NY Times Touts 'Unexpected Success' of Wall Street Protest; Almost Ignored NYC Tea Party in 2009
The left-wing, anti-capitalist Occupy Wall Street camp-out in Lower Manhattan stretched into its third week, bolstered by an influx of labor unions. The story made the front of Thursday’s New York Times along with a large photo of protestors in Foley Square, “Seeking Energy, Unions Join Wall Street Protest.”
It’s a far cry from the paper’s coverage of the first major Tea Party rally in Manhattan. The paper’s hostile reporting of the nationwide Tea Party rallies on April 15, 2009 (Tax Day) virtually ignored a supportive crowd of thousands, citing in a single sentence an Associated Press report on Newt Gingrich speaking at the Manhattan rally. The report made Page 16.
Labor reporter Steven Greenhouse and Cara Buckley promoted the labor perspective on Thursday.
Stuart Appelbaum, an influential union leader in New York City, was in Tunisia last month, advising the fledgling labor movement there, when he received a flurry of phone calls and e-mails alerting him to the rumblings of something back home. Protesters united under a provocative name, Occupy Wall Street, were gathering in a Lower Manhattan park and raising issues long dear to organized labor.
And gaining attention for it.
Mr. Appelbaum recalled asking a colleague over the phone to find out who was behind Occupy Wall Street -- a bunch of hippies or perhaps troublemakers? -- and whether the movement might quickly fade.
So far, at least, it has not, and on Wednesday, several prominent unions, struggling to gain traction on their own, made their first effort to join forces with Occupy Wall Street. Thousands of union members marched with the protesters from Foley Square to their encampment in nearby Zuccotti Park.
“The labor movement needs to tap into the energy and learn from them,” Mr. Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said. “They are reaching a lot of people and exciting a lot of people that the labor movement has been struggling to reach for years.”
In fact, the unexpected success of Occupy Wall Street in leveling criticism of corporate America has stirred some soul-searching among labor leaders. They have noted with envy that the new movement has done a far better job, not only of capturing interest, but also of attracting young people. Protests have spread to dozens of cities, including Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.
What precisely is that criticism? The Times doesn’t say, perhaps because the Occupy protests are more a collection of various grievances than specific demands (as Greenhouse hinted at deeper into the story).
Greenhouse at least committed some accurate labeling when reporting on the activists’ confrontations with the police:
Others said they were wary of being embarrassed by the far-left activists in the group who have repeatedly denounced the United States government.
Those concerns may be renewed after a disturbance about 8 p.m. Wednesday as the march was breaking up. The police said they arrested eight protesters around the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street, after people rushed barriers and began spilling into the street. While a couple of witnesses said that officers used pepper spray to clear the streets, Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, said that one officer “possibly” used it. Several protesters were also arrested at State and Bridge Streets at 9:30 p.m.; the police said one protester was charged with assault after an officer was knocked off his scooter.
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Comments
They have attracted young
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 1:43pm.
They have attracted young white college students (morons) who will never work at a union job. The unions are actually destroying themelves with these stunts.
they are not touting
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 1:46pm.
They are patting themselves on their back because they were able to help create this grass roots movement.
The orthopedic surgeons will love this...
Submitted by drsamherman on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 3:34pm.
...with all of the torn rotator cuffs and carpal tunnel syndrome from the texting, sexting and what-have-you.
If these Neo-Luddite anarchist protesters intend to stay put, how are they charging their cell phones? Do they think some magic electric power source just shows up and charges them?
Facts like logistics are quite inconvenient to them.
inconvenient facts
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 3:54pm.
I'm sure you are completely aware of the humans capability to rationalize/ignore unacceptable facts in order to prevent distortion to their personal world view.
Quite.
Submitted by drsamherman on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:12pm.
But things won't be so easy when cold weather comes around and their cell phones are shut off.
What makes me laugh about this whole silly...
Submitted by TempusFugit on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:34pm.
...protest against eeeeeeeevil corporations is that it started by one person picking up his/her cell phone, made and sold by an eeeeeeeevil corporation, connected to the internet, provided by an eeeeeeeevil corporation, signed into Facebook, an eeeeeeeevil corporation, made plans for the protest, jumped into a car or bus, made by an eeeeeeeevil corporation, and gassed up at an eeeeeeeevil corporation gas station to get to said protest. And I somehow doubt that they always shop at Mom and Pop stores. Their wholes lives are provided for by eeeeeeeevil corporations. If all corporations diosappeared tomorrow they'd be the ones whining the most. Trying to work out the logic of such hypocrisy would make my head hurt, but I long ago stopped trying to decipher liberal logic
if you have access to IRC
Submitted by kata on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:46pm.
you can tap into the OWS "message" and get an idea of the mental gymnastics involved.
