Open Thread: The Radical Lawyers Behind OWS
Following their eviction from Zuccotti Park early Tuesday morning, Occupy Wall Street protesters were already pushing to return to their newly cleaned campgrounds. Lawyers lined up to file a temporary restraining order, and a judge granted protesters the right to return to the park between the time of eviction and the time of Tuesday afternoon's full hearing. The judge who granted the order, Justice Lucy Billings, has a number of liberal credentials: she is a 1973 Berkeley Law School graduate and spent a quarter century working for the ACLU.
While Billings may be an ideal enabler of the movement, the OWS lawyers have even more radical backgrounds. Check out National Review's Patrick Brennan's analysis of the lawyers after the break, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Many of the OWS lawyers are affiliated with the National Lawyers Guild, a group of progressive-minded lawyers focused on human rights over property rights. The OWS legal team is composed of Michael Ratner and Margaret Ratner Kunstler (formerly married), Alan Levine, Michael J. Boyle, Daniel Alterman, and Yett Kurland.
According to Brennan, Ratner and Kunstler are the authors of "Hell No: Your Right to Dissent in the Twenty-First Century," and have a significant history of "anti-Israel advocacy, including the charge of Israeli 'apartheid.' Ratner has accused Israel of 'massive violations of Palestinian rights' and 'inhuman [sic] treatment of Palestinians.'" Levine "has also publicly expressed anti-Israeli arguments," especially unsettling in the light of anti-Semitic sentiments present at OWS.
Besides defending a number of Black Panthers and members of the Black Liberation Army, Boyle has "represented no fewer than four men with connections to terrorism, basing his arguments on legal technicalities. Most appallingly, he represented Pakistani terrorist Shahawar Matin Siraj in an appeal of his conviction for plotting to bomb Manhattan’s Herald Square subway station. There was no dispute over Siraj’s guilt; Boyle appealed the decision on the grounds that Siraj had a right to access police records of his own oral statements — an argument that was legally unjustified and rejected."
Alterman calls his involvement with the 1971 Attica prison rioters "among his proudest achievements." It should be noted that at Attica, "there was a brutal riot that involved prisoners' taking ten guards hostage, and the New York State Police became overly violent in response, but Alterman sees...his work [as] 'a story about justice' and 'the legitimate complaints of the inmates.'"
Finally, Kurland might not have quite as radical a past, but her work is ironic in the context of the protests. She worked "to ban tour buses from her neighborhood in the West Village, arguing that their 'noise pollution' was greatly compromising the residents' quality of life, and promising an investigation into 'all the environmental hazards that these tour buses may pose.' Perhaps she has not considered OWS protestors causing the same damage to a private park and the local environment.
Given their radical backgrounds, this is yet more proof the Occupy Wall Street groups don't represent 99 percent of Americans.
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Comments
This is no surprise. Of
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 12:20pm.
This is no surprise. Of course these are exactly the kind of lawyers who are going to gravitate to this situation.
I'm sure even Kurland sees her cause as just. When she fought against tour buses in the West Village, that was "her" people whose quality of life was being disturbed. The SOB's on Wall Street deserve no such consideration.
Notice how this lawyer turned
Submitted by ThisnThat on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 10:21pm.
Notice how this lawyer turned to "environmentalism" as her main argument? Environmentalism is the new name for communism, and since it is cloaked in "goodness", it has become very easy for it to be the Trojan Horse that is quickly killing this country.
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
Minor correction
Submitted by bkeyser on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 12:38pm.
I believe Zuccotti Park is a privately owned and maintained public park. It was created in the NYC zoning laws as a win-win for local developers and residents; the developer built and maintains the park in exchange for other developmental interests in the area.
As for the lawyers- this is just another example of progressives co-opting the weak as useful idiots to forcibly effect change they support.
And why are all these radical ACLU attorneys anti-Semitic? Or if not that, pro-Palestinian? I don't get it. Islamists have significantly less historical religious ties to the area, openly support and carry out global terrorism in the name of Allah, and those outside of Palestine proper really have no use for actual Palestinians. Israelis build apartments in land they won during armed conflict. I just don't see the comparison.
