
This comment appears to be irrelevant to the posted statement.
I'd say it appears to be pretty irrelevant all around.
And likely a plant, at that ;)
I'd say, lets get the Radicals and extremists out of congress, and then work towards a real multiparty system. I'm so tired of seeing these loons talking about stupid shit like In god we trust, instead of dealing with the real issues of the table. Cause seriously. None of them follow any commandments, so what god are they trusting in>? The Money god thats who.
Yep!
OWS showing its true colors, Obama re-election campaigners. Good thing the American voter can see through this.
irrelevant to posted statement. Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable posting on a site that actually cares to debate whether democrats or republicans are better, because that is not what OWS is even talking about, and it has nothing to do with the above statement.
These are obvious planted posts from political machinists trying to spin shit politically while they just don't understand the jig is up. It's sad really. The old games are over. The old system is irrelevant. Look at them trying to cling, desperately to the sad games of planting political rhetoric - for the sake of their political agendas... they have no idea that their world is already gone. They are like gomers, wheeling repeatedly around the same corners of the Alzheimer's wing... just repeating the same shit they know they've mumbled once before... they just don't know how long ago it was that it worked at all... sad....
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Another girl was assaulted as well as a young man, who I know personally. He was assaulted by another man.That Tanye creep almost raped me when he followed me to the Fulton Street train station twice. He also begged me to sleep in his tent You guys did a HORRIBLE job keeping him away and informing the kitchen staff. I wish you guys would stop trying to sweep the other sexual assaults on the rug. The male victim is being disrespected by you doing so. As his friend/ally I am disgusted. I love this movement and my Occupy Wall Street Family, but things like this makes us all look bad.
"We are creating and sharing strategies that educate and transform our community into a culture of consent"
Translation: OWS chicks are easy but at least ask if they want to fuck. 9 out of 10 will say yes.
Harm the person next to you. We might decide it was bad and expel you....
People on various social media sites keep pointing to the unreported sexual assaults at OWS as a reason for the movement being communistic, or nazis, or whatever...their logic is not clear.
I have to admit that rumors of sexual assault were a concern to me.
Please continue to be as open as possible. I work in an extremely sexist environment and have seen more gender discrimination than I ever knew was possible to exist in these modern times.
Perhaps women's issues should be apart of the OWS discussion. Maybe we should try again to pass the ERA.
Also, I highly recommend the website www.occupypatriarchy.org
I'm really horrified by some of the responses to this post. When someone is robbed, do we immediately suspect that they must be lying? Why is it in the case of rape, there is an automatic assumption that the woman must have done something to bring it on herself?
Rape by men to women is especially frightening for women because we live under a patriarchy, where women are much more likely to be sexually violated than men. This can even make comments of a flirtatious nature from unknown men scary, whereas men typically don't feel afraid receiving comments of a flirtatious nature from women.
If men are so afraid of being raped by women, why not set up an all male tent area?
"If men are so afraid of being raped by women, why not set up an all male tent area?" That doesn't solve the problem of male-on-male rape.
This is sad that it happened, and I feel for the victim. However, when you have a mass crowd like this, it is impossible for it to stay civil, peaceful, and law abiding. That is why we have police. All of you say you are being peaceful, yet in NY, an OWS participate was arrested in a McDonald's. They refused to give him "free food", so he turned violent, ripping our a credit card swipper, etc. Just like Oakland turned violent. There should be no reason the police should be present just because you are occupying the street. Personally, if you chose to be camping out down there, it should be at your own risk. There are tax dollars being spent to have extra police down there from a state that that really cannot afford it.
The drunks and other addicts who are camping in certain sectors of the park are people. They have stories-many may be veterans of our cruel wars and they are used to living "outside". Sexual predators are in trouble themselves. So many have broken minds and can't find their way. How does this movement want to engage with this? A compassionate gesture or communication could be risky. Has anyone heard about affinity groups? We used this effectively during camp out protests in the 70's. You stay with your support-keep your awareness of each other strong. That way you create safety and patience. Affinity groups police themselves to better avoid abusive language. The police are suffering under the same system of inequality and lies that are harming us all. You guys are amazing-thank you so much. How can we help?
This is SO important. Affinity Groups & Non-Violence training. Somebody please put a link up to a website that explains this is more detail.
For a better time tweet
http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/ This is an advocacy group to prevent victim blaming.
This very sad news. Where are the NYPD Blues and whites when you really need them!!
Thank you so much! As a whistle-blower on sexual assault at an Occupy in a different city, this is very encouraging coming from the NY Hub. Those of us who chose to expose a sexual assault that was being covered up in our park so that the 'media' wouldn't get it, experienced being ostracized and our Community & Outreach committee effectively 'disbanded' since we happened to be five members of this committee. It is disheartening to see how deep our rape culture flows- even in professed 'progressive movements.' It is inspiring to see those who are keeping it real in the face of mainstream media and non-supportive members of your community. Keep ya heads up :]
Thank you, hamsterboxx, for speaking up about what happened at an Occupy in a city other than NYC. I have been helping an Occupy in the state where I grew up, and, on the night at a GA where I witnessed a very drunk man trying to participate in the GA, I moved to another part of the group, and spoke up about the need for that Occupy to have a policy for dealing with drunk or drugged-up people (or aggressive or combative or violent people, too). To their credit, this particular Occupy group is dealing with the issue (a woman has since been assaulted there, and the group is actively addressing how to make their public space safer, etc.). Yes, let's keep our heads up, eyes open, and tell the truth of our experience. We, the 99%, WILL figure this all out, for the safety, health and happiness of all of us and the generations to come.
