Live Blogging OWS - 10/13/11

12:28 PM: This is the problem.

1:16 PM: I can assure you that we, at Occupy Missoula are not receiving George Soros funding OWS. For starters, where are the super fancy buses the Tea Party had? But Kevin Bacon makes some sense.

1:48 PM: The 99% Declaration.

2:33 PM: Heading to a show down at OWS. City says it wants to clean the park. Protesters are doing everything in their power to clean it up on their own today. Lots of talk about motives and about civil disobedience in the event authorities forcibly attempt to take the park.

Also, second Occupy Colleges protest happening today.

3:05 PM: Mitt Romney (apparently a real photo):

4:31 PM: OWS protesters arrested when they attempt to stop foreclosure hearing.

Also, word is police plan to break up Denver encampment.

4:41 PM: David Graeber on clean-up strategy in Austin:

davidgraeber David Graeber
"clean-up" excuse seems a nationally coordinated strategy. Tried it on us in Austin last night - "we need to clean 2 hours every day"! #OWS

davidgraeber David Graeber
Result here in Austin, riot cops mobilized, four arrests #OWS #OccupyAustin
1 minute ago
»

4:46 PM: Occupy Gotham - Batman says "Raise my taxes!"

4:58 PM: Boycott Erin Burnett! Yes, Erin, seriously!

5:10 PM:

NaomiAKlein Naomi Klein
After cops raided #occupysf and tossed their stuff in the dump, garbage workers returned it to the protesters, saying "we r 99 % too"

5:18 PM:

The word is - after the "cleaning" - no sleeping bags will be allowed into Liberty Plaza. Since they already cannot have shelter, this would put an end to the occupation at this location. The word flying around twitter is that the occupiers intend to hold their ground and Bloomberg is determined to remove them by force.

5:25 PM: Tweet from Russell Simmons to Mayor Bloomberg offering to pay for cleaning.

UncleRUSH Russell Simmons
Dear @MikeBloomberg pls do not throw out protesters at Zuccotti Park. I will pay for clean-up to avoid confrontation #OWS

5:27 PM: The Cancer in the American Dream.

5:30 PM: Here is a brief summary of the "cleaning" showdown.

5:36 PM:
macfathom Nick Pinto
Legal Working Group at #OWS talking like things could get crazy tomorrow: "Take care of each other! Solidarity!"

6:26 PM: From NYC GA -

EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION: Keep Bloomberg and Kelly From Evicting #OWS
Posted Oct. 13, 2011, 2:14 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

EMERGENCY #OWS EVICTION DEFENSE:
Prevent the forcible closure of Occupy Wall Street

Tell Bloomberg: Don't Foreclose the Occupation.
NEED MASS TURN-OUT, SHOW UP NO LATER THAN 6 A.M.

This is an emergency situation. Please take a minute to read this, and please take action and spread the word far and wide.

Occupy Wall Street is gaining momentum, with occupation actions now happening in cities across the world.

But last night Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD notified Occupy Wall Street participants about plans to “clean the park”—the site of the Wall Street protests—tomorrow starting at 7am. "Cleaning" was used as a pretext to shut down “Bloombergville” a few months back, and to shut down peaceful occupations elsewhere.

Bloomberg says that the park will be open for public usage following the cleaning, but with a notable caveat: Occupy Wall Street participants must follow the “rules”.
NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has said that they will move in to clear us and we will not be allowed to take sleeping bags, tarps, personal items or gear back into the park.
This is it—this is their attempt to shut down #OWS for good.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION

1) Call 311 (or +1 (212) NEW-YORK if you're out of town) and tell Bloomberg to support our right to assemble and to not interfere with #OWS.
2) Come to #OWS TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT to defend the occupation from eviction.

For those of you who plan to help us hold our ground—which we hope will be all of you—make sure you understand the possible consequences. Be prepared to not get much sleep. Be prepared for possible arrest. Make sure your items are together and ready to go (or already out of the park.) We are pursuing all possible strategies; this is a message of solidarity.

Click here to learn nonviolent tactics for holding ground.

Occupy Wall Street is committed to keeping the park clean and safe—we even have a Sanitation Working Group whose purpose this is. We are organizing major cleaning operations today and will do so regularly.

If Bloomberg truly cares about sanitation here he should support the installation of portopans and dumpsters. #OWS allies have been working to secure these things to support our efforts.

We know where the real dirt is: on Wall Street. Billionaire Bloomberg is beholden to bankers.

We won't allow Bloomberg and the NYPD to foreclose our occupation. This is an occupation, not a permitted picnic.

6:30 PM: Letter from Penny Red to OWS.

7:02 PM: Role of Anonymous/hackivist groups in Year of Revolt.

7:42 PM: AFL-CIO tells its members to show up at midnight to protect Zuccotti park. Plutocracy Files will be live blogging all night.

7:58 PM: Some of us are wonky:

8:01 PM:

RDevro Ryan Devereaux
Zuccotti Park has taped a (crappy) new sign up at the park with the anti-occupation rules. #OWS

The rules include no sleeping bags.

8:11 PM: Statement of clean up working group:

Brookfield property group has informed Occupy Wall Street of their intent to “clean” Liberty Square, our home and community. OWS views this as an attempt to evict over 500 peaceful and nonviolent protesters form Liberty Square, a tactic used to evict occupations in Austin, TX, Barcelona, Spain, and Bloombergville, NY.

OWS is a highly organized community with a sanitation working group that works tirelessly to keep our plaza clean. In a show of good will, OWS organized a full day of cleaning on Thursday, 13 October 2011 in response to Brookfield’s concerns.

We have no intention of leaving our park. We have spent weeks building a strong community of mutual aid and empowerment. The city government has brutalized and intimidated us and the media has attempted to censor and belittle our message. Despite these challenges, our message has been heard by millions around the world, and they are taking up the call to action by occupying spaces in their communities and opening them up to practice direct, horizontal, non-hierarchical democracy.

OWS invites Brookfield property group to re-clean Liberty Plaza in 1/3 increments starting at 7am as they have proposed. We will maintain physical presence in two thirds of our plaza at all times while they re-clean.

The possibility of eviction doesn’t simply threaten the immediate occupiers of Liberty Square. As a symbolic home to the growing movement against global injustice, any attempt to evict Liberty Square will be met with strong resistance by occupiers, community groups, local unions and organized labor, as well as individual supporters world wide.

Occupy Everything.

8:22 PM: Naomi Klein joins Occupy SF in protest against Wells Fargo.

8:55 PM:From Greg Mitchell.

Reuters takes a 180 degree turn on its claim that Soros funds OWS, swell, but doesn't even mention its prevous claim. Blames Limbaugh, sort of. "George Soros isn't a financial backer of the Wall Street protests, despite speculation by critics including radio host Rush Limbaugh that the billionaire investor has helped fuel the anti-capitalist movement."

8:57 PM: Barabara Ehrenreich, The Guys in the 1% Brought This On.

9:24 PM: All American Occupation.