OCCUPY-NATIONALAWYERSGUILD
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 12:42pm.
National Lawyers Guild, New York City Chapter, 113 University Place, 8th Floor New York, NY 10003 ph. 212-679-6018 nlgnyc@igc.org.
Wouldn't it be great if some civic minded protest group merely expressing their 1st amendment rights, decided to...
OCCUPY the 8th Floor, 113 UNIVERSITY PLACE -- which I assume the National Lawyers Guild regards as private property...
How long would the commies wait to call the police to kick out the occupiers. 3 months? 3 seconds?
Of course, conservatives just don't use the tactics of the RADICAL LEFT AGAINST THE LEFT.
Yet.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
Jack, the last time
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 12:48pm.
Jack, the last time conservatives did that, in 2000, showing up at a vote-counting place in Florida chanting "count the votes!" you would have thought they literally had torches and pitchforks and were trying to burn the place down!
The liberals inside were supposedly in fear for their lives from this bunch of white guys in Dockers and Polo's!!
mb -- how ironic, they turned
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 12:59pm.
mb -- how ironic, they turned up looking like a Banana Republic convention...
12 years later Obama is busy turning the US INTO an actual Banana Republic.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
Check the last names
Submitted by mrbill on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 1:03pm.
Per usual....the Guild is a communist front group with most members being far left Jews...as noted if you go through their member list.
Well look who snuck in here!
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 1:59pm.
Hola Bill.....glad to see you here.
It's been a while.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Obama Pushing Shooters Off Public Lands
Submitted by upcountrywater on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 1:04pm.
Gun owners who have historically been able to use public lands for target practice would be barred from potentially millions of acres under new rules drafted by the Interior Department
So it's ok to give guns away, to have Americans shot from foreign lands.
O'bama has no clue as to what time zone he is in.
You Didn't Build That.
That's no surprise, upc
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 1:59pm.
He thinks ya'll are in Asia. (#38)
Idiot.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Too good not to share!
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 1:42pm.
I received this in an email, and I'm glad I found it online, because it's too good not to share: The YouTube version has been removed from a lot of sites, but I managed to find it still operative here:
Haftin' to be Uproared
/facepalm
Submitted by kata on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 2:08pm.
those were hard to watch....
MB
Submitted by 26CX on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 2:12pm.
Those people are pathetic... but they're the people of Obama, Pelosi and Reid.
I hope the Republicans can get their act together and win the White House and Senate next year. If they don't, we're screwed, blued and tattooed.
... but they're the people of Obama, Pelosi and Reid.
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:11pm.
... but they're the people of Obama, Pelosi and Reid.
And what do the Occupy _______ folks and the man in the Whitehouse have in common?
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
Hoe-leee crap!
Submitted by jon_torlin on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:34pm.
I lost a few brain cells every time that lady in the first video said "you know" every other 3 words or something like that. Wow!
I don't think, you know, that she, you know, knows what she, you know, is protesting, you know.
I didn't want to chance the others.
-Jon
Occupy Wall Street Uses Prostitutes to Deter Rapists
Submitted by GlenStanish on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 2:01pm.
According to the Daily Rash, Occupy Wall Street has paid prostitutes in an effort to lower rape numbers. I wonder if that was an idea by one of their lawyers? http://www.thedailyrash.com/occupy-wall-street-hires-prostitutes-to-comb...
That takes their hypocrisy to a cosmic level.
Submitted by drsamherman on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 2:16pm.
First, a number of the NLG female attorneys would openly claim the mantle of "feminist" and blather on and on and on about the evils of prostitution and pornography as exploitative. With just a little nudge, you would get a doctoral thesis defense of pure feminist ideology the likes of which would cause any conservative to go deaf after listening to the incessant diatribe.