OWS should publish its own laws for social behavior. This would be a worthwhile project and will help cement OWS as a recognisable structure. While having no knowlege about the sexual assault in this case, I think it very important to have a set of rules which are public to avoid situations like the one facing Julian Assange in Sweden.
I’m sick of these filthy dirty hippies trying to say this is a protest. Half of them don’t even know why they’re there. The rest want free money from people who worked hard for it.
I waited on tables, washed dishes, worked for post office, did manual labor and a lot of other tough jobs during my life. One thing I didn’t do is whine about why other people have more than I do.
It took me a while but soon I had a good job, a wife and kids and a house. Then came a better job and grandkids. Now I got some money that I WORKED HARD for and am retired. Not rich but getting along.
I never asked the rich to give me some of their money like these bums want. I went out and EARNED it, you lazy slobs. Get some dignity you effing lowlifes.
No one is asking the 1% for some of the 1%'s money. We are saying that we don't want to give the 1% our money. We want OUR money to go to things that BENEFIT US rather than THEM. In all your years of hard work you paid alot of taxes, right? Shouldn't those taxes go to things that benefit you and your children and grandchildren? The money we earn when we work is our money, but we allocate a portion of it to benefit the common good because we have benefitted from it and we must maintain it.
The corporate meda is really trashing OWS, except for keith Olbermann's countdown. I am a liberal , but how many Democrat Politicians are in the pockets of the 1% ? I heard about Emanuel today having 300 OWS protestors arrested. We can not give up. I am hearing on the news if you can believe it that Republicans are more enthusastic about voting. I can not understand this, if we do not want the Teapublicans take control in 2012 they better get enthused. Our last best hope and chance !
tell me what you guys think of this: http://www.teapartynation.com/profiles/blog/show?id=3355873%3ABlogPost%3A1601906&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_post
Does anyone know of a car running into protesters in Washington DC? I saw a link on msnbc.com but the link was broken, and I couldn't find any info in the Washington DC newspapers-
This is a good statement but I wish people would use the term rape for a rape. Some people think sexual assault means attempted rape. Calling rape what it is, is important. As far as the cops handling of the situation, many cops think the victims of rape are guilty, lying, until proven innocent, a victim.
Love, love love... love love, love... love.
LOVE.
...love ...love...love.
compassion>all
love.
Spend some of the money you have received on security and there should be no weapons at the park.
I was a supporter of the movement, and of course its fundamental ideas (though partially flawed and misdirected, as they fail to address the evil at its root) are still more or less congruent with my own, however, I am greatly appalled by the way these cases of rape have been handled by OWS.
I agree the way these occupations are executed has just created an outlet for rapists and sociopaths to prey on victims more conveniently and with obviously far less social control than any "normal" protest would.
Some of the comments on here seem totally out of whack and outright misogynous. The whole idea that one can quantify the severity of sexual assault vs. rape is totally disgusting. Is it less bad in your mind if a woman was "only" sexually assaulted (whatever that entails) as compared to rape in the sense of sexual intercourse? Furthermore, from what was being reported by the news, the girl WAS raped.
Declaring that rape/sexual assault is common, can happen "anywhere" etc., leads to the assumption that one should expect to be raped wherever they go. Do you honestly, really think so? What kind of society is this? What kind of movement is this? In saying so, you condone rape and create the very environment that makes it possible in the first place. Some people have likened this to the child abuse cases within the Catholic Church. As a Catholic myself, I can say that there is something wrong with any institution that creates and nurtures a climate which excuses such crimes.
I am greatly appalled that nobody deemed it necessary to inform the police the instance these crimes happened. The statement that the victim would have had to inform them herself is the greatest piece of bull I have read in a while. Are you honestly telling me that, were you physically assaulted in a public place, no first aider would be required to call the police, but that you should rather make that decision once you are mentally and physically able to do so?
To me, this looks like the people in charge simply feared bad publicity, hence their reluctance to report to the police at once. The above statement, which reads rather glorifying and self-centered, emphasizes said impression, as it indulges in how OWS supported the victim and how the media attempts to discredit the movement. To me, you are using the same rhetorics as your opponents to turn this negative publicity into something good.
"To me, this looks like the people in charge simply feared bad publicity, hence their reluctance to report to the police at once."
Bingo. Well said.
hugpug-Thank you for putting into words more eloquently than I could. I also believe that they should have told the police about the incident immediately. I find it sad that their reaction to the situation was to remove him from the park. If OWS is going to self police the park than they must come up with a better plan than outlined above. At no point in the self indulgent ramble do they encourage acts of crime to be reported to the police. You can't end the violence by talking to a support group.
The strategy is simple, always the same: to speak of sexual abuse to divert attention from financial abuse...
This kind of community commitment to caring for and supporting survivors is an example of how society should be responding to those who have experienced sexual assault. Likewise OWS's commitment to creating a safe space where those on the campsite respect each other's boundaries and where sexual assault and harassment is not tolerated.
I do wonder if anyone else was in the area when this happened--I assume that people would have come to the woman's aid if she was able to scream or cry for help so that someone could hear. Obviously there is more than needs to be done to protect everyone at the protest and actively educate everyone about safety. Based on the article, it seems as though that will happen, and I pray that nothing like this will occur again at OWS.
