Gotham City Friday
Hey, remember Occupy Wall Street? Thought they had all gone away? No longer camping out in Liberty Square / Zuccotti Park – those crazy days and nights came to an end long ago, and with an attempted stop along the way in Union Square, protestors have gone to the geographical heart of the matter and are now bedding down on Wall Street. Or rather, they are bedding down on Nassau St which is just around the corner from Wall St.
Zuccotti Park however remains a nerve centre from which each week a programme of Spring Training for the upcoming May Day General Strike takes place with protests, rallies, marches and demonstrations. And arrests.
Friday afternoon here in New York, end of trading, close of week. Workers, tourists, protestors, police and snappers, the beat goes on . . .
I think the protesters should move their protest to the steps of The Federal Reserve, and Capital Hill. Without the Fed, the bailouts would not have been possible. And if the lawmakers were doing their jobs through the proper channels, most of the CEO’s raking in huge bonuses would be sitting beside Bernie in prison, I suspect. I’m sure there are a lot of dirty hands in the cookiejar where the Fed, our Government lawmakers, and the Corporate CEO’s are involved with each other.
Marcy, how far back do we go with those dirty hands in the cookie jar?
In the case of the Federal Reserve, go back to 1913. But I’m sure there have been dirty politicians since day one. The CEO’s have probably been skimming the cream since we became Corporate America in the mid/late 1,800’s. It’s just lately, our elected officials, their appointments, nominations, czars, etc. have gotten away with so much crime lately, it has become the norm. I don’t think protesting wall street is where the root of the problem is though. If companies ran on their own merit, and rewarded their CEO’s for success,rather than failure, and if there were no Government intervention, I suspect he Corporations would have to maintain a certain level of honesty to survive. Everyone in high places that matter seem to be in bed with each other. We need to break up the orgy and abolish the Federal Reserve as a starting point, if we want America back.
Yours is the only place where I have seen such ongoing images. The media assigns its products a very short shelf life.
Keep up the good work, Patti, you’re keeping the faith.
Judith, I have so many photos from the last few weeks/months of OWS activity which has much in the way of independent press coverage but not so much mainstream, although mainstream media are covering it at ground level. It will be interesting to see what impact events of May 1st have . . . .
A photographer snapping a photographer, twice. No easy feat, let alone getting so close the action (again). Orples’ comment re cookie jar is a 1st world travesty, no matter where you are living in that 1st world.
I suspect that cookie jar comes with the ballot box, wherever in worlds 1,2 or 3 an election of some form takes place! Thank you for your kind words re- snapping the snappers, they were just “there” inside the frame!
I know I’ve said this before, but I’m so impressed by your ability to ‘work in a crowd’, Ms. K…
pretty sure I’d be almost overwhelmed by all the activity and would miss out on all the interesting details before I was ever even able to react!
🙂
The strangest feeling about being in such crowds, when all is relatively calm and orderly, is one of comforting invisibility. However, when the police mount a surge the heart rate goes up and I do everything I can to avoid arrest, stay standing, find the focus and stay focused (doesn’t always happen!). With spectacles and teeth intact. Some of these shots were from the top of steep steps on Federal Hall with police pushing from behind and in front.
BTW SiG, do you enjoy parties? Parties are a crowd that I have never been able to work! And I don’t believe for one minute that with your keen and creative eye for detail you would miss much!
some of those people look homeless and probably have nowhere else to go. The second picture of the guy holding the camera standing behind the cops, looks like Seth on SNL.
The homeless are definitely part of the 99% that is driving the movement! Now I know what Seth from SNL looks like, thanks Connie!
I really enjoy your photography Patti, Your camera is really good by delivering those moments in good HI QUALITY pixel ,great work 🙂
On behalf of my camera thank you very much Jake for your kind words and so pleased you enjoy!
Smack in the middle of living history. What awesome shots!
Your photos scream: We’re alive and we’re free and we have come to be heard!
Bravo!