On the reverse side of our feminist 45 would come the defense of hiring prostitutes to service those men who were protesting with OWS and unable to keep their zippers shut. So you have them simultaneously condemning prostitution but using those services to keep down rape and assault. They reconcile this abhorrent dichotomy with political expedience, applying the usual lack of moral fortitude with the relativism they so deeply embrace. Just like the feminists at NOW stood by and did NOTHING during the whole sordid Bill and Monica malfeasance, the OWS protesters and their attorney accessories (I am not a lawyer, but does not an attorney as an officer of the court have a corresponding duty to uphold the law?) are more than willing to cashier any semblance of morality and duty to obey the law in favor of cheap political points. In other words, they are exploiting those who they say are being exploited. Kind of a nasty little circle of disgust, eh?
parody site spam
Submitted by kata on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 2:27pm.
nothing to see here folks, drive through please.
Speaking of Lawyers
Submitted by BuffNBone on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 2:57pm.
As Sandusky “allegedly” diddled innocents, supposedly responsible adults saw enough to question what going on but chose to look the other way or thought their puny actions complied with the letter of the law. This was followed by superiors who failed to take paper action choosing instead to protect their institution. Now with the benefit of hindsight many are wringing their hands and acknowledging they should have done more.
Will those in the legal community (bound by a code of ethics), who are knowledgeable about Justice Kagan’s role in Obamacare, make similar choices if she does not recuse herself?
According to 28 USC 455 she
Submitted by ricklail on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:07pm.
According to 28 USC 455 she must recuse herself. It is the law. Who is suppose to uphold the law? The Attorney General. So do you think he will force her to obey the law? Fat Chance
Fat Chance is Right
Submitted by BuffNBone on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:17pm.
Agree on the obese probability of Kagan or Holder doing the right thing because they think the ends justify the means.
My comment was aimed at their minions who say they subscribe to a code of ethics or swear to support and defend something, but when push comes to shove they abandon their principles. Maybe one of them will do the right thing?
We are going to hear from the
Submitted by ricklail on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:32pm.
We are going to hear from the Democrats and the MSM whine about Justice Thomas but I doubt you heard them even mention Kagan and the law.
Got to brag a bit
Submitted by ricklail on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:24pm.
I could"t wait for the Sport Thread on Saturday. My 5 year old granddaughter. Her mother taught her right. Too bad her dad is a Notre Dame fan.
ricktail
Submitted by 26CX on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:40pm.
You've got plenty to brag about! What a cutie pie!
You dress her well!
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:12pm.
Adorable little sports fan, rick.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Ode to the Welfare State.
Submitted by ricklail on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:27pm.
Ode to the Welfare State. From our friends at Moonbattery.com
White House shooter "blends in" at Occupy DC
Submitted by kata on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 3:41pm.
Imagine if he'd been seen at a Tea Party rally?
yahoo.com
Considering how mayor
Submitted by Free Stinker on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:03pm.
Considering how mayor Bloomberg said the Times Suare bomber was "probably a Tea Partier", a shooting actually associated with the Tea Party would have the MSM calling for mass roundups of all Tea Partiers.
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
Can we all pitch together and
Submitted by ricklail on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:26pm.
Can we all pitch together and get Dave one of these?
How about one of these, Rick?
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:15pm.
For Dave, of course....nothing but the best!
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Allen West Calls On Eric Holder to Resign
Submitted by upcountrywater on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 7:15pm.
"Leaders take responsibility. They very rarely take credit."
Based on what we’ve learned so far, Holder’s continued presence as Attorney General is simply absurd… and there is still much more to learn. It is a mark of shame against the Democrat Party that they haven’t joined in the call for Holder’s resignation. Then again, they don’t have anyone who understands the relationship between leadership and responsibility like Allen West.
It's enough to make you nostalgic for the Clinton years, when Janet Reno publicly took responsibility for her bloody disasters. She didn't actually do anything about it, mind you, but at least she said the words. That's apparently more than we can expect out of Eric "Didn't Get the Memo" Holder.
You Didn't Build That.
we need more congressmen like this guy
Submitted by kata on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 7:27pm.
No fear.
This video is also excellent.