It's time to actually occupy wall street already and shut down the criminal machine. The longer we wait to shut down the stock market, the more of a failure and international joke we become. The longer we wait to actually share the wealth being hoarded, the closer this gets to just another capitalist charity begging for funds. The first major failure was the creation of a ruling council. We must denounce the council and take our country back for real.
irrelevant to the statement above
Not really, not if you think harder. This woman would not have been assaulted if she had her own room. Would she? No. People should not be sleeping outside in a city. She would have her own room if we had already distributed the wealth for everyone to get their own home or room in a city. We can not succeed unless we shut down the stock market and have the 1% where we want them. Every topic boils right down to the main goal. Every problem is caused by the system that we must stop.
A thoughtful response, well done.
[Removed]
Keep Fighting the Good Fight!
Thank you
Thank you for doing writing this concise, straightforward and necessary piece. You are doing great work for the movement. God Bless.
Sure it wasn't a plant on behalf of the authorities?
eloquently stated. power to the survivors. and support team - freakin kick ass job of taking care your own
bunch of spoiled brats
bunch of spoiled brats
get a job
hahaha
freedom of speech works both ways
everyone gets a trophy generation. has never had to work...
I really appreciate your use of the word "survivor" rather than "victim". I am part of an advocate program here in Asheville that makes informative zines and provides support to survivors. I just received a mailing address and am sending a package of zines about bystander intervention, consent, and support tomorrow morning.
Sending support from afar!
the movement. hahahaha
hahaha
hahaha
I'll add my two cents. The effort to raise up women's and other repressed voices in our culture by OWS in their GA should not be overlooked. The media coverage, (as well as here), paints a picture that occupation is to be avoided by all except those who feel safe in strange surroundings. The other 600 pound gorrilla in the room is that the safety argument may provide cover for police action being used, to shut down occupations. I'm sure that safety has been addressed by the GA and I expect even better success due to their progressive use of women's voices in their leadership. The faciliatators and the stack system at GA are to be commended. Spin away media.
Just remember who u serve and protect officers. Choose peace '
Police gets bribe from 1 %, what do have 99 % to offer to police?
I'm glad this is being addressed.
hey you guys should join Fail2adapt.com We are apart of this movement too..Fail2Adapt To Wall st !
Yeah, lets keep bumping this post up to the top!
The only thing that hurts me more than my failing to be with my brave brother and sister Occupiers, on the front lines, fighting for a future for our children -- a future where there is relative democracy (in a society known for its warring neo-fascism), where the economy is stabilized because the government regulates the banks (and, not the other way around), where there is complete social equality and justice for all the various minorities (as well as for the majority), where religious intolerance among the various faith-based groups is completely not tolerated, and where there is universal health care at bare-minimal cost to all -- is my too-comfortable life and work in a land where all of these realities have been peaceably achieved and are the norm. [Occupy Wall Street 占領華爾街]
All very well said except that part where you identify yourself and your perhaps one prejudice: "where religious intolerance among the various faith-based groups is completely not tolerated".
Thank you, ronjj. Now, how do I fix that -- the point being that the culture, here, demands that all religious groups and faiths be respected and tolerated? Actually, I just noticed that, on my revised signature-line, I edited that clause, as follows " ... where tolerance of, and among, the various faith-based groups reigns absolute; ... " Is that better? Or, have I, still, missed the point?
You have still missed the point as I read it. When I read your first post, it appeared that what you were saying was: intolerance only existed among faith-based groups and it needed to be dealt with. In my opinion, you are still saying the same thing. All of your other comments apply to everyone (social equality and justice for all) but your intolerance statement only applies to faith-based groups. Are they the only ones that are intolerant among the "all" of your other comments.
This is, actually, quite accurate, I would think -- namely, that I do have a great disgust for the intolerance of the white Republican religious fundamentalists, toward everyone that is different from themselves -- the list of targeted persons, in American society (and, beyond), being quite endless. The crowning achievement of what is politely called the Religious Right is "Obama death panels" -- which combines, both, "Black" with "other Christian converts (who don't hold the same political positions as Sarah Palin)" (all, in one). However, here in Taiwan, those that hold no visible religious beliefs are tolerated, and are tolerant of, the religious based groups -- Buddhists, Taoists and Christians (being the three main groups, in that order of size) -- as well. It's ingrained in the culture, stemming from the Military Dictatorship that controlled the place, under Chiang Kai-Sheck, from the end of Japanese occupation, onward. So, no matter how I phrased the situation, it is one of complete tolerance of all (from the most secularist to the most evangelical), by all (from the most secularist to the most evangelical). But, if I can't get the wording right, then I probably need to "hear you," and drop the clause, or the whole paragraph, from my websites and signature lines. Taiwan is just loaded with social, political and economic problems; I am not holding it up as a beacon to the world, at all. However, it struck me as almost comical, that some of the most major tenets that the "Occupiers" movement presents (if these can be crystalized, at all) are, simply, normally-displayed, over here. Thanks, for your time, and trouble, in reading, analyzing, and responding.
Thank you for the clarification and for verification that my original comments were correct as you so very well put it: You, "do have a great disgust for the intolerance of the ........." I was merely pointing out that this was more than evident in your otherwise scholarly post.
Unfortunately, this is the norm of most posters herein and tends to totally discredit anything else they may have to say, be it positive or negative. All attention of the reader being directed to the hidden agenda.