These idiots know nothing ...
Submitted by Bodini on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 3:52pm.
much less anything about the conversion of energy from those despised nuclear and coal-fired power plants to the stored energy of their soon-to-be, RCRA listed, hazardous waste called a battery!
If one could harness the hot-air spewed from the mouths of the "clueless" Marxist DEMwits "occupying" the street, maybe we would really be onto some "green-with-envy" energy source.
RCRA,
Submitted by Agnostic on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 8:58am.
I heard about the attempt to make the new car batteries RCRA but last I heard it was too controversial a gambit to push through so soon after the EPAs attempt to destroy every company who discharges to the atmosphere. That action from the EPA cost me a twelve year career while they were admitting that no plant could meet their demands with current technology. I figured the RCRA push for batteries would be put off until late in 2015 to keep the polish on the idea of electric cars. If they are pushing for it now it is probably because they don't think they will be around to implement the action in a second Obama term.
A "letter from dad" to the protestors
Submitted by tribchet on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 2:13pm.
My dearest snot nosed never paid taxes in your life flowerchild:
I’m not really your dad but only represent “loving fatherly advice” as you suffer the terrible conditions there in the streets of New York in you 4 ½ pound Kelty tent and down sleeping bag. I hear the latte’s are getting weaker by the minute. Well, you really hate those “Wall Street Fat Cats” and I don’t like WSFC’s either. Additionally, you want to help all those people who are out of work and once again I agree.
I’ve been part of a fortunate generation that worked hard and earned rewards. I’ve paid my taxes (a lot). When you were born everyone advised me to put away some money because Social Security probably wouldn’t be there when I retired. So I sacked away a little nest egg in addition to raising you and making sure you got that new car when you were 16, keeping up with your credit card charges (by the way, it seems the current charges are really stacking up—go figure?) and paying for that college education (again, hate to ask pesky questions but they tell me you’ve been missing classes—surely not).
Now, my little snookie child, you want to tar and feather the people who provided my job. I never liked “the man” that much but it’s been you and me livin’ off his dole. I resent that he’s got so much money but understand this, he’s like the terrorist that stands behind women and children and dares you blast him with an RPG. You can’t take him out without taking down the good guys (back to that later). Most of his money is probably in a foreign account and he’s probably got dual citizenship. He’ll move his business to another country in a heartbeat. He has legions of lawyers and accountants and will bog you down for years in hand to hand combat with them before you ever get a chance at him.
I know you only learn from videos and college professors so I send you this animated video on FINANCIAL REPRESSION ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsjuRRLdxk ). I know it’s not Toy Story but it’s only 5 minutes so you can watch it in between tokes.
You see, while I’ve been paying taxes and trusting the government to spend that money wisely, the politicians have spent it mostly on getting themselves re-elected while at the same time making promises they can’t keep. Now it’s payback time. They want to blame WSFC’s so that you don’t blame them because that would be bad for them.
Here’s the bad part for you, my darling little pick-pocketing selfish child, FINANCIAL REPRESSION is the way that governments pay off all that bad debt while keeping their unrealistic pension promises to the unions, government employees and most importantly to their own retirement objectives (to be directly deposited in their own Swiss accounts). They take it away from me by inflating my assets to zero. I know it’s a hard concept but the cartoon will explain confiscation even to you tender mind. Anyway, it’s why all those union bosses, environmentalists and radical lefties are setting up those free veggie burger booths to make sure you know who your “real friends” are.
Now the really bad part—when my retirement funds go to zero there’s nothing left in my estate. Now, mom can get by since she knows how to plant garden and scrub floors on those 80 year old knees but what about you? Seriously, you might have to get off your precious little protesting butt and go to work ‘cause that big inheritance you’ve been counting on won’t be there. Talk about tough love!
Excellent. You captured the
Submitted by celator on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 3:46pm.
Excellent. You captured the truth in one fell swoop. These student Bolsheviks and useless eaters are Obama's true core constituents.
Well stated ...
Submitted by Bodini on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 3:59pm.
these clueless entitlement class leaches are doing nothing more than depleting oxygen and spewing greenhouse gasses!
Simply awesome, tribchet.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:18pm.
.
today's protesters are yesterday's protected youth.
Submitted by kata on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:19pm.
Instead of getting children ready for the real world they fed them full of tripe.
Thank you for sharing the video. I liked it a lot.
The NYT is showing their
Submitted by jessieH on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 2:22pm.
The NYT is showing their allegience. I charge them with treason against the American Citizens.
Huh?
Submitted by gobnait06 on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 2:26pm.
What 'success' would that be? Amassing performing circus poodles from various leftwing organizations to protest what exactly? I watch their attempts to defend their 'cause' in complete sentences for the pure entertainment value.
Eggs-akley!
