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Title: Winter Woes Threaten Wall Street Occupiers
Source:
Agence France-Presse
URL Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/ ... hreaten-wall-street-occupiers/
Published: Oct 22, 2011
Author: Agence France-Presse
Post Date: 2011-10-22 12:15:45 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 3787
Comments: 9
They put on a gritty war face and insist they are more determined now than ever, but the Occupy Wall Street campers now face the slow advance of an unrelenting enemy: the New York winter.
As freezing winds blew Friday over the epicenter of their protests, Zuccotti Park in Manhattan, the demonstrators were already huddling in significantly reduced numbers.
At night, the several hundred people who sleep on site in the financial district bundle up as best they can under plastic tarps, hunkering down in sleeping bags and emergency blankets as tents are forbidden on the plaza.
Many sleep with bonnets and scarves. But the worst has yet to come.
“So far, we have been extremely blessed,” said Cynthia Villarreal, who has slept at Zuccotti for 18 days.
Ever since the anti-corporate protest movement began on September 17, OWS has only battled a handful of rainy days. At night, temperatures are still above freezing.
But New York winters often see frigid temperatures that drop below 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius).
“The cold affects us already,” admitted Maria Fehlig, a volunteer nurse at the protesters’ makeshift infirmary, a small blue tent marked by a cross that is the only structure so far tolerated by owners of the park ensconced between skyscrapers.
She noted there had been several cases of hypothermia and respiratory problems. An online petition is asking Mayor Michael Bloomberg to allow protesters to erect tents on the plaza, though it has not yet been sent.
It is unlikely to succeed.
“The Constitution doesn’t protect tents, it protects speech and assembly,” Bloomberg said in a press conference Monday amid growing frustration by some New Yorkers as the protesters continue camping out in the heart of global finance.
Bloomberg has also predicted that the weather would play a role in determining how long the movement will last.
But Fehlig, who has been helping protesters learn basic methods to resist the cold, insisted that they formed “a determined group that plans to stay until it changes.”
She tells demonstrators to stay dry, wear hats, layers of clothing and good pairs of socks and gloves.
The protesters’ kitchen, which serves at least 2,000 meals a day, according to cook Chris O’Donnell, offers warm food ordered from nearby businesses or cooked by volunteers with the help of donations.
“We use a soup kitchen in East New York,” explained O’Donnell, an OWS supporter known as a “point person” as the group does not recognize any official hierarchy.
But he also acknowledged that there is a definite lack of abundance on cold and rainy days.
And OWS has yet to organize a major protest since thousands of people gathered in Times Square on October 15 chanting “We are the 99 percent.”
The movement that denounces global greed and the richest one percent continues to broadcast its protests online, often live, but the number of people watching has markedly dropped, along with the number of tweets about the site.
The next stage for this leaderless movement, which sees itself as independent of political parties and claims no particular demands, remains unclear for now. Subscribe to *99 Percenters On Parade*
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Uh-oh...
It's sounding a lot like Stalingrad, 1942.
*snicker*
#2. To: Maria Fehlig (#0)
“The cold affects us already,” admitted Maria Fehlig, a volunteer nurse at the protesters’ makeshift infirmary, a small blue tent marked by a cross that is the only structure so far tolerated by owners of the park ensconced between skyscrapers.She noted there had been several cases of hypothermia and respiratory problems. An online petition is asking Mayor Michael Bloomberg to allow protesters to erect tents on the plaza, though it has not yet been sent.
Dear Maria:
With respect to your request for tents on the plaza, the consensus is:
F*** YOU.
#3. To: Parasitic Moonbats on Parade (#0)
The protesters’ kitchen, which serves at least 2,000 meals a day, according to cook Chris O’Donnell, offers warm food ordered from nearby businesses or cooked by volunteers with the help of donations.
This isn't a "protest" as much as it is an army of parasitic Commie rabble.
And then there is Mayor Bloomberg, that renown food-Nazi, car-Nazi, and all-around fascist PERMITTING the rabble to squat in his city indefinitely, adversely affecting commerce, and turning the city into a festering sewer. To which I say, EAT IT. SLEEP IN IT. EMBRACE IT.
The place needs to be Ground Zero for God's next Dinosaur-exterminating meteor.
#4. To: Brian S (#0)
As freezing winds blew Friday over the epicenter of their protests, Zuccotti Park in Manhattan, the demonstrators were already huddling in significantly reduced numbers.But New York winters often see frigid temperatures that drop below 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius).
“The cold affects us already,”
#5. To: Brian SS (#0) (Edited)
My money says all those wussie OWS sunshine socialists will be back home in Mom's basement watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on TV.
#6. To: Brian S (#0)
I have heard words of scorn how when the snow comes high in the cascade forests of Oregon us forest protesters would give it up. We never did, and in the new battles starting here concerning logging, we never will.
These protesters will weather the Winter just fine. The message is more important than any discomfort Winter can throw at it.
#7. To: Ferret Mike (#6)
The message is more important than any discomfort Winter can throw at it.
What message, Mike? We must kill Capitalism and replace it with, Communism, Fascism, Socialism, and/or Anarchy?
Not gonna happen twinkle toes, not without bloodshed from the real laborers of this nation, working their asses off to support their families and the future of their children. Many will kill before they allow these half-wit, bonelazy entitlement theives carte blanc to share their wealth, they earned.
It's going to be entertaining watching these wienie roasting campfire girls survive out there without free handouts, they're all fking worthless, talk about useless eaters. JMHO!
#8. To: Murron (#7)
nice rant, but the people who made up the derisive song 'Yankee Doodle Dandy" had it turn into a song of pride, and shocked the British when they survived a Winter at Valley Force.
We'll see what happens; but the folks I work with at the Occupy Eugene demonstration are focused and determined. As are the Portland folks whom we have visited and worked with.
In any event, your attempt to insult is amusing, as yes, I am in fact a very good dancer and took dance and gymnastics as a youth. My sister Pamela though is the best at it, and competed with the Oregon State Gymnastics team before she went to work as a product line manager for Nike, and is an attorney in Portland, OR.
Also, you can't stereotype people quite that simply, and they run quite a range of backgrounds, education, ideology, and are united in the goal to send a message there is something terribly wrong with this country.
We were at our best in the aftermath of WW II when there was an excellent distribution of wealth in this country with had this place booming. The wealth was spread in the field of industry and commerce making the middle class grow strong and vibrant, instead of the stagnant situation we have today with a one percent piling money in a manure pile where all it does is stink.
Capital is lifeblood that has to be shared to make America work it's best.
We need better wealth distribution, we need to return control of the government back to the people, and we need to remember that if we can't help the many who are poor, we can't save the few who are rich. ;-)
#9. To: Ferret Mike, *99 Percenters On Parade* (#6)
I have heard words of scorn how when the snow comes high in the cascade forests of Oregon us forest protesters would give it up. We never did, and in the new battles starting here concerning logging, we never will.These protesters will weather the Winter just fine. The message is more important than any discomfort Winter can throw at it.
The weather will certainly have a impact on the protests however that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Gives the 99'ers the winter to regroup, make corrections and then really raise hell come spring.
No, this is working out just fine, indeed!
Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'!
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