Thank you. And, since I was unable to persuade you to the contrary, I will go your way (and, eliminate the clause). Will this help (and, not harm) the cause, when posted at my website, LinkedIn and Facebook sites?: "From a land abroad -- historically known for its warring and well-financed neo-fascism, but now in democracy; with an economy stabilized by a government regulating its financial institutions, not the other way around; where we minorities enjoy complete social equality and justice; and, where universal health care is a fact, at bare-minimal cost to all: Thank you, my ultra-brave Brothers and Sisters, for the needed kick-start, in my native land. [Occupy Wall Street 占領華爾街]" By the way, are you "on the front lines" or setting somewhere else (more comfortably, as I am ashamed to have to admit)? :-)
I am very comfortable thank you. I have shelter, enough food, friends, made by own job, live my own life, quite happy until I see a sign that says FREE EDUCATION IS A RIGHT. I just happen to be in a position where I DO NOT believe that anyone has a right to protest and demand such a right RIGHT that were never granted to them to start with. IF such is become so, there is a well defined legal process for that RIGHT to become legal and not to be claimed just because you want it.
Now, if I might turn the tables, a bit -- playing a bit of devil's advocate. I have viewed that claim as more like "There's a social contract being broken, here (as part of the overall breakdown). That is, we were suppose to go to college, pile up the necessary debt, go to work, and pay it off. But, now, parts of the equation have been wrecked (by people who have benefitted from the wrekage)." I, for one, have been blessed, beyond measure, by getting through all four levels of post-secondary education, without a dime of debt, (leading to a full career) thanks to a combination of generosity of Uncle Sam and my own father.
Good job. I like it. Well done.
I've been a big supporter of the movement, and I'm glad to see your article here condemning this incident. I'm trying very hard to defend Occupy against attacks against it by opponents on the internet, but It's difficult to do so and personally embarrassing when these incidents occur. All I can tell them is that it's a large movement and I can't control or condone everyone's behavior.
I just saw an article on msnbc.com with a photo of people dancing on the American flag in Denver. Not only is this reprehensible and wrong, but it's offensive to most Americans. Protesting the Koch brothers in DC is fine, but storming the building is NOT!
Without public support, this movement will die quickly. Please, please please keep your common sense about you! I want this movement to succeed and I want to be proud to support it. If you see something happening that isn't right, speak up!
Thank you so much! As a whistle-blower on sexual assault at an Occupy in a different city, this is very encouraging coming from the NY Hub. Those of us who chose to expose a sexual assault that was being covered up in our park so that the 'media' wouldn't get it, experienced being ostracized and our Community & Outreach committee effectively 'disbanded' since we happened to be five members of this committee. It is disheartening to see how deep our rape culture flows- even in professed 'progressive movements.' It is inspiring to see those who are keeping it real in the face of mainstream media and non-supportive members of your community. Keep ya heads up :]
These guys on the west coast are actually doing something about all of this chaos. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47EoEwNQ2PY
URL broken.
Are these events orchestrated to discredit the OWS?
The media is as interested sex assault in OWS as uninterested in sex assault elswhere. The media is just a propaganda department like under nazis and communists, it is owned by nazi Wall Street too, like almost everything.
To owstag:
I think the main issue here is how big the protest camp is, and how many people are living there. The larger a population, the less possible it is to ensure everyone's safety at all times, especially if there are "outsiders" on the grounds who aren't committed to the group's goals and values. That being said, it's not an excuse that OWS didn't have adequate security in place to begin with. Do any of you know what security measures are being used? I would think that there would be some group members awake at all times to respond to criminal activity and report it to the police.
I would urge OWS to use this as a final wake-up call to create an organized security team that will cooperate with the NYPD. Requesting female law enforcement officers to be available would also be very helpful.
AFFINITY GROUPS, Affinity Groups, affinity groups! Get these in place, and all will be safer, get to know one another truly, and the Process will flourish as a result!
I support this movement, but I am saddened that you have also created a utopia for rapists, criminals, and sociopaths. I wish you collectively understood what you were doing, it was clear weeks ago that someone would be hurt. That there are no leaders does not mean there is no responsibility. The movement is guilty for providing access and no security. The movement is, I'm sorry to say, the rapist's pimp.
"We are creating and sharing strategies that educate and transform our community into a culture of consent, safety, and well-being. At OWS, these strategies currently include support circles, counseling, consent trainings, safer sleeping spaces, self-defense trainings, community watch, awareness campaigns, and other evolving community-based processes to address harm. We encourage survivors to connect with support and advocates, and to access medical, legal, and social services, as well as available community-based options, many of which are listed below. We stand together as a community to work towards the prevention of sexual violence and harassment, and to provide unwavering support for anyone who has been assaulted. We commit to creating a culture of visibility, support, and advocacy for survivors, and of accountability for people who have committed harm"... good comments.. appreciate ur concern and commitments.-- People Against Globalisation, KERALA, INDIA.
Great post. Thoughtful, smart, direct, and honest. Kudos.
i have an amazing respect for the writers of this post and the transparency of this movement, it is setting the right example and our government should follow this, some would say it is negative for the organization to admit to such crimes occurring within its boundaries and the issue should be ignored. but this mature response illustrates that the political message and the acts of this individual are unrelated. the media is employing a non-sequiter form of propaganda that we see often, when i heard bloombergs message broadcasted in the news my father sitting next to me was smug and i had a looming feeling that the message was flawed. now i see why, and the exploitation of rape for the mayors political gain is directly wrong while the OWS organization handled the matter with maturity
The rapist, understanding the culture at OWS is so rape friendly, appears to have been surprised to be asked "to stay off site" after the rape by those manly, "concerned for the victim" phonies here. Remember - It is all for the revolution !!
Ask yourself. In what other part of America does a rapist feel free to lounge around the victim in public after the attack?
Nowhere but OWS. Remember - It is all for the revolution !!