Annie, I cherish your comment – consider yourself heard, wherever you are on your wonderful journey!
Your photos always open my eyes to what’s real out there. The first photo caught me eye the most because at the back of the man, wrote “The America Dream,” with a checklist. I used to think such one exist but now I realized the best dream is “My Dream,” or an individual’s dream from day one. Someone’s dream may not necessarily work for another. There was a time that owning a house was part of the “American Dream,” but now a lot of our countrymen’s lives had been tuned upside down because of the devious mortgages. So is healthcare and our retirement that seems to be vastly evaporating. I agree though that the America dream should be about finding our happiness, of finding peace , of feeling safe, of gaining back our life and not the life our society or corporations dictates. Inspiring post as always. Thanks.
Same as it ever was IT! As you say, “someone’s dream may not necessarily work for another” but hopes, ambitions and basic needs are universal. Personally, I could live in America forever and never get to grips with the healthcare / insurance system, not to mention the credit default swaps which made money from the dodgy mortgages. So many best wishes to you and your family for your dreams and I will never forget that your parents are living their dream with each other!
hi Patti,
thank you for your good photo documents –
I hope “Occupy Wallstreet” will be more than
an attraction for tourists and photographers …
Thank you Frizz. I am so far behind with my posts on OWS. The activity of recent weeks has been a push me / pull me b/w police, protestors and other officials on matters pertaining to city ordinances as to where you can or can’t hold a banner etc etc. The other day in Liberty Square /Zuccotti Park, several professional photographers we warned by security representing the property management against setting up their tripods.
Some background links from the Village Voice and The Nation
It is being covered but you have to know where to look. Reuters, Getty Images, CNN, NY1 are some of the press covering events, albeit quietly for the moment . . .
hi Patti, you are invited to answer 11 questions:
http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/i-got-tagged-11-questions/
your frizztext
Frizz, thank you so much for the invitation!
Thanks for keeping the story alive, the story that the media have already forgotten (and of course the big media are part of the corporate world so why would they keep the story alive?). The pictures are excellent, it’s certainly not easy to shoot in a crowd like this.
The story had some momentum a few weeks ago down at Union Square but authorities were quick to close off the subway down there at one stage because of the crowds etc . . . Thank you so much for your comment on the pictures. It has been a strange and wonderful experience to shoot in the crowds with their lack of self-consciousness.
Wow! Amazing photography Patti! The Occupy Wall Street encampment that was near the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City cleared out months ago. I didn’t know if the Occupy Wall Street movement was still going on elsewhere… or not. Great coverage! Thank you.
Thank you Theresa! It will be interesting to see what momentum is gathered as a result of planned May Day activities. There have been calls promising the rise of the “American Spring” but more of that later. All best to you in Kansas City, hope to get there one day soon!
We still have an Occupy group here in Utrecht. I’m always happy to see that they’re still there when I’m in the area.
Wonderful photos, Patti, especially the way you captured the raw emotion of some of the arrests. I also like the “flag” the man is wearing in the third photo; it’s an excellent statement about the power of the corporation these days.
Perhaps I am missing something somewhere along the line but the arrests happen out of nowhere, in an instant! I wish I had better photos to show you of “Captain America” who, with his “lovely wife, Miss America!” does a fabulous schtick on the process. I would love to see some shots of the Utrecht occupation!
stunning clicks once again. you really have a gift here, capturing the as-they-happen moments. thanks for sharing.
Wow, thank you Kris and a pleasure to share!
very interesting point of view… bravo
You are very kind, thank you so much for your comment and for subscribing!
nicely documented 🙂
Thank you Joshi, we are all of us in this world together!
There’s a lot to be said for living in rural areas. The only stoppages we get are sheep blocking the road or the odd agricultural vehicle.
Mike, your stunning photos certainly do have a lot to say for life in rural areas! As for stoppages here, I am not sure what will happen but I do remember years ago in London that the shops along Oxford St were boarded up in anticipation of May Day riots. Those were the days when I had film in my camera!