Submitted by almostacowboy on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 11:04am.
And, while we're at it .....................................................oh, man. I hate it when that happens.
sorry for the double post.
Submitted by gobnait06 on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 2:28pm.
sorry for the double post.
Not to worry, Gobnait
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 2:37pm.
Double posts aren't seen as ostentatious.
Just don't take it to the Greek Columns level.
Almost 1,000 arrests = success?
Submitted by SickofLibs on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 2:35pm.
FUNYT.
They got zero press
Submitted by kata on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 2:38pm.
until 700 got arrested and they started getting "kettled" and maced. Then suddenly everyone wanted to ride that train.
This is just ignorance, boredom and anger with no direction and the unions seek to corral it and make it their own.
The protestors "on the ground" are not happy with it but their "reps" have already sold them out. They also have found that aligning themselves with anarchists has had it's own problems since they cannot control the random damage that they're doing as they "color outside the lines" of their peaceful protest.
Where's Nancy Pelosi crying about Astroturf?
Submitted by lsudolemite on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 3:24pm.
You'd think a grass-roots organization wouldn't need armies of union goons and their money to "gain momentum".
MSM Coverage of Sixties Riots?
Submitted by Anneke9 on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 3:50pm.
Does anyone have any comparisons or contrasts of MSM coverage of the OSW events and the riots of the Sixties (e.g., Watts, Dem Convention)? Was the media then as supportive as they are now? I was too young at the time to pay attention.
The events were reported much
Submitted by jkwtrading on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:07pm.
The events were reported much more straight up!... everyone was a bit flabbergasted they even occurred. The press and the American people were at a loss for words. One can say afterwards or about 1968 to 70, the press was no longer at a loss for words, but then beginning to heap it on.by 1972 the press was in full stride..
I look at that era as the planting of seeds we now see in the press daily.
There were only 3 networks and no internet.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:09pm.
But Uncle Walter over @ CBS was a big hippie supporter, to the extent of outright collusion.
What success?
Submitted by ljacone on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:10pm.
700 arrests in less than a week, and how many Tea Partiers have been arrested in over two years?
Success, indeed.
Success in getting these morons in front of cameras so that maybe the rest of the world can see the result of rampant liberal idiocy, perhaps. But otherwise just the angry, ignorant rumblings of an angry, ignorant mob, being stoked onwards by union thugs and other leftist beneficiaries. You ever notice that for all the MSM tries to label us as the "angry" party, it's the Left who is always shouting expletives and vulgarity? Bestill my beating heart once more. /sarcasm
If this group was a Tea Party march on Wall Street, the MSM would call for Obama to use his drone bombers in Manhattan. Of course there also would not have been 700 arrests, but that is besides the point.
The MSM should be scared
Submitted by ForeverOnTheRight on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:22pm.
The MSM should be scared about these protests. They are inspired by Maxist ideals and are anti-American and anti-capitalism. The should not be in awe of these protests and giving them a positive spin! They make me angry.
Liberals/Media want bloodshed:
Submitted by Slyrr on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:27pm.
Make no mistake about this. Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Biden, the whole sorry lot of them - not to mention their slaves in the media. They want blood. The media's meme is, 'if it bleeds it leads'. And this is a trick that mobs and hate mongers across the ages have used.
Obama and his gang are deliberately stirring people up to anger. People are getting madder, and madder, and madder. And eventually someone is going to turn up the volume too loud. When that happens, someone is going to get hurt or killed.
Their blood will be on Obama's hands.
And then
Submitted by Model850 on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 5:20pm.
When that happens, someone is going to get hurt or killed.
And you can bet that when it does happen the MSM will work tirelessly to pin the blame on conservatives and/or the Tea party.
And then, Model850...
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 7:11pm.
Slyrr will proclaim himself "Slyrr the Seer: All seeing. All knowing. All Powerful"
He's been predicting streets running red with blood for years. However, he generally says "mark my words" instead of "make no mistake".
Jer
Hi, Jer
Submitted by Model850 on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 4:32pm.
If (I'll walk back the "when") it happens then perhaps Slyrr will have the right at least to proclaim himself "Slyrr the Seer," maybe forgoing the "all seeing, etc." parts.
And I notice you didn't argue against my assertion that blame would be laid at the feet of conservatives and/or Tea party members. Shall I take your silence as agreement with that premise?
Well, Model...
Submitted by Jer on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 7:38pm.
It depends on what happens...to whom and by whom. I'm not going to speculate. I will acknowledge, however, there was a rush to judgment in the Giffords shooting, although I believe it was mostly by lefty bloggers, opinion columnists, and talking heads as opposed to the straight news folks.
Jer
Union Pay Checks
Submitted by Zippy on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 8:02pm.
Bet those Union workers are getting paid.