"We have been saddened and angered to observe some members of the media and the public blame the survivor for the assault."
Total Bu!! Sh#. Most of the media is super sympathetic of the OWS agenda & bends over forward to help OWS. Most, NOT all, of the media act as UNPAID public relation firms for OWS. This is my repeated personal experience.@ Zuccotti Park. Remember - It is all for the revolution !!
Where else? Well, in college campuses, in churches... it sounds like the OWS has the same problem they do. What do you do when a rape or sexual assault is reported to you but not to the police? You can't force her to go to them, you can't tell everybody this happened to her and they need to browbeat her into taking action, you can't call the police for her, you can't run around and tell everyone that the man is a pervert or you'll get sued ... this situation is handled badly by a whole lot of institutions because it isn't an easy thing to figure out. At least the OWS actually took action to protect its people right away, which is more than some institutions are willing to do.
Where else? prisons, cults, gangs, & now OWS.
"What do you do when a rape or sexual assault is reported to you but not to the police?" "you can't call the police for her"
BS !! & a statement like that makes you suspect in the cover-up. It is your civic duty to call & that was flatly not done for reasons I explain next. You don't ask the in-shock crime victim who might be fearful of retribution by OWS to make that decision.
The reason the Police were not called is because of the "culture of political correctness" that pervades all activities @ OWS. Bad media impressions are to be avoided at any cost. The OWS stance is she should have take the rape for the Revolution.
It SOUNDS hideous because all Marxist revolutions ARE hideous.
To be clear I am not one of the Occupiers, but simply happen to believe they're doing something worthwhile. I think that the OWS has made it clear enough that they engaged in no cover-up and took as much action as they could as quickly as you could. Maybe if a rape victim tells you something in confidence you feel OK to tell it all to the police and put it on the formal record; I haven't thought much about the ethics of that; but the point is, you can only give the police hearsay that they can't use to arrest anyone or do anything more than what OWS actually did - not unless and until she goes to them herself.
Looks like the OWS leadership have been literally caught with their pants down & are in total media spin Corporate damage control mode.
They would make Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, John Edwards, & Ted Kennedy Proud !!!
Huh? Your simile makes no sense at all. All of the people that you named (not sure why you ignored Republican wrong-doers) did something. Are you accusing the OWS leadership of sexually assaulting the young woman?
Of course not. A man would be required for that crime.
It is clear to me that OWS leadership has created an extremity dangerous culture of criminality acceptance & PC tolerance leading to a sex scandal coverup.
The reason I included this cast of abusers is because they hid really well their block buster sex scandals. All with the sycophantic assistance of the same media we have now at Zuccotti Park.
The media in the last 50 years does NOT help coverup Republican sex scandals so there are NO Republicans with covered-up sex scandals to include. Sorry.
Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, John Edwards, & Ted Kennedy are not enough perverts for you?
A sex scandal coverup? Then why was this written and posted by "Occupy Wall St"? In a coverup, that would not happen. Do you understand what a "cover up" is?
Since you ask if I understand what a cover-up is I will, for your instruction MuddledMolly, explain it to you in the context of a hypothetical “sexual assault” at OWS.
The Scene:
On the morning October 29, 2011 a woman participating in an activity hosted & sponsored by OWS on property controlled by OWS was the victim of a “sexual assault” at Zuccotti Park. Her assailant, whom OWS "de facto" leadership knew or should have known, had an outstanding arrest warrant for a prior “sexual assault”.
The Civil Liability:
At no time did OWS or OWS "de facto" leadership warn the victim of the imminent threat of spending nights with a fugitive having an outstanding arrest warrant for prior “sexual assault”. Withholding this information prevented her from being able to assure her safety directly exposing her to the assault. OWS & OWS "de facto" leadership personal civil liability established.
The Cover-UP:
From the moment the incident was discovered to the present time, the survivor has been surrounded by a network of OWS operatives in an effort, in part, to keep the survivor & her story from creating adverse publicity that might in any way detract from the prestige of OWS. After two days she was able to break free from her OWS minders & with the help of her family the survivor was able to make a report to the police & to push for a criminal investigation and prosecution.
OWS minders have been able to reestablish control & will monitor her throughout the legal process.
On November 4, 2011 in a Corporate style Damage Control effort to proactively deflect & preempt from OWS & OWS "de facto" leadership the tremendous blame & civil liability, OWS "de facto" leadership has implemented a 2 part strategy and executed it in the form of a "written and posted" Public News announcement:
1) invented narrative #1 where “members of the media and the public blame the survivor”. Of course, no evidence of such blame has been presented.
2) Invented narrative #2 where “... segments of the media have attempted to use this incident as another way to disingenuously attack and discredit OWS” which will be used to discredit media that dare report the facts of the case as it unfolds.
In a Corporate Style move to prevent additional exposure to further tremendous blame & civil liability a new policy has been covertly established via a "written and posted" public notice. It states” in which survivors are …. supported to come forward, and where every community member takes responsibility for preventing and responding to harm ”. The effect of this policy is to shift responsibility for anticipated future “sexual assault” & other violent crime at OWS from OWS & OWS "de facto" leadership onto the victim.
OWS, MuddledMolly, is slimy, disingenuous, disgusting, hideous, & criminally devious. But then, aren't all Marxist regimes?
BreadLandPeace and everyone else: Not up to "OWS" to "turn over" alleged assailant to NYPD. Is always and only up to victim A to decide if s/he wishes to press charges v. alleged assailant X; if while A is considering pursuit of this extremely difficult course of action X assaults victim B, victim A is not responsible for action which "might have" prevented assault v. B. Similarly, "OWS" is an idea and an ever-changing group of people, not a person--just like corporations aren't really persons?--and is not responsible for commencement of legal charges v. X Y or Z or for their delicts. Bad acts. Crimes. Whatever. Considering also that the NYPD has that huge tower thing parked near the WTC construction site corner (Liberty & Church) I find it difficult to believe it is not now being used for 24/7 surveillance of Liberty Plaza. Anyone who's been there, anyone who's ever tried to eat lunch there pre-Sept. 17th, knows the plaza is not all that big. Find it hard to believe there is no CCTV footage anywhere which might provide some record of what happened and when. "Sexual assault" is in fact a more inclusive term than "rape" which arises from old concepts of women as property, it was a form of trespass v. a man's "property", look it up. All in favor of transparency but not exposure of victims against their will. "Might have been" is not a legal concept, and no one is legally required to report anyone for anything under our system. [And I'm sure Trots are always in favor of much much tighter unified etc, with them in charge I assume. Or at least that has been my experience. That's not OWS.]
Finally, I have known the women who run the above-mentioned Center for Anti-Violence Education (www.caeny.org) in Brooklyn for 20 years, and unhesitatingly refer anyone with any questions about sexual assault, or "rape" or whatever the hell you want to call it, to them.
One quibble: it can be argued either way whether someone who suffered an assault (or knows of an assault having occurred) can be expected by society to report it to police. It seems to me, though I may be wrong in some practical sense, that reporting an assault (again, as a victim or as one having knowledge of it) is separate from choosing, as a victim, to press charges if/when a suspect is arrested.
My personal view is that a victim or witness should report an assault to police, and for that matter to others. And sooner is better than later. It's hard to imagine how the police could know, unless by magic, that an assault has occurred if no one involved reports it. Unless a group wants entirely to forgo any and all possible support from the police and provide constabulary functions itself, I think one has to rely on them, whatever one's other experience of them may be.
Very well put aiguier. Now apply your entire dialog to the situation at Penn State today and the Male side of the story. Please just keep it simple and say the same thing with "boys or men" being the victims. Do you reach the same conclusions?? please respond. Thanks
A thoughtful response, well done.
yes. A thoughtful response, well done.
Not that huge-- perhaps 200 stay there on a crowded night --often less. The whole 24 hour aspect is unnecessary and will lead to events that will ultimately undermine a worthwhile fight--not to mention making lots of us actual NYC residents miserable. We don't hate OWS we hate Zuccoti park --the 2 are not synonymous except in fantasy.
I agree. I think in the end choosing to camp in the park rather than continuously showing up everyday is going to lead to more and more problems like this. "Quality of life" issues are going to start overwhelming the true message.
Bingo! I've been saying this for weeks.
Are you ever at fault? Is anything you do a bad idea? Propaganda is the same thing if you practice it. Part of being a democracy requires responsibility for your actions. Want to Change the world then recognize that creating an place that you don't want policed will lead to these kinds of crimes occurring. That negotiation with the Police Dept might lead to a competent and accessible security environment. That using gas powered generators in a closely populated small area with tons of flammable material is a BAD idea. Recognize that the Fire Dept probably SAVED lives in the Park. Here's the truth most of the people responsible for this website don't stay in Zuccoti Park--the movement is strong and sustainable without the MYTH that you are all keeping some determined vigil in Zuccoti. Stop holding the neighborhood hostage 24 hours a day.
I missed the story on this. Why are people saying the victim was to blame?
Sexual assault happens anytime and anyplace, and apparently more frequently that you realize. This is something that needs to be acknowledged and researched if you believe there are "normal" places to be sexually assaulted..
Thank you for all of your perseverance. Keep the Faith!
Force Change, Boycott Capitalism
We know what the problem is, let us fix it and move forward together.
When you look at a republican or democrat, congress or FDA official, Judges and Justice Department, you see criminals.
Our corruption dates back many years to when those, who in trying to preserve slavery, had to find new ways to preserve it and so created a scientific and advanced form of slavery.
Only two components were required -- the illusion of freedom & choice and the taking away of the freedom to live off the land.
How else would you get a person to submit themselves to mind numbing or degrading work unless you oppress them into it.
Our current system is rooted in corruption and every attempt in preserving it involves manipulating human thought and turning people against one another.
In America the population has been transformed into two major voting groups but they only have one choice.
They had been distracted up until now with television and American culture which prospered through the oppression of other nations.
Americans allowed themselves to be fooled into using their military and economic dominance to seize resources of other nations and create expanding markets for American profiteers.
Now that technology, competition and conscience have evolved Americans are realizing that our current system of government is damaging and unsustainable.
Our government officials have allowed private profits and personal benefits to influence decisions that affect the health and well-being of people all over the planet, not just in America... how much longer will we allow them to rule over us??
Occupy Washington and demand that government officials resign their posts.
We will setup new online elections with a verification system that will allow us to see our votes after we cast them, put our new officials in office and work toward rebuilding our country and our world.
Pass this message along to any and everyone, we already occupy the world, unite.
Occupy Washington, Boycott Capitalism, Force Change -- http://wesower.org
I am so sorry that this happened to you. I came on the site tonight specifically to tell you, (OWS) how magnificently brave you are. How proud I am to know that you have stood up for me, and to say Thank You for waking up the world. I am just so sad and have no words to express how awful it is to know that you have suffered in this ugly way.
Could you please post the email and phone numbers for Mayor Bloomberg and the PD Dept. I feel I need to ask some simple questions of those that are supposed to protect us.