You've got to admit the fact
Submitted by billb on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 8:16pm.
You've got to admit the fact that Mayor Bloomberg can see into the future, he predicted "riots in the streets" just 3 weeks ago!
Wait a minute.....did he predict them, or invite them?
I'm scared...
Submitted by jimbo297 on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 10:38pm.
...to think just how many leaders are in on this. I hadn't even considered BBerg, but you gotta believe that the Occuposer leaders were taking advantage of any political contact they could find, and BBergs people no doubt had forward information.
What REALLY concerns me is how our CiC is handlig all this. He doesn't come right out and say "these are my people" (even though that's agiven)
But a comment he made in his presser today has me spooked enough to...well, let's just say I'm a bit freaked out.
In response to GOP opposition to his "jobs" bill, Barry says "...all I can do is make the best arguments and mobilize the American people so that they're responsive."
Who's mobilizing?!? How much "mobilization" will it take to be sufficiently "responsive"?!?
Personally, I believe it's time to take full advantage of the fact that my state has no conceal-and-carry laws.
That's about as far away from hope as one can get.
On the bright side...
Submitted by Radical1979 on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 10:51pm.
I visited my daughter at her college tonight. She hadn't heard anything about "Occupy Wall Street" or "Occupy Philly" which she's a train ride away from. Thankfully this isn't the big event on every college campus that the media would like us to believe it is.
Know what you mean, Rad.
Submitted by drsamherman on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 10:54pm.
My children are all educated, employed, married and with children or expecting very soon. They have friends who are participating in the protests, but as my eldest daughter portrayed them, "...lazy rich kids...".
Every time I see that video of that disgusting schizophrenic yelling at that old Jewish man, I want to forget my medical ethics and give the degenerate piece of trash a thrashing he would never forget. That was so appalling that it could only be explained by mental illness on the part of the offender.
Obama Condones It, He Owns It
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 1:25am.
He WILL be held accountable for the violence and destruction his minions engage in.
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
The big difference is
Submitted by Mutantone on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 2:08am.
The Tea Party is not a prat of the democratic plans, watch for them soon in your neck of the woods, it is all part of Obama's class warfare.
"Rebuild the Dream, Powered by MoveOn.org Civic Action
Dear friend,
The brave occupiers of Wall Street need your loving support and assistance today, as they rise up and demand a government that is responsive to the 99% of us, not the 1% that can afford lobbyists.
We're joining with MoveOn and labor and community groups in New York for a massive march down to the Occupy Wall Street encampment. And for those who can't make it to New York, we're holding a huge online "Virtual March on Wall Street" in solidarity with the courageous protesters in New York.
We in the American Dream movement respect and celebrate Occupy Wall Street as an independent movement; we love their spirit, courage, and nonviolence. Like so many Americans, we want to do what we can to help them succeed.
The occupiers have asked for the rest of us (who make up America's "99%") to stand and act with them in solidarity. Today, we answer that call.
Take a few minutes to share your story or your message of support for Occupy Wall Street, and we'll bring your stories and messages straight to the protestors.
Upload an "I'm the 99%" story.
Send a message of support to those occupying Wall Street.
Check out and share the stories and messages posted by others.
Right here, right now. This is when we stand up to those who have brought us to financial ruin and proudly align ourselves with those whose democratic innovations are breathing life into our finest ideals.
No more listening to the titans on Wall Street. They were wrong when they told us less regulation would bring more jobs. They were wrong when they told us their banks were too big to fail. There is only one thing that is too big to fail today: the dreams of this new generation, finding its voice in Liberty Park.
Help us support those occupying Wall Street and spread the word about these first critical steps in the creation of a movement that can restore American democracy, and renew the American Dream.
Add your voice, stand with those occupying Wall Street.
Upload an "I'm the 99%" story.
Send a message of support to those occupying Wall Street.
Check out and share the stories and messages posted by others.
Thank you for all you do to make our country better.
–Van, Natalie, Billy, Jim, Ian, Somer, and the rest of the Rebuild the Dream team"
Good luck
Submitted by The Laughing Hyena on Sat, 10/08/2011 - 10:59am.
You people are beyond pathetic. Here's an idea; go home, take a shower, get a job and become a productive part of society. Yea, right.... Friggin hypocrites!
Chicago fires back
Submitted by Denny Crane on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 2:40am.
We are the 1%!!!!
Mr.Shy maybe you could add that to your website?
We Are The 53%
I thought the liberals didn't like us "occupying" anything?
Submitted by gmaniac1 on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 3:11pm.
At least that is what they said about our brave soldiers over in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush years. Oh that's right, the liberals don't mind destroying America for which it currently stands. I forgot how proud they are for being treasonous and wiping their tail with the constitution, as well as the American flag.