2marodreamer
Along with other changes to be made in our government, this one of many examples that lends itself to the necessity for Sexual Education Policy reform in our country.
This message has provided me with fantastic resources for my own research into the issue, and will help me understand more ways to effectively advance sexual education. It has also alerted me to the reality of the Occupation's ability and need to facilitate these changes.
Thanks so much.
hahaha
It is David against Goliath-Wall Street, who own the politicians, the police and the media, and they will use lies, infiltrators, criminals, and every conceivable evil means. But God is on our side and we will prevail, we shall overcome, it is only a matter of time. Nazi Wall Street is doomed in the long run.
Most of the money 0bama got for his 2008 campaign came from wall sreet. Jon Corzine was ( is ) one of the larest bundlers for 0bama. Will you be at the White House of be going to Corzines home? Corzine just hired a criminal lawyer.
Demand that this statement gets published in newspapers, magazines. Also have a representative read this statement for youtube and other video streams
So sad to hear of these crimes on women. OWS is proceeding with intelligence, compassion and forethought. This is a formula for success. I am so proud of you brave Americans.
Brave Americans? No, Useful idiots.
OccupyWallSt wrote: We are also concerned that segments of the media have attempted to use this incident as another way to disingenuously attack and discredit OWS. It is reprehensible to manipulate and capitalize on a tragedy like this to discredit a peaceful political movement. OWS exists within a broader culture where sexual assault is egregiously common: someone in the US is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes, most assaults are never reported, and most rapists are never held to account.1 We live in a culture of violence in which sexual assault is often ignored, condoned, excused and even encouraged. We note that it is particularly difficult for survivors of assault at OWS to feel confident in reporting crimes to the NYPD – the NYPD’s unjustifiably aggressive and abusive policing of OWS has undermined trust in the police force amongst protesters.END-----
Still, keep the critical thinking high and the distortions low, generalizations down, all or "nothing thinking" etc. I know you are all trying. It's hard when they keep coming, but still its all about individuals and making alliance with those that will follow constitution principles. That keeps the OWS action firmly under laws. Not just using your 1st amendment rights, but talking about governmental failures to follow the constitution. All such instances are "violations of law". REMEMBER, you are talking to "law enforcement" remind them. Point out that you are enforcing laws the cops are disabled from enforcing EXCEPT with respect for your rights as you use them in defense of your rights.
See here what are dealing with in the bigger picture. The post above this too.-- http://occupywallst.org/forum/nypd-sending-homeless-alcoholics-from-around-the-c/#comment-250410
As far as media, they will sabotage human evolution on the planet IF we do not utilize article 5 and do it right. Some serious unity based in natural law reasoning can easily prove that.
Get out of the park. It is useless except to force the point of your right to assemble. The marches during the day are working just fine. For instance, people are moving money to credit unions due to the march in front of banks and social networking. No one cares about the tents or the GAs.
More afraid of the police than a sexual assailant? That really strains credulity to the breaking point. It seems more likely the reluctance to report crime to the police has to do with fear of tarnishing OWS' image.
The fact that sexual assault is apparently an 'occupational hazard' at OWS isn't something that can be rationalized as a symptom of 'the lager society'; it's time for a reality check: it's not normal, even in a society with sexual predators, for people to be sexually assaulted at a protest.
One would be disturbing enough; there are several? This calls into question not the legitimacy of the protest but the reasonableness of sleeping in city parks. It's not necessary and is clearly dangerous.
Sexual assault happens anytime and anyplace, and apparently more frequently that you realize. This is something that needs to be acknowledged and researched if you believe there are "normal" places to be sexually assaulted..
What an odd response; nowhere was it suggested in anything I wrote that there are "normal" places to be sexually assaulted. I said it's not normal for people to be sexually assaulted at a protest, much less for numerous ones.
What about the Victims image?? Maybe she was worried how other would view her. And lets be hones. Someone who is really supportive of this cause, would be smart enough to know that others would latch on to this and run with it, using it(falsely, and just down right mean spirited like) to make up all sort of shit.
And your point about this not being normal, well, this protest is not normal to begin with. Secondly, you have people overnight in a park, that is getting cold, and the cops refuse to do their jobs, and send drunks to the park, to incite just this type of shit? What do you think is happening? Get a clue, work shit out for yourself, and not just what you digest from the radio and news. Shit happens, whenever you get groups of people together. Always.
You are extraordinarily confused; you clearly did not comprehend what I wrote. You're basically reiterating my point ( albeit in an inarticulate confused way ) as you attempt to argue against it.
Dude, Sexual assualt is common in america. So common, that a recent visiting celeb basically got away with it after being accused of multiple accounts of it, simply because the maid was not a natural citizen. Get a clue, look at the wider picture. Shit happens. It has nothing to do with the movement itself. Nor is it reason to suddenly stop. Crimes occur, we have the police to stop them, or if that is not possible, find and punish the parties involved. The fact that Rape is a common occurence at college is not reason to avoid it. In fact. College is an excellent example for why this shit happens. How many men are essentially brought up with the idea that taking advantage of a women who is passed out/ drunk/ drugged, a good way to get laid? The individual who perpetrated this crime, and another, is at fault. Lets leave the blame were it belongs.
Man you're dense. From my post:
"This calls into question not the legitimacy of the protest but the reasonableness of sleeping in city parks. It's not necessary and is clearly dangerous."
Way to cite minutiae when confronted with a fact you can't deal with.
As to that, well, it is necessary. Where else would you have people assemble to occupy? Not like they would let you stay in the buildings.
How do you think towns spring up in the first place? If the city would work with these people, instead of throwing every road block up they could, including sending drunks there, this might have been avoided. But let us look at post Katrina Sports Coliseum. Women were raped in atrocious levels, and the authority's did nothing there either. And that was a federally organized event. If our own government can't keep people safe normally, what makes you think a microcosm of our society like this wouldn't have is issues? Not like these women asked to be assaulted.
JDub, I respectfully suggest you go a bit easier on owstag. He/she has a point of view-- that the continuous occupation tactic is flawed because of this and potentially other horrible incidents. You and I disagree with owstag, but mere disagreement with a tactic doesn't imply idiocy or hostility to our goal. Furthermore, OWS is making a claim to introducing a new kind of democracy-- and is largely succeeding. Well, part of democracy, part of drawing in more of the 99% is security. Security will never be perfect but more work on that needs to be made. And I'm sure it will be.. That is the answer to owstag and other comrades skeptical of continuous occupation.
Again, you're confused, and now adding projection to your profile (as YOU are the one who not only cannot deal with the facts presented, you argue without having even comprehended what was said!).
I never bashed OWS. I never said they should pick another site. I said sleeping there overnight - making it a permanent settlement of sorts - is both unnecessary and dangerous.
When you demonstrate you at least understand what I wrote I will engage you; I've kindly endured your confusion and non sequiturs and straw men long enough. Hope you get... better.
I hate to get involved but owstag is right, none of the respondants comprehended what he said in his original statement. What he said - and "owstag" please correct me if I'm wrong - in essence is that he, oustag, is in agreement with the general principles of the OWS movement, but questions the need for/ and safety of, the twenty four hour a day, physical occupation of the park, as opposed to say,,,everyone getting up early and going down to protest during daylight hours to avoid the added risk that are going to come along with large numbers of people staying over night, outside, in any public park, any where. And further, he expresses that incidents occuring as a result of the physical occupation of the park can - and will - overshadow the message and purpose of the OWS movement. I haven't formed an opinion one way or the other yet. Not until I have more information. My point is that many of the respondents, for whatever reason, failed to comprehend what was written. And as a relult started arguing points that were either not related to what he said, or were actually in support of what he said in his original statement. Frankly, this whole exchange highlights what I believe to be the root of all of our problems: a lack of information, and a lack of understanding amongst ourselves. But setting that aside, I, as a potential supporter of OWS, want to know why the park must be occupied 24/7, instead of everyone going down and protesting during daylight hours? Because any idiot can see that it is, among other things, more likely that a person will be sexually assaulted sleeping in the park at night, than while protesting with signs and marches during the day when such statements can actually be seen and heard. You people need to get on point here. There above is my simple question, please give a simple answer.
You understood my posts correctly, yes, thanks.
To begin with, many of the occupiers are from out of state without other places to go at night, others have been foreclosed on and are now homeless, or have been laid off and cannot afford daily transportation between distant locations. Others still want to simply make a stronger message with constant presence. Permanence has been and continues to be an important part of the movement.
Given the recent news, you are certainly correct that there is some danger involved with sleeping in a public park, obviously. This is an issue that needs to be dealt with, and OWS is doing just that, but it's not an easy problem. It becomes significantly harder when police are unresponsive or act as saboteurs.
Your points are useful, but they reach a conclusion which misunderstands how this movement works. OWS is not protesting to elect a specific official or pass a specific piece of legislation. It is about bringing to light the large scale, fundamental problems with the workings of our entire national (and often global) economy systems, and affecting change, creating a new mindset, growing a new, more conscious society. Societies begin with communities. Communities do not disband when the sun goes down.
Comparisons about "what happens at normal protests" do not apply here. This is not a not a normal protest. It is not a single march on Washington about a single issue. It is much bigger. It is a turning point. It is the beginning. And it is much harder to ignore people who refuse to go away. The world is clearly showing this to be true
Yes! This is a Turning Point. It is a Great Beginning. We're right to refuse to go away. Let's just create Affinity Groups, so we get to know each other, can therefore keep each other safe, and develop a more effective movement as a result. Peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience. Let's Change the World!
The point, however badly JDub may have been making it, is that there's nothing to say that the risk is any higher at this occupation than anywhere else, keeping in mind the absurdly high general risk of sexual assault and rape.
I've been mugged walking home from a night out in a well lit area, should I not go out at night?
I'll throw something in from this year's London riots. A young black man was being interviewed and was asked what was being achieved. he replied "Last month 2,000 black people marched on Scotland Yard to protest police treatment of our communities and none of you cared. Now, you're interviewing me".
A few years back there were all kinds of protests against the Bush administration in NY and people were rounded up and held in dirty disused buildings for hours. There was almost nil media coverage. With this high profile protest the police almost daren't touch the protesters and there's masses of media coverage and with any luck Limbaugh will have a coronary before the year's out.
This is the first form of protest in years which has actually rattled the cages of those in power, that's why it's necessary.
You certainly make a better case than JDub. I'm primarily disturbed by the suggestion made by some that the sexual assaults, while deplorable as always, shouldn't be seen as an aberration; they happen all the time anyway, anywhere, etc. I think that's ridiculous (not that sexual assaults are way too common, but that they should be expected at OWS). It's a real problem that can and should be addressed, not something to be dismissed or otherwise rationalized as something that is just as likely to occur anywhere. You make some fair points however.
The girls need to sue OWS. We have like 500K in the bank now and should have provided secure space. It's negligence and the group should pay.